Fabulous Indian

The dish: Azuki & mung beans with green peas (flavored with about 18 different spices), served with coconut cashew quinoa (only about 10 spices).

Who knew that asafoetida powder was the magic ingredient in South Indian food? I had never even heard of it, but the Indian grocery store a few blocks from my apartment had everything on this list.

When I got back to my place after the holidays, I had an empty fridge but a full freezer and pantry. Rather than go shopping and get a whole lot of the usuals, I resolved to eat everything I already owned--without buying new stuff. The result was a lot of frozen leftovers and meals that were healthy enough, but with a distinct lack of green. This week, I came to the end of this little project when I put to soak a bag of dry azuki beans that had been in my cupboards for over a year. What was I going to do with these?

The internet is great. The first recipes that showed up were all spicy Indian concoctions--just the thing to warm up winter and provide a nice long project in the kitchen. After I decided on a couple, I also decided my hiatus from grocery shopping was over. Faking it would not come near to creating the complex flavors I knew could be my prize. So, off I went to the Indian market with my bag over my shoulder and a list of strange spices. I think the most exciting part--other than the fabulous smells and tastes I got to enjoy--was finding fresh curry leaves. Maybe this isn't so special to you, but here in Baltimore I don't usually expect such specialties. It was a nice surprise.

Below, I have pasted these recipes with some comments in parentheses about how I actually made them (not that different from the directions). The final products are completely amazing.

Mung and Azuki Beans with Fresh Peas and Spices

1/2 cup of whole mung beans
1/2 cup of azuki beans
2 cups of fresh peas (I used frozen)
3 small carrots (my addition--added color and a little extra yum)

2 teaspoons of oil or butter (I used coconut oil)
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida powder
2 fresh jalapenos or green chilies, finely chopped (I used just one little red pepper)
small handful of dried curry leaves
3 - 4 dried red chilies, broken into bits (omitted)
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped (I didn't use tomato and frankly I can't see how it would have added much, but try it!)
1 teaspoon of methi leaves (these are HOT so when it says 1t, obey!)
sea salt to taste

Soak the mung beans and the azuki beans overnight in enough water to cover. Drain, transfer to a pot along with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Now add the peas to the pot and continue to cook until the beans are soft and the peas are tender - roughly another 15 - 20 minutes. Add more water to the pot if necessary, though most of the water should be absorbed at the end of the cooking time. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cook until they turn grey and begin to pop. Now add the cumin seeds, coriander, cayenne, turmeric, asafoetida, green chilies, curry leaves, dried red chilies and stir and fry for a minute or two. Now add the tomatoes, methi leaves and salt to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens.

Transfer to the pot of cooked beans, stir well and return to a low heat and cook for a few more minutes so the flavours blend.

Serves 4 - 5.

Quinoa with Coconut and Roasted Cashews

1 cup of uncooked quinoa
1/3 - 1/2 cup of roasted cashews
2 teaspoon of oil
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon of asafoetida powder
3 - 4 green chilies (again, just one little red pepper, but it could be a little hotter)
4 teaspoons of urad dal, rinsed (this is actually not a spice, but a little lentil-like split bean; it gets all crunchy when you cook it; I'd add more next time)
small handful of dried curry leaves
1 cup of dried coconut
sea salt to taste
fresh cilantro or parsley or garnishing (optional) (I forgot to buy cilantro, but I think it would have added to the amazingness of this dish)

Rinse the quinoa well in a fine mesh strainer and soak overnight in two cups of water (Amanda recently told me that soaking the quinoa makes the bitter taste go away after you cook it. I found that it works! The quinoa turned out really sweet, even before adding the coconut). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and cook until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy - roughly 20 minutes. Set the quinoa aside.

In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds and cook until they turn grey and begin to pop. Add the asafoetida, urad dal, chilies, and curry leaves to the pan. Stir and fry for a few minutes, or until the urad dal begins to brown.

Now add the coconut to the pan and stir continuously for a few more minutes until the coconut begins to brown. Add this mixture to the cooked quinoa, along with the roasted cashews and a bit of salt and toss to combine. Garnish with cilantro or parsley if desired.

Serves 4-6.