Kırmızı Mercimek Çorbası (red lentil soup)

I love the versatile lentil: the variety, flavor and convenience that these quick cooking pulses offer are all things I approve of. This Turkish soup is my favorite way to prepare red lentils. Velvety smooth like a bisque, I make it with even more vegetables than typically called for. 

We ate this soup frequently in Turkey, watching snow fall outside the window, with chunks of fresh bread and glugs of olive oil. Good times! 

Enjoy this flavorful and elegant soup, made from the humblest of ingredients. 

Kırmızı Mercimek Çorbası (red lentil soup)

• 1/4 cup of olive oil 
• 1 onion
• 1 head of garlic 
• 3 small carrots 
• 2 cups orange lentils
• 4 stalks of celery
• 12 cups of water
• 6 ounce can of tomato paste
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow squash or zucchini
• 1 tablespoon of Aleppo pepper or paprika
• 1 tablespoon of salt

Chop the garlic and onions. Saute over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed soup pot until the onions are translucent and soft. Add the chopped carrots, celery, bell pepper and water. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until soft. Now add the lentils, water, tomato paste, paprika and salt. Cook over medium to low heat for 20 to 30 minutes until everything is soft. Turn off the heat and allowed to cool down a few degrees for pureeing in batches in the blender or with your handheld blender (if you have a standing blender, use it, as you will get a smoother texture than with the handheld blender.) Serve with crusty bread and a big green salad.

white beans with grilled kale and roasted tomatoes

Happy New Year!

A while back, I posted about a kale recipe that I cannot get enough of. Well, here is a great way to incorporate it into an amazing recipe that is loaded with flavor. This recipe takes some time, but is worth it and you should have leftovers. We enjoyed it on New Years, as a good luck dish (legumes & greens = CASH MONEY). I also served it at my December pop-up dinner and it was a huge hit with everyone. Worth it!

Yet another win for vegan deliciousness! Enjoy.

the ingredients

WHITE BEANS WITH GRILLED KALE & ROASTED TOMATOES

4 cups dry cannelini beans, soaked overnight
2 bay leaves
2 pounds kumato, cherry or grape tomatoes, washed and cut in half
2 pounds kale, grilled
2 purple onions, thinly sliced
1 head garlic, peeled and sliced
3 TBS olive oil
salt & black pepper
zest and juice of one lemon

In a large pot or crockpot, cook the beans over low heat in ample amounts of water with the two bay leaves until quite soft, approximately 2-3 hours.

Meanwhile...

Grill the kale using this technique

Roast the tomatoes. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, arrange the tomatoes in one layer, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & black pepper. Roast for about one hour, until the tomatoes are shriveled and reduced in size. This technique is great for bringing out natural sweetness and flavor in even a mediocre tomato. When done, remove from oven and set aside..

Using a knife, slice the stems from the kale and set aside the leaves. Slice up the stems into small pieces. In a heavy bottomed skillet, saute the onions over low heat in the olive oil until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and kale stems and continue to cook until all is soft and caramelized.

Slice the grilled kale leaves. It is now time to assemble the beans.

Strain the beans and discard the water, or save to make aquafaba.

In a heavy bottomed skillet, combine the beans, kale, caramelized onion, garlic and kale stems. Stir to combine and warm over medium to low heat. Add lemon zest & juice. Taste and adjust salt. Add cayenne pepper if you like spicy. Add the tomatoes and gently stir in. This should be bursting with umami and flavor.

Enjoy with bread, rice, in a tortilla or all on its own.

xxoo
Kirstin

irina's borscht

Over the long Thanksgiving weekend, I had the pleasure of spending time with a friend who hails from Russia. When I asked him about delicious vegetarian recipes from his homeland, he mentioned his mother's borscht. He spoke of its richness and the deep color and said that there are two steps that make hers special.

Boiling potatoes to thicken the broth.

One is Zakvaska. To make it, grate 1/3 of the beets going into the soup, saute until very soft and dark with garlic and then add vinegar, bringing out and setting their color. This in turn is added to the soup towards the end of the cooking process and ensures the deep, vivid color of the final soup. The other step is to boil a couple of peeled potatoes into the broth, remove, mash and add back in to the soup. This ensures that the soup will have extra body and thickness.

I helped him make this amazing vegan soup one cold Northern California evening, and then ate as much as I was allowed, and then was sad to see it go. The second time I made this soup I doubled the recipe and not even that lasted very long. This soup makes me feel like I am fortifying my blood.

The lovely Pasha

Borscht is best served hot on a cold day with plain yogurt, sour cream, or with a vegan cashew-lemon-dill sour cream and crusty bread for dipping.

IRINA'S VEGAN BORSCHT

Veggies
3 TBS olive oil
3 small onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, cut into matchsticks 1 inch long
3 large carrots, cut into matchsticks 1 inch long
4 small tomatoes, cut in half (or one can diced tomatoes)
2 lbs red beets, cut into matchsticks 1 inch long

Broth
7 cups vegetable broth (home made, or use bouillon cubes)
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
salt

Zakvaska
1 TBS olive oil
1 lb red beets, grated
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup vinegar (ACV, white, or red)

This is a two pan process.

In a large soup pot, pour a few glugs of olive oil and heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes. Then add the carrots and celery and cook for another few minutes until soft and beginning to caramelize. Add the julienned beets and cook until the beets begin to soften.

Meanwhile, in a separate soup pot, put the broth (or water and bouillon cubes), cloves, pepper, bay leaves and potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are soft and easy to pierce. Remove the potatoes and mash with a fork (or use a ricer like I did), and set aside. Pour the broth into the beets, carrots and celery, and add the diced tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Now make the Zakvaska. While the soup is simmering, pour a bit more oil into the second pot and add the shredded beets with the remaining garlic. Cook over medium low heat until the beets are soft and dark in color, about 5--10 minutes. Once done, add the vinegar. Continue to heat and stir for a moment. This creates a delicious element that Pasha and I agree would be great as a stand alone condiment on bread or crackers.

Once the soup has been simmering for 20 or so minutes, add the mashed potatoes along with the shredded beet/vinegar blend. Stir and continue to simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Taste and salt.

Serve hot, with a dollop of yogurt, sour cream or vegan cashew sour cream. I am a lover of fresh herbs, so I felt it necessary to add a sprig or two to mine as garnish.

Finally, please check out these HOT COP oven mitts. Pasha & Ryan are men of high class & taste.

game changing grilled kale

I cannot stress enough how much I love this stuff.  Dress it up or eat it straight off the stems with your hands, oil dripping down your chin. I don't really want to eat kale any other way these days. This recipe's chewy, smoky, juiciness satisfies me at a very primal level.

Plan on one bunch of kale per person. You'll want to fire up your barbecue for this one.

GAME CHANGING GRILLED KALE

1 bunch of kale (curly is awesome but any will work)
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup oil (avocado, sunflower, olive are my faves)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 lemon

Wash, drain and place the kale in a large bowl. In a blender, blend the garlic, oil, pepper and salt together. Pour over the kale and toss to coat.

Over low heat, place the kale leaves on the grill. Cook for a couple of minutes and flip, and cook for a couple of more minutes on the other side, until the leaves are soft and edges starting to char just a little bit. Don't over-grill, as the burnt ones aren't as awesome to eat.

Remove from the grill. Squeeze lemon juice over leaves and go to town.

Another way to serve is to chop the leaves off the stems and make a salad.
This one is quite amazing.

vegan mushroom cioppino

Hi, I'm back! I've been cheffing and managing for a vegetarian restaurant these past two years, and my musings have been posted elsewhere on the web. 

Speaking of musings, I am going to keep my future posts short and sweet. I usually scroll right down to the bottom of most food blogs, skipping the novel that precedes the recipe. I find all that writing to be superfluous. In addition, in writing less words, the likelihood of my sharing recipes and other useful information will be greater.

So, without further ado, I would like to share with you the recipe for this vegan mushroom cioppino, a standout soup that was originally created in the late 1800s by Italian fishermen in San Francisco. This version swaps oyster and trumpet mushrooms out for the seafood. I am a big fan of my food processor and used the slicing attachment for the leeks, trumpet mushrooms, garlic, fennel, celery and tomatoes. I suggest you do the same if you have the luxury, its a real time saver.

Omnivores and vegetarians alike go bonkers for this amazing vegan soup, which was in regular rotation at the caffe. Enjoy!

the ingredients

VEGAN MUSHROOM CIOPPINO
Makes about 12 servings (can easily be halved)

• 1 pound royal trumpet mushrooms, ends removed and sliced into bite sized pieces.

• 1 pound oyster mushrooms, ends removed and torn into bite sized pieces

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 3 stalks leeks, tough green ends removed, rinsed & thinly sliced (see bottom pic)

• 18 cloves sliced garlic

• 2 cups fennel, sliced thin

• 1 bunch celery, sliced thin

• 2 cups dry white wine

• 8 cups water

• 1 vegetarian bouillon cube

• 2 1/2 lbs chopped tomatoes

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 2 teaspoon white pepper

• 3 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Fresh oregano, chopped

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil until it ripples. Add the leeks, celery and garlic, and brown for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and continue to brown (another 3 to 5 minutes)
Stir in the fennel, then the wine. Let the wine come to a boil, then simmer for 2 minutes.
Add the water and bouillon cube, tomatoes, salt, pepper, chili flakes and Old Bay. Simmer for 30 minutes on low until the mushrooms are tender and the fennel is soft. Remove from heat and add a small handful of chopped fresh oregano. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

Ladle into bowls. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with sourdough bread. 

Quick tip for cleaning leeks I learned from David Lebovitz: slice lengthwise up to the root,
making them very easy to rinse off. Then slice as needed.

karelian pies: vegan, two ways

Unless you are Finnish, you are probably asking, "what is a Karelian Pie?" I never knew until I went there and had them for breakfast multiple times. Eaten warm, and slathered with not-so-vegan egg butter, these savory rye and rice pastries are so good. In Finland, I saw them in one format: plain. Which is absolutely delicious and when I make them now, I do half plain and half in some other flavor. Because I am not Finnish, I guess it's ok for me to riff on the original. If you are a Finnish investor and would like me to come and live in Helsinki, and run a Karelian pie bakery that isn't afraid to take these classics to a new level, please contact me and we can talk.

I have broken from tradition here in two ways. In Finland, Karelian Pies are filled with a porridge of milk, salt and short grain rice. The first time I made these, I made two different kinds, one with cow's milk and one batch with coconut milk. I am not sure why, but it was virtually impossible to tell which one was which. This is good news for vegans and people avoiding dairy. The other liberty I took was to stir boiled, pureed carrots and a bit of oil tempered with cumin seeds in to half of the finished rice porridge before stuffing the pastries. This resulted in a creamy, slightly sweet cumin laced pie, which I have to say I like even more than the original. One thing I have learned about Karelian Pies: the flavor must be simple and pure so as not to overpower the subtle flavor of the rye flour crust. 

A word on rye, gluten and other ancient grains. I have been floating on a sea of information and observation for years now, trying to decipher and filter out what works for me in regards to what I eat, and how it makes me feel, both psychologically and physiologically. The island I have landed on in recent months is one that I like, and think I will stay here for a while. I do not have celiac disease. And I may or may not have a sensitivity to gluten, as I sometimes notice if I eat too much wheat, or believe what my allergy blood test tells me. But I often wonder if it is not just the super-sized wheat mutant monster that scientists have created to satiate America's gluten addiction that some of us are reacting to? Perhaps the more delicate, sensitive gluten found in ancient, unadulterated grains such as rye, spelt, kamut and barley are more digestible? I am no scientist, and I am not going to cross-reference my readings here. But this is where I am at, and I have been baking a lot using these wheat alternatives, which have gluten, but my body seems to know what to do with. I was so healthy and happy in Finland, as if my system was finally in its nutritional homeland. Don't even get me started on the bread there. The rye bread alone was worth the trip.

Back to Karelian Pies. This is a food you are unlikely to see outside of Finland very often. Luckily, they freeze well, and hold together well enough to pop into the toaster or toaster oven for a quick breakfast. Although whenever we make them here, they don't make it to the freezer at all. 

Karelian Pies are typically eaten with egg butter (I love egg butter). It is basically hard boiled eggs mashed up with room temperature butter, and this is the part of the puzzle that I haven't tackled for the vegans, as I do eat eggs. If you eat eggs but not dairy, like my man, you can make the egg butter with coconut oil and it is just as good as the one made with butter.

This is one of those cooking projects, like tamales, that is more fun done with friends and wine and when you have time to cook. Make lots, share with everyone, eat a bunch, and hopefully you'll even have enough left over to freeze.

If you are inspired to make some other flavor, please share...these things are ripe for experimentation!

Here is a good recipe for traditional Karelian Pies, and the one that I adapted from.

Vegan Karelian Pies 
(makes 40 pies)

600ml water
3 14oz cans coconut milk (minus 1/4 cup)
2 cans water
370 g abborio or other short grain rice
1 tsp salt

(for carrot version)
6 large carrots, peeled & chopped
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds

600ml water
600-700 g rye flour
pinch of salt

50g coconut oil
1/4 cup of coconut milk
600 ml water

3-4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cooled
100g soft butter or coconut oil

Make the porridge. Boil the water in a large pan. Add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the coconut milk and bring to a soft boil. Simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour, until it is a thick, creamy porridge. Add salt and let cool completely.

Make the carrot-cumin element. Steam or boil carrots until soft. Puree in blender. In a small pan, heat the coconut oil until it spatters when you drop a single cumin seed in there. Once ready, temper the oil with the remaining cumin seeds, allowing them to pop, toast and spatter for about 15 seconds. Remove from heat, stir into the carrot mixture. Divide the rice porridge in half, and add the carrot cumin mixture. You will now have two flavors of Karelian Pie!

Make the rye dough. Combine water, salt and 500 grams rye flour in a bowl. Continue to add flour until the dough can be kneaded and handled. Cut the dough into quarters, and then roll each quarter into a cylinder.  Divide each cylinder of dough into ten equal portions and flatten each portion to make a round disk. Cover the disks with cling wrap to avoid drying. 

Make the pies. Roll one disk at a time into a thin (2-3mm thick) oval, spread couple of tablespoons of porridge onto the disk, and wet the edges of the disk with water using your finger. Pinch the sides together around the disk, creating a little basket using your thumb and index finger. 

Bake the pies. Place the pies on baking trays lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven (425F) for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are slightly browned.

Heat coconut oil, coconut milk and water in a saucepan. Dip each pie in the hot mixture to soften. Place on drying rack for 5-10 minutes so the milk does not make the bottoms soggy. 

Use a fork to mix the eggs with soft butter and serve the pies topped with this mixture. These pies can be frozen (minus the egg butter).

fabulous finland

We have had such a lovely time in Finland. The entire two weeks were spent enjoying the best food, drink, scenery, company & conversation. We camped. We rode bikes in the archipelago between Finland and Sweden. When my leg began to hurt, we were rescued by a wonderful couple who are destined to become longtime friends. They hosted us, fed us, and helped us rent a 1600cc motorbike. We skinny dipped in pristine lakes amongst wild moose and deer. We drank apple cider and ate delicious dark rye bread, Karelian pies with egg butter, baby carrots in cream thickened with spelt and tempered with a pinch of brown sugar, new potatoes drenched in butter with dill, sea salt and black pepper, blueberry rhubarb pie, squeaky cheese with cloudberry jam, and fresh salads with grilled haloumi cheese and dried berries. We had fresh chanterelles from the forests of nearby Estonia. Our fingers are stained red from strawberries both wild and cultivated. We enjoyed countless fresh peas, popping them straight from the pods into our mouths, while sitting on the edge of the Baltic sea, or in a green park in Helsinki, or in a lake, on an island. We had coffee and cardamom rolls while waiting out a thunderstorm in the town of Navu. We devoured top notch Thai food on a tiny island, after a blissful private sauna that included lots of scrubbing and cans of cider that stayed surprisingly cold in the 90°C air, at a place called Bjorkslund's Batslip. We went to a 15 year old girl's communion party, where we were invited to the neighbor's wine cellar to drink a delicious bottle of Spanish Albarino wine. We had a picnic on the fortress island of Suomenlina, watching cruise ships navigate treacherous & narrow straights.

Hostess Hanna

And we window shopped... because Finland is not only one of the prettiest places I have ever been, but also one of the most expensive. If not for the open hearted generosity of the people we met and are visiting, we'd be deep, deep into the black. But do not despair, budget travelers! If you are willing to camp, picnic, and get off the beaten path, you too can have a blissful, vegetarian and affordable adventure in this often overlooked wonderland. And if you open yourself up to the people you meet, you'll find some of the warmest, friendliest people ever. 

209€=too much!

My shortlist of tips for the shoestring veggie-voyager coming to Finland: bring a tent, sleeping gear, leatherman, swimsuit, sunblock, wind breaker, and mosquito repellant. If you plan to visit saunas, bring body products like scrubbers, moisturizers (oils) and exfoliants to enhance your experience. Be willing to eat rye, dairy and eggs, as there is butter, cheese, rye or eggs in most of the vegetarian options. If you are vegan, get ready for lots of fresh, raw veggies and fruits. Many people we met were either vegetarian or pescatarian, and most people are very concerned with the origins of their food and with the current Monsanto/GMO crisis. Restaurants are very expensive; you'll spend 15-20 euros easily per person. Apple cider is more common than beer. Luomo means organic. Pretty much every one speaks English, so you'll have no trouble communicating if you don't speak Finnish. In the summer there are tiny wild strawberries that taste like candy growing in the countryside. I could go on and on... But that should cover the basics.

When I get back home, and have a real keyboard (using slide mode on a tablet here...) I'll start posting some recipes. But if you want a taste of a Finland summer, here's a suggested menu for you!

Boil a couple of pounds of baby potatoes in some water with a few generous pinches of sea salt. Drain. Serve while still hot, with fresh butter, dill, black pepper and sea salt. Allow your guests to dress their own! If you can get some fresh chanterelle mushrooms, simply saute them in butter with a pinch of salt. Serve this with fresh peas still in the pod, hot toasted rye bread, more butter, and bottles of cold hard apple cider. Enjoy a big salad with tender new lettuce and a squeeze of lemon juice. Dessert could be a bowl of ripe strawberries, fresh whipped cream, and some good dark chocolate. Simple, easy, elegant and YUM!

Until next time, hugs to you all.

Love, K

midsummer magic

Greetings from eastern Finland, where we have been blissfully spending the past few days experiencing what it is to be Finnish at its best: sweating in a traditional sauna, swimming in a pristine lake halfway over the Russian border, eating tender, new potatoes fresh from the earth and decadent black forest cake made with fresh cream and ruby red strawberries, drinking strong coffee and crisp apple cider, snuggling with sheep that are friendly as dogs, and most surprisingly, singing karaoke songs under a midnight sun. Not to mention, fabulous conversation, laughter, and lots of pesky mosquitoes. Yes... unfortunately every garden has at least one snake lurking in the leaves.

Suffice it to say, all the things our hostess had promised have been delivered in full. I met Hanna in Mumbai, where we developed a friendship over the months that has blossomed into this trip. We spent much of our time together there talking about Finland in the summertime while enjoying the perks of my posh condo in the communal steam room... that was used more by the two of us than all the Indian residents in the entire complex. Naturally, the dreamy steam reminded her of her homeland, especially the summers. Her stories of swimming, cider, sauna, and other peaceful, blissful activities transported me to a place very different than Mumbai. And here we are!

We arrived on midsummer eve, just in time for one of the biggest Finnish holiday weekends. Along with a group of friends and family, we drove out to the Finnish/Russian border to one of the 180,000(!) lakes in this lovely, underpopulated country, our rental car full of games, groceries, and good moods. It was a lovely weekend...

And we visited Hanna's parents, who live a life so photogenic and idyllic that I could barely believe my eyes. I just kept running around, photographing everything I saw, which made those sweet people laugh in puzzlement (although I imagine they know exactly how gorgeous their charmed life really is). Irma, Hanna's mother, had baked a stunning gluten free black forest cake, with layers of chocolate cake, fresh whipped cream, pears, meringue, and strawberries. She gave me the recipe... here's the link. She replaced the gluten flour with gf flour.

http://kotiliesi.fi/ruoka/reseptit/mustanmetsan-kakku

If you don't speak Finnish, you'll need to filter it through a translator ;-)

Next post: cycling the archipelago, squeaky cheese, and other northern delights...

kale with roasted eggplant pepper sauce

I'm eating this energizing, yummy, easy lunch right now. It is out of this world!

If you have roasted eggplant laying around it takes no time. Here is the breakdown:
Chop up a bunch of sturdy kale and saute it in a little onion, garlic & oil until its how you like it.

In a food processor, blend 1/2 roasted eggplant (skin & all), 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 tablespoon goat cheese, and 1/2 tomato, along with salt, cayenne pepper, a dash of basalmic vinegar & a dash of olive oil. And 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Taste, adjust seasonings.

Blend till creamy and then spoon over the Kale. Mix it up and eat. Yum!

poha deluxe

Hi there...how are you? 

Me, I'm great. Have been forgoing the joy of blogging about food and am starting to realize the error in my ways. I eat amazing vegetarian food every single day here in India. One of my 'justifications' is that millions of others do too, and there are about a bajillion Indian vegetarian food blogs out there to satiate the masses. But this is mine, and if for no other reason, I realize that a personal record of my eatings and cookings is in order if for none other than myself.

And you, my dear reader.

What have I been doing with my days? I am here working on a large scale student/community driven mosaic mural at an international school in Northern Mumbai. I spend most of my time (well, I did, but now we are almost finished!) at the school working on the project. Visit my art blog (link is in the side bar) for lots of details and pics. Here is a pic of the almost complete piece:

 

The rest of my time is spent with friends, new and old. Cooking, eating & drinking. Shopping. Exploring. Visiting nature spots around the city and enjoying the sounds of silence. Which is the best antidote to a city like Mumbai, I have to say.

who's that creepy lurker?

I have bought a couple of cookbooks, and I go to peoples houses and help cook food. I take pictures and jot down recipes. I basically do everything a good food blogger is supposed to do except for the most important thing: blog. So there is a backlog of posts for me to catch up on. But then I think...there are a million recipes for this already on the web so why bother? And then I remember that no two things are the same. And that if I post something I just might turn one or two people onto something awesome that they otherwise might not ever learn.

Enough of my self-justifying rambling. Enter poha. This is another Indian convenience food, normally enjoyed for breakfast. Mumbaikers eat this all the time. For all you cats outside of India, you'll have to take a trip to an Indian market and buy poha, which is precooked, flattened and dry rice. It is a flaky cereal that can easily be reconstituted with a sprinkling of water. It is then seasoned and lightly cooked with a few simple ingredients to create this delicious and quick meal.

left: dry poha.                                                               right: puffed moist poha.

While you are at the Indian market, go ahead and pick up a couple of other awesome staples. For poha you want curry leaves, mustard seed, turmeric, cumin seeds, mustard oil, coconut oil, and green chillis.

And while you are there, just because they are delicious (but not necessary for this recipe) grab some jaggery, black salt, papad, dosa batter, and a block of paneer.

I have been experimenting with all sorts of different oils here, and have landed on a hands-down favorite. I love to cook in a blend of coconut oil and mustard oil. The coconut oil has a lovely flavor, very high smoking point and smooth finish. Mustard oil lends a sharp bite and color to the mix. The combination of these two oils, especially when tempered with mustard and cumin seeds results in a frothy, rich and downright yummy base in which to cook your food. It is ambrosia. 

best flavors in the kitchen: onion, garlic, ginger and hot peppers

Back to poha. I have eaten it multiple times here. Then, I asked people how they made it. Finally, I looked at some recipes on the web. Then I went ahead with my own version. This is what I am offering you now. I call it poha deluxe because I, in true veggie voyager style, always add lots of extra veggies to my recipes. Enjoy!

POHA DELUXE

• 2 cups thick (not thin) poha, dry
• water
• 1 TBS mustard oil
• 1 TBS coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 cardamom pod, crushed and skin removed
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 6 or so curry leaves (if you can't find these, no big deal)
• 1 tsp red kashmiri chili powder
• 1 onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb fresh ginger, peeled and chopped or grated
• chopped hot green chillis to taste
• salt to taste (I like black salt these days)
• Chopped veggies of your choice. I used 1 large carrot, 1 small sweet potato, 1 tomato, and some small green vegetables whose name evades me. You can use anything you like: zucchini, cauliflower, potato, mushroom, bell peppers, etc.
• chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
• dahi (plain yogurt)

Place the poha in a strainer. Pour distilled water over it to wash and moisten it. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until it is puffy. Sprinkle more water on if necessary. Do not overstir or overmoisten, as you want to keep the shape of the poha. Set aside.

In a skillet over medium-high, heat the mustard and coconut oil. When hot, add the mustard seeds and allow to crackle for a few seconds. Add the cumin seed and sputter for a few more seconds. When the ambrosia smell comes up, add the curry leaves, onion and then the garlic, and ginger. When this is translucent and golden, add the rest of the spices and the chopped veggies. Reduce heat and sauté until the veggies are tender. I like to add the tomatoes in last to retain their fresh, juicy nature.

Now add the moistened, puffed up poha. cook a couple minutes longer, gently stirring to mix while not destroying the poha. If it is too dry seeming, sprinkle a SMALL amount of water and gently mix. Salt to taste. The poha should be golden yellow, speckled with mustard seed and vegetables.

To serve: garnish with a small handful of chopped cilantro and a dollop of fresh yogurt.