this time ~ this space

One of my favorite places for finding inspiring vegetarian dishes is Abbey’s. I’m an email subscriber so I get these delicious recipes by email and I’d like to encourage you to become a subscriber too.

The following is a sampling from her site and will be on the menu in our home this weekend. I’m sending out a hug to Deepti Singh would has shared some of her traditional family recipes.

Chana Masala (spices)
Ingredients

• 1 cup dry Indian chickpeas
• 2 Tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 inch of ginger (grated)
• 1 big red Onion (grated
• 2 Thai peppers (chopped)
• 6-7 garlic pods (crushed)
• Bunch of cilantro
• 2 tbsp oil of your choice

Whole Dry Spices

• 2 cardamoms
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 3 cloves
• 4-5 bay leaves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

Dry Powder Spices

• 2 tsp coriander seed powder
• 1 tsp pepper powder (optional)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp salt (to taste)

Method for dry spices

1. Roast the dry whole spices other than bay leaves and grind them all
2. in a coffee grinder or stone mortar and pestle.Save it in a spice bowl.

Preparation of other ingredients

1. Soak Chickpeas overnight and boil them in a crock pot with 4 cups
2. of water at high for 4 hours till they are tender.
3. Add two bay leaves, two cloves, salt and a pinch of turmeric.
4. Adding spices to the boiling chickpeas will give a better taste to
5. the chickpeas than canned chickpeas or plain boiled chickpeas. Do not throw away the water.

Cooking process

1. Heat the oil in a wok, wait till it smokes, and cool it till it is
2. moderately warm.
3. Add cumin seeds and then add dried spices to it
   before it splatters.
4. Add grated ginger and soon after that add
   chopped onions to it.
5. Let the onions change color and add chopped
   green peppers and a few moments later add chopped tomatoes.
6. When omatoes are heated, add all the dry powdered spices to the
   paste.
7. Add a bit of water if the paste is dry.
8. Once the paste looks smooth add the boiled chickpeas along with the water.
9. To make it feel and look great just like Indians do, mash 15% of the boiled chickpeas and add to the boiling dish.
10. Simmer it for a long time checking for the water to be there.
11. Before serving add a it of chopped cilantro and lemon juice.

What to eat it with?

I would command(!) for a garlic Naan or Tandoori roti. But as it is
not easy to get these things in US, I would recommend eating it
with home made Roti or Basmati rice.

Roti (Flat Bread)

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (buy from an Indian store preferably
• imported from India)
• ½ tsp salt

1. Mix flour and salt in a bowl and slowly add water to make a firm dough which doesn’t stick to the hands.
2. Divide it in 10-14
   balls.
3. Keep a cup of dry flour; roll the balls in the dry flour.
4. Using a rolling pin roll them in circular shapes.
5. Cook them on skillet, one after the other.

Making basmati rice

• 1 cup basmati rice soaked for 2-3 hours
• 1½ cups boiling water

1. Add soaked rice to the boiling water.
2. Simmer for 10 minutes keeping t covered.
3. It should not be stirred a lot.
4. Let the rice grains remain separated from each other.
5. It should not be sticky.

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