"Diwali 101 for Americans: Understanding the Holiday + Recipe

I shop at T.J Max, Marshalls, and Home Good's . In the past few years, I've noticed beautiful festive items being sold for the holiday of Diwali (pronounced Dee -Val -Lee) this time of the year. 

Brown Basmati Rice With Cranberries and Walnuts

Do you like rice? Have you ever tried Basmati rice? 

Basmati rice makes a simple yet exotic tasting side dish that can be cooked quickly and easily.

Its fragrance is light, its flavor and aroma are unique, and is enhanced with spices, chickpeas, nuts and even dried fruit such as dried cranberries. 

Most basmati rice is exported from India or Pakistan where this long grain rice has been cultivated since the 1700's to produce this special aromatic flavor. 

Trust me, your kitchen will smell wonderful after cooking this rice. I find it cooks a little faster than traditional rice and is lighter and fluffier. I've used both the brown basmati rice variety and the white basmati rice variety and enjoy them both in a variety of recipes.

Photo from the Indian buffet at a restaurant

Although very popular in Indian cuisine, I find that this interesting variety of rice can be used for other more Americanized dishes as well. In this easy recipe, I simply cook the rice and then toss in walnuts, cashews, and chickpeas. Yup! That's all folks!

Since I made this dish for a weeknight dinner, I omitted the dried cranberries- but they are festive and pretty looking. My husband is Middle Eastern and his palate tends to gravitate to salty spicy as opposed to a sweet taste in his food. (of course he LOVES his desserts sweet). 

As a bonus, this side dish tastes great hot or at room temperature allowing you to make it in advance.

Ingredients: 

2 cups of brown basmati rice, washed well 

2 cups of water (double water for stove top cooking)

1 tablespoon Salt

1/2 cup of walnut halves

1 cup of cooked chickpeas from a can or homemade, drained well 

optional : 1/2 cup of dried cranberries.

Directions for Instant Pot

Place rice, salt, and water in the insert liner of the Instant Pot. Secure the lid, press the rice function, and allow to cook. When done cooking, allow to sit for 5 minutes before manually releasing steam according to the manufacturers directions. 

Directions for Stove Top

Follow directions on the bag for 2 cups of rice.

When rice is done, toss with walnuts, cooked chickpeas, and optional dried cranberries.

NOTES: 

1. If omitting the dried cranberries, season with cumin and turmeric.

Red Lentil Flatbreads Are Delicious and Easy

                 

Got Red Lentils? 

These tasty flatbreads were made from just 2 ingredients: 

red lentils and water (and seasoning). Yes red lentils!! It's hard to believe that just two simple ingredients yield such a tasty flatbread that doesn't really taste anything like lentils. 

Savory Indian Vegetable Pancakes

Savory Indian Vegetable Pancakes are delicious and very easy to make. It's been over 77 days since I've been "staying in." (Although I have been taking daily walks with a mask, and I have been doing my own grocery shopping, but not too often)

Since we are not eating or ordering out, I am doing a significant amount of daily cooking. I've been experimenting with recipes that I wouldn't ordinarily make. We do really like Indian and Asian food, so out of desperation, I've started to give some recipes a try! Two weeks ago, I made an Asian recipe called Mongolian Mushrooms and Tofu that was fabulous. This week I thought I would try an Indian pancake.

Vegetable Pakora Appetizers

Do you like Indian Cuisine?
I frequently order vegetable pakora appetizers when I dine in our local Indian restaurant.As much as I enjoy them, I never thought of actually making them at home. It turns out they are easy to make, baked, and very tasty!

Spinach Dal Soup in the Instant Pot (or Not)

Spinach Dal, known in India as Palak Dal, is a hearty soup made with channa dal or yellow split peas. Dal (also spelled as daal or dahl) is a Hindi word for dried split lentils, dried peas, or dried beans. Dal may refer to the legume itself or the finished recipe.

I made this vegan soup in a 6 qt. Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt. It cooked for 16 minutes, I let the pressure release naturally, and it was delicious. It can also be made in a soup pot on the stove top.

Instant Pot Aloo Gobi ( cauliflower recipe)

Aloo Gobi is a simple cauliflower and potato recipe that is exotically spiced and an absolutely delicious side or entree. It is a Punjabi Indian dish that is a cinch to make in the Instant Pot! #vegan