Indian Dinner

Saag paneer

I used the saag paneer recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cooking. Since I ran out of spinach from the garden, I substituted kale, which was surprisingly good. I might use it instead in the future. Also, I omitted the heavy cream because it didn't seem necessary.

Saag Paneer
serves: 4-6

Ingredients
1-in. cube of ginger (peeled and coarsely chopped)
3-6 garlic cloves
1/2 to 1 hot green chili, sliced roughly
paneer
salt
1/4 tsp. garam masala
1/8 tsp. cayenne
6 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1.5 lbs. spinach
3 Tbsp. heavy cream


Directions 
Process the ginger, garlic, and green chili w/ 1/4 c. water until a paste forms. Heat oil in a large, nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Fry paneer, turning gently until golden brown on all sides. Remove paneer to a plate. Sprinkle w/ 1/8 tsp. salt, the garam masala, and the cayenne. Set aside.

Add the paste to the hot oil and fry, stirring constantly, for ~ 30 secs. Add the spinach and 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir and cook for 1 min. Cover, lower heat, and cook spinach and ginger-garlic paste for 15 mins. If all the water evaporates, add 1-2 Tbsp. of water and continue cooking.

Add the paneer and cream, stir gently, and bring to a simmer. Cover and continue cooking on low heat for another 10 mins. Stir once or twice during cooking.

Chana masala

This article by L.V. Anderson from Slate's Browbeat has great guidelines for how to make restaurant-quality chana masala .

Channa Masala
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Time: 1½ to 2 hours, plus optional 8 to 12 hours for soaking the chickpeas

1 pound chickpeas, rinsed and picked over
Salt
⅓ cup grapeseed or peanut oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 medium onions, chopped
1½ teaspoons ground turmeric
2 small fresh jalapeños, seeded and minced
¼ cup ginger-garlic paste
8 fresh Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons ground channa masala spice blend
1 tablespoon ground garam masala
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
¾ teaspoon amchoor (dried mango) powder
Cooked basmati rice for serving (optional)
Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

1. Put the chickpeas in a large pot and add enough water to cover them by 3 to 4 inches. If time allows, soak the chickpeas for 8 to 12 hours. Put the chickpeas over high heat and bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium-high and cook until the chickpeas are tender, 1 to 1½ hours if you soaked them, about 2 hours if you didn’t. When the chickpeas are mostly tender, add a few large pinches of salt to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, put the oil in another large pot over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the cumin seeds and cook for 30 seconds. Add the onions and season with salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the turmeric and jalapeños and continue cooking until the onions are tender, another 5 to 7 minutes. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, channa masala spice mixture, garam masala, cumin, and sugar. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and saucy, about 30 minues.

3. When the chickpeas are tender, drain them, reserving about 1 cup of their cooking liquid. Add the chickpeas and the reserved cooking liquid to the tomato mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice and amchoor powder. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot, over basmati rice and garnished with cilantro, if desired. (Leftover channa masala can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to several days.)

Dal with garlic and ginger

I used the recipe from Cooking Light. I've made it multiple time, but I no longer mess around with making the garlic- and cumin-infused oil. Instead, I sautee the onions, turmeric, cumin, garlic (and add more garlic), and red pepper initially and then cook the lentils with the onions and spices. And don't forget to add the cilantro at the end. It's not the same without it.

Lentil Dal with Garlic-and-Cumin-Infused Oil

1 1/4 cups dried pink or yellow lentils
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 cups water
1 cup chopped plum tomato
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Place lentils and turmeric in a large saucepan; cover with 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato; cook for 5 minutes or until lentils are tender. Stir in salt; keep warm.
Heat the vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds and garlic; cook 2 minutes or until garlic is golden, stirring constantly. Stir in the red pepper, and remove from heat. Pour oil mixture over lentils, and stir in 2 tablespoons cilantro. Spoon the dal into individual bowls, and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and the lemon juice. 

Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 202 (16% from fat); FAT 3.5g (satfat 0.5g, monofat 0.8g, polyfat 1.9g); PROTEIN 14.1g; CARBOHYDRATE 30.6g; FIBER 15.3g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; IRON 5.1mg; SODIUM 479mg; CALCIUM 39mg; 
Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2001