Maddhur Jaffrey’s Canned beans with Indian spices
Oil
Asafoetida pinch
¼ tsp cumin seeds
Onion sliced into rings
4 cherry toms, quartered
Cayenne pepper to taste
¼ tsp turmeric
1 tin beans (black eyed/pinto/haricot/cannellini/borlotti)
½ tsp salt or to taste
Heat oil and temper cumin seeds and asafoetida. Add onion and cook until golden. Add tomatoes and stir a few times. Add cayenne and turmeric, and stir for a few seconds. Add beans and a few tbsps water. Cover and simmer gently for 10 mins. Add salt to taste.
Adding ginger & garlic part way through the onion cooking is good.
Madhur Jaffrey's spicy chickpea curry
2 medium-sized onions, finely chopped
8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tbs ground coriander seeds
2 tsp ground cumin seeds
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 cans chickpeas
2 tsp ground roasted cumin seeds
1 tbsp ground amchoor (I've never used this as never have it in the house, so you can do without if need be)
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp garam masala
1/2-1 tsp salt
1 tbsp or more lemon juice
1 fresh hot green chilli, finely chopped (or dried chilli flakes are fine and cheaper)
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
Fry the chopped onions and garlic in some veg oil over a medium heat till they're soft and cooked. Add the first lot of spices (coriander, cumin, chilli powder, turmeric) and stir for a few seconds. Now add the tomatoes, stir and fry till everything's amalgamated into a lovely fragrant red-brown mess. Add the rinsed drained chickpeas and 8floz water. Stir. Add the second lot of spices (roasted cumin, amchoor, paprika, garam masala), salt and lemon juice. Stir again. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the green chilli and ginger, stir, and cook uncovered for a few minutes longer.
Dahl (adapted slightly from Remus's recipe)
Serves two generously.
Onion(s)
Garlic
Tsp turmeric
Tsp cumin seeds
Tsp garam masala
Tsp mustard seeds
Green chilli
Ginger
Large tomato, diced
150 red lentils
Half tin of coconut milk (or some grated creamed coconut which is usually cheaper)
Chopped fresh coriander (you could leave it out but I love it)
Extra cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chilli flakes
Fresh coriander to serve
Fry a finely chopped onion and a couple of cloves of garlic for a few minutes. Add 1 tsp turmeric, another of cumin seeds, another of garam masala and another of mustard seeds. Add a chopped green chilli/dried hot chilli and a bit of chopped ginger (I use the little frozen cubes if I have no fresh. Add 150g red lentils, diced tomato and water to cover. Cook (you may need more water). When nearly tender add coconut milk and a load of chopped coriander and cook until tender. Meanwhile fry another onion sliced into thin half moons, some sliced garlic - when nearly done add cumin seeds and mustard seeds and some chilli flakes. Stir into the dahl and serve with lots more fresh coriander.
Also MotherInferior posted her mother's dahl recipe ages ago and that is delicious too:
¾ cup yellow split peas (mung dal)
½ cup red lentils (masoor dal)
put the two together , wash well, cover with water and allow to soak for about an hour.
Then drain, cover with fresh water (about 4 to 5 cups), and bring to the boil with
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 fat clove of garlic, smashed and chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
a pinch of turmeric
salt to taste
Once it has come to the boil, simmer for about an hour or until the dahl is well cooked, and the whole thing can be mashed together. Remove and set aside.
Now take another pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat. Add 1 tsp black mustard seeds, a sprig of curry leaves (do try and find this; it makes all the diff.), 1 –2 dry red chillies, ½ tsp whole cumin seeds, ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds a pinch of asafoetida (don’t leave this out, it gives the genuine flavour).
When the mustard seeds splutter, and the other spices have toasted and are fragrant (but not burnt), add 1 finely chopped onion. Let this brown. At the last moment add a good bunch of washed and finely chopped coriander. Let it turn in the oil, and just crisp up. Then pour the whole fragrant seasoning (bhagar or taalippu) on to the cooked dahl. Check for salt; give a good squeeze of lemon.
Couple of nice sides:
Bhajis
I shred onion in my mini chopper and mix it with grated carrots and a sprinkling of frozen peas (but you can use pretty much any veg you like), and then add half a tsp each of cumin, coriander and garam masala, pinch salt and pinch of cayenne. Mix it round and pour in gram flour so that the veg all has a decent coating. Add water and mix, then fry dollops of the mix in 1-2 cm oil until dark golden on all sides. Drain on kitchen towel and eat hot. Salt when cooked for adults.
Sag aloo, also great with dahl:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tbsp chopped ginger
new potatoes (or you can subsitute swede/turnips very successfully) cut into 2cm, ¾in chunks (you can use tinned pots too, which are about 15p a tin)
1 large red chilli, halved, deseeded and finely sliced (or just dried chilli flakes/powder)
½ tsp each black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric
250g spinach leaves or 3-4 cubes of frozen spinach defrosted and excess water squeezed out.
Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, garlic and ginger, and fry for about 3 mins. Stir in the potatoes, chilli, spices and half a tsp salt and continue cooking and stirring for 5 mins more. Add a splash of water, cover, and cook for 8-10 mins.
Check the potaoes are ready by spearing with the point of a knife, and if they are, add the spinach and let it wilt into the pan. Take off the heat and serve.
Madhur Jaffreys cabbage and peas dish. I have simplified it even further to this:
Serves 2 greedy pigs:
Heat a tbsp oil in a stirfry pan and put in 1 tsp cumin seeds, let them sizzle for just a few seconds and then add a massive pile of shredded cabbage (savoy/white cabbage/spring greens all good) and pour in a good helping of frozen peas. Stir to coat the veg. Sprinkle in a quarter to a half tsp turmeric and cayenne pepper to taste. Add a little splash of boiling water, stir again and cover. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 5-7 mins. Remove lid, season generously with salt and 1/4 tsp garam masala. Mix and serve.
My version of refried beans for a quick lunch
Splutter some cumin seeds in alittle oil, then add half a chopped onion and fry, and then crush in some garlic, tip in a handful or so of pinto beans (I batch cook and loose freeze dried ones) or half a tin of kidney beans if you prefer. Add some smoked paprika and chilli flakes/cayenne if you want heat and fry the mix til the beans go a bit crispy. I then tip it
all into a toasted and buttered pitta and shove a little bit of salad in too, and maybe a small amount of grated cheddar and eat hot. Costs v little.
Leek & Cannellini bean soup
1 large leek per person
Thyme
Garlic
Veg stock cube
1-2 tins cannellini beans
Oregano
Fresh parsley
Salt & pepper
Halve or quarter the leeks lengthways and finely slice. Sweat gently in oil with thyme for about 15 mins. Add garlic and stir for a min.
Add stock and beans, oregano and some parsley. Add salt and generous pepper, simmer gently for 20 mins.
Serve with a drizzle of oil/parmesan.
Running out of steam here to be honest, very tired, but will try and post a recipe for chilli soon. Hope those appeal to someone!