South Indian Dahi Vada
These spicy Indian “donuts” make a great appetizer or snack. They are served with spiced yogurt.
1/2 cup split black lentils – uraad dal
1/2 cup green lentils – moong dal
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
1 medium green chile, finely diced
1 cup Oil for frying
1/4 cup Milk
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper – to taste
1 cup Yogurt – plain
6 small Curry leaves – finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger root – crushed
Clean dal, wash and soak in water for 4 hours. Blend in blender at medium speed using minimum water to keep paste moving freely. Add salt, cumin, and chilies.
Then start heating the oil, it needs to be quite hot. Drop large spoonfuls of batter into your hand. Form in traditional “donut” shape. Fry till golden brown. Drop fried Vadas in water. Let it soak 3 to 4 minutes or until ready to serve. Beat yogurt with milk. Add pepper, curry leaves, and ginger according to taste.
Some people add mint or mango chutney to this as well. If you prefer it sweeter add a bit of Stevia. Squeeze out water from the vada and pour spiced yogurt over the top.
Garnish with cilantro leaves and some shredded carrot.
Makes about 12 dumplings and about 1 1/2 cups if sauce.
- Jack
Rava Pakora (Indian Hushpuppies)
2 cups Cream of Wheat cereal (Rava)
1/2 cup Cashews, hopped
1/2 cup Cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup Curry leaves if available
1/2 cup White onion, inely chopped
3/4 cup Cheddar cheese, finely shredded
1/4 cup jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon Chile powder – hot
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup Buttermilk
Oil for deep frying
Mix Dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Stir in the cheese, onions, and peppers. Mix in 1/2 of the buttermilk and stir. Add additional buttermilk (in small amounts) until a soft dough is formed. Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or saucepan. Using a small scoop (or two teaspoons) form the dough into balls app. 1 by 1 inches in diameter. Drop the balls into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and serve with Tamerind Chutney or other tangy sauce. Makes about 24 balls.
- Char Haz
Indian Chicken and Peppers
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic,minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch cayenne pepper
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 green bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-by-3-inch strips
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high. Add the ginger, garlic, curry, cumin, coriander, salt and cayenne and cook, stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is softened. Add the peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes, until they are crisp-tender. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
Add the chicken to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Toss with the lemon juice. Return the other ingredients to the skillet, cook 1 to 2 minutes to warm through, and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
Calories 206, Fat 5 g, Carbs 12 g, Sodium 369 mg, Fiber 3 g.
- AJ
Crab Pasta Casserole
8 oz Uncooked pasta
2 large Onions chopped
1/2 lb Mushrooms-fresh sliced
1/2 cup Green pepper chopped
2 clove Garlic-minced
1/2 cup Butter
16 oz Crab meat- chopped
1/2 cup Sour cream
2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Basil
1 1/2 cup Shredded cheddar
Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile in a skillet, saute onion, garlic, mushrooms and green pepper in butter until crisp tender. Remove from the heat.
Drain pasta; add to vegetable mixture. Stir in crab, sour cream,
basil and salt.
Transfer to 2 greased 8-inch baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheese.
Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 1 month. Cover and bake the second one for 20 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes.
- Mom2Sam Tiny
Mexican Shellfish Stew
1 quart vegetable stock or canned vegetable broth
2 cups canned clam broth or 2 cups fresh fish stock
2 large dried quajillos peppers, or any chiles, seeded
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
1 8-ounce can tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
20 small clams 1 1/2 lbs. scrubbed
3/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small onion, minced
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
Bring the stock and the clam broth to boil in a soup kettle. Add the chiles; simmer until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain the chiles, reserving the cooking liquid. Transfer the chiles and 1/3 cup cooking liquid to a food processor. Add garlic and tomatoes; process until smooth. Strain puree chile mixture through a fine sieve, pressing on this puree to release its juice and pulp; discard the solids.
Heat olive oil in the soup kettle. Add the juice and the pulp; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until this mixture is slightly thickened and amber colored, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved chile cooking liquid; bring to boil. Add the clams and shrimp; simmer until the clams open and the shrimp are opaque throughout, about 3 minutes. (Discard any clams that do not open.)
Ladle soup and a portion of the clams and the shrimp into each warm soup bowl. Sprinkle each bowl of stew with a portion of minced onions and cilantro; serve immediately. Yields 4 servings.
- Ben T.
Thai Curried Vegetables with Adzuki Beans
2 tsps vegetable oil or more as needed
1 cup chayote squash, julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 cup bok choy, with leaves, chopped
1 Asian (Thai) eggplant, cut into thin strips or half
a small eggplant
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp. fresh minced ginger or more
1 clove minced garlic, optional
1 tbsp. curry sauce to taste ot thai red curry sauce
1/2 cup adzuki beans, cooked, drained
1 cup coconut milk, light, canned
2 tbsps. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. lime juice, half a lime or small red chili beans
1 tb Fresh coriander leaves or more
freshly ground pepper to taste
coconut extract, optional
3 cups hot cooked rice, jasmine or brown or blend
Have everything cut and measured; ready to go into the wok. Cut bell pepper and chayote squash into ‘matchsticks. Roughly chop, 1-inch pieces the bok choy. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Thinly slice the eggplant; or if using globe, slice to square-up the eggplant (an end-cut and 4 side cuts). Cut the remainder into thin wafers.
Measure and mix the curry powder into a paste as instructed on envelop. Allow 10 minutes.
Heat the wok, add the oil and swirl to coat pan. Fry the chayote squash and bell pepper: about 4 minutes.
Add bok choy and eggplant; fry about 2 minutes. (Add a little more oil
only if needed.)
Add mushrooms and ginger, and garlic, if using. Cook about 1 minute.
Add the Curry paste and warm through (less than 1 minute.)
Add coconut milk, soy, lime juice and coriander leaves. Stir just to warm and combine but not to blend flavors (See notes).
Taste: adjust flavors with pepper and optional coconut extract (1/8 tsp.).
Serve at once with hot cooked rice, optional soy and hot sauce (such as Sriracha).
- Star
Jamaican Jerk Shrimp With Mango Salsa
1 mango, chopped, about 1 cup
1 plum tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 pounds peeled shrimp
Combine the mango, tomato, onion, lime juice, cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a bowl. Set aside while you prepare the shrimp.
In another bowl, combine the curry, cumin, paprika, ground ginger, allspice and cayenne. Toss the spice mixture with the shrimp.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high. Add shrimp and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until they just turn pink. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and serve with the mango salsa. Makes 4 servings.
- AJ
Shrimp Gumbo
12 ounces large uncooked tail on shrimp
1 2/3 cups rice
1 cup celery, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound fish cut into chunks
8 ounces crushed tomatoes, canned
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
12 ounces broth
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried red pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon basil
Cook rice according to directions on package.
In a large saucepan over medium heat saute onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic in oil for 4 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, broth and seasonings.
Simmer for 15 minutes uncovered.
Stir in shrimp and fish and simmer until shrimp turns pink and fish flakes.
Serve over rice. Yields 6 servings
- Badmancanner
Malabar Shrimp Curry
(Konju Curry)
Serves 2, and recipe can be doubled
Kerala style: Kerala is located on the country’s southern coast and shows that influence in its pungent spices and its tropical flavors of coconut milk and ginger.
1 cup fresh grated coconut or 1
can (14 ounces) coconut milkFAR LEFT: Though Indian cooking varies widely by region, the use of fresh and pungent spices is always central to the craft.
1 tablespoon tamarind pulp
1-1/2 cups water plus 2 tablespoons
water, divided
3 tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
16 curry leaves
1 cup onions, sliced
1 heaped teaspoon grated ginger
3 cloves garlic
4 green chiles, cut in half lengthwise
1 whole dried red chile, broken into pieces
1 teaspoon red chile powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
2 tablespoons water
2 chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
11 ounces uncooked peeled shrimp
2 tablespoons oil or butter
2 shallots, peeled and sliced
If using grated coconut, soak in 1/2 cup of warm water in a bowl and set aside. After half an hour, squeeze out coconut milk. Soak tamarind in a 1/2 cup water for about an hour. Then squeeze the tamarind juice into water. Strain out tamerind pulp and set aside water. Chick peas and paneer are central to Indian dishes of many types, but this Mutter Paneer uses green peas instead. Paneer is an Indian cheese similar to pressed ricotta.
In a shallow pan with a handle, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add 10 curry leaves, and after a few seconds (to let their flavor into the oil), add the sliced onions and saute, stirring for 5 to 7 minutes. Add ginger, garlic and green chiles. After 2 minutes, add the dried red chile and red chile powder, turmeric, coriander and cumin powders. Add 2 tablespoons water and let spice powders cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring so they do not stick to pan.
Add chopped tomatoes, 1/2 cup of water and the tamarind water. Turn heat down and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Then add coconut milk and salt and stir. If you want a super-smooth curry, strain it into a pan. Taste for seasoning. Add shrimps and cook over gentle heat until done. Shrimps cook quickly; this should only take 2 to 3 minutes.
To add a finishing touch to the curry just before serving, put 2 tablespoons of oil in a metal ladle or small saucepan and hold over heat. When hot, add the sliced shallots, wait for 30 seconds, then add remaining 6 curry leaves and after 10 seconds, pour over shrimp. Cover with lid and let this aromatic infused oil seep into the curry for a few minutes. Serve with white rice.
- Renuka S.
Thai Coconut Scallops and Rice
1 teaspoon green curry paste
6 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and cut in 1/4-inch slices
1 cup basmati rice
2 tablespoons coconut flakes
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 1/2 pounds scallops
1/4 pound snow peas
1 14 ounce can light coconut milk
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Dissolve the curry paste in a little of the broth, then combine it with the remaining broth in a large pot. Add the sliced ginger and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until the rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, place the coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat. Shake the pan often (or stir the coconut) until the coconut begins to brown around the edges. Immediately pour the toasted coconut onto a plate.
Stir the fish sauce, lime juice, scallops, snow peas and coconut milk into the rice. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the scallops are cooked through and the snow peas are brightly colored and crisp-tender.
Remove from the heat, stir in the cilantro, and ladle into 4 large soup bowls. Top each with the toasted coconut.
Makes 4 servings.
- AJ
