Indian food tonight

[serenecooking]

(Posted here and at serenejournal)

You know how sometimes you want just a quick meal, but other times you want to cook and cook and cook? Yeah, that.

We had:

Aloo gobi (made according to this video: http://www.ifood.tv/?q=node/355 )

Mustard greens sauteed in oil with mustard seed and salt

Chana dal with berbere spice (I know, berbere isn't Indian, but it gives an Indian-ish vibe) -- served on top of the greens, with olive oil drizzled on top and some paprika sprinkled on

Raita made with Greek yogurt, cucumber, and a little red onion, mint, and cilantro (and a little salt) -- SO yummy

Store-bought naan

Mango lassi (1 cup each Greek yogurt and 2% milk, flesh from 3 mangos, 2 heaping tablespoons sugar -- it was very thick, the way we like it, but you might want more milk)

My tummy is very happy right now. And after ten days of eating out, it was *very* satisfying to cook for an hour or so in my own kitchen.

Comments

[tutordennis.livejournal.com]

Berbere is my secret ingredient in many things--a little in a pasta sauce is like a mysterious taste grenade!

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

Cool! I'll have to try that. It's essentially become my default lazy "curry powder". Do you have a good recipe for it? I've tried several, and they're all good, but none as good as the berbere they serve at my local Ethiopian place.

[tutordennis.livejournal.com]

I've used this one from a Moosewood cookbook:

2 tsp. Cumin
4 cloves
1/4 tsp. cardamom seeds
1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
1/4 tsp. allspice berries
1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
10 (or so) dried chiles
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp. salt
2.5 Tbsp. sweet Hungarian paprika (or a mix of sweet and hot, if you like)
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves.

1) Toast the cumin, whole cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, allspice, fenugreek, and coriander for about 2 minutes over medium heat in a cast-iron pan. Burning them would be bad. Let cool 5 minutes.
2)Stem the chiles, and grind them with the toasted spices.
3) Mix in the remaining ingredients, taking care that the moisture from the ginger doesn't make the mix clumpy.

I like to add in dried ethiopian basil, but honestly, if one is in a place where ethiopian basil is on sale, one could buy packaged berbere.