Chana Masala Recipe with Quinoa

A Chana masala recipe with a quinoa twist! It's already a great tasting chickpea curry, and adding quinoa into the mix will turn this Indian favorite into a complete protein. This dish is easy to prepare and a perfect vegetarian entree.



Ingredients:
15oz can CHICKPEAS
15oz can DICED TOMATOES
1 lg ONION (chopped)
½ cup QUINOA
1 HOT PEPPER (finely chopped)
4-5 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)
½ cup CILANTRO (chopped)
1 tsp CUMIN SEEDS
1 tsp CUMIN
1 tsp CORIANDER
½ tsp CHILI POWDER
½ tsp TURMERIC
1 tsp GARAM MASALA
2 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
1/8 tsp ASAFOETIDA (optional--really OPTIONAL!!!--don't NOT make this dish because you don't have this ingredient.)
SALT and PEPPER, to taste
1½ cups WATER

In a skillet, heat your oil on med. high heat. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida--the asoafoetida (also called "hing") is OPTIONAL. Stir until seeds brown and crack--this will happen really fast, so don't walk away from the skillet. Add garlic and continue stirring. Add chopped onions and hot pepper. Saute ingredients for 3-5 minutes.
Add turmeric, coriander, cumin, and chili powder. Stir thoroughly into onion mix.
Add quinoa and diced tomatoes.
Stir and allow skillet to come to a simmer.
Add chickpeas (rinsed and drained), salt to taste, and 1½ cups water. Bring skillet to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes (without stirring).
After the 15 minutes, stir in the garam masala. Using a fork, smash half the chickpeas in the skillet--this will add a nice texture to the dish.
Stir in the chopped cilantro.
And that's it. Chana Masala with a quinoa twist.
Hope you like it.

And for another tasty Indian inspired dish, try this Eggplant Curry Recipe.

Bhindi Curry Recipe - Spicy Okra

This okra curry makes a great side dish or awesome entree when served over rice. Okra is a hearty, tasty, versatile vegetable which is relatively cheap and usually found in markets year round. I like to cook okra whole in the pod, but for spicier dishes, I like to cut up okra and saute it with tomato and onion. This Indian bhindi recipe is easy and delicious, so give it a try.



Okra Curry Ingredients:
1 lb. OKRA (cut)
4-5 ROMA TOMATOES (chopped)
½ ONION (sliced)
3 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
1 tsp FENNEL SEEDS
1 tsp CUMIN SEEDS
1 tsp HOT PEPPER (finely chopped)
5-7 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)
2 Tbsp GINGER (finely chopped)
2 tsp CORIANDER
1 tsp TURMERIC
¼ CHILI PEPPER (or to taste)
SALT and PEPPER (to taste)



Okra is a versatile vegetable and tasty whole or cut.

Okra Curry Directions:
Select okra pods 1" to 2" in length. Okra gets huge if left overlong on the plant, but big okra can be woody and tough, so bigger isn't always better. Choose firm, green pods--okra will blacken around the edges as it gets older, so use within a few days.
Wash and dry okra thoroughly. Slice off the ends and cut into uniform sizes for even cooking.
Heat oil in a skillet on medium high.
Once oil is hot, add cumin and fennel seeds. The seeds will begin to crack after about 30 seconds. Add garlic and ginger and saute another 1-2 minutes. Add onion slices and continue cooking another 2-3 minutes. If you want a little more spice, also add some fresh chopped chili peppers.
Add in coriander, turmeric, and chili powder. Stir well for 1 minute and add tomato. I use 4 cut roma tomatoes, but use 1 can diced tomatoes if preferred. Add salt to taste.
Reduce heat to medium.
Let tomatoes cook about 5 minutes.
Add okra.
The acid in the tomato helps to cut down on the natural "gooeyness" of okra. Some folks call it slime, but it's just the juices in the okra. The gooeyness will reduce the longer the okra is cooked, so cook uncovered another 5-10 minutes depending on how well you like your okra done.
I cook mine about 8 minutes.
Sometimes I finish off the dish with a little garam masala for a more "Indiany" flavor, but this time I didn't. Garam masala adds a little sweetness.
Serve this okra on its own as a side dish or serve over rice as an entree. It makes a nice vegetarian meal with a salad.

Give this okra curry recipe a try and let me know what you think, and bon appétit!

And for another okra dish, try this southern-style Easy Okra Recipe.

Quinoa Curry Recipe -- Thai Curry + Quinoa = Winner

A quinoa curry recipe with a Thai influence. This is a handy (and yummy) quinoa curry recipe to make when you're ready to clean all of the vegetable odds and ends from out of the fridge.



Quinoa Curry Recipe Ingredients:
1/2 cup QUINOA
1 15 oz can COCONUT MILK
1 lg ONION (chopped)
1 inch GINGER (thinly sliced)
2 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)
1 Hot Pepper (chopped, as desired)
1 RED BELL PEPPER (sliced)
1/4 cup fresh BASIL (or CILANTRO) (chopped)
2 CARROTS (sliced)
1/2 small CAULIFLOWER (florets)
1 cup CABBAGE (chopped)
2 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
1 tsp CORIANDER POWDER
1/2 tsp CUMIN
1/2 tsp CHILI POWDER
1/2 tsp TURMERIC
SALT and PEPPER, to taste
garnish with
finely chopped PEANUTS

In a small pot, bring 1/2 cup quinoa and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer 13-15 minutes until water is absorbed.
Remove from heat, fluff with fork, and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil on med high heat. Add onion, garlic, and hot pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add Spices and mix well--and if you are a slave to the spice--don't be afraid to add a little more. Add can of coconut and stir thoroughly, mixing completely with the spices and onion. Let coconut milk heat, and then add ginger, carrot, cauliflower, and bell peppers. Continue stirring, adding salt and pepper to taste. Bring ingredients to a bubble, then reduce heat, cover, and allow skillet to simmer for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, uncover and add cabbage.
Add quinoa.
Stir and allow another minute or two until veggies are cooked to your liking. Add fresh basil or cilantro and remove from heat.
Garnish with ground peanuts and serve immediately.
...and that's a quinoa curry recipe with a little taste of Thai thrown in for good measure. Give the recipe a go and let me know what you think, and bon appetit!

Try a Spanish-style Quinoa Recipe.

Baingan Bharta (roasted eggplant)

Baingan Bharta is a tasty roasted eggplant recipe.  Roasted eggplant is easy to prepare and super-flavorful in this simple, classic Indian dish.  I love it.  Give it a try and let me know what you think, and check out my other cooking videos at the Chef Buck Playlist:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2EFBD7E8FE2BB552

Baingan Bharta

ingredients:

1 large EGGPLANT (roasted)

1 med/lg ONION (chopped

3-4 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)

1 hot PEPPER (finely chopped)

1 14 oz can diced TOMATOES (or 2 fresh tomatoes)

1 cup chopped CILANTRO (coriander leaves)

1 tsp MUSTARD SEEDS

1 tsp CUMIN SEEDS

1 tsp CORIANDER POWDER

½ tsp TURMERIC

½ tsp GARAM MASALA

5-6 Tbsp OLIVE OIL

directions:

Slice the eggplant lengthwise down the middle into two halves, brush all surfaces with olive oil, place on a baking pan flat side down, and bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. 

Remove from oven. 

The eggplant will be very hot, so set aside to cool.

In a skillet, heat olive oil on medium high heat.  Add mustard and cumin seeds and cook 20-30 seconds—not too long or they will overcook.  A pinch of asafoetida can be added as well, if desired.  When cumin seeds begin to open, add onions and sauté for a couple of minutes.  Add garlic and hot pepper and continue sautéing.  Add coriander and turmeric powder and mix well.  I like to go light on the spices, but feel free to add more if desired.  If you like a spicier dish, add 1 tsp of chili powder.  I like to take it easy on the spices so as not to overpower the flavor of the eggplant.  Add salt to taste and continue cooking a couple more minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, reduce heat, and simmer 4-5 minutes. 

While tomatoes simmer, return to the eggplant.

At this point the roasted eggplant will be much easier to handle (although it may still be hot, so use care).  Using a spoon, the meat of the eggplant can be easily scooped away from the skin.  Discard the skin.  Roughly chopped the eggplant and add to the skillet, mixing well with the tomato mixture.  Cook for 3-4 minutes and then add garam masala.  Mix and continue cooking another couple of minutes.  Add 1 cup of chopped cilantro (coriander leaves).  Mix and remove from heat.

And that’s it.

Bon appétit!