This recipe is a staple side dish of mine that I’ve adapted and modified at length through the years. Both colorful and flavourful I think it creates a texturally interesting background for spicy curries and other East Indian flavoured entrees. Why not try it with Tridoshic Dal, Coconut Chicken Curry, or Vegetable Curry in a Hurry?

Coconut Rice with Lentils and Cashews

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 lb. basmati rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon stone ground mustard
1 teaspoon urad dhal or brown lentils
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon madras curry powder
2 ounces fresh coconut, grated
1 ounce unsalted roasted cashews
salt and pepper

METHOD:

1. Put the rice in a sieve and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear.
2. Bring 2 cups lightly salted water to the boil in a large pan.
3. Add the rice, bring back to the boil and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Drain and return to the pan, then cover with a tight-fitting lid.
5. In a small pan, heat the oil, add the mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute until the seeds start to pop.
6. Add the lentils, red pepper flakes and curry powder and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the lentils are golden.
7. Stir in the coconut and cook over a low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

This recipe is an exclusive TriniGourmet original. Please do not share it or post it to your site without crediting TriniGourmet.com. A link back to our site is not necessary but always appreciated

This post was originally published October 6, 2009. It has been updated twice since then.

Made on a rainy night, this spicy vegan peanut soup was a cinch to throw together. The flavours of peanut and ginger combine to create a spicy, sweet and silky texture and the crisp, cool crunch of the bean sprouts prevents the overall flavour profile from ever becoming cloying. This is a rather non-traditional (in this part of the world) take on comfort food. Although I used supermarket beansprouts when I first made it, now that I have started sprouting my own beans, I can’t wait to give it another try. I’ll be posting a guide to sprouting your own beans, and the health benefits of doing so in an upcoming post, so stay tuned! Until then, enjoy this simple pleasure!

Easy Vegan Spicy Peanut Soup with Fresh Mung Bean Sprouts
Source: Vegalicious.org

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup peanut butter
2 tbs. oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tbs. fresh ginger, grated
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 liter vegetable bouillon
1 tbs. tomato paste
splash tabasco
pinch salt
1 tbs. sugar
100 grams fresh mung bean sprouts

METHOD:

1. Heat the oil in a sauce pan. Add the chopped onions and saute until glassy.
2. Add the garlic and lightly brown.
3. Add the vegetable bouillon and the peanut butter and stir well to mix.
4. Add the tomato paste and spices and allow to simmer until warm and well blended.
5. Season to taste with salt, Tabasco and a pinch of sugar.
6. Just before serving add the fresh mung bean sprouts do not cook the bean sprouts, as their crunchiness adds a nice contrast to the smooth spiciness of the soup

This post was originally published January 13, 2009. It has been updated twice since then.

This Tridoshic dal comes from a cookbook that I’ve been using for years called The Ayurvedic Cookbook.

I’m always interested in learning about the culinary traditions and philosophies of other cultures. Eastern cuisines in particular often fixates on the concept of warming and cooling foods. Maintaining a balance of the two within a meal, or strategically stimulating or calming ones system where imbalance is detected. This approach to balance and harmony has interestingly enough infused my approach to even Caribbean/Western cooking. I find myself trying to create harmony within dishes, adding cooling tomatoes when using fiery peppers for example.

According to The Ayurvedic Cookbook, all of us fall into one of three doshas or body types – Vita, Pitta and Kapha. (For those who are insufferably curious I am a Pitta ). Not understanding our respective types can cause us to unknowingly indulge in foods that work against our personal chemistry. Interestingly enough when looking at the foods that Pitta is supposed to avoid I saw more than a few that I have instinctively avoided/disliked since childhood!

Each recipe in The Ayurvedic Cookbook lists whether it is aggravating, calming or neutral where each dosha is concerned. Dals like this one, being tridoshic, are ideal for all body types, which is wonderful because it tastes soo soo good. Aromatic with chadon beni, coconut, geera (cumin) seeds, and pumpkin. Although I still make a more traditional Trinidadian dal, this is currently my dal of all dals. There is just something about the way that the sweetness of the pumpkin compliments the creamy warmth of the split peas and once the coconut and cilantro are stirred in at the end, oh my! Flavour fuh so! For my own personal tastes I added a tad more coconut than would qualify as a ‘garnish’, and I also use an immersion blender at the end to partially puree the liquid. With Divali fast approaching why not give it a try and let me know

From The Ayurvedic Cookbook:

Dals are always prepared with something sour in the vagar (mixture of spices and ghee)
to stimulate digestive fire. In [Mumbai], tamarind is often used, while in the Gujarati province, lemon, lime or amchoor add this stimulating sourness. It must be added in the early stages of cooking for best effect.

Want to learn more?

Find your doshic type (chopra.com)
Ayurveda on Wikipedia

Tridoshic Dal
Source: The Ayurvedic Cookbook
Preparation time : 1 hour
Serves : 6

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup split mung dal
8 cups water
2 cups summer squash, in 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices
1 cup carrots, in 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices
1/8 teaspoon hing
2 tablespoons sunflower oil or ghee
1-1/4 teaspoons turmeric
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice or 1 tablespoon amchoor (dried mango powder)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced
1 small hot green pepper, chopped finely or 1/4 cup prepared salsa (omit for Pitta, and easy on this for Vata)
1-1/4 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds

Garmish ; Fresh coriander leaves, chopped and shredded unsweetened coconut

METHOD:

Wash dal until rinse water is clear. Wash and chop vegetables.

1. Warm 1 tablespoon oil or ghee in large heavy saucepan.
2. Add hing, turmeric, and lemon juice and saute for 30 seconds over low heat (be careful, it is easy for turmeric
to burn).
3. Stir in the beans and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add the chopped vegetables and stir another minute or two.
5. Add water, salt, ginger, and pepper (if you are using it); bring to a boil on high heat. Then cover and reduce heat to medium-low.
6. Let soup simmer for 45 minutes or until beans have dissolved.
7. Warm remaining tablespoon of oil or ghee in a small skillet, add cumin and mustard seeds, heat until the mustard seeds begin to pop.
8. Add to soup, which is now ready to serve.
9. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and coconut.

NUTRITION FACTS

Servings: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 175
Total Fat: 5.01g
Cholesterol: –
Sodium: 98mg
Total Carbs: 24.98g
Dietary Fiber: 9.74g
Sugars: 5.24g
Protein: 9.10g

This meal came together relatively quickly. It is a classic one-pot dish based on veggies that are on ‘standby’ and tinned pantry staple. What gives it a little twist from other cobbler-style casseroles is the use of cornmeal as the crust. As I enter my 3rd year of preparing gluten-free meals where my mother is concerned I have come to have an even greater respect for cornmeal’s versatility. In this case, the corn provides a crisp textural contrast to the soft vegetables. I have to give a shoutout to WhitherWanda on Twitter who suggested that I should name it Wanda’s Wonder in her honour when I was pondering ‘out loud’ what to call it Well I think this came pretty close

Sarina’s Vegan Wonder
SERVINGS: 6

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 green onions, sliced (white and green parts)
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tin (14.5 oz) northern beans
1 tin (14.5 oz) butter beans
3/4 lbs. cauliflower, cored and cut into small florets
1 cup small broccoli florets
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup non-dairy mylk
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Biscuit Topping:
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup nonfat mylk
1/3 cup minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1-2 teaspoons sea salt

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add onion; cook until golden brown. Add garlic, green onions, carrots, and beans; cook another 10 minutes.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cauliflower and broccoli; cook for 2 minutes, then add broth. Cover; cook 20 minutes. Uncover and boil until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 2-5 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup mylk with 2 tablespoons cornmeal and pour into skillet. Add nutmeg, parsley, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Stir until heated through. Do not boil.
4. Pour into a deep 6-8 cup casserole dish.
5. In a medium bowl, stir together cornmeal, flaxseed meal, and baking powder. Drizzle oil over flour mixture and blend with a fork until crumbly. Add milk, chives, dill, and salt; stir to combine. Do not overmix. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. Dough will be very moist. If it looks crumbly add more milk and let sit longer. Should be the consistency of ‘batter’.
6. Drop batter over vegetables. Bake until biscuits are golden brown (20-25 minutes).
7. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes before serving.

This recipe is an exclusive TriniGourmet original. Please do not share it or post it to your site without crediting TriniGourmet.com and linking back to this site

For even more Vegan recipes check out the Vegan & Vegetarian section of Veni Mangé – The Trinigourmet Amazon Bookstore

Red-Red is a Ghanian dish I stumbled across quite accidentally while looking at a recipe for Kelewele that was kindly sent to me via my Facebook page by Corinne, a regular contributor. Traditionally served with fried plantain it is a rich, luscious and spicy combination of thick tomato sauce and black-eyed peas which visually lives up to its name. Having never tried it before I used a multitude of online photos and recipes to get a general gist of how the final product should be constructed and appear. The ingredients and method are so deceptively simple that you should be able to repeat it from memory after your first attempt, but don’t tell anyone, it definitely tastes as though you’ve been slaving over the stove for hours!

This post has been submitted to My Legume Love Affair Edition #22. View the host lineup here.

Red Red

INGREDIENTS:

2 tins (14.5 oz each) black-eyed peas, drained
1 tin (28 oz) pureed tomatoes
1 or two vegetable bouillon cubes
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, thinly julienned
1 hot pepper (your choice)
salt and black pepper

METHOD:

1. Heat oil in a skillet on medium
2. Fry garlic, ginger and onions until golden

3. Add tomatoes, bouillon cubes and pepper (halve for greater flavour and heat. You can use only one half if you want )

4. Simmer for 5 minutes
5. Add black-eyed peas and simmer for 10 more minutes

6. Season with salt and black pepper

NOTES:
Serve with kelewele or plain plantains (fried or boiled)

This recipe is an exclusive TriniGourmet original. Please do not share it or post it to your site without crediting TriniGourmet.com and linking back to this site

On a semi-regular basis I like to check what keywords are driving people to this site. Without fail “lentil soup” in one form or another is on the list. This surprises me as I often think that I am the only person who loves these humble brown beans (they certainly don’t elicit much response when I mention them to others ). If you are one such search engine browser feel free to check out any of the 3 most popular lentil posts on this site.

	1. Best Ever Lentil Soup (recipe) This recipe is redolent with the tastes of smells of what I associate with quintessential French cuisine. As the aroma of bay leaves and herbs meld with the tastes of rich red wine, tangy Dijon, and creamy spinach you are left with a soup that is robust, earthy and wholly comforting. Combine with a rustic slice of bread and a simple green salad and you have a perfect no-fuss, no-mess lunch or dinner.
	2. Sarina’s Coconut Rice with Lentils and Cashews (recipe) This recipe is a staple side dish of mine that I’ve adapted and modified at length through the years. Both colorful and flavourful I think it creates a texturally interesting background for spicy curries and other East Indian flavoured entrees.
	3. Sprouting Lentils Fresh sprouts. There is nothing like them. They are crunchier, sweeter, more vibrant in flavour than anything you can buy on a supermarket shelf.

For more lentil recipes than you can shake a stick at (great expression isn’t that?!)

	1. Easy Beans: Fast and Delicious Bean, Pea, and Lentil Recipes, Second Edition The new edition of the popular bean cookbook, Easy Beans, has been fully updated and revised. There are over 20 new recipes and nutritional analysis for the over 100 fast, healthy and tasty bean, pea and lentil recipes.
	2. More Easy Beans: Quick and tasty bean, pea and lentil recipes More Easy Beans is a cookbook with great recipes for beans, peas and lentils. Mouth watering, inexpensive, low fat recipes for appetizers, soups, salads and main dishes are all quick and easy to prepare.

For these and other General Cookbooks visit Veni Mangé – Trinigourmet’s handpicked Amazon bookstore!

Finally! I have completed (and posted) a Daring Cooks Challenge on time! I have been cooking along with this most recent adjunct to the Daring Bakers community but have always ended up missing the deadlines for one reason or another. No more!

This time around the challenge was Indian Dosas. I’ve made dosas before but this was my first time doing so with gluten-free flour. Two suggested accompaniments were also given; a curried chickpea filling and a coconut curry gravy. I decided to use the recommended filling but broke away and made a Tridoshic Dal recipe that I’ve had my eye on for a few years.

I’ve noticed that gluten-free flours don’t brown up like traditional ones do, so the dosas were a good bit paler than what I’m used to. That didn’t affect the taste though and I really enjoyed how they came out. The filling however was not as satisfying. The proportions and seasonings were all wrong where my preferences were concerned. The seasonings were much too overpowering. I tried to balance things out by adding some tomato but even that wasn’t enough. My next recourse would have been to throw in some coconut milk but that would have turned it into a sauce, which wasn’t what I wanted. I had no choice but to leave it be. Although J said he liked it in the future I will stick to my tried and true curried channa recipe.

The true star of the ensemble was the Tridoshic Dal. Warm, comforting and blissfully aromatic, it was the perfect balance to the spiciness of the filling and formed a great sopping sauce for the dosas as well

In the end I think that the success of this dish lies in finding the right balance of flavours in the fillings and sauces. I definitely want to play around some more! Any adventurous suggestions? I’m glame for (almost) anything, just no pork or shellfish please

Indian Dosas
Source: Debyi of Healthy Vegan Kitchen
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (120gm/8oz) spelt flour (or all-purpose, gluten free flour)
½ tsp (2½ gm) salt
½ tsp (2½ gm) baking powder
½ tsp (2½ gm) curry powder
½ cup (125ml/4oz) almond milk (or soy, or rice, etc.)
¾ cup (175ml/6oz) water (you will need more if using gluten-free flour, add gradually)
cooking spray, if needed

METHOD:
1.Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, slowly adding the almond milk and water, whisking until smooth.
2.Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray your pan with a thin layer of cooking spray, if needed.
3.Ladle 2 tablespoons of batter into the center of your pan in a circular motion until it is a thin, round pancake. When bubbles appear on the surface and it no longer looks wet, flip it over and cook for a few seconds. Remove from heat and repeat with remaining batter. Makes 8 pancakes.

This is a recipe whose origins have become lost to the sands of time (and disorganization), however it is fast, nutritious and never fails to please. It’s a regular part of my Purim menu because of the prominent role that chickpeas play in that festival. In Trinidad cuisine chickpeas are routinely served curried or fried. Rarely do they get to shine, relatively unadorned, as the main star. This dish has definitely helped to change that for me!

East Indian Chickpea Salad

INGREDIENTS:

4 1/2 cups garbanzo beans, cooked
6 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cilantro, minced
1 fresh hot green chili, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

METHOD:
1. Pour contents of chickpea cans or home-cooked chickpeas into a saucepan.
2. Bring to a boil. Drain, discarding liquid. [You can skip this step if you've
just cooked your chickpeas].
3. In a serving bowl, combine chickpeas with the other ingredients.
4. Mix well and set aside, unrefrigerated, for 1 hour.
5. Mix again.
6. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Hummus is a never-fail crowd pleaser and so deceptively easy to prepare! I love to offer hummus as a starter at Purim because chickpeas figure so prominently in the Purim story. This recipe comes from one of my favourite cookbooks The Sephardic Table: The Vibrant Cooking of the Mediterranean Jews (you can read my review here). Although I have tried many hummus recipes and am not opposed the occasional variation, this is the one I return to time and time again.

Hummus
Source: The Sephardic Table: The Vibrant Cooking of the Mediterranean Jews
Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
3 cloves, garlic crushed
1 cup tahini
juice from 2 lemons, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 cup pine nuts or handful of chickpeas for garnish
olive oil, for garnisih
paprika or cayenne pepper, for garnish.

METHOD:
1. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, puree the chickpeas and garlic
2. Add the tahini, lemon juice andsalt.
3. Continue to blend until smooth and creamy.
4. Add a little water for a smoother consistency, if desired
5. If you are using the pine nuts for garnish, toast them in a small skilley over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes , or until golden. set aside to cool
6. To serve, spoon the hummus onto a serving plate or into a serving bowl.
7. Make a slight hollow in the center of the mound and place the pine nuts or whole whole chickpeas in it. Drizzle a little olive oil on top and sprinkle with paprika or cayenne.
8. Serve chilled or at room temperature

Without a doubt this is definitely one of the best bean soup recipes that I have tried. I have no idea where I got it from, it’s been floating in my recipe file for more than a few years. One of the reasons why I think I avoided it was because parts of the instructions seemed off putting to me. For example, cooking the beans in PLAIN water or 90 minutes seemed totally UGH! However that is all in the past now. I am glad now however that I tried this recipe now, and not 3 years earlier as there are many tips and techniques that I’ve picked up during those years that I think did make a difference in how the soup came out, and I will now humbly pass them on to you

1) Be sure to saute the vegetables thoroughly, you want the flavours to be as deep as possible without burning. The carrots should be deep orange, reduced in size and caramelized with dark brown spots. (I now wish I had taken pics of this, but it was one of those days)
2) Be sure to ‘over-salt’ the vegetable mixture as they saute. This is because this mixture plays an integral partin flavouring the soup ‘broth’ and the beans will also soak up much of it.
3) Be generous, to a flaw, with the cilantro. Just when you think you have put enough, put a little bit more. For the same reasons as above. The beans and the broth need it

The final result is sinfully aromatic, and soothing with the rich herbal tones, and the creamy earthiness that beans impart. It would be amazing on its own, but with the addition of the pesto, it really becomes something else entirely. Swirl it in, sit back and enjoy.

Black Bean Soup with Cilantro Pesto
Servings: 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. black beans, soaked overnight
2 onions
3 carrots
3 cloves, garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 6 oz. can tomato paste

Cilantro Pesto:
1 bunch cilantro
10 parsley sprigs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup toasted almonds
3 limes, juice of
4 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

METHOD:
1. Rinse beans in cold water and place in pot with a ratio of twice as much water as beans.
2. Bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer on the stove, stirring often, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the cilantro pesto.
4. Rinse and coarsely chop the cilantro and parsley.
5. Place the cilantro, parsley, cheese, almonds, lime juice and garlic in a food processor.
6. Blend to a smooth mixture.
7. With the machine running slowly, pour in the olive oil.
8. Add salt and pulse.
9. Store half in refrigerator for a later date and place the rest in a bowl for service.
10. Peel and chop the carrots and onions for the soup, then set aside.
11. Chop the cilantro, and also reserve.
12. Check beans for tenderness.
13. Saute the carrots, onions, and garlic in oil until golden.
14. Add a small amount of the bean liquid to the saute pan to deglaze.
15. Add the vegetables to the soup, then add the tomato paste, cilantro, and salt.
16. Continue to simmer until tender.
17. Serve soup topped with cilantro pesto.