A Long Overdue Post on Delicious Indian Curry

Okay, here it is. My my all-time favourite curry recipe. Always a crowd pleaser!

(Catherine, do you have any photos of this?)

Whole Potatoes in Spicy Yogurt Gravy

• 12 even-sized small boiling potatoes (2 lbs all together)
• 7 tablespoons Indian vegetable shortening or light vegetable oil (try a bit less)
• 1.5 cups finely chopped onions
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger root
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 4 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 0.5-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon Mughal garam masala
• 2 cups chopped or pureed fresh tomatoes (or 1 cup canned tomato sauce)
• 2/3 cup plain yogurt
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt (use 1 teaspoon or less)
• 2/3 cup heavy cream

1. Peel potatoes, and prick them with a thin skewer or knife in 4 or 5 places. Put them in a bowl of cold water until you are ready to cook them.

2. Heat 5 tablespoons of the shortening in a large non-stick pan that can hold all the potatoes in one layer over medium high heat. When the shortening is very hot, drain the potatoes, pat them dry on paper towels, and add. Fry them until acquire several tiny browned spots and a crust (8-10 minutes), turning and tossing them to ensure even browning. (This is an essential step, as the browning prevents the potatoes falling part during prolonged cooking.) With a slotted spoon, transfer them to a bowl.

3. Add the rest of the shortening to the pan along with the onions. Fry until the onions turn caramel brown (about 15 minutes), stirring constantly so they do not burn. Add ginger, and fry for an addition .5 minute. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric red pepper, mughal garam masala all at once, and stir rapidly for 15 seconds. Add tomatoes, yogurt , salt, and the fried potatoes (in one layer), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer very gently, cover, for 35 minutes or until the potatoes are fully cooked. Check during cooking to make sure the gravy is not sticking and burning. The gravy should be thick enough to coat the potatoes. If it looks thin and runny, increase heat and boil rapidly, uncovered, until reduces to the desired consistency. If, on the other hand, the gravy is too thick, add a few tablespoons of water.

4. Add cream, stir, and simmer until heated through. If you want the dish to taste milder and subtler, stir in a little more shortening. Check for salt and serve.

Indian Inspired Outstandingness

Uploading this picture caused me to drool and swoon all over again. On a recent ski-trip to Mt. Washington, 15 friends decided to divide up the dinner preparations. John, Claire and I schemed an Indian-themed dinner...Claire made something yummy that I don't know the name of at the moment (help, Claire!) involving delicious potatoes and golden onions and tomato and all that good stuff. She also made an OUTSTANDING mint chutney that I hope she will blog about. And let's not forget those Naan crackers:

John made Nepal's national dish, Dhal Bhat, mmmmmmm. I made Green Onion Chick Pea Curry from Vij's new cookbook (below). Very easy and incredibly saliva-worthy. Before I post the recipe, observe John, Claire and I in perfect culinary karma...you can tell, we can hardly tell what's happening we're so blissed-out.
Okay, so here's the recipe:

Green Onion and Coconut Chickpea Curry
1/2 cup canola oil
1Tbsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions (1 large)
12 oz tomatoes, chopped (2 medium)
1 tsp salt
5 Tbsp finely chopped giner
4 Tbsp finely chopped jalapeno peppers
3 cans (15-16 oz each) chickpeas, drained
1 cup coconut milk, stirred
7 oz green onions, green parts only, in 1/4 inch pieces

Heat oil in a medium pot on medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add cumin seeds and allow to sizzle for about 30 seconds. Add onions and sauté 8-10 minutes, or until they are brown. Stir in tomatoes, salt, ginger and jalapeno peppers and stir well. Sauté for about 5-8 minutes, or until oil glistens on tip. Stir in chickpeas and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. Stir chickpeas at least once while they are simmering. Add green onions, stir and simmer chickpeas for just 1 minute more, then turn off the heat.

That's it! Thanks to Ange for giving me the recipe and for the sacrifice it entailed (read: ripped and spilled-on pages)to her copy of Vij's Cookbook.

Behold! Some of our appreciative diners, indulging in a plate of heavenly goodness.
In summary, I'd highly recommend making Indian-inspired food. As if you couldn't have guessed.