Here is a recipe I recently did for GenerationGinger.com. Enjoy!–Getting ready for the Superbowl but don’t want to limit yourself to potato chips? Try this hearty, healthy, and tasty recipe that is sure to be a hit, regardless of who wins (or loses). Everyone knows, good food is the key to a successful event. Even if that event is you sitting at home in your pajamas. So whip up this snack and get ready to cheer!

Ingredients
1 cup sprouted moong dal
1/2 medium onion diced
1/2 tomato diced
1/4 cup Spanish peanuts
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 Thai green chili diced
1 tbsp oil

Make
1. Add oil to a pan heated on medium.
2. Saute onions for a few minutes on medium-high.
3. Add chilies and saute for a few seconds.
4. Add moong dal and water and cook for about 3 minutes.
5. Mix in peanuts, tomatoes and lemon.
6. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature, serve, and enjoy!

Ok, so it’s not Lentil Soup. It’s Dal. But you can eat it like soup. I won’t tell anyone. This is a super simple recipe that doesn’t really require any Indian spices. Simple throw everything into the slow-cooker and you’re done (about 9 hours later). But the best part is that you can do anything you want with those 9 hours. Like read a book, take a nap, macrame (or if you have small children, you’ll just have to fantasize about those things). Traditionally, dal serves as the protein component of a traditional Indian meal which also consists of veggies, rice, roti, and yogurt. (And yes-fish, chicken, lamb can also be found on many an indian plate-just not this one). I hope you give this recipe a whirl and enjoy it as much as I did!.

Ingredients
1 cup black lentils
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 inch ginger, diced
1 Thai green chili, diced (optional)
1tsp salt (to taste)
1/4tsp turmeric (optional)
1/4 large onion, diced
1 medium tomato, diced (optional)
4-5 cups water

Make
1. Combine all ingredients (except for tomatoes) in slow cooker and cook on low for about 9 hours. (You may need to check about 7 hours into cooking to add more water.)
2. Enjoy, or add tomatoes and cook for an additional 1-2 hours before enjoying!

Baingan Bharta is like nothing you’ve ever tasted before (unless, of course, you’ve had baingan bharta). It’s the perfect fall dish that can be a great addition to a Thanksgiving meal. This recipe doesn’t even require Indian spices. If you’re not a fan of eggplant (and I’m generally not), give this easy Indian recipe a try-you just might change your mind..

Ingredients
1 medium eggplant
1 medium yellow onion diced
2 tomatoes diced
1 cup cilantro diced
1/2 tsp paprika
1 thai green chili
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 tbsp oil

Make
1. Coat eggplant in a small amount of oil and roast on an open flame until skin turn black and flakey and you see the eggplant “sweat.” If you don’t have gas burner, roast in an oven on medium in middle rack and place above a drip tray.
2. Use a knife and your fingers to remove the skin (discard skin).
3. Use a fork and knife to mash eggplant (if seeds are black, your eggplant might be bad).
4. Add oil to heated pan (medium to medium-hi heat).
5. Add onions and saute until light brown.
6. Add green chilies and saute for 30seconds.
7. Add tomatoes and saute until tomatoes break down.
8. Add salt and paprika and mix.
9. Add eggplant mash and saute for about 5 minutes.
10. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for additional 5 minutes.
11. Add cilantro, mix and cover for additional 5 minutes.
12. Cook longer if desired, but it should be ready to serve and enjoy!

Sooji Halwa is one of the best parts of any Indian celebration. It’s warm, tasty, and a great food for all ages. I made it for Diwali, Hindu New Year, and ate half the batch on my own. It’s really meant to be shared. It’s a wonderful dessert, and will warm you up on a rainy day. It’s also a fabulous pick-me up if you’re not feeling that great. The best part is that it is a super easy Indian recipe. So enjoy this recipe, but more importantly, enjoy the Halwa..

Ingredients
1 cup sooji or semolina
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar (to taste)
3 cups water
1/2 tsp crushed cardamom seeds
7 almonds crushed or sliced for garnish

Make
1. Bring water, sugar, cardamom seeds to a boil and set aside.
2. Heat pan on medium, add butter and sooji and stir (semolina).
3. Stir regularly until sooji (semolina) is golden brown-about 6-8 minutes.
4. Turn heat to low and slowly stir in water mixture (be careful since it’ll splatter).
5. Cook for two minutes.
6. Garnish with almonds and serve.

NEW CONTEST-I’m doing another $10 Amazon giveaway. You just have to “Like” my facebook page and hit the “enter giveaway” button on the following page http://t.co/6a14kygy Contest ends November 7th. Share the link from the contest page and if the winner is someone you referred, you can also win!

All you have to do is “Like” my facebook fanpage. You can do it right from my website (from the Facebook box on the right column). Just press like and you’ll be entered to win $10 from Amazon. Or, you can go to http://www.facebook.com/theeasyindian and press the “Like” button there.

It’s that easy! Contest ends October 20th, 2011.

Details at:
http://www.facebook.com/TheEasyIndian?sk=app_149194385149202

I’m super excited to share my first viewer submitted recipe. Ranjani Shankar shares a crisp and flavorful sprouted moong and carrot salad recipe. Make sure you watch the video to get a glimpse of her stylish self. But the question still remains: how does one sprout moong dal? Answer: stay tuned for my next post where we explore this fascinating topic. Until then, munch on some healthy salad–move over iceburg lettuce. Ranjani loves to cook and has a bunch of recipes up her sleeve. So join her support of this fabulous website and submit a recipe of your own to theeasyindian@gmail.com.

Ingredients
1-2 cups grated carrots
Sprouted moong from 1/4 cup moong dal
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 thai green chili diced (to taste)
Juice of 1/2 medium lemon
1/4 tsp salt (to taste)

Make
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl (you can save cilantro to garnish at the end if you like)
2. Serve and eat!

What better paring than super cute Rio Coin Drop Earrings from Stella & Dot and a piping hot Aloo Tikki (Indian spiced potato pancake) and some chutney? Ok, maybe a glass of wine or two, but seriously, you have to try the tikkies. My friend Jen Van Atta stopped by to learn how to make this tasty snack, and she was so impressed, she decided to give the earrings away. The earrings, while named “Rio” actually use recreations of old Indian coins. With the words “Annas” (the equivalent of cents) and “India” written on one side, and a picture of Queen Victoria on the other. So how do you win them? All you have to do is leave a comment at the bottom of this blog post about which Indian recipe you’d like to see next (or comment on another recipe from this site if you’re unfamiliar with Indian food). I’ll pick someone at random and voila…you’ll get these go-to earrings. Some basic information:

–You can leave as many meaningful comments (no reposts please) as you’d like to increase your chances (only actual recipe related comments will be approved).
–You must be a subscriber to theeasyindian.com.
–Contest runs from July 26th-August 12th.
–Winner will be announced August 15th at theeasyindian.com
And now on to the recipe!

Ingredients
2 tbsp oil (1/2 tbsp for pea mixture, 1 1/2 tbsp for potatoes)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup peas
1 inch ginger grated
3 medium potatoes (boiled, pealed, and grated into a bowl)
1 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup cilantro

Cook
Potato Mixture
1. Add corn starch to grated potatoes
2. Mix together with your hands until potato gratings stick together
3. Set aside

Pea Mixture
1. Heat up pan on medium flame and add oil
2. Once oil warms up, stir in cumin seeds
3. Once cumin seeds make popping sound, stir in coriander, chili powder, ginger, salt and stir for a few seconds
4. Stir in peas and cook for about 5 minutes

Make the Aloo Tikkis
1. Take a ball of potato mixture in palm and flatten to create a thick patty.
2. Place a teaspoon of pea mixture in center of patty.
3. Fold over edges of potato over the peas so they no longer show, and flatten again into a thick patty.
4. Warm up new pan on medium flame and add about a teaspoon of olive oil.
5. Place potato patty in pan and cook for a few minutes.
6. Turn over and cook on the other side for a few minutes.
7. Repeat, gently patting down patty until both sides are crispy brown. Add oil as needed.
8. Serve with chutney, yogurt, and/or garnish with cilantro.
(note the potato part of the patty is intentionally left bland since it is mean to be served with chutney).

I thought I had all the moves until I met Seema Shah. If you haven’t yet clicked on the video, you’ll see what I mean when you watch it. Seema’s been in Bollywood mega blockbusters such as Dhoom2 and Lage Raho Muna Bhai and now has her own dance troupe called Cree8 Productions. This multi-talented girl decided to share her father’s famous Watermelon Smoothie recipe. I can attest that it got me ready to “bale bale” across the kitchen. There are a number of variations you can do to this drink (try using coconut ice cream instead of vanilla bean). Share a variation you think might taste great in the comments section below!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups watermelon
1 cup ice
1/2 cup ice cream (vanilla bean, coconut, or whatever you’d like to try)
1/4 cup milk (or substitute milk alternative)
Seeds of 4-5 cardamoms crushed (no skin)
1/8 tsp rosewater
A shot of rum (optional)

Make
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender
2. Blend for 30 seconds-1 minute (or until you get the desired texture)
3. Pour into a glass of your choice, garnish with watermelon or mint, serve and enjoy!

Sarina Jain, founder of Masala Dance and Fitness, is as chut-pati as the Cilantro Chutney she shows us how to make. What does chut-pati mean? Let’s just say there is no translation in English, you just gotta experience it for yourself. We love to pair it with Sarina’s Sooji Sandwich recipe. Chutney is a must with any Indian snack, and can also be served with the main course. If you love cilantro, give this easy to make recipe a whirl. If you want to experience something even more chut-pati, visit Sarina at MasalaDance.com.

Ingredients
1.5 bunches cilantro chopped
1/4 cup water
juice of 1-2 small lemons
Spices
1/2 tsp toasted cumin powder
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 inch ginger
Cook
1. Combine all ingredients, except for cilantro, in a blender
2. Add 1/4 portion of cilantro and pulse
3. Once initial amount becomes the consistency of a thick liquid, add another 1/4 portion and pulse
4. Repeat until all cilantro is used.
5. Enjoy with a snack like Sooji Sandwiches!