White Kidneybeans and Spinach Curry in Pomegranate Juice

I am obsessed with veggies and fruits. It make me so relaxed whenever I see fresh green vegetables and fruits. I love to pick them and right away some ideas of food pop up. I have never planned my meals unless its a big party that we are throwing.

I love spinach.... just love it. In omelet, curries, smoothies, salads, cookies, or muffins I always try to use them as much as possible. And moreover I am soooo happy because I'm eagerly waiting for spring; my favorite season. Farmer's market, lots of fresh veggies and fruits and outing... I like to stay close to nature and spring always does it for me.

When I came back from my son's swimming class I thought now it's dinner time and as usual I had to think of a last minute meal idea. I had spinach and white kidney beans and then saw pomegranate juice so I created this curry and it turned out unbelievably amazing. It is a good source of iron, protein, and antioxidants.



Ingredients (serves 5) :

2 1/2 cups chopped fresh organic spinach
1 3/4 cups boiled white kidney beans
1/4 cup slices of onion
1/3 cup pomegranate juice
2 cloves garlic
2 " long piece of ginger
3 hot green chili
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/8 cup fresh cream or whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoon Oil

Procedure:

1. Wash and soak white kidney beans over night and boiled them with salt until tender but not over cooked
2. washed and clean spinach. Chopped it
3. Pound garlic, ginger and green chili in mortar and pestle until fairly smooth  paste is formed.
4. In wide pan heat oil and add cumin seeds make them  crackled .
5. Add onion and saute until translucent
6. Add green chili, ginger and garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes
7. add spinach, salt, turmeric, brown sugar and cook it for 2 minutes
8. Add boiled white kidney beans with water (don't drained water when u boil beans, it will give thick consistency in gravy)  and mix everything and let it cook for 2-3 minutes
9. now add pomegranate juice and cook curry for a minute and then add cream.
10. Cook curry for another couple of minutes 

Serve hot with spinach roti or Brown rice.

Garlic Tomato Rice Bowl

It is too hot today, it reminds me  of an Indian summer :(

I was away from home for 3-4 days and we had great time with our friends. Whenever we have travel plans, my food choices became limited, but now there are no worries because you can find vegetarian options, vegan meal, and healthy food everywhere. My husband always picks a restaurant where I can get vegetarian food or vegan food easily. We went to Cactus Club Cafe few times and I just loved the food. I was looking at the menu and I found fajitas and I just loved it! Black beans, salsa, grilled vegetables and more and I asked them to eliminate chicken. Also, you can have the jambalaya rice bowl too.

Mostly we all love rice, in different preparations or just by itself. I always try to create rice recipes and this one is our favorite. I used garlic mostly in all curries and in all spicy dishes to get the best aroma and taste and also garlic is healthy too.


Cancer , Interrupted: Garlic & Flavonoids

Garlic Tomato Rice Bowl

 Ingredients (serves 5):

1 1/2 cup long grain basmati rice
1/2 teaspoon shahi jeera
3 pods of black cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 cup tomato puree
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
11/2 tablespoon garlic paste
1/4 cup onion finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon spring onion
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder


Procedure:

1. Wash rice 2-3 times with water and soak in water for 30 minutes in medium sized pot.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, shahi jeera and cardamom in soaked rice.
3. In small pan heat 2 1/2 tablespoon of oil at medium heat .
4. Add cumin seeds and add chopped onion. Saute onion for 5-6 minutes until onion becomes light brown. Lower the heat.
5. Add garlic paste and saute for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add tomato puree, 1/2 teaspoon salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cilantro and stir well for 6-7 minutes.
7. Let it cool down and set aside.
8. Now boil rice at medium high heat and add 1/2 tablespoon oil.
9. After 15-17 minutes check if rice is almost done but should not be over cooked.
10. Drain excess water through sieve and let rice cool for 5 minutes.
11. Mix rice and tomato mixture well and heat for 5 more minutes to incorporate well.
12. Serve in serving bowl and garnished with spring onion.

This is what I like to order  from Cactus Club Cafe menu:

Jambalaya rice bowl

Fajitas

Chicken Biryani

Lots of spices are used in this dish but it is worth it to take some effort to make it.

The spices and condiments used in biryani may include ghee (clarified butter), nutmeg, mace, pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, coriander, mint leaves, ginger, onions, and garlic nuts, resins but the main ingredient is saffron... my favorite one :)

This dish can be made with vegetables, chicken,meat, shrimp, pork, or even only with nuts. Biryani is served with yogurt, paratha, naan, boiled eggs, raiyta, curry, or korma.

So what are you waiting for? Lets start!!!!

Vegetable Biryani

Ingredient: (serve 7-8)



3 cups Basmati Rice  
1 kg Chicken (chicken thigh or drum stick) 
1/4 Teaspoons Turmeric  
Salt  To Taste
1 Tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste 
1/2 Tablespoons Cumin Powder  
1/2 Tablespoons Coriander Powder 
2 Tablespoons Red Chilly Powder 
1/2 cup Fried Onions (I used Exotic brand) 
2-3 pieces Mace  
2 Teaspoons Shahi Jeera  
5-6 Green Cardamom  
4-5 Cloves  
2 pieces 2" long Cinnamon Sticks  
2 Bay Leaf 
1 Cup Yogurt
1/2 cup Coriander Chopped  
1/2 cup Mint Chopped  
4-5 Green Chilly lengthwise cut  
1/2 Cup Oil  
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Clarified butter(ghee) 
8-10 strands Saffron 
2 Tablespoon Milk 

OR 

If you want to make Vegetable Biryani:

Use Listed Ingredients above with these vegetable or your choice of vegetables.

1/3 cup Carrot cut in small pieces 
1/3 cup Potatoes cut in small pieces 
1/3 cup Coli flower small floaters 
1/4 cup Red Onion julians  
1/3 cup Green Peas 
1/3 cup or less Golden Raisin
1/3 cup Cashew nuts (I used Costco's salted cashews) 



Procedure:

1) First make a powder of all the spices (shahi jeera, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf) by roasting them at low medium heat for 6-7 

2) Take a bowl, add chicken pieces and add ground spices powder , chilly powder, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, salt, coriander powder, curd, chopped mint leaves, coriander leaves, fried onions, green chilly, lime juice, oil, and mix it well, and put it in the refrigerator over night.

3) Soak the rice for 30 minutes. Heat water in a vessel and let it come to a boil add oil, salt,    Shahi jeera, bay leaf and add basmati rice 

4) Cook the rice till it is 3/4 cooked. Don't cook them fully.

5) Heat non stick wide pan at medium heat. Add layer of marinated chicken, spread it          evenly in pan.

6) Make layer of 70-75% cooked rice on top of the chicken. Make sure some of the water      should come with rice to cook chicken. Don't drain all of the water from the rice.

7) Sprinkle fried onions.

8) Add dissolved saffron strands in milk , then add ghee (optional) and put the lid on to cover pan tightly.

9) First cook it on high for first 4-5 minutes then reduce the flame to low, And cook it for 25 to 30 min and switch off the flame.

10) Never mix the biryani just check it by removing the top layer of rice and check if chicken is cooked properly.

11) Serve hot with coriander as a garnish.

OR

If you want to make Vegetable biryani:

1. Follow the same procedure and marinate all vegetables instead of chicken and keep them in refrigerator for 2-3 hrs.
2. When you heat the pan add 1/2 tablespoon ghee and add rasins and cashews and saute them until raisins get puffed. Then add a marinated vegetables layer then a rice layer.
3. Sprinkle half fried onions, coriander and chopped mint, 1 tablespoon ghee, then make another layer of vegetables then rice and sprinkle fried onion, coriander and mint.
4. Add rest of the ghee on rice and cover with lid and cook for 20 mins until vegetables cooked.
5. Serve hot.