Mung Burgers

Preparation time: 1 ½ hours with a pressure cooker Serves: 5-6
2 hours without
0 Vata, 0 Pitta, 0 Kapha*
-Vata, -Pitta, moderately + Kapha**

1 cup whole mung beans
4-5 cups water
2 tbsp brown or wild rice
1 stick kombu
1/16 tsp hing
1 tsp sunflower oil
½ medium onion chopped
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp dry oregano
2 medium red potatoes, unpeeled
1 egg white
1 tsp- 2 tbsp stone ground mustard (the lesser for Pitta; Vata and Kapha can use up to the maximum as they like)
1 tsp sea or rock salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp barley or whole wheat flour

*VERSION 1: Combine the mung beans, water, kombu and hing in a pressure cooker and bring to pressure and cook for 25 mins ( if you like your burgers chewy make it 20 mins). If you are not using pressure cooker, bring beans to a boil with the rest of these first ingredients and then cover and cook over medium heat for an hour, or until soft.
While the beans are cooking, wash the potatoes and cut them in quarters, then eights. Chop the onion. Warm the oil in a large skillet and add the cumin, oregano and onion. Sauté until the onion is tender and the herbs are lightly browned. Set aside and wait for the beans to be done.
When the beans are done, cool the pot in cool water to bring it down from pressure, open it and add the potatoes. Cook uncovered until the potatoes are soft, about 20 – 30 mins. Add the beans and potatoes to the herbs in the skillet and mash. Stir in the egg white, mustard, salt and pepper. Add the flour if the burgers need thickening. Form into patties and cook on a non-stick pan until brown, flipping to brown the other side. Or cook them on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 mins. Makes 10 to 12 3” to 4” burgers.

Comment: This goes well with Artichoke Heart Salad.

**VERSION 2: Substitute 1 large sweet potato for the 2 red potatoes. Wash and peel it and add it the same time the potatoes would have been added, after the beans are cooked. Omit the oregano and mustard and add 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, finely chopped or minced, and 1 tsp mild curry powder.

Potato & Green Pea Patties

Preparation time: 1 hour Serves: 5-6
Moderately + Vata, - Pitta, -Kapha

5 medium red potatoes
1 tbsp sunflower oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp Sucanat
3 cups frozen green peas

Put water on to boil in a large pot for the potatoes. Boil potatoes with their skin on. Cool. While the potatoes are cooking, heat oil in a medium sized skillet and add mustard seeds. Blend the peas in the blender. When the mustard seeds pop, add green peas and salt to the oil. Cook over low heat for about 10 to 15 mins or until all the water is absorbed. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cool. Take potatoes and mash them in a separate bowl, then make 10 to 12 balls. Flatten the potato balls into patties, then place pea mixture in their centers. Fold and seal, pressing together with hands and reforming into round patties. Heat iron pan, and add enough oil to keep from sticking. If making for Kapha, use a non stick pan and no oil. Cook patties over low heat until brown on both sides. Serve hot.

Comments: If you add extra ghee as a garnish for Vata, these are OK for occasional use.

Sweet Chickpeas

Preparation time: 20 mins, if using pre-cooked chickpeas Serves:4
Mildy +Vata, -Pitta, 0 Kapha

2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzos)
2 cup parsnips grated (about 2 medium parsnips)
1 large onion, grated
1 to 2 tbsp sunflower oil ( less for Kapha)
½ tsp ajwain
1/8 tsp hing
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp sea salt
½ cup water
Garnish: Fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Warm the oil in a large skillet and add the ajwain and hing. Brown them lightly. Stir in the chickpeas, parsnips, turmeric and onion and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the rest of ingredients and cook an additional 10 minutes or until the parsnip and onion are sweet and tender. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves.

Black Lentils With Yogurt

Preparation time: 1 hour Serves: 4-5
-Vata, +Pitta, moderately +Kapha

½ cup dry black lentils
3 cups water
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp hing
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp barley malt or brown rice syrup
Garnish: yogurt to taste

Wash lentils. Cook covered in water with hing until soft, 25 to 30 minutes over medium heat. Add salt, cumin, garlic and barley malt. Cook 20 more minutes.

Comments: This goes well with bread and vegetable or rice. Excellent dish for Vata as it is very strengthening. It should be tried in very small quantities at first, as it is a concentrated food. Can be eaten occasionally by Pitta and Kapha, but it is imbalancing if eaten on a regular basis. Serve with yogurt for Vata, or cauliflower kadhi for Pitta and Kapha.

Mung Dal With Spinach

Preparation time: with pressure cooker, 45 mins Serves: 3-4
Without pressure cooker, 1 hour or more
-Vata, moderately +Pitta, 0 Kapha

1 cup split mung dal
4 ½ cups water
1/8 tsp hing
1 tbsp sunflower oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sea salt
¼ hot green chilli pepper (optional, best for kapha)
1 ½ tsp coriander powder
1 tsp brown rice syrup (optional, omit for kapha)
1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves, chopped.

Wash the dal well and put it in the pressure cooker with the water and hing. Bring to pressure and cook for 15 mins. Or, use a regular pot, bring to boil, cover and cook until tender, abt 45 mins.

In a small skillet, warm the oil and add the cumin, garlic and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds pop, stir in the turmeric and combine the mixture with the cooked mung dal. Add rest of the ingredients except the spinach and cook for 10 mins. Then add the spinach and cover and cook until tender, 5 – 10 mins more over medium heat.

Comments: This goes well with chappati and a vegetable side dish.

Zucchini and Mung Dal

Preparation time:1 to 1 ½ hours, plus 2 hours to soak Serves 4-5
-Vata, -Pitta, -Kapha

1 cup split mung dal or whole mung beans
1 ½ tablespoons sunflower oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp hing
1 tbsp lime juice
4 cups water
2 cups zucchini cut in ½ inch cubes
1 tsp fresh ginger root, finely minced
1 tsp sea salt
½ - 1 tsp coriander powder
¼ hot green chilli pepper, chopped ( optional, omit for Pitta)

Soak mung in 4 cups of water for 2 hours. Heat oil in heavy skillet, add mustard seeds. When they pop, add turmeric, hing, lime juice, and drained mung beans. Add fresh ginger root and 4 cups of water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 mins if split mung, 1 hour or more if whole mung beans. Add zucchini and remaining ingredients and cook 15 mins or until beans are soft.

Comment: This goes well with rice and rotis. Pitta needs to garnish lavishly with chopped coriander leaves or coriander powder to offset the fresh ginger.

Tur Dal

Preparation time: 2 hours Serves: 6
-Vata, + +Pitta, -Kapha

1 cup tur dal
12 cups of water
1 tbsp sunflower oil or ghee
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp hing
1 tsp sea salt
1 ½ tsp barley malt or brown rice syrup
1 ½ tsp lime or lemon juice
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp curry powder, mild
¼ green pepper, chopped (optional, omit for Pitta)
2 to 3 clove garlic, minced (optional, omit for Pitta)

Soak tur dal for 2 hours, then drain. In large heavy saucrpan heat oil or ghee and add mustard seeds. When they pop, add turmeric, hing, tur dal, water and remaining ingredients except the coriander powder. Mix well. Cover and cook for ½ hour. Add 1 tsp of coriander powder before serving to calm and relax the flavour of the beans a bit and to aid digestion.

Comment: Tur dal is a hot, light, dry bean helpful for Vata and Kapha and definitely aggravating Pitta. Not for those with inflamed gartrointestinal tracks.