Madhur Jaffrey's South African Natal Red Kidney Bean Curry

Let the mustard seeds start popping! Last weekend I traded in some books at Half Price Bookstore, and it was must have been my lucky day, because I found a copy of Madhur Jaffrey's From Curries to Kebabs Recipes From The Indian Spice Trial from 2003. It was a massive score because I didn't even know this book existed and let me tell you, it is FULL of the most delicious and comforting curries, not to mention some delectable looking kebabs, and everyone loves a kebab.

There is sure to be one curry after another here on Stirring the Pot this winter. A quick look through the cookbook had me making a list of specialty ingredients my store doesn't carry.  Plus I needed to stock up on some necessary spices. Sometimes Amazon is a necessary evil and I reluctantly placed an order for some dried red hot chiles, dried curry leaves, cumin, hot curry powder, and some cumin seeds. A few days later I had all the necessary ingredients on hand to make several dishes in this book.

I set about by soaking my red kidney beans and adding baking soda to them, which was a trick I learned from Yotam Ottolenghi. The baking soda tenderizes the beans. The next day I set about cooking the beans so they would be ready the following day when it was time to make the curry. The baking soda trick worked because my beans only needed about half the cooking time suggested, around an hour. I saved my bean cooking liquid just in case. I was glad I did.

The next day I was making a delicious and comforting bean curry in under a half-hour.  I set about making the tomato mixture, adding all the fragrant spices and chiles, testing and tasting the mixture along the way. While taste testing, I found that while delicious, I wanted and craved more garlic, green chile, dried red chile, ginger. So I doubled all those ingredients.

The result was an extremely spicy, fragrant, flavorful, and comforting vegan curry that was an absolute dream over rice. I highly recommend this recipe. Again, it is perfect for people on all diets, healthy and nutritious, plus also vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free.

I can already tell this Madhur Jaffrey cookbook is going to be one of my all-time faves. We've cooked with 19 chefs at I Heart Cooking Clubs and I can honestly say that Madhur's recipes have been the most reliable and are always a hit. I've yet to cook one that wasn't remarkable.

Natal Red Kidney Bean Curry

Adapted From Curries to Kebabs

by Madhur Jaffrey

Serves 6

1-1/2 cup dried kidney beans

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 whole dried hot red chiles

1/2 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

a generous pinch of ground asafetida*

10 to 15 fresh curry leaves, if available*

3 medium tomatoes (about 1 pound), grated on the coarsest part of a grater

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 to 2 fresh hot green chiles, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon peeled fresh ginger, grated to a pulp

1 teaspoon sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons salt, to taste

Note: I used dried curry leaves because it was all I could get my hands on. I feel as though they worked fine. I did remove them prior to eating. Ground thyme can be substituted for ground asafetida. I have done it numerous times. I added double the garlic and ginger listed above for additional flavor and also for their immune support. The original recipe did not mention the bean cooking liquid, but I saved mine and added about a cup to the curry. I feel as though you would want to do the same as the tomato mixture isn't enough to create a comforting base without it.

Cover the beans generously in water, add the baking soda (helps to tenderize them), and leave to soak overnight. Drain the next day, put in a medium-large pan, add 6 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Partially cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook gently for 2-2-1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender. You will notice that you should have about a cup of bean cooking liquid leftover. Save this and use this later on when you add the tomato mixture.

Meanwhile, pour the oil into a medium pan and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the red chiles, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and asafetida. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, add the curry leaves, and tomatoes. Stir once, then add the turmeric, coriander, cumin, green chiles, garlic, ginger, sugar, and salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

When the beans are tender, pour the spiced tomato mixture into the pan with the beans and the remaining bean liquid. Note: If you have over a cup or so of bean cooking liquid you may wish to strain some. Bring to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, on very low heat, for 20-25 minutes. 

Red Chicken Curry

 

We celebrated my son's sixth birthday this week.  Normally we just have a small family affair, but this year we did a big party with friends.  He had a great time and I'm so glad, but I was so consumed with party planning that I've done nothing about getting ready for Thanksgiving.  No planning, no shopping, no preparation whatsoever.  It's a good thing they'll only be six of us this year.

Before I get knee deep into all the Thanksgiving preparations I thought I'd take a minute to change gears and make something a little different.  I've had a jar of red curry paste in my pantry for the better part of a year now.  I've really been wanting to use it and was so happy when I spotted this recipe for Red Chicken Curry.  Better yet, I had all the ingredients on hand.  Love it when that happens. 

 

This is a simple curry dish with very few ingredients and I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  Let me just go ahead and say that the aromas while this cooked were so beautifully fragrant.  Cubes of chicken are cooked in wonderfully fragrant coconut milk until tender.  The scent immediately grabbed my attention.  I knew that I was going to love this dish.  Next, I went ahead and (rather innocently I might add) stir-fried a few tablespoons of the thick coconut cream along with several tablespoons of the red curry paste.  Once those two ingredients hit the pan I eagerly started to anticipate eating this meal.  What a beautiful bouquet of aromas.

 

It was love at first bite.  The chicken is very tender and the sauce is beautifully aromatic, creamy, complex, and yet delicate.  There is a little bit of heat from the red curry paste, but it's beautifully balanced by the coconut milk.  This is a dish that feels comforting and satisfying in so many ways.  Madhur Jaffrey hails this curry as the very best of the Thai curries and I can understand why.  If you're looking for something a little bit different please give this a try.

Red Chicken Curry

(Kaeng Pet Kai) 

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Step-by-Step Cooking

Serves 4

 

1-1/4 cups coconut milk

1-1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs (or breasts)

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 tablespoons red curry paste

1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce, to taste

1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

4 fresh kaffir lime leaves*

15 to 20 fresh sweet basil leaves

 

Whether using fresh or canned coconut milk, let stand until the cream rises to the top, then skim off 4 tablespoons of the thick cream and set it aside for use later.  Stir the rest of the milk to mix.

 

Cut the chicken thighs into 1-inch cubes.  Pour the thin coconut milk into a medium frying pan.  Sprinkle in the salt.  Now put in the chicken pieces and bring the milk to a boil.  Simmer on a medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes (mine took only 12-15) until the chicken is just cooked.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

 

Heat the oil and reserved coconut cream in a heavy wok or wide heavy pan until bubbling.  Add the curry paste and stir-fry on medium-high heat until the oil separates and the paste is lightly browned.  Lower the heat and stir in the fish sauce (or soy sauce) and sugar.

 

Add the chicken, together with its cooking liquid.  Bring to a boil and simmer over a low heat for 1 minute.  (The curry can be prepared to this stage several hours ahead of time.)

 

When you are ready to serve, remove the central vein from kaffir lime leaves, then cut the leaves crosswise into very fine strips.  Reheat the curry if necessary.  *If fresh kaffir lime leaves are not available, use dried ones, pre-soaking them in a little water for 30 minutes .  Alternatively, you could use 2 teaspoons finely shredded lime or lemon zest.  

Put the hot curry into a serving dish.  Scatter the basil leaves over the chicken and, with the back of the spoon, submerge them slightly in the sauce.  Scatter the kaffir lime leaves over the top.

Theme:  Comforting Curries

Everyday Cooking: Quick Chickpea Curry

I am a huge fan of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food publications.  There is just something about that little Everyday Food magazine, as well as the Everyday Food cookbooks that appeal to me on so many levels.  I chalk it up to the gorgeous photography and family-pleasing recipes.  Of course, the overall ease of the recipes is a bonus too. 

I recently added the newest cookbook, Everyday Food Light, to my collection and couldn't be more pleased with it.  The cookbook is loaded with lots of gorgeous light food that I can't wait to try. 

After seeing so many versions of chickpea curries online lately, this recipe for Quick Chickpea Curry really appealed to me. This recipe comes together with pantry ingredients and is no fuss at all.  I added a bit more garlic than called for just because I like lots of garlic.  I also added quite a bit of black pepper to spice things up, but other than that I left the recipe as is.  I was tempted to serve it over rice, but after tasting it I enjoyed it so much I ate it all on it's own.

Quick Chickpea Curry

Slightly Adapted from Everyday Food Light

Serves 4

"Why it's light -- Because lots of Indian food entrees use high-fat ghee (clarified butter) or coconut milk as the cooking liquid, they can contain more fat and calories than you might think.  For this vegetarian curry, chickpeas and spices are simmered simply in water, yet the results are still delicious.  Serve with rice or warm whole-wheat pits, if desired."

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

4-6 garlic cloves (depending on your preference for garlic, minced)

1 tablespoon curry powder, preferably Madras

1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)

pinch of ground cloves (I omitted this as I do not care for cloves)

2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, rinsed and drain

3 tablespoons ketchup

2 cups water

coarse salt and ground pepper (quite a bit of ground pepper)

chopped cilantro and lemon wedges for serving (optional)

In a large large skillet or pot, heat olive oil over medium-high.  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown around edges, about 6 minutes.  Add garlic, curry cinnamon, and cloves (I omitted the cloves); cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds.

Add chickpeas, ketchup, and the water; season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 20 minutes.

Uncover and increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring, until sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.  Serve topped with cilantro, with lemon wedges alongside, if desired.

Per serving: 285 calories; 5.5g fat; 12.8g protein; 46.8 carbs; 9.7g fiber

There are so many Everyday Food recipes that I'd like to try.  I'm hoping to drag out one of my Everyday Food books or magazines once a week and cook from it, but then again, when it comes to food and recipes I have commitment issues. 

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