Dry beetroot coconut curry

I was thinking about India. Probably the best meal I had in ~3 months there was a thali at a place overlooking a temple bathing tank, in Varkala (Kerala). All the places along the beach were very touristy and the food not very veg and not very interesting, so we had ended up walking inland in search of something more exciting. The place was small and simple; we sat on a palm-roofed terrace watching a family of feral cats play around our feet. Eventually they brought this amazing thali, with very coconutty, South Indian, interesting curries. The one I remember so clearly was a dry curry of shredded beetroot and shredded coconut - beautiful, full of earthy sweetness and texture, and so unlike anything I'd eaten before.

I thought I'd try and recreate it with our latest haul of CSA beetroot. The fridge was starting to look bare after a few weeks of soup and using up, and those beets were almost the last thing to get through. Actually, I think what reminded me of that place / that thali was making my favourite dry cabbage curry the other day - it is similar in spicing and texture and use of coconut to what I remember of the beetroot one. So I thought I'd try something a bit like it - definitely using shredded coconut, curry leaves and mustard seed... I ended up using this recipe, as it sounded much like my memory.

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped into large chunks
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
~1/2 tbsp water
1-2 tbsp coconut oil
3 curry leaves
1 tsp chana dal (aka yellow split peas; increase to 1 tbsp if you don't have urad dal)
1 tbsp urad dal (subbed mung beans but this wasn't awesome - make sure to use shelled dal)
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1-2 tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 small onion, finely sliced
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 medium-large beetroot, grated
~1/3 cup dried shredded coconut (unsweetened; fresh probably better if you can get it)
salt

Put the ginger, garlic and water in a blender and pulse until it becomes a paste - add just enough water to make it work / become paste.

Heat the oil in a good-sized frying pan. Add the curry leaves, chana dal, urad dal (if using), mustard seeds, cumin seeds and chilli flakes and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the onion and the garlic-ginger paste. Once the onion is translucent, add in the turmeric and the grated beetroot. Stir-fry until beets are almost dry then add in the coconut and mix. Taste and add salt to taste. Turn off the heat.


We ate with brown rice, sprinkled with chopped fresh coriander, with a splash of vinegar and some coconut cream on the side. yummmm. S thought it could have been more coconutty - I guess you could add more shredded coconut or some coconut cream - but I was pretty happy with it.

Note, I am actually growing to love turmeric - I'd always thought of it as mainly a colouring agent, but while the colour is definitely fantastic the smell and flavour are wonderful too.

Latest yellow split pea dal

Pretty much based on this recipe: trying to perfect my method.

1 cup yellow split peas
3 cups water
1 tbsp coconut oil (or olive)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 in piece ginger, finely chopped
1/4 tsp fennel seed
1/4 tsp nigella seed
1/4 tsp mustard seed
1/4 tsp cumin seed
seeds from 4 cardamom pods
1/2 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp salt

Put the split peas and water in a medium saucepan, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and add the ginger, garlic and whole spices. Cook for a few minutes, until spices are aromatic and garlic light gold, then add the turmeric and cook for a few more seconds. Stir the peas and check they are soft and collapsing. When they are, Add the spice mixture to the peas, along with the salt, and stir. Eat with rice or with flatbreads.


This is really warming and good. I've worked through a few iterations and like this one best (with optional fried onion addition). Must be patient and make sure the peas are fully cooked - the softer the better, really.

Moong Dal

I am in the mood for dal at the moment - it's the weather - it is becoming autumn, leaves are falling and it's getting chillier at night.  So warm, comforting, spicy bowls of slop are what I feel like cooking and eating.  Also, an hour or 2 of minimal-fuss cooking makes a pot of spicy legume to last a week.

I've been making quite a lot of red lentil and chana dal based ones recently, so fancied a (slight) change and remembered the packet of split, peeled mung beans S bought by accident from the Chinese supermarket (he had a list, it said mung beans - I meant for sprouting but he bought these ones).

I stumbled across this recipe and thought it would be a good place to start - seemed simple enough, and was a slightly different approach to the other dals I have been making (adding fried onions and whole spices at the end).

400g mung dal (skinned yellow split mung beans)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 in piece of root ginger, peeled and cut into 4
1 tsp turmeric
3 chillies, 2 finely chopped, 1 left whole
2 tbsp veg oil
1 small onion, finely sliced
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
Fresh coriander, chopped

Wash the mung, put in a pan and add 2 litres of cold water. Bring to the boil and skim. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric and chopped chillies to the pan with a pinch of salt, turn down the heat, cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and simmer for 1-1½ hours, stirring occasionally, until smooth and soft.

Add salt to taste (approx 1 tsp), then add the whole chilli and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium high heat and add the onion. Stir until golden and beginning to crisp, then add the dried spices and cook for a couple of minutes until the mustard seeds are beginning to pop. Stir into the dal. Finally, add some chopped coriander and serve.


Nice and warm and yellow. I've reduced the cumin as it was a bit much. It is missing something - fenugreek?

Note - I accidentally-on-purpose tried this same recipe using yellow split peas (chana dal) instead of mung, and it was better i think - their rich butteriness gives depth that the mung lacked.  Although I may also have added more salt and did a better job of cooking the onions (til almost burnt and crispy but not quite).  Although the cooking time was longer - was over 2 hours not 1.5 hours.

Black Bean Hummus; Minted Bulghur Wheat; Yellow Split Pea Dal

Seb is out at the Korean party, so I am home alone.  What did I do with my evening?  So far I have cooked myself a three course dinner and have been dancing around the sitting room a lot.

Clockwise from left: minted bulghur, black bean hummus, dal

Black Bean Hummus

~400g cooked black beans
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp tahini
lump of garlic (~ small-medium clove, to taste)
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tbsp coriander leaves
salt to taste

Put all ingredients into a blender and whizz til smooth.  Add a little water if it is too thick.  Taste to check seasoning etc.


Minted Bulghur Wheat

~1 cup medium bulghur wheat
1 tbsp chopped mint
juice of 1/4 lemon
1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt + pepper

Put the bulghur wheat in a medium bowl and pour boiling water over it.  Cover top of bowl with a plate and leave 20-30min until the wheat is a good biting texture.  If necessary drain by holding the plate in place and inverting the bowl over the sink.


Yellow split pea dal
(see here - Allegra McEvedy in the Guardian)

2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 garlic cloves, chopped
1/3 tbsp mustard seed
1/3 tbsp cumin seed
1/3 tbsp coriander seed
seeds from 5 cardamom pods
250g dried yellow split peas (chana dal)
1 litre water
salt

Heat the oil and add the chopped garlic and whole dry spices.  Fry til golden brown (~5 min).  Then add the split peas and mix around to coat.  Then add the water.  Bring to a boil over 10min then boil for 45-60min until the peas are well cooked and the texture / sloppiness is as desired (will thicken up a bit as it cools / sits).  Taste and season.


I dipped raw red pepper in the black bean hummus to start with, then ate the minted bulghur and dal together when they were ready.  While the dal was cooking I also made chocolate tofu pudding (yum) = third course.  Going to eat it in a minute with some fresh mint tea (washed fresh mint leaves and nearly-boiling water in a mug).

All were pretty successful - the bb hummus was tasty, the dal was really good (I'm into yellow split peas at the minute, it would seem) - lots of potential for playing about with spice combinations, and the bulghur wheat was simple but a really nice clean taste and texture.  A bit eclectic together, but I liked it.  All really easy, too.

Yellow split peas

I've never really bothered with split peas much, but heard of Ethiopian yellow split peas and thought it sounded interesting.  Bought some yellow split peas from the Indian store today and thought I would cook some...

Used this recipe.

Also just realised this ticks off one of the three alphabet letters I hadn't cooked with - only U and X left...

Ingredients
3 cups water plus 2 tablespoons (divided)
1 cup dried yellow split peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1 inch-long piece fresh ginger, peeled,
finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Place 3 cups of the water and the peas in large saucepan. Heat over high heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium; cook (covered) until almost tender, about 30 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat; cook onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and turmeric; cook 1 minute.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons water; cover. Cook on low heat 3 minutes. Add mixture to cooked peas; stir in salt. Simmer until peas are very soft, about 30 minutes. Taste; adjust seasonings.

Ate it with basmati rice (1 cup rice / 2 cups water; cook with lid on for 20min, switch off heat and leave with lid on to steam until wanted).


Simple and tasty - the peas have a rich, leguminous, almost buttery taste.  Total cooking time about an hour so not that quick though unfortunately.  Could definitely make lots at once and eat it all week though.  It was quite thick in the end - should make sure to cover during cooking / perhaps add more water?