RECIPES
Lamb in Creamy Green
Cardamom Curry
Serve this lamb curry with rice or naan bread or over boiled, salted potatoes.

3 lbs stewing lamb, trimmed of fat
and cubed
1⁄3 to ½ cup cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
½ tsp asafoetida (optional)
12 cloves garlic, chopped
¾ cup crushed canned tomatoes
1 ½ tsp turmeric
1 ½ tbsp ground black mustard seeds
(optional)
1 ½ tsp ground cayenne pepper
(optional)
1 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp ground cumin
10 to 12 green cardamom pods, lightly pounded
1 tbsp salt
1 cup water (for oven method) or
2 cups water (for stovetop method)
1 ½ cups buttermilk or plain yogurt
(minimum 2% milk fat) or ¾ cup
whipping cream

There are two main ways to make this dish. For dinner parties, we cook the traditional way on the stovetop, sautéing the onions and masala in a pot and then cooking the lamb. But on workdays, Meeru mixes all the ingredients together in a large casserole dish and puts everything in the oven about 1 ½ hours before dinner. The oven method doesn’t have the same punch or deep colour of the sautéed masala, but when convenience reigns, it’s still delicious.

Feel free to replace the buttermilk with either stirred yogurt or whipping cream. Buttermilk or yogurt gives the curry a slight tang, whereas the cream makes it richer. We serve this lamb curry with rice or naan bread, but it is also delicious over boiled, salted potatoes. Serves 6 to 8.

Oven method: Place oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.

Place all ingredients in a large casserole dish and mix until well combined. Cover with a lid or aluminum foil, place in the oven and bake for 1 hour. Using a sharp knife, poke a piece of lamb to make sure it is tender. If it is still slightly tough in the centre, bake for another 15 to 30 minutes or until cooked. Turn off the heat and allow lamb to rest in the oven, covered, until serving time.

Stovetop method: Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan on high for 1 minute. Add onion and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes or until golden. Add asafoetida and stir for 1 minute. Stir in garlic and sauté until golden (about 1 to 2 minutes). Reduce heat to medium and stir in tomatoes. Add turmeric, mustard seeds, cayenne, paprika, cumin, cardamom and salt, then stir and cook for 5 minutes, or until oil glistens on the tomatoes.

Stir in lamb, mixing until well combined. Pour in water and mix well. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 50 minutes.

Place buttermilk (or yogurt or cream) in a medium bowl. Whisk about 1 cup of the hot curry into the buttermilk to prevent curdling, then pour the mixture into the pot of curry. Cover and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Using a sharp knife, poke a piece of lamb to make sure it is tender. If it is still slightly tough in the centre, continue cooking for another 15 minutes or until tender. (It should take no longer than 1 ½ hours to cook the lamb.) Turn off the heat and allow lamb to rest on the stove, covered, until serving time.

Coconut Curry
This very simple and quick curry can be poured over any meats, seafood or plain vegetables-Indian or non-Indian, steamed, fried or baked. Try it over simple boiled potatoes with skins or over salted steamed kale.

½ tsp saffron threads (optional)
¼ cup very hot water (optional)
1⁄3 cup cooking oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds or black mustard seeds
½ tsp asafoetida (optional)
6 medium cloves garlic, finely
chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 tsp paprika (optional)
5 cups coconut milk
2 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)
½ cup chopped cilantro (optional)

Pour this curry over any meats, seafood or plain vegetables, Indian or non-Indian; steamed, fried or baked. Although the concept of this curry isn’t very Indian-we don’t really dip or pour curry over other foods-it does add either a mild taste to an already spicy dish or a mild Indian flavour to a non-Indian dish.

Place saffron threads in a small bowl. Add water and soak for 30 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium pot, heat oil on medium-high for 45 seconds. Add cumin (or mustard) seeds. Allow cumin seeds to sizzle for 30 seconds (or wait 1 to 2 minutes for mustard seeds to start popping). Sprinkle in asafoetida, stir, then immediately add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add turmeric, salt, cayenne and paprika and sauté for 1 minute.

Stir in coconut milk and stock. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, decrease the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in saffron and its water. Stir in cilantro and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Rice Pilaf with Cashews, Cranberries and Saffron

1 ½ cups white basmati rice
2 ½ cups cold water
¼ cup cooking oil
¾ cup raw unsalted cashews,
roughly chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
(optional)
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
10 to 20 threads saffron (¼ tsp)
soaked in ¼ cup hot water
1⁄3 cup dried cranberries
In a large bowl, wash and drain the rice twice in cold water. Add the 2½ cups of cold water and 1 tsp salt to the drained rice and soak for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.

In a small, heavy-bottomed frying pan, heat cashews on medium-high, stirring constantly for 3 to 4 minutes. The tiny pieces will start to burn, but continue stirring until the cashews are light brown with darker brown edges. Turn off heat and empty cashews into a bowl to cool.

In a medium pot, heat oil on medium for 45 seconds. Add cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for 15 to 30 seconds. Immediately add onion and sauté until light to medium brown (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden. Add turmeric and stir for 45 seconds, or until a slightly darker shade. Add rice with all of its water and salt. Increase the heat slightly, stir and bring to boil. Stir in the saffron and its water. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Without removing the lid, turn off the heat and allow rice to cook in its steam for another 10 minutes. Remove the lid and stir.

Pour cooled nuts and cranberries into cooked rice. If you’re adding sautéed vegetables or beans, add them as well. Mix until well combined. Serve immediately. Serves 6 as a side dish.

Curried Devilled Eggs

¼ cup cooking oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 medium red onion, chopped (or
halved and thinly sliced)
3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup finely chopped tomato
1 tsp salt
1 tsp crushed cayenne pepper
(optional)
½ tsp ground cumin or garam
masala
½ tsp ground fenugreek seeds
(optional)
Dash of black pepper
¼ cup plain yogurt (minimum 2%
milk fat), stirred
4 to 5 eggs, hard boiled, cooled to
room temperature and peeled
¼ large jalapeño pepper, finely
chopped

Heat oil in a small pot on medium-high for 1 minute. Add cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for 30 seconds, or until the seeds are dark brown but not black. Add onion and sauté for 4 minutes or until light golden. Add garlic and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in tomatoes, then immediately add salt, cayenne, ground cumin (or garam masala), fenugreek seeds and black pepper. Sauté the masala for 4 to 5 minutes, or until oil glistens on top. Turn off the heat.

Place yogurt in a small bowl. To prevent curdling, spoon 1 tbsp of the hot masala into the yogurt. Stir well, then pour the yogurt mixture into the masala. Turn heat to medium, and mix well but gently. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring continuously, then remove from heat.

Cut eggs in half lengthwise and carefully scoop the yolks into a medium bowl. Mash yolks with a fork until they are smooth (don’t add any water). Add the warm spice masala to yolks and mix well. Using a teaspoon, stuff egg white halves with the filling. Sprinkle with 1/8 tsp of the jalapeño pepper over each egg half. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes or until chilled. Serves 4 to 6.

Apple-Cilantro Chutney

6 tbsp fennel seeds
1 bunch cilantro, washed,
destemmed and roughly chopped
3 Granny Smith apples, cored,
peeled and roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup plain yogurt (minimum 2%
milk fat)
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tbsp ground cumin
½ medium jalapeño pepper
(optional)

Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan on high for 1 minute. Add fennel seeds, and, stirring regularly, cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly darker. Pour seeds onto a plate and allow to cool. Grind the fennel seeds in spice (or coffee) grinder. Set aside 1 tbsp of the ground fennel seeds for this recipe and store the rest in an airtight container in a dark cupboard or drawer for use in other dishes.

In a food processor, combine cilantro, apples, lemon juice, yogurt, salt, cumin, ground fennel seeds and jalapeño pepper and pulse to a smooth chutney. Spoon chutney into a bowl, cover and refrigerate. Will keep refrigerated for at least one week. Makes 2 cups.

Thanks to Whole Foods Market for supplying recipe ingredients (510 8th Ave., Vancouver, 778-370-4210, wholefoodsmarket.com) and to the Cookworks Test Kitchen for recipe testing (1548 West Broadway, Vancouver, 604-731-1148, cookworks.ca).