Between all of that, we have been doing our best to stay on track with our healthy eating habits. There are certainly plenty of nights I would rather just order out, but I force myself to put something together so that we can eat healthfully.
One of my favorite new ethnic foods since moving to Dallas has been Indian food. The blend of spices is so unique! Since transitioning to a plant-based diet, I have gained a whole new respect for Indian food. There are a lot of options for vegetarian and vegans to try that include Indian flavors. Now, I know a lot of people feel strongly about curry--they either love it or hate it. It gets a bad rap in my opinion, so I think it's best to at least give it a try before saying you don't like it. Or try it again if you're not sure!
The dish I am sharing, Potato and Green Pea Masala, is pretty simple, no difficult techniques or an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink ingredient list. It doesn't actually have curry in it, just
Garam Masala. This is a spice blend that you can find at Sprouts or likely any other major grocery store. I got mine at an Indian Supermarket. However, one thing I like about Sprouts, Whole Foods or Central Market, is that they often have spices available in bulk. That way, if you are just trying out a recipe and need a random spice, you can just get enough and not waste any if you don't like it. Am I the only person whose spice cabinet attacks them sometimes? We have a serious amount of spices and so if I don't need a full-sized bottle, I don't buy it! You can also try your hand at making your own blend if you keep a lot of spices on hand.
This recipe is modified from My Whole Food Life and you can find the original recipe here.
Potato and Green Pea Masala
2 cups cooked beans--either pintos(original recipe)or garbanzos(my modification)--liquid reserved
3 cups cooked wild rice
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 bag of fingerling potatoes(or one med-large potato)
1 tsp Garam Masala
2 T coconut oil(or olive oil if that's what you have)
1/2 tsp cumin
1 lg garlic clove, minced
1 cup cooked green peas
salt to taste
optional--mango chutney and Sriracha Chile sauce
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees to roast your potatoes.
Cook wild rice according to package directions. This will take 40-50 minutes. Or if you're buying in bulk, cook 1 1/2 cups wild rice in 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce and simmer.
Next, cut your potatoes into bite-sized pieces and toss with a small amount of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes or until golden and tender.
Dice onion and cut up garlic. Here's a step by step on how to properly dice an onion(I did not know how to do this until my sweet husband showed me how after we were married). I know it seems simple, but just in case you are still learning, this will help immensely as so many recipes call for diced onions.
First, cut off each end of the onion.
Next, cut the onion in half.
Peel the onion and then cut the onion, starting at the underside, in horizontal layers that are about 1/4" thick from bottom to top. I am left-handed, so I cut from left to right, but I am sure most of you are right-handed, so you will slice from right to left.
Next, slice the onion in horizontal lines. I can usually make about 4-5 cuts.
Then, turn your knife back to a normal cutting position and chop from one side of the onion to the other(again, depending on what hand you favor)to dice the onion into small pieces. Your cuts should be about 1/4" apart.
And voila'! Diced onions and no tears!
Heat oil over medium-high in a large skillet. Add onions and cook 3-4 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute. Stir in garam masala and cumin, toasting about 1 minute. It should be very fragrant.
Add beans and a little of the reserved liquid to deglaze slightly. You can also use water or broth. Stir in cooked peas and potatoes, coating everything well with spices. Add more liquid as needed. There won't be much of a sauce but it also shouldn't be really dry. Remove from heat and serve over wild rice. Top with a spoonful of mango chutney and drizzle with Sriracha if you enjoy a little heat!
On a side note, it is amazing when you start reading labels how you find out the nutrient value of foods that seem ordinary. For example, green peas are a good source of protein. As I have mentioned before, we often have friends and family express concern that we don't consume enough protein. However, 2/3 cup of peas offers 5 grams of protein and 30% of your daily intake of Vitamin C. Many vegan protein powders are actually pea-protein based. In addition, the beans in the recipe, if you use garbanzos, offer 6 grams of protein for 1/2 cup. Both peas and beans contain Iron and Calcium as well. Lastly, the wild rice has 6.5 grams of protein for a 1-cup serving. This recipe, while it doesn't contain any meat, seems to have plenty of protein! I say this to encourage those of you who believe or have been told that animal products are the only way to get protein and iron or that dairy is the only way to obtain calcium. I am not necessarily a bleeding heart that wants to save animals(although I love them!)but it is being proven over and over again that eating a mostly plant-based diet is incredibly beneficial to your health. I would love to hear about what recipes you're trying out! Many of my friends have talked about "Meatless Monday" and it would be helpful to all of us to share your "keepers".
No comments:
Post a Comment