Bhrelu shak (stuffed Gujarati vegetables)

Bhrelu shak is a dish of stuffed Gujarati vegetables. These are delicious roasted in a cast iron pan to mimic a hot tava, or they can also be prepared in a microwave or oven. I will provide all cooking options below. This dish is known to be oily, but this recipe uses less oil. Stuffing vegetables should be small potatoes, baby eggplants, and baby squashes if available. Avoid cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower or broccoli.

Ingredients for stuffing:

1 cup gram flour

1/4 cup ground coriander

1/4 cup cumin

1 T garam masala

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

2 T ginger, chopped fine

1 chili, seeded and deveined, and chopped

1/2 cup cilantro leaves, washed and chopped

1 tsp salt

2 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp citric acid (lemon juice will make it mushy) you can omit if you don't have.

2 T vegetable oil plus extra for roasting

Directions to prepare stuffing:

1. Combine all of the stuffing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Mix together well. Adjust seasoning if needed.
2. Gram flour can be available at South Asian grocery stores, or substitute garbanzo bean flour (chickpea flour) from a health foods store.

Ingredients for vegetables:

1 cup red new potatoes, scrubbed and scored

8-10 baby eggplants, washed and scored

5-6 baby squashes or 1-2 large squashes

1 sweet potato

Directions:

1. For the baby or small vegetables, score them along one side, and score along the opposite side, so you can stuff the insides with the gram flour mixture.
2. If using regular sized vegetables, just cut them and coat them with the mixture.

Directions for cooking:

Cast iron or tava method:

1. Pour about 1-2 T of vegetable oil in a cast iron pan, and heat over medium heat.
2. Place the stuffed vegetables in a single layer and cook 2-3 minutes per side, until the vegetables are cooked and golden.
3. As they are cooking, add 1-2 tsp of water to the pan so the vegetables don't dry out. You can also add in a little oil as well. It is important to cook the vegetables in a single layer, so they cook evenly.
4. Continue rotating the vegetables to ensure that they get roasted and cooked. This method should take between 25-30 minutes.

Microwave method:

1. Place vegetables in a shallow microwave oven safe dish that has 1-2 T of oil and about 1/2 cup water placed in the bottom of the pan. Place the cover on the dish.
2. Microwave on regular power setting for 2-3 minutes and rotate the vegetables after each cooking cycle.
3. Cook this way for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked thoroughly.

Method for oven:

1. Heat oven to 375 F.
2. Coat baking or roasting pan with liberal amounts of oil (1-2 T) and arrange vegetables in a single layer.
3. Cover the pan with foil to help roasting, and check the vegetables often, about 5-10 minutes. Rotate the vegetables for even cooking and continue to sprinkle oil and water to the cooking dish to help add moisture during the cooking process.
4. Cooking time will be about 35 minutes.

Mom's Split Green Pea Soup

This is my mom's recipe for soup - which is dump this and that in a pot, and here you have an amazing delicious healthy soup.

Ingredients:

2 cups split green peas
1 can 15 oz tomato sauce (no salt added)
2 large garlic cloves
for creaminess take 1/2 cup milk or cream (sub for tomato sauce)
1 tsp curry powder (no salt added)
salt and pepper to taste

Note: if using a pressure cooker, the lentils will fall apart and there is no need to puree the soup. If you boil them, blend the lentils with an immersion blender once they are cooked, or puree in a food processor or blender.

Directions:

1. Cook lentils in a pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles OR boil lentils and water together until the lentils fall apart about 30-35 minutes. If boiling, boil 2 cups of lentils in 1 quart of water. Leave the lentils in the pot, and if their is no remaining water, add about 1/2 quart as you start the soup. You can puree the soup at this step before combining the remaining ingredients.
2. Next add tomato sauce. For a creamier soup, replace 1/2 of the tomato sauce with 1 cup of milk.
3. Add in crushed garlic and curry powder. Adjust salt if needed.
4. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Lemongrass Tofu - Com Tau Hu Xao Su Ot

From my old friend John Le (circa 2000). John's parents owned a Vietnamese restaurant in Santa Rosa, CA called Cam-Rahn Bay (which is now out of business) but Mrs Le used to make vegetarian pho and a number of delicious dishes. Use fresh lemon grass if you can find some, or use lemongrass paste. Serve with over steaming jasmine rice.

1 lb fried tofu
lemongrass (4-5 stalks) chopped fine
1 cup onions chopped, green and yellow
1 T yellow curry powder
1 T crushed red chili peppers
1 T sugar
1 T soy sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce)

Directions:
Put tofu in first, then add lemongrass, stir for a while, and then add yellow onions, soy sauce, sugar and curry powder. Stir around, then add peppers and green onions. The amount of soy sauce (or veg oyster sauce), curry, and sugar is based on how you like your food.

Samosa Puffs

Samosa inside, but phyllo outside. The puffs are made up of layers of phyllo dough, which are cut into squares and placed inside a muffin pan, filled with samosa stuffing, and then baked. Prepare the samosa stuffing first, and then the phyllo dough. It should take you about 2 hours from start to finish. Pre-boil the potatoes to reduce prep time.


You'll need a muffin pan, a pizza cutter, cooking spray or a pastry brush, and various pots and pans. Make sure the phyllo has been thawed in the fridge.

Ingredients:

Samosa stuffing:
4 baking potatoes, scrubbed, and cut into large chunks
1 liter water
1 T vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped (about 2 T ginger)
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp turmeric
few cracks black pepper (1/4 tsp)
3 T cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cashews, toasted
1/2 tsp chili pepper
juice from 1 lime (or lemon if you have)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300.
2. Roast cashews for about 10 minutes, until golden.
   
3. Boil the potatoes and water, for about 30 minutes, or until soft. Drain all but 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and mash the potatoes while still hot. Add in small amounts of the cooking water if the potatoes are too dry.
   
4. Heat the oil in a large pot, and add the cumin seeds, fry until aromatic.
5. Add in onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapenos and cook 8 minutes. Add in salt, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, and chili pepper.
   
6. Add in peas and saute.
7. Add in mashed potatoes, cracked black pepper, lime juice and combine well. If the potatoes are too sticky add in a little water and mix.
   
8. Taste to adjust for seasoning, and add in cashews. Turn off the heat once combined and set aside if prepping the phyllo.

Phyllo ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
8 phyllo sheets

Directions:

1. Heat butter in a small saucepan, until melted.
2. 
3. Heat oven to 350.
   
4. Lightly grease a muffin pan and set aside.
   
5. Arrange phyllo on a large jelly roll pan and cover with a damp towel to avoid drying out. You will be arranging 4 layers on top of each other. Phyllo is gentle and can break easily, so just be gentle with the moving. As long as the phyllo stays damp it will not dry out and will be easy to work with.
6. On a clean kitchen counter, lay out a single sheet of phyllo dough, and with a pastry brush lightly coat the surface with butter. Repeat with remaining 3 sheets.
7. 
8. Next, take a pizza cutter and score lengthwise about 4 times, creating columns that are about 2-3" wide. Next score widthwise, about 3 times, creating rows that are 2-3" wide. This will leave you with about 12 squares.
9. 
10. Arrange squares in the muffin pan so that a nice mold is created, until all 12 are arranged.
    
11. 
12. 
13. Next fill each with about 2 T of stuffing.
14. 
15. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until golden.
    
16. Serve right from the oven with some cilantro chutney or mango chutney.