Ayurvedic Cumin Tea Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 250 ml of drinking water

Method

Take a pan and put 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds into it. Dry roast for 5 seconds and then pour 250ml of water into the pan. Let the water boil and cover it for 5 minutes. Strain it into a cup and enjoy it warm for maximum benefit. If you want to enhance taste add honey or a pinch of salt into it.

Coconut and Amla Chutney

Serves 2/3

Ingredients

• 2 handfuls of freshly grated coconut or dry grated coconut
• 2 chopped Indian Gooseberries ( amla)/ Juice of one Lime/ Juice of half a lemon
• 1 cm piece of chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 2 handfuls of freshly chopped coriander/parsley
• 1 handful of freshly chopped mint
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/tsp black pepper powder/ 2 black peppercorns
• 1/2 cup water or as required depending on desired consistency (normally chutney is the same consistency as a batter)
• 1 chopped green chili (optional)

Method 

Put all ingredients ( except water) in a mixer grinder. Grind the ingredients as much as possible without water then add a small amount of water at a time and continue grinding. Keep adding water and grinding until you have the desired consistency. If you are using the juice of lime/lemon instead of amla, then add this add the end.

Variations

• Use locally grown herbs such as basil/parsley/chives etc in place of or as well as coriander and mint
• Replace the  amla ( Indian Gooseberry)/lime with 2 tomatoes 
• Make without coconut and increase the quantity of herbs
• Use buttermilk instead of water
• Lightly sautee some grated carrot/beetroot and when cool, grind with the other ingredients to make a carrot/beetroot chutney.

Spiced Whole Green Mung Dal Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients

• ½ cup of whole green Mung dal
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 tsp ghee
• ¼ tsp black mustard seeds
• ¼ Cumin seeds
• 1pinch of hing ( asafetida)
• ¼ tsp finely chopped ginger
• 1 small handful of chopped coriander leaves
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder
• 1/8 th teaspoon rocksalt

Method

Wash the mung dal until the water is clear. Soak the mung dahl in a large pot with plenty of water overnight if you are cooking it in the morning or for about 8 hours for cooking at another time. After soaking, discard the water and wash again several times.  Put the mung dal and water in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to the boil. Skim of any scum if it appears. After boiling for 5 minutes reduce the flame to simmer. After a further 15-20 minutes add salt. Continue cooking until the dal is soft and has started to merge with the water. Remove from the heat. Place a small saucepan on low heat. When the pan is warm add ghee. To test the ghee is the right temperature for the spices, drop a couple of mustard seeds into the ghee. If they start to pop, the temperature is correct. Add the remaining mustard seeds followed by cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds have popped and the cumin seeds have turned golden brown add hing (asafoetida). When hing is slightly brown add the chopped ginger, turmeric and coriander powder. Remove the spices from the heat, place dal on low heat and add the spice mixture to it. Stir well and boil for a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat, add chopped coriander, mix well and cover for 5 minutes before serving

 Variation

• Use green split mung dahl or use hello split skinned mung dahl. For these dahls, no soaking is required. For the yellow dahl use 4 times the amount of water. It cooks in about 20 minutes.
• Add turmeric/ginger/hing as the dal boils
• Add a squeeze of lime at the end of cooking.
• Use fennel seeds/coriander seeds/black peppercorns/ fenugreek seeds in addition to or instead of other seeded spices.
• Add a teaspoon of jaggery to the dahl halfway during the cooking for sweet dahl.  For sweet and sour dahl add jaggery as described and add the juice of half a lime before serving
• Instead of frying spices, simply add ground pepper/dry roasted cumin/coriander and a squeeze of lime at the end.
• Use coconut oil or any other cold-pressed oil instead of ghee.
• Garnish with fresh finely chopped herbs like coriander/mint/parsley
• Use the liquid part of the soup as a soup and flavour with spices and herbs as described above.
• Use the solid part for a bean salad or hummus.

Sauteed Spiced Vegetables

Ingredients 

• 1 cup finely chopped or grated carrot/ beetroot/ yam/ beans/white pumpkin/bitter gourd/Snake gourd/ beetroot etc
• 2 tsp  coconut/sesame oil or ghee
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• ¼ tsp finely chopped ginger
• ¼ tsp asafoetida

• ¼ tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder

• ¼ tsp pepper powder
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp salt

Method

Keep a heavy-bottomed saucepan on the fire. When the pan is hot, add 2 teaspoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When the mustard pops add asafoetida and turmeric and coriander powder.  Add the vegetables, mix well and stir for about 2 minutes. Then add salt, mix well and cover the pan, cooking the vegetables on minimum heat until tender. When the vegetables are nearly done, add black pepper powder and mix well.  

Variation 

• For coconut flavored veggies, add a handful of grated coconut in the last few minutes of cooking
• For a coconut curry, add 2 finely chopped tomatoes when you add the vegetables. When the vegetables are tender add 1 cup of coconut milk and cook for a further 5 minutes, making sure that the coconut milk does not boil as it will curdle.
• Blend some herbs with the coconut milk, e.g. coriander, mint, parsley etc.

Wheat Paratha (Shallow fried Indian Flat Bread)

Servings 5-6 Parathas

Ingredients

• 1 cup Chapati Flour
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp of Ghee or oil
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon ajjwain ( carom)

Method

Place the flour and salt in a bowl, incorporate 2 tbsp ghee, add the water gradually, and knead to a smooth dough. Divide the dough into 5 equal portions and shape each into balls. Dust each with flour, cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for 10 minutes.

Flatten each ball and roll out into a 5-6cm circle with a rolling pin, dusting the dough with flour from time to time to stop sticking. Brush with ghee, sprinkle with salt and a pinch of ajwain ( carom) and make a thin roll by rolling one side towards the other ( like a wrap). Make the roll into a coil and flatten into a round shape. Dust the round with a little flour and roll into a circle with the rolling pin.

Heat a griddle (tawa) and brush the surface with ghee. Place the paratha on the griddle and fry for a few minutes. Coat with a little ghee, turn over and fry the other side as well. Both sides of the paratha should be crisp and delicately browned. Recook the first side for a few more moments until golden brown. Remove and serve immediately.

Variation

•  For a stuffed jaggery/brown sugar Paratha, roll the chapati to make a 4cm diameter circle. Spread with ghee and sprinkle a teaspoon of powdered jaggery. Gather the edges of the circle together and pinch together. Flatten the gathered chapati and place on a flour-dusted rolling board. Roll into a 7cm diameter circle and then cook as above.
•  For a stuffed vegetable paratha – use grated carrot/beetroot/cauliflower/ cottage cheese. Follow the jaggery paratha procedure above.