By Maggie Willis
In observance of the FAO’s World Food Day on October 16th, the Lal Carbon Center held a potluck on Friday, October 18th, in Kottman Hall. The spread featured dishes from Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, and the US, with flavors that, in my opinion, surpassed what one might find in a restaurant.
The group watched a short video about World Food Day and shared thoughts on this year’s theme: “Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future: No One Gets Left Behind.” To learn more about the vital issues surrounding everyone’s right to food security and healthy, sustainable meals, visit FAO.org/world-food-day/en.
We reflected on the common elements in the dishes representing our diverse cultures, and Dr. Lal shared the history of certain dishes as they evolved across continents.
Center members contributed roasted chickpeas with spices and coriander, mixed vegetables including green peppers, cauliflower, and carrots, black lentils and rice with cheese, and beans with sun-dried tomatoes. Researcher Nancy Loria brought her dish of shahi paneer, made with cottage cheese and a rich sauce of cashews, onions, tomatoes, and Indian spices. Typically served with naan bread, the name of the dish means “royal” and it was a delicacy among rulers during the Mughal era.
Visiting Scholar Noor-Us-Sabah shared her delicious channa pulao, a blend of rice and chickpeas with spices, while Graduate Student Brittany Multer brought a light, lemony hummus made from scratch. Both members kindly shared their recipes with us in this newsletter.
We also enjoyed a variety of desserts, including pumpkin cookies, a delightful box of milk candy popular in South Asia brought by Research Scientist Yadunath Bajgai, and the traditional Bangladeshi dish shemai, sweet vermicelli noodles, brought by Graduate Student Md. Nayem Hasan Munna.
The recipes that our members shared can be found on the next page. Enjoy these delectable plant-based dishes at home in honor of this important day. With everyone’s participation, we can make every day a World Food Day.
Channa Pulao Recipe from Noor-Us-Sabah
Ingredients:
250 g or 1 cup boiled chick peas
500 g or 2 cups rice, soaked for at least 40 min after rinsing 3 to 4 times
1 liters or 4 cups chickpea broth
Salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder, or according to taste
Ground coriander powder to taste
1/2 teaspoon black cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
2 to 4 cloves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup oil
2 medium tomatoes, chopped or paste
1 tablespoon garlic ginger paste
1 bay leaf
Recipe:
- Soak the chickpeas over night (at least 8 hours).
- Boil the chickpeas on medium flame by adding sufficient water and salt in it to get at least 4 cups of broth at the end (dilute it as needed later), until the chickpeas get soft enough to eat.
- In another pan pour the oil, add sliced onions and fry them on medium flame until they turn golden brown. Turn the flame to low.
- Add a dash of water to prevent blackening the onions and add garlic, ginger paste, tomatoes and all the spices. Simmer on low flame until the oil gets separated and the gravy is ready.
- Pour 4 cups of broth. If you don’t have sufficient broth, dilute it with water.
- Bring it to boil on high flame.
- Strain the rice and pour into boiling broth.
- Taste the broth for salt and spices and add additional spices according to your taste.
- When the broth is about to dry and rice get soft slow down the flame to minimum and cover with lid for 15 minutes.
- When the broth has completely dried, turn off the flame, and the “channa pulao” is ready.
Hummus Recipe from Brittany Multer Hopkins
Ingredients:
Juice from ½ lemon
1 can chickpeas drained. Save the liquid (called aquafaba)
1-2 tbsp Tahini
2-3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Recipe:
Combine the lemon juice, chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and olive oil in a food processor. Add in the aquafaba slowly in small increments until you reach desired consistency (you may not use all of it). Add salt to taste.