When I wrote last time about bringing Mrs. K. a jar of my freshly made mango chutney, I forgot to mention the amazing food she prepared. I decided I couldn’t let this killer lunch experience slip by without telling you a bit about it and sharing two of Mrs. K.’s recipes. She made garbanzo or chick pea curry served with her unbeatable homemade raita, rice pulao and her own unique take on Greek salad.

Gabanzos or chana are a staple in northern India. Mrs. K. commonly cooks them in curries, chickpea dhal, and she also adds them to salads. They are tasty, cheap and high in protein.

Chickpea Curry

1 can chickpeas

½ medium size onion, grated

A small amount of grated ginger

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon garam masala

¼ teaspoon turmeric

Salt to taste

Half a clove of garlic

3 tablespoons cooking oil

¼ cup water

Splash of lemon juice

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

1 tomato, diced

Coriander or parsley, chopped

Sauté onion and ginger in oil till brown then add spices and stir for a few minutes. Drain the chickpeas and save the water. You can also buy dried chickpeas and soak in water overnight, then cook for 1 to 2 hours until soft before using. Add them to the pan or pot and stir for 3 minutes or so. Add water, stir and cover with a lid to cook for about 15 minutes. Add lemon juice and tomato or tomato paste to thicken. I tried the recipe out in my own kitchen and added some fresh green beans from our garden. Chop coriander or parsley and small pieces of tomato for garnish. Serve with rice.

 

 

In Hindi basmati means Queen of Fragrance. The grain has been cultivated for thousands of years at the foot of India’s Himalayan range. I have always preferred this delicate, flavorful rice to others.

 

Basmati Pulao

1 cup basmati

Salt to taste

¼ large cooking onion, sliced lengthways

6 cloves

A few bay leaves

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Dash of chili powder

2 to 3 tablespoons cooking oil

21/2 cups water

Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes then drain it. The best way to cook rice is in a rice cooker, however, if you don’t own one then a medium-sized pot will do nicely. Add rice to a pot filled with 21/2 cups fresh water that is already boiling and put the lid on.

Tags: beans, chick peas, cooking, Indian food, vegetarian

This entry was posted on Monday, October 10th, 2011 at 3:17 pm and is filed under Sharing, Warming. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.