MMC Ingredient 6 - Drumstick/Murungaikai/Moringa Pods

Looks like I am back - though with a busy summer and travel, I can never be too sure :-) Here's the latest MMC challenge.

MMC Ingredient 6 is Murungaikai (Moringa Pods).


Murungaikai is readily available in South India and both the vegetable and the leaves are used in cooking. Most common way to use murungaikai is in sambar, along with small onions. Leaves can be used in poriyal or subji with a bit of dal and spiced with chilies and coconut. I never realized how much I'd miss murungaikai until I came to the US and couldn't find any fresh ones worth its name in the store. For those of you who have no clue what am talking about, take a look at this wiki entry for Moringa/murungaikai.

I personally think this ingredient is one of the more challenging ones since as far as I know, I have seen murungaikai used only in South India. My mom uses murungaikai but it is restricted to sambar for the most part, especially the Sunday special lunch which usually consisted of murungaikai/small onion sambar, potato curry and vadam/papad. Given the limited usage of murungaikai I have come across, I had to squeeze my brains a bit harder to make something that's interesting and not a sambar !!

I did finally come up with not one but two dishes. I was unable to choose between the two and hence I give you both my creations. The first dish is a pickle which is very easy to make but needs a bit of patience - it has to marinate for 2-4 days for best results. The other dish is a salad, an apt summer dish. It does not involve much cooking and is pretty easy to put together.

Notes:

1. I used frozen murungaikai which is readily available in Indian stores. Fresh ones can be used as well and am sure they'll taste much better.
2. Cook murungaikai until soft and splits open readily but should still hold its shape and not be mushy.
3. The edible part of murungaikai is the seeds and the pulp. Split open murungaikai and scoop out the pulp and seeds to eat.
4. Roasted fenugreek powder: Dry roast a 2 tsp of fenugreek in a pan until its brown and aromatic. Let cool, grind to a smooth powder. Store the excess powder in the refrigerator.
   

Murungaikai Urugai (Moringa Pod Pickle)

Ingredients
11/2 cup drumstick (murungakai)
1/4 cup carrots, blanched, 1/2" sticks (optional, see notes)
2 green chilies, split open
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp roasted fenugreek powder (see notes)
2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp mustard
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 tbsp canola oil
salt to taste

Method

1. Boil water in a large pot. Add enough salt.
2. Drop the frozen murungaikai in boiling water and let it cook (for about 15-20 min). After 15 min check for "done"ness. If using fresh ones, cooking time may vary.
3. Blanch carrots similarly in boiling water. Cook for 10 min or so. Check for doneness. Cook just to take the raw edge off. Carrots should still remain crisp.
4. Drain and pat dry carrots and murungaikai pieces.
5. In a saute pan, heat canola oil. When its hot, add mustard seed. Let it splutter.
6. Remove from heat. Now add turmeric, chili powder, green chilies.
7. Stir once. Now add the cooked murungaikai and carrot pieces. Add fenugreek powder. Stir.
8. Add salt and the seasme seed oil. Mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning.
9. Transfer it to a dry container (glass bottle is preferable). Close tight and let it stand for a day at room temperature.
10. On the 2nd day, move it to the refrigerator. Let it stand for a day or two longer.
11. You can use it as early as the 3rd day but as with any pickle the longer it stands the better it tastes.
12. Pickle can be stored in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks.

Murungaikai (Moringa Pod) Salad

Ingredients
16 oz frozen drumstick/murungaikai
2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp finely chopped tomatoes (seeded)
1-2 small green chili, finely chopped
1 tsp dessicated or frozen coconut (optional)
2-3 tsp lime juice
1 tsp olive/vegetable oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
4 curry leaves, coarsely chopped
Salt to taste

Method

1. Cook murungaikai as done for the pickles (step 2 of murungaikai pickle).
2. Split open the murungaikai pieces. Scoop out the pulp and seeds. Set aside.
3. In a salad bowl mix onions, tomatoes and green chilies. Mix well. Now add murungaikai pulp. Mix lightly.
4. In a small saute pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Add the curry leaves.
5. Add this to the veggie mixture. Season with salt.
6. Add lime juice and coconut.
7. Mix well.

Enjoy !!

Spring Orzo Salad

We have been reeling under damp and gloomy weather for the past couple of days. Spring here refuses to go away and its unseasonably cold. Maybe I angered the "Spring gods" with my ramble a few posts ago, claiming my less than friendly relations with the spring season :-) So if an apology will make this cold spring go away and warm summer to arrive, I can very well offer a thousand "Sorrys" :-) And if sorry wont cut it, here's a salad honoring the season !!


Farmer's market hasnt sprung up yet in our region what with the cold spring, frost etc. But there are some really fresh vegetables that have started arriving in the grocery stores. I havent been cooking much of late and I've been looking for ways to avoid cooking or even if I do, spend as little time as possible in the kitchen. I have subsisted on sandwiches (with hummus or cheese) for the past few days but realized I wasnt getting much veggies. Also, I had some green squash and bell peppers that needed my immediate attention before they lose their freshness. I wanted a complete quick-cooking meal using up the vegetables I had on hand. I figured salad was probably my best option to both use up the vegetables and do so in minimum amount of time. So I cut them up, sauteed a little bit to take the edge off and tossed them with some orzo and a very simple dressing. There was my quick dinner, all healthy and tasty.

Notes:

1. Asparagus or any other spring vegetable will work fine in this salad.
2. If you like the "garlicky" taste, add an extra clove of garlic.
3. Fresh herbs like basil or parsley can be used as a garnish.
4. I made a very simple dressing but feel free to use any oil/vinegar based dressing.

Ingredients
3/4 cup Whole wheat orzo
1 medium-sized Zucchini
1 medium sized bell pepper
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
Basil or parsley (optional)
Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice (or as required)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 pinch red chili flakes (adjust according to taste)
Salt to taste

Method

1. Cook orzo in a large pot of boiling water for about 7-9 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a bowl whisk all ingredients under dressing. Taste, adjust salt and lemon juice. Set aside.
3. In a saute pan, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add red chili flakes and garlic.
4. Add chopped vegetables. Saute for 5-7 minutes. Just until the vegetables are tender but firm.
5. Add salt, taste and remove from heat.
6. In a large bowl, mix the cooked orzo and veggies. Add the dressing, toss well. Taste, adjust seasoning.
7. Garnish with fresh basil/parsley and/or parmesan.

This will be my entry to Preeti's "Green gourmet" event.

Enjoy !!

Panzanella - A Hearty Bread Salad

Panzanella is a traditional Italian salad made with leftover stale bread, tomatoes and basil. For a weeknight meal, this salad is the easiest one I have found... yet.... Panzanella is a very summery dish but using seasonal vegetables this dish can be made all round the year. Fall is here, apples abound the market in tons and hence my salad here features apples. Dressing for this salad cannot be any simpler either: just olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. I added some black beans that I had on hand to make this hearty enough for a light supper. But feel free to add any kind of beans. Also, to reduce the pungent taste of onions, soak sliced onions in ice cold water for 10 min, drain and pat dry before adding it in the salad. This ensures a crunchy yet mellow onion flavor.

Ingredients
3 cups of bread, cubed
1 apple, cored and quartered
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 tomatoes, seeded and quartered
1 big carrot, sliced
1/2 cup black beans
2 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
salt and pepper, according to taste
shredded Parmesan (optional)

Method

1. Mix 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss the bread in this mixture, spread it on a sheet pan.
2. Toast it in a 425ºF pre-heated oven for 10 min or until the bread turns golden brown and crunchy.
3. In a salad bowl whisk in rest of the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
4. Toss in the veggies, bread, beans and mix well until the dressing is evenly distributed.
5. Sprinkle some Parmesan and serve.

Variations:
A few things that can be added or substituted:
- Quartered hard boiled eggs
- Fresh mozzarella instead of Parmesan
- Basil instead of cilantro/parsley
- Veggies like bell pepper, roasted peppers, olives

A Middle Eastern Dinner

Lemony Couscous with Eggplant Salad

It was a Tuesday evening and the mid-week syndrome was just setting in. All I was looking for was a simple meal that I can have on the dinner table in half hour or so. I could have looked up on the Internet to see if Rachel Ray had any vegetarian dish to get me through the evening in under 30 min but I wasn't in the mood to browse for 30 min trying to get some ideas to make a 30 min meal :-) I opened the fridge and the same old veggies stared at me: eggplants, beans, bell peppers. Now that we have been regulars at our neighborhood farmers market, we do not have the luxury of choosing between 30 different varieties of veggies ( Pardon me, am going crazy with the 30's but some of you out there might understand :-)). We have to buy whatever is in season and now is the season for eggplants, beans, bell peppers and of course, summer squash. The produce tastes so good that I am for once not complaining about having to cook with just these few veggies for 3 straight weeks now. Anyhow, I decided to make a simple eggplant salad with no fuss, dress it simply and let the flavor of the veggie speak for itself.

Indian cooking uses a lot of eggplants and so do middle eastern and Mediterranean cooking. In my recipe here I have used a very typical middle eastern flavor, Tahini for the salad dressing. Also, I had some left over falafel in the freezer which I used to make the salad more filling. Addition of falafel is completely optional. The salad is quite substantial even in the absence of falafel. And for the carb part of this dinner, I made couscous with a tangy lemony flavor. It sure turned out to be a flavorful and delicious meal just enough to beat the mid-week syndrome at least temporarily!

A few things to note: drain and dry the eggplant really well so the salad doesn't get soggy. If you think the eggplants are soggy, sprinkle some all purpose flour along with the dry seasoning, this will help absorb the excess moisture. Also the amount of tahini can be adjusted according to your taste.

Ingredients
For Couscous:
11/2 instant couscous
3 cups water or vegetable broth
1 handful raisins
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 tsp fennel
1 tsp cumin seeds
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tbsp lemon juice (or more if reqiured)
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
For salad:
4 medium sized eggplant
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp tahini paste
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar or honey
Salt to taste
Falafel (optional)

Method
Couscous:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan, add fennel, cumin, raisins, garlic and onion.
2. Saute till onions get soft and translucent.
3. Add peas, lemon zest, thyme, salt and 3 cups of water/broth. Let it come to a boil.
4. Now add the couscous, turn off the heat and close the pan with a lid.
5. Let it rest for 5 min or until all the water is absorbed.
6. Fluff the couscous with a fork, add lemon juice, pepper and stir well.

Salad:

1. Dice eggplant into 1/2" cubes, soak it in salted cold water for 15 min.
2. Drain the water and dry it well.
3. Mix cayenne powder, cumin powder and oil. Coat the eggplant evenly with this mixture and spread it out on a sheet pan.
4. Bake it in a 425F pre-heated oven for 15-20 or until crisp (take care not to burn it).
5. In a large bowl, mix rest of the ingredients, except tomatoes to form a vinaigrette.
6. Toss in the tomatoes and the crispy eggplant with the vinaigrette. Falafel can be added at this point if you are using it.
   
7. Serve this on a bed of lemony couscous.

This is my entry for AFAM event for Aug '08: Lemon, hosted by Simple Indian Food blog.

Enjoy !!!

Fusilli with Mint Pesto

Mint is the star ingredient of my blog today. Spring usually brings along with it a whole range of fresh veggies and herbs. Mint is one such herb that abounds the supermarket shelf this time of the year. As with any fresh herb, mint does not remain fresh for more than 4-5 days. Hence it becomes imperative that it be used as early as possible. Given that mint has an especially strong flavor, a tiny bit goes a long way. So to run through a big bunch in a single meal is quite difficult. I was looking at ways to preserve mint for more than just a few days and presto! - I thought of pesto :-)

Pesto is a sauce made of crushed herbs and garlic. Pesto is usually made of basil with pine nuts, garlic and olive oil. Here is my version of pesto made with mint, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil. This pesto lasts for more than a month when frozen.

Mint Pesto:

Ingredients:
2 cups mint leaves
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Coarsely chop all the ingredients except oilve oil in a food processor.
2. Stream in olive oil and grind until a smooth consistency is obtained.
3. Freeze in air-tight container.

Fusilli with Mint Pesto:
A variety of dishes can be made with mint pesto and here's a hearty pasta dish made with mint pesto. I have used whole wheat fusilli, though penne will work fine too.

Ingredients:
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup spinach (thaw, if frozen)
1 can black eye peas (if using dried beans, soak for 24 hrs and cook until tender)
1 tsp red chilli flakes
2 tbsp mint pesto
2 pinches nutmeg powder
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
8 pitted kalamata olives (optional)
1 big roasted red pepper (optional)
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 lb whole wheat fusilli

Method:

1. Cook fusilli in a big pot of salted boiling water. Cook al dente.
2. Heat olive oil in a saute pan. Add chilli flakes, garlic and onion. Saute until onions are soft and translucent.
3. Add spinach and saute for 2 min.
4. Add wine and let it cook until spinach gets tender.
5. Add mint pesto and sprinkle nutmeg powder.
6. Add drained black eye peas and cook for 5 more minutes.
7. Add fusilli. A little of starchy boiling water can be added if it gets too dry.
8. Mix in parmesan cheese and lemon juice.
9. Garnish with olives and roasted red peppers.
10. Enjoy...!!

A closer look....

I will post more recipes with mint pesto in subsequent weeks.
Ciao.....