Red Lentil Dal to go with the Vindaloo

Hi,

This dal is the perfect dish to go along with the Vindaloo. The only downside of Indian food is that when I cook Indian, there are always lots of pots and pans to clean.

Red lentils are available in a well stocked grocery store, they are more expensive than brown lentils, but they cook up to a beautiful golden color.

1 1/2 cups red lentils
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Wash the lentils to remove debris. Place lentils in a medium pot with 2 cups of water and turmeric. Stir and heat to a simmer. Cover so some steam can escape and watch that the lentils don't boil over. Cook for about 20 minutes until tender. The water should be pretty much gone.

3 tablespoons oil
generous pinch of ground asafetida (you can find this at an Indian market, if you can't find it, don't worry)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 to 5 dried hot red chilies

Just before the lentils are done, heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot put in the asafetida and cumin seeds. Let them sizzle for a few minutes. Put in the red chilies and cook until the chilies start to turn dark red. Lift the lid on the lentils and pour in the oil and spices.

1/2 teaspoon salt

Add in the salt and taste. There you have it. Indian!

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Chicken Vindaloo for Ana

Hi,

I really enjoy making Indian food. I find that I don't feel disappointed with the results, as I sometimes do when I cook other types of foods. Indian food is also great for leftovers. We call them "Indian Bowls." We pile in all the leftovers into our trusty blue bowls and then zap them. So warm and yummy. I have told Ana, for far too long, that I would post this Vindaloo recipe. So here it is!

3 Tablespoons Grainy Mustard
3 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1/2 to 3 teaspoons cayenne pepper (go for 2-3 if you like things spicy)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Mix the above ingredients together. Set aside.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and sliced into thinnish slices

Put oil in a large frying pan, heat over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the onion and cook, stirring until the onion is medium brown.

6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

Put in the garlic and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add the spice paste and stir for 1 minute.

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs cut into 1 inch pieces

Add the meat and stir fry until the meat is no long pink on the outside, about 3 minutes.

1 can coconut milk

Add the coconut milk and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, turn heat down to simmer and cover. Cook for about 1 hour. If the vindaloo gets too thick you can add some additional water. Serve with rice, Red Lentil Dal and some sort of green veggies. I will post the Red Lentil recipe shortly.

I hope you enjoy the Indian Bowls as much as I do. It may seem like a lot of spices, but once you have them, it's easy to make Indian food in your own kitchen. (Thanks for being so patient, Ana!)

Hugs,
Mameekosan 

Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry

Hi,

I've adapted this recipe to make it more soupy. It's great served with a spoonful of Greek yogurt or sour cream. It heats up well for lunch the next day. You can also fill it out when you serve it with rice. I threw everything in a slow cooker before I left for work in the morning and when I got home, dinner!

1 large onion peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil

Cook the onion and olive oil in a removable stove safe slow cooker insert or large soup pot until the onion starts to brown around the edges, about 5 minutes.

1 lb chicken breast, diced and sprinkled with a bit of salt

Add the chicken breast and cook stirring until the chicken is no longer pink.

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin

Add the above ingredients and cook just until the spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes.

1/2 cup lentils, rinsed and sorted to eliminate debris
1/2 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
3 cups water
1/2 bouillon cube
(1 cup frozen spinach, optional. This added a nice bit of green.)

Add the rest of the ingredients. If you plan on using a slow cooker, set it to med/high to be ready in about 7 hours. If you plan on cooking the curry on the stove, cook for about 30 minutes on low, until the sweet potatoes are tender. Taste to see if you need to add additional salt or pepper.

Hope you enjoy the curry. Maybe it is more like soup than curry. If you want to make it thicker you can add 1/2 cup more lentils. Enjoy!

Hugs,
Mameekosan

Caramelized Broccoli Salad

Hi,

I know. I know. Another vegetable recipe. But, I think this is a particularly good broccoli recipe. What I like about it is, you can serve it the next day, hot or cold, and it's perfectly delicious. I think most times with cooked broccoli it's not so good the next day. This recipe was adapted from family circle.

1 large onion diced
2 tablespoons olive oil

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and onion. Cook, stirring until the onion begins to get brown around the edges.

8 cups small broccoli florets and stem pieces cut into bite sized pieces

Add the broccoli and cook until the brocolli starts turning bright green, just a few minutes.

1/2 cup walnuts

Add walnuts and mix.

1/2 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper

Remove from heat and add the raisins, vinegar, salt and pepper. Taste to adjust seasoning.

I hope you like this recipe. It goes along great with any cooked protein such as baked chicken or pork chops. Make enough that you can have it for leftovers the next day!

Happy Cooking! Hugs,
Mameekosan