Sunday, March 22, 2009

CURRY , TASTY DISHES

TASTY,SPICY INDIAN DISHES…EASY TO CREATE


The last few weeks the word India seems to be in the air. The films, the books and the many emails with clips of the beauty, flavors of spices, tastes of foods and the exquisite silks and colorful clothing…..the people, the land and travel experiences, seem non ending.

I often play with variations of Indian foods and sweet dishes at home. The other night I made a quick curried vegetable dish and served it with chutney, coconut, raisins, tomatoes and cucumber salad and chopped onions in a spicy dressing Serve with rice. White or r brown rice and dress that up as well, I add mint leaves, cut up apricots and a few spicy cashews to the rice at the end. Here in Israel, we have THE EDEN MARKET and you can purchase ready mixes to stir into the rice, they are simply delicious. Try a few. Also add them to baked potatoes and to pasta dishes. Their uses are endless.

CURRIED VEGETABLES AND RICE.

Prepare a variety of vegetables and use in order…..first the onions and garlic and then the harder vegetables and then softer ones and lastly the cauliflower and zucchinis. I make a large pot of vegetables and do the rice separately.

Five onions and five cloves of garlic. Cut up into slices. Sautee in olive oil on a low flame. Add three cut up apples(without the peels) . I cut up five peeled carrots and two leeks, three potatoes, a large sliced of pumpkin squares, two sweet potatoes and a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger, half a teaspoon turmeric and cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and two teaspoons of curry. I let this all sauté until the vegetables wilt. Then add three zucchinis, cut into slices and two cupfuls of cauliflowers. I add ten to twelve button mushrooms. Add some cut up parsley and three cut up dates and three sliced apricots. I add two teaspoons of agave syrup or honey. Pour in three cps of boiling water, turn the flame low and let it cook for forty minutes on a lower flame. The aroma will be great and as it thickens, the vegetables will retain their shapes and look fabulous.

Create an exciting table. Use a colored tablecloth or a colorful sheet. Mix exotic gay serviettes, a medley of flowers and little butterflies and nick knacks as a centerpiece. Use six colorful bowls for the extras. One for coconut, one for raisins and chopped apricots and dates, one for chutney, another for cut up tomatoes and cucumbers and the last two for cashew nuts and chopped mangoes, pears or a fruit in season, with chopped red peppers.

Now do the rice. Three cups will make a generous amount
. Cook and keep warm in a steamer.

Serve the vegetables over the rice on a large tray. Presentation and aroma are the trick…..go large and use exotic spoons to serve the food. The little bowls all need spoons. Double dipping just is not needed.

Serve and enjoy. Finish the meal with a light fruit salad and a few Indian candies, with a mint tea.



YELLOW RICE.

This is lovely to use and looks so exciting.
2 cups rice.
3 1/2 cups water.

Use a few threads of saffron, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, a bit of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt,1 tablespoon sugar and a few raisins.

ץCook the rice with all the spices and at the ned stir in the raisins. Steam to keep hot.


CURRIED BEANS.

2 cups of beans.
2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 red peppers, I cup sliced leeks.
Spices… a little of each of.ginger, garlic, curry powder, cinnamon and 1 cup tomato paste. I add 1 teaspoon Marmite or Soya sauce.

Soak the beans, a mixture of a few kinds, overnight, wash and rinse and cook soft. Fry the onions, garlic, ginger and spices in a little olive oil Add 1 cup of water and the tomato paste , Marmite or soya sauce. Cook on a medium flame for 30 minutes. The bean salad can be served with some raisins and coconut sprinkled on top and lots of chopped parsley. Some people add a teaspoon or two of honey.

I serve a large, fresh salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce with the meal.

Samooses are great as a starter and a fruit platter of frsh fruits, dates and dried fruits can
End the meal.

Love and light RONA

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