You guys! I found the squash of my childhood! Remember in my last post I told you about how my only exposure to squash was the Opo or Lauki? Well, I found it in my neighborhood grocery store! And since it’s fall and squash is a big part of the season, I figured I would cook it for Meatless Monday.
Meatless Monday! Yay! For this Monday I propose You make Daal (pronounced dh-aa-l). This dish is the staple side dish in every Pakistani home. Abound with many a variation, this one, made with red lentils is super quick. Ready in under an hour with no over night pre soaking required!
It’s that time of week again! It’s Monday and you know what that means, dinner is going to be meatless.
Today I am planning to make Kala Masoor or black lentils. This is basically red lentils but with the skin on,hence the name.
I feared cooking squash. The kind of fear that you have of the unknown. This was unchartered culinary territory for me. You see, growing up in Pakistan, the closest I came to eating,never mind cooking, this fruit was the Lauki or gourd. They all come from the same Cucurbitaceae family. Members include the pumpkin, squash, zucchini,watermelon and various melons.Even good old cucumber is related!
As I became more conscious of what I put inside my body, the list of fruits and vegetables I consumed grew. There was no way I could ignore the squash any longer. It is such a big part of life here in the U.S!
This vibrant, purple fella goes by many names. Aubergine, brinjal, garden egg, melongene and even guinea squash. It is commonly known as eggplant because of it’s egg-like shape.
This is by far the most misunderstood and under appreciated vegetable in my home.
