Curried Kidney Beans

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Rosemary Zwick for these:

Rejected Slogans For Fast Food Restaurants

McDonald's - Still The Best Choice When You Haven't Got Time for Anything Better!

Starbucks - Now with 0.9% Financing on a Tall Frappucino!

KFC - Open to Suggestions on Keeping the Word "Fried" Out of Our Name.

Burger King - Ask for it Your Way and Get it Any Way We Make it.

Jack-in-the-Box - We put the dot in E.Coli!

Wendy's - Hey, if Dave Didn't Care About His Cholesterol, Why Should You?

Taco Bell - Working Around the Clock to Invent New Ways to Combine the Same Five Ingredients.

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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Dals (also spelled dhals) are Indian dishes using dried beans, lentils,
garbanzos, or any pulse (the dried seeds of any legume), and no Indian
meal is complete without at least one of them.

Curried Kidney Beans (Rajma Dal)

2 cups (500 ml) dried red kidney beans
12 cups (3 L) water
1 Tbs (15 ml) turmeric
1/4 tsp (1 ml) cayenne pepper
1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 Tbs (45 ml) finely chopped fresh ginger
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbs (30 ml) ground coriander seeds
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 ml) garam masala (see recipe below)
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup (60 ml) ghee (see recipe below)
1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped cilantro (coriander leaves)

Combine the beans and enough water to cover them by at least 1 inch (3 cm)
in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 5
minutes and remove from the heat. Soak the beans for 1 hour and drain.
Add 12 cups (3 L) fresh water to the beans and stir in the turmeric and
cayenne. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat and simmer
partially covered until the beans are tender, about 3 hours. Heat the
vegetable oil in a skillet over moderate heat and saute the onion,
ginger, and garlic until the onions are golden brown, about 8 minutes.
Add the coriander seed, cumin, and garam masala and fry for 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is
thick and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add a little of the cooking
liquid from the beans to deglaze the pan and transfer the tomato mixture
to the pot with the beans, stirring to combine thoroughly. Adjust the
seasoning with salt and pepper and garnish by drizzling with ghee and
sprinkling with chopped cilantro.
Serves 6 to 8.

Garam Masala

5 3-inch (8 cm) pieces of cinnamon stick
1/2 cup (125 ml) cardamom seeds
1/2 cup (125 ml) whole cloves
1/2 cup (125 ml) whole cumin seed
1/4 cup (60 ml) whole coriander seeds
1/2 cup (125 ml) whole black peppercorns

Combine the whole spices in a heavy skillet over moderate heat and toast
for a few minutes, until they are warm and aromatic. Allow to cool, then
pulverize in an electric blender or coffee grinder (that you use
exclusively for grinding spices) until it forms a fine powder. This
recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) and may be stored in an airtight
container at room temperature for several months without losing its flavor.

Ghee

1 lb (450 g) unsalted butter

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Increase the
heat and bring the butter to a boil. When the surface is completely
covered with foam stir the butter gently and reduce the heat to the
lowest possible setting. Simmer uncovered and undisturbed for 45
minutes, or until the milk solids in the bottom of the pan have turned
golden brown and the butter on top is transparent. Strain the butter
through a sieve lined with linen or four layers of cheesecloth. If there
are any solids in the ghee, no matter how small, strain it again until
it is perfectly clear. Pour the ghee into a glass jar and seal tightly.
This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups, and may be kept at room temperature
for several months, or almost indefinitely refrigerated. It will congeal
if refrigerated, and so must be warmed before using if liquid ghee is
called for.
Received on Wed Jan 14 07:42:38 2009