Curried Red Lentil Dhal

Curried Red Lentil Dhal

Made this recipe off a red lentil dhal recipe of Michael Smith's. It is easy, delicious, and healthy. What a great way to make lentils. If you eat it with some basmati rice, it is a full meal with everything that your body needs. Eat it with some cilantro and chopped red onion for some freshness and crunch!

ingredients:

1 cup red lentils
3 cups water
1 tbsp fresh ginger
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup butter

1 onion

handful of cilantro
1 tbsp spoon brown sugar (optional)

1/2 tsp of salt
basmati rice

directions:

1. Cook basmati rice in a pot, or rice cooker. Follow the directions on the package of your rice. Mine is usually 1 part rice, 2 parts water, a little salt, and 8-10 minutes simmering.

2. Put butter into a medium sized pot, and melt it down. Toss in one chopped onion and cook the onion down so it starts to caramelize. This will help add sweetness to your dhal. Stir in your spices (cumin, curry powder, cayenne, etc) in with your onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. This will reinvigorate your spices. Add the lentils, water and ginger to the pot. Add brown sugar if you like a touch of sweetness, but don't add it if you want to make it a little healthier.

3. Bring the pot to a full boil, and then reduce heat to medium to maintain a simmer. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes until lentils are soft.

4. Spoon lentils over rice. Garnish with cilantro and red onion if you wish.

Butter Chicken with Cucumber, Mint and Pineapple Salad

Butter Chicken with Cucumber. Mint and Pineapple Salad

Butter chicken has to be the most famous Indian dishes outside of India. But from what I've heard it's not actually called Butter Chicken there... or at least parts of India, but either way it's a yummy dish and I don't care. Butter Chicken is probably best with boneless skinless chicken thighs, but you could also use chicken breast if you want to be healthier.

ingredients:

1 - 1/2 pound chicken thighs
1/4-1/2 cup cream
tomato paste or 1 can diced tomatoes

1 onion
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
pinch of salt
1/4-1/2 cup butter

1/4-1/2 cup yogurt

1 cucumber
handful of fresh mint
1/2 a pineapple

directions:

1. Mix yogurt with cayenne, cumin, salt, pepper. Cover this yogurt mixture on to the chicken thighs. Then bake chicken thighs in the oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

2. Chop up onions, and sautee them in a frying pan until they start to get caramelized. Then toss in your cayenne, cumin, curry powder, coriander into the onions and cook for a few minutes to reinvigorate your spices. Toss in some tomato paste, or canned tomatoes, and cook down until tomatoes seem cook. Transfer mixture to a food processor, or blender, or use a hand blender, and blend til smooth.

3. Mix in some cream and butter until the mixture to help make it creamy and velvety. Then put in your cooked chicken thighs and let them cook out a little more in the sauce.

4. Serve butter chicken over rice. And a great salad to accompany it would be some chopped pineapple, cucumber and mint. Dress is with a little vinaigrette or keep it plain.

Paneer Pasanda

I ate this at my friend's wedding a couple years ago and after wards I needed to figure out how to make it! I LOVE paneer!

Chickpea Curry

Chickpea Curry

Ingredients:

1 can Chickpeas
1 Red pepper
1 Green pepper (Sometimes I will do orange instead)
1 Onion (white or yellow)
1 Garlic Clove
1 can Cocunut Milk (or 1/2 can)
1 tablespoon Curry Powder
1 tablespoon Cumin
1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric (mostly for colour)
1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder
Salt
Olive Oil
Water

Instructions:

1. Dice up a red pepper, green pepper, and onion. Mash up some garlic. Add these elements into a frying pan, in perhaps some margarine. Add some salt to help release the water in the vegetables. Add 1 can of chickpeas. Then cover with water so everything is submerged. Cook on
medium heat.
2. After a while, the chickpeas will soften, you will see the skin start to peel off a bit. And the water will evaporate.
3. Once the water has evaporated, it is time to add the spices. Put in 1 tablespoon curry, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
(you can add more if you want it hotter but I really recommend this amount) and at least 1/2 can of coconut milk. (I usually don't shake the can up and just add the creamy half floating on the
top and chuck the rest)
4. Let that cook down, so the coconut milk and spices reduce and become sticky. Once sticky, add in a little olive oil and mix it together. (oil isn't necesarry but maybe helps bind it and give
it a little shine)
5. Serve with basmati rice.