Veggie and G-F Indian food

Today and yesterday I started preparing Indian food for the week of delicious leftovers for the late work nights. It's working out well thus far:
Chana Masala, Saag Paneer, Aloo Paratha with Raita and Mango Chutney...yum! And just added Malai Kofta!

These recipes are from Indian Vegetarian Cooking At Your House by Sunetra Humbad and Amy Schafer Boger.

And, they are mostly gluten-free; I didn't alter them very much, other than to omit hing, a spice that contains wheat, and to try out some of my ideas for substitutions, additions, shortcuts etc. Here are my altered versions...

Malai Kofta

In a lg bowl, mix:
2 zukes, shredded
1 1/2 c chick pea flour
1/4 c water, more or less to make a thick paste
2 T chopped cilantro
1 T cumin
1 t sea salt
1/8 t cayenne
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 t garam masala

Fry mixture 1 heaping T at a time in 1/4 inch of hot oil in skillet (I used sunflower oil).
Drain and set aside.
Make your sauce:
In a large saucepan, heat 3 T sunflower oil and add
1 onion, diced
1 tom, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T chopped cilantro
1/4 inch of grated fresh ginger root
1 pinch of hot red pepper
1/2 c water
1 T tom paste
1 t cumin
1 t garam masala
1 t sea salt
1/4 t turmeric
Heat til vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. add more water as needed. I blended mine and put it back in the pan before adding:
1 T yoghurt, stir til blended
then add the balls and heat thru.

Serve over basmati rice with peas. Top with raita (see below for recipe).


Chana Masala

Chop one onion and a clove of garlic and saute in some sunflower oil. Add 1/4 in grated ginger root, 2 t cumin, 1 t turmeric, 1 t garam masala, 1/4 hot red pepper (opt), 6 whole cloves, cinnamon stick broken into lg pcs, bay leaf. Add 1 1/2 chopped tomatoes, or 1 c tom sauce. Saute til onions are soft.
Then add a can of cooked chick peas, 2/3 c water, 1 t salt or to taste, 2 T chopped cilantro. Simmer 10 mins. Mush up some of the chick peas for a creamier sauce.

Saag Paneer

Defrost and set aside 1 package of frozen spinach (16 oz)
Saute in sunflower oil: 1 chopped onion, 1 inch grated ginger root, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 c tomato, 1 T chopped cilantro, 1 t salt or to taste, 1 T cumin, 1 t garam masala, 1 t turmeric, 1/2 t hot red pepper (opt). Saute til onions are soft.
Add thawed spinach. Food process half and dump back in. Add 1 T chickpea flour whisked into 1/2 c water. Add cubes of your fave feta -- I used goat/sheep to keep this recipe cow dairy-free. In the cook book, they use baked ricotta, cut into cubes and deep fried...mmm...
Heat thru and serve with your chana from above atop some white basmati rice with steamed peas (when you make your rice, throw in a handful of frozen peas in the last 5 mins of cooking. Remove from heat and let it stand, covered for a few mins before serving.

Side Dishes: Aloo Paratha and Raita and Mango Chutney:

Aloo Paratha

2 1/4 c garbanzo flour
1/2 t salt
add: 3/4 c warm water and mix to form a dough

Divide up into about 8-10 balls of dough. Roll each out to 1/4".
Filling:
2 large potatoes and 1 c peas, steamed or boiled
Mash with:
1/2 c chopped onion or 2 scallions
3 T chopped cilantro
1 T cumin
1 t salt
3/4 t garam masala
1/8 t hot pepper
Scoop filling onto half of rolled out dough, fold in half, seal edge. Fry in sunflower oil til both sides are browned, and place in warm oven to cook dough through for about 10 mins.

Mango Chutney

Blend in blender til a paste:
2 small chopped mangoes
1 T roasted peanuts
1 T honey
1 T chopped cilantro
1 t salt
1/4 t hot red pepper
1 t cumin seeds
1 t coriander

serve on the side
with
Raita

Roast 1/2 t cumin seeds, grind.
combine in a bowl:
1/2 c give or take of pl yoghurt
1 T water
the cumin seeds from above
1/2 t salt
pinch of hot red pepper
pinch of cumin
1 diced cuke
1/2 scallion, diced
1/2 small tom, diced
1 T chopped cilantro plus more for topping.

serve on the side...
Enjoy!!~

is your toothpaste gluten-free?

I have been using Kiss My Face Triple Action toothpaste for years. When I went g-f, I checked the label, and while it doesn't have the symbol of being certified gluten-free on the label like some of my other favorite products do, the ingredients looked safe. I thought I would double-check when they recently changed their packaging, and here is what Heather at KMF wrote back to me:

While our toothpastes do not contain any gluten ingredients, we do not test the final product for gluten and so cannot guarantee them to be gluten free. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of further help.

OK, and this is also what Seventh Generation says on their website about all of their products from dish-washing liquids to sanitary napkins...c'mon, why can't they batch test their products? Then they could put the official G-F seal of approval on their packaging, making their products then more desirable to folks like me.

If anyone out there knows of guaranteed gluten-free household and beauty products, please let me know!

Great, helpful article

Mark Hyman, MD: Gluten: What You Don't Know Might Kill You

G-F and veggie Shepherd's Pie (without the lentils)

Casserole season is here! Turn on the oven for as long as possible, I say, when it's super cold outside and you just can't seem to get the chill out of your bones. The perfect panacea: Shepherd's Pie, aka, Goatherd's Pie!

Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie Recipe

(I adapted a spicy version of this from Karina's Kitchen, see link at end of recipe)

For the mashed potato crust:
4 large gold or red potatoes, chopped
Vegetable broth, splash
olive oil, to taste
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh chives, to taste
chopped fresh parsley, to taste
paprika for the top

For the filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 t grated ginger root
1/8 t cayenne
1 small onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. cauliflower florets (about half a smallish head), cut to bite size
3 medium-large carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
1 heaping cup shredded cabbage
diced handful roasted red peppers
1 c. chopped kale
1/2 c your fave g-f salsa (I like Green Mtn Gringo Roasted Garlic)
1 c. veg broth
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 can white beans or butter beans

Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and cover with salted cold water; bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about twenty minutes.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet and add the cumin, cayenne, ginger. Stir one minute and add the fresh chopped vegetables. Stir and cook about five minutes or so.

Add the salsa, broth and vinegar, sea salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine.

Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce begins to reduce, then remove from heat, and gently add in the beans. Set aside.

Mash the cooked potatoes with a little veg broth and olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper. Add chives if you like. Taste test.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Assemble your pie:

Spoon the vegetables into a casserole dish. Top with mounds of mashed potato. I like to leave a few peaks (they get a bit golden). Sprinkle with chopped chives or parsley, paprika is nice. Bake in a moderate oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the pie is bubbling and heated through.

Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/04/veggie-lovers-shepherds-pie.html#ixzz0blLxZBMn