Bette is a dear woman I barely know, yet she has made an impact on my life. Bette surrendered her life to serve God in the country of India where she raised many children- ten, if I recall correctly. Three of her children were at the same college I attended. Her youngest daughter was my roommate. Bette’s daughter was a lovely girl with a huge servant heart, a constant smile, a prayer warrior, and a friend to die for. Even before I met Bette, she had touched my life.
As the years passed, my husband and I were also led to India and served in the same area as Bette and her husband had served years before. The hospital they built was still there, and the nationals talked fondly of Bette and her husband. Our ministry, in part, was blessed because of their faithful service to God in the years before. Once again, she had touched my life.
I found this recipe of Bette’s in a book of treasures collected by many missionaries. The real name of this recipe is ‘Sabji Bhaji’ –yes, it is an Indian recipe, but I hope that won’t scare you from trying this very simple fried vegetable meal. You might just enjoy letting Bette touch your life.
Bette's Vegetables on rice
3 cups single or mixed vegetables
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 green onions, snipped
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 dried red chili pepper (optional)
Rice or plain yogurt
~ For the vegetables, cut, chop, cube, shred, or slice thinly. (See Tips below)
raw veges
~ In a frying pan (or wok) heat oil and saute onion, turmeric, coriander, cayenne, and salt (and red pepper if using).
~ Add all vegetables, stir, and cook on moderate heat for 4 minutes.
~ Cover and cook on low until vegetables are tender but not mushy.
~ Stir occasionally and a tablespoon of water if desired to keep from sticking.
~ Sprinkle a bit of black pepper on top before serving.
~ Serve warm on top of rice with a large spoonful of plain, sour yogurt next to it. Sounds strange? Try it. Bette ate it with just yogurt and a little lemon squeezed on top. 🙂
TIPS:
~ For this recipe I used 2 large carrots, 2 small potatoes and half a head of cauliflower. Any one or combination of these vegetables can be used:
cauliflower cabbage
potato egg-plant
gourd pumpkin
radishes spinach
green papaya
~ Bette’s vegetables go well with chicken, but when the budget is thin and you need another dish instead of meat, to grace your table, these savory vegetables will complement nicely.
~ Cooking for just one? Cut your vegetables to just a cup and trim your spices down accordingly.
CREDITS: Bette Burrows, photos, Sharon Keller
Come & Dine 