Monday, November 9, 2015

$1 Dinners - Indian Fare For All

Week 1: Region - Asia
Day 1: Local Cuisine - India - Home to 1.25 BILLION beautiful souls. 75% of the population lives near or below the poverty line, earning less than $78/month.  Only 11% own a refrigerator (a).  There are over 14 million men, women and children trapped in slavery in India (b).  
Plan: Sunday Dinner - $15 for 15 - Samosas, Chutney, Dahl, Riata
Final total: $14.97.  We barely made budget, but we did it!
       
 Story:  It is a cherished nephew's birthday. We are the hosts. Somehow curry has become a distinct favorite in our families with vegetarian children. My sister brought an amazing array of curry sauces, but Don was head chef for our portion of tonight's shared fare. The longest prep was boiling the rutabaga for the samosas, everything else went quick, especially when we applied the adage "many hands make light work."

Firmer and less sweet than potatoes, but milder than turnups or horseradish, rutabagas are slightly bitter and cabbagey. They added interesting texture and flavor to the meal, and while were the most expensive addition, they were by far the most nutritious ingredient, which was Don's whole aim. One medium rutabaga has 33% of your potassium, 36% of your fiber, 160% of your vitamin c, and 20% of both magnesium and b6. Who knew one little root vegetable that can nestle in a root cellar comfortably for months could pack such a powerful punch.   Also, lentils were an awesome addition: 65% of fiber, 18 grams protein, 36% iron, all in one cooked cup. 
                                       
   Good job to the dad and food scientist in our house for pushing us out of the familiar box of hum drum veggies and into the more adventurous side of the cellar. 

Counting the Costs:

Samosas
Oil for frying -  2 cups - $1
Won Ton Wraps - $2.60
2 potatoes - $0.50
2 rutabaga - $3.20
1/2 c dried spinach - $0.50
1/4 c dried onion - $0.25
2 tbsp oil - $0.05
1 tbsp lemon juice - $0.10
1 large clove garlic - free from garden
1/2 powdered ginger 
1/2 teaspoon garam masala spice blend
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon red chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Samosa Total - $8.2
     
  
1.  Peel and chop rutabaga for boiling.  Heat water and add rutabaga, bring to a full boil.  Peel and chop potatoes. 
2.  When rutabaga are half way done (after maybe 15 minutes), add potatoes. Cover and boil until all potatoes are nearly ready for mashing. Add dried spinach (fresh spinach will work, too, just chop it finely).  Drain veggies and pour them into a medium bowl. 
3.  Add remaining ingredients to the bowl. Mix on medium speed with hand mixer until potatoes are mashed. Rutabaga may still be chunky. No problem. 
4.  Put abt one teaspoon of samosa filling in the center of a won ton wrap.  Wet edges with water and fold into a triangle. 
5. Fry samosas in hot oil over medium high heat. When the first side is golden brown (about two minutes) flip and fry the other side. Place on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels. Serve hot with chutney or raita. 
       
   
Dahl
2 cups lentils - $1
1 tablespoon olive oil - $0.12
1/4 c dried minced onion - $0.25
2 tbsp vegetable stock powder - $0.33
1 teaspoon garlic, minced - free from the garden
1 large bay leaf
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
6 cups water
salt as needed, after lentils are cooked
2 tbsp yogurt after lentils are cooked $0.20
Dahl total - $1.95

1.  Add all ingredients into rice cooker. Cook until tender. 
2.  Pour lentil mixture into a medium bowl. Add yogurt.  Mix with an electic mixer until smooth. Salt as needed. 
3. Serve with rice, raita, samosas, chutney, naan, or any other side. 

Mint Chutney
1 bunch fresh cilantro - $0.70
1 bunch fresh mint leaves - $2.20
1 small onion, cut into chunks $0.25
1 tablespoon lemon juice $0.10
1 spicy chile pepper - free from the garden
1 clove garlic 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup water
Chutney total - $3.25

1. Combine all ingredients in food processor. Blend on high for one minute. Chill.
2. Serve with samosas, naan, or any happy snack you can think of. 
       

       

Raita
1 1/2 cup plain yogurt - $0.95
1/2 grated cucumber $0.50
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro $0.12
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground curry powder 
1/2 tsp salt 
Raita total - $1.57

1.  Add all ingredients into a medium bowl. Mix well. Chill and garnish with fresh cilantro and chili powder. 
2. Serve with curry as a coolant for spiciness, or to add a little tang to any dish or side. 
     
  

Dinner total - $14.97

References
A. http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/02/asia/india-poor-census-secc/
B. http://www.globalslaveryindex.org/country/india/

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