Moscow Food Co-op Recipes

Clockwise from top -- winter squash palya, yogurt, rice, dal, and garlic relish in the center.

Meals Kids Might Eat:
Kid-Friendly Indian Food

by Jyotsna “Jo” Sreenivasan, from the February 2006 newsletter

My kids love my mother’s Indian cooking – especially simple things like squash palya.

Mothers in India – like mothers everywhere – tend to worry that their children are not eating enough. My mom told me that when she was a girl, sometimes the women would get a lot of children together, tell them stories, and feed them at the same time. My mother’s grandmother would make big pots of sambar rice (a dal and rice mixture) and yogurt rice, and as she told stories, she’d put lumps of rice into each child’s hand. The idea was that the children would eat well while listening to the story.

You might not want to try this somewhat messy method to get your kids to eat, but maybe your children will enjoy these recipes. Serve these dishes with cooked long-grain rice (brown or white). I like to add a sprinkling of turmeric when I cook my rice. Or instead of rice, try the Indian “naan” bread that the Co-op carries in the refrigerated breads section at the back of the store. Other accompaniments: plain yogurt and raw vegetables (such as chopped tomato, lettuce and onion).

To please a kid’s palate, I don’t use any peppers in my Indian food. If you want something spicy, try Patak’s Garlic Relish on the side. It is perhaps more of an adult taste, but absolutely delicious!

Winter Squash Palya
(adapted from Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India, by Chandra Padmanabhan)
Makes 4 servings

This dish uses a technique called “tempering” – frying seeds and adding them to the cooked food. This is very common in South Indian cooking.

3 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped delicata squash, or other winter squash (buy a squash that weighs about 1 1/4 pounds)
3/8 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
2 tsp. oil
1 tsp. brown mustard seeds
1 tsp. whole cumin seeds
2 tsp. chana dal (available in the bulk section of the Co-op)
1 red chili pepper, split in half (optional)
2 1/2 Tbsp. unsweetened finely shredded, dried coconut

The squash should be diced into small pieces. Cook in a covered skillet with the water and salt until the squash is tender – about 15 minutes. If some water is still left in the skillet, uncover and let it boil away.

After the squash is cooked, heat the oil over medium-low heat in a separate small pot or skillet, and add the mustard seeds. Cover and let the mustard seeds pop (it will sound like very small popcorn). Turn the heat way down as the seeds splutter and don’t open the lid! When the noise has stopped, add the cumin seeds, raw chana dal and optional chili pepper. Stir briefly until the dal is golden-brown. Be careful not to burn the spices. Pour this mixture on top of the squash. Add coconut and stir to mix.

Note: This cooking method can be used for many different vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower and green beans.

Red Lentils with Onion and Ginger
(adapted from Betty Crocker’s Indian Home Cooking, by Raghavan Iyer – don’t laugh, it’s a really good cookbook!)
Makes 4 servings

1 cup dried red lentils (masoor dal)
2 cups water
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1 Tbsp. oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. whole cumin seed
1 Tbsp. minced gingerroot
1 fresh Thai, serrano or cayenne chili pepper, crushed (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Place lentils, water and turmeric in a 3-quart saucepan. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 15 or 20 minutes, until the lentils are starting to soften and most of the water is absorbed. Remove from heat.

While the lentils are cooking, heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and stir-fry until onion is starting to brown. The longer you cook the onion, the sweeter it gets – so it is up to you. After the onion is cooked to your satisfaction, add cumin seeds, gingerroot and optional chili pepper, and cook for 30 seconds. Be careful not to burn these delicate spices.

Stir onion mixture and salt into lentils. Simmer uncovered for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Copyright: Copyright on articles, recipes, and images are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective authors, except were otherwise noted.

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