Cauliflower and Tomato Coconut Curry

I had such a tremendous backlog of recipes all fall - I can blame my busy schedule with taking classes or something but really I have no excuse.  That's why I am totally shocked that I am now posting a recipe that I currently have the leftovers of in my refrigerator right now!  I'd better get my butt into the kitchen.  I took a bit of a hiatus during Christmas break when I was sick, but I am still sick and I still need to eat!

This curry is pretty delicious.  I love all things cauliflower these days, and they soak up the coconut curry sauce, flavored with garam masala, perfectly.  Then there are chickpeas to keep you full, sweet potatoes, spinach, and tomatoes.  Serve this colorful dish over rice, and you've got a wildly amazing little Indian dinner.  I made it last week and have been taking the leftovers to work; they reheat beautifully.


Recipe:

cauliflower and tomato coconut curry
from A Couple Cooks

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, diced
1 pound sweet potato (4 cupped peeled and chopped)
1 head cauliflower (5 cups chopped)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
23-ounce jar of diced plum tomatoes (I just used most of a 28-ounce can of regular diced tomatoes)
15-ounce can full fat coconut milk
15-ounce can chickpeas
4 cups spinach leaves
cilantro
brown rice

Instructions:

1) Prepare the brown rice according to the package instructions.

2) Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute 2 minutes, then add the sweet potato and saute 3 minutes. Add cauliflower and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and saute for another 5 minutes.  Stir in curry powder, garam masala, cumin, and cayenne.  Add the tomatoes and coconut milk.  bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower and sweet potato are tender.

3) Drain and rinse the chickpeas.  When the vegetables are tender, add the chickpeas and spinach and stir for 2 minutes until the spinach is wilted.  Add the other 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste.

4) Garnish with cilantro and serve with brown rice.

Crispy Baked Samosas with Potatoes and Peas

I'm in a post-Thanksgiving daze right now.  I am exhausted from the work of hosting 35 people here for dinner and far more than that for dessert.  It was a wonderful, beautiful day, but it was also tiring, and I didn't sleep well last night.  I am sitting on the couch in my pajamas looking around at empty glasses and water bottles, knowing that my dining room is still a hot mess.  There's a lot of work ahead of me to get this place back into shape, but for now I will drink some coffee, eat a leftover pecan roll, and bask in the glow of a great Thanksgiving.

These baked samosas have nothing whatsoever to do with a Thanksgiving, but if you're already sick of turkey and cranberry sauce, they could be a good thing to do this weekend with your free time.  They are a bit time consuming, but they aren't hard.  I spent a couple hours on a Monday night making this elaborate Indian meal for myself; I was happy to share some samosas with Christy the next night when she and Joey (and Logan) came over to clean my carpets in preparation for Thanksgiving.  You know I've made a good samosa when even non-vegetarians appreciate them!

What is a samosa, you might be wondering?  I've been obsessed with them for years.  They are Indian dumplings, usually stuffed with spiced vegetables that include potatoes and peas (and caramelized onions!).  They are spicy and flavorful (ginger and cumin and garam masala and cilantro!) and amazing, and these samosas are no exception.  As I said before, they do take some time, as you have to make the filling, assemble the samosas, and bake them.  I recommend going to the original website to see the step-by-step pictures of how to fold the samosas properly.  Even looking at the pictures, it still took me some time to get it down, but once I did, I was on a roll.  And they were so worth the work.  Serve them with some roasted broccoli and carrots and you've got dinner.


Recipe:

crispy baked samosas with potatoes and peas
from The Kitchn
makes about 2 dozen samosas

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds yellow potatoes (2 large)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated on a microplane
1 medium hot chili, finely diced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
3/4 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro, loosely packed
1 package egg roll wrappers, 6"x6"
1 large egg for egg wash

Instructions:

1) Place the potatoes in medium saucepan and cover with an inch of water.  Add a teaspoon of salt to the water, then bring to a boil.  Lower the heat until the water comes to a simmer, then look the potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork, 10 to 20 minutes depending on size.  Remove the potatoes from the water and let them cool briefly.

2) While the potatoes are cooking, cook the onions. Warm a teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and half a teaspoon of salt, and cook until the onions are a deep golden brown.

3) When the potatoes have cooled enough to handle, roughly chop them into small cubes no larger than 1/2 inch.  Stir the potatoes into the onion mixture, along with the minced ginger and chili.  Add the spices and another 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Stir in the peas and cilantro, and cook just until the peas are warm.  Taste the mixture and add more salt or other spices if desired - samosas are meant to be strongly spiced so don't hold back!  Remove the pan from heat one you like the way the mixture tastes.

4) Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.

5) To assembly samosas, first arrange your workspace.  Place the egg roll wrappers and a small container of water to one side, and the pan of filling to the other.  Place on wrapper on your work surface and cut it on the diagonal into two triangles.  Use your finger to dab a little water into a cone by folding the long edge of the triangle in the middle and then overlapping the two sides.  Pinch the cup closed and hold it in your hand like an ice cream cone.

6) Fill the cone with roughly 1/4 cup of the filling.  Tuck the bottom flap over the filling, then fold the top flap down.  Seal it closed with a little water.  You can pinch the corners closed if you like, but the filling will stay nicely inside without doing so.  If a stray pea falls out, just poke it back inside.

7) Lay the finished samosa on the baking sheet with the seam facing up.  Continue assembling all the samosas, spacing them slightly apart on the baking sheet.  Whisk the egg with a tablespoon of water, and brush over the tops of the samosas.  This will give them a nice golden color and help them crisp.

8) Bake the samosas for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tips are golden and crispy and the middles are firm but slightly flexible.  You should also see small round bubbles forming just beneath the surface of the wrapper.  They will keep at room temperature for about 2 hours before needing to be refrigerated.  Samosas will keep refrigerated for up to 5 days and can be eaten as is, warmed in the microwave, or re-crisped in a warm oven.  Alternately, you can freeze unbaked samosas in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment.  Once frozen solid, collect them in a freezer bag or container and keep frozen for up to 3 months.  Bake in the oven at 425 until crisp and warmed through.

Lentil Dal with Hearty Greens

Happy November!  I am super happy that it's November.  There's no real reason - it's far from my favorite month.  You know my feelings on fall - and winter.  But there is a lot to look forward to.  I am hosting Thanksgiving for 25 people this year - plenty more on that later.  I always love the post-Thanksgiving Christmas feeling.  I get lots of time off from work this month.  And things are just looking up in general.  Plus with every month that passes, I feel better and better, so I am excited to see where I am - and where my life is - by December.  Plus, there is very little chance that this November will be as hard as last November was.  I look forward to that.

One thing that has evolved in my life over the past year or so is a love for Indian food.  Indian food is great!  It's spicy, very often vegetarian, and often healthy.  Perfection.

I was excited to try this red lentil dal.  I love red lentils because they get so mushy, but there is still plenty of texture with onion, tomato, and greens (I used spinach).  it's flavored with fresh ginger, turmeric and whole cumin seeds.  Unfortunately I ran out of ginger and couldn't find cumin seeds, so powdered versions of both worked just fine.  This meal was super tasty and very filling, and it reheats beautifully.  Definitely something to make again!

Recipe:

lentil dal with hearty greens
from the Kitchn
serves 4

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups dry red lentils, rinsed
2 tablespoons oil, divided
1 small onion, diced
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2-inch piece ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
6 cups loosely packed shredded greens (beet greens, spinach or swiss chard)
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 clove garlic, smashed but left whole

Instructions:

1) Place the red lentils in a pot and add enough water to cover them.  Bring the water to a boil, skimming off any scum that rises to the top, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until creamy and tender.

2) While the lentils are cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy-based pan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and fry gently for about 5 minutes, until translucent and beginning to brown.  Add the tomatoes and ginger and cook for 3 minutes, until tomatoes soften.  Add the turmeric and stir.  Stir in the greens and let them wilt, about 5 minutes.

3) Stir in the onion-tomato-greens into the dal, and simmer for a few minutes to warm through.  Season to taste with the salt.

4) In a small pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil, and add the cumin seeds and garlic clove.  Fry for 30 seconds, until the cumin sizzles, then turn off the heat and pour the seasoned oil, cumin seeds, and garlic into the dal.  Cover and let it infuse.  Stir before serving.

Vegetarian Bombay Bouse Tikka Masala

I have always loved Indian food for the smorgasbord of vegetarian recipes, the flavorful spices, and the fun-to-pronounce names (how fun is it to say tikka masala?!)  So when my friend Courtney spent a couple weeks in India back in June, I thought it was appropriate for me to make an Indian meal here at home to pay homage to her awesome trip with her mom :)

I was interested in this tikka masala because it is chock full of vegetables, ranging from protein-filled chickpeas to sweet potatoes and lovely little green peas.  Then there are five super flavorful spices including cardamom and garam masala, coconut milk, and lots of fresh cilantro.  Mmmmm!  Serve the whole thing over rice and you're basically touring India with Courtney and her mom.  I've never been to India, or even to the Bombay House for that matter, but I can pretend with this tikka masala.

My family was skeptical but everyone loved this dish.  The leftovers heated up really well, too.  Definitely a great Indian recipe.  In fact, I am looking longingly at my pictures and wishing I had some for lunch today.

A couple notes: this recipe calls for a jalapeño, which I left out of the sauce, as well as a white sweet potato.  I have no clue what that is, and I certainly couldn't find them at Market Basket, so I just used a white potato and it worked perfectly.

Recipe:

vegetaian Bombay House tikka masala

from Oh Sweet Basil

serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 potato, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

kosher salt

pepper

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup sweet peas

for sauce:

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 14.5-ounce can tomato sauce

1/2 cup coconut milk

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

1) Heat the oven to 425 degrees.  Pour the olive oil over a cookie sheet and toss all of the potatoes in it.  Top with a few pinches of kosher salt and pepper.  Roast for 15 - 25 minutes, tossing halfway through, until tender and golden.  The potatoes should be slightly dried as well, not soggy.  The last 5 minutes, add the chickpeas to heat them up.  Set aside.

2) Meanwhile, in a large skillet with high sides over medium heat, melt the butter and add the garlic.  Stir for 30 seconds and then add the seasonings.  Cook for additional 30 - 60 seconds or until fragrant.  This is blooming the seasoning and bringing out more flavor.  Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes or until thick.  Add the coconut milk and heavy cream.  Whisk to combine and simmer for 5 minutes, then add the veggies and peas and cook an additional 10 minutes.  Serve over white rice with cilantro.

Chana Masala

Over Christmas vacation, my family, Mark and I went to the Cheesecake Factory.  Mark and I got to the mall first, and knowing there was an hour wait, we grabbed  quick snack at the food court to tide us over until dinner.  I got a samosa, and Mark ordered chana masala.  Again, he's secretly a vegetarian but he won't admit it.  Chana masala is a chickpea curry.  It's spicy, wildly flavorful, gluten-free, vegetarian, and awesome.  Mark never asks for anything specific for dinner (that drives me nuts), but after eating his chana masala, he said, "make this for dinner at home sometime."  Before we had walked out of the food court, I had pinned two recipes and added the ingredients mentally to my grocery list.

I ended up not getting a chance to try it out until February vacation, and I chose a different recipe than the ones I pinned due to some ingredients I wasn't able to find (mango powder? Cumin seeds?).  This recipe was easy, perfect, and so insanely delicious that I cannot recommend it enough.  Do you need an idea for Meatless Monday?  Do you want to serve a hearty, filling, healthy chickpea curry over some white rice and have your house smell like Asia?  Well, I do.

And let's talk about the spices.  Besides garlic, fresh cilantro and lemon juice, there is cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, and garam masala.  The recipe calls for cayenne pepper, which I didn't have, so I threw in some crushed red pepper (Mark likes spice).  Can you imagine the explosion of flavors in this dish!?  All those flavors meld together into the most incredible mixture.

In fact, Mark loved this so much that, besides the one bowl I ate, he devoured the whole entire pot.  Like, no leftovers.  This recipe serves 4, so he ate 3 people's servings all by himself.  I think it's safe to say that he liked it!  This recipe will be making an appearance again.  Maybe I'd better double it next time.

One last note: the original website also offers a recipe for homemade garlic naan.  I would so love to try making this Indian flatbread, but I didn't have time this night to make anything with yeast.  Next time though?  Definitely.  I can only imagine how great the chana masala would be scooped onto naan... mmmm.

Recipe:

chana masala
from Mustard and Sage

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
water
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
3 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed)

Instructions:

1) Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until caramelized, stirring occasionally.

2) Reduce heat to low.  Add garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, cayenne, and salt, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and toasty, about 30 seconds.  Add 1/4 cup water, stir, and cook until water has completely evaporated.

3) Add tomatoes and their juice.  Raise heat to medium and bring to a gentle boil.  Adjust heat to maintain a simmer, and add cilantro leaves.  Stirring occasionally, cook until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.

4) Add chickpeas, stir, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.  Add 2 tablespoons water and cook for 5 minutes.  Add another 2 tablespoons water and cook until absorbed.  This process of adding and cooking off water helps concentrate the sauce's flavor and makes the chickpeas more tender.  taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.  Garnish with cilantro leaves.  Serve with rice and naan.