Black Bean Tortilla Bake

I prepared this dish last Christmas for my office lunch. It was a huge hit  :)

I found this recipe on food.com , it is very filling and tastes yummy. Tortilla as in main recipe makes it soggy, so I use tortilla chips to give it a crunch. Here is my version of the recipe

Black Bean Tortilla Bake

1 can of Black beans
1 can diced tomato puree (8 oz)
1 small onion - Chopped
1/2 Fresh jalapeno or 4-5 pickled jalapeno (finely chopped)
2 cloves of garlic -finely chopped
1 packet tortilla chip
1 and half  cup Mexican or Cheddar cheese
Olive oil or vegetable oil
1 Bell Pepper(optional)
Salt
Black Pepper
Pinch of Cayenne pepper

For topping

Sour Cream
Olives
Pickled Jalapeno
Tomatoes
Pico de gallo
Cilantro

• Preheat the oven at 350 F meanwhile heat oil in a big pan, add chopped garlic, and tomatoes. Mix well and cook for about a minute.
• Add bell pepper, salt, black pepper and cayenne and mix it  again
• Add tomato puree and beans, give a nice stir.
• Turn off the heat.
• In a greased baking pan add a layer of tortilla chips, add black bean layer and at last add a layer of cheese.
• Repeat this procedure and use all the black bean mixture.
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Serve hot  with the toppings

Lentil Casserole - Mix Dal Khichdi

Khichdi

1/2 Cup Rice
1/4 Cup Tual dal (Yellow Lentil)
1/4 cup Mng dal (Green Lentils)

1 small Potato
2-3 Carrots
1 Tomato
1-2 Small eggplants (optional)
1/4 cup sweet Peas
1/2 Onion
1 Jalapeno Pepper 
Ginger 
2-3 Tbsp Oil
1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 Tsp Cumin Seeds
1 to 2  Tb Sp. paprika
1 Tbsp Turmeric
1/4 T Sp Garam Masala (Optional)
Salt to taste
1 Tb Sp Butter


Wash rice, and all lentils and soak in wwarm water for 10 minutes
Cut all the vegetables into cubes
In Pressure Cooker heat  oil, when oil is hot add mustard and cumin seeds
Add all the vegetables and mix well, cook for about a minute
Add all spices, rice and lentils
Add about 1 and half cup of water
Take about 3-4 whistles in pressure cooker.
Add butter and cilantro. Mix well and serve hot with yogurt.

Gajar-Marcha no Sambharo - Sauteed Carrots and Chilies with Turmeric

Sauteed Carrots and Chilies

2 Carrots
1 Big Chili Paper
1/2  T Sp Cumin Seeds
1/2 T Sp Mustard Seeds
A Pinch of Asafoetida/Hing
Salt to Taste
1 T Sp Turmeric Powder

• Cut Carrots and chilies length wise
• Heat Oil in a Pan, add Mustard and Cumin seeds
• Add hing and Turmeric powder
• Add Carrots and chilies
• Mix well, saute for 2-3 minutes, remove from heat and add salt when it cools down little bit.

If the chilies are too spicy, you can add little sugar

Mix Vegetable Sabji

Mix Vegetable Curry 

When you don't have enough vegetables to make sabji with, use all of them and make mix vegetable sabji(Curry).

1 Potato
2-3 Small Eggplants
Small Cauliflower
1/2 Cup Peas
1 Small tomato
1/2 Pound of Spinach
1/2 inch  Ginger Root (optional)
2 Small Pepper Serrano (optional)
1/2  T Sp Cumin Seeds
1/2 T Sp Mustard Seeds
A Pinch of Asafoetida/Hing
Salt to Taste
1 T Sp Turmeric Powder
1 T Sp  Coriander-Cumin Powder
1 T Sp Sugar (optional)
1/2 T Sp Garam Masala (Optional)
5 Tb Sp. Oil

• Cut cauliflower into small florets, also cut all vegetable into small cubes
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard and cumin seeds 
• Add hing and all the vegetables excluding tomato, mix well. Let it cook until 1-2 minutes
• Add all spices, sugar and a little water enough to cook the vegetables (About 4-5 table spoons)
• When vegetables are little tender, add tomato. Cover and cook thoroughly.
• When it is done, sprinkle garam masala over the curry and mix well. Serve hot with chapati.

Ringan no Olo - Spicy Eggplant

Ringan no Olo OR Baingan ka Bharta

1 Big Eggplant
1 Small Potato (Optional)
1 Small Onion  or  5-6  Green Onions
2 Tomatoes
Ginger 1 Inch
Garlic Cloves 2 -3
1 Green Chili
1/2 T Sp Cumin Seeds
A pinch of Hing
2 T Sp Turmeric
1 T Sp Cumin Powder
1 T Sp Coriander Powder
2 Tb Sp Paprika
Salt per taste
6-7 Tb Sp Oil
1 Whole Dry Red Chili (Optional)
3 Tb Sp Lemon Juice

• Brush oil on eggplant and roast into over at 450 F for about 40-50 minutes or until eggplant is cooked, let it cool  and remove the skin
• Boil the potato and remove the skin
• Mash the eggplant and potato
• Cut Onion, tomatoes, Green chills, Ginger, Garlic into small pieces
• Heat oil add cumin seeds , whole dry chili and garlic. Don't let the garlic get burnt
• Add hing, and onions.
• Fry until translucent, add ginger, green chili, tomatoes, turmeric, salt, coriander-cumin powder and mix well.
• Add paprika and garam masala
• Cook until tomatoes are well done.
• Add mashed eggplant and potato. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes,add lemon juice and remove from the stove
• Serve with roties/chapatis, tastes even better with Bajra Roti and Chhash (Buttermilk)

Slow Cooker Mung Dal

Mung Dal

1 Cup Mung Dal (Split Mung Beans)
1 Small Onion
1 Inch Ginger cut into small pieces
2-3 Garlic Cloves - Chopped finely
1 Jalapeno or Pepper Serrano
1 Small Tomato
6-7 Curry Leaves (Optional)
1/2 Tb Sp Paprika
1/2 Tb Sp Turmeric
1/2 Tb Sp Coriander Powder
1/2 Tb Sp Cumin Powder
1 Tb Sp Butter
Salt per taste
Cilantro For garnishing

2-3 Tb Sp Lemon Juice (Optional)

For Tempering:

1/2  T Sp Cumin Seeds

1/2 T Sp Mustard Seeds

A Pinch of Asafoetida/Hing 
1 Whole Dry Chili
3 Tb Sp Oil

• Wash Mung dal and put int slow cooker with 3-4 cups of water
• Add Chopped Onion,ginger, garlic, Pepper, Tomato, Curry Leaves, and all other spices along with butter.
• Cover and cook on slow setting for about 5-6 hours. 
• Before tempering the dal, change the setting to High
• Heat oil in a Pan and add Mustard -Cumin seeds followed by whole dry chili and Hing
• Add this oil into Dal, cover the pot and cook for about half an hour
• Add Lemon juice and cilantro, change setting to warm and serve warm with rice and chapati

Stuffed Potatoes - Bharela Batata nu Shak

Stuffed Potatoes

3-4 Medium sized potatoes
1/2 cup Crushed Ganthia  OR Toasted Besan
3-4 Cloves of Garlic
2 Tb Sp Paprika
1 T Sp Turmeric
1 T Sp Cumin Powder
1 T Sp Coriander Powder
Salt per taste
3 Tb Sp Oil (For Stuffing)
4 Tb Sp Oil to fry
2 Tb Sp Lemon Juice (Optional)
1 T Sp Sugar (Optional)
1/2 T Sp Garam Masala (Optional)
1 Tomato (Optional)
1 T Sp Garlic - Green Chili Paste (optional)
1 T Sp Cumin Seeds
Hing

• Crush the garlic cloves and mix with Paprika, Ganthia , Turmeric, Coriander-Cumn Powder, Salt, Sugar,Lemon Juice, Garam Masala and Chili-Garlic paste and Oil
• Wash the potatoes and cut in half.
• Make 2 splits in each half, stuff with the mixture
• Heat Oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, hing and potatoes.
• Cover and cook on medium flame, if you want gravy add remaining stuffing and water. 
• When it is about to be done, add tomato pieces.
• Serve hot with Chapati. 

For Variation instead of ganthiya powder use toasted besan or toasted and crushed peanuts.
You can even try crushed daliya-bhune chana (chick peas)