Thursday, July 29, 2010

indian cooking

I thought I would try my hand at Indian cooking since I am in fact Indian. I made Rajma and Aloo Gobi. Typically I am not the biggest fan of Aloo Gobi since to me, it is the most boring of the Indian dishes. But this time, I followed a recipe off of Smitten Kitchen, that involved baking the potatoes and cauliflower instead of pan-frying them and the result was most delicious! I like it better because the potatoes and cauliflower were crispy and and less soggy than with pan frying. These were the ingredients I used:

1 (1 3/4-lb) head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets
1 1/4 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp mango powder
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and place a shallow baking pan on rack. Preheat oven to 475°F.

Toss cauliflower and potatoes together in a bowl with 3 tablespoons oil, cumin seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and browned in spots and potatoes are just tender, about 25 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, and ginger in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in roasted vegetables. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add the garam masala and mango powder last. (Add lemon juice? (optional)).

Garnish with fresh cilantro.

I also made rajma, another "meat and potatoes" Indian dish, but I love rajma! How can anyone dislike anything with beans? This might have turned out too spicy. I also took a recipe from Smitten Kitchen and modified the amount of spices. I might reduce the amount of cumin next time.

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp mango powder

1/4 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes and their juice
~30 oz dark red kidney beans
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a deep sauce pan over medium heat for one minute. Add ginger, garlic, onion and cook until onions become translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt and remaining spices and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the kidney beans plus one additional cup of water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and let cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Add garam masala and mango powder at the last minute. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice if desired. Garnish with cilantro.



I have a lot leftover! Thank goodness for leftovers! As a kid I never liked leftovers, but now I love love them! Probably because it saves me time as I write my thesis.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This sounds like great deliciousness! i hate cumin and i love cauliflower however so i think i want to definitely want to try the first.... or. you can invite me over for leftovers.
:-)