Two Words for Amazing: Tarka Dhal

I've had a few requests, so here it is! This Indian recipe does have a lot of ingredients, but don't let that intimidate you! It is absolutely amazing,  yummy, healthy,  and completely addicting. You can serve it with warmed whole wheat tortillas, but making the chapti bread is worth it too. And very easy. 

Tarka Dhal 

 Ingredients

1/2 cup(s) dry red lentils, rinsed 

1 cup(s) water 

2 medium scallion(s), chopped (or 1/2 yellow onion, chopped) 

1 tsp yellow mustard seed 

2 clove(s) garlic clove(s) 

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds, (8 seeds) 

1 tsp ground ginger 

1 cup(s) canned tomato sauce 

1/2 tsp sea salt 

2 medium tomatoes 

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 

4 tbsp cilantro, chopped (optional) 

1/2 tsp garam masala 

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 

1 tsp olive oil 

Instructions

1. In a pan, cook the rinsed red lentils with the water by bringing to a boil and then simmering with the lid on until the water is absorbed, about 30 minutes. The lentils will get very foamy, so use a large pan. You may need to vent the lid a little. 

2. In a non-stick pan saute the onions in the olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the mustard seeds and cover and cook until they start to pop. Add the cloves of garlic, crushed, the fenugreek seeds and ginger powder. 

3. Stir and add 1 can of tomato sauce. Add the salt and stir in the cooked lentils. Stir in the fresh tomatoes, diced, lemon juice and the fresh cilantro, if desired. Simmer for about 5 minutes. 

4. Place in a serving dish. Add the garam masala and cayenne pepper or chili powder. 

Serve with warm chapati bread or over rice. 

Pasta + Herbs + Tomatoes + Lemonade = LOVE

I have to tell you about this amazing, yummy meal I made today. Somehow the cooking stars were aligned. :-) I had a fridge and a counter full of produce that I needed to use and I knew I wanted to make pasta with the fresh oregano and spinach I got at the farmers market today. This is what I did:

Stir fried one chopped onion, one chopped red pepper, and about 8 small tomatoes in olive oil. Then I chucked in the sliced spinach and cooked until it wilted. Added some salt and pepper. Then I opened two cans of crushed tomatoes and poured that into a pot. I added about a tablespoon of brown sugar and then added the veggie mixture. I then chucked in the chopped, fresh oregano, some of my cinnamon basil from my window herbs stirred it until it was heated and served it over pasta with our local cheese factory's Parmesan cheese. It was amazing!! And there was no meat, so the calories were pretty low. Then, we washed it down with homemade lemonade. I found the perfect mixture (for me anyway - not too sweet and just enough tart), so here's my recipe:

Amazing Lemonade

Juice from 8 lemons and 2 limes (should come to 2 cups of juice)
1 3/4 cups sugar
Enough water to make 1 gallon
1 Tbsp. fresh mint leaves, lightly crushed

Pour the juice in a pitcher with the sugar and some of the water. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Pour into your gallon container of choice, throw in the mint leaves and add the rest of the water. Chill and drink. YUMMY!

Lamb Sausages with Mint, Feta, & Garlic

If you're feeling a bit adventurous and are tired of the same old meat, try this simple recipe that I found in Bon Appetit magazine. I had never tried lamb before and this recipe was really, really tasty! (I bet it could be adapted to make full-sized hamburgers too!)

Lamb Sausage Patties with Fresh Mint, Feta, & Garlic

1 1/2 pounds ground lamb shoulder (Leg meat is leaner. See if your local store butcher can grind it for you.)

2 large garlic cloves, pressed

1 1/2 tsp. coarse kosher salt

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint (fresh makes all the difference!)

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Place lamb in a large bowl. Sprinkle garlic and salt over. Gently toss lamb to blend. Combine feta and mint in a separate small bowl. 

Divide lamb into 12 equal mounds. Using damp hands, shape each into ball. Working with 1 ball at a time, poke thumb into center to make hole. Press 1 tsp feta-mint filling into hole. Pinch hole closed, then press ball between palms to flatten itno 3/4-inch thick disk. Repeat with remaining lamb and feta-mint filling.

Preheat oven to 250ºF. Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Working in 2 batches, cook lamb sausages until browned on both sides and cooked to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium. Transfer sausages to rimmed baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm. Serve hot.

(Can be made 1 day ahead. Instead of cooking, transfer to baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to cook them the next day.)

**Note: These tend to have a lot of fat, so we cooked them on our George Foreman grill and they turned out really well and with less fat.

**2nd Note: The article's picture shows a plate with the sausages, a micro salad of mixed spring greens, a hunk of crusty baguette and some unpitted olives. We ate it exactly the same way and it made for a terrific lunch meal!

Garam Masala Update

Please note that I have made an update to the Garam Masala recipe. I couldn't find my exact recipe I used the last time I made it. So, I used one that I thought was the right one, but after making it I realized it didn't smell right. I went to a cooking store and looked at their garam masala - NO turmeric! Aaack! So, sorry about that. Don't add the turmeric or your garam masala will taste more like curry. Not what you want for this recipe. Sorry for the confusion.

Mughlai Chicken & Naan Bread

Now that you have a good garam masala recipe (see previous post), you need a few good Indian recipes to put it in! Here is the first installment. Making naan bread for it isn't necessary, since you can serve the chicken over brown rice, but who would be that silly to not make the naan bread? Naan is absolutely amazing (especially the next day, toasted in the toaster and spread with butter... YUM!)
The following recipe is from the Food Network website with a few tweaks of my own.

Mughlai Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled or 1 Tbsp. ground ginger
  
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled or 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
• 4 tablespoons ground almonds
• 1/2 cup water
• 5 cardamom pods, bruised or 2 tsp. ground cardamom
  
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or less if you'd like)
  
• 3 pounds boned chicken thighs, each cut into 2
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 cup Greek yogurt or regular plain yogurt
  
• 1 cup chicken stock (I used broth)
  
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (I'm using 1% milk next time - it was way to greasy)
  
• 1/2 cup sultanas (golden raisins) - a MUST
  
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup flaked almonds, toasted, to garnish

Directions

Put the ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, and chili into a food processor, or into a mortar and pestle, and blend to a paste. Add the ground almonds and water and then blend again, set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the chicken pieces - in batches so they fry rather than stew - and cook them just long enough to seal on both sides, then remove to a dish.(They will not be cooked all the way, but that's okay!)

On medium-low heat, add the spices and turn them in the oil. Be careful to not let it burn. Add the onions and cook them until softened and lightly browned, but keep the heat gentle and stir frequently, to avoid sticking. Pour in the blended paste, and cook everything until it begins to colour, about 3-5 minutes. Add the yogurt, half a cup at a time stirring it in to make a sauce, then stir in the stock, cream, and sultanas.

Put the browned chicken back into the pan, along with any juices that have collected under them, and sprinkle the garam masala, sugar, and salt over. Cover and cook on a gentle heat for 20 minutes, testing to make sure the meat is cooked through.

Pour into a serving dish and scatter with the toasted flaked almonds. Serve with brown rice and/or naan bread.

**Note: I like to cook my brown rice with a 1/2 tsp of turmeric to give it a lovely golden color and chicken broth instead of water.



Naan Bread
(from allrecipes.com)
This bread is a little extra work, but I think it is sooooo worth it!

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I ended up only using 3 cups white flour and 1/2 cup wheat flour)
  
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional) (I didn't do this)
  
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
2. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic, if desired. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
4. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

**Note: To cut back on fat I used a lower calorie butter spread which worked fine.


Coming Next: Tarkh Dahl & Chapati Bread

Garam Masala

If you like Indian food, then you need a good garam masala recipe. Garam masala is a spice mix called for in many Indian dishes and cannot be lived without! It's best not to buy it pre-made because who knows how much of what went in there and there's no way to customize it for yourself. And that is the beauty of garam masala - customization.
So, here' my own recipe that is more simple than some.

Garam Masala

2 Tbsp. coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. ground cardamom
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. black pepper

Mix until well combined. Keep in an airtight container or spice jar in a cool, dry place.