Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
5 teaspoons curry powder
6 cups small cauliflower florets (from 1 medium head)
2 15 1/2-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
2 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro


1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro Heat oil in large skillet over high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add curry powder and stir 20 seconds. Add cauliflower and garbanzo beans; stir 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes with chiles, then coconut milk; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and boil gently until cauliflower is tender and liquid thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 16 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in cilantro; serve.

Creamy Pumpkin and Cashew Curry

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 1/2 cups 3/4-inch cubes peeled seeded sugar pumpkin or butternut squash (from about one 1 3/4-pound whole pumpkin)
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds*
8 curry leaves**
2 small red onions, cut into 1/3-inch wedges
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
3 dried chiles de árbol
3/4 cup unsalted roasted cashews
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup coconut cream
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro plus additional for garnish
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Steamed basmati rice
* Sold at specialty foods stores, Indian and Asian markets, and adrianascaravan.com. If unavailable, use brown mustard seeds.
** Also known as kari patta; available at Indian markets.


Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add pumpkin and cook until golden, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to same skillet. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves; cook until seeds pop and leaves sizzle, 30 seconds. Add onions, garlic, and ginger. Sauté until onions are golden, 4 minutes. Add chiles, cashews, turmeric, and cumin; stir-fry 1 minute. Add coconut milk and coconut cream. Increase heat to medium-high. Boil until thickened, 2 minutes. Return pumpkin to pan; reduce heat to medium. Simmer until pumpkin is tender, 4 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro and lime juice. Spoon over rice; garnish with additional cilantro.

Indian-Spiced Chicken and Spinach

2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, minced
1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 cups water
2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/3 pounds in all), cut into 3 pieces each




In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes longer. Stir in the cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute, and then stir in the jalapeños and tomatoes. Add the cream, cinnamon stick, and water. Squeeze the spinach to remove excess liquid and add the spinach to the pan. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the chicken and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, cover, and simmer the stew until just done, about 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

9/2009 - Food and Wine

Vegetable Tikka Masala

1 cup Plain Yogurt
1 Lemon, juiced
Ginger root, 1 inch chopped
2 Onions, chopped
3 Garlic cloves, chopped
1-1/2 tsp. Turmeric Powder
1 tsp. Cinnamon powder
1 tsp. Red chilli powder
2 tsp. Coriander powder
2 tbsp. Butter or ghee
Fresh Vegetables (Suggested: Mushrooms, peas, carrots, cauliflower, potato. Can use other vegetables too) 2 cups
20 Cardomom pods
1/2 cup Coriander leave
Salt and pepper to taste





Combine the yoghurt and chopped ginger, garlic and onions into a blender. Blend until smooth.Then add the lemon juice, salt and Pepper. Lightly mix. Next, add the spices but stopping before you get to the cardomom pods. Blend all the spices until nicely mixed. Add a few of the fresh coriander leaves and again mix until lightly blended. (At this stage this will smell fantastic). Add the butter or clarified butter to a pre-heated slow cooker or large pot. Melt until the butter or clarified butter starts slightly bubbling. Add blended ingredients. Take the cardomom pods and add to the sauce. Cardomom pods have a sharp taste and could surprise you with a sudden zingy flavor during the meal. To avoid that, powder these pods before adding them to the sauce. Add the two cups of vegetables and mix lightly. Add the rest of the Coriander leaves. If cooking in a slow cooker, set to "low" and leave for about 6 hours. If using the pot to cook, keep on low heat until the mixture bubbles and the vegetables are to your liking.

Serve hot with rice and naan bread

Mulligatawny Soup

1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter), or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 green chile peppers, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground coriander seed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 pods cardamom, bruised
1 tablespoon chopped fresh curry
1 carrot, chopped
1 apple - peeled, cored, and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 cup Masoor dhal (red lentils), rinsed, drained
8 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken meat
3 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
2-3 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cups coconut milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro





Heat ghee or vegetable oil in large pan (use low heat); cook onion, garlic, ginger, chilies, spices and curry leaves, stirring, until onion is browned lightly and mixture is fragrant. Do not over brown the onion or else it will give the soup a burnt taste.

Add carrot, apple, potato, dhal, and chicken stock to pan; simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Discard cardamom pods and curry leaves.

Blend or process soup mixture, in batches, until pureed; return to pan. Add tamarind, lemon juice and coconut milk; stir until heated through. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves before serving.


2/2009