Indian Success

So, the dinner last week was a hit. Even Kelly's mom loved it, and she swears Indian cuisine is not for her. Luckily, we already had a lot of the spices we needed in our cabinets. Here's what we ended up making:

Coconut Rice
Before boiling some Jasmine rice (I used 2 boil-in-bag bags) replace 1 cup of the water for boiling with 1 cup of coconut milk (I used a can of the reduced fat version) and then prepare as suggested on the box.

Paneer Korma (coconut curried fresh cheese)



I got this recipe from my new favorite book: How to Cook Everything: Vegetarian

• 6 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 - 1 pound of fresh cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes. I used White Queso (or a block of fresh mozzarella or paneer if you can find it)
• 1 large white onion (finely chopped or food processed)
• 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp. ginger powder (2 tablespoons fresh ginger would be even better)
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 2 cups diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
• 1 cup coconut milk (you can use regular cream if you don't want it too sweet)
• salt and pepper

1. Put half the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the cheese and cook until golden brown on all sides. About 10 minutes total. Take the cheese out of the pan and put aside for later.
2. Add the remaining oil to the pan. When oil is hot, add onion and cook until onion is soft. Then add spices and garlic, cook for another minute. Add tomatoes and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
   
3. Finally, add coconut milk and cheese back into the pan. Bring to a slow bubble and cook for about 5 minutes. Feel free to adjust the seasoning or add cilantro or mint at the end for garnish.
   

Eggplant and Chickpea Masala



I found this recipe on another blog. An Irish girl who married into an Indian family. I changed the ingredients slightly, to what is available here in Key West. (Masala and Blarney)

• 1 medium eggplant
• 1 medium onion - diced
• 1 garlic clove (diced)
• 1 can diced tomatoes (easier than chopping 4 tomatoes)
• 1 can chickpeas - drained and rinsed
• approx. 2 cups of water
• 1 tsp mustard (preferably whole mustard seed, but any mustard will work)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of chili powder
• 1 to 2 tsp of curry powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Take eggplant and rinse then cut stem end and discard. Cut in half or quarter and place in a pan for roasting. Roast in a 400 degree oven between 15-20 minutes until softened and starting to brown. Let cool and prep other veggies. Eggplant should remove easily from the skin and be mashable w/ your hands.
2. Place a few tsp of canola oil in pan add onion, garlic, and mustard and saute until fragrant and softening - add in tomatoes (with juice) and then the spices/salt/pepper - mix well so spices are distributed. Add in eggplant and chickpeas. Cook for about two minutes then add water. Cook until chickpeas are softened and the mixture has thickened. This makes a ton. Enough for at least 4 people, more if you are serving other dishes along side it.

We served the meal family style, piling everything on one plate each, adding the cucmber and onion raita I made earlier.
I also bought a few pieces of garlic Naan (soft grilled Tandoori bread) from the store. One day I will try to make that on my own, but for now this meal was ambitious enough.







Coming up next...
- Corn and zucchini veggie burgers gone wrong, but in a good way
- Vietnamese summer rolls
- Nutty vegetarian meatballs