Vindaloo Vegetables

After an indulging weekend (thanks to my friends who hosted a fantastic Mardi Gras party), I wanted something light and full of vegetables. I had this Vindaloo Vegetables recipe in mind for a couple of weeks, having seen it on FatFreeVegan.com and the time came to try it out. As with many Indian dishes, more time is spend chopping up the veggies, grinding the spices and the paste vs. the actual cooking, which can be quite time-consuming. Also, I had a sink full of cooking accessories by the time I was done (an auto spice grinder), so I've modified the process to cut down on the preparation time.

I've used my mighty pressure cooker from the beginning to finish to make a one-pot meal: from cooking dry beans to sauteing all the veggies to heating them up. This definitely saves you washing another pot and a skillet.  

The result is an outstanding sublime Vindaloo Vegetables dish so full of flavour, very light, and a virtually a guilt-free foodie main dish. I served it over rice for the kids but Vindaloo Vegetables is great on its own (that's how I had it) .

Servings: 8 
Makes in: 1 hour

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 small carrots, thinly sliced
• 4 cups small cauliflower florets
• 2 small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 green / red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 pitted date, coarsely chopped
  i used 1/3 cup of sultana raisins
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 tsp. turmeric
• 1 cardamom clove, ground
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans (or one 15.5 ounce canned beans, rinsed and drained)
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
  i used 1 cup tomato sauce
• salt and freshly ground black pepper (salt is optional)
• 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed

1. Prepare all of the vegetables.
2. Heat a large non-stick pot or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onions and carrots and one tablespoon of water, cover, and cook until softened, stirring often and adding more water as necessary to prevent burning - about 5 minutes. 
3. In the mean time, a blender or food processor (I used a coffee grinder and only 1/4 cup water), combine the garlic, ginger, date, coriander and other spices, vinegar, and 1/2 cup water; process until smooth and set aside. 
4. Add the spice paste from the blender and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. 
5. Add the cauliflower and kidney beans. Cover and turn heat to low. 
6. Put the tomato paste and 1 1/4 cup water in the blender and blend thoroughly. You can skip this step by using tomato sauce + 1 cup water instead. It will not have the same concentrated tomato taste, but I'll take it as I won't have to clean up a messy grinder.
   Add the tomato paste mixture to the vegetables, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. 
7. Add the zucchini and bell pepper, season with pepper and salt (if using), and continue cooking, covered, until the vegetables are tender, but not mushy, about 5 -10 minutes. 
8. Add the peas and allow to heat through for a couple of minutes.
   Serve alone or over basmati rice or other grain.

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Red Lentil Dahl Curry with Spinach

This Indian dish has become a staple in my family for meatless Mondays. A friend from India made this once when he stayed with us and I was trying to replicate the recipe. In my efforts I've forgot how the original dish tasted, but I definitely like what has transpired. The list of ingredients might be a bit daunting but half of these are spices. The dish is pretty quick to make and tastes pretty authentic.

Servings: 4
Cooking time: 30 minutes

• 1 cup split dry lentils, red or yellow
• 2 cups water
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup fresh spinach or 1/2 cup frozen, chopped
  
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon each: turmeric, garam masala, chili, curry powder, cumin, white sugar, salt
• 1 inch ginger, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste or 3 chopped tomatoes

1. Rinse lentils under cool water until water runs clear, add 2 cups water and coconut milk, bring to a boil. Turn down
the temperature and let it simmer, covered for about 15-20 minutes.
I use split lentil because it cooks faster, but if you prefer more texture, use regular and cook a bit longer.

2. While the lentils are cooking, in a small bowl mix all of spices.

3. Chop the onions and saute in a bit of oil till soft and translucent. Add garlic and ginger, cook for 2 minutes, the add the spices and stir for a minute, letting the spices release the aroma. Remove from heat; add tomato paste and stir.

4. Once lentils are almost ready, add spinach, stir well, and closing the lid let it wilt for 2-3 minutes.

5. Add the spices mixture and stir well. Remove from heat and let the curry stand for 5 minute to have the flavours develop.

6. Serve over rice as a main dish.

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Aji's BBQ Tandoori Chicken

If there is one great recipe for potlucks or buffet-style gatherings, this is the one! My husband's colleague made this dish a couple of times; the chicken comes out so flavorful, juicy, and tender. I couldn't help asking for the recipe and sharing it here.

Makes: 6 servings
Ready in: 24+ hours

• 2 tablespoons Chaat Masala and Tandoori Spice
  (optional : chilli powder, to make it hotter. Note that Indian chilli powder is different to the chilli powder sold in supermarkets). Stay away from the "Shaan" brand. One good brand example is MDH.
• 2 kg chicken thighs / drumsticks
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste (pressed garlic cloves with a bit of turmeric and salt)
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste (ground fresh ginger with a bit of turmeric and salt)
• 2 tubs plain yoghurt (Balkan or Greek style preferred), 750g each
• juice of one lemon

1. Remove skin and excess fat from the chicken.
2. Cut slits in the chicken to allow spices to penetrate
3. Rub garlic & ginger paste on the chicken.
4. Rub tandoori spice on the chicken.
5. Leave overnight to marinate.
6. Mix the chicken with yoghurt. You will need about 1/4 cup of yoghurt for a chicken thigh.
7. BBQ the chicken. If the pieces are large you should precook them covered in a oven first
until they are 70% done. This prevents the chicken from becoming overly dry.
8. Sprinkle chaat masala on chicken.
9. Sprinkle lemon juice on the chicken.
10. Leave the chicken marinate for at least a couple of hours.
11. BBQ

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Mango Lime Lassi

Makes: 6 servings

• 2 mangos, very ripe, peeled, coarsely chopped
• 750g plain yogurt
• 1 cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 4 tablespoons lime juice

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Tandoori Chicken

• 2 lb chicken breast, cut into pieces
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
• 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
• 1clove garlic, minced 
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp cilantro
• 1 drop red food color, 1drop yellow food color (optional)

1. Remove skin from chicken pieces, and cut slits into them lengthwise. Place in a shallow dish. sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and lemon juice. Set aside 20 minutes.
    
2. In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, onion, garlic, ginger, garam masala, and cayenne pepper. Mix until smooth. Stir in yellow and red food coloring. Spread yogurt mixture over chicken. Cover, and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours (the longer the better).
    
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium high heat, and lightly oil grate.
    
4. Cook chicken on grill until no longer pink and juices run clear. Garnish with cilantro and lemon wedges. 

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Cucumber Raita

Original recipe from Allrecipes.com

• 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, thinly sliced 
• 2 cups greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons mint leaves, chopped fresh 
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 

Stir together the cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, mint, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. 

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Chicken Jalfrezi

This curry is easy to make and has accessible ingredients. I used bone-in thighs and drumsticks. Adapted from Allrecipes.com

• 1 white onion, processed to a paste
• 2 clove garlic, minded
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, chicken thigh
• 3 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 cardamom pods
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 can / 14 oz. tomatoes, diced and peeled 
• 3 teaspoonsground cumin 
• 3 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons grated ginger root
• 1/2 cups chopped cilantro 

1. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken, and season with turmeric, chili powder and salt. Fry gently, scraping the bottom of the pan frequently and turning the chicken.
2. Pour in the tomatoes with their juice, cover the pan, and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Uncover, and simmer for another 10 minutes to let the excess liquid evaporate.
3. Add cumin, ground coriander, ginger and cilantro, and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes. Serve the chicken pieces with sauce spooned over the top. 

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Creamy Beef Curry

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 lb / 1kg beef, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 white onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced ginger
• 2 red or green chili peppers
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked peppercorns
• 4 cardamom pods
  
• 4 cloves
  
• 1/2 cups of water / beef broth
• 1 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup ground almonds
  
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt 

1. In a skillet eat oil over med-high. Add beef, in batches, brown. Transfer to slow cooker. 
2. Reduce heat to med. Add onions and cook till softened. Add garlic, ginger, chili pepper, cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt, peppercorns, card. pods, cloves, and cook, for 1 min. Add beef stock, bay leaf, bring to a boil. 
3. Pour mixture over beef. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on Low for 8-10h, High for 10min. Stir yogurt and serve over hot rice. 

Delicious & Dependable Slow Cooker Recipes by J. Finlayson

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