It’s always a great day for a batch of dal, the tasty and easy staple of Indian cooking. More than anything, dal is comfort food at its finest…as nourishing as it is soothing.
Here’s a great starter recipe for dal-curious folks out there, using split mung beans and red lentils – two options that are relatively easy to find.
Ingredients
½ cup moong dal, soaked ½ – 1 hour and drained
½ cup masoor dal (split red lentils), soaked ½ – 1 hour and drained
2/3 cup white onions, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, chopped, or canned crushed tomatoes
1 inch ginger, peeled/finely chopped
½ tsp ground turmeric
3 Tbsp ghee or coconut oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
5-6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp garam masala
¼ – ½ tsp cayenne
3 ½ cups water, plus more if needed
Salt to taste
Optional: ½ – 1 jalapeño, seeded/deveined/chopped
For serving: cooked basmati rice, fresh chopped cilantro, lemon wedges
Optional accompaniment: Naan bread
Directions
Rinse drained moong and masoor dal in strainer and set aside.
Press “sauté” button on Instant Pot and once it’s hot add ghee/oil. Allow to heat 1 minute and add cumin and black mustard seeds. Be careful – mustard seeds may splutter a bit!
Add ginger and half of garlic, cook 1 minute. Add onions and jalapeño (if using) and cook about 3 minutes until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and cook 3 minutes. Stir in coriander, cayenne and garam masala powders.
Add moong and masoor dal, stir to combine. Add 3 ½ cups water and turmeric powder, stir again and close lid. Cook on high pressure 7 minutes and then let pressure release naturally.
Once pressure is released, open lid and stir dal. Add water to thin out as desired and salt to taste. Serve with basmati rice, fresh chopped cilantro, lemon wedges and naan bread.
If cooking on the stovetop, use a large pot and add everything in the same order as above and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour, stirring 2-3 times along the way. Remove lid and check consistency – dal is done when it’s porridge-like. Add a little more water if needed and continue simmering as needed. Add salt to taste and serve with garnishes/accompaniments.
Cauliflower is a great option to bring “wow” to your Thanksgiving “chow.”
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, about 2 lb
½ cup olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic – pressed
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds, divided
2 Tbsp – ¼ cup grated Parmesan, or vegan substitute
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp pepper
Fresh parsley, for serving
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°. Place oven rack in middle position.
Rinse cauliflower head, pat dry. Remove any outer leaves. Cut off bottom so it’s flat and most of the woody stem is removed, making sure not to cut too much so that head falls apart.
In a small bowl, mix olive oil, garlic, half the sesame seeds, 2 Tbsp Parmesan, dried herbs, salt and pepper.
Put cauliflower head upside down into an iron skillet. Drizzle half of the sauce on the cauliflower, letting it drip around the core and between florets. Turn over cauliflower and drizzle/brush remaining mixture on the cauliflower dome. Sprinkle with more pinches of salt.
Place cauliflower, florets-side-up, on the iron skillet and cover tightly with foil. Cook for ½ hour, covered. Remove foil from skillet and roast 1 more hour. Once cauliflower is gold brown and a knife slides in/out easily, remove from oven.
Sprinkle top of cauliflower with remaining Parmesan and put under broiler for 5 minutes until cheese browns. Remove from oven and place on a platter. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and remaining sesame seeds before serving.
These potatoes are a fun variation on the standard, but not too zhuzhed up that the taters get lost in the other ingredients.
Ingredients
5 lb potatoes, peeled
1 head garlic
Zest of 1 lemon
1 – 1 ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/3 cup plus 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
Fresh-ground white or black pepper
Optional: Tahini for drizzling
Directions
Roast garlic: Preheat oven to 400°. Take off outermost papery layer of garlic skin. Cut about ¼ – ½ inch off the top, leaving all cloves slightly exposed. Drizzle/rub 1 Tbsp olive oil onto head and place on a piece of foil big enough to fully wrap it up. Toast in heated oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool, push garlic cloves from casings and set aside.
Place potatoes in a stock pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook about 15 minutes, or until tender.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk 1/3 cup olive oil, lemon zest, roasted garlic, 1 tsp salt until blended.
Drain potatoes, return to pan. Mash potatoes and then drizzle/gently fold in oil mixture. Add a few grinds pepper, adjust salt to taste.
Transfer to a serving dish and top with toasted pine nuts, remaining olive oil and tahini.
Get “boozy” with your cranberries and see what the fuss is all about! Pears make it extra special.
Ingredients
12 oz cranberries
2 ripe pears, peeled/cored/cubed small
½ cup honey
½ cup port wine
¼ cup Grand Marnier
¼ cup water
2 thin slices fresh ginger, 1 inch long
1 cinnamon stick
¼ tsp salt
Directions
Combine everything except Grand Marnier in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, still stirring occasionally until mixture thickens and all berries are split and sauce has thickened to your liking, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Grand Marnier.
Remove ginger pieces and cinnamon stick and allow sauce to cool. Sauce will thicken more as it cools. Store in fridge in airtight container.
Muhammara is a Middle Eastern walnut and roasted red pepper dip that’s all sorts of savory, sweet, slightly smoky, and just enough spicy! It’s like romesco sauce.
This recipe is easy to make, and you can make it even easier if you use roasted red peppers from a jar. Serve with warm pita as part of a Mezze platter, top your grilled fish or chicken or spread it on your sandwiches. And, it’s a great recipe to make when celebrating BriarPatch’s Love Local Month (September) since it’s the perfect opportunity to use local ingredients like Calolea Olive Oil and Warren & Co. Sourdough Pita and crackers.
Ingredients
2 red bell peppers
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 oz walnuts, toasted
1 garlic clove
2 ½ Tbsp tomato paste
¼ tsp lemon juice
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tsp Aleppo pepper, or 2/3 tsp sweet paprika and 1/3 tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp sumac
½ tsp salt
Fresh mint, for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 425°. Line an edged sheet pan with parchment paper.
Brush bell peppers with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Place on sheet pan and roast for 30 minutes or so, turning them over 1-2 times.
Remove peppers from oven and place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for a few minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel peppers and remove seeds. Slice peppers into small strips.
In a large food processor, combine the roasted red pepper strips with 3 Tbsp olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, walnuts, tomato paste, breadcrumbs, pomegranate molasses, Aleppo pepper, tahini, cumin, sumac and salt. Blend into a smooth paste. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Can refrigerate for several days, bring to room temperature before serving.
When ready to serve, top the dip with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and garnish with a little more walnuts and fresh mint, if you like. Serve with pita bread or pita chips. Enjoy!
