Masala Green Beans(stir fried) with Navy Beans

Every trip to the grocery store is not complete without a bag of green beans. Seems like they are available year around. They are not as crispy and delicious in the winter months but they add bit of green to an otherwise orange Fall.

Green beans tend to taste blah but once they are hit with a bit of spice and heat from the chili pepper they undergo a transformation that makes you wanting more.

Other great thing with green beans is they play the perfect supporting cast in a lot of dishes.

If you are looking to cook something with green beans with an Indian twist for this thanksgiving that is different from the usual fare here are few recipes that might be of interest.

1. Green Beans with Onion paste
2. Masala Potatoes with Green Beans
3. Green Beans with lentils(moong dal)

Now on to today's recipe. I have used navy beans but any beans that you like can be used. I am thinking black beans, white or red kidney beans, black eyed peas or even black chick peas. I like the navy beans because of their taste and for the color. As for the masala powder it is great to have this handy and can be used in Indian style vegetable stir fries with any vegetable.

Masala Green Beans(stir fried) with Navy Beans
Ingredients

1. 1/2 lb of green beans or about 2 cups chopped. chopped into thin rounds
2. 1/2 cup of chopped onions (I used shallots)
3. 2 cups of navy beans soaked overnight
4. seasonings: mustard seeds, cumin seeds, pinch of asfoetida and curry leaves
5. 1 tsp turmeric powder
6. 8 red chilies broken in half and seeds removed
7. 1 -2 tbsp of fresh or frozen coconut
8. 1 tsp of oil
9. salt to taste

For the Masala Powder

1. 1 tbsp split urad dal
2. 1 tsp of black pepper
3. 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
4. 1 red chili

Roast the above and powder
Method

1. Cook the navy beans till they are fully cooked but not mushy
2. In a sauce pan add a tbsp of water and cook the green beans with a tiny bit of turmeric powder. They should be just about cooked. (see note)
3. Heat a wide mouthed pan (kadai) and heat a tsp of oil and when hot add the seasonings.
4. Add the red chilies and onions and cook till the onions are soft. Add salt.
5. Add in the green beans and mix it in the onion mixture.
6. Add in the drained navy beans and let them cook for about 5-6 minutes. They don't have to cook too long because the beans are already cooked.
7. Sprinkle the masala powder and mix it in and cook for 3-4 minutes more.
8. Add the coconut mix it in and turn of the heat.

Great as a side with rice and paruppu (cooked lentils) or with chapathis.
Note:
1. Green Beans can be cooked in the kadai just after the onions have been sauteed. I like to precook the beans separately as they tend to retain their crunch better this way.

Tomato rice with ground spices (Tomato Bhaath)

Do you buy Organic produce? I certainly do. Did the study that was done by two Stanford scientists a few days ago change your opinion about buying organic products? I would like to hear all of your opinion on that one.

Here is my take on organic foods and why I purchase them. I was never under any misguided impression that organic foods were more nutritious than conventionally grown ones. I know organic produces can be just as tasteless. I have to admit though there are organic produce that are supremely tasty and sometimes so are conventionally grown ones. As far as taste and nutrition go I never thought one was better than the other.

Where I knew that organic held an edge was where pesticides, hormones and synthetic fertilizers. The main reason why I always buy organic milk, egg and chicken but gave a pass where vegetables were concerned.

I learned to be skeptical of organic claims when I found a box of organic ice cream cones with a cost that was twice as much as the regular ones. There are lot of food companies willing to charge extra and make an organic claim if they can get away with it so it is upto us consumers to make the distinction.

with Ponni parboiled rice and fresh lima beans

I personally think a more broader study analyzing the environmental factors and the effects of pesticides would have been more useful.

Now on to the recipe, I know there are many tomato recipes out there and this blog has two of them. I wanted to post this just the same because it is tasty and different than the ones I usually make. On our recent visit to India we stayed for a few days with DH's cousin in Bangalore who is a fantastic cook. This is her recipe for Tomato Bhaath and of course with my modifications.

I had some fresh lima beans which I added one time and some fresh green beans the next time.

with seeraga samba rice and green beans

Tomato Bhaath
Ingredients
1. 2 cups of rice (I usually use Seeraga Samba rice or parboiled Ponni rice, Basmati rice could be used too) soaked for about 20 minutes.
2. Fully ripe red tomatoes 1 1/2 cups chopped
3. 2 cups of lima beans / green beans (optional)
4. 1/2 cup of onion
5. seasonings: cumin seeds, fennel seeds, curry leaves and a bay leaf
6. salt
7. 2 tsp of oil


Spice Paste
1. 3 tbsp of onion
2. 5 cloves of garlic
3. 1 inch of ginger cut roughly
4. 2 tbsp of coconut
5. 1/2 inch piece of cinnamon
6. 3-4 cloves
7. 4-5 red chilies (adjust to taste)

Take all of the above and blend to a smooth paste

Method
1. Take a pressure cooker and heat the oil and the add the seasonings and when they start to turn brown add the onions and saute till they are translucent.
2. Now add the Spice paste and saute till oil starts to show on the sides (about 10-12 minutes).
3. Now add the tomatoes and continue to saute till the tomatoes become mushy and mixed well with the spice paste.
Add in the vegetables you are planning to add at this time. Sauté for a minute.
4. Add the rice and saute till all the liquid has been absorbed.
5. Now add the required amount of water, salt and let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and let the rice cook to about 3/4 th cooked.
6. Close the lid of the cooker, place the weight and let it cook for 8 minutes in heat to slightly less than medium. Turn off the heat and let it sit for about 10 more minutes before opening the lid and giving a good mix.

Serve with raita of choice.

Masala Potatoes with Green Beans

There is one thing that is common in doctors offices in the US and India. What you ask? It is the waiting part. You sit around till your bum hurts and you are restless wondering why in the world the doctor's office can't schedule these thing correctly. But the similarity ends there.

We had gone to a dentist in India and waited around for 2 hours before the doctor finally saw us. A very pleasant and perfectly good doctor, known to the family she refused to collect fees. something that will happen only in India. The good thing for the patient is there is no time restrictions, no office times, no Saturday only sick patients, Sunday holiday kind of rules. The patient will be seen as long as the doctor is in the office. For those of us with family members as doctors know what this does to the doctor. They get home in the middle of the night and get pulled at all odd times. But as a patient you are able to meet the doctor any time of the day.

Contrast this to the US where the cost of care is several times higher and the doctor's office has so many rules that it is perhaps best to keep yourself armed with a manual. Add to this the rules by schools and colleges who require doctors signatures on forms before permitting the students to attend classes or participate in sports. August gets to be as stressful as it possibly can be.

DD shows up for tryouts at her school minus the doctor form. She had been away and the doctors appointment was a few days away. The coach refuses to let her tryout without the form. The doctor's office (the same doctor she has been seeing from when she born) refuses to sign the form because her most recent physicals were a little over a year old. The nurse also got a little nasty when I told her she was away and we could not schedule the appointment on time. She says in a high pitch voice that it is not their fault of course not, I did not suggest that.

Bottom line they refused to sign the form (which is very uncomplicated, just requires a few vitals that is all). The reason too few doctors and nurses and Saturday is just for sick patients. All this while there were barely any patients and the doctor was sitting around clicking on his blackberry. The thing could have been done in 5 minutes they would have had a very happy customer. Well this is the USA after all stickler for rules with nasty front office staff. What was I thinking, having lived here this long I should have known how things work. It was recent India visit that made even try methinks.

They helpfully suggest a walk in clinic, which I was already planning on if the doctor's office threw up it's usual road blocks. I knew this would happen and hence the plan B, just that the walk-in clinic opened a little later or we would have gone there in the first place.

The actual process took exactly 5 minutes but we still had to sit around for an hour. I have no problem sitting in the waiting room were there is something to look at at least. The bad part is when they lock us in the examination room and we have to keenly wait for the foot steps of the doctor to approach when mercifully this whole wait would be over. I usually feel like a prisoner who has no way out.

All is well that ends well. Whenever I make a trip to India and back I seriously miss the personal contacts that is possible there while here it is machines(pun fully intended) that we deal with.

Now to the recipe and it is a winner. No plan B required.
I turn to potatoes when I have run out of ideas or have a masala that I want to try out. This masala is nothing fancy but it would work great with meat as well as vegetables like potatoes, cauliflower or dried beans. I added green beans with this recipe for the crunch.

Masala Potatoes with Green Beans
Ingredients
1. 4 Medium sized potatoes, peeled cut and par boiled with salt till they are just about done
2. 1 cup of chopped green beans
3. 1/2 cup onions cut lengthwise
4. seasonings: mustard seeds and cumin
5. 2-3 tsp turmeric powder
6. salt to taste
7. 2-3 tbsp of chopped tomatoes

For the Paste
1. 1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped red onions
2. 3-4 cloves of garlic
3. 1 inch piece of ginger
4. 5 red chilies
5. 1 tbsp coriander seeds
6. 1 tsp cumin seeds

Roast the above 4-6 in a tsp of oil. Remove to the blender jar. Saute the onions,ginger and garlic till the onions start to turn brown. Cool and blend to a smooth paste.

Method
1. In a wide mouthed saute pan heat oil and add the seasonings, followed by the onions and saute till they are translucent.
2. Add in the tomatoes and let them saute till they turn mushy.
3. Add the green beans and let them cook for 4-5 minutes. Add salt.
4. Add in the blended masala paste and saute for a couple of minutes.
5. Add in the cooked potatoes, gently mix the potatoes into the masala.
6. Let it saute for another 6-8 minutes till the potatoes are well coated. Check for salt and sprinkle some if needed.

Serve with any bread.

Note:
1. I had slightly overcooked the potatoes so they turned a bit mushy but this was actually good for eating with bread but if you were making it for rice or as a side dish keep the potatoes on the firm side so they saute and roast up nicely.

Green Bean with Onion Paste

We had bought plenty of fresh green beans from our favorite Amish market. DH chose Madhur Jaffrey's recipe for green beans with onion paste. This is a delicious but a bit time consuming recipe. The onion paste has to be cooked long enough for the raw smell to be completely gone.

I would have sauteed the onions, ginger and garlic before blending them but I was not cooking and DH is a stickler to recipes and this is how he chose to cook. If the onions, ginger and garlic are made into paste before cooking they tend to take a long time to cook, if they are chopped really fine they cook a lot faster. How you choose to do it your personal preference.

Green Beans with Onion Paste
Ingredients
1. 4 Cups of trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces - Green Beans
2. 3/4 of a medium onion chopped
3. 4 garlic cloves chopped
4. 1 tomato chopped
5. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
6. 3 tsp whole coriander seeds + 1 tsp cumin seeds, roast and then powder
7. seasonings: 1/4 tsp cumin seeds + 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
8. 2 tsp red chili powder (optional)
9. 2 whole red chilies + 2 green chilies slit
10. a handful of chopped coriander leaves
11. 1/2 tbsp lime juice
12. salt to taste
13. 1 tbsp of oil

Method
1. Blend the onion,ginger,garlic,tomato with turmeric powder to a smooth paste (do not add any water).
2. In a wide mouthed saute pan add 1/2 tbsp of oil and saute the paste till the raw smell is gone and when the paste sticks to the bottom add a tsp of water and continue to saute till oil separates or the raw smell completely disappears.
3. Add in the coriander cumin powders and mix it into to paste.
4. In another pan add a tsp of oil and add the seasonings and when the mustard starts to pop add the whole red chili and the slit green chilies.
5. Add the chopped green beans and saute for a minute.
6. Now add the sauteed onion paste and saute for a few more minutes.
7. Add salt and lime juice, cover and cook for 5-8 minutes till the beans are soft.
8. Add the chili powder when the beans are cooked and saute for a couple more minutes. Add in the coriander leaves and turn off the heat.

Serve with chapathis or with rice.

Green Beans and Corn Bhaat

When I asked on this blog post how important commute time was in taking up a job, most of you said it was very important.

Which stage in life you are plays a big part in the decision. If you are just starting out necessity trumps all other concerns. Commute time perhaps does not enter the equation.

My first job here without a car, with public transportation the only option made me leaving home around 4.30AM and reaching home close to 6.30PM. I learned to survive on Potato chips and Doritos as the cafeteria food for someone new in a foreign country just was not appetizing enough.

In this situation some thing's gotta give and it was homecooked meals. Breakfast was I guess some sugary stuff like doughnut, muffin or toast. I do not do cereal so that was out. No time to pack lunch and dinner was a rushed affair. The cycle repeated itself for the entire work week. Weekend was spent cooking 3-4 different curries to last the week but by mid-week even the sight of it was nauseating.

Luckily being in my 20s and at an age where even stones can be digested it did not matter or did it? For someone who had no worries gaining extra weight I was packing on extra flab without realizing it.

Commute time is relative. Americans some but not all, do not think too much of driving 100 miles to work and there are others for whom even a 10 mile commute is too much. If you live in a place like DC a 10 mile commute can easily become a 45 minute affair. DC now has the dubious distinction of having the worst traffic delays having wrestled that from LA. The point is, commute adds on frustration, road rage and an unhealthy life style.

I had 2 colleagues both Caucasians who were married to Asian women. Both mentioned that their FILs advised them on finding a good job and then finding a place close to it to live. Asian fathers know a thing or two about these things I assume. (Just saying, don't want to start a war like Amy Chua did with her essay) Maybe a generation ago people worked with one employer their entire life so it made sense finding that job and then buying the house. These days nobody has an employer for their entire work life.

In a housing market like now owning a home is a liability. It ties you down to a specific geographic location. On the other hand is owning a dream home worth being tied to a bad job. Tough call.

No surprises, that when I started to look for my next job commuting distance became the top most reason, so much so that I turned down interesting and better paying jobs to be closer to home. Even time does not dull those regrets I guess.

Once children get into the picture the whole equation changes. It was the go-go 90s and I found a job where I could work from home. To some it might sound as perfect work condition. Working in your PJs right after jumping out of bed might seem perfect. Reality is not so rosy. Working in your home requires loads of discipline and determination. Resisting the temptation to do the umpteen things that can done around the house which has nothing to do with work - like doing laundry, cleaning the kitchen or doing prep work for meals, put your leg up and watch TV or run quick errands for yourself or other members in the family.

The worst kind is requests from friends with same age kids as yours to babysit while you are supposedly working! Lots of people think that working from home means a free pay without actually having to work.

To be upfront with your employer about your situation at home is very important if you want to keep the job. While DD was tiny and still not ready for school I informed my employer that I would be working before 8.00AM and after 2.30PM and so during the day when they called me they were not surprised to hear baby noises in the background.

I won't downplay the benefits foremost of which is not spending countless hours in traffic. There are also many down sides to working completely at home. You are not clued in to the office politics, the best projects that come about, changing ownerships of the team and the camaraderie that comes with working in a real office.

Right now I work very close to home. I have time in the evenings to prepare meals, take the kids out to their activities, enjoy some down time, watch TV, pursue my interests, exercise, relax, blog :) Is it the best job in the world? NO. But the benefits far out weigh having a perfect job. Compromise is the name of the game. In the end it is after all a job and it is important not to drop the ball on the other more meaningful things in life.

Not to forget even having choices is a great thing while there are many for are not that fortunate.

So in summary what are the conclusions?

1.Everyone's situation is different. Family situation, lifestyle, commitments all play a role in making a decision.
2.Increase in commute time is indirectly proportional to the time available for other pursuits. Commute time also takes away from time that could be spent on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This includes preparing healthy meals.
3.An altered and possibly bad lifestyle might be the burden of a longer commute.
4.Dream home or dream job?
5.Not all have the choice.

I am always on the look out for recipes that are quick, gives an opportunity to use stuff from the pantry or fridge. When I come across one of those I do not let it go without giving it a try. I came across one such recipe on Masala Magic for Tendli Bhaat. Having no tendli cannot be a reason for not giving it a try. So green beans and corn were substituted. The Double beans pulav that I had tried once before from Masala Magic has become a go to recipe for what to cook days.

Green Beans and Corn Bhaat
Ingredients
1. 2 cups of green beans cut to 1 inch pieces
2. 1/2 cup of corn (I used frozen corn)
3. 1 1/2 cups of sliced oniones
4. 1/2 tbsp of grated ginger + 3-4 garlic cloves minced
5. 3-4 slit green chilies
6. 1 tsp red chili powder (or to taste) + 1 tsp turmeric powder
7. 1/2 tbsp coriander powder
8 1 tsp cumin powder
9. 1/2 tbsp chicken masala powder (original recipe calls for goda masala)
10. 1/2 inch piece of cinnamon, 2 cloves powdered
11. 2 bay leaves + 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
12. salt to taste + 2 tsp oil
13. 2 cups of rice (I used a small grain raw rice, Basmati can be used)
14. 1 tsp of ghee
Method
1. Wash and soak the rice
2.In a pressure cooker heat oil add the bay leaves and cumin seeds and powdered whole spices(from 10 above), followed by the onions and green chilies, saute till it turns translucent
3.Add in the ginger and garlic and let it cook till the raw smell leaves
4.Add all the powders and let give a good mix
5. Add in the green beans and corn and salt and 1/4 cup of water and let it cook for 5-6 minutes
6. Add in the rice and mix into the masala well. Add the required amount of water and let it come to a boil and let it cook till the rice is half cooked. Add in the ghee
7. Place the lid with weight on and cook for 7-8 more minutes and turn off the heat. Do not wait for the whistle

Serve with raita and chips.

Simple Lunches - 24 (Beans Kootu with Moong Dal)

The heart feels heavy. The shooting rampage of last Saturday is heavy on my mind with feelings ranging from sadness, anger to helplessness.

I would so like to lay the responsibility for this on Sarah Palin's feet. She has a big mouth and would probably talk anything to get a few popularity points. She and her other shouting, screaming, frothing Talk Show friends, all of them. They have lowered the civility and intelligence of the civil discourse and though they claim to have America's best interest at heart, sorry it is only their self interest that they care about most. So I am no way feeling sorry for the heat they are getting. But to lay the blame on them is perhaps a stretch.

It is rather sad that besides a few editorials nobody is talking about the root cause of most of these mass killing and shootings. Namely the predominant gun culture and the power and might of the NRA in making it almost impossible for meaningful gun control laws. Palin is an easy scapegoat but I would not say she does not deserve it. It is a perfectly easy way to gloss over the real problem. In most societies disagreements are settled with a few scuffles or loud words. But not here, we exercise our second amendment right.

None of the sad episodes would have happened if the access to guns are restricted like they are in other civil societies. The second amendment was written at a different time and age and to hide behind that is a shame.

I am shocked every time I witness the extent to which guns are woven into this culture.

I was speechless when I learned that for less than $100 I could be armed and dangerous. Almost too easy. It is much easier than admitting your child to a school.

Every time a mind numbing gun violence happens the country goes through a period of soul searching. We debate about civility, being good to our neighbors and those with views different than ours, the mental health system and the lack of access, but always a deafening silence about the ready access to weapons.

Come on, this is a country where a sitting Vice President shot someone thinking he was a duck and never found the need to report it until someone else did.

I live in perhaps one of the most liberal counties in the country and you'd think things would be different here. Nope. This obsession with all things guns starts at an early age. From toy guns kids graduate to real ones by middle school I suppose. I was at DD's school on a Saturday volunteering as a Math tutor. I was tutoring 2 boys and they were paying attention and learning. That is until another boy(the son of the organizer) walks in with a gun catalog. In less than a nano second my tutees had jumped out of their seat and were near the catalog.

Seeing a gun catalog brought to school was itself a shock to my system and then the Principal of the school walks past and sees the boys involved in the discussion of the merits of each model and she never baits an eyelid! I expected her to do something. She did not. Maybe it was not in her job description. The whole thing bothered me enough.

DH warns me every time I honk at someone on the road I am in danger of having my head glown off. Yes! my friends road rage is another popular reason to use the weapon.

Now that one of their own is a victim maybe Congress will wake up and get its act together and do something about it. Australia did it Scotland it but then again not so fast, this is America we are talking about.

None of the violent incidents - Columbine, VA tech and Tuscon would have happened if owning guns were illegal like it is in most parts of the world. You'd think any sane person would see the connection.

Talk about gun control and you are sure to be branded a whacko. No wonder no politician would not even touch the issue with a 10 feet pole.

Let's move on to the recipe now that I feel a little lighter.
I fall back on kootu when I have had enough of sambhar for the week. The recipe I follow is a standard one that I learned from my mother. The spice paste is simple and is made while the dal is getting cooked and the whole process takes less than 1/2 hour.

I saw this recipe for kootu on Akshayapaatram where the spice mixture is different from mine. I tend to use green beans, cabbage and occasionally squash when I make kootu. Any of those vegetables or brussels sprouts like Priya has done in the recipe should all work.

Ingredients
1. 1 cup of split moong dal
2. 1-2 cups of finely chopped green beans
3. 1 tsp turmeric powder
4. 3 green chilies slit
5. seasonings: curry leaves, mustard and cumin seeds
6. jaggery (optional, I did not use it)
7. salt to taste + 1 tsp oil

Spice Powder
1. 1 tbsp urad dal
2. 1 tsp channa dal
3. 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
4. 1 tsp cumin seeds
5. 1/2 tbsp peppercorns
6. 3 red chilies
7. 1 sprig curry leaves
8. 1 tbsp grated coconut (I used frozen and thawed)

1. Roast the chana dal and when it starts to turn color add the urad dal roast for a minute and then followed by the coriander, cumin and peppercorns and red chilies. When the chilies get a slightly black tinge remove from heat
2.Now add the curry leaves and coconut and roast them on low flame till the coconut turns brown
3. Cool and powder in a blender without using water

Method
1. Pressure cook the moong dal with excess water with the beans with the turmeric powder and a drop of oil till mushy
2. Dissolve the spice powder in about 1/2 cup of water and add it to the dal and let it cook on low flame for 8-10 minutes
3. Meanwhile heat a tsp of oil or ghee in a small pan and add the seasonings and when the mustard starts to pop pour it over the dal
4. Add salt and the jaggery if doing and turn off the heat in a couple of minutes

Goes well with rice or chapati

Green Beans with besan

Gossip! What is the instant reaction when you hear the word? Over the years my opinion about gossip has undergone several iterations and as of now the predominant feeling about it is one of well being.

The dictionary meaning for the word,
gossip - idle talk or rumor about the private affair of others
gossip - light familiar talk or writing

It is the second meaning I am talking about here.

Don't jump to the conclusions that I am some sort of gossip queen in the mold of desperate house wives as in the first meaning. I am not just about to convince everybody that vicious, hurtful gossip is a good thing.

On other hand, harmless friendly gossip gives a sense of belonging and happiness. It is social networking the old fashioned way. In societies where socialization gets top billing (read Indian society) people are healthier and generally more happy and less prone to getting sick. I am not making this up, there is research to back it up. In the same vein people with extended families are less prone to depression and isolation.

I heard on the radio (where else but NPR) that touching decreases stress hormones and increases the hormone oxytocin which is supposed to calm people. And rightfully also called cuddle hormone.

I have rarely heard of people feeling depressed in India especially women compared to the West where everyone has feelings of depression in some form or the other. The loneliness is what gets people here in the West methinks. I might be completely wrong about the prevalence of depression in India due lack of mental health counseling and the reason perhaps why it is not obvious.

Seeing a friendly neighbor on the way to the door, stopping and chatting (or gossiping) about what is going on with folks - whose daughter or son is getting married, going off to college, who is expecting a child or grandchild. Talk that helps release yes you got it the cuddle hormone. It has definitely made me feel better. The happiness when your friend stops by for an impromptu chat? Is there anything better?

We all know of the well connected friend whom we call to get information about where to get the tastiest and the cheapest samosas for the upcoming party, the best dance teacher or the best voice coach or whatever. How do you think she gets her information?

What is your opinion about gossip? Do you think I am completely bonkers or there is some truth to it? Please do share, we are all ears :)

Now to the recipe,
Let me let you in on a gossip, keeping sambhar powder handy a tasty curry is never too far. If you do not have sambhar powder handy feel free to use red chili powder. Tomatoes give a slightly sour and moist feel to the curry you, leave it out if you do not want it.

Green beans with besan
Ingredients
1. 2 cups of green beans chopped
2. 1/2 cup of finely cut onions
3. 1 tbsp of grated ginger
4. 3 slightly tart tomatoes chopped (or + 1/2 tbsp amchur powder)
5. 1 tbsp sambhar powder
6. 2 tbsp besan
7. 1 tsp ajwain
8. seasonings: cumin seeds, curry leaves, mustard seeds
9. salt to taste

Method
1. In a wide mouthed pan add a few drops of oil along with besan and roast till it becomes golden color, set aside to cool
2. I a pan heat oil and add the seasonings and ajwain, let the mustard seeds splutter
3. Add in the onions and let it turn translucent
4. Add the sambhar powder and saute for a second
5. Add the tomatoes and cook till they turn mushy
6. Now add in the beans and salt, saute for a few minutes and if required add a 1/4 cup of water, cover the lid and let it cook for 8-10 minutes till the beans are soft
[Here it depends on personal choice if you like the beans to be crunchy cook for a little less time if you like it softer cook for a bit longer)
6. Open the lid and let the water evaporate completely
7. Sprinkle in the roasted besan and let it coat the beans, add another tsp of oil at this stage and saute for 4-5 minutes till well roasted

Serve as a side for rice or chapathi.

Green beans pakoda Kadhi (Green bean dumplings in a spicy yogurt sauce) - no frying involved

Almonds - a nut that is good for you. So much so that not too much thought goes into its usage, increases the creaminess and taste quotient when added to simple payasam, adds some mojo to the mixed nuts, makes a wonderful halwa or a burfi, flavored milk and the list goes on. It does not cost an arm and a leg to have bag of these nuts in the pantry. Looks like that might change - Bees are busier than ever as disease besieges colonies. I have read a couple of years ago about the the colony collapse disorder and how it was killing off the bees. When I saw the article I was curious to find the almond, honey bee connection.

shredded beans

Did you know that 80% of the world's almonds comes from California? CA gets more revenue from almonds than it does from wines. As the acreage under almond cultivation increased so did the need for pollinators(read honey bees). Pollination domain is not owned by the honey bees. Butterflies, bumble bees, moths, even wasps and bats are all pollinators in their own right but they are wild insects and not organized like the honey bees which live in colonies and make it easy to be transported.

add the chickpea flour, chopped onions and the spice powders

Like with every China connection the dumping of cheap Chinese honey into the US made the prices of local honey uncompetitive and US honey bee keepers could not stay afloat. But luckily for the US honey bee keepers, this coincided with the increase in monoculture where large acreages were brought under cultivation of a single crop. With the disappearance of small family farms, diversity of crops also disappeared which is essential for wild pollinators. Large scale commercial operations which specializes in a single crop organized in neat tracts of land formed with destruction of wild flower meadows, application of pesticides which removed weeds the wild pollinators were destroyed.

prepared batter

This destruction of wild pollinators threw a lifeline to the bee keepers in the form of commercial pollination. The almond growers in the absence of wild pollinators and not enough honey bees available locally required trucking of honey bees from the other parts of the country and thus providing an alternate livelihood for bee keepers.

use the paniyaram pan to make the pakodas

Not just almonds, oranges, apples, cranberries and even melons all required commercial honey bee keepers for pollination but none demand the prices that almond does in the world market, so the demand for the bee hives are set by the almond growers.

Reference: This excellent article on SFGate.com.

cooked pakoda

Arrive the diseases that are affecting the bee colonies and large numbers of bees dying off. Researchers initially thought they would arrive out one single virus affecting the bees but they found out it was a cumulative effect of several. The prices for bee hives have been going up steadily as more and more bee hives are in danger. Beekeepers do not fail to remind everyone that most vegetables and fruits we eat everyday require the honey bees for pollination.

yogurt mixed in with chickpea flour, turmeric and chili powder

As honey bees in the US are dying off, honey bees are shipped from Australia and diseases in that population affect the hives here.

the pakodas floating in the yogurt

There are others who decry this over dependence on honey bees which are not native to the US to do most of the pollination which the native pollinators had done a century before. They also argue bees and honey making again is exploitation of animals.

you will be forgiven if you think this is pudding but it is pakoda kadhi

"We have been losing bees and beekeepers in this country for 60 years, and now we are at the point where almost half the colonies in the country are needed to pollinate almonds in California," vanEngelsdorp said. "We are close to the margin" of a viable ratio of pollinators to crops, he said. "It's amazing to me how close we are to that line."
Source: Washington Post article

These facts by themselves should be quite alarming. Most food crops, vegetables and fruits that are grown in large number are from a very few species and those are dependent on a very few creatures to sustain. The way our food is sourced is severely fucked up and the more I read about it the more scarier it gets. There are smart people who make decisions they are surely seeing these problems that scientists and those in the food movement have been talking about for years.

Haagen Dazs has an interactive and very feature about honey bees, their importance to food production and how we can help to save them.


The Recipe
Now on to a bit more pleasant things. I have spoken a bit about this hole in the wall place we used to frequent. Cheap but fresh Indian food, what if the place was a bit dirty we did a carryout or avoided looking at the floor. At this place was my first introduction to methi parathas and pakoda kadhi. A sardarji who manned the griddle was also a server suggested both the dishes. Who would turn down a recommendaton from the cook himself? Skeptical at first about a pakoda kadhi, huh?

In my corner of India, we knew pakoda very well, the very popular deep fried snack, as for kadhi was called mor kuzhambu, often made when there was an excess of sour yogurt and the crisper held no fresh vegetables. One was a tea time snack the other at least in my childhood home was a night time side dish for rice. But in my world the two had never met in a cooking pot.

But the taste hooked us from the very first try and became a regular restaurant order but not always consistently tasty and always with a layer of yellow tinged oil floating on top. Two things about this dish had me in knots about trying this simple and easy recipe, cooking the yogurt on a stove top and bringing all the work to a naught when the curdling happens. Deep frying the pakoda was the other. The more kadhi I saw on blogs and my doubts being cleared, slowly but surely I was running out of excuses. An occasion presented itself with an over abundance of yogurt. I was to make homemade yogurt for around 80 people and like is my habit I made yogurt for 150 people and left with plenty of sour yogurt. RC's baked pakodas and Sharmila's assurance that the chick pea flour keeps the yogurt from breaking had me experimenting with a dish which until then was a restaurant only fare. I had some green beans turning black and made itself the main ingredient in the pakoda.

Recipe Source: Kadhi Pakoda from Edible Garden

Green bean pakoda kadhi
Ingredients
To make pakodas
1. 2 cups of minced green beans
2. 2 cups of chick pea flour
3. 1 tbsp chili powder
4. 2 tsp cumin powder
5. 1 tbsp curry leaves powder
6. 1 tsp cumin seeds
7. 1/2 tbsp ginger grated
8. 1/2 onion minced - 1/2 cup worth
9. salt to taste
10. oil for making the pakodas (grease the paniyaram pan)

For the yogurt gravy (kadhi)
1. 4 cups of yogurt (from fat free milk) whisked + 1 cup of water
2. 1 1/2 tbsp of chick pea flour (I used a less than 1/2 cup and it was a bit much)
3. 1/2 tbsp of chili powder
4. 2 tsp of turmeric powder
5. 3 tsp of grated of ginger
6. seasonings : cumin seeds, 3 red chilies broken and seeds removed, asfoetida
7. 1 tsp oil
8. salt to taste

Method
1. To make the batter for the pakoda, mix the ingredients in the to make pakoda section, add 1/2 cup of water and make a thick batter.
2. Heat the paniyaram pan, grease the holes and pour the batter into the holes. Let them cook on one side, flip and cook on the other side. Make sure a tooth pick or any sharp needle like object inserted comes out clean.
(You can stop here and enjoy the pakoda paniyarams but we won't do that)
3. Set aside and start to prepare the kadhi
4. Whisk in the chick pea flour with chili powder,turmeric powder to the yogurt.
5. Heat a thick bottomed pan, heat the oil add the cumin seeds, asfoetida and red chilies. Add the ginger and saute for a minute or two.
6. Reduce the heat all the way to low and add the yogurt, raise the heat to medium low and let it heat through, add salt.
7. Add the pakodas and continue to cook for 12 - 15 minutes.
8. The time you cook depends on the consistency of the kadhi required ( I cooked it for about 20 minutes and it became quite thick like seen in the picture)

Serve over rice or parathas.

Miri, says that the best kadhi is when it is simmered for 12-15 minutes.

It was not that hard in the end. The biggest problem was keeping off the pakodas before they hit the yogurt. It was a perfect with some soft rotis.