Curried Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Swiss Chard

(recipe adapted from The New York Times)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
One 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
1 1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded if desired, then minced
4 to 5 cups vegetable broth as needed
2 lbs. orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 cups dried lentils
1 bay leaf
1 lb. Swiss chard, center ribs removed and diced, leaves thinly sliced
1 tsp. kosher salt, more to taste
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lime

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.  Add garlic, ginger, garam masala, curry powder and jalapeño.  Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Stir in 4 cups broth, sweet potatoes, lentils and bay leaf.  Increase heat to high and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.  (If lentils seem dry, add 1 cup stock, or more if needed.)  Stir in chard and salt and pepper, and continue cooking until lentils are tender and chard is cooked, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Just before serving, stir in cilantro, lime zest and juice.

(Good flavor and fairly easy to make.  Keeps well.)

Bund Gobhi Aur Aloo Ki Subzi (Spicy Cabbage-and-Potato Curry)

(recipe from Saveur magazine)

3 Tbsp. canola oil (I used coconut oil)
1 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. red chile powder, such as cayenne
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
3 small green Thai chiles or 1 serrano chile, sliced 1/2" thick
2 Indian or regular bay leaves
1 small red onion, quartered and cut into 1/4" wedges
1 1/2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered, and sliced 1/4" thick
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 small head green cabbage, cored and cut into 1" pieces
Kosher salt, to taste

Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook cumin seeds until they pop, 1-2 minutes.  Add chile powder, turmeric, chiles, bay leaves, and onion; cook until onion is soft, 3-4 minutes.  Stir in potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, and salt; cook, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.

Spicy Curried Carrot Soup

(recipe from Shape magazine)

2 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
5 cups vegetable broth
1 dried hot chili pepper, any type (optional)
4 tsp. minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients except cilantro.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes, or until carrots are tender.  Transfer mixture to a food processor or blender (in batches, if needed) and puree until smooth.  Return the puree to the saucepan and reheat.  Stir in chopped cilantro.

(Super easy and pretty tasty.  May need to add more broth/water to desired thickness.  I would also add cilantro before pureeing.)

Roasted Yam and Apple Salad

(recipe from Bon Appetit magazine)

Vinaigrette:
2 1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. mild Indian curry paste (I just used curry powder, about a teaspoon)
2 1/4 tsp. honey
3/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Salad:
3 lbs. yams (red-skinned sweet potatoes), peeled, cut into 1- to 1 1/4-inch cubes
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. salt
3 large Fuji or Gala apples (I used only 2), cored, cut into 1- to 1 1/4-inch cubes
2 cups stemmed green grapes
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup almonds, toasted, chopped

Whisk the first 4 vinaigrette ingredients in a medium bowl.  Gradually whisk in the oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cover and chill.  (Vinaigrette can be made 4 days ahead.)

Preheat oven to 375F.  Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray (or use parchment paper). Mix yams and the next 4 salad ingredients in a large bowl.  Spread out on the prepared sheet in a single layer.  Roast until the yams are tender and lightly browned on some edges, about 1 hour.  Cool to room temperature.

Place the apples, grapes, and cranberries in a very large bowl.  Add yams to bowl, scraping in any juices from the baking sheet.  Add vinaigrette to salad; toss gently to coat.  Transfer to a large platter, sprinkle with almonds, and serve.

(The magazine says this is inspired by a Mozambique dish.  It is a nice mix of sweet and savory.  An interesting salad!  I really enjoyed the cumin and curry in contrast to the sweetness of the other ingredients.  I found it stored well for several days in a covered container in the fridge.)

Winter Squash Soup with Curry and Coconut Milk

(recipe from Orangette)

2 to 3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium or large yellow onion, chopped
3 or 4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1 winter squash (about 2 lbs.), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 (14 oz.) can unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups vegetable broth
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. Asian fish sauce (I left this out, replaced it with 1 Tbsp. tamari)
1 tsp. Sriracha or other Asian chile sauce
Juicy wedges of lime, for serving

Warm the oil in a Dutch oven (or other approximately 5-quart pot) over medium heat.  Add the onions, and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir in the curry powder, and cook for 1 minute more.  Add the squash, coconut milk, broth, maple syrup, fish sauce, and Sriracha, and stir well.  Raise the heat to bring to a boil; then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the squash is soft, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender), puree the soup until smooth and velvety.  Taste for salt and sweetness, and adjust if necessary.  Ladle the soup into big bowls, add a generous squeeze of lime to each, and serve hot.

(A creamy, delicate soup with nice flavor.  I used butternut squash, but Molly suggests kabocha as having a nicer flavor.  After looking at the fish sauce in the store, and seeing that the ingredients were just anchovies, salt, and sugar, I opted against it and just used some soy sauce.  I think the other ingredients give it plenty of zip and depth of flavor.  The lime is a nice touch at the end.)

Butternut Squash and Coconut Soup with Shrimp

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

2 tsp. oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp. red curry paste, more to taste
2 tsp. light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, about 4 cups
2 cups vegetable broth
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted (optional)
lime wedges

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion, garlic, and ginger.  Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.  Stir in curry paste, sugar, and salt and cook one minute longer.  Stir in squash, broth and coconut milk, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Stir in shrimp and simmer just until cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Stir in cilantro, sprinkle with coconut, and serve with lime wedges on the side.

(So delicious!  I added a berbere spice mix instead of the curry paste.  Also, used much more cilantro, added the juice of 1/2 a lime directly to the soup, and omitted the shredded coconut.  If I had it to do again, I'd probably chop the squash, onion, and shrimp into smaller, consistent pieces, like a chowder.  I also added chopped spinach to some reheated bowls, and it was lovely.)

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

(recipe from newyorktimes.com)

2 medium red onions, peeled
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 bird's eye pepper, Thai chili, or other very hot small pepper with its seeds
a 2 1/2-3 inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into chunks
3 Tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed (I used ground cardamom)
salt
2 lbs. (about 3 medium) orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-1 inch cubes
1 3/4 cups coconut milk
1 Tbsp. tamarind paste
2 1/4 cups hot vegetable broth
4 to 5 cups (about four 15.5 oz cans, drained) cooked chickpeas (I only used one can)
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro leaves

In a food processor, combine onions, garlic, hot pepper and ginger.  Pulse until finely chopped.  Place oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat.  Add chopped onion mixture and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add hot pepper flakes, ground ginger, ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, cardamom pods, and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Stir to mix.  Add sweet potatoes and stir until well covered in spices.  Stir in the coconut milk.

Dissolve tamarind paste in hot broth and add to the pan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until sweet potatoes are just tender, about 25 minutes.  (Taste potatoes to be sure they are cooked all the way through, and allow additional cooking time, if necessary.)

Add chickpeas and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.  Adjust salt to taste.  Transfer to a warmed bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

(Thus begins the sweet potato/squash/coconut/stew/curry onslaught of recipes...  Tis the season.  All of the spices made this lovely.  I mix a ton of cilantro right in at the end.)

"Health Starts Here" Spicy Vegetable and Potato Curry

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

1 small onion, chopped
2 serrano peppers (remove seeds for a milder curry), chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 small cinnamon stick
1 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground turmeric
3/4 tsp. ground coriander
1 cup canned coconut milk
2 large tomatoes, chopped, or 2 cups canned diced tomatoes
1 small eggplant, diced
3/4 lb. yellow potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/4 tsp. salt, to taste
1/3 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

In a blender, combine onion, peppers, garlic and broth and blend until smooth.  Set aside.

Place a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat and add cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, and coriander; stir constantly until fragrant and then add broth mixture.  Simmer for 1 minute and then stir in coconut milk and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and stir in eggplant, potatoes, and salt.  Lower heat, cover the skillet and simmer until potatoes and eggplant are tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in green beans, cover and cook until beans are tender, about 10 more minutes.  Remove and discard cinnamon stick.  Serve garnished with cilantro.

(As usual, this tasted better and better after a few days, when the flavors meshed.  I'm trying to eat only vegetables, no grains, so I basically ate this as is, though I'm sure it would be lovely served with rice or quinoa.  A hearty veggie dish, comforting.)

Roasted Carrot-Coconut Soup

(this recipe is from a cooking blog, but I can't remember which one)

1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 small red onions, quartered
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1-inch ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 to 2 tsp. Thai red curry paste
2 cups veggie stock
1 15 oz. can coconut milk (full fat)
1/2 lime
cilantro (optional)
toasted coconut flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F.

In a medium mixing bowl, toss carrot and onion with oil, sugar, and salt.  Spread the veggies evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until browned and tender, stirring once halfway through.

Transfer the veggies to a food processor or blender along with the ginger, 1 tsp. curry paste, and the stock.  Blend until incorporated.

Add coconut milk and blend until smooth.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and additional curry paste if you like spice.  Add lime juice and any additional liquid if you prefer your soup thinner in texture.  Spoon into bowls and serve with cilantro or toasted coconut for garnish.

(So simple and tasty.  I used the food processor, but think a blender would have given a better consistency.  Also, I just mixed the cilantro right into the soup at the end.  I think this soup benefits from a day or two of having the flavors blend.)

Coconut Red Lentil Soup

(recipe from 101cookbooks.com)

1 cup yellow split peas
1 cup red split lentils
7 cups water (I replaced 3 cups water with vegetable broth)
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 Tbsp. fresh peeled and minced ginger
2 Tbsp. curry powder
1 Tbsp. olive oil
8 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 14-oz. can coconut milk
1 tsp. salt
one small handful cilantro, chopped

Give the split peas and lentils a good rinse - until they no longer put off murky water.  Place them in an extra-large soup pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and add the carrot and 1/4 of the ginger.  Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft.

In the meantime, in a small dry skillet or saucepan over low heat, toast the curry powder until it is quite fragrant.  Be careful though, you don't want to burn the curry powder, just toast it.  Set aside.  Place the oil in a pan over medium heat, add the green onions, the remaining ginger, and raisins.  Saute for two minutes stirring constantly, then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two more.

Add the toasted curry powder to the tomato paste mixture, mix well, and then add this to the simmering soup along with the coconut milk and salt.  Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so.  The texture should thicken up, but you can play around with the consistency - add more water, if you like, or simmer longer for a thicker consistency.  (I liked it thicker.)

Enjoy ladled over brown rice, or any grain.  Sprinkle generously with cilantro.  (I just mixed the cilantro right into the soup.)

(Amazingly good!)

Indian Spiced Garbanzos and Greens

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 (15 oz.) cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch collard greens, stems removed and leaves thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Heat broth to a simmer in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno and cook until onion is tender and translucent, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in curry and garam masala and cook 1 minute.  Add tomatoes, garbanzos, and 1 cup water and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes.  Stir in collards, cover and cook 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender.  Stir in cilantro and lemon juice and serve.

So good!