Coconut Red-Lentil Curry

 

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (2 1/2 inch) fresh jalapeno or serrano chile, finely chopped, including seeds
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups dried red lentils
• 1 (14 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 lb zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro (optional)

Steps:

Cook onion in oil in heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until edges are golden, about 6 minutes.

Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt and chile and cook, stirring 1 minute.

Stir in water, lentils and coconut milk, then simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

Stir in zucchini and simmer, covered, until lentils and zucchini are tender, about 15 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and serve with cilantro sprigs scattered on top.

Serve with rice or naan.

Source:  Touchet, Alexis. "Quick Kitchen." Gourmet, December 2006: 181

Sambar Curry

Sambar Recipe 

Adapted from South Indian recipes.com

This Sambar recipe is one of the most loved dishes in South Indian cuisine. It accompanies most every meal. 

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 lime sized ball Tamarind
• 1 cup Toor Dal (or red lentils)
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 2 teaspoons oil
• Salt to taste
• 5 small dry red chilies (or to taste)
• 8 Curry Leaves (see note)
• 1 medium onion (shallots are preferable)
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida (optional) (substitute garlic)
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 large tomato
• 2 tablespoons sambar powder (see note)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves (also known as coriander leaves)
• 1 cup of a vegetable of your choice like green beans, chopped carrot

Directions:

• Soak the tamarind in 1 cup water for 20 minutes. Squeeze it out, adding water little by little to prepare 1 cup of juice.
• Choose a heavy cooking pot. Wash and clean the dal.
• Boil 2 cups of water and add the dal, turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon of oil.
• As the dal boils, skim off the foam and discard.
• Boil until the dal is soft and then mash it coarsely.
• If needed, add more water as it is boiling but do not let it get too watery. If you use a pressure cooker it will take about 5 minutes.
• In a separate pan, heat to medium and pour in the remaining oil.
• Once the oil is hot, add the chilies, mustard seeds, fenugreek and curry leaves and sauté for 2 minutes.
•  Add the onion and brown lightly. Add the tamarind extract and let boil lightly until the onions are cooked.
• Add this mixture to the dal with asafoetida, tomato, vegetable of choice and sambar powder.
• Allow this to boil for 5 to 10 minutes and remove from the heat. Garnish with cilantro.

Lamb Curry

Mutton Ishtew

Adapted from Indian food.about.com

This delicious South Indian stew is delicately flavored with a mix of spices and coconut milk. It tastes great with rice, Dosas, Idlis or Appams.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg mutton/ lamb/ goat meat cut into small pieces (bones included if any)
• 25 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
• 2 large onions chopped fine
• 2 green chillies slit lengthwise
• 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 10 black peppercorns
• 1" stick of cinnamon
• 8 cloves
• Seeds from 5 green cardamom
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 10 baby potatoes
• 1 1/2 cup coconut milk
• Salt to taste
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

 

Preparation:

• Put the meat, vinegar, 15 curry leaves, freshly ground black pepper and 1 cup of water into a deep pan and set up to cook on a medium flame. Cook till meat is half done. Keep aside for later use.
• Heat a flat pan on a medium flame and gently roast the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns and fennel seeds on it till they begin to turn darker and release their aroma. Allow to cool and then grind into a coarse powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
• Heat the cooking oil in another deep pan, on a medium flame and add the chopped onions, green chillies, chopped garlic and remaining curry leaves to it. Cook till the onions are soft.
• Add the powdered ground spices to this and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the meat now and cook till browned.
• Add the baby potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the previously cooked meat and stock to this and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the coconut milk to this and cook till the meat is done.
• Add salt to taste and the juice of 1/2 a lemon and turn off fire. Mix well.
• Serve with hot rice, Idlis, Dosas or Appams.

If you are going to use a coffee grinder for your spices, be sure to have a 2nd one, since the flavours don't go well with coffee!

Cauliflower and Pea Curry

From: Curries Without Worries by Sudha Koul

Serves 6

3/4 cup oil
1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
2 medium onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp finely chopped ginger
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp ground tumeric
2 tsp ground cummin seeds
1 tsp cayenne pepper
seeds from 2 cardomon pods
salt to taste
1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
2-1/2 cups frozen peas (or substitute soya beans)
1 cup chopped fresh coriander

Heat the oil on high heat in a wok.  Add the whole cumin and stir until it sizzles briskly for a few seconds.

Add the onions, garlic and ginger; stir fry till golden brown

Add the tomatoes and continue frying for about 5 minutes until you have a reddish paste.

Add the ground coriander, tumeric, cumin, cayenne, cardomon and salt; continue stir frying until all the spices are well blended in the paste.

Add the cauliflower and fry well.  This should take about 8 minutes on high heat.  Stir off and on to prevent sticking.**

Add the peas, stir, lower heat to medium high;cover and cook till the cauliflower is done to desired tenderness.  This should take about 5 minutes.  Just before serving sprinkle the fresh coriander on top.

**Avoid using any water to cook cauliflower if you want it to be crunchy and not too soft.  However, if you feel the gravy is drying up too fast and the cauliflower is likely to burn, add a quarter cup of water.