Guest Post: Bonnie's Sweet Potato Faux-Rizo Stew

Drool.

Hello fellow lovers of vegetarian food! Since Lisa and Laurel are busy doing other things, I've snuck in to give you all a fabulous guest post. You've seen my recipes on here before, but this time I've fully commandeered the rig. So let's get to it.

This recipe is one of my Grammy's favorites, albeit I tweaked it a bit to fit my particular taste profile, which is spicier and more robust. I call it faux-rizo sweet potato stew. I hope you like it!

Ingredients:
2 Tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped or pressed
1 tsp ground ginger (original recipe calls for fresh. I also used more.)
1 1/2 C sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 bell peppers (I used red and yellow), chopped
1 tsp garam masala (I used more)
Cayenne or your favorite powdered heat, to taste
1/2 C vegetable broth
1 can black beans, drained
1 package soy chorizo (I used tofurky's just to try it, but trader joe's is just as good and much cheaper)
Salt and pepper
Tortillas
Lime for garnish, as you like

Method:
In a soup pot or large skillet you can cover, saute onion, garlic, ginger, and bell peppers in oil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sweet potatoes, garam masala, and cayenne and mix well. Add veggie broth, then cover and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender. Add beans and soyrizo and cook another 5 minutes until heated through. Add salt and pepper and adjust other seasonings to your liking. Serve immediately with hot tortillas, garnished with lime. Enjoy!

Chana Masala (Chickpea curry)

A delicious, fragrant, spicy chickpea stew. Yes, this recipe has a long list of ingredients (mostly spices), but it's very easy and comes together in about 30 minutes. This is great right out of the pan, but gets even better the next day as leftovers after the flavors have had time to meld. Adapted from Smitten Kitchen (http://smittenkitchen.com), which, by the way, is a fantastic recipe site.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon ground coriander
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons paprika
1 tablespoon garam masala
2 cups tomatoes, chopped small or 1 15-ounce can of whole tomatoes, chopped small
2/3 cup water (you can also substitute juices from the tomatoes or liquid from the canned or cooked chickpeas for extra flavor)
4 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
lemon juice, optional

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper and sauté over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, paprika and garam masala. Cook onion mixture with spices for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Add the liquid you're using and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt. You can finish with a squeeze of lemon juice if you like, though I didn't and it was still delicious!

Aloo Gobhi (Potato and Cauliflower Curry)

After many failed attempts to make North Indian food, this one finally turned out brilliantly! This is courtesy of the blog "Sanjha Chulha" ("Common Oven"), at http://sanjhachulha.blogspot.com - with a few adjustments.

1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces, making 2 cups of cauliflower florets
2 tbs vegetable/canola oil
1 large onion, cut into small pieces
2 garlic cloves, chopped into small pieces
potatoes, chopped into small pieces - about 2 or so cups total (I used about 8 small red ones)
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
2 tsp garam masala (I love MTR brand)
cayenne pepper, to taste
1 tbs butter
1 tbs peeled and finely grated ginger


1. Wash the cauliflower by swishing it around in a bowl full of cold salted water. This adds a little bit of salt before you begin frying.
2. Heat the oil in frying pan and add the onion, garlic and potatoes and fry untill the color of onions is deep yellow and its translucent (approx. 10 min.)
3. Add the cauliflower and fry till the onions are now brown (approx. 3-4 min.)
4. Add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and garam masala, stir and fry. (approx. 5 min)
5. Mix well.
6. Add the butter and mix, add 6-7 tbs cold water and simmer. (approx. 5-10 min. but it depends, so keep checking till the potatoes are done. if they're taking a while, cover the pan and let it hang out for a few minutes).
7. Stir in the ginger and cook for a minute or two.
8. Serve with rice or roti (flatbread - the naan you can buy at trader joe's is pretty tasty!)

Spicy Coconut Spinach

Easy-peasy and absolutely delicious South Indian-style spinach. Takes 10 minutes to throw together and is sweet, spicy, and savory all at the same time. From 101cookbooks, with adjustments.

1 shallot, minced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1-2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3-4 big handfuls spinach
4 tablespoons unsweetened coconut, lightly toasted (you can toast the coconut by putting it into a pan, with no oil, then gently heating it until it starts to turn light brown and smells delicious)

Heat the oil in a big pan. Once it's nice and hot, add the mustard seeds. When they start popping all over the place (BE CAREFUL! they're hot!), add the cumin seeds and stir so they don't burn. Cook for about 20 seconds, then sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and cook for another 10 seconds or so. Add the garlic and shallot and saute for about 1 minute, or until it starts to turn translucent. Then, add the spinach and sprinkle on the salt. Cook just until it wilts but is still bright green. Sprinkle on the coconut before serving.

Priya's masala-roasted vegetables

So it turns out that grad school not only eats your soul; it also eats your palate. Over the past year I've had less and less time to cook, and have therefore turned to the world of frozen burritos and food court meals to sustain me. Even now that my last paper has been turned in, I've had ZERO motivation to cook fresh veggies and have still been poking around the frozen prepared food section of my grocery store whenever I'm hungry. TV dinners are addictive. (Cue audible gasp from readers who are aware of the amount of vegetables I normally consume).

But then, last night, I was saved by a certain lovely lady named Priya, who cooked up these delicious veggies for me and made me remember how much I love veggies AND cooking AND her.

For those of you who aren't into spicy food, this would be delicious with just olive oil, garlic, and salt, though the masalafication makes it extra yummy. You can also of course pick and choose which vegetables you'd like to roast.

Ingredients:
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
a handful of brussel sprouts, halved
olive oil
salt
a few cloves of garlic, chopped (2 if you only kind of like garlic, 4 if you think it's fan-tabulous)
garam masala or curry powder (preferably MTR brand, if you can find it, but any other kind will do)

Preheat oven to 425. Toss veggies with the garlic, a few glugs of olive oil (mush it around with your hands until all the vegetables look a little shiny), a sprinkle of salt, and a sprinkle of garam masala. Spread veggies out on a shallow pan or two. Roast them in the oven for about 15 minutes, then pull them out and taste one. If it's still crunchy, put it back it for another 5-10 minutes. Continue until they're starting to brown a little on the bottom and are soft and delicious.

Spiced-Up Hot Chocolate

This recipe is from Craigie on Main, a fancy-schmancy restaurant in Cambridge . . . the spices are a little Indian, a little Mexican, a lotta yummy.

about 1/2 cup dark (70%) chocolate
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup butter
4 teaspoons white sugar

Grind the following and add to taste:
approximately 3 green cardamom pods - toast the cardamom, crush and discard the green shell, and grind the black seeds inside the pod
1/2 stick cinnamon (Mexican if possible)
1/2 tsp chili flakes (preferably ancho)

Put all ingredients in a pot, stir and simmer constantly until it reaches the consistency you desire. The final yield will depend on how much you reduce the cocoa while cooking but the above recipe should make approx 10 espresso cup portions.

This cocoa is super-rich and smaller servings are usually enough.

Crunchy Palak Paneer

Also courtesy of A-Dash . . . I need to try this one soon!

For the sauce:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
3 inch piece ginger, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 whole red or green chilli
1 tsp salt
14oz can tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tsp sugar
1lb 2oz fresh spinach, washed
2 tbsp water

For the paneer:
2 tsp garam masala
1¾oz semolina
7oz paneer, cut into 1cm/½in cubes
vegetable oil, for shallow frying

small handful coriander leaves, finely chopped, to garnish
1 tsp lemon juice


1. For the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and cook for about three minutes until soft. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for a further minute.
2. Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, ground turmeric, whole chilli and salt. Stir over the heat to release the flavours of the spices.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and sugar and simmer for ten minutes.
4. Meanwhile, for the paneer, place the garam masala and semolina in a large bowl and mix well.
5. Place the cubed paneer into the bowl and coat well with the spiced semolina.
6. Pour the vegetable oil into a deep frying pan to a depth of about 0.5cm/½in. When hot, add the coated paneer and fry until crisp and golden.
7. Add the washed spinach and two tablespoons of water to the tomato sauce, stir in and cook until the spinach wilts.
8. Fold the paneer into the sauce.
9. To serve, garnish with the coriander and squeeze over the lemon juice.

Kadala (Black Chickpea) Curry

Kadala Curry is a dish from Kerala, the southwestern Indian state known for its drop-dead gorgeous backwaters and its amazing food full of cocout. I ate this last night at a fabulous Keralan restaurant in Hyd and couldn't get enough of it . . . it was amazing with appam (Keralan dosas) and paratha, but would also be fan-tabulous with rice.

This recipe is courtesy of "Live to Eat" at http://blog.sigsiv.com/.

2 cups Kadala (black chickpes), soaked overnight
1 cup sliced onions
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
1 cup fresh/frozen grated coconut
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
2 cardamom pods
3 cloves
1 star anise
5 whole black pepper
salt to taste
1/4 tsp oil

To Garnish
1/2 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp sliced shallots
a few curry leaves
1 dry red chilly
Method
Mix the soaked kadala with sliced onions and turmeric powder. Add water to cover the kadala and cook till soft (or pressure cook for about 15 minutes).

In a shallow pan, heat oil and add cardamom, cloves, star anise & black pepper seeds and fry for a minute or two.

Add coconut and fry till brown.

Add red chilli powder & coriander powder and fry on low heat till brown.

Dry grind the fried ingredients in a spice grinder. The oil from the coconut will help form a smooth paste of all the ground ingredients.

Add this paste along with salt to the cooked kadala. If there isn’t enough water in the kadala, add a cup or two and mix well. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes till the gravy is thick.

To garnish, heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds start to splutter add shallots, curry leaves and red chilly and saute till brown. Pour this over the cooked kadala.

Serve hot with puttu or appam or steamed rice.

Veggie Vindaloo

Apologies to my dear Anshuman for "f'ing up his recipe," as he so graciously put it. (The original first ingredient was "a whole buttload of lamb," if that gives you any clue). However, this sounded so tasty that I decided it would be worth it to try a non-carnivorous version anyway :). (He also conceded that you could probably also add sweet potato and bell peppers to mix it up a little).


1 Tbs cider vinegar
2 tbs tamarind pulp
2 large onions
15-20 garlic cloves
1 inch finger of ginger
2 Tbs grated Coconut.
6 potatoes, cut in 1 inch cubes.
1 tsp each of cumin, coriander, red Chilli powder, and black pepper.
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 paprika cut into 4s
Two red chillis
one inch of cinnamon bark
3 cloves
2 bay leaves.

Grind one onion with half the garlic, with a little water. Add the vinegar, tamarind pulp, cumin, coriander, red chilli, black pepper powder and make a fine masala paste.

Chop the remaining onion.
Crush the ginger and garlic in a mortar & pestle.

In a flat bottom pan, heat 3 TBS oil. Add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamom,
two red chillis. Add the onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add ginger garlic, and saute till golden brown. Add the masala paste, and add litle water, and fry till oil
separates from mixture. Add salt to taste and stir well.

Add the potatoes and other veggies, paprika and stir well. Add the grated coconut, and add 2 cups of hot water. Let it simmer in low heat till potatoes/veggies are cooked.

Sujatha’s Karivepaku Podi (Curry Leaf Powder)

A tasty and spicy way to jazz up some plain rice! You should be able to find curry leaves at your friendly neighborhood Indian grocery.

My coworker Sujatha gave me this recipe using grams as a measurement . . . so it might take some playing around to get the right proportions.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
125 grams urad dal
10 – 12 dried red chilis
35 grams dhaniya (coriander seeds)
10 grams jeera (cumin seeds)
45 grams sesame seeds
Leaves from 12-15 stems of curry leaves
6-7 pieces of garlic
Salt to taste
20 grams dried tamarind

Head oil in a pan for 2 minutes; add ural dal and fry until it’s light brown. Add chilis, coriander, cumin, coriander, sesame, curry leaf and fry till it’s a light brown color. Make sure you don’t use too much oil here; you want the mixture to be fairly dry. Toss the garlic and tamarind in towards the end.

Dump all the ingredients in the food processor; add salt and grind. You want it to be a powder, but Sujatha tells me that if you let it get TOO fine, then it’ll get bitter. Stir it into rice, and eat with curry, raita, and other yummy Indian things.

Eggplant (brinjal) curry

The eggplants here are TINY (like, the size of my thumb!) and really sweet . . . I think this would be best with the smallest eggplants you can find (maybe the long, thin Japanese ones?), though it might still work with the big ones. It's worth a try for this spicy curry that ends up being a little sweet as well, thanks to the coconut . . .

1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp moong dal
1 tsp urad dal
1/2 of a small onion, chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp meat masala
10 curry leaves
1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tbs fresh grated coconut
about 1 1/2 cups eggplant, chopped into bite-sized pieces or 2-inch strips
(optional: 1/2 cup potatoes boiled till about halfway done, chopped into bite-sized pieces)


Heat 1 tbs oil in a small pan; add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dals and fry about 30 seconds. Add onion and fry till brown. Add water to cover the onion, along with turmeric, chili powder, masala, curry leaves, and ginger-garlic paste; cook for a few minutes, adding water if it grows dry. Add coriander, salt to taste, and coconut; then, add the eggplant and potatoes.

Carrot or Green Bean Fry

A super-quick way of making veggies super-tasty . . .

1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp moong dal
1 tsp urad dal
2-3 red chilis, broken into 1-inch pieces
1/4 tsp turmeric
5-10 curry leaves
1 cup lightly steamed veggies, chopped into small cubes (for carrots) or slices (for green beans)
about 2 tsp grated fresh coconut (you can buy it frozen in the U.S., or try unsweetened dried coconut)

Heat 2 tbs oil in a pan; fry mustard seeds, cumin, dals, and chilis for about 30 seconds. Add turmeric, and curry leaves; fry for another 30 seconds before adding the steamed veggies, a sprinkle of water, and salt to taste. Cook for a minute or two before tossing in the coconut.

Serve with rice or roti, and a dal :)

Basic dal, three ways

Dal (lentils) is a major staple in India, especially in the South . . . supposedly there are HUNDREDS of different varieties grown all across the subcontinent. It's generally served with rice and some kind of vegetable curry. Here's a basic dal recipe that can be tweaked to make two different dishes:

#1: Tomato dal!

1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp moong dal
1 tsp urad dal
3 dried red chilis, broken into 1-inch pieces
5 curry leaves
1 cup toor dal (little yellow lentils . . . though there seem to be endless varieties of little yellow lentils . . . ), cooked, mashed, then mixed with water till they're kinda soupy. (Note: the TOTAL amount of dal used after it's soupy should be about 1 cup)
1/2 of a small tomato, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 tsp turmeric

Heat about 2 tbs oil in a pan; saute the mustard seeds, moong dal, urad dal, and red chilis for about 30 seconds. Toss in the curry leaves and the tomato; add a bit of water to cook the tomato in. Throw in the turmeric and simmer till the tomatoes grow soft. Then, add the dal and salt to taste; cook for a few more minutes to blend the flavors.


#2: Lemon dal (my faaaavorite!)

Follow the above recipe, but leave out the tomato. After you remove the dal from the heat, let it cool for a minute before squeezing in some fresh lemon juice (to taste).

#3 Tamarind dal (a new favorite!)

about 1/2 teaspoon tamarind paste (you can find it in Indian or Middle Eastern stores), dissolved in water to make a smooth liquid

Follow the recipe (including the tomato, minus the lemon). After you've allowed the dal to boil for a few minutes, add the tamarind and allow it to boil for another minute or so. This will give it a yummy, tangy/sourish kinda flavor :)

spinach curry . . . ish.

Also known as my new favorite way to cook greens. (Except maybe Priya's spinach-tomato combination with coconut oil and some other yummy ingredients I can't remember . . . Priya, can you post that, pretty please?)

Anyway, this recipe is deceptively simple, but comes out chock full o'flavor. And it's super-easy . . . Auntie calls it "shortcut curry" :). Unfortunately, I've got no real measurements . . . back to guesstimates for this one!

1 tsp urad dal (little yellow lentils)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
chopped onion -- maybe 2 tbs or so
minced garlic - 1-2 tsp
two or three fresh green chilis, sliced in half, lengthwise
a bunch of spinach (though I bet it would be awesome with kale or collards as well)

Heat about 2 tbs oil in a pan; add the dal, mustard seeds, and cumin and cook for about 30 seconds. Toss in the onion and garlic, adding more oil if needed; fry till they're soft and transluscent. Add the chilis, and fry for about 30 seconds. Toss in the spinach, adding a bit of water if needed. Cook till the leaves are at the desired consistency.

Nikhat's Kadhi

A yummy (and bright yellow!) sour-spicy gravy. My coworker Nikhat tells me it’s something you make when you don’t have any meat or vegetables in the house and need something tasty to eat with your rice or roti!

Also, she gets SOOOOO many points for giving me exact measurements. Woot!

1 cup plain yogurt
3 cups water
2 tbs Bengal gram flour (besan)
3 green chilies
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
Salt to taste
½ tsp red chili powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder.
1 ½ tsp mustard seeds
1 ½ tsp cumin
2-3 dried red chilis

For the kadhi:
In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt, water, and flour together to form a thick liquid. In a small bowl, mash the chilis, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and salt into a paste. (A mortar and pestle is great for this, if you have one. Otherwise, you could maybe do it in a food processor). Add the paste to the batter and mix well; stir in both the red chili powder and a pinch of turmeric (only enough to turn it a light yellow color – if you add too much, it’ll make the dish bitter). Boil the mixture for a few minutes, stirring constantly (so it doesn’t form lumps); adjust salt to taste. Remove from heat.

For the seasoning:
In another small pot, heat 2 tbs oil. Toss in a few mustard seeds; if they splutter, it’s hot enough. Add the rest of the mustard seeds, cumin, and chili; cook for about 30 seconds, till the chilis start to turn a darker red. (You can also toss in some curry leaves here, if you like). Add this to the kadhi (the thick yellow mixture) and stir.

I’m betting this would be amazing served over brown rice and steamed veggies. Mmm . . .

Basic Roti

Tasty Indian flatbreads that’re actually really easy! This recipe will make about 10 – 15 rotis.

2 cups atta (coarsely ground whole wheat flour . . . but I think it might be ok with regular wheat flour too)
About 1 ½ tbs oil
1 tsp salt
A few tablespoons of water
More oil, for cooking

Combine flour, oil, and salt. Add water little by little, kneading until the dough becomes a soft, pliable (but not sticky) ball. Cover it tightly and set it aside for one hour.

After an hour, knead the dough for about 10-15 minutes. Unlike yeast breads, more kneading will actually make this softer! Break off 1-inch pieces and roll into little balls with your hands. With a rolling pin, roll them into very thin little flatbreads. It’s good to find a friend for this part, so one person can roll while the other can fry!

Heat a nonstick pan, and plop a rolled-out roti onto it. Holding a balled-up dishcloth on your hands (so you don’t burn your fingers!), keep turning the roti (as in, spinning it around in a little circle, not flipping it) for the first 30 seconds, so the whole surface cooks evenly. Then, still holding the dishcloth, press down on the edges of the roti while continuing to rotate it in the pan – this makes the middle puff up (so cool!). Continue cooking this way for about a minute, then flip the roti. Spread about ¼ tsp of oil on the cooked side, then flip again and do the same on the other. Flip back and forth till both sides are golden brown.

Hyderabadi-style omelettes

I've only eaten this made with egg, onion, and spices, but I bet it would also be seriously tasty with some chopped tomato and red pepper tossed in. Could potentially be served with aloo gadda (potato fry) for a spicy brunch :)

2 eggs
2 tbs chopped onions
1tsp ginger-garlic paste
½ tsp chili powder, or to taste
1 tsp meat masala
¼ tsp turmeric
Pinch of salt
about 2 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
Splash of milk

Sauté onions in oil till translucent. While they're cooking, whisk all other ingredients together in a small bowl. Add to pan and cook as you would an omelette, or scrambled eggs.

Aloo Gadda (potato fry)

A little spicy, a little salty, a little crispy. This would be great served at brunch as a fan-tabulous way to kick-start a Sunday morning!

2 large potatoes, peeled, boiled (make sure they don’t get too soft, though!!), and cut into small bite-sized cubes. Should make about 2 cups of potato cubes . . .
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp moong dal
2-3 red chilis, broken into 1-inch pieces
A handful of peanuts (optional)
½ tsp turmeric
10 curry leaves
Pinch of salt
1 tsp red chili powder
½ tsp meat masala

Heat 2 tbs of oil in a pan. To test the temperature, toss a few mustard seeds into the oil; if they splutter immediately, it’s hot enough. Add mustard seeds, cumin, dal, chilis, and peanuts and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the potatoes, and fry for about 3-5 minutes. Add turmeric and curry leaves; fry for about one more minute. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt (about ½ - 1 tsp), and then add about ¼ cup water. Continue frying for another 5 minutes (so the water evaporates) before adding chili powder and meat masala . . . then just let it cook till it’s as crispy as you want it, adding extra oil along the way if needed.

Bendakai/Ladyfinger/Okra Curry

So I know that okra totally gets a bad rap above the Mason-Dixon line . . . but it is SO SO good in this curry. Also, in India it’s called “ladyfinger,” which I think is kind of cute.

About 1 ½ cups okra, chopped into ½ inch pieces.
½ of 1 small onion
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon moong dal
¼ teaspoon turmeric
10 curry leaves
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste (literally, equal amounts of ginger and garlic mashed together with a bit of salt added as a preservative. Supposedly it’ll keep in the fridge for a month, and you could totally use it in stir-fries as well . . . )
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried coconut
Pinch of salt
½ tsp meat masala (a sweeter garam masala with cinnamon and cloves. You can buy it pre-made . . . Everest and MTR are good brands that you should be able to find in Indian stores in the U.S.)

Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a pan; add the cumin, mustard seeds, and dal and cook for about 30 seconds. Add turmeric and stir. Toss in onions, then add about ½ cup water; let cook for about 5 minutes, or until onions are soft. Add curry leaves, ginger-garlic paste, chili, coconut, and salt and cook for about 5 more minutes, adding more water if the mixture starts to dry up; it should be somewhat watery and gravy-like. Add okra and simmer ‘till it’s tender; sprinkle on meat masala and serve with yogurt.

Chocolate Parathas

Um, yes.

My friend Anshuman invented these last weekend, and they were beyond fan-tabulous served with channa dal (yellow lentils simmered with onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and meat masala). Sound like the strangest combination, I know, but he was convinced that the sweetness and spiciness would be brilliant together, and it was. My friend Martha and I agreed that this kind of crazy combination can only work in India.

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour
cinnamon
Mashed potatoes (no spices added)
Chocolate (he used Cadbury milk chocolate, but I bet it would also be yummy with dark)

For the dough:
Place a cup or two of whole wheat flour in a bowl along with a healthy dash of cinnamon. Add water in small amounts, kneading with hands, until dough is a soft and manageable ball – about 10-15 minutes. It should smell deliciously cinnamon-y. Let it rest for about an hour.

For the filling:

Melt the chocolate, and mix with the mashed potatoes. Proportions are up to you. The ones he made weren’t very sweet; the potatoes turned a dark chocolate-y brown, but the taste carried more of a hint of sweetness than an overwhelming rush of chocolate.

From here, you can basically follow the directions for cooking Aloo Parathas (a few recipes down), with the following changes:

When you fill the parathas, add about a teaspoon of honey before closing up the little dough balls and rolling them out.

When frying them, brush the tops with butter (he used ghee, but I think butter should be fine), and dab tiny pats of butter around the pan so they melt and run into the edges of the paratha.


Martha and I agreed that you could also up the chocolate level and top them with ice cream and strawberries to make an amazing dessert. Also, she gets MAJOR points for making a salad, with LETTUCE, that we ate with this meal without getting sick! A-mazingness!