Radish Greens Stuffed Whole Wheat Bread

I am a big sucker for gourmet produce stores. The sensory thrill of shopping at a store which is bursting the seams with a large variety of vegetables, fruit, prepared foods, cheese and wine, is a high that cannot be matched. :)

Entering a store like Nino Salvaggio's, Papa Joe's or Whole Foods, is an assault on all the senses. The sight of row upon row of shelves stacked almost to the ceiling with all kinds of vegetables in a multitude of colors, the aroma of the fresh, cool, and calming greens, the taste of slices of sweet fruit and slivers of gourmet cheese, the din of the vast crowds of shoppers, the exchange of pleasantries and shop-talk about unfamiliar vegetables with strangers... it is an experience that I love.

Despite the fact that these stores are usually expensive, I manage to shop frugally. I'll let you in on a secret - the trick is to buy whatever is in season - invariably only those vegetables that are not in season are expensive. The rest of the vegetables are usually priced to match the other local big chain grocery stores.

In addition, when I shop for vegetables, I usually look for value. For instance, I love "mooli parathas" (Radish Stuffed Whole Wheat Bread) and will usually pick up a bunch of long white radish for a dollar or two. And if I buy the same radish at a gourmet store, I'll get it with the leaves intact. I know I can use those leaves for something, so I actually end up making two dishes for the price of one vegetable.

So here is my original recipe using Radish Greens. The parathas were mouth-watering - crisp, colorful green parathas stuffed with nutrients like Vitamin C, protein and calcium. In fact the greens (that we generally throw away) are a better source of nutrients than the roots.

Please feel free to share this recipe. As noted in the copyright listed on the site, all I ask is that you indicate the source and share the link to this site. :)

Here is what you need:
1 bunch Radish Greens (washed and chopped)
2 cups whole wheat flour (I recommend my favorite King Arthur Whole Wheat)
1/2 tsp salt
Olive oil to make parathas

Here is how you make this:
Blanch the Radish leaves in hot water. Place in a blender and puree. Now add the Radish greens puree in the wheat flour along with salt and knead to a smooth dough. You may not need to add any water since the liquid in the puree may be adequate for a soft dough. Set aside for 1 hour.

Heat a non stick pan until hot. In the meantime, make small orange sized balls of the whole wheat dough. Dip the balls in flour and roll out into rounds shaped like a flat tortilla.

Dab the dough round with ½ tsp of oil. Fold over and enclose the oiled portion completely. Roll out again into a square or round shape. Place on the hot pan. Cook one side for half a minute. Flip over and spread 1/2 tsp oil on the side facing up. Now flip over again and spread oil on the side facing up so that both sides have oil. Toast on medium hot until crisp and brown.

Remove from the pan and serve hot with either Green apple in yogurt sauce, Potatoes in a jiffy - Paani Aloo or Sweet Green Chili pickle.

Cliantro Green chutney

Growing up in India meant growing up eating Indian food. And eating Indian food meant nearly every dish was garnished with chopped cilantro leaves.

I have lived in many cities and towns in India. The most ubiquitous factor in an Indian family's life is their "sabziwallah" and "keerai-kari".

"Sabziwallah" simply means "vegetable man". He would arrive early every morning, pushing his cart laden with all kinds of local and seasonal vegetables. There would be potatoes, onions, tomatoes, green beans, a few different kinds of pumpkins and gourds, brinjal (eggplant), carrots, ladies finger (okra!) amongst whatever else he could source that morning. None of the vegetables were refrigerated, so he needed to offload his wares that same day in order to minimize any losses. Invariably, he had a route and many different housewives with whom he had a symbiotic relationship. They needed him and he needed them. The women of the household looked forward to his visit everyday. It was a time to meet and chat with neighbors, take a break from the rush of sending the husband and kids off to work and school and from packing tiffin boxes (lunch boxes) for everyone. It was a time to take in the glorious sunshine and pore over the produce. Each housewife would buy her vegetables for the day and in the end, the sabziwallah would throw in his special free of charge - a small handful of green chilis and a few sprigs of cilantro.

And that cilantro would get washed, chopped and grace nearly every dish as a garnish.

But if the housewife ever wanted to make a cilantro chutney, she'd need to go to another source to buy a bunch of cilantro - the "keerai-kari" or the "green woman". This was invariably an old woman who would come laden with a huge basket on her head, filled with all kinds of greens. She would have different types of spinach, all kinds of greens and bunches of cilantro. She would stand outside the door and yell, "Amma (madam), I've brought greens". And the housewife would have another break from her household chores. She would go out and help the old woman bring down the basket from her head, haggle over the price of the greens, pay her, help her load her heavy basket back on her head and be on her merry way.

So, for as long as I can remember, cilantro was a staple in my diet - either as a garnish or as a chutney. It is only now that I checked the nutritional value of cilantro. According to the health diaries site, it has phenomenal health benefits - most notable amongst them is the ability to work as a natural chelation agent by leaching out heavy metals like mercury from the body. In addition, it is reportedly good for reducing bad cholesterol (LDL), increasing good cholesterol (HDL) and lowering blood sugar. It is also a good source of magnesium, iron, dietary fiber, phytonutrients and flavonoids.

And, oh, did I mention - it tastes simply fantastic.

What more reason do you need to try out this fabulous Cilantro Green chutney? Here's one more - it is ZERO fat. No fat! Nada!

Here's the section where I give credit: the Cilantro Green Chutney is my dear mother-in-law, Usha's recipe. And this is my father-in-law's most favorite accompaniment for every dish.

I have used this chutney in the Fusion Egg Sandwich recipe and had promised to give you the recipe.

Here it is. Buy a bunch of fresh green cilantro, make this chutney and store in the fridge for upto a week. Super quick and easy to make!







Here is what you need:
3 small bunches fresh cilantro leaves (wash thoroughly under running water)
1" piece fresh ginger (wash)
2 garlic pods (peeled and washed)
4 green chilis (reduce per taste)
1 tsp salt
Dash of lemon juice



Here is how you make this:
Place everything except lemon juice in a blender. Add enough water to allow the blender to work smoothly. Blend. Add lemon juice. Serve. Enjoy!