Colorful Curry

The other day at the Indian store I spotted capsicum (bell pepper) in four colors: green, red, yellow and orange. Since they were all priced the same, I could not resist buying one of each. The very idea of creating. a curry in a mix of colors made cooking suddenly exciting. And the beauty of it was that the colors added their own special flavor to a simple curry. Here is how I made the curry

Ingredients

Medium sized Bell pepper, one each in green, red, yellow and orange

Red onion, oen

Fresh ginger, a small piece

Raw peanuts, 10-20

Small cooking potatoes (not baking) 3 or 4 

Olive oil, 1-2 tablespoon

salt 

Spices (optional): chili powder, turmeric, garam masala to taste

A sprig of coriander or mint

1. Cook potatoes to softness. Peal the skin and cut into small cubes.

2. Chop onions and peppers into small chunks. Thinly slice the ginger. Crush the peanuts coarsely either in a spice mill or in a pestle and mortar.

3. In a skillet, heat oil and add the peanuts. Roast till they turn golden. Add ginger and the onions, Cook till the onions turn translucent.

4. Add the peppers, salt and other spices. Cook till the peppers turn soft but still retaining their color and shape. 

5. Add the potato chunks and mix them all together with a spatula.

6. Remove from heat. garnish with coriander or mint.

Serve with roti or naan.

Thanks for visiting.

Quick and Tasty Sweet Potato Curry

Though sweet potatoes is one of my very favorite vegetables, I prepare it only one way--as a stir-fry curry. It is a quick preparation but can be made tasty with several  flavorful ingredients.

I heat it on stove top first (wrapped in aluminum foil) till it is just softened. I chop it into chunks without removing the charred skin.

For stir frying, I use walnut oil. I read somewhere that walnut oil is better than olive oil to use with sweet potatoes. (You can also use coconut oil.) To counter the sweetness, I add one or two red dried chilies. 

I finish it off with grated coconut and roasted curry leaves. 

Instructions

Ingredients

Medium sized sweet potatoes: 2

Walnut oil: 1 tablespoon

Olive oil: 1/2 teaspoon

Urad dal: 1 teaspoon ( urad dal is a hard legume and adds a nice crunchy contrast to the softness of sweet potatoes)

Dried red chillies: one or two

Salt to taste

Turmeric: 1/2 teaspoon

Dried grated coconut: I tablespoon

Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Aluminum foil

1. Wrap sweet potato in aluminum foil and cook it over low heat on stove top for about five minutes. (Cooking it longer will make it mushy. We do not want that!)

2. Remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Take it out of the foil and cut into medium size chunks.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add urad dal. Lightly stir till it turns light brown. Break chilies into half and add to the urad dal. The heat of the oil will turn the chillies into deep red.

4. Add sweet potato chunks into the pan.  Add salt and turmeric.

5. Stir the vegetable with a spatula to blend in the oil, salt and turmeric.

6. Add grated coconut and blend it into the mix with the spatula.

7. Remove from heat and transfer into a serving bowl.

8. Heat olive oil in the same pan and roast the curry leaves quickly for a second or two. Remove from heat and top it over the sweet potatoes.

This curry goes well with Indian flat bread (roti) or rice.

Thanks for visiting.

For Lunch Today: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Sprinkles

THIS =

THIS +

THIS = DELICIOUS AND HEALTHY

A Curry for the American Palate: Peanut Butter and Green Pepper

Whenever we have an international luncheon at work, I always struggle to come up with a dish that will appeal amidst all that meaty splendor spread on the buffet table. It was when I noticed Scott, my son-in-law, eating it with relish, that it occurred to me that I should make it for this year's international luncheon. Sure enough, every one liked it, wanted the recipe and here it is.

This is a variation on a Goan curry that is made with homemade ground peanut and coconut paste. One day, feeling lazy, I decided to substitute  peanut butter. I have not looked back since then :)

Ingredients

medium sized green, red bell peppers (capsicum)-- 2 or 3
medium sized red onion-- one (optional)
fresh ginger to taste (optional)
Chunky peanut butter--1-2 tablespoon
Olive oil-- 1-2 tablespoon
salt to taste
red chili powder (optional)
turmeric-- 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Instructions 

1. After removing the core and the seeds chop the pepper into small chunks. (Cut the onion and the ginger also into small pieces, if you are using them.)

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet; add the onions and the ginger. (Note: I have also added black mustard seeds. That is the way I cook but you do not have to.)

3. Cook till the onions turn translucent.

4. Add the chopped bell peppers, spices and the salt.

5. Cook till the peppers turn soft.

6. Add peanut butter.

7. Mix it thoroughly into the cooked vegetables with a spatula till it is all melted and gooey.

You can eat this with nacho chips, pita bread, naan or roti. Any which way, it is finger lickin' good!