Mushroom Curry

Makes: 2 side servings

Cost per serving (Heidelberg): coming soon

Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ large onion, chopped finely
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• about 8oz/225g mushrooms, sliced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

 Saute onion in oil until softened.  Add garlic and saute one more minute.  Add spices and cook 4-5 more minutes.  If the mixture becomes dry, add water by the tablespoon.

Add mushrooms, tomato paste, and salt.  Add more water if desired.  I add about a quarter cup, maybe slightly less.  Lower the heat to a simmer, then cover and cook 10 minutes.

Serve with rice or some other starch of your choice.

Cauliflower with Panch Phoron

Panch phoron can also be labeled panch puren, panch puran, panch puram, and other similar variations, and you can find it at some Asian groceries.  It's composed of equal parts fenugreek, nigella seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and radhuni or celery seeds or mustard seeds.

Makes: 2 servings

Cost per serving: ~0,90€ (excludes rice)

Ingredients:

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1/3 cup oil
• ½ teaspoon panch phoron
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1" or 2cm ginger root, grated
• 3 Thai chilis, split lengthwise

Cut the cauliflower into small florets.  If you've just washed it, try to dry it as much as possible.

Use a pot with high sides.  Heat the oil and add the panch phoron.  It will pop and splutter.  After it has finished spluttering, add the cauliflower and salt.  Cauliflower is full of moisture and will cause a lot of spattering when added to hot oil - hence the high sides of the pot and trying to dry it off a bit - so stand back and cover or move anything near by that you don't want possibly spattered.

Stir for 3-4 minutes, then cover over medium heat and let the cauliflower lose its moisture and soften.  When it has, uncover and add sugar, ginger, and chilis.  Stir continuously until the moisture is gone and the cauliflower is coated in a sheen of oil.

Serve with rice.

Lemon Rice

Makes: 2 servings

Cost per serving (Heidelberg): coming soon

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 4-5 curry leaves (try the Asian market)
• 2 Thai chilis, split lengthwise
• 1" or 2 cm ginger root, grated
• ½ cup unsalted peanuts
• handful raisins
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• juice of 2 lemons
• 2 servings cooked white rice

Toast the coriander seeds in a pan until fragrant and starting to brown, then crush/powder them.  Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan.  When hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, and chilis.  Fry until the mustard seeds stop spluttering.

Add ginger, peanuts, and raisins.  Fry one minute, then add turmeric and remove from heat.

Add lemon juice and mix well.  Then add rice, crushed coriander, and salt to taste.  Mix well & enjoy!

Carrot Curry

Makes: 3 servings

Cost per serving (Heidelberg): ~0,37€ (excludes rice)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin
• 1 teaspoon urid dal (from South Indian or Asian grocery)
• 1 Thai chili, chopped (if unavailable, substitute with ¼ - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper)
• 8-10 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 8-10 curry leaves (from South Indian or Asian grocery)
• 2 tablespoons dessicated coconut (in Heidelberg, available in freezer at Butt grocery)
• salt

 Use a pot with tall sides.  Heat the oil, then add cumin and urid dal.  When the dal browns, add the chili and saute to cook it a bit.  Add the carrots, followed by ¼ cup water.  Cook for 10 minutes, then add salt.  Continue to cook until all the water has evaporated.  Add coconut and curry leaves, then cook a few more minutes.

Eat with rice.

Chickpea Curry

Makes: 4 servings

Cost per serving (Heidelberg): ~0,77€ (excludes rice)

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• ½ - 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on spiciness preference)
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 14-oz/400-g cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 green bell pepper
• salt

Saute the onions in the butter until just starting to brown on the edges.  Add tomato sauce, garlic, and spices.  Saute for a bit to mix and cook the spices a little - it smells great. Add chickpeas and pepper and saute another 15 minutes.

Add salt to taste and about half a cup of water, turn down to simmer, and cover.  Simmer one hour, stirring often.  Add water if it gets dry.

Eat over rice.