Spinach with Masoor Dal recipe

12 oz or 340 g of spinach
3 tablespoon oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped tomato
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 green chilies or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder or to taste
1 teaspoon of garam masala powder
3/4 cup of masoor dal (520 oz or 150 g)
3/3 cup water or as needed
1/2 teaspoon of salt or to taste
A few cilantro leaves

For Seasoning:
2 teaspoon ghee or clarified butter
1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon of asafoetida

Wash and chop the spinach and keep it aside.  To a pan on medium heat with 3 tablespoon of oil add the chopped onions and saute until it has turned light brown.  When the onions have turned light brown add the turmeric and chili powder and saute for 10 seconds, followed by the garam masala powder, saute again for 10 seconds, add the chopped tomatoes, ginger and green chilis and let it cook for 2 minutes or so until the tomatoes have turned soft. Next  next add the washed masoor dal and chopped spinach and cook for 15 minutes or so until the dal and spinach is cooked.  When the dal and spinach is cooked add salt and a little water mix and cook for 2 minutes so that the salt is dissolved.  Turn the heat off add some chopped cilantro leaves, transfer the prepared dish into a serving dish for seasoning.

For seasoning: To a pan on medium heat with 2 teaspoon of ghee add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and wait for the cumin seeds to pop.  When the cumin seeds pop turn the heat off and add the asafoetida and add the seasoning to the prepared dish

Kadhi Recipe

Ingredients:
3 tablespoon gram flour (besan)
1 cup yogurt (dahi)
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt

Seasoning:
1 tablespoon ghee or oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
A pinch of asafoetida
A few curry leaves

Preparation:  Dissolve the gram flour in water until there are no lumps, add the yogurt, salt, mix with a beater.
Heat at medium heat until the liquid thickens, stirring constantly.  Turn the heat off and season.

For seasoning:  To a pan on medium heat add ghee, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds and wait for the mustard seeds to pop.
When the mustard seeds pop turn the heat off, add the turmeric powder, asafoetida and curry leaves, mix and add it to the kadhi.  Serves 4.

If you have pakodas you can add it to the kadhi at the end. 

Apple Pie with Oats Crust

Pie Crust Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup oats flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 cup + 3 tablespoon of cold water 

Pie Crust Preparation: Oats flour is available in stores, I made the flour at home in a food processor by pulsing it a few times until it was fine in texture.  To the flour I added salt, sugar and coconut oil, I mixed the ingredients with a fork until it was crumbly.  Next, I slowly added cold water until the flour came to together to form a dough.  I let the dough rest for 10 minutes.  Unlike all purpose flour oats lacks gluten and it is not pliable and easy to roll.  The dough tend to break.  I will fix the broken ends as I work with the dough.  I lined my work surface with baking paper and applied some oil over it place the dough on it and covered it with another sheet of baking paper and rolled over it with a rolling pin rotating the sheets of baking paper now and then until I had a 12 inch pie crust.  I transferred the crust to the pie dish.  Again, the crust will tend to break, I will use the broken pieces to cover the pie dish until it looks presentable.

Apple Pie Filling:
5 apples or 6 cups peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoon corn starch
1/4 cup walnut pieces
3 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 cup regular oats

To a large bowl with the sliced apples add sugar, lemon juice mix and keep aside for 10 minutes until the juice comes out.  After some of the juice is out add nutmeg powder, cinnamon powder and corn starch and mix.  Next add some walnuts mix and pour it into the prepared shell.  Spread the apples evenly.  Apply some dab of coconut oil on top of the crust.  Sprinkle with some regular oats and the pie is ready for baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes

Tomato Rasam

Ingredients:
1 big tomato (9.20oz or 260g or 1 cup canned)
1/2 cup masoor dal (lentil without skin or toor dal)
2 green chilies or to taste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoon rasam powder (recipe here)
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 tablespoon ghee
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/8 teaspoon or a pinch of asafoetida
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups water or as needed per thickness

Preparation: To a pressure cooker on medium heat add the washed masoor dal, green chillies, turmeric powder, chopped tomato,  and 1 cup water cover and cook for about 4 whistles or 10 minutes until the dal is cooked.

After the dal is cooked add rasam powder, salt and some additional water and cook till it comes to a boil.  Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes and turn the burner off.  Add lemon juice or tamarind juice(if you are adding tamarind juice let it cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to get the raw tamarind smell out) and chopped cilantro leaves.
The rasam is now ready for seasoning.

Season:  To a pan on medium heat with 1 tablespoon of ghee or oil add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and wait for the mustard seeds to pop.  When the mustard seeds pop turn the burner off add the black pepper powder and asafoetida and add it to the rasam.  The rasam is now ready to serve.

Serves 4