Spaghetti Sauce with Noodles

Homemade, fresh-tomato spaghetti sauce stoked with fried paneer, spooned over a bed of hot pasta...what could be better?  My husband said to tell you he had three helpings for lunch today!

Chunky, fresh-tomato spaghetti sauce with noodles

1 kg tomatoes (4 c chopped)
1 lg bell pepper (capsicum) cut into 1/2 inch squares (2 c chopped)
400 g paneer, cut into cubes, deep-fried in ghee, drained and set aside
400 g pasta, boiled to al dente, drained, set aside
2 T butter
2 T ghee
1.5 t fennel (saunf) roasted and coarsely ground
1/8 t red pepper
5/8 t black pepper
1/4 t hing (available at Indian groceries)
1/2 t turmeric
2 t coriander
1 1/2 t Italian seasoning (mixture of oregano, rosemary, thyme, marjoram and basil)
1 1/2 t salt
1 t sugar
1 c water or whey (optional)
1/4 c yogurt (curds)

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water.  Remove when their skin splits.  Peel, then chop fine.  Set aside.

Heat ghee in large pot.  Add spices except for salt and sugar.  Add bell peppers and saute until bell peppers test tender.  Add tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Add paneer.  Boil, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes break down a bit and ghee shines on surface.  Add salt and sugar.  If tomato sauce is too dry, you can add water or whey.

Raise heat and bring to a boil.  Turn down to a simmer.  Simmer for a few minutes to blend flavors.  Remove from heat and stir in yogurt.

Boil pasta in plain water.  Test after 5 minutes, to insure that the pasta does not disintegrate from over-cooking.  Drain, and dot with butter.

Spoon sauce over spaghetti noodles or any type of pasta for a delicious Italian meal.

Serves: four

Note: my husband is my shopper.  He couldn't find regular Italian seasoning in the store here in Udupi, so he bought a mixture that had a few of the spices I asked for.  Good enough!

Stove-Top Casserole

Casserole is a very American thing.  What it is, essentially, is a chunky soup, thickened more than a soup would be, and containing pasta or bread cubes or both as an added filler.  Casseroles are baked in the oven, and often have a garnish on top such as melted cheese or spicy sprinkles.  They are often served as a one-pot-meal in American households, or accompanied by a salad.  I have a lot of friends in India, and in India, ovens are rare.  So I sometimes make up recipes that my Indian friends can use, thus this recipe came about.  It is a casserole, but it's made on top of the stove instead of in the oven.

This version of stove-top casserole is made with whey.  Looks like a Chinese stir-fry, doesn't it?

Ingredients for the casserole:

12 c mixed vegetables of your choice.  For example, the casserole in the above photo contains:
    4 c potatoes, peeled and cubed (bite-size)
    1 c carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally (1/4" slices)
    1 c chopped bell pepper (bite-size)
    6 c broccoli pieces (approx. 1 1/4" florets, stems 1/2" pieces)
    1 1/2 c whole black olives (opt.)
4 c paneer chunks (from about one gallon whole milk)
1 lb pasta of your choice

Ingredients for the white sauce:

1/4 c unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
Rounded 1/4 t hing
Rounded 1/2 t black pepper
Rounded 1/2 t ground mustard
Rounded 1/2 t methi (fenugreek) powder
Rounded 1/2 t turmeric
1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
8 c milk or whey, or 5 c cream
Slightly rounded 1 T salt (if using whey for the white sauce, increase salt to 4 level tsp)

First, heat ghee in wok on a low flame.  When just barely hot (definitely not smoking!), gently place the paneer chunks into the ghee.  Allow them to fry for a minute or two before you turn them with a slotted spoon.  Turn them frequently until they have reddish golden brown edges, but are still light-colored.

Paneer chunks should look like this when done

Drip the excess ghee from the fried paneer chunks and set them aside in a bowl.

Next, turn up the heat and fry your potato cubes.

See how the potatoes that are still in the ghee are floating on top?

Potatoes are done when they turn golden-brown and float on the surface of the ghee.  Remove, drain, and set aside.

Now fry your carrot pieces.  Turn down the heat to medium, and gently lower the carrot slices into the hot ghee.  Turn once during cooking, so that they are evenly browned on both sides. 

Carrot slices frying in ghee

When the carrots are fork-tender, remove, drain and set them aside.

While keeping the heat at medium, fry your bell pepper pieces.  They will look like this in the ghee.

Bell peppers frying in ghee

When the bell peppers are done, they will look like this:

Fried bell peppers

Drain and set the fried bell peppers aside.

Steam the broccoli in a pot with a steamer basket until just soft enough to poke a knife through easily, but while the broccoli is still a pretty green color.  Don't let them get too soft or they will not keep their shape when you stir them into the casserole.

The broccoli should be bright green and just barely tender

Now start the water boiling for your pasta.  While the water is heating up...

...make your white sauce.  Start by melting the butter on low heat in a large pot.  The pot should have a capacity slightly larger than one gallon.  As the butter is melting, add the spices except for the salt and stir while warming the spices in the melted butter.  If you are making the low-fat version* of this recipe, now is the time to add the bell peppers, sauteeing them in the butter and spices until they are soft (cover pot between stirs).  After the bell peppers are fork-tender, add the flour.  Stir thoroughly, then start adding the liquid, small amounts at a time.

Here I'm making my white sauce with whey

Here's what the white sauce looks like if you're making it with cream...

White sauce is also called "Cream Sauce"--this is authentic cream sauce, because it's made with cream!

Keep an eye on the water for boiling the pasta.  As soon as it starts boiling, add the pasta.  Put on the timer so you can cook it the right amount of time, to "al dente."  Have a colander waiting in the sink for draining the cooked pasta.  

After you have added all the liquid to your white sauce, stir constantly on medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil.  Boil for two minutes, then stir in the paneer chunks and the cooked vegetables.

Stir in the paneer...and...

...the veggies

As soon as the timer rings, drain the pasta through a colander, rinse it, shake out the excess water, and add the drained pasta to the white sauce.  Stir gently and thoroughly.  Turn off the heat.  Now you can stir in the salt.**  Remember, if you have used milk or cream for your sauce, the salt will be a lesser amount than if you used whey.  That's because whey is slightly sour, and therefore requires a teeny bit more salt.

Here's the finished casserole when I used cream in the sauce

Here's the finished casserole when I used whey in the sauce

Yield: this makes about a gallon of casserole.  Preparation and cooking time: about two hours from start to finish.

*Note: although when I have ghee available I deep-fry the vegetables and paneer in the wok, if deep-frying is not an option for you, or you just want a low-fat dish, you can steam all the veggies except the bell peppers (fry the bell peppers in the butter and spices until they're soft) and just add the paneer to the white sauce without pre-frying it.

**Note: when using whey, you can add the salt earlier if you like.  When I make this casserole with whey, I add the salt just after the white sauce is completed.  Be aware that when you make the white sauce with whey, the casserole will be a rather soupy consistency at first, but will thicken gradually.

When I make white sauce with milk or cream, the reason I add salt after turning off the heat is because Srila Prabhupada told us that to cook salt with milk causes a poisonous chemical reaction.  But to cook salt with whey is okay.

Udupi Upma

Upma is a delicious, hot dish that will warm your heart on a cold day.  We've been having some cold days lately, so I made some upma recently to warm everyone's hearts.  Turned out yummy, so I want to share my recipe with you.  Although it never gets cold in Udupi, I call this "Udupi Upma" because when I make it, I like to toss in a teaspoon of Udupi sambar powder along with a smidgen of the most frequently used ingredient in all of Udupi cuisine, coconut.

Udupi Upma

2 c suji or farina cereal (such as Cream of Wheat)
1 c (200 g) unsalted butter
6 c chopped mixed vegies (your choice)
8 c whey (or water if you don't have whey)
2 t mustard seeds, dry popped
1/2 t hing
1 T cumin seeds
1 T chopped, seeded jalapeno or 1/4 t red pepper
1 T chopped fresh ginger or 1/2 t ginger powder
1 t methi (fenugreek) powder or seeds
1 t black pepper
20 or more curry leaves
1 t sambar powder (optional)
2 T powdered coconut (optional)
1 t turmeric
2 t coriander
1 slightly rounded T salt
1/2 c chopped cilantro
1 T lemon juice

A note before we start: you will need two pots and two spoons for this recipe.  The spoon for stirring the grains should be wooden, if possible.

In a medium-large pot, dry-pop mustard seeds on low heat.  Remove pot from heat before seeds are all popped.

In a separate pot, pour in whey (or water).  Add mixed vegies, turmeric and salt.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Adjust heat so that this mixture remains gently simmering while you cook the grains in the other pot.

Vegetable "soup"--whey, vegies, turmeric and salt

After pot with mustard seeds has cooled a bit so that the butter doesn't burn, add butter.  Melt the butter on low heat.  As the butter is melting, add hing, cumin, black pepper, jalapeno or red pepper, ginger, methi, coriander and curry leaves.  Add the suji (farina).  Fry the suji in the butter and spices, stirring frequently (almost constantly--you want your grains to be an even color, so you have to keep turning them so they don't get too brown on the bottom) with a wooden spoon for about 30 minutes until the grains are loose and sound like "wet sand" when you stir them.

Slowly fry the grains on low heat for about 1/2 hour

When your suji sounds like wet sand, now is the time to add the sambar powder and coconut, if you're going to.  Fry for a couple more minutes.  At this point, your grains are finished toasting, and your vegies should be soft.  Keep an eye on your grains while you quickly check your vegies with a knife to make sure they are fork-tender.

Note: a lot of cooks turn off their flames under both pots at this time.  I like to keep both pots going on a very low heat while I do the next step.   

Pour a small amount of the boiling vegetable "soup" into the grains.  Just as when you're cooking halavah, it will make quite a commotion and sputter all over the place, so be prepared.  I usually have a lid handy to hold over the grain pot until it settles down a little.  After it settles down, stir in that little bit of soup.  After you have added a couple cups of liquid into the grains, it will stop sputtering when you add more.  Now add a little more.  After each addition of liquid, stir it thoroughly into the grains.  After you have added the entire pot of "soup" into the grains, stir thoroughly and then stir in the lemon juice.  Now cover.  After about three minutes, remove the lid and stir your upma.  Add 1/4 c of the chopped cilantro.  Stir.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 c of cilantro over the top...

 ...then offer to Lord Sri Krishna, who has so kindly given us all these wonderful ingredients.

Serving suggestion: this dish pairs well with Cold-Weather Karhi for a hearty winter breakfast or lunch.  In Udupi, my friend Radha claims that upma is traditionally served with halavah, and she emphasized that both preparations should be served hot.  She served us some homemade upma and halavah at her home recently, and I have to say that hot upma and hot halavah truly are a winning combination!

Mung & Brown Rice Kichari

Kichari and Chapatis

Kichari is good any time of the year.  Very easy to make, it's a one-pot hot meal that is both nutritious and delicious.  Try this recipe next time you need a quick, easy dinner to warm your family's hearts.

For those of you who are not familiar with the word "dahl," it means small beans like lentils that you can buy at Indian groceries.  Mung beans, which are available in health food stores in America, are a classic type of dahl in India, and they cook quickly.  Mung beans with or without the green skins cooks fast, so they're a great choice when you're pressed for time.

Ingredients:

1/2 c whole or split mung dahl
8 c water
1/2 c brown rice (white rice can also be used)
1 qt (4 c) vegetables of your choice, cut into small chunks (e.g., bell pepper, celery, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, etc.)
1/2 t turmeric powder
4 t (or 1 heaping T) grated fresh ginger root
6 T unsalted butter or ghee, divided
2 t coriander powder
1/2 t methi (fenugreek) powder
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t garam masala
2 t salt (add more* if adding more veggies)
1 t mustard seeds
1 t cumin seeds
1 small jalapeno, seeded and chopped small
1 sprig fresh curry leaves, if available
1/2 c chopped cilantro, if available

Wash 1/2 c split mung dahl 5 times in cold water, drain. (Whole green mung does not need so much washing--one rinse will do.) Put washed, drained dahl in a large pot that holds at least half a gallon of volume.  Add water.  Turn heat on to high.  Add:

turmeric
grated ginger
1 T unsalted butter or ghee

Stir and bring to a boil.  Turn down heat to medium.  Simmer while you prepare the rice and vegetables.

If using brown rice, wash and add now. Set your timer to 45 minutes. 

Next, prepare root vegetables.

Wash, peel and cube potatoes, carrots, turnips and other root vegetables. Root veggies as well as other veggies that require longer cooking time, like cabbage or winter squash, should be added when the timer has 25 minutes left.  Simmer for 5 minutes before adding other veggies that take less time to cook (timer should indicate 20 minutes left at this time). If using white rice, add the washed rice now.  

Add coriander powder, methi powder, paprika, garam masala and salt*.  Stir these spices in and continue simmering on low.

Three to five minutes before the timer rings to indicate that the rice is done, prepare the chaunk.

Melt the remaining 5 T unsalted butter or ghee in a small pan on low heat.  Add mustard seeds and let them warm until they start popping.  Then add cumin seeds, jalapeno, and curry leaves, if you have them.  Fry on low heat until mustard seeds finish popping, just a few seconds.  Immediately add chaunk to the kichari.  Turn off the flame and stir in half the chopped cilantro.  Sprinkle the other half of the cilantro over the top of the kichari as garnish.

Offer to Lord Krsna immediately so the cilantro stays pretty and green.

Yield: about four large helpings.

*If using more than 4 c (1 qt) of veggies, increase salt by 1/8 t for every cup of extra veggies

Note: when the cooking is finished, the kichari will appear like a chunky soup.  It will thicken up over time, but if served immediately after cooking, it should be served in bowls.

Note: if using white rice, add vegetables right after dahl starts to break up.  Add coriander powder, methi powder, paprika, and garam masala.  When vegetables are medium-soft, add the rice and salt, and continue cooking on very low heat, covered, until rice is soft--about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the kind of white rice you use.

Serving suggestions: Can be served with a dollop of plain homemade yogurt or a drizzle of fresh ghee on top.  In summertime, a cool raita as a side dish offers a nice contrast to the warm kichari.  In wintertime, a bowl of steaming hot karhi along with kichari takes the chill off and creates a hearty meal.  Hot puris right off the stove are always a delicious accompaniment to kichari as well.

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

For people who are transitioning from a meat-based diet to a vegetarian diet, Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie is a wonderful marriage of textures and tastes.  Paneer, vegetables and legumes combine with select spices to satisfy the palate and nourish the body.  Based on an old traditional recipe, this Shepherd's Pie substitutes paneer for the meat, so you get the experience of traditional Shepherd's Pie without the bad karma!

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

First, gather your ingredients.  There are two parts to this dish, the filling and the topping.  For the filling, you'll need:

1/4 c melted unsalted butter
1/2 t black pepper
1/4 t hing
1/2 t mustard powder (ground mustard seed)
1/2 t cumin powder
1/4 t methi (fenugreek) powder
2 t coriander
1/2 t turmeric
1/4 c cornstarch
2 c cold whey, vegetarian soup stock or water 
2 c cooked beans of your choice, drained
Paneer made from 12 c milk, pressed and cubed
4 c mixed vegies of your choice, steamed
1 T salt

For the topping, you'll need:

2 T melted, unsalted butter
4 c potatoes, peeled, cubed, boiled, then mashed
1 t salt
1/8 t turmeric
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 c cream, sour cream or milk
Paneer made from 4 c milk, crumbled
Crumbled rosemary for garnish
Paprika for garnish

First, make your paneer from one gallon of milk.  If you use raw milk, press your curd for one minute.  If using homogenized milk, press for three minutes.  Unwrap and cut into four equal pieces.

Cut your paneer into four equal pieces.  The missing piece above has already been crumbled and added to the mashed potato topping, pictured at top left of this frame.

To make the topping:

Crumble 1/4 of the paneer into small pea-sized pieces.  Mix the mashed potatoes with the crumbled paneer and the 2 T melted unsalted butter, 1 t salt, 1/8 t turmeric, 1/4 t black pepper and 1/2 c cream.  Use a potato masher to mash and combine everything thoroughly.  Set aside.

To make the filling:

Cut the remaining 3 sections of paneer into bite-sized cubes.

Cubed paneer

Melt 1/4 c butter on low heat in a medium-sized pot.  Add 1/2 t black pepper, 1/4 t hing, 1/2 t mustard powder, 1/2 t cumin powder, 1/4 t methi powder, 2 t coriander powder.  Pour the cubed paneer into the butter and spices, and stirring frequently, sautee on medium-low heat until the paneer starts to stick a little to the bottom.

Sautee the paneer chunks in the butter and spices

Turn down the heat to low, add the beans and the steamed vegies and continue cooking for a couple minutes until everything is heated through.

While the beans and vegies and paneer are merging flavors, prepare the sauce for the filling:

Pour 1/4 c cornstarch and 1/2 t turmeric into a small measuring cup.  Add 1/4 c of the cold whey, stock, or water.  Mix thoroughly.  Gradually add small amounts of the remaining liquid, stirring after each addition, until all the liquid (2 c) is incorporated into the cornstarch.  Add 1 T salt.  Pour into a small saucepan.  Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over low heat.  As soon as the mixture thickens, remove from heat and add to the bean mixture.  Stir thoroughly.  Remove from heat.


Butter a 3 qt. (2.84 litre) casserole and spoon the filling in.  Spread evenly on the bottom of the pan.

Spread the filling evenly in the pan

Now spoon the topping onto the top of the filling, forming soft peaks that can brown as it bakes in the oven.

See the little peaks?

Now sprinkle some crumbled rosemary and a little paprika powder on top for a colorful garnish.

Sprinkle rosemary and paprika on top

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack to keep your glass pan from cracking.  Offer to Lord Sri Krsna--who has kindly given us all these wonderful ingredients--with love and devotion, then serve to your happy family!