Soy Chunks Dhanshak, Brown rice and Kachumber

Dhanshak is a Parsees all time favorite and must have Sunday Lunch. Its not at all complicated just a long list of ingredients but it will be done in no time. Generally it's with Mutton (Lamb /Goat) or Chicken too. So give that feeling I made it with Soy chunks along with vegetables. 

Dhan mean grains so it has rice and different lentils, shak means vegetables so mix of grains and vegetables and you have a feast. Its traditionally served with brown rice, kachumber and kababs too. 

For brown rice traditionally they brown the sugar so that gives the nice brown color but I dont like the sweet so I added soy sauce and that was giving me umami while it was cooking and flavor was spot on. 

so let's start

Dhan Shak Ingredients : 

Pulses

2 cup Tuver dal - split  chickpea yellow lentils

1/2 cup masor dal - red split lentils

1/4 cup Chana Dal 

1/4 cup Mung dal - Yellow Split lentils

Vegetables :

1 cup diced pumpkin or sweet potatoes

1/2 cup greens - either methi , spinach, kale

handful chopped mint leaves

1 green onion chopped

2 chopped tomato

1 potato cut in big chunks

1 large red onions sliced thinly

1 cup chopped eggplant

2 green chilies or as per our spice level

1 cup soaked and dry soy chunks

handful chopped coriander leaves

Spices : 

1 tbsp. Turmeric Powder

1 tbsp. Cumin and coriander powder

1 tbsp. Ground ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp. Kashmiri red chili powder

1/2 tbsp. Red Chili powder

3 tbsp. oil 

Salt as per taste

Method :

Wash all lentils and soaked separately at least for 2 hours. 

Before use it , wash again and keep it aside. 

Heat a pressure cooker and add oil in it. 

Fry the onions until its brown , then add green chilies, and ginger garlic paste, cook till raw smells goes away. Then add all spices and mix it and cook for a minute on low flame.

Add all the vegetables and mix it with the spices. Check the seasoning as per your taste.

 Leave some coriander leaves for garnished. 

Add dal in it and add enough water to cover the dals and vegetables. Pressure cook till 3 whistle. 

Let the air pressure goes normally. 

By the time let's make the rice. 

Rice Ingredients :

2 cup rice

1 chopped  red onion

1 Bay leaf

2 green whole cardamom pods

3 cloves

1 tsp. cumin seeds

salt as per taste , we are going to use soy sauce too so don't add more taste

instead of water, you can use vegetable stock for more flavor

1 tsp. Soy sauce , if you want to use sugar, then skip this and 2 tsp. sugar

1 tbsp. oil

Method :

Wash and soak the rice for 2 hours too. 

In a big pan, add oil and fry the onions till its brown. 

If you are adding sugar, take out the onion and in the same pan add sugar and caramelized it. 

Add a cup of hot water and melt the sugar and then add the fried onions back.

If you are not using sugar then after frying the onions, Add rice in it and stir for about 5 minutes. 

Add the whole spices in it and cook for a minute. 

Now add 3 and half cups of warm water / stock and salt. 

Once it comes to boil, lower the flame and cook the rice  till the water is absorbed and its cooked. 

ALWAYS , allows the rice to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. 

Let's make kachumber : 

Kachumber (Red onion, tomato and cucumber salad)

1 medium red onions finely sliced or matchstick slices, what ever way you prefer, make sure you do the same way for tomato and cucumber too

1 tomato chopped

1 small green chili chopped

salt  as per taste

Lime juice as per taste

1 tsp. olive or vegetable oil

fresh chopped mint and coriander leaves

Method:

Chopped all vegetables and herbs and all the salt, lime juice and oil and mix it and serve it with the dhan shak platter 

Rice 

Kachumber 

Chile Rellenos Enchiladas with Salsa Verde

One of my favorite dish from Mexican Restaurant is Chile Relleno. I always have that instead of typical taco, enchiladas or burritos. So When I got big nice Poblano peppers, instead of stuffing them or make it regular Baked Chile Relleno, I tried Same dish but in enchiladas form and I was fell in love all over again with this dish. Its simple but so flavorful. I had it with green tomatillo salsa but you can have it with red sauce too. Just have it as taquito, quesadillas, explore all the possibilities. This is for one person but you can adjust the quantities and make it for large crowd too. 

Ingredients : 

2 Poblano peppers

1 cup  Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde

1 cup cheddar cheese

2 flour tortilla ( you can use corn too)

1 chopped jalapenos

1/2 cup chopped white onion and coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

First make the salsa Verde as the link given above and keep it aside. 

Roast the poblano on open flame on gas , once its charred from all the sides, put it in plastic bag and close the bag so the moisture from the bag will make the skin easy to peel. 

Once its little cold to handle, take out the skin and make a slit and take out the seeds too.

Don't break peppers too much. Make the poblano open so its flat and easy to roll. 

Take your baking dish, add some sauce on the bottom, warm the tortilla on stove , then put the tortillas on mat, then put the poblano on top of the tortillas , then cheese and if you like put some slices of jalapenos and roll the tortilla and put the tooth pick so it doesn't open. 

Make another tortilla and do the same. Pour the sauce on top of the tortilla and cheese and bake it for 10 minutes at 375 F or when cheese is melted and its cooked thru.

Take it out sprinkle onion and coriander mixture on top and few slices of jalapenos and enjoy.

If needed you can always have some extra salsa Verde to add it on. 

 

Sweet Peppers stuffed with Black beans and Corn with Chimichurri

When you get whole bag of sweet colorful peppers, you just don't want to keep it in the fridge and snack on it, have to make a good use of it and that what I did. I simply filled it with black beans, corn, granules, celery and made spicy chimichurri sauce and enjoyed it . Other time made it with spinach , carrot and onion and have it with pesto. So same peppers , used it two ways.

Ingredients : 

10 Sweet colorful peppers

1 cup black beans cooked

1/2 cup thawed corn

1 carrot grated

1 stick celery , cut in small chunks

1 onion chopped finely 

1 cup vegan beef granules

3 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 cup of cheddar cheese

1 cup chimichurri sauce

1 tbsp. oil

as per taste, paprika powder, taco seasoning, garlic powder , salt

Method : 

In a pan, add oil , add garlic, when its cooked for 30 seconds, add all the vegetables and cook for 1 minute, 

Then add the spices and salt 

Cook till the carrot is cooked. 

Adjust the seasoning and keep it aside.

Cut the peppers in half and clean the veins and any seeds in it. 

Take the baking dish and fill the stuffing in peppers and spread the cheese on top and line up the peppers in the dish. 

Once all done, bake it in airfryer for 10 minutes at 400 F.

Keep an eye or adjust the temp. since all fryers are different. You can bake it in regular oven too.

Once its done, spread chimichurri on dish and put the peppers on top and enjoy as it is or with jalapenos on it. 

Italian stuffed peppers with Pesto