Creamy Chickpea Curry

Stay-at-Home #5

If we eat with our eyes, then feast on this colorful array. You probably have everything you need in your pantry. One trip to the grocery for some 'essential' cilantro and you're good to go. 

Here's what you need:

1/2 large Vidalia onion, chopped

2 jalapenos, chopped (seeds are optional, I usually remove them)

1/2 C raw almonds (cashews would work here too)

5 Roma tomatoes, rough chop

1 t curry powder

1/4 t allspice

1 can coconut milk

1 can garbanzo beans

1 carrot, peeled and cubed

1 C frozen peas

large handful chopped cilantro

Here's what you do:

Saute the onions, peppers, and nuts in a bit of oil until the veg is soft. Look at that color!

Add tomatoes and spices and cook until tomatoes are soft. Blend all this well in a high speed blender. Return to the pan. Use the coconut milk to clean out the blender. Add the the milk to the pan to create your sauce. 

Add the garbanzo beans and carrots and simmer until carrots are tender. Add peas and cilantro just before serving. Serve over rice or potatoes. 

Curried Brown Rice Salad

A most delicious and unusual rice salad found in  "The Abundance Diet" by Somer McCowan. I had to swap out a few ingredients, but this salad is full of flavor! This makes a super lot! Maybe cut the recipe in half for a more reasonable amount for your family meal.

Here's what you need:
4 C cooked and cooled brown rice (that's about 2 C raw rice)
4 ribs celery, diced 1/4 inch
2 carrots, diced 1/4 inch
1 red pepper, diced 1/2 inch
1 small bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 C roasted cashews
1/2 C cilantro, chopped
1/2 C dried cranberries

Dressing:
3 T white wine vinegar
2 t dried curry powder
1 t dried cumin
1/2 ground ginger
1/2 garlic powder
1 T peanut butter

Also add to the dressing 1/3 C date paste: 1/3 dates, 2/3 water, high speed blender.

Red Curry Ramen

This is a three napkin, dribble on the blouse meal..... and oh so worth it!

Here's what you need:
red pepper
cabbage
red onion
shiitake mushroom (remove the stem)
lots of garlic
lots of fresh ginger
red curry paste (at least 2 T)
1 T brown sugar
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 C (or more) vegetable broth
tofu (firm or extra firm)
ramen noodles

garnish with cilantro, soy sauce, sriracha

Here's what you do:
Slice the veg and saute in a bit of corn oil until soft. Cube the tofu and add it to the veg. Finish by adding the sugar, milk and broth. Mix in the prepared ramen noodles. Simple and delicious.

Thai Curry with Rice Noodles

Here’s another recipe that really needs no special fussing. Simply prep the veg and cook it all together. The original recipe comes from “Vegetarian Today” magazine (April 2017) and I followed it pretty closely, except that instead of cooking the veg separately, I dumped it all in at once and cooked it together. Perfection.

This was the first time that I had used rice noodles; they were so good! Don’t skip this ingredient!

These amounts made about 3 adult servings. This would be simple to double for a larger group.

Here’s what you need:
1 can full fat coconut milk

1 T brown sugar

1 T red curry paste (Thai Kitchen brand, for example)

½ C diced white onion

1 T minced garlic

1 T minced fresh ginger

1 T veg oil

1 C cubed yellow or red potatoes, skinned

1 C trimmed fresh green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces

1 C cauliflower florets

1 C eggplant, skinned and cubed

½ C red pepper, sliced

Fresh lime juice

4 oz dry rice noodles (prepare according to package)

Fresh cilantro - garnish

Dry roasted peanuts – garnish

Here’s what you do:

Prepare the sauce: mix together the entire can of coconut milk, the brown sugar, and the curry paste.  Set aside

Saute all the veg in some corn oil until a bit soft – don’t brown anything. Add the sauce and simmer till thickened to your liking. Lime juice goes in at the end. Serve over rice noodles with cilantro and peanuts as garnish. 

Kidney Bean Curry

Kidney beans seem to be a pantry staple for me – they go on sale in the fall, when chili season is in full swing, and I never seem to be able to eat them all. “Buy 10 Get One Free” in hindsight never looks as good.  Here is a super simple way to use those canned kidney beans that are crowding out your pantry. I realize this looks plain and too simple to be worth your precious can of kidney beans, but it’ worth a try at least. It’s deceptively delicious. In fact, I’m going to need more cans of kidney beans to make this again. It’s cheap. It’s spicy. It’s quick. It’s tasty.

Here’s what you need:

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 small bunch of cilantro : you’ll need both the stalks and leaves.

1 t cumin

1 t paprika

2 t garam masala

14-16 oz can of chopped tomatoes

14-16 oz can of dark red kidney beans, in water (don’t drain them)

Rice

Here’s what you do:

Sautee the onions for a few minutes in a drop of oil. You can also use the ‘water saute’ method to make this fat free. Simple allow the natural juices of the onion to emerge over low heat, adding literally 1 T of water every so often. They will eventually soften and brown.

Add the garlic, ginger, and cilantro stalks and continue to cook for a few minutes. (Use the same ‘water saute’ method)

Add the spices and warm them. (It smells really good!)

Add the can of tomatoes and all the liquid and also the can of beans and all the liquid. Simmer for about 10 minutes to meld the flavors and allow it to thicken a bit.

Add the leaves of cilantro at the last minute and serve over rice.

Cauliflower Pea Curry

 I recently took one of those ‘personality profile’ self-exams – you know the ones. After answering questions like “Would you rather chair a 20-person committee for the rededication of the town park or stuff envelopes in the back room?”,  you are given a score. That score places you on a personality spectrum, ranging from the daring extrovert to the quietest and most introverted church mouse.

Guess what? I am a quiet and introverted church mouse. SURPRISE! One of the qualifiers for my personality type is “likes to write poetry” and the very week I took the personality test, I had written a poem.

Another qualifier was the word ‘silent.’ Whoa. SILENT. That’s pretty quiet.

My co-workers all agreed with the results of my profile, saying stuff like, “Yes, Tracy, you are silent.” Again, whoa.  Am I so transparent?  

The world around me is chatty, and daring, and extroverted. Me? I’m happy sitting on the couch writing poetry 😊 .

Here’s a spicy recipe to excite even the quietest and most introverted of us. Take a plain cauliflower and give it some personality.

Here’s what you need:

2 lbs cauliflower, washed and broken in flowerets

3 T non-diary butter (Earth Balance is the best brand)

½ t dried ginger

½ t salt

½ t turmeric

½ t cayenne

½ t coriander

½ t dried mustard seeds

½ t cumin seeds

¼ t cinnamon

1 clove garlic, minced

½ C water

1 ½ C frozen peas

2 tomatoes, diced

Cilantro

Here’s what you do:

Melt the butter, add all the spices, and stir.  Add the cauliflower and water and stir until coated. Cover and allow the cauliflower to steam until medium tender. Add the peas and cilantro. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook only until they are warmed through.

I served this with Biryani Rice which has the exact flavor profile, so neither this delicious curry or the rice got the attention they deserved. Next time I make this, I’ll serve it with plain rice and perhaps some dahl. 

Curried Potatos and Peas in Butter Lettuce (with Tomato Chutney)

Look at that plate of beautiful food! It's enough just to feast on the colors and textures, but it's the flavors that make this meal really special.

These excellent recipes come from Vegetarian Today magazine (April 2017). They suggest serving the potato mixture samosa style - stuffed in pie crust and baked-- like a hand held pie. I decided to serve it on butter lettuce and it was amazing!

I don't think I should post the recipes here because of copyright issues. I'm positive you can find recipes for potato and pea curry and also a spicy tomato chutney all over the internet. And if you are a subscriber to Vegetarian Today (formerly Vegetarian Times) check out the recipes there. AMAZING. This one is going in the 'save' pile

Curried Tomato Soup

It rained the other day and I felt the promise of spring on a cold wet day. The grey piles of snow melted for a day or two, revealing the green of lawn and garden. Yes, it was the promise of spring in the middle of February.

I'm already planning my vegetable garden. What will I do with all those tomatoes? Should I tear out the hydrangeas to make room for more? Maybe that's too drastic?

Speaking of tomatoes, here is an absolutely gourmet soup I made last fall. I still have a few servings tucked away in my freezer.  I think it is nice enough to serve to company and would be bang-up with a grown-up grilled cheese sandwich.

Here's what you need:

3 C chopped onion

2 T coconut oil

6 cloves fresh garlic

1/4 C minced fresh ginger

3 T curry

3 T garam masala

4 C vegetable stock

8 C fresh, ripe tomatoes (or canned, if you are in a deep freeze like I am here in Michigan in February)

1 C full fat coconut milk

Here's what you do:

Saute the veg in the coconut oil until soft. Add the spices and stir. Add the stock and tomatoes. Cook until well blended and the tomatoes are totally soft. Add the coconut milk. Allow to sit for a while with a lid on and the heat off to meld all the flavors. Blend until completely smooth.  For a beautifully silky soup, strain before serving. 

(printable recipe) 

SpicyCoconut Curried Eggplant

Here's what my life is like some days. Write the weekly menu and head to the local grocery for as much as I can purchase there. Remember, I live in small-town USA, so my local guy doesn't really carry stuff like cardamom pods. He doesn't even have tofu on the shelf, and believe me, I've asked for it! Like more than a few times. I sincerely think that if he'd carry it, folks would buy it. Anyway, I try to support my local businesses, so that's where I begin my shopping, even if the eggplants are dented and a tiny bit withered.

Travel across town to the huge superstore for fresh ginger, tofu, coconut milk, and the elusive spice. But happy fortune, while scouring the spice rack for cardamom pods, I find harissa! Here in my little city! What??  Happy day!!  I'm all over harissa! (Well, I'm not really sure how to use it, but I will learn, believe me.)  

Back in the car (did I mention this all takes place in a slushy snow storm? I'm dressed like a snow-woman, hat, boots, puffy coat, etc The car's a filthy mess.) to the up-scale grocery for that last ingredient - cardamom pods. Success.

Drive home, unload bags from the car to the kitchen, pour a huge glass of wine, look over the recipe, and start chopping veg. What? Where's that can of coconut milk? Back to the car, searching every nook and cranny only to find that it had rolled out of its bag.

Same kinds of shopping days for you?

If you like SPICY, then you'll love this curry.

Here's what you need:

2 eggplants

1 T oil

1/2 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 t ground cardamom

2 T ground coriander

1 T red pepper flakes

4 whole cardamom pods

1/2 t black peppercorns

1/2 T turmeric

4 tomatoes, chopped

2 cans coconut milk

rice

Here's what you do:

Dice the eggplant into 1-2  inch pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a bit of salt and bake on a lined baking sheet at 350 for 20 minutes.

In a medium pot, sauté onions, garlic, ginger, ground cardamom, coriander, and red pepper flakes until the onions begin to soften. Don't brown anything.

Crush the black peppercorns and the cardamom pods in a mortar and add them, along with the remaining spices, to the onions.

Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, and the eggplant to the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Serve over white rice. Goes well with a toasted Naan bread and roasted carrots. Consider serving something cool along side this dish: sliced cucumbers maybe?

Roasted Red Pepper, Chickpea, and Spinach Curry (from One Green Planet)

I found this recipe floating around the internet a few weeks ago. I always love the recipes from One Green Planet, plus they post the absolute best animal photos. We all really liked this meal, but I jazzed it up a tiny bit by adding some heat in the form of 1 T red curry paste. Of course, you can add heat or leave it out - I always forget how spicy we like our food and how 'non-spicy' other people like their food. Just yesterday, a co-worker dipped her spoon into my vegan cheezy sauce and couldn't believe how spicy it was. To me, it was perfect!

Below is the original recipe and my variations.

Roasted Red Pepper, Chickpea, and Spinach Curry

3 large red bell peppers
3 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 onion, diced
salt and pepper
1 1/3 C coconut milk ( I used a can of full fat coconut milk)
4 T nutritional yeast
2 1/2 T cornstarch (next time I'll leave this out so the liquid is thinner)
1 pinch smoked paprika
1 1/4 C chickpeas
1 C spinach (needs lots more - add it at the end to keep it nice and green)
3/4 C cherry tomatoes (I used a can of diced tomatoes, drained. Next time, I'll keep all the liquid)
(I also added 1 heaping T of red curry paste. Sriracha would be good too)
1. Bake the red peppers at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes until charred. Place peppers under some plastic wrap and allow them to cool. Remove the skin, seeds, and stems and set aside.
2. Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
3. In a blender, mix the peppers, onion and garlic mixture, coconut milk, nutritional yeast, cornstarch and smoked paprika.
4. Transfer the sauce to a skillet, add chickpeas, spinach and tomatoes. Bake for about 30 minutes. Serve over rice. 

Curried Coconut Carrot Soup with Carrot Top Pesto

What glorious fall colors! This soup is a total winner. I used a combination of recipes from all over the place to create this warm, spicy, comforting (and gourmet, if I do say so myself) bowl. If you are fortunate enough to use fresh carrots, do not throw away those carrot tops! The garnish is a MUST in this soup.

I'm still all a-glow over the carrots I grew in my garden this summer and I'm already planning to expand my space for even more next year. Aren't they gorgeous?

Basically, you soften the veg in coconut oil, simmer it all in veg broth, and then season well with coconut milk, curry and ginger.

Here's what you need:
2 T coconut oil
1 C chopped onion
2 lb chopped carrots
1/4 C fresh ginger, or less to taste
4 C vegetable broth
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 T curry (hot or regular, more or less to taste)

Here's what you do:
Heat the coconut oil and add the onions. Cook on medium until onions are soft. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until everything is well cooked. I often allow my soup to sit around with the lid on to really help meld the flavors. It's good to let it cool a little bit before blending it anyway.

 I made a double batch.... plenty for the freezer. 

Here's what you need for the carrot top pesto:

1 small bunch or handful of carrot greens

1 small bunch or handful of cilantro

1/2 C slivered almonds

2-3 cloves of garlic

1/4 C olive oil

salt to taste

Keep blending it until you get a nice smooth consistency. The amounts given is enough for the double batch of soup I made..... You might want to reduce quantities if you're only making a single batch of soup. OR - keep the pesto in the freezer for other uses. I didn't waste any! I even used a tiny bit in some 'ranch' dressing the next day - AMAZING! 

Chickpea and Cashew Curry

 Day 3: Quick, easy and delicious

If you have a can of coconut milk in your pantry, then this recipe qualifies as quick, easy and delicious. If you don't have a can of coconut milk in your pantry, and you have to run to the grocery to purchase one, then this recipe qualifies as just easy and delicious.

In a nutshell:

1 C diced red or yellow potatoes, boiled till fork tender

1 chopped onion, sauteed with some garlic, fresh ginger, cumin seeds, chili powder, turmeric and cinnamon.

Mix all of the potatoes and onions with a can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed), a generous handful of cashews, a can of coconut milk and some vegetable broth to thin it out a bit. You want lots of sauce - serve it in a bowl.

Serve over rice. Garnish with cilantro. Sriracha optional, but desired. 

Curried Tofu - Warm and spicy on a cold November night.

This would be a perfect complement to any Asian or Indian meal. It would also be good on a green salad, maybe with chick peas and fresh sliced tomatoes. I served it with a big pile of rice, cauliflower and peas that I smothered in a bottle of Trader Joe’s Thai Red Curry Sauce.

The recipe calls for a full quarter cup of curry…. I was leery of the amount, but if you like curry, then I encourage you to go for it and use the entire quarter cup. It also uses a lot of cumin seeds which were nice and crunchy. This recipe is modified from "Veganonicon" by the incredible vegan goddess, Isa Chandra Moskowitz. 

Here’s what you need:

3 T rice wine vinegar

2 T olive oil

2 T soy sauce

¼ C curry powder

1 t cumin seeds

1 pound firm or extra firm tofu – sliced and pressed dry

Here’s what you do:

Mix marinade ingredients and smear over tofu. Marinate for at least an hour. Grill or fry in a tiny bit of oil. 

Green Curry Stir Fry with Cashews

Looking for a new way to use fresh green beans? This was delicious: spicy, creamy, sweet, and easy to throw together after a long day at work. My version is based on a recipe found in Vegetarian Times magazine. I think next time I make this I will double the curry sauce – it’s that good.  Makes two large servings.... and by large I mean we stuffed our faces. 

Here’s what you need:

1 T peanut oil

½ C thinly sliced onions

12 oz sliced mushrooms

1 t minced garlic

1 T minced fresh ginger

½ pound fresh green beans, cut into thirds

½ C golden raisins

1/3 C canned full-fat coconut milk

2 T green curry paste

1 T lemon juice

1 T soy sauce

½ C roasted salted cashews

¼ C chopped cilantro

Here’s what you do:

Sauté the onions and mushrooms in the oil, until the mushrooms are brown and the onions are soft. Stir in the garlic, green beans and raisins and continue to cook for about 5 minutes until beans are fork tender.

Whisk together the coconut milk, curry paste, lemon juice and soy sauce. Pour over the green bean mixture and lower the heat. Simmer until thick – about 2 minutes.

Garnish with cashews and cilantro. Serve over rice.

Roasted Curry Cauliflower

Roasted Curry Cauliflower was a perfect side dish to my Easter Sunday Citrus Roasted Tofu, which also has a hint of curry. (click here for that recipe) Use regular curry if you must, but don’t shy away from a hot curry.

Basically, cut cauliflower into large pieces, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle curry over all. Massage together with clean hands and bake on a foil lined baking sheet in a 400 degree oven until soft and toasty. I turned the veg over so it didn't get too brown on one side. 

Finish the dish with a big squeeze of lemon juice and some coarse sea salt. 

Curried Red Lentil Soup with Lime

Here’s an excellent use for red lentils. We love hot curry, but you could easily replace it with regular curry. The lime sour cream is an essential condiment for this spicy and delicious soup.The photo above shows the soup a little thinner (and better in my opinion) and the photo below shows the soup a little thicker. Simply add more water if you want a thinner soup. 

Here’s what you need:

2 medium onions, peeled and diced

3 stalks of celery, diced

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 t hot curry powder

2 C dried red lentils

28 ounces canned tomatoes

8 C water

2 Fresh limes

Sour cream (dairy or vegan)

Cilantro

Here’s what you do:

Sautee the onions in a bit of olive oil for a few minutes. Add the celery, garlic, sweet potato and curry. Cook for a few minutes. Add the lentils, tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat until the veg is all soft. I always like to let my soup sit, covered, off the heat to ‘soak’ for a while before serving. I think the flavors are better if you don’t rush it.

Use an immersion blender – or a high speed blender – to make a creamy consistency. Add the juice of a lime (or to taste) and garnish each serving with a ‘lime sour cream.’ (Create this by mixing more lime juice in sour cream to taste) Also garnish with cilantro. 

Two Soups: Borscht and Coconut Curry Red Lentil

I received a subscription to Chickpea magazine for Christmas and I also treated myself to all the back issues. It’s a beautiful publication, full of gorgeous photos and recipes. It’s the type of magazine that you keep for years to read and re-read every page. This perfect White Zucchini Pizza comes from the Summer 2012 issue. I am a pizza snob, and I know a great pizza when I see one. This one is more than great. You must try it, even you non-vegans out there.

From the Winter 2012 issue, I recently made Borsch; never in a million years would I have dreamed of making it, but the color in the photo tempted me. I wanted to serve it at my St. Patrick’s Day party, but it wasn’t party-worthy in my opinion. The flavor was very thin and mild, which surprised me considering how many zillions of ingredients were in it. Also, if you want to know the truth  - let’s really bond, here – it went s.t.r.a.i.g.h.t. through me…. definitely NOT party-worthy! “Tracy, may I use your bathroom?” “Yes, me too?” Ah, but, that COLOR!

And since soup season is not over up here in Michigan, I also made this excellent Coconut Curry Red Lentil. I loved it, but I wish I had made it thinner. It was a bit too thick for my taste. What I am trying to imitate is the soup I had at Seva Restaurant in Ann Arbor. Why do restaurants always have such great and ‘secret’ ingredients??

And then I was messing around and decided to puree some it: 

 “Tastes like baby food,” said the family."

Here’s what you need for Borscht:

4 beetroots

2 cabbage leaves

2 celery stalks

1 sour apple

1 carrot

Some parsley stalks

½ leek

8 peppercorns

6 allspice corns (I used dried)

2 cloves

2 garlic cloves – unpeeled

3 dried mushrooms

2 dried plums

2 t dried marjoram

¼ C black currant juice (I used pomegranate juice)

2 t red wine vinegar

Here’s what you do:

Wash all the veggies but don’t peel them. Grate beets in a food processor. Cut the apple in quarters and remove seeds. Put all ingredients except marjoram, juice and vinegar in a large pot. Cover with 3 liters of water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for one hour. When it’s done, add the marjoram and vinegar. Leave it alone for the night. ( I put mine in the cold garage)

Next morning, strain, heat, season with salt, pepper and juice. Serve piping hot. 

(printable recipe)

Coconut Curry Red Lentil Soup (adapted from Food.com website, Chef #437873)

Here’s what you need:

1 T olive oil

1 T hot curry or more to taste

½ t cinnamon

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 t fresh ginger, grated or minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t salt

1 t sugar

1 small can tomato paste

7 C water

2 C Silk brand coconut milk

2 C red lentils

15 oz cooked chick peas (drained and rinsed)

1 T lime juice

Cilantro for garnish

Here’s what you do:

Warm the oil in a large pot. Add the curry and cinnamon and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Add the onions and cook another 2 minutes. Add the carrots, ginger, garlic, salt, sugar and tomato paste. Cook 2 more minutes. Pour in the water, coconut milk, lentils and chickpeas. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 25 minutes or until the lentils are very soft.  At the end, stir in the lime juice. 

(printable recipe)