Here is an Ayurvedic menu using traditional Thanksgiving ingredients.
Buttery sweet potato puree with tomato bits, from Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Yamuna Devi, and Cranberry Apple Chutney, my own recipe, accompanied by rice and dal.
Buttery Sweet Potato Puree with tomato Bits
For
this dish you can use either yams or sweet potatoes, depending on the degree of
sweetness or moisture, you prefer. It is little more than a seasoned mashed
root vegetable dish, and is nice with a Vedic or Western dinner menu. To keep
calories to a minimum, rely on the orange juice to make a buttery consistency.
The sweet, firm flesh of Italian plum tomatoes is ideal for this bharta, though
you can use any type; even green tomatoes are delicious.
Preparation time (after assembling
ingredients): a few minutes
Cooking time: about 10 minutes
Serves: 6
6 medium-sized yams or sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds/1 kg) freshly ash-or
oven-baked
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
½ teaspoon (2 ml) turmeric
¼ teaspoon (1 ml) paprika or 1/8 tsp cayenne
¼ teaspoon (1 ml) ground nutmeg or mace
4 table spoons (60 ml) orange juice
½ teaspoon (2 ml) orange zest
3 table spoons (45 ml) ghee or butter
1 ½ table spoons (22 ml) brown sugar or jaggery
2 medium-sized Italian plum tomatoes (about ¾ pound/340 g), seeded and coarsely
chopped
2 table spoons (30 ml) sliced almonds, toasted
1. Cut and scoop out the yam or sweet potato pulp and mash
with a potato masher or force through a food mill or potato ricer. Add the
salt, turmeric, paprika or cayenne, nutmeg or mace, orange juice and orange
zest, and whisk with a fork until well blended.
2. Heat the ghee or butter in a 12-inch (30 cm) frying pan
over moderate heat. Add the sweetener and cook until it caramelizes and turns
reddish-brown. Drop in the tomatoes and cook, gently tossing, justly until they
soften and glisten.
3. Add the yams or sweet potatoes and, using the back of a
wooden spoon, mash and blend the ingredients. When warmed throughout, serve on
a warmed platter, garnished with toasted almonds.
Cranberry Apple Chutney
Ingredients
2 punnets organic cranberries ( 4
cups)
4 cups chopped apples
1 orange
1/4 tsp raisins
2 tbsp chopped pecans
2" piece fresh ginger,
peeled and chopped finely
1 jalapeno pepper,
chopped finely
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp ghee or sunflower oil
6 cloves, ground
1 star anise, ground
(optional but good)
2 pinches mace
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
Water as needed
Recipe
Put washed cranberries and washed chopped apples in heavy bottomed pan. Grate
1tsp of the orange
peel and add. Now squeeze the orange and add the juice. Bring to boil and
simmer, stirring frequently to prevent sticking and adding water as needed.
Once it is simmering, add sugar and raisins.
In a small frying pan, melt the ghee, add cumin seeds and chilies and fry until
they darken a shade. Now chopped ginger and cinnamon and fry until the ginger
is browned. Add the fried spices to the chutney, then the spice powders (clove,
star anise, mace, cardamom.) When the chutney is almost cooked, add the chopped
nuts.
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