Squash Black bean casserole

Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 jalapeño, diced (with seeds and ribs removed)
• 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 1¼ cup salsa (I use pico de gallo, but any good salsa should work)
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro + plus more for serving
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup water
• 1.5 cups black beans, soaked and pressure cooked (or 1 can drained)
• 1½ cups red enchilada sauce
• 1 thinly sliced (length-wise) butternut squash (low-carb version) OR 6 tortillas, cut into 1-inch thick strips (indulgent version)
• 1½ cups monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
• 2-3 scallions, chopped
• Greek yogurt, to serve

Instructions:

1. If you are going for the no-tortilla version, then preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and spray the butternut squash (length-wise strips) with olive oil.  
2. While the butternut squash are baking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and jalapeños and cook until the onions become translucent, then add the garlic and spices (chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder). Add the cubed butternut squash, salsa, cilantro, and water, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let cook over medium-low heat for about 25-30 minutes or until the squash is tender. 
3. After you've made the mixture, your oven should be pre-heated.  Put the butternut squash strips in, let them cook for 5-10 minutes on each side.  Take out, lay aside (but leave the oven on).
4. Add the black beans to the mixture on the stove and stir to combine.
5. Place a ¼ cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish. Lay the butternut squash strips side by side to cover surface.  If you'd rather an indulgent version, do the same with tortillas instead. Place half of the filling over the tortilla or butternut layer, top with half of the remaining enchilada sauce and then half of the cheese. Repeat a second layer of tortillas or butternut, then the remaining butternut squash mixture, followed by the remaining enchilada sauce and finally layer on the remaining cheese.  
6. Bake the enchilada casserole for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and start to brown on the stop. Top with scallions and additional chopped cilantro. Serve with greek yogurt, if desired.

Amma's Egg Curry

6 Boiled eggs (remove the shell)

1 Large Potato (cooked and cubed)

5 curry leaves

1 Onion (thinly sliced)

1/2'' piece of Ginger--sliced thin 

1 green chili

1 tbs. coriander powder

1/2 tsp (or as much as you'd like) Chili Powder or red pepper powder

1/8 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp ground cloves, cardamom & cinnamon ( altogether1/2 tsp)
Salt to taste

2 cups water

1 cup coconut milk

Soak coriander, chili, and turmeric powder in a little vinegar (just so they are all soaked). Saute curry leaves, onion, ginger & chili till the onion get golden brown. Then add the soaked masala & fry for few minutes, to that add the ground cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. add 2 cups of water to the mixture and boil. Then add the cubed potato. When it is cooked add  1 cup of  coconut milk . Let it boil once.  Salt to taste, then halve or scour the eggs and pour curry over eggs. (This is Sheeba's grandmother's recipe - a dish from Kerala I love!)

Katha Mitha Beingan (Stuffed eggplant)

3 tbsp. sesame seeds
3 in. piece of coconut
a fistful of peanuts
2 tbsp. fennel seeds
Tiny eggplants (enough to cover the bottom of your pan)
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp garam masala powder
1 tbsp red pepper powder
1 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp mustard seed
1 tbsp oil
pinch of asofeitada (hing) powder
2 tsp of tamarind chutney

Blend the first 4 ingredients in a blender or food processor. Then add salt, sugar, garam masala, red pepper, turmeric, and stir until it's all one powder. Cut the eggplants down to the stem (in four parts) and stuff with powder. Lightly coat a pan with oil and add hing, then mustard seeds. Wait until they pop and then add the eggplant to the bottom of the pan (they should be in only one layer). Once they are all in, add water so that half of the eggplants are submerged. Cover for 10 minutes. Add tamarind chutney to the water and let cook for 5 more minutes.