blue artichoke

This one is a bit of a stretch because the truly Indian component of the meal was a miserable failure. I poured it down the sink. That it was liquid enough to be poured down the drain is in fact the reason for its failure. I made Tarka Dal, or spiced lentils. You cook the dried lentils in water seasoned with Indian spices (turmeric and cumin, in this case), then blend it and add onions and garlic that have been sautéed in butter and spices. Sounds pretty good and easy enough. The lentils were too runny and soupy after pureeing. I tried to salvage them by putting the pot back on the burner to reduce the liquid. It stayed runny and started to scorch on the bottom. I didn’t even bother with the garlic and onions; I just poured the lentils down the drain. The rest of the meal included vegetables sautéed with Indian spices and shrimp rubbed with Indian spices. Instead of the vegetables being a side, I turned them into the star of the meal and used them as a bed for the shrimp. It turned out well; it looked good, tasted good and filled us up. Here is the recipe for the vegetables:

Cauliflower and Green Beans with Indian Spices

Fine Cooking, Dec/Jan 2003/2004
The seasoning was actually a bit subdued, but my pinch of dried chile flakes was pretty small. Next time, I’ll add additional spices, such as cumin, turmeric and garam masala, along with the toasted cumin and mustard seeds. It seemed to take the cauliflower a long time to soften, so I turned the heat down and put a lid on the skillet for a few minutes to hurry it along.

½ t. cumin seeds
½ t. yellow mustard seeds
2 T. olive oil, more if needed
1 small yellow onion, cut into med dice (~1/2 c.)
1 small head cauliflower (1 ¼ - 1 ½#), trimmed and cut into ½ -1” florets (3c.)
8 oz. green beans, trimmed and snapped into 1-1 ½” pieces (2c.)
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. finely minced fresh ginger
Large pinch dried red chile flakes

Toast the cumin and mustard seeds in a 12” dry skillet over med-low heat, stirring occasionally until very fragrant, 4-5m; don’t let them burn. Immediately transfer to a small bowl.

Put the skillet back on med-high heat for 1m. Pour in the oil. Heat, but not to smoking; add the onion and cook 30s. Add cauliflower, green beans and carrot in an even layer across the pan. Add salt and pepper; let cook undisturbed until the veggies have begun to brown, 2-3m. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is nicely browned, 5-7m. Add more oil if necessary. Reduce heat to med and continue to sauté until cauliflower is tender, 2-3m. Stir in garlic, ginger, cumin and mustard seeds and chile flakes. Cook another minute to blend flavors. Season to taste with s/p. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

Serve with basmati rice.

I omitted the basmati rice, because I intended to serve it with the spiced lentils. Anyway, when the veggies were done, I divided them between two plates, then returned the pan to medium-high heat and sprayed the pan with cooking spray. I had already rubbed the shrimp with a blend of salt, sugar, cumin, turmeric and chili powder. When the skillet was hot again, I pan-fried the shrimp on both sides until they were pink and done, then arranged them around the pile of veggies on the plate. Turned out to be a rather healthy and filling meal, if not truly authentic Indian fare.

Getting to Know All About You: What's your favorite condiment?