chana masala

Life seems busier than usual. I feel like I'm swallowed by work and while I'm not complaining one bit, it makes day to day tasks a bit more difficult. I usually do most of the grocery shopping, but as I was swamped in HTML code and design dilemmas, I had asked my husband to pick up a few things. Like a can of tomatoes. It seemed easy enough, a no-brainer.

A few days later, I decided to try out a recipe that I had bookmarked ages ago. A delicious-sounding chana masala from Orangette. I had everything so I got right to work. The onions in this recipe do take some time to caramelize, but other than that, this recipe is a snap. Easy to make at the end of a week filled with hard work.

After I had sauteed the spices, I opened the can of tomatoes and suddenly realized that my husband had purchased crushed tomatoes rather than whole tomatoes. Crushed is just another word for pureed into oblivion. I never buy crushed tomatoes and truthfully, I was crushed. It had been a long week and now I was worried about a kink in my plans. But I dumped them in and continued. The result? Delicious. Intensely flavoured with tomato and beautifully spiced with the garam masala and cardamom, it was a great meal. Cornelius topped off his plate with yogurt while I went with a squeeze of lemon. What? Me worry?

chana masala
(adapted from Orangette)
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 dried red chilis (or 1/2 t red chili flakes)
1 t cumin seeds
½ t ground ginger
2 T garam masala paste (I use Patak's brand)
3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 t kosher salt
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
lemon wedges, optional

In a large heavy pot, heat the olive oil and add in the onions. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the onions take on a deep caramel colour. The more colour the better here, so wait it out. Turn down the heat and add in the spices, stirring until fragrant. Add in a quarter cup of water and scrape down the bottom of the pan. Next, dump in the tomatoes and salt, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Stir things a bit and when the mixture has reduced a bit, add in the chickpeas and bring it all down to a simmer. Cook for another 15 minutes to heat through the chickpeas and serve over rice with a squeeze of lemon (or plop on some yogurt, if that's your style). Remember, there are a few cardamom pods floating around in there, so pull them out or remember to tell your guests to watch out for them.

warm up with winter squash, red lentil & tofu curry

It's definitely winter-ish outside.The air is crisp and cold and it rains more often than not. Yesterday I wore my winter coat for the first time and while I was glad for the warmth it also was a bit of a bummer. Oh how I would have loved to tuck into a bowl of this warming, spicy curry when I got home from my bike ride. It would have been just the thing to warm up my bones. Too bad for me that I had made this a week or so ago, and all I've got are delicious memories of curries past.

This lentil curry uses up some of that winter squash that is so plentiful right now. I used kabocha, but any squash from butternut to buttercup would work well here. The squash definitely adds a touch of sweetness to an otherwise spicy dish. I even threw in a block of diced tofu and it was a wonderful addition adding in a nice texture and extra protein to the dish. This meal will definitely be making the dinner rounds again. It's nothing fancy, but it's easy to make, very nutritious and a perfect warmer to these colder evenings. Serve over brown rice, top with yogurt or mango chutney and enjoy.

winter squash, red lentil & tofu curry
1 T canola oil
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 inch knob of ginger
2 stalks celery, diced
1 t salt
1 heaping T of garam masala curry paste (or use regular curry/garam masala powder)
1 T ground cumin
1/2 small kabocha squash (or any other winter squash), diced
1 c red lentils
5 c veggie broth or water
1 block of tofu, diced

In a large heavy pot, heat up oil over med-high heat, add in onions, garlic, ginger and celery and saute until soft and fragrant. Sprinkle in salt, cumin and curry paste and stir until spices coat vegetables. Stir in the squash and lentils. Add in water or broth, lower heat and cover pot. Simmer for 15 minutes and then stir in tofu. Let simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the lentils are soft, about another 5 minutes. Serve over brown rice.