Ridgegourd Yogurt and Coconut Milk Stew with Sriracha Garbanzo Beans

As the holidays are behind us and a new year is ahead of us, a fresh start always feels good. It was relaxing,took a break from all social networking, yet crazy, couple of weeks.  We ate a great deal of food, spent some quality time with friends, and baked plenty of different goodies. After a couple of weeks of waking up late, skipping workouts, eating out, and having absolutely no routine, I was craving to get back into shape. I guess that sometimes, too much of a good thing can annoy you.  

Well, I am quite excited for the New Year. I have no resolution in particular, but I have goals I want to accomplish. To start off, I am in deep need of some detox. Well, the carb lover that I am, it is hard to do that. However, once a day, healthy smoothies or soups/stews are not a bad thing.

I can not believe I am saying this, but I am tired of cookies, sweets, and fancy foods. I have simply had too many of them. My body is craving simple food, but with definite, bold flavors.  

I've done pretty well this week with my workouts and food choices.  Today, it is this stew which I would normally pour over a huge portion of white rice. This time, I added the sriracha garbanzo beans, and-trust me-rice was not missed.  

This is one of my interpretations of a stew made in Kerala (in the southern part of India) which is eaten with appam (rice pancakes/rice noodles) during breakfast. It is a delicious stew which is quite a healthy one too.

RIDGE GOURD YOGURT AND COCONUT MILK STEW

WITH SRIRACHA ROASTED GARBANZO BEANS

Ingredients:
For the stew:
1 cup fat free yogurt beaten or whipped
1 cup light thin coconut milk
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 red onion
1 cup chopped ridge gourd without the seeds
1 Serrano chilly
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 cups water
1/2 tsp mustard seeds(optional)
1/4 tsp asafoetida

Garnish and serve with Spicy Garbanzo Beans,cilantro, sliced chilly, chilly oil. 

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix the yogurt and coconut milk and mix very well.
2. In a pan,add 1 tsp oil. Let it get hot and add cumin.  Add onion and fry for a minute.  Add the ridge gourd, serrano chilly, salt turmeric and fry it for a minute.  Add 1 cup water, cover and let it cook for 5-7 minutes.
3. Let cool the vegetable mixture and grind it to a fine paste and keep aside.
4. In the same pan, add 1 tsp of oil, mustard seeds and asafoetida. Add the ground vegetable paste, the coconut milk and yogurt mixture and another cup of water and keep the flame to low and stir constantly.  Once you see tiny bubbles on the edges, turn off the heat and serve with some sliced serrano chillies, garbanzo beans and cilantro.  

For the SRIRACHA ROASTED GARBANZO BEANS:

1 tbsp sriracha
1 tsp oil
1 cup cooked and dried garbanzo beans

Mix everything together and bake at 420 degrees for 20 minutes.  
Serve on top of the stew or it is perfect as a snack.

ENJOY!!

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