Red Lentil Curry

This recipe comes from the very first vegetarian blog I ever came to love, 28 Cooks. I have made this recipe more times than I can probably count. It's good, it's quick and best of all, it's super healthy. It's a go-to for me all year round. It's Red Lentil Curry.

The basic flavor profile of this recipe is South Indian. It gets its punch from Thai red curry paste and coconut milk. Both of those are available in the average supermarket's "international" food aisle. It takes about 40 minutes all said and done, which makes it an excellent weeknight meal. Also, it reheats beautifully. This recipe is one of the handful of recipes that endeared me to my future mother-in-law, which means that it will be certain to impress even your most accomplished foodies.

Have I tempted you enough? Let's get to the recipe:

Empanadas are for lovers

This is another recipe that comes from a fantastic recipe blog out there. This one is from Elise Bauer over at Simply Recipes. I only recently discovered this treasure trove, but I have yet to try a recipe from there that hasn't been fantastic. These aren't what I would consider mainstream empanadas, but they sure are tasty. They are more Indian/curry inspired. If you're looking for a more standard, Latin American flavored empanada, you might want to this Argentinean version sounds pretty great, though as a disclaimer, I have not made those.

So I took the recipe that was posted, and I streamlined it for my kitchen a bit. Since I'm keeping myself busy with the dissertation and the job, I'm all about making quick, healthy, filling and delicious food. So, instead of making pastry at home, I picked up a package of Goya Discos para Empanadas. They are available in our international grocery store's freezer section and they are amazing. If you don't have access to them, you can also use puff pastry, wonton wrappers or make your own. The link above to the Simply Recipes version has an awesome sounding recipe for pastry.

Just as a side note, a lot of this recipe can be made ahead of time. The pork can be mixed up 1-2 days before you needed it, the assembled empanadas can be stored in the fridge for 12-24 hours and you can even freeze them before cooking for a ready-made weeknight meal. They are also great reheated after being baked.

Channa (chickpea curry)

Indian food, especially curry, has a really bad reputation for being unhealthy. The food served in Indian restaurants (and all restaurants) the world over generally employs short cuts for good taste. However, if you use slow heat and good spices, you can make a healthy and super tasty Indian food at home.

One of my favorite (quick) vegetarian curries is Channa, or chickpea curry. It's spicy and delicious, and goes well with both flat breads (roti, paratha, naan or even tortillas in a pinch) or rice. The curry, as I make it, is a thick and protein rich and a super satisfying low-maintenance weeknight meal. This recipe serves 3-5 people.

Recipe:

2 cans of Chickpeas

1 White Onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp. ginger paste, or 1 inch fresh ginger, minced

2-3 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. cumin seed (you could also use ground cumin, but add this portion when you are meant to add the seeds)

2 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp. turmeric

3/4 tsp. chili powder

3/4 tsp. black pepper

3 tbsp. vegetable oil (or another neutral oil)

1 c. water

Salt, to taste

Directions:

1) Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add onions to the oil and fry until golden. Add ginger and garlic to the saucepan.

2) Add cumin seeds and fry until some of the seeds start to pop. At this point, the onion should be deeply golden brown. If the onions/garlic/ginger/cumin seed mixture starts to stick to the pan, add a bit of water to deglaze the pan.

3) Add the other spices and tomato paste. By this point, you should have a fairly thick paste. If you want to thin it a bit, or if it is sticking to the pan, then add a bit more water, and stir.

4) Fry this paste until the spices are very fragrant. Add water if you would like to thin it out a bit.

5) Drain chickpeas. Add the beans to the spice paste and stir to combine. Add a bit of water.

6) Cover and let the mixture cook for a minimum of 15 minutes, or up to a couple of hours. Check on the mixture regularly and add water if it is sticking to the pan.

7) Serve, with bread or rice, and cilantro chutney.

This is definitely a go-to in my house. I hope you enjoy it!

Until our next dinner,

ceh.