Vegetable Curry Served over Jasmine Rice

Now that we have our fresh curry powder made, it's time to get to work making a delicious dish that incorporates it.  To that purpose, I have selected a dish perfected by America's Test Kitchen: a vegetable curry that integrates a variety of textures and earthy flavors, to make a hearty and satisfying weeknight meal.

Note:  In order to make this dish in the most convenient manner, you’re going to need a garlic press and a food processor.  There are certainly workarounds for both implements, but the process is made much easier by not having to put knife to cutting board, in either instance.  With that being said, if you don’t have a processor, just strain the tomatoes (retaining the juice), and chop them coarsely.  As for the garlic—smash it well, and mince it finely; you’ll hardly know the difference.

The Ingredients:

2 TBSP.            Curry Powder

1½ TSP.           Garam Masala  (You can buy this pre-packaged, but if you’re       

                      feeling up to the task, you can find a recipe for homemade 

                      Garam Masala 

      here:                   http://indianfood.about.com/od/masalarecipes/r/garammasala.htm)

4 TBSP.            Vegetable Oil

3 Cloves            Pressed or Minced Garlic (Though I always say the more garlic 

                       the better!  Why not make it for 4 or 5?)

1 TBSP.            Minced or Grated Fresh Ginger

1                     Serrano Chile (For a spicier dish, save the ribs and seeds. For 

                       a milder dish, discard the ribs and seeds)

1 TBSP.            Tomato Paste (There are re-sealable tubes available at just  

                       about any grocery store, which provide a greater bang-for-

                       your-buck than a non-re-sealable can)

1 Can               Diced Tomatoes (14.5 OZ.--I usually go for a fire roasted 

                       variety for additional flavor)

2 C.                 Minced Onion (Roughly 2 medium-sized)

12 OZ.             Red Potatoes, Cut into ½ Inch Pieces

1¼ LBS.           Cauliflower, Cut into 1-Inch Florets

1¼ C.              Water (I use slightly less—around 1 C.—to thicken the curry to 

                       my liking)

1 Can               Chick Peas (15 OZ.), Drained and Rinsed

1½ C.              Frozen Peas

¼ C.                Coconut Milk (Or heavy cream, if that’s your inclination)

I always like to begin cooking by prepping all my ingredients.  This is a French cooking philosophy called Mis en Place, or Everything in place.  The ethos being, if you have everything ready to go, you avoid having to stop and restart the cooking process.  Mis en Place helps to facilitate a flow to your cooking, that you otherwise wouldn’t have if you had to stop and chop, or measure out, every single ingredient that you need, as you need it.  Imagine, how much time you lose--how much food you over cook—just because you need to take your attention away from actually cooking, in order to prepare what you could have done ahead of time.  But—if you have years of experience prepping on the go, and the attendant knife skills—feel free to prep and cook at the same time, Jedi Master.

In order to complete prep, you’re going to need to process those tomatoes, which I mentioned in the note above.  If you have a food processor, and used it, your tomatoes should look something like this:

If you don’t have a food processor, try to make your tomatoes resemble something approximating this.  To be honest, texture is a personal preference…to that end:  if you want a chunkier tomato consistency, forgo the processing altogether.

Next up is your garlic mixture.  Combine 1 TBSP. of the vegetable oil with the garlic, ginger, Serrano chile, and tomato paste.  Doesn’t that look, and smell, tantalizing?

Finally, toast your curry powder and Garam Masala in a shallow pan over medium-high heat, for about a minute, or until your kitchen is overtaken by the intoxicating aromas.  Take the pan off the heat and set it aside to cool for a few minutes.

Once the prep is finished, have a sip of beer, or wine, or gin and tonic (it’s important to relax while you’re cooking—trust me, it makes a difference in the end result), and then get cooking.  You want to saute the onions and potatoes with the remaining oil, until the onions are beginning to caramelize and the potatoes are beginning to get golden brown around the edges.  I found that this took longer than the 10 minutes the recipe recommends, so adjust your cooking times according to your stovetop (mine is notoriously under flamed).

Once your onions and taters have achieved their heavenly glow, go ahead and clear out a little space in the center of your Dutch oven (or whatever large pot you might be using), in which you will place our previously prepared garlic mixture.  Now, prepare your nose for excess stimulation (of the best variety), as you mash that mixture into the pot until it’s overpoweringly fragrant—only 15-20 seconds should do it—and then stir the mixture into the surrounding vegetables. 

Are you ready for even more fragrance overload?  That’s rhetorical, because you better be.  Once you’ve stirred in the garlic mixture, add the toasted spices to the mélange and keep stirring for another minute.  If you’re anything like me, at this point, the scent alone has you salivating.  Now add the cauliflower and make sure you get as much of it coated in the spicy-goodness as you can.  Let the mixture cook through another two minutes or so.

Now add the chickpeas, coating them in the spice mixture, followed by the tomatoes, water, and a TSP. of salt.  Bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat.  Once it begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium (a gentle simmer), and throw the cover on.  Let the flavors meld and congregate for a good 10-15 minutes, stirring everything occasionally.  I let mine go for slightly longer than 15 minutes, to make the sauce just a little bit thicker and more robust.  Of course, as always, cook to your liking and preferences.  Want the sauce thinner?  Stick closer to the 10-minute recommendation; just make sure that the vegetables, especially the cauliflower and potatoes, are tender enough when all is said and done.

Once everything is cooked nearly as you like it, add the coconut milk and the frozen peas, stir everything up again, and let it cook through another two minutes or so.  From here, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve this stomach-stuffing, palate-pleasing curry dish over a bed of Jasmine rice (or any white rice will do).

This recipe definitely is more than enough for two people, so invite a few people over and share a fantastic meal with friends, or pack it with any leftover rice for a rich lunch that anyone with a capable nose will instantly envy.

잘 먹겠습니다 

P.S.  I apologize for the formatting.  It looked completely normal as I typed it up, but something got lost in translation....

Recipe From: http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=8313

Curried Carrot Soup

I'm checking in to drop off a quick and easy recipe that utilizes the curry powder I made last week, which results in a rich and delicious soup.  I make it all the time--but prime carrot season is typically summer and fall.  My only addition to the wonderful recipe from Martha Stewart and Co. is a dash of  extra curry powder, and halving both the broth and the water amounts.  It results in a richer, thicker soup, which is how I prefer it, but by all means, experiment with the liquids and fight what works for you.  Pair the soup with a grilled cheese, and you have yourself a simple dinner.  The leftovers also make for an easy to reheat lunch--especially on these frigid February days.

Curried Carrot Soup--Care of Martha Stewart

Boun Appetito!

Let's Make Curry Powder!

I'm going to start this post by taking a half-step back.  I will not be making a curry based sauce to begin with, but the actual curry powder that would flavor a curried dish.  In the past, I have usually just bought a container of curry powder off the shelf, giving little thought to it's providence, but this blog demands that I start from scratch, and so I will!

To do as I have done, you're going to need to make a trip to the grocery store for the appropriate seeds ands spices.  Most of these items can be bought prepackaged at most grocery stores, but an easy way to save money is to find a store that sells the items in bulk, such as certain Whole Foods, or other specialty food-stores.  And yes, I do mean actual seeds, and not the prepackaged, ground up variety that is conveniently already manufactured for you.  Working with seeds will require a piece of specialty equipment:

A mortar and pestle.

These two implements are used to finely grind our seeds, and can be found in just about any store that sells or specializes in cookware.  You might be able to jerry-rig another mechanism by which to grind your seeds, and if you manage it, kudos! Every other piece of cookware necessary to make your own curry powder should already be found in your home.  These include: a set of measuring spoons, a large, heavy-bottomed pan, and a stove.

The Ingredients:

-2 TBSP.     Coriander seeds

-1 TBSP.     Cumin seeds

-1 TSP.       Fennel seeds

-1 TSP.       Mustard seeds

-1/2 TSP.    Black peppercorns

-1 TSP.       Turmeric powder

-1/2 TSP.    Red Chili powder

-1 TSP.       Ginger powder

Now I spent close to $30 on what you see here, which sounds like a lot, and frankly is a lot, but the hit on your wallet can be made easier if you tell yourself that this assortment of seeds and spices will allow you to make several batches of curry powder--not to mention, most of them have many other uses, and are staples in their own right.

The Process:

Take that pan and put it over the burner on low, low heat.  After giving it a few seconds to warm up, dump your seeds into the pan, set your timer for 10 minutes, and then start stirring.  It's not necessary to stir for the full 10 minutes, but unattended seeds may start to burn, smoke, and due to their oils, stick to the pan, so it's important to keep an eye on them.  This is undoubtedly the best step of the process, in my opinion, because the scents bloom over the heat of the burner, which filled my kitchen with wonderfully exotic smells.  Though my nose is not the greatest, I detected the strongest notes from the fennel and cumin, like black licorice and spice.

Once the scent has taken over your kitchen, and the seeds have achieved a bit of a golden glow from their roasting, remove them from the pan and place them in an even layer on a plate to cool.  I let mine sit for 10 minutes, which was enough time.  Now into the mortar with it!  

Are you ready to exercise?  I timed myself, and it took me a solid 10 minutes, and a concerted muscular effort, to grind those seeds down.  There is a reprieve, though; the smells become even more intense as you fully release the oils from the seeds  When you set down the pestle and wipe your brow, this is what the ground down seeds should look like:

With the hard work through, all your left with is to add the remaining spices.  Shovel them in there and mix them well.  You're final product should look something like this:

The red-orange coloring is owed to the earthy turmeric, and red chili powder.  Pack this milled gold into an airtight container, and store in a cool, dry place, and add to you favorite curry dishes when the occasion calls for it.  Or try putting it in non-traditional dishes and see what dimension it adds.  

Next week I will be using my fresh-made curry powder in a either a traditional Indian dish, or an Indian-inspired recipe that has been tempting my eye for some time.  Stay tuned...

Bon Appetit!

Recipe from: showmethecurry.com

The Journey Begins:  India

The first leg of my culinary journey begins in India, and when I think of Indian food, I of course first think of Chicken-Tikka Masala, Britain's national dish.  But Masala is an anglicized take on Indian cooking traditions, which vary widely by region, and I want my first dish to be as authentic as I can verify it to be (short of carting myself of to a small, Indian village to have it made in front of me).  So, with this in mind, I will be first attempting a curry, of which there are numerous varieties.  I have attached a link that goes into the history of curry, the assemblage of spices, as well as the word itself (which may be purely English in origin).  I found it to be a fascinating read--though the page looks like it might have been designed in 1997.

The History of Curry

Humble Beginnings...

Hello Fellow Eaters!

I want to begin this blog with a bit of a mission statement cum explanation of what I hope to do here.  A few years ago, my fiancée and I decided to split the kitchen duties; I became the cook, she became the kitchen cleaner and dish doer--I'm pretty sure I got the better of her.  Ever since this fateful arrangement, I have been in search of interesting recipes that are both budget conscious, and more or less, designed for two people (waste not, want not!).  I now hope to apply this ethos to this, my novel blogging endeavor.  In the future--on this very blog! -- I hope to post a variety of recipes from all over Asia; share my experiences shopping for any exotic ingredients; and my trials, tribulations, and (maybe, just maybe) successes in recreating them.  Interspersed with all that goodness will be interesting facts about the regions I am culling recipes from.  I hope all this sounds at least mildly intriguing to anyone with a taste for culinary adventure.  If so, I hope you find my insights and experience worth tuning in for!  Until next time!

Bon Appétit,

Ross