Indian Night
As soon as my kids got wind that I was making Indian (again) they asked: are you going to make the same things again?
Are you kidding me??
There is a whole country of food to make!
But, it does seem, at least to kids before they tasted it, that indeed, Mom did make the same things again: legumes, potatoes and rice. It was only after they tasted it that the light bulb went off - this is totally different than last week's Indian.
It was either my cooking skills or South Indian's penchant for sour, because they enjoyed the tonight's North Indian more.
Tonight I made a split red lentil (masoor dal) Dal with spinach and tomatoes, Chana Masala, chickpeas with gravy - one of the only vegan items on an Indian restaurant menu, and Alu Matar, a potato and peas dish.
The Alu Matar recipe I got out of Flavors Of India by Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff. I met this lady in San Francisco where she has an Indian shop. Her cookbook is excellent and the recipes are easy. This is the book I have used before and while it does not have all the recipes that one can drool over in a restaurant, it is a great place to start. If you are looking for a good, simple Indian cookbook, look no further.
The chickpeas in the dish above need to be cooked fresh since the cooking broth is important in the preparation. Believe me, I've tried making Chana Masala on more than a few occasions since it is Cat's favorite dish, with little success until tonight.
Cost Breakdown:
onion, garlic: $1
spices, herbs: $1
tomatoes, peppers: $3.50
potatoes: $1.50
peas, lentil, chickpea: $3
spinach: $1
rice: $.50
Total to feed a family of 6:
$11.50
Yhis looks reaaly, really good. I am right there with you on liking Indian food and the lovley spices.
ReplyDeleteBack at 'cha!
ReplyDeleteThat looks fabulous!
ReplyDeleteOh how wonderful! I love Indian food but am stuck making the same 2 r 3 dishes ( your kids wouldn't like it here ;-)
ReplyDeleteI will have to get that cookbook today and try these! Wonderful pix btw!
I do have a hankering for Indian food. I won't rest til I have it!
ReplyDeleteThat looks delicious! I would definitely not complain about eating Indian every day. Looking forward to seeing the recipes!
ReplyDeleteI'm on the next plane...or maybe I'll just pick up the book. Oooh looks so good.
ReplyDeleteyummy,...platter,..
ReplyDeleteThank you! Thank you! It was a pleasure to make and eat. Anytime you are making something so out of your comfort zone, it gets challenging, so it was wonderful that the meal tasted so authentic (as far as American-Indian restaurants are concerned, any way. I'm sure if I went to eat at a home in India, my meal would pale in comparison.)
ReplyDeleteAnd GiGi, when will you be flying in?
Fantastic! Will try!
ReplyDeleteLovely. Easy to be vegan and Indian :)
ReplyDelete