The luscious Mango is generally referred to as the King of all fruit in India. If there is a King of fruit, stands to reason there must be a Jack of all fruit – behold the Jackfruit! This fruit is a particular favorite in India with its buttery yellow, smooth tasting, deliciously sweet sections and large oval crumbly pits, which taste really yummy when smothered in spicy sauces. On the outside the jackfruit looks like a huge prickly pear, hanging low from the trunk of a large perennial tree. Each tree bears many Jackfruit every season. And generally the fruit is so large that one family cannot consume it, so it is usually sold cut. In India, the jackfruit is eaten both ripe (as a fruit) or raw, as in a curry.

The jackfruit is native to southwestern India, Bangladesh, Philippines, Sri Lanka and possibly, east of the Malay Peninsula. It is said to be the largest tree-borne fruit in the world, with its diameter being at least 25 cm. There can be jackfruit measuring as much as 36 kg (80 lbs) weight, 90 cm in length and 50 cm in diameter. The best part of the fruit is that even its seeds have been found to have a high nutritional value. Jackfruits are rich in potassium, phytonutrients, isoflavones, antioxidants and vitamin C with health benefits ranging from anti-cancer to antihypertensive. It is also believed to have anti-ageing properties since the fruit can help slow down the degeneration of cells and make the skin look young and supple.

My trip to Delhi resulted in one of my favorite jaunts, a visit to the local “haat” or weekly market. These haats are the best way to get produce from market to table – direct from the farmer, something like our local farmer’s markets. Only, they seem larger than the ones I have attended in the US. Not only that, the haats are almost full to bursting with so many fruit, vegetables, sundry toys, goods and other items that are sold in carts, that they become almost like a trade fair.

During one such visit to a haat, my sister-in-law Kavita, bought some raw jackfruit from the local vegetable vendor who had large, raw,  jackfruit in carts. The vendor would cut, weigh and wrap portions of the fruit in old newspaper for each customer. The raw jackfruit is generally used in curries or pickled. I will post my mother-in-law’s raw jackfruit pickle recipe in another post.

This is Kavita’s recipe for raw jackfruit curry- I can vouch for the yummy taste. I just loved it and thought I would share with my readers so you can try this if you ever have an opportunity to buy raw jackfruit.

Here is what you need:
20 2″ pieces of raw jackfruit
3 medium onions (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil

Here is how you make this very easy dish:
Steam jackfruit pieces with the turmeric powder until soft – about 10 minutes. In a pan, heat oil. Fry the finely chopped onion. Dissolve chilli powder and coriander powder in 2 tsp water and set aside. Add the steamed jackfruit and the dissolved spice powders. Add salt and saute on slow fire for about 15 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis or rice.

One good thing about the Pumpkin is that while it is abundantly available during the harvest season after Halloween, it is almost as easily available throughout the year. One more good thing is that it is quite inexpensive and easy on your pocketbook. And yet another reason to incorporate pumpkin into your diet is that it chock full of goodness. Not only is pumpkin loaded with vitamin A and antioxidant carotenoids, particularly alpha and beta-carotenes, it’s a good source of vitamins C, K, and E, and lots of minerals, including magnesium, potassium, and iron.

If you’ve only eaten pumpkin in a pumpkin pie during Halloween, here is a fabulous recipe that will entice your tastebuds and satisfy every craving. This Curried Yellow Pumpkin dish is a wonderfully sweet and spicy dish that will go very well with hot parathas (Indian whole wheat flat bread) or phulka (Indian whole wheat puffed bread). The natural sweetness of the pumpkin is enhanced by the spicy red chili powder. It is a simple dish – a two-minute dish that you can whip together after a long day’s work. It is a winner, in terms of taste, nutrition and cost.

You won’t believe that it costs so little. I bought a piece of fresh yellow pumpkin at my local supermarket for just $0.99! It served 6.

Here is what you need:
1 large piece (4″ X 4″) yellow or orange pumpkin (washed, peeled and chopped)
2 tsp red chili powder
1 pinch turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tbsp olive oil
Couple of stalks green onions (washed and snipped for garnish)

Here is how you make this:
Heat the olive oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the black mustard seeds. Wait until they crackle and add the chopped pumpkin. Add salt, chili powder and turmeric powder. Coook over low heat until the pumpkin is cooked and soft. Remove from pan and garnish with chopped green onion.

Serve with hot phulkas or parathas.

Cost:
Pumpkin: $0.99
Oil : $0.20
Spices: $0.20
Green onion: $0.10
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Total : $1.49 – Serves 6

There can be nothing more satisfying than breaking bread with a group of your friends to seal the camaraderie. From time immemorial, breaking bread signifies a shared bond, a sense of togetherness and every warm, fuzzy and friendly feeling.

Baking bread is my favorite pastime. The aroma of freshly baked bread must surely be one of the very best olfactory enticements for a human being. In fact, let me modify that: not just for a human being. The smell of fresh baked bread also entices my normally aloof cat, right onto my lap, licking his chops, smacking his whiskers and staring unblinkingly at my mouth, hoping to grab a fallen crumb!

When I bake, I love to experiment. Mostly, I use a basic bread recipe but will work with a plethora of ingredients, vegetables and spices so I can blend the eastern and western cuisine. And ever since I’ve switched to whole grains and unrefined carbohydrates, I try to bake bread at home so I can bake with my favorite King Arthur whole wheat flour – so yummy, tasty and oh, so satisfying!

Home-baked bread has many advantages: the aroma of the bread that fills the house for at least a day, the satisfaction of being an “artist” and a “creator”, the knowledge that you can control what goes into your body, and best of all, since we are on our Shoestring series – the cost of the bread!

So go ahead and try this wonderful Fusion recipe of Black Sesame seeds and Sugar Beet Whole Wheat Bread. The grated sugar beet makes this bread moist and soft, the black sesame seeds add the crunch, and the whole wheat gives it bulk and texture.

This bread will assault all your senses – visual, olfactory and sensory. It looks enticing with the glorious red of the sugar beets, the shiny black of the sesame seeds, and the earthy brown of the whole wheat. It smells simply heavenly. And it is tasty and filling. In addition, it is healthy and low-fat. What more reason do you need to try this out on a Sunday afternoon?

Here is one more: it costs $1.40 and makes about 25 – 27 slices. Each slice is so filling that you can only eat a slice for each meal. That makes it $1.40 for 25 servings!

So without more ado, let’s start.

Here is what you need:
3 cups King Arthur whole wheat flour
1/4 cup + 1 tsp sugar (brown sugar, if you want to ensure the bread has no whiff of refined stuff!)
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium sugar beet (peeled and grated fine)
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
1 cup water
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 egg white

Here is how you make this:
Heat one cup water in the microwave until warm. Test the temperature by dabbing a drop onto your wrist. The water should be just warm and bearable. Add 1 tsp sugar, salt and active dry yeast to the water and let sit for about 10 – 15 minutes in a warm place until the water froths up.

In a large bowl mix together the whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup sugar, olive oil, grated sugar beet and 1/4 cup black sesame seeds. Slowly add the yeast mixture and knead thoroughly. Cover with a clean, wet kitchen towel and let sit on your warm countertop for a couple of hours. Punch down, knead, and cover once every hour.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Shape the dough into a loaf. Brush the top of the loaf with beaten egg white and sprinkle with 1 tbsp black sesame seeds.

Bake for about 40-50 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven, cool and slice. Store wrapped in an aluminum foil for upto a week.

Cost:
Whole wheat flour: $0.60
Oil : $0.20
Sugar : $0.10
Beet : $0.30
Sesame seeds : $0.10
Yeast : $0.10
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Total :$1.40 – Serves 25 - about $0.05 to $0.06 a slice!
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February has been a month of many delicious new trials and some hot favorites. With the winter snow blanketing the ground, and the slushy, slippery streets to deal with, it has been a month of warm, cozy meals by the fireside, safely ensconced in the family home.

We started the month off with the Goat Cheese Salad with Couscous – an easy and quick dish to put together when you are back home tired after a long day at work. Goat cheese gave this salad that gourmet touch, while the Kalamata Olives provided that tangy, salty taste. All in all, it was a healthy, low fat, and satisfying meal.

The Brain food – Stir fried Curried Okra added that crisp, crunchy flavor to any meal. This accompaniment is the enticing pick-me-up to keep your family’s intellect sharp and incisive.

If you ever needed to entice your taste buds and ensure that you have something at hand to smother over warm bread to make an easy meal, make the Sweet Green Chili pickle. Stock your refrigerator with this pickle and you can lay your hands on a yummy meal in a snap.

For a replete Sunday lunch, after a day spent on the snowy slopes sledding with your children, make the Radish Greens Stuffed Whole Wheat Bread. Serve with the Sweet Green Chili Pickle or with warm jam. Nothing like greens camouflaged in warm, homemade bread to welcome kids home from a long, rambunctious morning of play and fun!

Make the Crisp, Curried Kovakkai, if your family is tired of the same ole’ potatoes, peas and cauliflower. Watching your family down the vegetable without any proddding will be a reward in itself.

Fasting one day a week? Don’t forget to take a swig of the Fresh Homemade Vegetable and Fruit nectar to keep you alert and hydrated.

When the sweet tooth beckons, make this wonderful, healthy Sugar Beet payasam. No trans-fat laden, unhealthy, artery-choking dessert for you and your family! Enjoy every sensation with healthy, wholesome ingredients!

Cold winds howling outside your window panes with sleet and snow bearing down? Eat this satisfying, sweet and spicy, Sweet Potato Spicy Soup to warm the cockles of your heart.

There are days when you crave a delicacy and all you can think of is to visit the local ethnic restaurant for a meal. Resist that feeling and make this wonderful Edamame and Green Onion Pilaf at home to assuage that craving.

And finally, round up your snack attack with this wonderfully healthy Jicama Mint cutlets.

Winter days always bring to mind, images of my older sister, wrapped cosily in a blanket, on a “charpoy” (rope cot) placed on the lush green lawn, sunning herself after a wonderful lunch.

Those were the days we used to live in Jodhpur, a city in the desert state of Rajasthan. Summers in Rajasthan were usually spent indoors to avoid the frequent sandstorms and blistering heat. But we invariably spent the winters outdoors taking in the sun!

The winter sun in Jodhpur was warm without being too hot and bright without being too dazzling. And Sunday afternoons in winter were meant for dozing in the sun, replete after a great meal. Winter meals too, were different from summer meals. Summer meals were light and cooling with lots of liquids and juices. In winter though, we could indulge in the winter vegetables that were available in plenty: the squashes, pumpkins, the gourds and the sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes were our favorite dish for the winter. They were usually brought in fresh from the fields with the mud still sticking to them, by the local farmers pushing their hand carts.

Sweet potatoes are one of the healthiest vegetables you can eat. They contain almost twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, 42 percent of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin C, four times the RDA for beta carotene, and when eaten with the skin, sweet potatoes have more fiber than oatmeal. All these benefits for only about 130 to 160 calories!

In honor of my sister, here is a recipe for a sweet and spicy winter soup: this is a low calorie, zero fat meal by itself. It is also very quick and easy-to-make. Serve with bread or just eat it hot off the stove!

Here is what you need:
1 large sweet potato
1/4 cup pink lentils
1 habanero or jalapeno (optional – beware the habanero is very spicy!)
2 medium sized tomatoes
2 – 3 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red chili powder (if you are omitting the habanero or jalapeno)
1 tsp turmeric powder

Here is how you make this:
Wash and chop the sweet potato. Do not remove the skin. Wash the pink lentils. Add everything in a large pot and cook until the sweet potatoes and pink lentils are soft. Serve hot.

Are you one of those people who think that Beets are only useful for making sugar because of their high sugar content? If so, you have sadly underestimated this wonderful vegetable.

Beets contain a powerful cancer-fighting pigment called Betacyanin. In addition, Beets protect against heart disease, help lower cholesterol levels, especially triglycerides by nearly 40%, and because of their high folate content, help protect against birth defects. Eating folate-rich foods is especially important during pregnancy since without adequate folate, the infant’s spinal column does not develop properly and leads to a condition called neural tube defect. The daily requirement for folate is 400 micrograms. Just one cup of boiled Beets contains 136 micrograms of folate.

So here is your excuse for making this very tasty, calcium-rich, healthy, easy-to-make dessert. Try enticing your children with this payasam. They are sure to love it and ask for more. This is also a wonderful dish to make with your young children. Set them to work grating the red beet with a hand grater. They’ll love the mess of having the juice run down their arms and stain their hands! Beats finger painting with chemical paints hands-down!

Here is what you need:
1 large beet (peeled and grated fine)
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tbsp coconut powder (optional)

For the Garnish:
1 tsp cardamom powder
8 – 10 cashews (chopped)
handful golden raisins
1 tbsp butter

Here is how you make this:
Place the grated beet in a large pan. Add milk, coconut powder and sugar bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the beet is cooked soft and well blended. Remove from the stove.

In another pan, melt the butter. Add the chopped cashews and fry golden brown. Add the raisins and fry for about 20 seconds until the raisins puff up. Remove from the stove and pour the garnish over the payasam. Sprinkle cardamom powder and serve hot or cold.

I am a big sucker for gourmet produce stores. The sensory thrill of shopping at a store which is bursting the seams with a large variety of vegetables, fruit, prepared foods, cheese and wine, is a high that cannot be matched.

Entering a store like Nino Salvaggio’s,  Papa Joe’s or Whole Foods is an assault on all the senses. The sight of row upon row of shelves stacked almost to the ceiling with all kinds of vegetables in a multitude of colors, the aroma of the fresh, cool, and calming greens, the taste of slices of sweet fruit and slivers of gourmet cheese, the din of the vast crowds of shoppers, the exchange of pleasantries and shop-talk about unfamiliar vegetables with strangers… it is an experience that I love.

Despite the fact that these stores are usually expensive, I manage to shop frugally. I’ll let you in on a secret – the trick is to buy whatever is in season – invariably only those vegetables that are not in season are expensive. The rest of the vegetables are usually priced to match the other local big chain grocery stores.

In addition, when I shop for vegetables, I usually look for value. For instance, I love “mooli parathas” (Radish Stuffed Whole Wheat Bread) and will usually pick up a bunch of long white radish for a dollar or two. And if I buy the same radish at a gourmet store, I’ll get it with the leaves intact. I know I can use those leaves for something, so I actually end up making two dishes for the price of one vegetable.

So here is my original recipe using Radish Greens. The parathas were mouth-watering – crisp, colorful green parathas stuffed with nutrients like Vitamin C, protein and calcium. In fact the greens (that we generally throw away) are a better source of nutrients than the roots.

Please feel free to share this recipe. As noted in the copyright listed on the site, all I ask is that you indicate the source and share the link to this site.

Here is what you need:
1 bunch Radish Greens (washed and chopped)
2 cups whole wheat flour (I recommend my favorite King Arthur Whole Wheat)
1/2 tsp salt
Olive oil to make parathas

Here is how you make this:
Blanch the Radish leaves in hot water. Place in a blender and puree. Now add the Radish greens puree in the wheat flour along with salt and knead to a smooth dough. You may not need to add any water since the liquid in the puree may be adequate for a soft dough. Set aside for 1 hour.

Heat a non stick pan until hot. In the meantime, make small orange sized balls of the whole wheat dough. Dip the balls in flour and roll out into rounds shaped like a flat tortilla.

Dab the dough round with ½ tsp of oil. Fold over and enclose the oiled portion completely. Roll out again into a square or round shape. Place on the hot pan. Cook one side for half a minute. Flip over and spread 1/2 tsp oil on the side facing up. Now flip over again and spread oil on the side facing up so that both sides have oil. Toast on medium hot until crisp and brown.

Remove from the pan and serve hot with either Green apple in yogurt sauce , Potatoes in a jiffy – Paani Aloo or Sweet Green Chili pickle.

People in some communities in Southern India, usually eat a 3-course meal for lunch everyday. Now, this information could probably make you wonder how they manage to keep slim. But that is a long story meant for another blog post.

They generally start off with rice, vegetables and a spicy tamarind sauce called “sambar“, pronounced “saaam-baaar” and made with tamarind, lentils, some vegetables and a special spice mix called, guess what? sambar powder!

My mother makes the sambar powder at home in huge quantities so she can provide a year’s supply to me and my sisters. The 2nd course is another spicy sauce in soup-like consistency made in a large variety of flavors. This is called “rasam“.

The grand finale of the meal is the most important “thair sadam” pronounced “thaaa-yir saaadam” or yogurt and rice. If one is in a hurry and has no time for the 3-course meal, the first two courses may be omitted. But no responsible Indian housewife will let her child or husband go out the door before filling their stomachs with thair sadam. It is considered the panacea of all illnesses, the most complete and healthy dish.

Now, on a day-to-day basis, South Indians will just ladle home-made yogurt onto rice, mix and eat it with some pickle or vegetable of the day. But there are times when the same bland thair sadam is made into a festive dish. Today’s recipe is this festive thair sadam. I made this with brown rice, but feel free to try it with either white or brown rice. If you’ve been following my blog so far, you’ll probably know that I am a big fan of brown rice, but this is one rice dish that I would recommend you try with white rice first, since it tastes simply fantastic!

Eat and enjoy with the crisp curried potatoes or the green beans. This recipe is dedicated to my friend, Jeff, since this is one of his favorite dishes.

Here is what you need:
1 cup cooked rice (white or brown) (make sure the rice is a bit overcooked and very tender)
1 1/2 cups thick unsweetened yogurt
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

To Garnish:
1 tsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp split, peeled urad dal (optional)
1 pinch asofoetida powder
1 habanero or jalapeno pepper (chopped fine) (optional, if you dont like spicy food)
1 sprig curry leaves

Here is how you make this:
Cool rice completely after it is cooked. Mix in the yogurt, salt and sugar. Heat oil in a pan. When oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Wait until they crackle and add chopped habanero pepper. Fry until crisp. Now add the curry leaves. Fry until crisp. Add urad dal and brown. Add asofoetida powder and take the pan off the stove.

Pour garnish over the yogurt rice and serve with crisp curried potato or green beans.

Most people have a love-hate relationship with the much-maligned, most beloved spud – the potato. Since time immemorial, the potato has graced mankind’s table as the number one comfort food. The comfort of eating potatoes, spans cultures, cuisines, class and race.

Why is that? For one, it is available year round. Second, it is cheap. Finally, the carbohydrates in potato are simply wonderful in providing quick and immediate energy.

And now – drum roll please! The good news about this beloved spud: no longer is it considered bad for you.

A new analytical method developed by Agricultural Research Service plant geneticist Roy Navarre has identified 60 different kinds of phytochemicals and vitamins in the skins and flesh of 100 wild and commercially grown potatoes. Analysis of Red and Norkotah potatoes revealed that these spuds’ phenolic content rivals that of broccoli, spinach and Brussels sprouts, and includes flavonoids with protective activity against cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems and certain cancers. Navarre’s team also identified potatoes with high levels of vitamin C, folic acid, quercetin and kukoamines.

So onward with your love of potato! As long as you eat potato chips and french fries sparingly and stick to recipes that do not load potatoes with fat, you will benefit from potatoes fantastic nutritional value. Here is a time-tested and very very favorite Indian way of eating potatoes. Simple, spicy, crisp and roasted without too much oil and oh! so very satisfying. This is an all time family favorite recipe.

Here is what you need:
3 large potatoes (boiled, peeled and chopped)
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp red chili powder (reduce this to taste)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (very good for your health for its anti-carcinogenic properties)
1 pinch asofoetida powder (optional – again very good for your health)
2 tbsp olive oil

Here is how you make this:

Heat oil in a non-stick pan. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Wait for them to crackle and now add the asofoetida powder and the chopped potatoes. Sprinkle turmeric powder, salt and red chili powder. Lower the flame to medium-low and roast on slow fire until crisp. Turn the potatoes at reasonable intervals.

Enjoy!

The best way to eat these crisp curried potatoes is with Southern India’s favorite Thair sadam (Garnished yogurt rice). Watch out for my recipe for Thair sadam soon.

I love green beans, but dislike them when they are fried out of recognition, as is often done in Indian cooking. I especially love the way my mother cuts them – chopped really fine. When you chop green beans really fine, you need to stir fry it for just a few minutes on high heat to bring out the flavor, retain the color and texture and serve it as an accompaniment par excellence – a true gourmet delight!

My mother usually adds a finely chopped carrot to green beans – it makes the dish visually appealing as well as more nutritionally dense. Without much ado, here is the recipe – serve with brown or white rice and any sauce – sambar, rasam, or even with yogurt. This dish has just 1 tsp of olive oil. Low fat, crunchy, flavorful, yummy, and very healthy! Yeah – green beans!

Here is what you need:

1 lb fresh green beans (pick the tender ones which look green and fresh)

1/2 carrot (chopped fine)

1 jalapeno pepper (chopped fine) (optional)

1 habanero pepper (chopped fine) (optional)

1 tsp black mustard seeds

1 tsp urad dal (optional, if you cannot lay your hands on this – but it gives a great crunch to the beans)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 pinch asofoetida powder (helps control the flatulence that beans are known to cause)

2 tbsp fresh grated coconut

1 tsp Olive oil

Here is how you make this:

Rinse thoroughly and chop the green beans fine, as shown the picture. Wash and chop the carrot. In a pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Wait until the seeds crackle and then add the chopped peppers and fry until crisp. Frying peppers crisp will make them less spicy. Now add the urad dal and brown on low flame. Now add the chopped green beans and carrot. Add salt and turmeric powder. Cover and cook for a couple of minutes. Now stir fry uncovered on high heat for a couple of minutes. Do not overcook. Take off the stove and garnish with grated coconut.

Serve with rice and rasam or rice and yogurt.

Enjoy!