eglamkowski's Journal: slashdot cookbook

Continuing the indian vegetarian, next up is lentils seasoned with fried spices:

1/2 cup red gram
1/4 cup bengal gram
1.5 cups water
4 fresh green chillies (less, or more, according to personal taste)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 large onion, sliced
salt to taste
14oz. canned plum tomatoes, crushed
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 clove of garlic, crushed
6 curry leaves
2 dried red chillies
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
fresh coriander to garnish

1) Place first six ingredients in a heavy pan and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, until the lentils are soft and the water has evaporated.

2) Mash the lentils with the back of a spoon. When nearly smooth, add the salt and tomatoes and mix well. If ncessary, thin the mixture with hot water.

3) Fry the remaining ingredients until the garlic browns. Pour the oil and spices over the lentils and cover. After five minutes, mix well, garnish and serve.

Notes:
. Use 2 or 3 bay leaves instead of curry leaves if you don't have the curry leaves.
. asafoetida - I'd say substitute garlic and onions instead, but the recipe already uses those, so if you don't have it and can't find it, maybe just leave it out completely, no substitution.

mmmmm

[ellem]

Just add bacon.

Seriously. Bacon improves everything. Icecream wrapped in bacon? Yes. Bacon wrapped bacon? Yup. DraNo wrapped bacon. Yes!

Re:mmmmm

[rk]

Cheese works the same way, and in concert with bacon. Especially cheese-filled cheese-wrapped bacon with cheese and bacon topping.

Yum. I can feel my heart palpitating already.

asafoetida

[SolemnDragon]

i bought some of this once. It was a mistake. The stuff smelled so awful my rommie and i couldn't get rid of it; we were convinced that this was what was used in the Labrynth's "Bog of Eternal Stench." It affected everything it touched. We were aghast. In the end it was disposed of with hazmat precautions because we couldn't believe anyone would keep it in the house, let alone flavour food with it.

So.. no. Leave it out. FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S HOLY, leave it out!!!!

Re:asafoetida

[eglamkowski]

I don't have any so I leave it out myself. I've heard it is strong and needs to be kept in an air-tight container, but apparently it's worse than I imagined! Now I'll make sure to never buy it! :-O