Planning my weekly menu-Desi Fusion style

Planning my weekly menu

In an effort to getting back to being more organized I am going back to weekly menu planning- It saves me time, money and since I know what’s on the menu I can shop and order the halal meat more efficiently. I ask each kid except LF#4 what they want to eat each week, Boss gets to pick one and Mondays are Meatless.

• Meatless Monday- Fried Okra- Bhindi Do Pyaza with Chappati
• Tuesday- Ground Beef  Lasagna with Herb Salad
• Wednesday- Chicken Bombay Biryani with Raita ( Yogurt sauce)
• Thursday- Whole wheat pizza with grilled chicken & veggie toppings
• Friday-  BBQ Tandoori Chicken with Naan
• Saturday- the kids are going to a party-so leftovers
• Sunday- I’ll grill extra tandoori chicken breast and make a tandoori chicken pasta because I teach at the masjid on Sunday so it has to be an easy dinner inshaAllah-

Since this is the first time I am doing this on my blog I will post the recipes as I go. Go make yours now

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Meatless Monday: Fried Okra (Bhindi)

Day of the week to honor Meatless Mondays, when my family made a commitment to go veggie one day a week. So Boss found fresh, crisp okra at the desi store. We all love bhindi.

I am going to use my Ammi’s Bhindi Do Pyaza recipe, this is quintessential U.P. style cooking. You use a lot of onions to give the okra that sweet- salty taste. If made perfectly, its crunchy . When you chop the okra it seems like a lot but like spinach it tends to shrivel up. I make enough for a family of six.

• 1 lb fresh okra, lady fingers, bhindi   (wash and pat dry BEFORE chopping into 1/2 inch pieces, don’t use tops, check out the picture for size)
• Olive oil (or canola)
• 2 med onions sliced finely ( I like using my trusty slicer @ .75mm)
• few whole dried red chilli peppers
• 1/2 tsp safaid zeera (cumin seed)
• 1 tsp lal mirch (red chili powder) This is SPICY so adjust to your taste.
• 1 tsp haldi (turmeric)
• salt to taste
• Lemon to cut the viscosity of the okra.

1. Heat oil in a wok or chef’s pan-I have anemia so I try to use cast iron pans as much as possible
2. Add zeera (cumin seeds) until  they pop
3. Add onions until they turn color, adding salt at this point help make the onions crispier
4. Add the okra
5. Then the spices
6. Stir fry till the okra is crispy
7. Give it a good squeeze of lemon
8. Serve with chappati

All the scraps go in to the compost pile. Hope you can make it an easy habit. Happy Eating!

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Make your deen green: Meatless Mondays so cook dal

We have decided to do Meatless Mondays in our home, from now on. Meatless Monday is a movement to cut out meat one day a week from your diet. At first the LFs were like “aww what no chicken!” So we talked about how we do it already, like spaghetti night ( they love meatless marinara). This way it will be a conscious effort. I told them how Prophet Muhammad (SAW) did not eat meat every day- that this is closer to Sunnah. Its healthier, better for the environment. Then I got a thumbs up.

The boss was surprisingly more motivated. I was expecting some ‘are we becoming vegans’ quip from him. But Alhamdulillah it went over quite well. I cooked Dal Chawal (rice and lentils), a desi staple and a household favorite.

Dal

Dal with tarka

Dal Chawal Rice with Lentils

Recipe: This will make enough for a family of six- we had leftovers

• 1 1/2 cups kali dal (moong/urad lentils with skin) Soak overnight or at least 2 hours

• 1 tsp Red chili powder (Lal Mirch) less if you don’t like spicy

• 1 tsp turmeric

• a pinch of ground cumin

• 1 tsp Amchur/Kahtai  (dried mango powder) a bit of tamarind works too

• 1 heaped tsp crushed garlic

• Salt to taste

• 6 cups water

Tip: I cook this using a pressure cooker, it is quicker- a pot works fine. Use 1 cup dal:4 cups water ratio

1. Get the water boiling

2. Add the drained lentils, salt, garlic & spices.

3. Close the pressure cooker and cook for 1 2 minutes after presure come on. Cooking time for dals vary. ( 1 hour in a regular pot)

Tarka or Baghaar ( Flavored oil to temper the lentils )

1. 3 tbsp olive oil (not extra virgin)  or butter/ghee/canola oil

2. 1/2 clove garlic (sliced)

3. Fresh cilantro 1/2 bunch (washed and chopped)

4. 2 green chili peppers (jalepenos, thai whatever is on hand)

5. 1/2 tsp cumin seed

6. some people like sliced onions too

Tip: Use a cast iron frying pan.

1. Heat up the oil- make sure it doesn’t start to smoke

2. Toss in the cumin seeds and after it pops, put the garlic in,

3. Add the green chili peppers. Don’t over brown them.

4. When the green chilis & garlic start turning color and smelling divine, turn down the heat and add the cilantro. The cilantro should crisp up.

5. Pour this over the dal. Be careful.

6. Serve with Basmati Rice.

Basmati Rice-

• 4 cups rice

• 1 tbsp Butter

• Stick of Cinnamon

• Ample water for boiling the rice

Salt to taste

Tip: Use basmati rice ( Zebra brand is my favorite)

1. Soak the rice for atleast 1/2 an hour. Drain and wash.

2. Heat the water to a rolling boil in a stainless steel pot, add the stick of cinnamon.

3. Add rice and salt.

4. Cook for 12 minutes.

5. Check the rice – press a kernel between your thumbs. it should give way but not be squishy.

6. Drain the in colander- this way you get rid of all the starch.  Don’t run water over it. Return to pot and let it set on low heat. Cover the pot.

7. Add the butter. Happy eating.

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