Cucumber Tomato Salad

Many of the meals on this blog are meant to be super simple, such as the one pot lentil meals with roti (Indian Flatbread). A great way to make sure you get your vegetables with dinner is to make a simple side salad. Here's one great option!

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

1 Yellow Onion, finely diced

1 Large Cucumber, finely chopped

2-3 Roma Tomatoes, finely chopped

Cumin Powder, to taste

Salt, to taste

Lemon Juice, to taste

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together, per taste. Enjoy! If you're not sure where to start with the spices, add 1/4 tsp of each. Taste it and keep adding 1/4 tsp until you achieve the taste you want to eat over and over again!

Black Eyed Peas (Chodi)

Serves 5-6
Ingredients:
4 cups black-eyed peas (Chodi)
4 cups water
Oil Saute (Vaghaar): 1-2 tbsp oil, Mustard Seeds (rye), Dry Roasted Red Pepper, 6-7 Curry Leaves (Limbdo), pinch of Asafetida (Hing).
Turmeric (Haldar)
Coriander-Cumin Powder (Dhana Jeeru)
Red Chili Powder (Marchu)
Salt, to taste
Jaggery (Gaud) - optional

Preparation:
1. Pressure cook the beans in a pressure cooker with the given amount of water. It's okay if there is a little more water (you can either boil it off when cooking for a thicker consistency, or keep it if you want this dish more soupy). I add a little bit of salt into the pressure cooker. There is no given amount of time or number of whistles - it all depends on the size of the pressure cooker and type of bean, gas, etc. What I have learned is... to turn off the cooker when I start "smelling" the bean. If this doesn't work, start with 3-4 whistles for this dish. Then you can open it and check, and re-start for another 1-2 whistles until you learn your own technique.

2. Once the beans are done, add the Vaghar and the spices to taste. Then I add some water to the whole pot and let it simmer until it achieves the consistency I want. Usually, the longer you let it simmer the better it will taste!
3. If you have a sweet tooth add some jaggery. My husband doesn't like it sweet, but I have a HUGE sweet tooth so I make it without the jaggery, and then crumble some on top of my dish right before I'm about to eat. The other alternative is to add the gaud and not tell them (yes...I do that shhh!)

Serve with Indian Flatbread (Bhakri) and/or Rice.

Lulya (Indian Pancakes Made of Lentils)

Serves: 5-6
Ingredients:
1 cup White Rice
1/2 cup Toor Daal
1/2 cup Moong Daal
1/2 cup Masoor Daal
1/2 cup Chana Daal
1/2 cup Urad Daal
Ginger, to taste
Salt, to taste
Serrano Pepper, to taste (finely chopped or shredded)

Preparation: 
1. Mix all the daals (lentils) together in a large bowl with enough water to cover them. Allow it to soak overnight.
2. In the morning, grind the daals together in a blender, adding only enough water to allow for smooth blending.
3. Add the salt, serrano pepper and ginger to taste when blending. The consistency of the lentils should be that of a pancake mixture. Allow the mixture to sit (covered) on the countertop if warm outside, or in the oven if cold outside. It should be ready for eating within a couple hours. Be sure not to let it sit out for more than a couple hours otherwise it will go into a fermentation process and rise....that makes a completely different meal!
4. Take out a large pan or iron skillet and warm on low-medium heat. Make sure you allow the pan to warm up enough. If you start cooking the lentil cake prematurely, it will stick to the pan and you'll have a hard time taking it off. Spray olive oil to coat the pan. Now you are ready to spread the lentil mixture onto the coated pan. Allow it to cook through on one side before flipping it to cook on the other side.
5. Serve with yogurt, chundo (a sweet chutney found at Indian Stores) or even alone for a snack.

Culinary Medicine Tip: Lentil's are a great source of protein! They are an essential part of every Indian Household. The lentils used in this recipe are not only high in protein, but high in fiber and low in fat. They're also packed with folate, iron, phosphorus, potassium and fiber.(http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lentils/AN01640).