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our indian meal

i made this incredibly delicious indian meal last week.  i made bundgobhi lobhiyewali (cabbage and black-eyed peas) and masoor masala (spicy lentils).  i served these dishes with basmati rice, potato and green pea samosas ( i cheated and got some premade frozen samosas and fried them at home.... i do make my own most of the time, but they are time-consuming),  popadoms (fried indian crackers imbedded with spices), and tamarind chutney (from a jar....sashi indian magic brand).  check out the recipes below.

posted by: artichoke72 at 16:54 | link | comments |

i liked this dish. the cabbage was sweet and its flavor melded well with the black-eyed peas. it was great reheated because the flavors had time to intensify, which is good because this recipe made a rather large batch.

 

bundgobhi lobhiyewali (cabbage with black-eyed peas)

1 medium cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

2 medium onions, sliced in thin half rounds

½ -inch piece fresh ginger, grated

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

salt, to taste

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 cup cooked black-eyed peas, drained (i used 1 can)

½ teaspoon garam masala

 

in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. add the cumin. when it darkens (1 to 2 seconds), add the grated ginger. cook for 1 minute, then add the sliced onions and sauté until lightly browned (about 8 minutes). add the cabbage, salt, cayenne, and turmeric. stir, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the cabbage is just done (about 20 minutes). add the black-eyed peas, cover, and cook for another 5 minutes. mix in the garam masala.

 

recipe source: from bengal to punjab: the cuisines of india by smita chandra (the crossing press, 1991).

posted by: artichoke72 at 16:35 | link | comments |
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masoor masala was the star of our indian meal.  the addition of the spinach really made it incredible.  i'm assuming you could add other kinds of vegetables with good results....zucchini or cauliflower would probably be good additions to the lentils.  this dish is nutritious and incredibly inexpensive to prepare.  it is also awesome the next day because the flavors have had time to intensify. 

 

masoor masala (spicy lentils)

 

1 cup whole brown lentils

4 cups water

salt, to taste

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

2 medium onions, chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

tiny pinch crushed asafetida (optional)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 large tomato, chopped

5 to 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach (defrosted)

 

wash the lentils, removing any broken pieces and debris. place the lentils and the water in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, and let soak for 1 hour. add the salt and turmeric, and cook covered over low heat until tender (about 30 minutes).

 

meanwhile, in a small heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, warm the oil. add the asafetida (if used) and cumin. when the spices darken (1 to 2 seconds), add the chopped onions and garlic and cook until browned (8 to 10 minutes). add the coriander, cayenne, and tomato; cook until the tomato is soft (about 5 minutes).

 

when the lentils are cooked, add the onion-tomato mixture and frozen spinach, stir, and cook for another 5 minutes (or until spinach is warm through).

 

recipe adapted from: from bengal to punjab: the cuisines of india by smita chandra (the crossing press, 1991).

posted by: artichoke72 at 15:40 | link | comments |
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the soup & taco, etc...

fredericksburg, virginia

i was excited when i read in the local newspaper that the soup & taco, etc… restaurant was opening on caroline street in downtown fredericksburg. our first attempt to try the soup & taco, etc…was on a friday night. we arrived at 8:00 pm to find the restaurant closed. there have been several attempts by the restaurant to establish operating hours and i’m still not quite sure what they are. we tried again one afternoon after fortuitously finding a $20 bill and it was open.

the soup & taco, etc… is located in a long, narrow building with black and white floors and bright lime green walls accented with southwestern themed paintings and large mirrors. small metal café tables and chairs ornamented with dragonflies line up against one wall and a bar with stools against the other. the limited menu is written on 3 chalk boards that hang over the front counter. orders are placed at the front counter.

two soups are offered each day for the lofty price of $4.95 for 12 ounces and $5.95 for 16 ounces. on the day we went, the soups were tomato bisque and chicken gumbo.

four different types of tacos are offered: beef, chicken, fish, and vegetable. an order of tacos consists of marinated and then grilled meat, fish, or veggies topped with “cabbage salad” and a dab of pico de gallo. on the day we went, the fish was corvina and the veggie was broccoli.

the menu is rounded out with chips and hot sauce for $2.95, chips and guacamole for *gasp* $4.95 for 8 ounces and $8.95 for 16 ounces, and chile cheese dip for a whopping $4.95 for 8 ounces and $8.95 for 16 ounces.

on our visit, we ordered the chips and hot sauce, fish tacos, veggie tacos, and chicken tacos. the very mild hot sauce was loose (liquidy) and overwhelmed with the flavor of black pepper. i feel very strongly that black pepper does not belong in hot sauce at all. the sparse chunks of (pickled, i suspect) jalapenos didn’t do much to elevate my opinion of the tomato sauce. the slightly stale tortilla chips served in a grease-soaked paper bag didn’t impress me much either. both the chips and the hot sauce desperately needed salt.

the tacos were unlike any we have ever had. the fish in my taco was flavorful, but not plentiful. the 3 chunks of grilled broccoli and little bit of bland rice didn’t do much to fill the veggie taco. and again, the chicken was flavorful, but not plentiful. no beans or cheese were included in the tacos. unfortunately, all of the tacos were filled with a COLESLAW that overpowered everything else. the coleslaw was dressed with a mayonaise-based dressing that was accented with celery seeds!  it was pretty nasty.  my husband declared that “coleslaw on a taco is sacrilege” and i concur. i don’t know who was hitting the crack pipe when they came up with that idea, but it did not work (fresh shredded cabbage and radishes with chopped cilantro and a little fresh lime juice would be a much better choice). i had to douse my tacos with half a bottle Tapatio hot sauce to cover up the taste of the horrid coleslaw. my husband hates mayo, so he scrapped all the coleslaw out of his tacos, which left a very unsubstantial meal (if you call two tacos a meal). on a positive note, i must mention the super fresh flour tortillas used to make the tacos. they tasted like they were made from scratch in the restaurant. they were excellent.

i had high expectations for the soup & taco, etc…. i think the guy (he also has another restaurant in town called jake & mikes) who opened the place had a good idea. fredericksburg really does need a taco place. i don’t think the soup & taco, etc… will be that taco place. their prices are too high, the menu is too limited, and the tacos do not warrant a repeat visit. of course, i’m overly critical…i’ve had some magnificent tacos which form my standard (none which contained coleslaw). i admire simplicity, but if you are only going to make a few items, then those items need to be superior!

posted by: artichoke72 at 16:44 | link | comments (6) |
restaurant reviews

pad thai

this is a quick americanized version of pad thai.  it's actually pretty delicious and satisfying.  the ingredients are easily found in grocery stores. the rice noodles and fish sauce can be found in the asian section (or get them at an asian market).  i've made this recipe numerous times and it always turns out well.  sometimes i substitute fried tofu for the shrimp with excellent results.  chicken also works well. 

pad thai

1/4 cup safflower or corn oil (i use canola or peanut)
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and rinsed
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons minced garlic

sweet and sour sauce
mix together:
1/3 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons water

6 ounces flat rice stick noodles (pho), softened in hot water and drained (i boil them until tender)
2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed and drained

garnishes
3 tablespoons minced scallion greens
1/4 cup finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes, cut into 6 wedges each

heat a wok or a heavy skillet over high heat.  add 1 tablespoon of the oil and heat until very hot, about 30 seconds.  add the shrimp and stir-fry until they turn pink, about 1 1/2 minutes.  remove with a handled strainer or a slotted spoon and drain in a colander.  wipe out the wok.

reheat the wok over medium-high heat.  add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and heat until hot, about 30 seconds.  add the eggs and cook, stirring to scramble them, until just set.  add the garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds.  add the sweet and sour sauce and the rice noodles and toss for 3 to 4 minutes, until the noodles have absorbed the sauce and are tender.  add the shrimp and bean sprouts and toss to mix.  transfer onto a serving platter and sprinkle with the scallion greens, peanuts, red pepper, and cilantro.  arrange the lime wedges around the noodles and serve.

makes 6 servings.

recipe source:  asian noodles by nina simonds (hearst books, 1997).

posted by: artichoke72 at 19:57 | link | comments |
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sad news.....the little japanese take-out place, tokyo. that we liked so much is no longer in business. bummer! i had been craving their shrimp tempura rolls. :(

posted by: artichoke72 at 19:23 | link | comments |

southeast asian cabbage salad

i love this salad! it's something i make quite a bit. it's fresh, crunchy, colorful, virtuallly fat-free, nutritious, and very flavorful. this salad keeps fairly well in the fridge for up to two days.

southeast asian cabbage salad

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 cucumber, seeded, peeled, and chopped
1 to 2 carrots, grated
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
2 (or more) fresh chiles, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
chopped roasted peanuts

mix vinegar, sugar, garlic, and fish sauce together in a small bowl. combine cabbage, cucumber, carrot, cilantro and chiles in a large bowl. pour vinegar mixture over cabbage mixture and mix. sprinkle with crushed peanuts right before serving.

posted by: artichoke72 at 15:05 | link | comments |
all recipes, asian recipes

almond shrimp

my grandmother gave me the idea for these shrimp.  almond crusted shrimp is one of her favorite dishes at an italian restaurant in houston, texas.  well, that sounded easy enough to attempt at home, so i did.  i served the almond shrimp with a thai sweet chile sauce.

for the almond shrimp:  dust the peeled and deveined shrimp in cornstarch, making sure to shake off the excess cornstarch.  next, put the shrimp in an egg mixture (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water) and then dredge in finely ground almonds (ground in a food processor).  pan fry in olive oil over medium heat until golden.

posted by: artichoke72 at 13:46 | link | comments |
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