Two gals from church have been wanting me to teach them how to prepare an Indian meal. They were relentless in their persistence and yesterday we finally held our class.:) Between the three of us, it took four and half hours to prepare the meal. Indian food is delicious but certainly is time consuming! Here is our menu plan. I will post the recipes in two parts. The gals did a great job and the meal was delicious!

MENU:
Rice Palau
Homemade Naan
Chole
Eggplant Bhurta
Pork Kabobs
Spinach Dahl
Chicken Vindaloo
Raita

Rice Palau
Recipe Courtesy of Mercy Samuel aka Mom

• 2 cups of rice, washed and drained
• 3 1/2 cups of water
• 1 onion, cut thin and long
• 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro
• 1/2 inch cube of ginger
• 5-6 cloves of garlic
• 1 green chili
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2-3 tablespoons of oil
• salt to taste
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cardamom pods
• 2 cloves
• 1 stick of cinnamon

Blend ginger, garlic, green chili, and cumin in a mini food processor. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add bay leaves, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and stir until fragrant. Add onion.

Saute onion in the oil until it turns golden brown. Add the blended paste and saute an additional 1-2 minutes. Add rice and saute for a few more minutes until the rice starts to smell aromatic and “nutty”. Transfer to a rice cooker and add water, peas and salt. Cook till rice is soft and separate, approximately 30-40 minutes. (Most rice cookers will automatically shut off when the rice is fully cooked).

For added flavor, squeeze the juice of half of a lemon and add a pat of butter to the cooked rice. Serve hot.

Chole
Recipe Adapted from Maya Kaimal
This is one of my favorite vegetarian dishes. It’s full of protein and very easy to prepare.

• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• salt to taste
• 4 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, heat mustard seeds, covered in oil, until mustard seeds begin to pop. Add onion and garlic and fry until edges are slightly browned. Add tomato sauce, garam masala, salt and 1 cup of water. Add garbanzo beans, bring to a boil, turn heat down, and simmer for 5 minutes. Consistency should be moderately thick. Taste for salt.

Stir in lemon juice and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serves 8-12

Eggplant Bhurta
Recipe Adapted from Maya Kaimal

• 1 fairly large eggplant
• vegetable oil
• 2-3 cups of thick yogurt
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 1 green chili, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Rub the eggplant skin lightly with a few drops of oil and pierce in several places with a knife to prevent it from bursting. Put eggplant in pie pan or cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes, or until dark brown and it yields readily when pressed with a spoon. Flesh will have shrunk considerably and possibly even have separated from skin.

Meanwhile, over medium-high heat, saute onion, chili, garam masala and salt in a frying pan with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Heat until mixture is golden in color.

When cool enough to handle, scoop flesh out with a spoon and mash in a bowl. Add onion mixture and yogurt. Refrigerate. Serve cold.

Serves 6

Pork Kabobs
Recipe Adapted from Maya Kaimal

• 2 lbs cubed pork tenderloin
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon finely grated garlic
• 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

Spice Mixture:

• 4 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Soak bamboo skewers for 2-3 hours beforehand.

Marinate pork cubes in mixture of oil, garlic, ginger, fennel seeds, spice mixture, salt and tomato sauce for at least 1 hour.

Thread meat cubes on bamboo skewers. Broil or grill, 5-6 inches from heat, for about 7 minutes. Rotate skewers, baste with butter, and cook 5 more minutes, or until pieces are cooked through.

Serves 6-8