Lamb Vindaloo with Cardamom Pea Puree
Lamb is slow-simmered in coconut milk, onions, garlic and coarse mustard, then topped with curry-fried onions and served with puréed peas with cardamom. A classic Goan dish..
Lamb Vindaloo with Cardamom Pea Puree
For the Vindaloo
1 1/2 pounds boneless lamb (I’m using leftover roast leg of lamb)
1 yellow onion, quartered and thinly sliced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ghee
1 teaspoon cracked coriander seeds
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon freshly-grated ginger
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons coarse mustard
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1-2 fresh hot chiles, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups thick coconut milk
Combine the vinegar, mustard and spices in a bowl. Stir into a thick paste.
Fry the onions in ghee until golden brown, then add the garlic and ginger and sauté 30 seconds. Add the spice paste and fry for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Add the lamb and fry for 3 minutes.
Reduce heat to low, stir in coconut milk, cover and simmer until tender, about 75 minutes. Stir occasionally and add a little water if needed.
For The Peas
12 oz fresh English peas
1 tablespoon pastured butter
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground green cardamom
1 cup filtered water or stock, approximately
1 tablespoon curly parsely
salt and pepper
Boil the peas in 1/4 inch of water with butter and cardamom until just tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a food processor , add parsley and pulse until nearly smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
For the Curry-Fried Onions
1/4 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ghee
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
sprigs of fresh parsley
Heat ghee over medium heat until shimmering, then add onions and curry powder and fry until crisp. Add parsley and fry a few seconds more. Season with a little salt and let drain on a napkin for a few moments.
To Serve
Spoon pea purée onto a serving plate and ladle vindaloo over the top. Garnish with curry-fried onions and parsley and serve immediately.
Cauliflower Gobi, Scallion and Black Lemon Pancakes
Cauliflower florets in a tomato curry with onions, ginger and whole spices, served with savory garbanzo flour pancakes with scallions and black lemon..
Cauliflower Gobi, Scallion and Black Lemon Pancakes
For the Pancakes
8 oz garbanzo flour
1 cup filtered water
3 tablespoons ghee or melted butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon black lemon
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced
Mix all ingredients together in a glass bowl and allow to stand 15 minutes. Heat ghee or butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Ladle in batter to form 3″ pancakes. Cook until golden brown on both sides, then drain on paper towels.
For the Gobi
1/2 white onion, diced
6 plum tomatoes, peeled and crushed through your fingers
6 large cauliflower florets
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger
1-2 small green chiles, minced
1 teaspoon hulled cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon curry leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon true cinnamon nibs
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons poivron rouge
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon amchur (mango) powder
ghee or clarified butter
Sauté the onions, garlic, ginger, chiles and whole spices in ghee until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add turmeric, paprika, pepper and amchur and stir until thickened.
Add tomatoes, cauliflower and curry leaves and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
Spoon gobi over pancakes and serve immediately.
This post is part of Meatless Monday, an initiative of The Monday Campaigns,
in association with the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Pindi Chana
A traditional, healing curry of tomatoes, onions, chiles, cashews and spices fried in ghee with chickpeas, plump raisins, fresh pomegranate seeds and cilantro.
Even people who “don’t like Indian food” tend to love this dish..
Pindi Chana
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 plum tomatoes
1 small white onion
2-4 small green chiles
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly-grated ginger
2 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter
1/2 cup large black raisins
1/4 cup cashews, chopped
1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
1 teaspoon crushed star anise
1/2 tablespoon turmeric
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet cinnamon shards
1 1/2 teaspoons hulled cardamom
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon minced curry leaves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup filtered water
Heat ghee in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onions and all of the whole spices (including bay) and sauté until onions are browned, about 5 minutes.
Stir in turmeric and paprika to form a thick paste.
Add chiles and tomatoes and continue to cook until tomatoes have released their water, about 5 minutes.
Add chickpeas, water, raisins and remaining spices and simmer 15 minutes.
Add cashews, pomegranate seeds and cilantro and stir to combine.
Serve accompanied with aged basmati rice or flat-bread.
Bengal Lentils with Pea Shoots and Wild Pomegranate
A traditional, healing dish of sprouted lentils in a spicy, savory tomato sauce with toasted whole spices, onions, peppers, pea shoots and wild pomegranate seeds.
Bengal Lentils with Pea Shoots and Wild Pomegranate Seeds
Sauté whole hulled cardamom, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, bay leaf and true cinnamon in ghee or clarified until fragrant and the seeds begin to “pop” in the in pan.
Add diced white onion, peppers and plum tomatoes and cook, stirring continuously until the oil separates, about 5 minutes.
Add turmeric, paprika, black pepper, freshly-grated ginger and wild pomegranate seeds and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Add raw, sprouted lentils, pea shoots and chopped cilantro and stir to combine.
Note: if feeding a crowd, you could easily extend this dish with simmered chickpeas
Serve over aged basmati rice or with naan if desired.
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- Bengal Lentils with Pea Shoots and Wild Pomegranate
This post is part of the Pennywise Platter Thursday at The Nourishing Gourmet
Wild pomegranate seeds are sometimes used as a spice known as anardana (which literally means pomegranate (anar) seeds (dana) in Persian), most notably in Indian and Pakistani cuisine but also as a replacement for pomegranate syrup in Middle Eastern cuisine. As a result of this, the dried whole seeds can often be obtained in ethnic Indian Sub-continent markets. The seeds are separated from the flesh, dried for 10–15 days and used as an acidic agent for chutney and curry production. Seeds may also be ground in order to avoid becoming stuck in teeth when eating dishes containing them. Seeds of the wild pomegranate daru from the Himalayas are regarded as quality sources for this spice.
Arab Orange Blossom and Sumac Pancakes
Sprouted spelt flour, cardamom pods, sumac berries and a light citrus syrup..
Arab Orange Blossom and Sumac Pancakes
(adapted from a recipe by Michal Haines)
For the pancakes
2 1/2 tablespoons organic dry active yeast (about 1 pkg.)
1 1/2 cups warm filtered water
1 teaspoon non-refined sugar
1 1/3 cups sprouted spelt flour, sifted
2 teaspoons ground sumac berries
1/2 teaspoon toasted, ground cardamom seeds
Combine the yeast with 3 oz of the warm water. Stir in the sugar and let stand until frothy, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle in the flour, then add the remaining water, sumac and cardamom. Whisk until combined.
Cover the bowl and allow to stand in a warm place for 1 hour. The batter will be very thick and bubbly.
For the syrup
1/2 cup filtered water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange blossom water or 1/2 tablespoon dried orange peel
just enough honey or so that the syrup tastes neither particularly sweet nor tart
Bring the water to a boil, then add the lemon juice and sweetener and reduce to simmer and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in the orange blossom water and remove from the heat.
To assemble
Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Spoon in about 2 tablespoons of batter for each pancake and cook until golden brown on both sides. Cook long enough so that the pancakes rise, but take care not to let them burn.
Dip the pancakes in the syrup and serve with strained yoghurt. Garnish with toasted pistachios.
Murgh Jalfrezi Pilau
A simple, inexpensive, healing curried chicken with rice..
Murgh Jalfrezi Pilau
Pastured chicken thighs, peppers, onions, tomatoes, ginger, cardamom, coriander, lemon juice, cilantro, cumin, chili pepper, turmeric, sea salt, black pepper and saffron.
Toast whole spices in a dry skillet over medium-low until fragrant, perhaps 5 minutes.
Add ghee, pastured butter or coconut oil to the pan and sauté chicken until brown on both sides. Add vegetables and a little filtered water or chicken stock and remaining spices, cover and simmer until fork-tender (about 30 minutes). Brighten with fresh cilantro and a little lemon juice just before serving.
Meanwhile, cook basmati rice in filtered water and/or coconut water and/or chicken stock with curry leaves (optional) until most of the liquid is absorbed, add saffron threads (optional) and seedless raisins, cover two minutes until raisins are plump.
Serve garnished with a dollop of yoghurt or Crème fraîche for a cooling contrast to the spicy curry.
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- Murgh Jalfrezi Pilau
This post is part of the Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet
