An Invitation to Indian Cooking - Madhur Jaffrey [91]
To serve: Serve the lentils with rice or any of the breads. A meat, chicken, or fish dish and a vegetable would complete the meal.
Frozen black-eyed peas (lobhia)
SERVES 6
2 packets (10 ounces each) frozen black-eyed peas
1½–2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
A generous pinch ground asafetida or tiny lump asafetida
½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1½ medium-sized onions, peeled and chopped
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup tomato sauce
¼–½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
3 tablespoons tamarind paste or 2 tablespoons lemon juice
In a 3–4-quart pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the frozen black-eyed peas and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a second boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer peas gently for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside, covered.
In another 3–4-quart, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. When hot, put in the asafetida and the cumin seeds. As soon as the asafetida expands and sizzles and the cumin seeds darken (this will take a few seconds), put in the chopped onions. Fry onions, stirring, for 7 or 8 minutes, or until they are lightly browned. Add the turmeric, coriander, and cumin, and cook, stirring, another minute. Put in the tomato sauce, lower heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring now and then.
Add the black-eyed peas, ¼ cup water, the rest of the salt (1–1½ teaspoons), the cayenne, and the tamarind paste. Bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer gently for 20 to 35 minutes. Lift off cover, and if there is any extra sauce, turn up heat and boil it down, stirring. All the sauce must adhere to the peas.
To serve: This versatile dish can be served with pork or lamb roasts as well as with almost any Indian meal.
Chana masaledar
SERVES 6
Chickpeas are cooked with onion, garlic, ginger, and the garam (hot) spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. This is a traditional “snack” dish from the state of Punjab.
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 medium-sized onion, peeled and chopped
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
A piece of fresh ginger, about ½ inch square, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon tomato paste
20-ounce can of chickpeas (garbanzos)
½ teaspoon salt
⅛–¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional—use as desired)
½–¾ teaspoon ground amchoor, or 1 tablespoon lemon juice
GARNISH
1 firm tomato, washed and quartered
1 medium-sized onion, halved and cut into coarse slivers
4 fresh hot green chilies (only if someone is going to eat them; otherwise use 4 long slices of a green pepper)
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed 10-inch skillet over a medium-high flame. When hot, put in the whole cumin seeds. As soon as they begin to darken, after a few seconds, add the chopped onions. Stir and fry 7 to 8 minutes or until onions begin to turn a golden brown.
Turn heat to low and add the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and coriander. Mix, add the garlic and ginger, and fry, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste.
Open chickpea can and drain out most of the liquid, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Pour this and the chickpeas into the skillet. Add salt, cayenne, and amchoor or lemon juice. Mix well, cover, and let the chickpeas cook with the spices for about 10 minutes. Stir gently every now and then, taking care not to break chickpeas.
To serve: Traditionally, the chanas (chickpeas) are placed in a bowl lined around the edge with quartered tomatoes, raw onion slivers, and green chilies, and then eaten with bhaturas. I have served them with pooris as well as with rice. A meal with Chicken Moghlai, Shrimp, Kerala Style, and these chickpeas as well as Cucumber Raita served with plain rice is very nice. The dish can be prepared a day in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat gently over a low flame.
Canned chickpeas with garlic and ginger
SERVES 6
10 cloves garlic, peeled