Saturday, August 2, 2008

Indian Cuisine for the transitioning vegetarian

I have been addicted to Indian cuisine since the late '80's. Now that I am on a personal quest to stop eating meat, I realize, unlike many others, that I can sacrifice meat with out sacrificing spice!

Besides the Taj Mahal, Saree's, call centers, and Bollywood movies (if you're unfamiliar run out and get a movie today!) the Indians have gifted us with their cuisine. Curry, lentils, dahl, yogurt, tandoori chicken, etc! But Indian cuisine also makes it easier for a transitioning vegetarian to enjoy meatless meals with out fore going flavor.

In my desperate search to leave garlic, curry and chili anything in my veggie dishes I ran across a gem of a dish that is fairly easy to prepare. It's called Cucumber Curry. I know for the uninitiated it seems strange but the mix of spice and the texture of cucumbers and the nuts (yes there are nuts in it) make this a must try (and love). It can be served hot or cold.

You'll need:
1/2 cup of water
4oz creamed coconut (coconut cream)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1tsp sugar
1 lrg cucumber
1 lrg red bell pepper, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup salted peanuts (crushed)
4 tbsp veg oil
2 dried red chillies
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black mustard seeds
4-6 curry leaves (or 3 tbsps curry powder)
4 garlic cloves
salt
and uncrushed peanuts to garnish

Preparation

Bring water to boil in pan and add coconut, turmeric, sugar and salt. Simmer until coconut dissolves and mixture becomes a smooth sauce.

Add cucumber, red pepper, and crushed peanuts and simmer for 5 minutes; transfer to a heatproof serving dish and keep hot.

Heat oil in a Karahi, wok or frying pan. Fry chillies, cumin and mustard seeds until seeds start to pop.

Reduce heat, add curry and garlic and fry for 2 minutes. Pour over cucumber mixture and stir well. Garnish with peanuts and voila!! Meatless meal with plenty of flavor..

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