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Recipe: A Purslane Pursuit – Spinach Dal

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In India, spinach is used in so many ways for so many types of dishes. There are hundreds of varieties of spinach that are grown here, and each is grown and therefore used during a particular season, and usually cooked in a certain way depending on the household or region. I have shared many recipes that use different kinds of spinach here on this blog in the past – from moringa (murungakeerai) in an omelette to amaranthus (araikeerai) in a savoury vadai and palak (Spinacia oleracea, what is known simply as “spinach” in the West) in a corn bake. This is a dal that utilises common purslane, or paruppu keerai, which is abundant in summers. This green grows at this time according to Nature’s wonderful logic: its thick leaves hold water and provide added hydration for us who consume it now.

Purslane is a kind of weed that has a range of health benefits, including reducing the risk of cardiac and digestive ailments. It is rich in antioxidants and minerals. Coupled with lentils, which are great for protein, this spinach dal becomes a nutritious dish that can be paired with rice or rotis. The Tamil word for this green, paruppu keerai, literally translates to “dal-spinach”, as that is its primary form of preparation.

I would call it my good fortune to be a Gujarati who was born and brought up in Tamil Nadu, so I am able to understand the cuisines of both states. This is a typically South Indian recipe, and I enjoy it alongside my Gujarati-style vegetables, some rice and a dollop of ghee. This combination is a standard on my plate. I realise that my particular upbringing is what brings these eclectic dishes together, and I think about how that’s one of the things that is beautiful about India. Just like all kinds of distinct cuisines can appear within a single thali and complement each other, so too can we as diverse humans enjoy being together.

Speaking of being together and enjoyment, we just had a huge celebration in the family. As with any such occasion, we ended up eating so much rich food, and of course, lots of sugar. The time has come for us to eat light and healthy, to detox our bodies. Spinach features at home a lot right now, and it was only natural for me to want to share with you this particular dish that I’m making frequently. My daughter is here for a few days, post-celebrations, and eager to learn more recipes, and I’m teaching her this one on this visit too.

I went through a phase once when I wanted to have greens every single day. My understanding is that when a person has a craving like that, the body either has a deficiency or is heading for one. At that time, I heeded that craving without guilt, especially as greens are always good for us. Imagine if all our cravings were only for the most nourishing ingredients!

Nowadays, some kind of spinach appears on my table at least thrice a week, in one form or another. As I said earlier, there are varieties available year-round and interesting recipes from different parts of India to keep trying out. I’m thinking about the assortment that I know, and the new ones I want to learn, and also marvelling at how innovative it is that there is even a spinach pickle (using sorrel leaves or gongura, which are very popular in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana).

Right now, of course, it’s purslane that is popular in my own home, so to return to this spinach dal: the fragrance of this dish somehow always reminds me of being in the kitchen as a child when it was being cooked by my mother. I am not sure why, but I associate this dish with South India to the extent that even when I cook it myself in Ahmedabad or somewhere else, it just seems different. Despite that, I do enjoy it anywhere. It always brings me back to a sense of home, and when cooking and eating it while away, I can’t help but think, “Gujarat in the air, but South India in my thali.”

Spinach Dal

(Yield: Serves 4)

½ cup toor dal (pigeon pea)

Water to pressure cook

2 cups spinach leaves

2-3 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon finely chopped tomato

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 green chili

 

Rinse the dal, then pressure cook with the required quantity of water. Set aside.

Heat a pan and add the oil. Now, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.

Next, add the onion, garlic, tomato, salt and turmeric. Sauté for a few minutes on a medium flame and immediately after, add the green chili.

Finally, add the spinach and sauté again.

Once the spinach becomes tender, add the dal and allow it to boil for a few minutes until the flavours come together.

Your purslane dal is now perfect, and ready to be served hot alongside rice or roti. It will give you a great boost of nutrients. Perhaps it will even become one of your own most craved comfort dishes!

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Recipes

Recipe: Celebrating Change – Coorg-Inspired Coconut Chutney

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As I mentioned a few posts ago, we have a new addition to our family: a daughter-in-law, as one of my sons is getting married. There is newness all around me right now: a new year, with new changes and new surprises. There is a lot of mutual love and acceptance, but there is also a great deal of learning – both on a personal level as well as in the form of new experiences. This is true for every one of us at this time, as the family expands and we adjust to that expansion, even if joyfully. This coconut chutney, which has a twist, comes from my daughter-in-law’s culture in Coorg, South India. It is a delicious take on a classic, and we love it so much that it has now become the only kind of coconut chutney that we make at home.

I have shared a wide range of chutneys on this blog: from peanut chutney to plum chutney, and much in between. Despite also sharing a variety of coconut posts over the years, the two had not come together so far. So I’m thrilled to share this less-than-typical, and very tasty, coconut chutney. The method is exceptionally simple, and if you already have a standard coconut chutney in your own repertoire, you will find this an easy upgrade.

I would love to share more recipes from Coorg as I myself begin learning more over the coming years. I hope you’ll enjoy doing so alongside me, too.

As I said earlier, the learnings are myriad. Becoming a mother-in-law is a whole new chapter of my life. I am sure it won’t always be easy, but I look forward to a lot of togetherness. I hope to apply all the lessons I have learned over the decades about open-mindedness, warmth and sincerity. When I think of my kids and how I have accepted their loveliness and their quirks both, and how they have also been welcomed by so many, I know that we can all find it in our hearts to grow together. I wish also that we can be caring and thoughtful towards each other in the world at large, and instil harmony everywhere.

It’s about accepting differences, of course, but it’s also about celebrating them. I can think of no better way to do this than through food. So without further ado, here is a Coorg-inspired coconut chutney to usher in bright times for us all!

Coorg-Inspired Coconut Chutney

(Yield: 1 cup)

½ cup grated coconut

Marble-sized tamarind pulp (soaked)

2 green chillies

A small piece of ginger

2 tablespoons water

Sugar to taste

Salt to taste

In a blender, add all the above ingredients and blend to a smooth texture. If you require the consistency to be thinner, add more water.

That’s it. Now that your chutney is ready, serve with dosa or idly. Stay tuned for upcoming posts on preparing the batter for these, as well as a special and fun way to enhance your dosa experience!

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Musings

Muesli & The Madras Floods

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This time, last year, the city I live in was devastated by the worst floods it had seen in over a hundred years. An unusually heavy northeast monsoon unleashed its might on Madras, also known as Chennai, as well as the coastal regions of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced, at least 500 lives were lost, and damages ran into billions of rupees.

While my city was being submerged, I was away in Massachusetts at the Kushi Institute, deeply engaged in the study of Macrobiotics. One morning, I received a phone call from my husband back home, who told me that the seasonal weather was something much more this year. Water was fast rising in our home, and he was calling from our terrace. Most homes in India have flat rooftops, where laundry is dried, potted plants may be grown, and parties are held under the moonlight. These terraces saved many people in the South Indian floods.

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