Vegetable Korma

This original, super easy and delicious recipe is from Cooking Light magazine: they had a bad time as a magazine for a while (about 2 years ago) but I think they have improved a lot and now they are a high quality magazine with wonderful recipes: I look forward to receiving my new issue in the mail because they always have a number of recipes that I want to try! Check the recipe here.

Moroccan Style Chicken and Garbanzo Stew

I came up with this recipe by changing my Harira soup recipe. See the Harira soup recipe here.

Moroccan Style Chicken and Garbanzo Stew

(6 servings)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 ½ pound chicken cut in big pieces

sea salt, ground black pepper

½ tablespoon grated fresh ginger

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

1/8 to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 ½ cup chopped tomato (or 1 can unsalted diced tomatoes)

½ cup warm water

1/4 teaspoon saffron soaked in warm water

1 15 oz can drained canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Juice of ½ fresh lime

Directions

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Soak saffron in warm water. Heat oil in a large stock pot oven over high heat. Add onion and cook 5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook one more minute. Move onion and garlic mix to one side of the pan and add chicken. Cook 2 to 3 minutes each side or until slightly browned. Add ginger, turmeric, cayenne (if using) and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in chopped tomato and saffron with water, cook 1 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in chickpeas, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro, parsley and lime juice; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.

Keema-Pulao

My friend Camilla always talks about Keema, she says it’s one of her favorite dishes. I have this grass fed ground beef and I am in an Indian cooking mode, so why not make Keema? Camilla, I hope this is like the Keema you make. Of course Tanya (our common Indian friend) needs to give her blessing, but she is in India right now. 

I served it with a good shredded carrot and cabbage salad.

Keema-Pulao

(Adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Kheema-Pulao/Detail.aspx)

8 servings

Ingredients

3 cups basmati rice

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 large onions, minced

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 pound ground beef

salt to taste

1/2 cup frozen green peas (optional)

4 green chile peppers, halved lengthwise

1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)

1 cinnamon stick

1 black cardamom pod

2 bay leaves

4 whole cloves

5 cups boiling water

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Place the basmati rice in a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 30 minutes. Drain.

Heat the oil in a large pan with a heavy bottom; fry the onion, garlic paste and, ginger paste in the hot oil until the onions are caramelized and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir the turmeric, garam masala, and cumin into the mixture; allow to cook together for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook until the oil separates, about 10 minutes. Crumble the ground beef into the tomato mixture; season with salt and cook until the beef is no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Mix the frozen peas and the green chile peppers into the beef.

Heat the ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the cinnamon stick, cardamom pod, bay leaves, and cloves in the ghee until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rice to the spice mixture; cook until the rice smells nutty, 1 to 2 minutes more. Spread the rice with the spices over the beef mixture, but do not stir. Gently pour the water over the rice and season with salt; bring the mixture to a boil for 2 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking until the rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat completely and allow to sit covered another 20 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

Cabbage And Potato Curry (Aloo Vepudu)

Trend… shifting from Japanese to Indian cuisine… I was hoping to make Aloo Gobi (potato and cauliflower curry) tonight but I thought I should use the produce from my CSA box. I found a great recipe for Aloo Vepudu, which is potato and cabbage curry, in the Curry in Kadai blog. Check the recipe here.

The change I made to the recipe was that I used 1 tablespoon of ghee instead of 3-4 tbsp of oil, bay leaves instead of curry leaves and cayenne in place of green chilies.

Lamb Chops with a Spicy Rub (Indian)

This is the third year we are buying a whole lamb. The lamb we buy is kind of green as it’s raised non-commercially in a small bull farm and my friend Debra brings it for us when she goes visit her mom in South Dakota.

My sister Nancy sent me this recipe after she went to an Indian cooking class. The preparation is very simple and the spice combination is perfect. We love this dish. Today I am serving it with Portuguese Style Broccoli Rice and mini-shiitakes from Hazel Dell farms. Yum.

Lamb Chops with a Spicy Rub (Indian)

4 servings

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger (about 2-inch

piece)

1 teaspoon finely grated garlic (about 2 large cloves)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, finely ground (or use ground cumin)

1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, finely ground (or use ground coriander)

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

8 lamb rib chops (about 1 pound 4 ounces)

3 tablespoons canola oil

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together the ginger, garlic, salt, cayenne, cumin, coriander, and turmeric to form a thick, slightly dry paste. Rub the chops well with this mixture and put in a big zippy to marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours in the refrigerator.

Heat the broiler or grill. Sear the lamb chops 4 to 5 minutes each side for rare. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Garam Masala Yellow Split Pea Soup with Coconut Milk

I guess it's fall and it's time for soup! 

Don't get discouraged by the long list of ingredients for this recipe. Indian recipes are always long but most of the ingredients are spices, which I believe, one should always have handy.

Garam Masala Yellow Split Pea Soup with Coconut Milk

(Adapted from James Peterson’s, Splendid Soups)

8 Servings

Ingredients:

1 medium to large size onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon coconut oil, ghee

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 cup of yellow split peas soaked overnight

1 cup of brown rice

8 cups of water

1 14 ounce can of coconut milk

2 cups baby spinach

Sea Salt

Tadka

1 tablespoon coconut oil, ghee or butter

3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 freshly ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

In a large pot over medium heat cook the onions and turmeric for about 5 minutes in the coconut oil, and then add the garlic. Cook for a total of about ten minutes, or until the onions are soft and turn translucent.

Add the water, peas and rice to the pot and bring to a simmer. Turn down low, and cook until the peas and rice are cooked and very soft (about 45 minutes).

Using your handy immersion blender, blend to desired consistency (we like it mostly pureed, but with some texture left). Or use your regular blender or food mill.

Make the tadka by melting the coconut oil in a small saucepan. Add the spices and stir until you can smell the spices drifting upwards to you. Don’t burn! Whisk into the soup.

Add the coconut milk and spinach, and bring back to a simmer, adding salt to taste, and serve.

Notes:

-       You can use chicken or vegetable broth instead of water

-       You can use butter instead of the coconut oil or ghee

-       Instead of the spice mix in the tadka, you can use 1.5 teaspoon of garam masala

-       You can use lentils instead of yellow split peas

-       You can use asparagus, broccoli, or any other green vegetable instead of spinach

-       You can use a pressure cooker, 25-30 minutes cooking time