Carrot Halwa

Ted got this recipe from one of his co-workers. It is rather time intensive, but totally worth the effort.

Carrot Halwa by Ratna Kumria

Carrots (grated) 4 cups
Milk 2 cups
Sugar 1 ½ cups
Butter Ghee or Veg Oil ½ cup
Cardamom Seeds (crushed) 5 pods
Allspice (crushed) 2 berries
Golden raisins 3 tablespoons
Cashews or Almonds(sliced) 3 tablespoons
Time 2-3 hours

1.Wash, peel, and coarsely grate carrots. Soak raisins in enough water to cover them.
2.Cook carrots in milk on medium heat stirring occasionally until the milk has evaporated. This step can take an hour or so.
3.Stir in sugar and spices. Cook well until all moisture has evaporated and carrots are dry. This step takes time too.
4.In the meantime cook the raisins and cashews in 2 tablespoons ghee until nuts are slightly browned. Remove raisins and cashews with a slotted spoon. Reserve ghee for next step.
5.Add the reserved ghee as well as the remaining ghee and cook on high heat until the color changes and carrots become slightly crisp.
6.Mix in raisins and cashews.

Palak Paneer (Spinach in Cottage Cheese)

Slightly westernized Indian from Extending the Table. Like everything else I make regularly, it's easy - I like it b/c when I plan on making it, I just have to grab some frozen spinach and a carton of cottage cheese at the store. (You know those grocery trips where you didn't feel like planning meals, so you plan as you go when you are in the store?)

Heat in saucepan:
2 T. oil

Add:
1 large onion, chopped
1-inch piece of ginger, grated, or 1/2 t ground ginger
Fry until golden brown.
Add:
1 lb spinach, chopped
1/8 t red pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt to taste
1-inch piece cinnamon stick
Cook about 10 minutes.
Add:
1 tomato (chopped)(I use canned diced)
1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 c. water

Cook about 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. When serving, sprinkle w/:
1/2 t ground cumin. Serve over rice.

Balti Butter Chicken with Pullao Rice

I made this last night and oh my goodness, is it amazing! Al said it was the best he's had. I hope that you like it too! I made the rice first because the chicken didn't take that long to assemble.

Pullao Rice:
1C Basmati rice, rinsed until water runs clear
2T butter
4 cloves
4 cardamom pods
1 bay leaf
1t salt
2C water

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add spices. After 2 minutes add rice and fry for 1 minute. Add water, bring it to boil, cover pan and reduce heat. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Fluff with fork.


Balti Butter Chicken:

2/3C plain yogurt
1/2C ground almonds
1.5 t of cayenne pepper
3 bay leaves
1/4t ground cloves
1/4t ground cinnamon
1 t garam masala
4 cardamom pods
1t grated ginger
1t grated garlic
1.25t salt
2 C canned crushed tomatoes
2 lbs (roughly 6.5C) boneless chicken breast, cubed
3T butter
2T olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
2T chopped cilantro
3T heavy cream

Mix yogurt, almonds, spices, tomatoes, add chicken, set aside.
Melt butter and oil in a deep skillet, saute onions until they are transparent, about 3 min.
Add the chicken mixture and saute for about 10-12 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.
Add cilantro, cook for 2 minutes. Add cream, stir and bring to a boil for only 1 minute.
Serve with pullao rice. Enjoy!

Sauteed brussel sprouts w/ coconut

1 1/2 lbs small brussel sprouts
3 T ghee (I usualy cut WAY back on any amount of oil this cookbook suggests)
1 1/2 t black mustard seeds
2 t split urad dal
8 curry leaves (I've made it w/o them, and it's fine)
1/4 t cayenne or paprika
1/2 t garam masala
1/8 t ground nutmeg
1 t salt
1/3 c shredded unsweetened coconut

Cut stems off brussel sprouts. Remove tough, outer leaves. Cut a small cross in the base of each and soak in salted water for 15 min.
Drop sprouts into large pot of salted boiling water and cook, uncovered, for 5 min. Drain well.
Heat ghee in large frying pan over moderately high heat. When it is hot but not smoking, drop in black mustard seeds and urad dal and fry until the seeds pop and turn gray and the dal turns reddish-brown. Add curry leaves, sprouts, cayenne or paprika, garam masala and nutmeg. Saute for 3-4 min, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 4-5 min longer if sprouts are young, up to 10 min if they are old. When they are just tender, add salt and coconut. Toss and serve.
You can fold in a spoonful of yogurt of sour cream if you want.