What's for Dinner Wednesdays? Simply Indian

I LOVE Indian food!  Tonight's dinner is aloo gobi, curried chicken, dahl, store bought naan bread and couscous.  I know couscous isn't Indian but I forgot to start the basmati rice first, and it takes too long to cook.  Indian Fusion it is.  The aloo gobi is from a an excellent cookbook my sister gave me, called Simply Indian, though there are a lot of good recipes on line you can use.  It's basically tomatoes, onions, lemon juice, potatoes and cauliflower with Indian spices. 

My dahl recipe is based on one from a dear friend from Mauritius who's lived in Kelowna longer than I have (and I must admit I haven't seen her in ages!).  I don't usually measure anything and over the years I've added a few extra spices.  I start by melting some butter in the bottom of a small pot and adding about 1/2 tsp each of  cumin seed and corriander seed.  

Once the coriander starts to pop I add the chopped stems off a bunch of fresh cilantro along with about 1/3 cup chopped onion and a clove or two of minced garlic.   Once everything begins to soften I add about 2 tsp of curry powder and saute one minute.  Then I drain a 19 oz can of red lentils, add it to the pot and mix well.  If it seems dry I add a little (less than 1/4 cup) of chicken or vegetable broth, put the lid on and let it simmer on low until the lentils are very soft.  Chop a little onion and fresh coriander leaves to use as garnish later. 

For the curried chicken I cut an onion in half crossways and then cut it in slices (so you have half moons). I saute it on medium to low heat in butter until the onions are soft.   Add 3 cloves of garlic and a tsp shredded ginger, saute until onions are golden.   Then I add a bunch of spices that I don't really measure... I would say about 1/2 a tsp each of tumeric, coriander powder, asefetida, cumin powder and 1 tsp of curry powder.  Mix and cook for about a minute.  Add 2 cups of canned chopped tomato and 6 to 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs chopped into bite sized pieces.  Bring it to a low simmer, but don't boil, it will make the meat tough.  Add about 1/4 of a 7 oz block of creamed coconut and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves.  Heat until the chicken is cooked through and serve over rice or equivalent.

P.S.  For those of you worried about the high carb content for me, the diabetic, not to worry. I don't eat the Naan or the couscous and try to get more cauliflower than potato in the aloo gobi...moderation in all things. :)