Tag: turmeric
Cauliflower and Potatoes Sauteed with Tomatoes
- 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
- 4 to 5 medium sized yellow potatoes, cut into ½ inch wedges
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ajwain (carom) seeds
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 2 inch ginger, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the cumin and ajwain seeds and sauté on medium high heat till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the onion, ginger and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté for another 4-5 minutes. Add the salt, turmeric, coriander powder and garam masala. Mix well and add the cauliflower and potatoes. Mix well and lower the heat and cover for 15 minutes or till the potatoes and cauliflower are tender. Turn the heat up and uncover the pan and sauté, stirring constantly. Saute for 5-6 minutes, till the excess moisture at the bottom of the pan has evaporated. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro.
Punjabi Kadhi- Potato Fritters Cooked in a Yogurt Gravy
Amazing recipe I haven’t posted in a while…
This is a delicious dish I grew up with. My mom would make it once in a while and when she did – we all looked forward to it. For me it is one of those things I like to eat every few months- not all the time- not sure why- maybe because it is a bit labor intensive so people don’t end up making it very often.
This dish also has a few hard to find ingredients- including asafetida, fenugreek seeds and dried fenugreek. These ingredients are available at any Indian grocery store or online.
The dish is essentially a yogurt gravy thickened with besan (chickpea flour). Potato fritters are fried made with onions, ginger, cilantro,etc and are added to the thickened yogurt gravy.
Last but not least, the dish is seasoned with a mixture of fenugreek seeds and chili peppers and topped with dried fenugreek leaves.
The dish has a very distinct flavor imparted by the asafetida and the fenugreek seeds. You could make it without either and it will still taste good.
Try this on a Sunday afternoon when you have some time to spend in the kitchen- our family will love it…
Yogurt Gravy
- 6 cups low-fat plain yogurt (it should be nice and tangy), whisk till smooth
- 1 cup besan (chickpea flour), sifted
- 7 cups water
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon asafetida powder
Add the yogurt and besan to a large saucepan. Whisk till smooth, getting rid of all lumps. Add the water, salt, turmeric and asafetida powder. Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 45 minutes to an hour.
Potato Fritters
- 2 cups besan (chickpea flour)
- 1 large potato, chopped into ¼ inch dice
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 3 green onions, chopped
- ½ small red onion, chopped
- 2 inch grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ cup water
Mix the besan, potato, cilantro, green onions, red onion, ginger, garam masala, cayenne pepper, coriander powder, salt and baking powder into a medium bowl. Add the water slowly while mixing the ingredients with your hands. The consistency should be like a wet potato salad.
- 2 cups extra light olive oil
Place the oil into a wok like saucepan and heat the oil to 375 degrees. Form soft balls with a spoon and gently fry in the oil. Try not to over crowd. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes or till the fritters are golden brown. Take out and drain in a paper towel lined platter. Repeat process till all the mixture is used up.
Add the fritters to the simmering yogurt gravy. Turn the heat off.
Seasonings
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil (you can same oil you used for frying)
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 dried chili pepper
Heat the oil in a small frying pan. Add the fenugreek seeds, asafetida, cayenne pepper and the chili peppers. Saute on medium heat till the seeds begin to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Add the seasoned oil into the gravy. Mix and check for seasonings.
Garnish
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
Garnish with garam masala and methi. Serve hot with plain rice.
Indian Fish Curry
This recipe is inspired by a bengali fish curry. It doesn’t have any tomatoes or yogurt as a base for the gravy. It is mostly flavored with spices including mustard seeds and onion seeds- which is one of my favorite combinations. It is quite simple and quick to make…
- 2 pounds fish fillets, (any white fish will do)
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons salt
Marinate the fish fillets with the lemon juice, turmeric and salt.
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons kalonji (onion seeds)
- 2 tablespoons garlic, grated
- 2 tablespoons ginger, grated
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped fine
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups water, fish or chicken broth
- Salt
Heat a non stick pan with the 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Saute the fish pieces briefly on high heat. Keep aside. Add the leftover oil from the non-stick pan to a saucepan and add the remaining coconut oil. Heat the pan and add the mustard and onion seeds on medium heat. Saute for a minute. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onions, coriander powder and bay leaf. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the liquid and salt and bring to a boil. Add the fish pieces and simmer for a few minutes till the fish is cooked through but not over done. Check for seasonings and serve with rice.
Moroccan Vegetable Tagine
Great healthy way to start off the new year!
Spice Mix
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Roast the cumin and coriander seeds in a cast iron skillet on a medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes or till the seeds become aromatic. Take off the heat and grind smooth in a coffee grinder. Take out in a small bowl and add the turmeric and cayenne pepper. Keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon harissa
- 3 to 4 medium yellow potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 medium turnips, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 3 to 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- Salt
- 1 cup green olives, sliced
- ½ cup dried apricots, sliced
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons dried mint, crushed
Heat a heavy saucepan with the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, harissa and the spice mix. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, turnips, carrots, chickpeas, chicken stock and salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover with lid and cook for 30 minutes. Take the lid off and check to see if the root vegetables are tender. Mash some potatoes with the back of a wooden spoon to slightly thicken the liquid. Add the olives and apricots. Turn the heat up to cook off some of the excess liquid to get the desired consistency- it should be like a thick soup. Add the almonds, cilantro, parsley and dried mint. Check for seasonings and serve with couscous.
Turkish Style Lentil Soup
Yummy lentil soup for meatless Monday!!
- 1 tablespoon butter or extra light olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- ½ cup red lentils, washed
- 1 small potato, peeled and cut in half inch squares
- 2 to 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- Fresh lemon juice
Heat a medium saucepan with the oil. Add the onion, ground cumin and mint. Saute on medium heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add the lentils, potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil and add the salt and turmeric and simmer on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes adding more broth if necessary. Once the potato chunks are soft, take off the heat and let cool. Transfer to blender and blend till smooth. Pour the liquid back to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Adjust the consistency by either adding more broth or cooking off extra broth. Check for seasonings. Squirt some fresh lemon juice right before serving.
Malaysian Style Pork Coconut Curry
If you are in the mood for a really, really yummy dish and don’t mind turning the oven on for a few hours- this recipe is for you… truly one of my favorites…I had a version of this at a yummy Singaporean restaurant in the city and I still dream of the yumminess….
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil
- 2-3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces with excess fat taken off
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- Salt
- 1 star anise
- 3 to 4 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 10 to 12 curry leaves
Spice Paste
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 cup chopped shallots
- 3 to 4 dried red chilies, seeds taken out and soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon shrimp paste (Asian store)
- 2 lemongrass (white part), chopped
Process all spice paste ingredients in a food processor until a paste is formed. Keep aside.
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 3 to 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 to 4 medium yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
- Salt
- Sugar
Heat a large, heavy saucepan with the peanut oil. In the meantime, dredge the pork pieces in the flour and then sprinkle them with a bit of salt. Brown the pieces in the hot oil, in batches for at least 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Set the pork aside and add the star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick and curry leaves. Saute on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the spice paste and sauté on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the pork pieces, coconut milk and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer and cook with the lid on for at least 3 to 4 hours. Add the potatoes half an hour before serving. Reduce the gravy according to taste and serve with coconut rice.
Chicken Curry with Dill and Cilantro
If you like going out for Indian food but are too scared to try cooking something at home… try this dish. It is easy to make and the ingredients are readily available. The garam masala is a challenge as the varieties available in stores are not as good but you can still use one or just eliminate it. Either way, the result is delicious and healthy…
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, skinless, with or without bone
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons half and half
- 2 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
Mix the yogurt, half and half, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, salt and garam masala in a small bowl. Transfer the chicken and the marinade to a zip lock bag for at least 2 hours if not over night in the fridge. Take out half an hour before cooking.
- 1 cup fresh dill
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 10 to 12 green onions
- ½ cup water
Blend the greens and water in a blender till smooth. Keep aside.
- 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- ½ cup tomato sauce, homemade or store bought
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil. Add the green dill sauce and sauté on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper and sauté for another minute. Add the chicken with the marinade. Bring to a boil and cover with a lid and simmer on a low medium heat for 20 minutes. Take the lid off and turn the heat up to cook away any extra liquid in the sauce, stirring constantly. Check for seasonings. Serve warm with fresh rotis.