Indian Spiced Veggies over Brown Rice

I spent most of the day on the e-Cornell lectures after I finished exercising. The gray weather did not make me feel like a ball of fire. I had a difficult time getting started this morning which I am going to blame on the weather. My focus today was not great so I will definitely be listening to the lectures a second time. I don’t know how much I actually absorbed today, LOL. Does the weather impact your mood? Days like today are great for naps, and I probably should have had one but that seems so unproductive I don’t often give in and take one.

When I wasn’t listening to lectures I was doing things that have been on my to do list for a long time, like organizing our tea stash. As you all know by now we drink an almost ridiculous amount of tea. I really love the flavor of tea with green being my favorite. But we also like Earl Grey, Lady Grey, English Breakfast, White Tea, and Herbal Tea. Here is a picture of the drawer that holds our most commonly used beverages, 95% of it is tea.

For dinner tonight I decided I wanted something simple but was craving Indian flavors. This is traditional Indian recipe that I have made healthier. The original was called Same Ka Bhaji and used fried beans. You all know me well enough to realize that frying was out of the question. Additionally I decided to add eggplant and collards to shake it up even more. Here is my version of the recipe for Spicy Fried Veggies:

Spicy “Unfried Veggies” over Brown Rice
Serves 4

Rice Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 cups water – less two tablespoons
2 tablespoon vinegar (I used date vinegar but sherry or white wine would be fine)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 large pinch saffron (approximately 1/8 teaspoon)
Salt, if you think it necessary (I did not add any)

Veggie Topping Ingredients:

1 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
½ tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced or grated
4 tablespoons water to sauté the onion, garlic and ginger
2 cups green beans
2 cups eggplant, quartered and thinly sliced
4 cups collards, julienned
1 teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon coriander seed, toasted and ground
¼ teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground
1 pinch cardamom
1 pinch nutmeg
1 cup tomatoes, diced (I used cherry tomatoes)
1 lemon zested and juiced (add the juice to your tastes you may not want an entire lemon)
Sea Salt and Freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup of sliced or slivered almonds, for garnish (cashews would also be a good choice)

Directions:

Combine the rice ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to low and cook until tender. The exact time will depend on the type of pan you use. When I cook in enameled cast iron the rice is finished in 35 minutes compared to the standard 45 that is usually recommended.

Water sauté the onions, garlic ginger until translucent and slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except the lemon zest and juice, almonds and tomatoes and cook until the veggies are as texture as you like. You may need to add a little more water to keep them from sticking. Add the remaining ingredients just before serving. Taste and add salt and pepper to your taste.

Top the rice with the cooked veggie mixture.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 380.09
Calories From Fat (16%) - 59.78

Total Fat - 7.16g
Saturated Fat - 0.87g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 26.5mg
Potassium - 704.44mg
Total Carbohydrates - 71.82g
Fiber - 9.57g
Sugar - 5.89g
Protein - 10.82g

Comments:

This dish has a lot more flavor than you would expect from a simple vegetable and rice dish. I didn’t miss the fried aspect at all. Clearly this is a sign that my tastes have really changed. In the past I know I would have missed the oil. I find it fascinating how quickly you learn to enjoy food that isn’t fatty. I used the entire lemon in the dish but you may want less. I happen to adore lemon, but not everyone does.

The rice flavorings are mine, not the slightest bit Indian. Also the addition of nuts to the dish is mine. Of course I tweaked the seasonings too. I am just incapable of leaving things alone.

This is another one of those quick and easy meals when you need something without much fuss. If you keep cooked rice in the refrigerator or freezer this would be ready in well under 15 minutes. This one came together from items in my pantry and freezer. In a pinch you could use canned tomatoes, but I like the pop you get from the fresh ones. Also you can use any veggies you like in this. The important thing is 8 cups of raw veggies, plus tomatoes at the end. It is just as good made with 8 cups of green beans. I have also used broccoli (not traditional at all), cauliflower, carrot, and mushrooms. It seems to work with any veggies.

Food Today:

Since many of you seemed to like the food journal I am going to try to do that as often as I can. Please don’t expect it every day as I don’t know that I can squeeze that in. As I mentioned yesterday I eat what my body tells me it wants, within reason. I do try to stay away from high sugar fruit, dried fruit, excess amounts of nuts and seeds, flour products, oil and sugar as much as possible. That is easier to do at home but not as simple when we are out. Eating out has become much less pleasant over the last 6 months. It is difficult to get a meal that doesn’t use too much oil or have added sugar in the sauce (Asian food). Here is what I had today:

8:10 am – breakfast

½ cup oats
1 cup water
½ cup frozen wild blueberries, no sugar added
½ cup frozen mixed berries, no sugar added
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

10:30 am – snack

Double green tea (2 bags) with ascorbate C

1:00 pm – lunch

1 cup sprouted short grain brown rice
2 cups broccoli, very lightly cooked
2 tablespoons sesame seed sauce (recipe from yesterday)
Sprinkle green onions and black sesame seeds

4:30pm – snack

1 collard leaf (for making a wrap)
½ cup super flavorful fat free hummus
1 carrot, grated
½ red bell pepper
Double green tea (2 bags) with ascorbate C

5:30pm – snack

1 Medjool date – I was craving something sweet and sometimes I give in, like today

7:30pm – snack

Double green tea (2 bags) with ascorbate C
1 tablespoon dry roasted edamame

9:00pm – dinner

Spicy Unfried Veggies over Brown Rice (as above)

Comments:

Today Dan worked late again since they are still swamped at his office. When I know this is going to happen I start the most time consuming portion of the dish earlier that I think I will need it so dinner can be ready quickly. You can always make the grain in the morning or a day or two early and then reheat it before dinner. That makes eating long cooking whole grains much less of a hassle. Do any of you make large batches of grains to reheat later? Which grains seem to work well for you?

For now I am going to spend some time cleaning up the kitchen and watching my husband watch Fringe. He gets the silliest looks on this face watching the show. I find it quite entertaining. He loves sci fi, which still mystifies me all these years later.

I hope you all had a good day. Friday is almost here, yay!