Toasted Oats Daliya

I started using Steel-cut oats, instead of Old Fashioned (Rolled) oats for my morning oatmeal not too long ago (yes, I waited too long to try the real deal). Anyhow, one of the first things that struck me about steel cut oats is how much the flavor and texture matches that of Daliya.  

Daliya is the same thing as Bulgur. For those who haven't heard of it before, it is essentially a cereal made from the groats of different varieties of wheat, most commonly - durum. It is commonly used in cuisines across Europe, Middle East and South East Asia, especially Pakistan and North India. It has a light, nutty flavor, similar to steel cut oats, which is why I decided to try out steel-cut oats in the same recipe today. 

Oats Daliya w Spinach and Mixed Veggies

Prep Time: 20-30 min

Ingredients (Serves 2):

1. 1/2 cup Steel-cut Oats
2. 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (peas, green beans, corn and diced carrots)
3. 3 cups fresh Baby Spinach (or regular spinach leaves, coarsely chopped) 
4. 1 tsp Onion Powder
5. 1 tsp Garlic Powder
6. 1 tsp Mustard Seeds (or Ground Mustard)
7. 6 fresh (or frozen) Curry Leaves
8. Salt and Pepper, to taste
9. Hot Sauce (optional)

Directions:

Toast the steel cut oats in a dry skillet, on medium to medium-high heat, until golden. What the toasting does is make them less sticky once cooked and also somewhat reduces the amount of water they need to absorb when cooked. Once golden, transfer oats to a pressure cooker. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes and then add half a cup of hot water (1 to 1 with quantity of dry oats). Cover immediately and cook under high pressure for 2 minutes. Allow steam to dissipate on its own. This works really well in an electric pressure cooker but a stove top should work just as well. Basically that half cup of water is just enough to soak and cook the oats (without making them mushy) and to generate just enough steam in the pressure cooker to last for 2-4 minutes. It all happens super fast!! Do not uncover the pressure cooker even after the steam has dissipated (make sure you turn off the 'keep warm' function, and move the stove top cooker to a trivet). Let it sit until the veggies are ready.  

Li'l Nikhil made my day he saw me take the box of Baby Spinach out of the fridge this morning. He asked me Leaves (Baby Spinach) and Dip (Balsamic Vinaigrette) for breakfast!! And then of course, he continued on to admonish me on using up all the leaves for my breakfast - "but I won't have any left for me for tomorrow!!" :)

While the oats are cooking, line the dry skillet used for toasting them with a thin layer of water and add onion, garlic and mustard seeds and frozen vegetable mix. Add a sprinkle of salt, and allow vegetables to thaw. Then mix in the curry leaves and saute until they release their aromatic oils (within 1-2 minutes). Then add the baby spinach and allow to wilt and mix everything together. 

Taste test for salt and pepper and once the vegetables are ready, open the pressure cooker, scrap the oats out with a wooden spatula (I've found that steel cut oats never get fluffy like bulgur but remain sticky). Add oats to the vegetables and toss everything really well together making sure to break up the larger pieces of crumbly oats. Garnish with freshly cut cilantro leaves and serve with hot sauce, or fresh mint chutney!

My Assessment: I liked this version of savory oats much better than the recipes I've posted before using old-fashioned oats. And of course, this is the whole, minimally processed, grain so it is much healthier as well. And it tasted just like wheat daliya :) so that was a great substitution that worked! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 218 (Fat Calories 31)
Total Fat 3.4 g; Carbohydrates 40.1 g; Fiber 7.8 g; Sugars 4.5 g; Protein 9.0 g

Tofu & Peas w Curry Leaves

I usually keep a pack (or two) of  tofu on hand for emergencies .. or for days when I feel like I eating something more than veggies with my dinner. Yesterday, on the way back from the grocery store, something in the trunk (from one of the other bags) fell atop the tofu container and popped the plastic cover i.e. I was left with a busted pack of tofu that needed to be used soon. I'd also picked up some curry leaves on my monthly trip to the Indian Grocery store and decided to combine the two together this afternoon!

Tofu & Peas Curry

Prep Time: 20-30 min

Ingredients (4 Servings):

1. 1 x 14oz Pack of Extra-Firm Tofu, cut into bite sized cubes
2. 1.5 cup frozen Peas
3. 1 small Roma Tomato, diced into large chunks (1/3 cup)
4. 2 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
5. 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
6. 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
7. 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
8. 5-6 fresh Curry Leaves
9. 1 tsp Penzey's Sweet Curry powder (optional)
10. 2-3 cups water or Homemade Vegetable Broth
11. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Line a deep stockpot with water or vegetable broth and add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Allow these to simmer for a couple of minutes to release their aromas. Then add the remaining spices and peas. Adding more broth to keep everything from drying. Once peas thaw and start to simmer, add tomatoes and tofu and add another cup or so of water or broth. Note that I did not press the tofu since I was adding it to a broth based dish. If you press it, it may absorb some more of the flavors but you'll need to add more broth to make it the same consistency as the pressed tofu will absorb a lot of liquid. 

Tofu & Peas Curry over Brown Rice

The final dish should be soupy like a vegetable soup so add enough broth to ensure that consistency. If you want it thicker, feel free to add less water. I like it soupier because that curry-leaf-flavored broth is the best part. Once everything comes to a boil, cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Taste test before serving and add salt, as needed. Serve hot over steamed brown rice and garnish with salt and pepper. 

My Assessment: I loved the aroma of curry leaves in the house. If you're new to Indian cuisine, the aroma and flavor provided by curry leaves is an excellent, yet mild, introduction to the spicy cuisine of the Indian sub-continent. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 158 (Fat Calories 51)
Total Fat 5.6 g; Carbohydrates 13.4 g; Fiber 5.3 g; Sugars 3.2 g; Protein 13.7 g

* Nutrition facts are provided for the water option as vegetable broth calorie content can vary tremendously.

TVP Mushroom Coconut Curry

Earlier in the week, I had almost a quarter of a gallon of coconut milk left over from my Holiday dinner with the family and I wanted to use it in a savory dish. I was also craving some TVP chunks, Nutrela, which I grew up eating as a kid. Now my DH, who has been Plant Strong for almost 10 weeks now, will eat vegetables and certain kinds of mushrooms but refuses to go near any of the non-traditional vegan food items that I've grown accustomed to including in my meals .. no tofu, tempeh, seitan or soy protein for him. So earlier this week, he wanted to have a bowl of cereal with almond milk for dinner and I decided to cook up something with the things I'd been craving ... Shiitake Mushrooms, TVP chunks and Coconut milk. 

Mild Coconut Curry

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1. 1 oz dried Shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted
2. 1 cup TVP chunks, soaked in hot water, and rinsed well
3. 1 x 15oz can of Hunts Fire-Roasted Garlic Diced Tomatoes
4. ~1-2 cups Coconut milk
5. 2 tsp Mustard seeds 
6. 4-6 Curry leaves (optional)
7. Smoked Paprika, to taste, for a not-so-mild flavor (optional)
8. Salt and Pepper, to taste.

Directions:

Line a pan with coconut milk and add mustard seeds. As the coconut milk begins to boil, add tomatoes and mix well. Add remaining ingredients, and additional coconut milk to obtain the desired consistency. I made it soupy as I wanted to eat it over rice. I didn't have any curry leaves so I left those out this time. I did use the paprika as it adds a nice smokey flavor to the dish. Cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the the aroma of mustard and paprika starts wafting out of the pan :) Serve over a bed of white or brown rice. Enjoy!! 

Herb & Spice Fact of the Day

Mustard Seeds are small round seeds obtained from a variety of mustard plants. The small (1-2 mm) seeds range in color from pale yellow to black. Each of the 3 major varieties of mustard produce pungent aromatic seeds with the mildest being the white mustard. 

In Christian mythology, Jesus used the mustard seed as a parable for the kingdom of God. He mentions hows it initially starts small but grows to be the biggest of all garden plants. 

Mustard seeds are used as a whole or ground spice and are often used also to extract mustard oil, which features prominently in Southern Indian cuisine. With its excellent preserving qualities for foods and is often used for pickling and to make the often used condiment - mustard. 

The seeds have 46-48% oil and close to 43.6% protein, so are nutritional super-powers, but are also packed with calories so should be used sparingly (~500 calories/100g). The seeds are high in essential oils as well as plant sterols such as brassicasterol, campesterol , sitosterol, avenasterol and stigmasterol. They also contain sinigrin, myrosin, erucic, eicosenoic, oleic and palmitic acids. Although rich in calories, they are also well packed with fiber and are actually recommended in cholesterol and weight reduction programs. The seeds also flavonoid antioxidants such as carotenes, zeaxanthin and lutein and have small amount of Vitamins A, C and vitamin K and E (tocopherol-γ). 

In traditional medicine, mustard seeds have traditionally been used to relieve muscle pain, rheumatism and arthritic pain. In India, mustard oil is applied over scalp and is believed to stimulate hair growth. and in traditional medicine, the ground seeds (meal) have been shown to act as a laxative, a stimulant of the gastric lining and have been shown to increase intestinal secretions.