Masala Pasta Ratatouille

Ingredients:

1 tsp Olive Oil

1-1/2 cups Water

1 cup chopped red onions

4 garlic cloves, minced or 1/2 tsp garlic paste

1 medium eggplant, cubed

1 large Persian cucumber, cubed

1 cup mixed vegetables, baby corn, beans, carrots and mushrooms

1 tomato, chopped

1 cup Penne pasta or any regular or whole wheat pasta,

2 tsp tomato paste,

1 tsp Basil leaves,

1/2 tsp Rosemary leaves,

1/2 tsp Oregano leaves,

Salt to taste,

1 tsp Garam masala powder, 

1 tsp Amchur powder,

1 tsp Chaat masala,

1 tsp cumin seeds,

Fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Method:

1.  In a non-sick frying pan over medium heat, pour 1 tsp olive oil. Add the chopped onions, garlic, cumin seeds and fry for 2 minutes.

2. Then add to the pan, eggplant, persian cucumber, mixed vegetables, tomato and cook stirring frequently for 5 minutes.

3. Now add the pasta to the pan and stir in for 2 minutes, then add 1-1/2cups of water, garam masala, amchur powder, chaat masala, salt to taste, basil, oregano and rosemary leaves, cover the pan and cook until the pasta is al dente or the water has been absorbed.

4. Sprinkle some fresh ground pepper and serve hot.


Note:
You can find amchur powder and chaat masala at any Indian store, but if you cannot find them, you can give them a miss and still enjoy the masala flavored pasta.

Pasta with Lentil Soup Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked Penne Pasta
• 1 cup Red Gram (pigeon peas) lentils 
• Curry powder 1 Tsp
• Cumin seeds 1 Tsp
• Mustard seeds 1 Tsp
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 Tsp Olive oil
• Basil and Oregano leaves
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Boil 1 cup of Red gram (pigeon peas) lentils in a pressure cooker or stove top until they are tender.
2. In a pan, pour the 2 Tsp Olive oil, in it add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and the boiled red gram lentils.
3. Pour 2 cups of water along with Penne Pasta, curry powder and salt to taste.
4. Cook till the pasta is al dente, add ground black pepper, basil and oregano and serve hot.

BisiBelaBath Rice Dish

Ingredients

Mixed Vegetables: Beans, Carrots, Potato, Eggplant, Green peas, Broccoli - 1/2 Cup
Onions -1 diced
Rice - 2 cups
Red gram lentils or the pigeon peas- 1 cup
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Sambar masala powder - 6 tsp
Ghee - 3 tsp
Cashew nuts - 10 nos
Cloves - 2 nos
Tamarind juice
Cilantro leaves - As required
Coriander seeds - 1 Tsp
Cardamom - 3
Cumin (Jeera) seeds - 1 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 2 Tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 Tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

1) Cut all vegetables evenly and steam them in a pressure cooker along with the 2 cups of rice.

2) Separately cook 1 cup of red gram (pigeon peas) in a pressure cooker.

3)Grind grated coconut with sambar masala powder and keep this paste aside.

4)Heat a frying pan and pour ghee into it. When it becomes hot, add cashews, mustard seeds, turmeric, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, Cardamom and cloves.

5)Then, add the diced onions into the frying pan and fry till lightly brown.

6)Add tamarind juice, salt and half of the ground paste and bring it to boil.

7)When the raw smell of tamarind is gone, add the steamed rice-vegetables-red gram (pigeon peas) mixture and stir well for about 5 minutes.

8)Add the remaining coconut paste at the end before removing BisiBelaBath from the flame.

9)Add some cilantro leaves and ghee on the top to BisiBelaBath before serving.

Serve BisiBelaBath hot.


Bisi Bele Bhath is a signature dish of many regions in Karnataka, South India. It is a wholesome meal-in-one and has rice, lentils and vegetables.