March Lentil Madness Continues with Chayote and Moong Dal

ARE YOU GETTING YOUR NUTRITION ON??

MARCH IS NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH

This year's theme is "Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle" which focuses on fitness and making good food choices. 

We're definitely on board with not only the message but also doing our best to stay fit and eat better. We've already kick started our fitness by replacing rice at night with healthy salads and/or smoothies. We also incorporate lentils wherever we can so we can get our protein intake. 

Lentils such as chickpeas, black beans, masoor dal, moong dal, etc. are a good source of protein. This week we cooked chayote and moong dal. Moong dal has a high source of nutrients including manganese, potassium, magnesium, copper, and dietary fiber. 

Let's check out the Chayote and moong dal recipe:

Chayote and Moong Dal

Ingredients

- 2 Chayote, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces

- 1/4 cup Moong dal (mung), soaked for 30 minutes to 1 hour

- 1/2 tsp crushed green chilies  or 2 chilies, finely chopped

- 1/4 cup dry shredded coconut

- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

- 1/2 tsp whole mustard

- 1/2 tsp whole cumin 

- 1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped (optional)

- 1/8 tsp turmeric powder

- 1 tsp salt

Procedure

- Heat oil in a a two quart saucepan and season with whole mustard and cumin. When they splutter, add green chilies and turmeric. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Now add chopped chayote and drained moong dal. Next add salt and half cup of water. Cook on medium heat under closed lid mixing intermittently until he chayote and dal are soft. (Add more water if needed).
- Remove lid and stir until remaining water is dried. Then add dry coconut and stir for one minute. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh coriander and serve.

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Quick Tip: If chayote is not readily available, you can use spinach, carrots, long squash, or even kale. Try our other dishes with moong dal, such as Carrots and moong, South Indian Khichdi, and Pongali

Achari Chayote Curry

Achar is a very popular Indian pickle. Raw mango or lemon are most commonly used to make it. Other varieties include mixed vegetable, gooseberry, or coriander. It's a great accompaniment for flat breads and rice. We like using it as the "sour" taste enhancer in many of our curry (gravy based) dishes. One of them is the Achari Chayote Curry. Chayote (from the squash family) looks like a fat green pear and has a mild flavor.

Ingredients:
- 3 Chayote, peeled, seeded and cut into small cubes
- 2 tbsp Peanut Butter
- 2 tbsp Mango Achar (crushed variety)
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Whole Cumin Seeds
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Procedure:
Place the pressure cooker or skillet on medium to high heat and add oil for the seasoning. Then add mustard and cumin seeds. When they splutter, add turmeric powder, stir and mix in the chopped chayote. Then add salt and ¼ cup of water and pressure cook for 5 minutes (If using skillet, cook until soft by stirring every couple of minutes, add additional water if needed). When the pressure is released, open the cooker, add peanut butter, achar and cook for 2-3 minutes until they are mixed in evenly. (If using the skillet, just add in the ingredients once the vegetable is cooked thoroughly.) Now it's ready to be served. Enjoy with some rotis or warm rice/quinoa.

***Quick Tip:
- If chayote is not readily available, try the recipe with long squash or zucchini.

Karapappalu - Crispy Rice and Vegetable Patties

Two weeks ago, we posted a recipe about a popular flat bread from Telangana (Southern region of Andhra Pradesh) called Sarvapindi made with rice flour and moong dal. Did you know, you can make another kind of bread with similar ingredients called Karapappalu. The name directly translates as spicy patties.

It's usually served hot with tangy achar (pickled vegetables), but can also be eaten with plain yogurt as shown above. We love making this during the winter season as it warms the senses and fills you up. 

Ingredients:
- 2 Carrots, peeled and grated
- 1 Chayote*, peeled and grated
- 1 bunch of Scallions, chopped finely
- ½ box or 5oz of Chopped Spinach (frozen)
- ½ cup Coriander (Cilantro), chopped
- 1/3 cup Moong dal, soaked in water for 30 min (or microwave for 2 min to reduce soaking time)
- 2 to 3 cups Vegetable Oil (for frying)


Dry Ingredients: 
- 3 cups Rice Flour
- 2 tbsp Dry Coconut powder
- 2 tbsp Sesame seeds (optional)
- 1 tbsp Chili powder (adjust to your taste)
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- ¾ to 1 tbsp Salt (or as needed)


Procedure:
Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium to large bowl and mix well. Then add all the chopped & grated vegetables and soaked moong dal to the dry mixture and mix well.

Slowly add water to the mixture and knead until it is of dough consistency. (Note: raw vegetables release water after few minutes of taking in salt, so keep the dough somewhat dry).

Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Shape (lemon size) dough balls into round flat ½ cm thick patties. (Hint: To avoid dough from sticking to your fingers, slightly wet your hands.) Make 2-3 holes into each of the patties for uniform frying. Transfer each shaped patty into hot oil and fry to golden brown/reddish color. For best results: Turn each patty in-between for even frying.

***Quick Tips:

- Shredded zucchini or long squash can be substituted for Chayote. 

- You can use wax paper or plastic bag to press the dough into patties.