Culinary Journey: 02/14/15

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Channa Masala

A simple home style channa masala. A super easy curry to make on a weekday, this is a quick version, there are about a hundred ways to make, it is versatile and forgiving recipe.

Ingredients

A can of garbanzo beans(channa)

A medium size onion

Two tomatoes

A medium red potato

Half a can of coconut milk

Red chili powder

Coriander powder

Cumin powder
Garlic powder

Star anise

Black cumin seeds

Cloves

Procedure

Heat a pan with few spoons of oil.

Sauté the cloves, star anise and cumin seeds.

Sauté the chopped onion.

Sauté the chopped tomatoes and chopped red potato.

When it is simmering, add the can of garbanzo beans, and the spice powders to suit your taste( I add a spoon of red chili powder,1/2 spoon of garlic powder, 1/4 spoon cumin powder and 1/4 spoon coriander powder).

Let it simmer for 10-15 mins, stir in the coconut milk and add salt to taste.

Allow to simmer for 5 mins and we've with hot rice.

Simple focaccia

Ingredients

1/2 cup of warm water

2 cups of all purpose flour

1 packet of quick rise yeast

1 spoon of sugar

1 small spoon of salt

Topping of your choice, I used this combination

1/4 red onion slices

A few kalamata olives sliced

2 spoons of Parmesan

2 spoons of asiago

Oil to drizzle over the focaccia

Mix the yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water and 1 table spoon of sugar, let this mixture rise for 10 minutes.

In a bowl mix the yeast with 2 cups of all purpose flour and salt to taste, let this mixture rise for about 30mins.

The flour mixture will double, oil a tray, gently knead the flour mixture on the tray.

Add toppings of your choice: I used asiago, Parmesan, kalamata olives and red onion. Some of the popular toppings include plain fennel seed or tomato and basil topping or classic rosemary topping.