Crispy Tahini Kale Chips

 

Lacinato Kale / Dinosaur Kale - 1 bunch
Tahini / Sesame Paste - 4 to 5 tbsp
Ground Flax Seeds - 4 tbsp
Olive Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp (as required)
Garlic Cloves - 2, minced
Rock Salt
Cayenne Pepper
Ground Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 275F
Mix tahini, flaxseeds, garlic, salt, pepper together. Add olive oil as required to make a thick paste. Keep aside.

Wash kale leaves well and dry completely. Tear the leaves into bite sized pieces and discard the middle stem.

Massage the kale leaves with the tahini paste to coat all the leaves well. Place in a single layer on a couple of foil lined baking sheets.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes till the kale is completely dry and crispy.

Turnip Greens Paratha / Flatbread

Turnip Greens - 1 bunch
Whole Wheat Flour - 2 cups + extra for rolling the parathas
Oil - 1 tsp + 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ajwain / Carom Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Roasted Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cooked Lentils - 2 tbsp (any red or yellow cooked leftover lentils or dal can be used)
Yogurt - 2 tbsp (If you don't have cooked lentils, increase the amount of yogurt)

Olive Oil/ Ghee for cooking the parathas

Wash the turnip greens and remove the top stems. Thinly chop the greens.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a skillet. Add the cumin seeds and carom seeds. Once they begin to sizzle, add the chopped greens. Sprinkle turmeric powder and cook on medium high heat till the greens are wilted and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add salt, coriander, cumin and red chili powder and mix well. Cook for a minute more and keep aside to cool down slightly.

Add salt, boiled lentils and cooked greens to the whole wheat flour and knead well. If the dough is dry keep adding yogurt 1 tbsp at a time. There is no need to add any extra water. The moisture from the cooked lentils and yogurt should be sufficient to make a soft pliable dough.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Roll out  parathas using some whole wheat flour for rolling. Cook the parathas on both sides with a little ghee / olive oil. Serve hot with tomato chutney / ketchup.

Methi Begun / Fenugreek Leaves with Eggplant

Methi / Fenugreek Leaves - 1 bunch, chop the leaves and only the tender stems and discard the rest
Baby Eggplants - 15, diced
Oil - 1 tbsp
Nigella Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Methi / Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Green Chili - 4, chopped
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt

Heat oil in a skillet. Add chopped green chili, nigella seeds and methi seeds.

After a few seconds add the diced eggplant and a pinch of turmeric and salt. Toss well. Lower the heat and cover and cook (remove the cover and toss once in a while so that eggplants don't get stuck to the bottom of the pan) till the eggplants are soft and cooked.

Add the chopped methi leaves. Mix well with the eggplants. Cook for a few minutes more till the methi leaves become tender.

Adapted from http://www.bongcookbook.com/2012/02/methi-begun-way-my-ma-makes-it.html

Sauteed Turnip Greens

Turnip Greens - 1 bunch
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Ajwain / Carom Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Garlic - 5 cloves, minced
Salt
Turmeric - a pinch

Wash the greens well. Chop roughly along with the stems.

Heat a large skillet and add the olive oil. Reduce the flame and add the ajwain and minced garlic. Saute on low flame till the garlic starts changing color to brown.

Immediately add the chopped greens and salt. Mix well and saute for a minute.

Lower the heat, cover the skillet tightly with a lid and cook for around 4 minutes.

Remove the lid, increase the flame and saute for a minute more. Serve hot.

Sauteed Beet Greens

Organic Beet Root Greens - 1 bunch
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Garlic -  5 cloves, minced
Salt
Turmeric - a pinch
Cut the beet root off the beet greens and wash the greens well. Chop roughly along with the stems.

Heat a large skillet and add the olive oil. Reduce the flame and add the minced garlic. Saute on low flame till the garlic starts changing color to brown.
Immediately add the chopped greens and salt. Mix well and saute for a minute.

Lower the heat, cover the skillet tightly with a lid and cook for around 4 minutes.

Remove the lid, increase the flame and saute for a minute more. Serve hot.

Sauteed Turnip Greens with Mustard

Turnip Greens - 1 lb
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Black Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Green Chili / Jalapeno - 1, finely chopped
Roasted Garlic Cloves - 4,
Dijon mustard - 1 tsp
Salt

Wash the turnip greens and chop them, along with the stems, into small pieces.

Heat a large skillet and add a tbsp of olive oil. Add the mustard seeds and once they begin to pop, add the chopped jalapeno and roasted garlic cloves. If using roasted garlic, saute for a few seconds only otherwise if using raw garlic cloves, saute for a minute on low flame.

Then add the chopped greens and salt. Mix well and cover the pan with a tight lid. Reduce the flame and cook for 10 minutes. In between remove the cover once and toss.

Now remove the cover and cook on high heat till most of the liquid evaporates. Add a tsp of Dijon mustard, mix well and remove from heat. Serve immediately.

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Toasted Coconut

Adapted from http://abgplanttoplate.blogspot.com/2011/07/swiss-chard-saute-with-toasted-coconut.html

Swiss Chard - 1 bunch, stems and leaves separately chopped
Virgin Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp
Shallot - 1, chopped
Garlic Cloves - 4, thinly sliced
Salt
Red Chili Powder - 1/4 tsp
Dessicated Coconut - 1 tbsp
Pine nuts - 2 tsp, lightly toasted
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

Toast the dessicated coconut over low heat in a skillet till they are light brown. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the chopped shallot and garlic and saute for a  minute.

Add the chopped chard stems and cook for a  minute.

Now add the chopped greens and salt, red chili powder. Toss well. Cook for a few minutes more till the greens wilt and become soft.

Remove from heat and mix lemon juice. Sprinkle the toasted coconut and pine nuts on top and serve.

Sauteed Rainbow Chard

Leafy greens is a must in our diet once a day and this is one of the easiest ways of eating greens. I cook this atleast twice a week ...... from start to finish takes 10 minutes to cook, uses only 5 ingredients and surprisingly is very very tasty.

Organic Rainbow Chard - 1 bunch
Olive Oil - 1/2 tbsp
Black Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing - a pinch
Turmeric - a pinch
Red Chilli Flakes - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Salt

Wash the chard well and chop finely along with the stems.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add mustard seeds. Once the seeds start crackling, add asafoetida, turmeric and chilli flakes(if using).

Immediately add the chopped chard and salt. Mix well and saute for a minute.

Lower the heat, cover the skillet tightly with a lid and cook for around 4 minutes.

Remove the lid, increase the flame and saute for a minute more. Serve hot.

Kale with Potatoes

Organic Green kale - 1 bunch, washed and chopped along with tender stems
Red Potato -1, cut into very small cubes
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Turmeric - a pinch
Green Chilli - 2, finely chopped
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the mustard seeds. Once they pop, add the green chillies and potato.

Sprinkle turmeric and salt and saute the poatoes till they are almost cooked and crisp on the outside.

Add the chopped kale and toss everything together. Sprinkle 1 tbsp water and cover and cook for a few minutes.

Remove the cover and adjust the seasoning. Cook without cover for a few minutes more. Serve hot.

Kale Chips

Kale - 1 bunch
Olive Oil - 2 tsp
Salt
Red Chili Flakes

Wash the leaves well and dry with paper towel. Remove the stem and tear the leaves into bite sized pieces.

Spread the leaves on 2 baking sheets. Add olive oil, salt and red chili flakes and mix well.

Bake in 375F preheated oven for 20 minutes until the edges are brown and the leaves are crispy.

Mustard Greens Dal

Tur Dal / Pigeon peas - 3/4 cup
Mustard Greens - 4 stalks, remove the stem and finely chop the leaves
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - 4
Asafoetida / Hing - 2 pinch
Green Chilli - 2, chopped
Shallot - 1, thinly sliced
Tomato - 1, chopped
Sambar Powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Salt
Water - 2.5 cups
Oil - 1 tbsp

Heat oil in the pressure cooker pan. Temper with mustard seeds, green chilli, curry leaves and hing.

Add the sliced shallot and saute till light brown. Add chopped tomato, mustard greens, sambar powder. Cook for a few minutes.

Now add the tur dal, salt and 2.5 cups of water and cook in the pressure cooker for 10 minutes after full pressure is reached.

Serve with steamed brown rice.

Sarson ka Saag / Mustard Greens

Adapted from http://kichukhonn.blogspot.com/2011/02/sarson-ka-saag-makke-ki-roti.html

Organic Mustard Greens - 1 bunch,
Organic Baby Spinach - 6 oz / 2 cups packed
Oil - 2 tbsp
Garlic Pods - 5 big, finely grated
Ginger - 1 inch, finely grated
Green Chillies - 4, finely chopped
Kasturi Methi - 2 tsp
Salt
Sugar
Cornmeal - 2 tsp

Wash and chop the mustard greens. Along with baby spinach add to a cup of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove from water and cool. Blend to a fine paste and keep aside.

Take a heavy bottomed pan and heat oil on a low flame. Add the grated garlic and saute on low flame till it  browns slightly. Add the grated ginger and green chillies and cook for a couple of minutes more.

Add the mustard greens spinach paste, salt, sugar, kasturi methi, a little water. Bring it to boil. Add the cormeal and cook till the gravy reaches thick consistency.

Add a little ghee or butter on top and serve with Makke ki Roti.

Lacinato Kale Stir Fry

Organic Lacinta Kale - 1 bunch
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Garlic Cloves - 8, chopped finely
Dried Whole Red Chilli - 2
Salt
Water - 1/2 cup

Wash the Kale well and chop finely along with the stems.

Heat oil in a big skillet. Add the red chilli and chopped garlic. Saute for half a minute.

Add the chopped kale. Saute on high flame for a minute.

Add half cup water, reduce the flame, cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove the cover and cook for a couple of minutes more till all the liquid has dried up.

Mustard Greens Stir Fry

Mustard Greens - 1 bunch, washed and finely chopped
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Garlic Cloves - 6, finely chopped
Red Pepper Flakes - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Water - 1/2 cup
Lemon Juice

Heat oil in a big skillet. Add the mustard seeds.

Add chopped garlic and saute till they begin to change colow.

Add the chopped mustard greens, salt and red pepper flakes. Saute till the leaves wilt.

Add half cup of water and cook till the liquid evaporates. Sqeeze a little lemon juice on top and serve.

Sauteed Dandelion Greens with Peanuts

Dandelion Greens - 1 bunch

Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Hing / Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Garlic Cloves - 4, grated
Green Chillies - 2, finely chopped
Red pepper Flakes - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Roasted Peanuts - a handful

Wash the whole greens well. Chop finely along with the tender stems. Keep aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add the mustard seeds and the hing. Then add green chillies and garlic. Saute for a few  minutes.

Now add the chopped dandelion greens. Saute for around 5 minutes till the leaves wilt. Add salt, red pepper flakes and roasted peanuts and toss well. Serve warm.

Red Kale with Potatoes, the ISKCON way

Organic Red Kale - 1 bunch
Red Potato - 1
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Hing / Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Urad Dal - 2 tsp
Ginger - 1 inch, finely grated
Green Chilli - 3, chopped

Roasted Chickpea Powder / dalia - 2 tsp (optional)

Turmeric - a pinch
Salt

Boil the potato in sufficient water till it is cooked but not too soft. Drain water, cut into small pieces, sprinkle some salt and keep aside.

While the potato is boiling, wash the kale well. Cut off 1 inch of the thick stems from the bottom and chop the rest of the kale leaves finely along with the stems. Keep aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add mustard seeds, hing, green chillies, urad dal and grated ginger. Saute on low heat till the urad dal becomes light brown.

Add the chopped kale, toss on high flame till they wilt. Lower the flame, add a cup of water, cover the skillet and cook for 5  minutes.

Add the chopped potatoes, turmeric and chickpea powder, sprinkle a little water and cover and cook for 5 minutes more.

Remove the cover, drizzle a little olive oil, check the seasoning and saute on high flame for a minute. Remove and serve with brown rice and dal.

Sauteed Dandelion Greens with Red Onion

Dandelion Greens - 1 bunch
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Red Onion - 1/2, thinly sliced
Garlic Cloves - 4, grated
Red Pepper Flakes - 1/2 tsp
Salt

Wash the whole greens well. Chop finely along with the tender stems. Keep aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add the thinly sliced red onion. Sprinkle some salt on them. Saute till they are caramelised.

Add the grated garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for a minute more.

Now add the chopped dandelion greens. Saute for around 5 minutes till the greens are wilted.

Methi Dal

Tur / Arhar Dal  - 1/2 cup
Methi leaves - 1 bunch
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Tomato - 1/2, chopped
Salt

Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Whole Red Chilli - 4
Garlic - 4 cloves, thinly sliced
Ginger - 1/2 inch, thinly sliced
Onion - 1/2, finely chopped
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp

Cook the dal with turmeric, salt and chopped tomato till done. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Temper with mustard seeds and whole red chilli. Add the onion, ginger, garlic slices and cook till the onion gets slightly brown.

Mix the methi leaves, salt, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Saute till the leaves wilt.

Add the cooked dal and some water. Mix everything well and adjust seasoning. Boil for a few minutes and cook till the desired consistency.

Add the fresh lemon juice on top and serve with brown rice.

Blended Spinach Curry

Baby Spinach - 1/2 lb, blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes and blend in a blender to form a smooth paste
Reserve 1 cup of this blanched water

Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Green Chilli - 2, finely chopped
Onion - 1/4, finely chopped
Garlic - 6 cloves, grated
Ginger - 1 inch, grated
Turmeric powder -  a pinch
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Roasted Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Roasted Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Boiled Eggs - 4, (optional), apply a little salt, turmeric and red chilli powder and saute in a tsp oil till light brown

Make a paste of turmeric, red chilli, cumin, coriander powders with a little water and keep aside.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the cumin seeds, grated garlic and chopped green chillies. Fry for a minute.

Add the chopped onion, salt and ginger and cook till onion becomes soft and caramelised.

Add the masala paste and cook till oil starts separating from the masala. If required sprinkle a little water in between so as not to burn the spices.

Add the spinach puree and a cup of water. Mix well with the spices. Cook till the curry reaches desired consistency.

Garnish with fried boiled eggs and serve.

Sauteed Kale with Garlic & Red Onions

Kale - 1 bunch, remove thick middle stem and roughly chop
Red Onion - 1/2, thinly sliced
Garlic Cloves - 4, thinly sliced
Red Pepper Flakes - 1/2 tsp
Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt
Apple Cider Vinegar / Balsamic Vinegar / lemon juice - 1 tsp
Water / Vegetable Stock - 1 cup

Heat olive oil in a large wide saute pan. Add the garlic and cook for a minute.

Then add the sliced red onions and cook till they caramelise.

Increase the heat and addd chopped kale in batches and toss till they wilt.

Put the vegetable stock /water, salt and red pepper flakes and cover and cook for 10 minutes more.

When the water dries up and the leaves become soft, remove from fire. Add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice and serve immediately.