Black eyed(Lobia) Beans in tomato gravy.

Black eyed beans (Lobia beans) - Black eyed beans cooked in a thick and rich spicy tomato gravy with an array of spices. A healthy and nutritious dish full of protein making an ideal accompaniment to rice or rotis.

Ingredients:

2 cups dry black eyes beans
3 medium ripe tomatoes
1.5 teaspoons salt
1.5 teaspoons turmeric
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
1.5 teaspoons chilli powder
2 tablespoon sunflower or olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 tablespoon tomato puree
½ teaspoon mustard seeds

For Garnish

1 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander
4 lemon wedges
Few slices red onion
2 green chillies cut into slits.

Method:

1. Soak the black eyed beans in water over night or at least 5-6 hours.
2. Pressure cook the black eyes beans until tender.
3. Chop the tomatoes and blend them to a paste.
4. Heat the oil in a deep vessel, when hot add the mustard seeds.
5. Sauté the garlic and add the blended tomato paste and tomato puree.
6. Add the chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt.
7. Cook until tomatoes and spices are blended together and gravy starts to separate oil.
8. Add the pre cooked black eyed beans and also some of the water the beans were cooked in.
9. Simmer black eyed beans in the gravy until all the spices infuse and a thick gravy forms. Add extra water to make more gravy if desired.
Transfer to serving dish and garnish with chopped coriander, onion slices, chillies and lemon wedges.

Serve with plain boiled rice 



Black eyed beans are very versatile and they can be added to curries, salads, soups and you can even make a bean pate or hummus with them. why not try this hearty warming  Black eyed pea soup or this Kenyan style spicy black eyed bean stew.

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Chole-chickpeas in gravy

Coconut and mixed nut barfi.

Coconut and mixed nut barfi- A quick and easy no cook barfi .Desiccated coconut and crunchy nuts delicately fragranced with cardamom powder and sweetened with rich condensed milk.
Ingredients:

1.5 cups dessicated coconut
¾ cup coarsely chopped nuts (cashew, almonds and brazil nuts)
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon cardamom powder (elachi)
Almond halves for garnishing

Method:

1. In a bowl add the desiccated coconut, chopped nuts and cardamom powder. Mix.
2. Stir in the condensed milk and make a stiff mixture. (Can add a little more coconut if mixture seems too sticky)
3. If you want to make barfi in squares, then grease a thali or tray with ghee and pat the coconut barfi mixture in it.
4. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon and garnish with almond halves pushing them into the barfi slightly so that they stick. Refrigerate for 1 hour, after this cut to desired shape.
5. Alternately if you wish to make shaped barfi as I have done then wrap the coconut mix in cling film and refrigerate for 30 mins after step 2.
6. After 30 minutes take two large sheets of kitchen foil, place the chilled barfi mixture on one sheet and cover with second sheet.
7. Using a rolling pin gently roll out the mixture to approx 1 cm thick. Remove the top sheet of foil and using cookie cutter cut out desired shapes and place barfi shapes on serving dish.
8. Roll up remaining mixture and repeat step 7 again till all mixture is used up.

9. Place almond halves on your barfi shapes and press slightly to stick. Chill barfi for 1 hour before serving.

NB- You can use any combination of nuts, also you can add few drops of food colouring if you wish to have coloured barfi.

Keep refrigerated and consume with in 3-4 days.

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Chocolate Crunch Barfi

Yoghurt and Coconut chutney.

Yoghurt/ Coconut Chutney- A sweet and sour chutney , made with cooling sour yoghurt, sweetness from the coconut and the heat from the green chillies. A lovely accompaniment to south Indian dishes such as idli and dosas.

Ingredients:

1 cup natural yoghurt( hung)

2 green chillies finely chopped

2 oz fresh grated coconut

¾ teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

For tempering:

1 teaspoon sunflower oil

2 dried red chillies

½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds (jeera)

1 teaspoon urad dhal

6-8 curry leaves

Method:

1.Line a sieve with a muslin cloth and pour the yoghurt in it. Leave for the water to drain out for 30 mins(This is called hung yoghurt)

2.Transfer the hung yoghurt to a bowl , add the coconut, and green chillies. Mix and keep aside.

3. Heat the oil in a pan add the red chillies, urad dall, whole jeera and curry leaves.

4. Add the tempering to yoghurt/coconut mixture and stir, Add salt and sugar.
5.Transfer to a serving bowl

Serve with masala dosa, the recipe for this you will find here. As we are nearing valentines day,I made heart shaped dosas using the same batter as in the recipe.Due to them being rather small I could not roll them but served them as a side with the potato masala and above chutney,

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Tomato Rice

Tomato Rice-A quick and easy rice dish created in minutes. Flavoured with fresh tomatoes and garnished generously with fresh coriander.Served with a creamy cucumber raita.

Ingredients:

2 cups preboiled cold rice ( Left over rice is ideal for this)

1 firm medium tomato de seeded and finely chopped

2 green chillies de seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh coriander finely chopped.

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon chilli powder

1/2 tablespoon sunflower oil

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

Method:

1. Add to the cold rice salt,chilli powder and turmeric

2.Toss the rice to get an even coating of the spices.

3. In a frying pan heat the oil, when hot add the cumin seeds.

4. Add the rice and toss in the hot oil.Approx 3-4 minutes.

5. Stir in the diced tomatoes and green chillies.

6.Toss the rice till tomatoes and rice are mixed . Approx 1-2 minutes.

7.Transfer the rice to a serving dish and garnish with chopped fresh coriander.

Serve hot with creamy cucumber raita and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice..

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Sweet red pepper chilli sauce.

Sweet pepper chilli sauce-A spicy piquant chilli sauce made from sweet red peppers and hot green chillies. Hot and tangy it makes a lovely accompaniment to all snacks.

Ingredients:

1 large sweet long red pepper
10 green chillies
3 tablespoons lemon juice (approx ½ lemon)
1/2 teaspoon lemon rind
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

1. Wash the red pepper and remove the seeds and membrane.

2. Chop it into small pieces
3. Wash the green chillies, deseed and chop up into small pieces
4. Remove the rind from the lemon and squeeze the juice
5. In the blender add the chopped red pepper, green chillies, lemon rind, lemon juice, salt,sugar and olive oil.
6. Blend to make a coarse paste.
7. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve with Chunky French fries or tortilla chips..
Keep refrigerated consume with in two days.

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