Coconut Dhal Curry [Zack]

This is a simple Dhal (lentil) curry that you can make at home with a pressure cooker.  You can chop and toss everything into the pressure cooker and have dinner on the table in 45 minutes.  The coconut milk adds a sweetness to the lentils, and the fish sauce brings the umami to the party.  Leave the fish sauce out for a totally veg meal.

Process:

Start by grinding up cumin seeds, harissa powder, and the onion powder in a mortar and pestle. Then peel the ginger and garlic, loosely chop them, and then add them to the mortar and pestle with the powder. Mash until it makes a paste.

Slice the onion, red pepper, and the tomatoes. Heat up your pressure cooker over medium heat and add some butter, oil, or ghee into the bottom. Saute the onions and red peppers together for about 5 minutes. Then, add the paste to the pot and cook for about a minute (until it becomes fragrant). Add the tomatoes to the party and your 1.5 cups of lentils. Make sure to look for small stones in the lentils by dumping them on a plate and sorting through.

Add the 3 cups of water and cover the pressure cooker. Cover, and cook at high pressure for 20 minutes over medium heat. Make sure to shake it around every 5 minutes, so nothing sticks to the bottom.

You can cook your rice that you’ll combine with the lentils while the pressure cooker is going. Also, dice the onions, peppers, jalapenos, and coriander for the topping.  Combine all of the diced veggies into a bowl.

De-pressurize your cooker, and add in the fish sauce and coconut milk.  Add a bit more salt or maple syrup if necessary.

Serve over the rice, and topped with the fresh garnish!

Ingredients:
1.5 red peppers
1.5 cups lentils
3 cups water
3 tomatoes
1 red onion
1 fat inch ginger
4 cloves garlic
2T cumin seeds
2T harissa powder
1T dried onion powder
½ cup coconut milk
1.5T fish sauce
1tsp sugar or maple syrup (if it needs a kick of sweetness)

For the topping, combine:
½ red onion
½ red pepper
¼ cup pickled jalapenos
1 fist-full of coriander

Song:  Raphael Saadiq - Good Man

Chickpea and Roasted Eggplant Curry [Zack]

If you're in the mood for a healthy and hearty vegetable dish that will leave you full and satisfied, you're on the right page.  The combination of chickpeas with rice creates complete proteins, which means that it's a great substitute for meat.

I chose to make this with an Indian flair.  I included a few basic Indian spices, I pureed the chick peas to make a creamy curry, then added the cubes of roasted eggplant for texture.  Try it out!

Process:

The first step is to get the eggplant goin.  Dice it in 1/2 inch cubes and drizzle with some olive oil.  Place them into the oven at 400F / 200C until they are nicely browned (about 30 mins).

Next, get a pot started over medium heat.  To be prepared for the mashin, slice the red onions roughly (you'll puree them later along with the chickpeas, so no reason to be precise.)  Also, peel and roughly chop your ginger and garlic.  Chop your birdseye chiles too.

Add the onions to the pot with the 3T of olive oil.  Let them lightly brown.

If you have a mortar and pestle, add the cumin seeds, fenugreek, tumeric, and the mustard seeds. Crush them up into a powder, then in goes the ginger, garlic, and chiles.  This paste should smell amazing!  If you don't have a mortar and pestle, just chop everything and toss it in the pot!

Add the paste into the pot.

Wash your chickpeas.  Once you can smell the paste, dump the chickpeas into the pot, along with the chicken stock and 2 cups tomato puree.  Once it starts a'bubblin, reduce the heat to low and let it cook for about 5 mins.

Use a stick blender or a food processor to smooth out the curry.

Swirl in the yogurt and juice your lime into the curry.  Add 2 puffs of hing (if you have it) and adjust for salt.

Your eggplant should be roasted and ready to stir in.  Let the flavors integrate for about 5 mins, then serve over rice or with garlic naan.

Ingredients:
2 roasted eggplants
2 red onions + more for garnish
2 cans chickpeas
2 cups chicken stock (or veg stock if you want to keep it all vegetarian)
2 cups tomato puree
1 lime
1/2 cup yogurt
3T olive oil (plus more to drizzle over the roasted eggplant)
optional cilantro garnish

if you can't find all of these spices, just use cumin :)
1.5 tsp mustard seeds
1t fenugreek
1T tumeric powder
2 small squeezes hing
2T cumin seeds

2 inches ginger
2 birdseye chiles (or 3 if you can handle it!)
2 cloves garlic

Song:  Movits! - Skjut Mig I Huvet

Lamb and Roasted Butternut Squash Curry [Zack]

Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines.  I got introduced to it pretty late in life - in college by my Indian exchange student friends.  I've been making up for lost time ever since.

The first dish I ordered was the ubiquitous Butter Chicken.  I loved how silky-smooth the sauce was, the complexity of the spice mixture, and the kick of heat at the end of each bite.  I quickly learned that Butter Chicken was not the only good dish that the Indian culture had to offer and quickly expanded to favorites such as Saag Paneer, Dhal soup, Chana Masala, Lamb Vindaloo, etc.

If you like butter chicken, this recipe is the next logical step to branch out.  The butternut squash and coconut milk create a very smooth curry that feels like you are riding in a luxury sedan.  The cardamom spice sings over top the flavors and really gives it an interesting twist.  If you prefer pumpkin, feel free to substitute it for the squash.  If it's too intimidating finding and grinding those spices, you can always use a curry paste from the grocery store.  You can add spice directly proportional with the amount of chest hair your dinner guests will have.

This curry is dedicated to Gita Pitel - thanks for teaching me how to cook Indian food!

Process:

Pre-heat your oven to 400F / 200C.  Cut the butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and coat lightly with olive oil or peanut oil.  Sprinkle with salt and roast until caramelized - about 30 minutes. 

Next, while your squash is roasting, you'll want to toast your spices for your curry paste.  In a frying pan over medium heat with no oil, add the cumin seeds, dried chiles, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, anise seeds, and seeds from 7 cardamom pods.  Toast until you can smell the spices and they are slightly browned, about 5 mins on med heat.  Make sure to shake the pan around so they they toast evenly and don't burn. 

Grind them up in a mortar and pestle.

Add in roughly chopped minced garlic, ginger, and birdseye chiles (take out the seeds for less spice).  

Mash to a paste.

Cube the lamb shoulder, cutting off as much fat and silver skin as your sanity will allow.  Alternatively, you can save 5-10 minutes by buying cubed lamb.

Brown the cubes in batches in 2 T of oil in a large pot.  Don't over-crowd the pot or else you won't get proper browning.  Transfer each batch to a plate.  

Once you are finished cooking the lamb, add your diced onions to the empty pot.  Cook for a  few mins in the lamb goodness. 

Your squash should be about finished by now.  Pull it out of the oven and keep it nearby so you can scoop it out into your soup pot with a spoon.

Add your curry paste to the onions and cook for 2 more mins until fragrant.  Watch out – the spice may get into the air and pepper spray the room if you add a lot!  

Add 1/2 of your roasted squash into the pot along with your chicken stock.  Let this come up to a gentle simmer and then blend the whole thing with a stick blender or in your food processor.  This will smooth out your sauce and provide a nice base for the curry.

Start your rice.  Toast 1T of cumin seeds in 1T of oil or butter before adding the rice according to the directions on the box.

Add the lamb back in.  Also add in your curry leaves and the rest of the squash to the pot.  Give it a good stir.  You'll get a pleasant contrast between the smooth and creamy base and the chunks of squash. 

Keep stirring for about 10 minutes, add your turmeric powder, coriander powder, and taste to see if you want to add any chile spice (lal murchu).  Adjust the salt content as well.  Simmer for about 10 more minutes to thicken it up.  The last step is to add the coconut milk into the curry.  This will take it over the top!

Check one last time for salt and spice content.  Serve over some freshly-made cumin rice.  For garnish, dice an onion and sprinkle lemon juice over the top of it.  

Ingredients:
Instead of the below spices, you can use a red curry paste from the grocery store.

1 2 lb boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed and cubed

2 cups of cubed pumpkin, roasted

1.5 cups chicken stock

1 medium onion, diced

2 inches ginger

2 large cloves garlic

2 birdseye chiles

2/3 tsp cumin seeds

4 dried chiles

1/3 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/3 tsp mustard seeds

1/3 tsp anise seeds

1/3 tsp cinnamon

7 cardamom pods (only the seeds)

1/2 tsp tumeric

1 tsp ground coriander

10 curry leaves

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 cup basmanti or brown rice
1 T cumin seeds

garnish:
1 medium onion, diced
juice from 1/2 of a lemon

Song to cook that curry:  James Brown - the payback