Channa Masala and Vegetable Rice

Here are the recipes for tonight’s dinner. The recipes came from a former co-worker of mine. This is different from standard curries from India. Rozmina is from North Africa.

Channa Masala and Vegetable Rice

1 tablespoon of oil

1 can chickpeas

1 chopped onion

1 chopped tomato

1 tsp of tomato paste (I omit this)

1 tsp of ground garlic

1 tsp of ground ginger

1-2 green chilles (I omit or use a small amt of green chille chutney)

fresh cilantro

I tsp of dried fenugreek or methi leaves

Salt

¼ tsp of turmeric

1 tsp of garam masala

1 tsp of cumin seeds

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom panned. Add in the cumin seeds and chopped green chilles and fry for a bit.
2. Add ginger and garlic and cook for a minute.
3. Add chopped onions and when the onions are golden brown add in the chopped tomato and tomato paste and the rest of the spices with salt.
4. Let it cook for a while until the oil separates.
5. Add the can of chickpeas and let it cook.
6. Add in one cup of hot water and bring it to a boil.
7. Lower heat and let it cook for a few more minutes.
8. Last, add the coriander leaves and dried methi leaves.

Serve with Naan or rice.

Vegetable Rice

1 cup of rice

1 tsp of cumin seeds

2-3 whole cloves

2 cardamoms

1 cinnamon stick

Whole peppercorns

Salt

1 tsp of oil

1 chopped onion

Handful of spinach

½ cup of frozen peas

1. Heat oil in the pan and add in cumin seeds and all the whole spices until it sputters.
2. Add in chopped onion and let it cook well.
3. Add in the salt and frozen peas and cook for a minute.
4. Add 1 ½ cups of water and bring to a boil.
5. Add the rice and let it cook on high until the rice is ¾ of the way cooked.
6. Add the spinach leaves.
7. Lower heat and cover pan and let it cook
8. The rice will be ready in about 5 minutes.

You can use any vegetable in this rice i.e. carrots, green beans, zucchini, cauliflower, mushrooms, broccoli. You can also add in raisins and almonds.

Moving along…

Well I am back on track. No meat for three days. My partner offered me a chicken ball and I told her if I was going to eat meat it was certainly not going to be a chicken ball!!! Blah! Didn’t like them before can’t imagine eating one now. Now pork ribs…that is another story!

I have made potato soup again. I am not the only one who likes it thankfully. I am hoping to make channa masala soon (curried chickpeas) and will post the recipe for all who are interested.

Third meat-free day in a row!

Wow, I can hardly believe it but I have had three meat-free days in a row! No wild cravings or anything. Although today I do want caesar salad with bacon bits and will likely have that for dinner. I had a salad with chick peas and a piece of veg pizza for dinner last night.

Now, if I can just stop eating those damn butter tarts Deb made…

My soup from yesterday…

It was pretty basic. I cooked some barley first – about 1/2  a cup or so and when it was done I set it drain in a colander.

1 onion

some olive oil

1/2 pound of okra sliced

1 can of diced tomatoes

2 cups water or vegetable stock

1 cup cooked barley

2 tomatoes (I had them in the fridge)

1 can of chickpeas, drained

Brown the onion in the olive oil. Add the rest of the ingredients except the barley. Cook until okra is tender. Add the barley at the end enough to heat it through.

I think it would be good with some cilantro added as well.