Egg Curry in Tomato and Garlic Gravy (Sauce)

(From Banu's Cookbook)

Ingredients:
6 boiled Eggs cut in half
4 cups of tomatoes chopped
3-4 Garlic Cloves
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Tumeric powder
1 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
1 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
IP Salt to taste
Chopped Cilantro for Garnishing

Method:
1. Heat a pan and add 1 tsp of Olive Oil. Add chopped tomatoes and garlic and cook well on medium heat until the tomatoes are completely cooked.
2. Let this cool down and come to room temperature. Blend this mixture in a blender or food processor with just a tad bit of water.
3. Heat the same pan with 1 tsp of Olive oil and put cumin seeds and all the spice powders and fry for a few minutes.
4. Add the blended tomato mixture and cook for a few more minutes.
5. Add the halved boiled eggs and ip salt and mix well gently.
6. Reduce the heat and cook for 5-6 minutes so that eggs absorb the spices.
7. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

This recipe creates two IP Servings of 2 cups of Vegetables and 6-7 ounces of protein when you eat three eggs with half of the sauce.

You can serve this with a IP potato puree pita bread if you so desire.

Notes:
1. You can add 1-2 tsp of splenda if you feel that the tomatoes are a bit sour. I personally like the slightly sour taste of tomatoes, so I did not add any splenda.
2. You can even reduce the tomatoes and add some spinach for a slightly different taste.
3. You can use this tomato gravy and add it to other vegetables as well like bell peppers and cauliflower. Just reduce the tomato to 1 cup and and another cup of vegetables. It is better to roast these vegetables first. I will post another recipe soon.
4. You can use canned sauce, but somehow the taste is much better with fresh tomatoes.

Basil Pesto without Cheese or nuts

(From Banu's Cookbook)

I love Pesto, but could not find any in store without cheese. So I did my own version at home.

Ingredients:
2 Cups Basil Leaves Washed
2 Cups of Baby Spinach Leaves Washed
2-3 Garlic Cloves
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
Lemon Juice from 1 Whole Lemon
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Sea Salt to Taste

Method:
1. In a food processor (with the chopper blade attached), blend the basil, spinach, garlic well.
2. Then add lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Mix well again.
3. With the food processor on, slowly add the Olive oil until it is all mixed well.
4. You can use this as sauce on Zucchini Noodles or use it on Cauliflower Crust Pizza.

Notes:
1. I added Spinach because it gives a bit more body to the pesto as we are not adding any cheese or nuts.
2. Basil normally turns dark green after pulsing. Spinach keeps it more green looking.
3. You can reduce or increase olive oil based on how liquid you want your pesto to be.

Garlic Roasted Radish

(From Banu's Cookbook)

I love Radishes especially these French Mini Radishes (I got them from Market Street which ahem is newly opened near my home). So, I thought why not make it into a side dish and here the result of that experimentation.

Ingredients:
2 Bunches of Radish - I used French Mini, but you can use the regular red bunch radishes
6-8 Cloves of Garlic - you can add more if you just love garlic
2 Tsp of Olive Oil
1/2 tsp of Cumin Seeds

Seasoning:
1/4 tsp of Lemon Pepper
1/2 tsp of Dried Basil Leaves
1/2 tsp of Red Chilli Powder
Sea Salt to Taste

Method:
1. Heat a pan, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds. After a few seconds, add the garlic cloves (I just added whole cloves) and saute them for a 20 - 30 seconds until they are brown.
2. Add the washed and chopped radishes and saute on medium high flame. Once the radishes are half done, add the seasoning powders and saute for few more minutes until the radishes are fully cooked.
3. If you like them crispy, roast them for some more time. Serve it hot with sandwich or any other entree.

Notes:
1. You can add any seasoning - not just what I listed. I happen to use that combination and like it.
2. If you do not like getting garlic cloves in your mouth, you can chop them finely and then add it.

Flax Seed and Garlic Chutney Powder

(From Banu's Cookbook)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of Flax Seed
1/4 cup of White Sesame Seeds
1/4 cup Dry or dessicated coconut powder
4-6 Red Chillies
10 Garlic Pods
1/2 inch of dry tamarind
1 tbsp of Jaggery powder (Optional)

Method:
1. Dry Roast the Flax seed. It is done once you see the color change and aroma starts coming. Roast it on low flame so that you do not burn it. Takes about 10 mins or so for half a cup.

2. Then Dry roast the sesame seeds until they change color. Do not burn it.

3. Dry roast the desiccated coconut as well.

4. Now add a bit of oil in the pan and roast red chilies and Garlic. You can see red chillies almost turning black and also garlic getting nicely browned.

5. Let everything cool down to room temperature.

6. Grind the flax seed, sesame seeds and copra into a coarse powder ( or fine if you prefer it that way). Then add to the gm grinder/blender jar - red chillies, garlic, tamarind, jaggery and salt to taste and grind it again till everything mixes well.

7. Flax seed and sesame seeds both will release oils so the mixture will become a lump and might not grind well. You will need to stir it often. 

8. This chutney powder goes well with bread and chapathi and also with Hot Rice and Ghee.

9. Stored in an air tight container in the fridge, this will last upto a month.

Notes:

1. You can also add roasted groundnuts to this mixture.

2. I have done this without desiccated coconut and it does not compromise the taste.