Indian food is where it's at! I love it! However, my area had a sad and serious lack of Indian restaurants, so if I want good Indian food, I have to rely on my own skill. Chana Masala is an easy and very basic Indian dish. I also attempted to make Naan, an Indian flatbread, which was tasty, but not very flat.
For the Naan:
Preheat your oven to it's lowest temperature and place some boiling water in a pyrex dish inside the oven. (The water helps the bread to rise and form a nice crust)
You will also need:
1 packet active dry yeast
1/4 c warm water
1 tsp sucanat, sugar or agave
1 1/2 tsp ground flaxseed
2 tbs water
3 1/2 c whole wheat flour (again, I use Prairie Gold)
1/2 c vital wheat gluten (I use this because it makes a whole wheat bread rise better)
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbp nondairy butter (I use Earth Balance), soft or melted
1/3 c non dairy yogurt (plain)
1 c nondairy milk (I usually use Almond Breeze)
Dissolve your yeast in your warm water. Add your sugar to help activate the yeast and stir it well. Allow it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, while you mix up your flour. Stir flour, gluten, and salt into a bowl. In a separate, small bowl, whip your flaxseed together with 2 tbs of water. Once your yeast mixture is all frothy and beer-scented, pour it into your flour. Also add your flaxseed mixture, your yogurt, 2 tbs of your butter, and your "milk." Stir it enough to make a dough. Your dough should form a ball easily and not be too sticky. If it's too sticky, add flour. If it's too stiff, add milk. Turn off your oven, cover with a wet cloth, and let sit for 2 hours. Go dance around your yard or something equally fun and silly.
After the 2 hours are over, remove your bread from the oven, and preheat oven to 450 degrees. I always leave the pyrex container with the water in there. Knead the bread for about 5 minutes (if you have an electric stand mixer, use it!). Divide it into about 8 equal balls and roll them out until they are about 1/4 inch thick. Oil your pan well and drizzle the rest of your "butter" over the bread. Bake for about 8 minutes.
For the Chana Masala, you will need:
1 large onion, diced
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs oil (for sauteing, I use high-heat safflower oil)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas, please make sure you rinse and strain
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp (or more!) garam masala or curry powder
3 tbs nondairy yogurt, plain
the juice of 1 lemon
parsley or cilantro to garnish
Saute your onions and garlic in a large frying pan or wok at medium-high for about 5 minutes. I usually let the oil heat up while I do my chopping. Next, add your tomatoes, chickpeas, ginger and spices. Reduce the heat to medium and cover. If you want to add more spice, do. Let this "stew in it's own juices" for as long as it has enough liquid to cook in. This is a great dish to make for guests who are chronically late, because you can lower the heat and let it sit around like a stew. It only gets better. At least let it stew for 20 minutes. About 5 minutes before serving, stir in your yogurt and your lemon juice. Right before serving, add your garnish. Either serve over rice or with your bread. A raw salad pairs well with this.
No comments:
Post a Comment