Paruppu

This is a very simple dal, even simpler than my Simple Dal. And very saatvik.

You need: 1 cup arhar (tuvaram paruppur) or moong dal (Payatham paruppu), 1 tbsp ghee or butter, 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera), salt to taste, 1/2 tsp turmeric (haldi)

How to:

1. Boil the dal until soft with the salt and turmeric.
2. When the dal is done, turn off the heat.
3. Heat the ghee in a small pan. When it starts to bubble, add the cumin (jeera).
4. When the cumin starts to sputter, add it to the dal. Take a spoonful of the dal and add it to the ghee pan to get the last of the ghee – return to the main dal pot.
5. Mix well and eat over rice or with rotis.

Kohlrabi Greens (Knol-khol saag)

We had quite  abit of kohlrabi (knol-khol), thanks to the CSA. I left some in the fridge from a couple weeks’ worth of veggies, and got two this week, and my friend, who doesn’t like kohlrabi, gave me two that she got in her CSA. We swopped her a Chinese cabbage, because I was getting a bit tired of the greens. Anyway, the kohlrabi we got this week had some lovely leaves on them. A quick call to my athai (aunt, FZ) verified that they were edible. So I made a variation of kohlrabi and collard greens – I used the greens from the kohlrabi instead of the collard.

I find the veins and stalks tough, so I only used the green part of the leaves – I veined them and chopped them up.

Ingredients: Kohlrabi (knol-khol) peeled and diced; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tsp Kitchen King or garam masala, 1 tsp each cumin seeds (jeera), cayenne pepper (lal mirch), turmeric (haldi); and salt to taste.

How to:

1. Heat some oil in a pan or wok (kadhai).
2. Add all the spices. Stir well and turn the heat down to medium/simmer.
3. Add the onion and garlic. Stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the kohlrabi and the greens. Stir and add 1 cup water. Add salt, stir again, and cover.
5. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until kohlrabi can be cut with a spoon. Stir occasionally.

We are eating this tonight with brown rice and dal.

CSA, and our garden

Our share grew larger and a little more diverse. Our CSA newsletter warns us the heavy rains may have done some damage to the crops…we wait and see. As you know, when you buy a CSA share, you buy more than vegetables – you buy some of the farmer’s risk.

This week we got some kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, a zucchini, peas, collard greens, kale, Russian kale, garlic chives, green onions, and some other greens I forget. We also bought, at the farmer’s market, some very large green onions and some no-spray yellow tomatoes.

In our own garden, our Purple Cherokee tomatoes are growing large. We have planted those, Green Zebra, Early Girl, Orange Oxheart and yellow cherry tomatoes. All of them are fruiting, as are our four massive tomatillo plants. We also have some swiss rainbow chard, which is being eaten by something, basil, cilantro, chives, kadipatta (curry plant), mustard, habaneros, jalapenos, and a blackberry plant. Our neighbors mulberry tree branches into our garden, so lots of mulberries there. We also have, non-edibly, wildflowers, snapdragons, marigolds, a sunflower, clemitis, and sweetpeas, most of which are yet to bloom.