Vegetable Poha

Sometimes I awaken with a wish to relive the those carefree yesteryears of my childhood. It is the small things that have the power to transport us to the past. For me, the journey to the past always has some element of food attached to it. So on this rainy day, I rummaged through my kitchen cupboard for something comforting to remind me of home. And there it was! A forgotten, half used packet of poha. I peered through my refrigerator to dig out vegetables that needed to be used fast. And I came up with this.

Poha (pronounced as Po-haa) is a classic Western Indian dish which can be served as snacks or breakfast. Thought traditionally made from just flattened rice, peanuts, onions and potatoes, I have always loved my mother's rendition packed with nutritious vegetables. It was her sneaky way of making us eat vegetables which we hated as kids. Over the years, poha became the eponymous symbol of homecoming for me; the first meal served as breakfast after I came home during the holidays. Nothing would compare to chowing down a hot plate of poha on a lazy holiday browsing through the newspaper.

Now some may argue this is not the "authentic" way of preparing it, but I like it. For me, it works as a wholesome breakfast, and the burst of colors from veggies early in the morning never fails to brighten my day.

Vegetable Poha

Inspired by Mom

Look for thick poha variety rather than thin. The thin variety soaks up too much water and disintegrates into a soggy mess.

Ingredients

(Serves 2 hungry adults)

Poha- 2 cups
Tomato chopped- 1 medium

Onion Chopped - 1/2 medium

Carrot- Diced - 1

Cabbage- finely sliced- 1 cup

Potatoes- Chopped- 1/3 cup

Frozen Peas/Freshly Shelled- 1/3 cup

Salt - To taste

Oil- 1-2 tablespoons

For tempering:
Oil - 1-2 tablespoon

Mustard Seeds: 1 teaspoon

Chilli powder- 1/2 teaspoon (Chopped thai green chillies can be used in its place)

Turmeric powder- 1/3rd teaspoon (Optional)

For garnishing:

Sprigs of cilantro/coriander

Lemon Juice- 2 tablespoons

Roasted peanuts- Coarsely chopped

Directions

In a fine-meshed sieve, place two cups of poha and run cold water over it and drain. All grains should be thoroughly soaked by water and there should not be any water left standing. The amount of water soaked varies wildly with the brand and quality of poha. Before mixing in with cooked vegetables at the last step, check it once. It should be soft and moist. If it appears too dry 15 minutes after the first soaking, sprinkle it with enough water to soak it again. However, don't over-do it, since excess water will result in its disintegration.

Heat a medium sized saute-pan or wok over medium-high heat. Once oil begins to shimmer, lower heat to medium. Immediately put mustard seeds in the hot oil, and allow it to pop. After most seeds have popped (1-2 minutes), put chilli powder and turmeric powder and stir for 1-2 minutes till fragrant. Don't allow the mixture to brown and adjust the heat if necessary. Remove from heat and reserve in another container.

I normally roast the peanuts in the same pan without oil over medium low heat, till they turn slightly brown. Chop them coarsely and reserve for garnishing. The chopping step can be omitted, but I like the way smaller bits just blend in with the rest and become surprising packages of flavor in the mouth.

Add remaining oil and chopped onions in the same pan and saute till the edges of the onions begin to brown. Add tomatoes, remaining vegetables, salt and reserved tempering from above. Mix well and cover the pan with the lid. Let the vegetables steam for about 15-20 minutes till they are cooked but still holding shape. Check occasionally to see if there is enough moisture from the vegetables. If not, add water 1-2 tablespoons at a time.

When cooked, turn off the heat and mix in the drained poha gently. The poha should be evenly mixed so that it takes on the yellow color from the turmeric. Garnish with lemon juice, cilantro and roasted peanuts.

Bulgur Salad with Roasted Tomato and Spinach: Starting anew

Amidst all the unpacking, house hunting, setting up a new life, and generally getting used to a different country has sent me on too many roller-coaster rides to count. Moving to a new country, despite living in our times, where the lines between different cultures are blurring, can still be a bit daunting. Then there have been some amazing experiences I have had since I arrived here. Therefore, I use the term "roller-coaster". And is it any surprise that most of the amazing ones have to do with my love for food? One of the delights I have discovered is the variety of ingredients and flavors available always. Though it can be quite a task to locate Indian goods, there is a whole world that beckons you the moment one enters the local super-store. Sometimes it can assume the proportions of a complicated project just to choose which new things to take home and experiment! Imagine getting home, poring over the internet to find a recipe to do justice to your ingredients, and realizing that you missed buying that one key ingredient! Very inconvenient wouldn't you say?

One of the great things I have come to love as a grown-up is salads. I can imagine many who read this shaking their heads in wonderment. Who doesn't like salads???!!! Well, to be honest, salads served in Indian households are nothing to boast about and are pretty simple affairs comprising of slices of raw cucumber, tomatoes, maybe an odd radish or two and a dressing of lemon juice and salt. And of course there are variations, but the underlying factor is that the flavor don't have the oomph to keep me interested day after day. So, there I was thumbing through my copy of "The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook" by Jack Bishop, I was introduced to the subtle art of vinaigrettes or dressings. Traditionally defined as a fine emulsion of oil and vinegar blended with spices, it can transform a salad into something magnificent. A well balanced vinaigrette or a dressing can really help pop out those flavors in the raw veggies.

I have been experimenting with different forms of grains recently. Bulgur intrigued me since it was it is made from whole durum wheat, and does not require (or minimal) cooking! It is a close cousin to cracked wheat or "Dalia" as it is known in India. In contrast to cracked wheat, bulgur requires just a quick soak in hot water before its ready. The secret to quick cooking nature of bulgur is that it is parboiled. Parboiling before dehusking locks the precious nutrients in the hull of the wheat berries within the berry, that would have been otherwise lost. More information about bulgur can be read here.

For the roasted tomato and spinach bulgur salad, I used a honey based dressing. A honey based dressing and the nutty flavors of bulgur are really match made in heaven. The honey tones play a starring role in this salad while the chick-peas and spinach add body to the entire dish. Of course, the reds, greens and the hues of brown look nothing short of confetti left from Christmas. An interesting side dish or a complete meal in itself, the salad is a great way to detox after weeks of holiday indulgences.

Roasted Tomato and Spinach Bulgur Salad

Inspired by A Year in Vegetarian Kitchen By Jack Bishop

I used slices of tomatoes here, but cherry tomatoes just look much better. I also used leftover cooked chickpeas which I had cooked from scratch a day earlier. Canned chickpeas drained to remove all liquid would work fine. Roasted cumin powder really rounds out the honey notes and it is highly recommended that you add it.

Ingredients

(Serves 2 hungry adults/ four adults as a side dish)

For the salad:

Bulgur- 1.5 cups

Spinach- Cut into ribbons- 1 cup

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes- 1 cup

Cooked chickpeas/1/3rd cup or Drained can chickpeas- 1/2 can

For roasting tomatoes:

Extra virgin olive oil - 1 tablespoon

Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

Freshly ground Pepper- To taste

For the dressing:

Extra virgin olive oil- 1/3rd cup

Honey- 2 tablespoons (or to taste)

Cumin powder- roasted - 1/2 teaspoon (or to taste)

Freshly ground Pepper- few rounds

Lemon Juice- 1 tablespoon

Directions

Preheat the oven at 375 F. For roasting tomatoes, in a oven safe wide dish or casserole, drizzle washed and dried cherry tomatoes with oil. Choose a dish which allows a little distance between tomatoes to allow roasting. If the dish is small and tomatoes overlap, they will steam rather than roast. Add salt and pepper to taste and toss to cover all tomatoes. Place the dish into the oven and roast for about 20-25 minutes till the outer skins of tomatoes shrivel and liquids released around tomatoes begin to char. Remove from the oven and cool. You can remove the skins from the roasted tomatoes after they cool down to let them remain.

Whisk all ingredients listed for the dressing in a cup till smooth emulsion like consistency is achieved and keep aside. This may take a little longer because of the sticky nature of honey. Adjust to taste if necessary.

For cooking bulgur, bring 3 cups of water to a rolling boil. In a large bowl, pour boiling water over bulgur and keep it aside for 15-20 minutes until soft. Use a large bowl since bulgur expands after absorbing water. Drain off excess water and gently squeeze out more water from the soaked bulgur. This step is crucial since the salad will become soggy if excess water remains.

Toss bulgur, chickpeas, spinach, tomatoes and the dressing and enjoy! The salad should be served immediately as the spinach will get soggy from the dressing if kept sitting for long. For best results, add dressing in the end just before serving.