Aloo Channa Chat

this is street food inspired dish, found often on the bustling streets of india, tiny stands with rolled up newspapers transformed into eating vessels, scooped high with this salad. it is vibrant, flavorful, colorful in texture and taste. not to mention good for you! this is an eye ball recipe-meaning there aren't exactly perfectly measured ingredients, as long as you have the goods, toss them together and snack away! tweak it to your own personal taste! enjoy.

you'll need:

2 cans of chickpeas, drained and dried
salt to taste
1 large potato, peeled, boiled, and chopped into 
bite size pieces 
turmeric
garam masala 
red chili pepper 
cumin
ground ginger 
ground mustard 
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander 
1/2 red onion, finely chopped 
1-2 roma tomatoes, finely chopped 
freshly squeezed lime 

in a large pan, over medium high heat, 
saute chickpeas in a pat of butter. 
i added olive oil as well as i saw the pan getting a bit dry

add spices. continue to coat and cook the chickpeas till toasty, yet still a hint of soft. 

[if you haven't already, boil and chop the potato.]

once chickpeas are finished, toss in a large mixing bowl, throw in chopped boiled potatoes, as well as fresh ingredients [tomatoes, onions, and coriander]. 

mix it all together. 

squeeze lime juice over top. 

season with salt or any extra added spice to your taste preference. 

either eat immediately or chill for a bit and then eat later. both cold and freshly made is great!!

if you want to get the full experience, find some newspaper and roll it into a cone shape. 
serve channa inside with a spoon and sprinkled with sev. 

enjoy!!

Califlour & Chickpea Masaman Curry

I have been trying my darndest to perfect and excel in my Bengali Cooking. My desire is to create authentic, flavorful, dishes that can be enjoyed by as many eaters as possible!! What fun in there in a tasty meal alone?

This dish was served for our friends, Nick and Becca, who have become dear friends. Nick actually sought us out one morning after church and in one small blip in time, he spilled his salvation story and how Christ saved him, only recently, but after listening to him talk, you would never guess he was such a baby Christian. It has been amazing to witness the joy and zeal he has for Christ, and the wisdom he has attained in such a short amount of time.

Him and his girlfriend, Becca have been dating forever, and it also has been a privilege to walk along side them in this relationship they are tending to as they move one step closer to marriage. Becca is sweet and kind, full of laughter and I am loving getting to know this free spirit.

Nick and Becca happen to be not only vegetarian, but vegan as well, and I am learning a lot about food through them. So when we wanted to have them over for dinner, it was a good challenge for me to be not only creative, but health minded as well-and you and I both know that's not always at the top of my list..(i love a good Oreo or two..which p.s. they're vegan!)

So within those boundaries, I created this curry with vegetables instead of chicken, and it was just as filling and wonderful!!
I will be using this recipe for meatless Mondays.

Want to try?
Please enjoy.

you'll need:
1 head of cauliflower, or 1 package frozen, in small florets
2 cans of chickpeas, drained
1-2 tsp sesame oil
2 can of coconut milk
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger-i cut off about 1" piece
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp gar am masala
2 tsp turmeric
1 small can of masaman curry paste
1 tablespoon yellow curry paste


Method:
In a small sauce pan mix masaman paste and coconut milk. Simmer and mix well. Set on low heat and stir often.

In large wok, heat up and drop sesame oil on to coat. Throw in chickpeas. Toast and roast, until browned. Add ginger, cinnamon and coat chickpeas until fragrant. Add cauliflower. (add more sesame oil if needed) Stir in coriander, garam masala, and turmeric. You want everything to mix well and evenly coat veggies. Stir fry (about 8-10 min) You want the vegetables to be soft, yet a bit of crunch still left.

Pour in 2nd coconut milk in and lower the heat. Add yellow curry paste. It will only add another depth of flavor.
Thoroughly stir and mix vegetables and curry mixture. Finally add sauce pan of masaman.

Once you have let EVERYTHING simmer and stir for another 9-10 minutes, it should be ready to serve.

Spoon over basmati rice.
Garnish with cilantro leaves.