So, as promised, here's a little tidbit about Indian food.
I've always enjoyed the unique and full-bodied flavors in Indian food, but I got on a real kick when Joel and I ate at an Indian restaurant in Jersey City. The homemade naan bread (a traditional flatbread made with yeast that can be topped with different things or flavored) we had was incredible--we probably could have eaten just that for lunch! We each ordered a dish, but when our meals arrived, they were served on huge platters that had several small dishes, including the ones we had ordered. I remember there was a cup of chick peas and green peas that were swimming in a delectable creamy sauce, and also a cup of hot tomato something-or-other.
Anyway, I decided to try to cook up some Indian delights at home. Naturally, I went to good old google for some recipes, and I came up with a small menu: egg fried rice and Rajma with store-bought Tandoori brand naan bread (on sale at ShopRite!).
Rajma is the Indian word for "kidney beans." I got the delightful recipe from here:
http://www.recipedelights.com/recipes/vegdishes/Rajma.htm
(I didn't use any green chiles; if you like your Indian spicy, go ahead and throw these in.)
I got the egg fried rice recipe on this site as well.
http://www.recipedelights.com/recipes/Contributors/eggfriedrice.htm
(I didn't have any mint, so I didn't use that ingredient.)
You'll notice that both recipes call for "Garam Masala Powder." This spice is a combination of spices that gives most Indian dishes such a fragrant and complex flavor. It can be bought in a store, but I decided to try to make my own. Some of the spices are not so common, but I had most of them. I found a good, simple recipe on here:
http://indianfood.about.com/od/masalarecipes/r/garammasala.htm
If you enjoy Indian food, I highly recommend these recipes for your next dinner!
