Kale Shorba with Raita

Everyone loves a pretty meal. You know, something that looks fancy and well put-together and colorful. Well, looks aren't everything. Take this soup, for example. It's basically the most disgusting color a food could be, and yet it's totally delicious. Surprise! Also, it's a great way to get more leafy greens into your diet - kale is one of the healthiest foods on the planet, since it's loaded with vitamins, iron, calcium, and beta carotene.

You may be thinking, what the heck is a shorba? Basically, it's just soup. Wikipedia tells me that shorba/chorba/ciorba/shurpa/etc. is "one of various kinds of soup or stew found in national cuisines across Eurasia." This version is distinctly Indian, with lots of aromatic spices and a cooling cucumber raita balancing everything out. It's great with some crusty bread or naan on the side.

Kale Shorba with Cucumber Raita Swirl
From Vegetarian Times

• 1 tablespoon canola oil or butter
• 8-ounce bunch kale, stems removed, leaves and stems chopped separately
• 1 medium potato, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons peeled and sliced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup tomato puree
• 1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt or non-dairy plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup diced cucumber
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

To make shorba: Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add kale stems, potato, ginger, garlic, jalapenos, coriander, and turmeric, and saute 2 minutes. Add broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes, then add kale leaves. Cover, and simmer 20 minutes more, or until potatoes and kale are tender. Stir in tomato puree, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Blend mixture in batches in blender until smooth.

To make raita: Stir together yogurt, cucumber, cumin, and salt in a bowl. Swirl a few tablespoons of the raita into each bowl of shorba.

Yellow Split Peas with Tomato & Chilis (Chana Dal)

I've had a bit of a dietary overload the past few days. Last week I had to go to Louisville for work, which ended up being one giant carb-fest. Then this weekend my parents visited DC for my mom's birthday. We had several great meals, but most imporantly, we went to Komi for her birthday dinner (best. meal. of. my. life. I would share photos but they don't allow guests to take any.) No words can describe the 15 amazing courses...or my food hangover the next day.

Last night I needed something gentle, so I threw together a nice, easy dal from my favorite curry cookbook. I don't know what it is about lentils cooked Indian-style that's so soothing, but they're just so creamy and savory and lovely. If you haven't been overindulging as I have, and you're more in the mood for something exotic, this dish can be spicied up significantly by adding extra chilis.

Yellow Split Peas with Tomato and Chilis
From 660 Curries

• 1 cup yellow split peas (chana dal), picked over for stones
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 4 fresh Thai, cayenne, or Serrano chiles, stems removed, coarsely chopped (I used two seeded jalapenos because I'm a wimp)
• 4 medium-sized cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons Ghee or melted butter (vegans can use canola oil)
• 1 large tomato, cored and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoons coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• Cooked rice or naan, for serving

Place the split peas in a medium-sized saucepan. Fill the pan halfway with tap water and rinse the peas by rubbing them between your fingertips. The water will become cloudy. Drain this water. Repeat three or four times, until the water remains relatively clear; drain. Now add 3 cups water and bring to a boil, uncovered over medium heat. Skim off and discard any foam that forms on the surface. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the peas are partially tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

While the split peas are simmering, combine the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, chiles, and garlic in a mortar. Pound with the pestle to form a pungent, pulpy mass (some coriander seeds will remain whole).

Heat the ghee/butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pounded chile blend and stir-fry until the garlic is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the tomato, salt, and turmeric. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tomato softens and the ghee/butter starts to separate around the edges, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the cilantro, and set aside.

When the split peas are partially tender, add the sauce. Continue to simmer the dal over medium heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors permeate the split peas, about 5 minutes. Then serve with cooked rice or naan.

Sweet-Tart Split Green Lentils with Mustard (Moong Nu Dal)

I got this Indian cookbook called 660 Curries a while back, but I never made anything from it because it called for very "authentic" (i.e., hard to find) ingredients. Well, over the New Year's weekend, we had a house guest who wanted to cook Indian food for us, so he and I got on the Google and figured out where the nearest Indian market was. Only 15 minutes from my apartment! Very exciting. While we were there, I picked up a few of the ingredients I remembered seeing listed in the cookbook: mainly whole cumin seeds and various types of dal (lentils).

That inspired me to try out my first 660 Curries recipe. To do so, I had to track down a couple more ingredients, which I was able to find at my neighborhood health food store: mustard seeds and asafetida. (A note about asafetida -- this is the most pungent smelling stuff I have ever had the chance to sniff. I literally had to hold the jar at arm's length because it was so strong. The tiniest pinch in a dish will suffice to give it a garlicky, savory flavor and aroma, but if you don't want to bother trying to find a jar of it, you can omit it.)

Well, I was super pleased with how this dish came out. It's got tons of amazing flavor and tasted really authentic (no quotation marks this time). I would say it's absolutely worth tracking down an Indian market so you can make it too -- there's probably one in your neighborhood, and you just never knew it.

Sweet-Tart Split Green Lentils with Mustard (Moong Nu Dal)

Paraphrased from 660 Curries

• 1 cup skinned split green lentils (moong dal)
• 2 tablespoons ghee or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (black or yellow)
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• The tiniest pinch of asafetida
• 1 large tomato, cored and finely chopped, or 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Basmati rice

Cook rice according to package instructions. If you want to get creative with it, throw into the rice pot a couple whole cardamom pods, cumin seeds, and/or whole cloves (and a big pinch of salt). Remove the cardamom and cloves when the rice is done cooking (you can leave the cumin seeds in there since they're small).

Meanwhile, prepare the lentils. Place the lentils in a medium saucepan. Fill the pan partway with water and rinse the lentils by rubbing them between your fingers. The water will become cloudy. Drain this water. Repeat three or four times, until the water remains relatively clear; drain. Now add 3 cups water and bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium heat. Skim off and discard any foam. Continue simmering vigorously, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are barely tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

While the lentils are cooking, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and pour in the ghee or oil. Add the mustard seeds, cover the skillet, and cook until the seeds have stopped popping (kind of like popcorn), about 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the cumin seeds and cook until they turn reddish brown, about 5 seconds. Immediately add the salt, cayenne, turmeric, and asafetida. Cook for no more than 5 seconds, and then add the tomato, brown sugar, and cilantro. Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat until the tomato pieces appear saucelike, 2 to 3 minutes.

Once the lentils are barely tender, add this slightly chunky tomato sauce to the pan, stir once or twice, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the dal has absorbed the flavors, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with rice.

Butternut Saag

This yummy Indian-inspired meal is a great Sunday dinner. This was my yesterday: Cold, rainy afternoon. Football on TV (Bucs/Redskins, of course). A butternut squash roasting in the oven. Oh, also, a dog chewing out his stitches and needing to go back to the vet, but that's another story.

Anyway, saag is Indian-food-speak for a spinach dish. A couple months ago I made a tofu saag; this one subs out the tofu for butternut, which makes the whole thing slightly sweeter. (The original recipe I was using called for sugar pumpkin, but my grocery store didn't have any; the butternut worked great, but you could also use acorn or kabocha squash.) It's a great variation that's well worth trying.

Butternut Saag
Adapted from Veganomicon's Pumpkin Saag

• Medium to large size butternut squash (or a sugar pumpkin if you can find one)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Large onion, diced finely
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pinch cayenne (or more to taste)
• 1 cup water
• A 1-inch cube of fresh ginger, peeled
• Two bunches of fresh spinach, washed well and coarsely chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Cooked rice (basmati would be best, though I used long-grain white since it was what I had)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Slice off the top of the squash to remove the stem, then cut the entire squash lengthwise into halves (be careful!). Remove the seeds and scrape out the stringy squash innards with a spoon. Place the squash halves, cut side down, on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until a fork can easily pierce the flesh. Let the squash cool completely, then peel away the skin and chop the flesh into 1-inch chunks.

Preheat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onions in the oil for about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes more, or until everything is golden brown. Add the pumpkin and cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Add the spices and salt, and grate the ginger directly into the pot (using a microplane grater if possible). Add the water and cook for about 5 minutes, mixing often. Use a masher or the back of a spoon to mash the squash up a bit -- I mashed mine pretty smooth, but you could leave large chunks if you prefer.

Add the spinach in batches, mixing well after each addition. Cook for about 10 more minutes, stirring often. Add the lime juice; taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Tip: Roast the squash a day or two in advance so that you can throw this together in a hurry. Just wrap the baked squash in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Fall Vegetable Curry

Joe and I have this great routine on Monday nights. (I probably find it more great than he does, but bear with me.) I go to my Zumba class after work to shake my booty and burn calories while looking like a flailing idiot (but a flailing idiot that's having fun). Then I come home, shower, and eat a home-cooked meal prepared lovingly by Joe while we watch Jeopardy! together. Finally, I curl up on the couch (while he retreats to the bedroom to do work or Spanish lessons) to watch that evening's episode of The Greatest Show of Our Time.

(Speaking of which, did you guys watch last night?! Uh, I basically needed a cold shower after the last 2 minutes of the episode. SO. GOOD.)

Anyway, this is what I came home to after Zumba last night. The apartment smelled amazing - even from the inside of the shower. Curry, you are so wonderful.

Fall Vegetable Curry
From Cooking Light

• 1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced peeled sweet potato
• 1 cup small cauliflower florets
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
• 2 teaspoons Madras curry powder (if you don't have Madras, use regular curry powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper)
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• Salt to taste
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
• Cooked rice, for serving (I used brown basmati)

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Decrease heat to medium. Add cauliflower, onion, and curry powder; cook 1 minute, stirring mixture constantly. Add broth and next 3 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve with yogurt and cooked rice.

Variations: The original recipe suggested adding a handful of chopped cashews to the cooked rice just before serving.

Tofu Saag

This recipe needs little by way of introduction. It's a variant on an Indian standby, saag paneer, but replacing the paneer with easier-to-come-by tofu. This version also happens to be vegan and very healthy. Don't worry, it's still delish. Not quite as good as the fattening take-out version, but pretty darn great for a home-cooked meal.

Tofu Saag

• 1 pound extra-firm tofu
• 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 1/4 cup water (or 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil)
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped small
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 pound frozen spinach (leaf, not chopped), thawed and pressed (to get some of the water out)
• 1 cup seeded, chopped tomato
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 cup soy, rice, or coconut milk
• Crushed red pepper to taste
• Cooked brown rice

Preheat the oven or a toaster oven to 350 F and oil a baking sheet. Cube the tofu, press some of the water out, toss with soy sauce or tamari, and place on the baking sheet. Let it sit for 5 minutes before placing it in the oven. Roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the water (or sesame oil) in a large nonstick skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Lower the heat to low, add the spinach, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tofu, tomatoes, and the remaining ingredients, and cook for 5 minutes. Serve with brown rice.