Wednesday, February 10, 2010

num num nummy...

I had another cooking adventure--my first true (North) Indian meal! While this one did involve a pressure cooker, thankfully nothing tragic happened :)


I make a "bath" for every market purchase before we eat it. Some clean water + a little vinegar = my interpretation of "clean". I love my grinder and the little spice bowls they frequently use here. It was my first time grinding my own spices and what made it even better was that it was my favorite spice: cumin! I absolutely love the stuff. They have really good snack selections here and I'm always on the lookout for anything 'jeera' (cumin) flavored. I managed to spill tomato juice all over my cookbook, but no harm done; I just figure it has more personality now.

So, we had our first homemade Indian dish and it was great! I feel so much more at home now. :)



A few of you have requested recipes. I've included the recipe for the meal in the pictures below...

Curried Vegetables

2T cooking oil 2 med. tomatoes, seeded & chopped
1 t. cumin seeds, crushed 2 med. potatoes, peeled & diced
1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 c. chopped carrot
1 t. salt 1/2 c. green beans (can be frozen)
1 t. garam masala 1/2 c. peas (can be frozen)
1 t. grated fresh ginger 2 c. water
1/2 t. ground turmeric 1/4 c. raisins (golden are best)
1/4-1/2 t. cayenne or chilli pepper 1/2 c. whipping cream (opt., I used plain yogurt)
(depending on how hot you want it) 2 c. hot cooked basmati rice
Fresh cilantro for garnish
In a large skillet heat oil over med. heat. Add cumin seeds. Cook & stir for 10 seconds. Add garlic, salt, garam masala, ginger, turmeric & cayenne at the same time. Cook & stir for 15 seconds (watch closely to avoid burning!). Add tomatoes, potatoes, carrot, green beans, peas, water, and raisins. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes, or until veggies are tender (mine took more like 40 min.). If desired, stir in cream or plain yogurt. Serve with rice. Garnish with cilantro.

It's pretty spicy, so I recommend serving with a fruit, like pear or pomegranate.
-c


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I may have to try this now that I am vegetarian again!

Karel

Unknown said...

Maybe we'll make this in honor of you guys on the 22nd as we pray for you as a family... maybe make it a night where we can talk to the boys more in depth about whatyou and Neil are doing :) I loved the title of this post, it made me smile because the girls always say, "num, num, num" whenever they see something they want... like candy or icecream : )

love you guys,

Marianne

Rachel said...

This looks delicious. What an accomplishment. I am so happy that you are learning how to cook authentic food. That would be something that I would want to learn to do quickly, but I know it would take me forever. Love ya!