Indian Night!

David has spent the evening preparing a delicious Indian meal -- the kitchen smells fantastic!  All three recipes come from a cookbook I acquired in high school: Indian Cooking, by Madhur Jaffrey.  I'm uploading photos of the food while it is cooking; hopefully by the time I finish it will be ready to eat! 

Lentils with Spinach and Ginger
serves 6

200 g green lentils, picked over, washed and drained
750 ml water

Put lentils and water in saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover,
turn heat to low and simmer 1 hour.

6 Tbsp vegetable oil
1-2 hot green chile - or a pinch of cayenne - or no heat
1 tsp (I use 1 Tb) grated ginger
8 well-packed Tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
550 g (1 1/4lb) spinach, trimmed, washed, chopped 
2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper 
2 Tbsp lemon juice, or more

Put oil in big skillet over medium heat. When hot add chile &
ginger and stir-fry 10 seconds. Add cilantro and spinach and stir
until spinach is wilted. Add cooked lentils and salt. Mix &
bring to a simmer. Cover and cook on very low 25 mins. Stir in
pepper and lemon juice for a few mins. Serve in very big bowls.

Cauliflower with Onion and Tomato
1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
A piece of ginger, 2 inches long and 1 inch wide, peeled and coarsely chopped
4 Tbsp water
1 large head of cauliflower
8 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 medium tomato, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh green coriander (I actually left this out, and it was still good!)
1 fresh hot green chili, washed and finely sliced
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp lemon juice (I just squeezed in a whole lemon)

1. Blend the onion, garlic, ginger and 4 Tbsp water into a paste.
2. Break the cauliflower into florets. Wash and drain.
3. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed 10-12 inch pot, over medium heat.
4. Pour in paste and add the turmeric. Fry, stirring, 5 minutes.
5. Add the chopped tomato, green coriander, and green chili, and fry 5 minutes. If necessary, add 1 tsp of warm water at a time to prevent sticking.
6. Add the cauliflower, coriander, cumin, garam masala, salt and lemon juice. Stir for 1 minute. 7. Add 4 Tbsp warm water, stir, cover and lower the heat. Allow to cook 35 minutes, stirring gently every 10 minutes or so.
8. The cauliflower is done when the florets are tender, with just a faint trace of crispness.

Lemony Chicken with Fresh Coriander 
2 1-inch cubes fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 pounds skinless chicken legs, drumstick and thigh separated
5 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
3 cups (7 oz) finely chopped coriander leaves
1 bird's-eye chili, very finely chopped (or serrano)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Put the ginger and 1/4 cup water into a blender and blend into a paste. Set aside.

2. Place the oil in a wide, heavy, preferably nonstick pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add as many chicken pieces as fit in a single layer and brown on both sides. Remove them and continue until all the chicken is browned.

3. Add the garlic to the hot oil. As soon as it turns medium brown, turn down the heat to medium and pour in the ginger paste. Stir and fry for a minute. Add the fresh coriander, chili, cayenne, cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric and salt. Cook, stirring, for a minute. Add the chicken pieces as well as any juices that have accumulated. Add 2/3 cup water to the pot and the lemon juice. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, turn heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more, until chicken is cooked through.

4. Remove the chicken. If the sauce is too thin, boil some of the liquid away over a higher heat.
  
Serve with basmati rice.