Suki Bhaji Okra  (North Indian Okra Stir Fry)

Okra is native to West Africa and was brought to the United States by enslaved Africans. It became a popular soul food in the south. However, the use of okra is not widespread in rest of the US.  

Okra is believed to have come to India via the Middle East. In this tropical country okra thrived and became a popular feature in many Indian recipes with regional variations.

Okra is colorful, dainty, nutritious, and tasty when cooked right. Okra’s nutritional profile is very impressive. One cup of cooked okra contains 3 grams of protein, 147 mgs calcium and 1.18 mgs iron. These essential nutrients are often difficult to find in vegetables.

When cooked, okra has mucilaginous characteristics that works  for or against a dish depending on the recipe. For example, in a gumbo recipe, okra’s sliminess is essential to create a thick sauce. However, in many Indian recipes, the stickiness is not desirable. So, there are a number of techniques in Indian cuisine to remove the sliminess of okra such as by deep frying in a batter, or by stuffing them with spices and flour or dry fruits, or by stir- frying as in suki bhaji (dry/cooked vegetables) as shown here.

When selecting okra, choose young, tender and firm green pods. For this recipe, okras should not be washed, but instead pat-cleaned with a wet kitchen towel.

30 pods of okra, cleaned with a damp cloth,  tips removed and cut into four pieces, length wise
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds
3 green onions (scallions) cut into half, lengthwise, including some green parts
1 semi-hot fresh pepper such as the Anaheim or Poblano pepper, cut into thin slices
l tomato, cut into small pieces
½ teaspoon each turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt
Few pinches of cayenne, optional
Juice of ½ lime or lemon
Few sprigs of chopped cilantro leaves

Heat oil over moderate heat and add the mustard seeds. Allow them to pop for a minute and then add the onion and pepper slices. Stir fry for a few minutes and then add the tomato. Keep stirring until tomatoes form lumps. Add the okra slices. Add the salt and the powder spices and continue to stir fry so that the okra is completely cooked using the juices of the vegetables. Sprinkle the lime or lemon juice all over the top. Correct seasoning adding the optional cayenne and more salt if needed. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or bread.

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This recipe is modified from Shanta’s cook book “Cooking Together: A Vegetarian Co-op Cookbook”, Copyright © 2017 by Shanta Nimbark  Sacharoff. Shanta’s books are available in San Francisco at Other Avenue Food Co-op, Rainbow Grocery Co-op, Green Apple Book Store, Folio Book Store, Omnivore Books, Book Passage and in Sausalito at Drivers Market. You can also order her books through books.google.com,  www.greenapplebooks.com , or www.instacart.com/rainbow-grocery

Shanta is a co-founder of Other Avenues Food Cooperative, where she worked for over three decades.  Currently retired from that job, Shanta writes recipes and articles on food and nutrition. She demonstrates vegetarian recipes and teaches cooking classes in S.F.

Sambhar: South Indian daal (lentil soup) with vegetables

by Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff

The word dal (also spelled daal or dahl) means a soup-like preparation of split peas, beans, or lentils, which are staples in Indian cuisine. The consistency of a daal can vary according to its intended use. A thinner daal may be served as a first course, and a thicker version, such as this sambhar, may be served as an entrée. My sambhar recipe has a California touch – with lots of seasonal vegetables.  In short, this soup is substantial enough to be a meal in itself!!

In addition to the use of pungent spices,  a step in the preparation of dal that sets it apart from other soups is called vaghar (loosely translated as “tempering”). It is vaghar that gives the daal its characteristically deep and unique flavor.

8 cups water
1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained thoroughly
1  teaspoon salt
1 fresh hot green chili pepper, such as jalapeño, minced after core and seeds are removed
1  tablespoon fresh ginger root, grated
½ teaspoon each coriander and turmeric powder
1 tablespoon safflower, canola, or olive oil
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
¼ cup bell pepper (any colors), chopped finely
1 cup cauliflower or broccoli, florets only, cut small
1 cup each: carrot, eggplant, celery, zucchini, and tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch chunks
1 tablespoon shredded dried coconut
3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey or sugar
A few tablespoons of  fresh cilantro, chopped

For the vaghar:

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
2 – 3 whole dried red, hot chilies
a pinch of hing (asafetida), available at Indian markets or health food stores (optional)

Rinse  red lentils thoroughly in hot water and drain them completely.  In a large soup pot, bring the water to a boil and add the drained lentils. Simmer lentils briskly uncovered for 15 minutes. Add salt, green chili, ginger, coriander and turmeric. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes more over a moderate heat.

While the lentils are cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and sauté the onions and bell peppers for a few minutes. Add the chopped and cubed vegetables and stir fry them for five minutes. Next, add the shredded coconut and sautee for 3 minutes. Add this vegetable mixture to the pot of simmering dal. Add the lime or lemon juice and honey or sugar. Turn down the heat. Cover and cook the sambhar over a low heat for 15 minutes.

For the last flavoring step, make the vaghar: Heat the oil in a small saucepan or a metal measuring cup. Add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add the cumin seeds and dry red chilies. Then, moving quickly, add the optional hing, and pour all of this smoky oil mixture into sambhar, and immediately cover the pot. Turn off the heat, and keep the pot covered for five minutes or longer to settle the vaghar flavor. Next, uncover, remove the whole dry red chiles and discard them. Correct the seasoning Top sambhar with chopped cilantro and serve with rice or bread.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

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Recipe modified from Shanta’s cookbook, “Cooking Together: A Vegetarian Co-op Cookbook” which we sell at Other Avenues. Recipe Copyright2017@Shanta Nimbark  Sacharoff 

Tired of having to face alcohol-laden holidays?  Want to serve something festive, but without booze?

These healthy drinks are  great choices for those who want to have a cheerful and clear-headed drinks. They are also suitable for young kids who cannot have caffeinated drinks such as chai or coffee.  

Recipes by Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff 

Hibiscus Cocktail (Jamaica)

¼ cup dried hibiscus flower (also known as hibiscus “tea”)

2 cups water

2cups cold, clear apple juice

Ice cubes as needed

Boil water and hibiscus for several minutes.  Strain the brew, cool it at room temperature and refrigerate to chill. Add apple juice.  Add more apple juice for a sweeter drink. Pour into four glasses (with ice, optional) and serve.

Hibiscus Punch

¼ cup dried hibiscus flowers

1 cup water

2 cups clear apple juice

1 cup or bit more seltzer water

About a dozen very thin slices of apples and lemons or oranges  (with their skin, but core and seeds removed)

Make the brew using the instruction above.  Chill and mix with the apple juice.  Right before serving, add seltzer water. Taste for sweetness and add more juice if needed. Transfer to a bowl with fruit slices and serve.

Welcome Drink:  Cucumber Thirst Quencher

This is my version of a beverage that was offered to me as a welcome drink at an Indian hotel on a very hot day.

2 large organic cucumbers, cut into sticks lengthwise  (important to use organic as you will need to use the skin)

4 to 6  sweet apple (such as golden or red delicious)  cut into small chunks or  2 – 3 cups of clear apple juice

½ inch long fresh ginger root

A few fresh spearmint leaves

1 lime

Rinse cucumbers and cut off its ends.  If you have a juicer, juice the cucumber, apple, ginger and a few mint leaves.  Squeeze the lime juice and serve with mint leaves on top.  If you do not have a juicer, use a blender to blend cucumber with a cup of water, ginger and a few mint leaves into a puree.  Strain the puree using a fine sieve or a cheese cloth.  Next, sweeten with apple juice.  Squeeze in the lime and serve with mint leaves on top.

Refrigerator Pickles with Cucumbers and other Vegetables

By Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff (author of Cooking Together)

Pickling vegetables, fruits and other food items has been an old tradition throughout the human history, as our ancestors must have figured out how to preserve abundant food for the time of scarcity. Stories of pickling have been documented in many folklores.

Preserving foods in vinegar or other acidic solutions is one of the oldest methods of preventing food spoilage. Archaeologists believe that ancient Mesopotamians pickled food in 2400 B.C and that people of Tigris Valley in India pickled cucumbers in 2030 B.C.

Pickled vegetables haves many health benefits such as reducing muscle cramps and maintaining blood sugar level. In addition, pickles are a good source of antioxidants. Pickled foods are easy to digest and pickles aid the process of digesting in general.

Pickling vegetables for the fridge is very easy. Unlike pickling processes for long-term preservation, here the pickles are meant to be consumed within two months. And this recipe requires very little preparation. You can combine many vegetables to make your jar colorful and turn it into an elegant, edible gift. No picnic basket should be filled without a jar of pickles!

The ingredients needed for the recipe are easy to find at Other Avenues, except for the grape leaves. Fresh or preserved grape leaves can be found in ethnic specialty food markets. Although not essential for pickling, grape leaves are added to the jar of pickles to keep them crisp — a better option than alum, another additive used for keeping them crisp.

Ingredients: 

4 to 6 pickling cucumbers (2 or 3 if long)

2 medium size carrots

1 (or a ½ ) daikon radish or a bunch of breakfast radish or 1 watermelon daikon*

2 cups white vinegar**

3 cups water (purified water preferred)

2 tablespoons (or less) kosher salt (or any sea salt)

2 teaspoons sugar (or less)

5 to 6 smashed cloves of garlic, skin removed

Several sprigs of fresh dill weed

Few fresh or bottled grape leaves

Few small pieces or slices of jalapeno pepper after removing seeds

*Any fresh and crisp vegetables can be used for pickling.

**Adjust the amount of vinegar and salt to suit your taste.

Method:

First rinse all vegetables, but do not peel. Then, cut them into thin strips. You can slice some vegetables such as watermelon daikon into thin rounds. Rinse the dill weed and grape leaves and pat dry them with towels. Prepare the garlic as described in the list. Set the prepared vegetables and the herbs aside

Next, combine the vinegar and salt in a saucepan and bring to a complete boil. Transfer this solution into a mixing bowl and add the cold water and sugar. Whisk the solution to dissolve the salt and sugar. Set the solution aside.

Clean two wide mouth quart- size mason jars with tight-fitting lids. Line the bottom of the jars with some garlic chunks, two pieces of a grape leaf, some dill weed sprigs and two pieces of jalapeno pepper.  Next, arrange the strips and pieces of vegetables into the jars making sure that the strips stand next to each other, well-packed but leaving some room for the liquid solution. Arrange grape leaves on the wall of the jar, reserving two pieces to be added on top. Add remaining garlic, dill weed and jalapeño pepper into both jars.

Next, slowly pour half the liquid solution on one jar of the vegetables and the rest of the solution on the other jar. Arrange remaining grape leaves on top. Close the jars tightly and leave the pickles at room temperature for an hour. Then, gently turn the jars upside down to distribute the liquid and place the jars in the refrigerator. The pickles will be ready to be consumed in 36 hours.   Make sure to place the jars back in the refrigerator after each serving. These pickles can keep for up to two months.***

Enjoy!

*** When you have finished all the pickles from the jars, the brine can be used to make a second batch. These will have a milder, less tart and salty flavor which some people may prefer. Discard the liquid after the second batch of pickles. You will need to start a new liquid solution for the following batch(es).

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