I really enjoy Indian food, however I have no idea at all how to make it authentically. I enjoy playing around with lentils, spices, veggies and coconut milk to make 'curries.' Tonight I made a Dal with red lentils.
ingredients:
1 Tb peanut oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 tsp mustard seeds
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 inch grated fresh ginger
1 clove grated garlic
1 Tb garam masala
salt to taste
1 c. red lentils
2 c. water
1) heat up oil, add onion and mustard seeds, sauteed for a couple minutes, until the onion is slightly softened
2) add red pepper flakes, ginger, garlic, garam masala and salt, cook for a few minutes until nice and fragrant
3) add lentils and water, cover and stir, cook on a low simmer until lentils are completedly softened (20-25 min). dal with look like a thick paste.
4) served with a dollop of vegan butter on top
I am a sucker for flatbreads, I call this "Naan bread" however, I believe it is closer to what is called "Roti" traditionally... it's delicious whatever its called! I like to make a big batch of this dough, after the first rise, I break it up into little balls and put in the freezer. Whenever we're having Indian food for dinner, I'll take a couple of dough balls out of the freezer, and leave in the fridge while we're at work. When it's time for dinner, just roll out the thawed dough and cook.
ingredients:
1 1/3 c. very warm water
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. active dry yeast
2 c. all purpose flour
1 c. white whole wheat flour
2 Tb olive oil
2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic -crushed
1) combine sugar, yeast and water in a small bowl, mix until yeast is dissolved. let mixture sit for 10 minutes until foamy
2) put flour in a big bowl. make a well in center, add oil, salt, garlic and the yeast mixture. mix thoroughly with hands to form a dough ball.
3) place dough a well floured surface, knead for five minutes. add a bit more flour as needed.
4) place kneaded dough in a slightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 hours.
5) knead dough a little, let sit for 5 minutes. break dough up into 2 inch balls (16-18 dough balls). flatten and roll out with rolling pin into little circles.
6) cook in cast iron skillet for 4 minutes on each side (med heat), the bread is done when browned and slightly crispy
I had some beets in the refrigerator, so I decided to make a beet side for the dal and bread. I roasted the beets in the toaster oven until cooked (wrapped in aluminum foil, bake for 35-45 min at 375 degrees). I combined this with a box of frozen spinach, to get some greens into dinner.
ingredients:
5 roasted beets, cut into bite sized pieces
3/4 c. coconut milk
dash salt
curry powder to taste (2 Tb)
1 box frozen chopped spinach
3 Tb nutritional yeast
-combine ingredients in small sauce pan until well combined, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes over low-medium heat.
