India!

Last night we had our Indian dinner. What a great meal! I'll give the menu and some pictures and then recipes will be at the end.

Menu (recipes for the items in bold follow):
Bindi Masala (Okra with tomato and we added the first zucchini from our garden!)
Toor Dal (Yellow split peas)
Plantains
Basmati rice
Naan
and for dessert: Whole-Wheat Halwa


M's Interruption:
i made a rangoli design.we hung it on our front window next to the door.it is a symbol of welcome.if you come to our house you might see it! i really liked the naan and toor dal and plantains.i liked the halwa some too! bye for now!


















Back to Anne. Recipes (adapted from "World of the East Vegetarian Cooking" by Madhur Jaffrey and "Vegetarian Indian Cooking from an American Kitchen" by Vasantha Prasad):

Bindi Masala
1 lb fresh okra
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 tsp minced garlic
1 tomato, chopped
1 zucchini, straight from the garden, chopped
2 Tbsp water
salt to taste

1.) Wash & dry okra. Trim ends and slice into 1/4 inch slices.
2.) Heat oil. Add onions and garlic and saute until the onions start to soften.
3.) Add okra and zucchini and continue to saute for a couple of minutes.
4.) Add tomatoes, water, and salt. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the okra is tender.

Plantains
2 plantains
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
salt, cayenne pepper to taste
1/4 tsp each cumin and garam masala
1/3 c. nonfat yogurt

1.) Peel plantains and chop.
2.) Heat the oil. Add the plantains and saute for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low heat for another 10 minutes.





Naan
3 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 c. yogurt (I used nonfat, b/c that's what we had)
2 Tbsp melted butter

1.) Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add yogurt slowly, gathering flour. Knead 10 minutes and form a ball. Put the ball in a bowl and cover with a cloth. Let rise about 2 hours.
2.) Knead again and divide into 9 balls.
3.) Heat a heavy, oven-proof skillet over low heat and preheat broiler.
4.) Take one of the balls and roll to 1/8 inch thick circle. When the skillet is hot, put the flattened naan in the skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes. The dough will puff up. Then put the skillet under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the broiler and remove the naan. Brush the naan with melted butter.
5.) Repeat with the other balls of doughs, stacking the naans and covering the stack with a clean dishcloth to keep them warm.