Spicy Mung Beans

You just can't go wrong with mung beans if you love legumes. Easy to digest and full of earthy and slighty sweet flavor, they pair well with a bed of buttered rice. This is yet another Indian creation from my vegetarian kitchen that is both simple and sure to please those who enjoy intricate spicing.

Kidney Beans with Green Peas and a Creamy Yogurt Sauce

Considering I have so many cookbooks and bookmarked recipes from other bloggers, it's rather perplexing to think that sometimes I don't know what to make for dinner. When this happens, I often find myself turning to Raghavan Iyer's excellent 660 Curries. My regular readers will know that I have raved about this book before, so I will simply share this adapted version without further ado.

Creamy Mung Beans with Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is a delicious and healthy alternative for folks that cannot consume dairy products and, combined with mung beans and tamarind, this is a delightful and simple dinner that goes so well with jasmine or basmati rice. Spicy indeed, but cut down on the chilies if you prefer less heat. The addition of coconut milk does help temper the spices and chilies though.

Indian Mustard Seed and Yogurt Pullao

As much as I enjoy rice with some butter, a bit of sea salt and some freshly cracked black pepper, it is fun to dress up this staple grain. I adapted this recipe from Silk Road Cooking, which has become my favorite cookbook lately.

This creamy and flavorful rice is an ideal accompaniment to a hearty vegetable soup. So nourishing, and a treat anytime of year. A good biscuit or scone just makes the meal all the more fulfilling. I used some grainy dijon mustard in this dish and all of my guests were most pleased and were asking for seconds. I so like to serve my close friends a good meal.

Indian Mustard Seed and Yogurt Pullao

4 tablespoons of ghee, or a mixture of butter and oil
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 hot green chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
pinch of saffron
1 cup of basmati rice
1 teaspoon of sea salt
2 cups of water
1 cup of yogurt, beaten
1 cup of fresh parsley, chopped

Rinse the rice well in a strainer. Transfer to a bowl and cover with water and let sit for at least 30 - 60 minutes. Drain and air dry for another 20 minutes.

In a medium pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the ghee or butter over medium heat. When hot, toss in the mustard seeds and stir and fry until they begin to pop. Add the ginger, garlic, chilies, Dijon mustard, cayenne and saffron to the pot and stir and fry for another minute or two. Remove the mixture and transfer to a small bowl.

In the same pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee or butter, add the rice and salt and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the water and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and cook until the water is absorbed - roughly 15 - 20 minutes.

Remove the rice from the heat, sprinkle with the fried spices, and swirl the yogurt over top and add the parsley to the pot. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.

Serves 4

More rice recipes from Lisa's Kitchen:
Indian Lemon Brown Rice
Black Mustard Seed Rice
Tamarind Rice
Rice Pongal

On the top of the reading stack: short story anthology

Audio Accompaniment: sweet country silence