Lamb Tangine Over Preserved Lemon Couscous

 

This is by far one of my favorite recipes. I first made it with a few friends when I was living in Hoboken, NJ. We had an international food night and would pick a random country and then pick a dish we wanted t make. 

 

The recipe screams fall and winter and warms -- as it's filled with spices that warm you but aren't insanely spicy. 

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

 

 

Lamb Tangine

Serves 6

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

3 1/2 to 4 pounds of lamb, cubed (bone-in) 

Spice rub:

• 1 tsp of kosher salt
• 1 tsp of black pepper
• 1 tbsp of cinnamon
• 1 tsp of smoked paprika (regular is fine, but smoked paprika is better) 
• 1 tbsp of cumin
• 1 tsp of ginger powder (or 1 inch of ginger root, chopped)
• 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/4 preserved lemon, chopped (reserve half for couscous)
• 3 tsp of lemon juice 
• 3 tbsp of olive oil

STEP 1: Put the spice mixture on the lamb and allow to marinate, rest in a bowl.

Prepare the rest of the ingredients:

• 6 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, diced 
• 2 red potatoes, or one small Idaho potato, cubed (optional) [you could also substitute sweet potato]
• 1/2 cup of pitted olives (Spanish or Mediterranean), halved
• 1/2 cup of dates, pitted and halved
• 1/4 cup of tomato paste
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 1 1/2 cups of chicken or beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 2-3 threads of saffron, crumbled
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 cup of cilantro, chopped

STEP 2: In a large pot, add some olive oil and throw in the cinnamon stick, cloves, onions and carrots (and potatoes, if using) and sauté. 

STEP 3: Once the onions are translucent, add the spiced lamb. Brown the lamb on each side. 

STEP 4: Add tomato paste and honey. Stir. Allow the honey to begin to caramelized. 

STEP 5: Add chicken broth & water and saffron. 

STEP 6: Allow it to simmer for 15 minutes without lid. Then add the olives and dates. 

STEP 7: Simmer with lid for 30 minutes to 45 minutes up to an hour. Skim off any fat. 

Remove lid and check tenderness of lamb. Taste for salt, add to taste. If you're satisfied, add cilantro and parsley. Serve over lemon couscous. (Recipe to follow)!

Preserved lemon couscous:

Ingredients

• 2 cups couscous
• 1 tsp of oil
• Chicken broth
• 1 large clove garlic, keep whole
• Remaining chopped preserved lemon (from lamb recipe) 
• Salt to taste (start with 1/2 tsp because preserved lemon has salt) 

STEP 1: In a pot, sauté couscous with 1 tsp of oil. Slightly toast, don't brown or burn (makes it bitter) 

STEP 2: Cook couscous using directions from package. Normally you boil the liquid and add the dry couscous to it. It's about 1 1/2 cup of liquid per cup of couscous, but it depends on the type so follow the directions on the box.

But you should use chicken broth as the liquid. 

STEP 3: When adding the liquid, also add the preserved lemon and the garlic clove whole. 

STEP 4: Set aside until ready to serve. You can pull out the garlic clove before serving as it's used to flavor. 

Almost Vegan Acorn Squash Lasagna

So it's been a while since I updated, but it doesn't mean I haven't been cooking. Instead since I left grad school—I got a job and have been working so much, that on my off time, I don't want to write.

But I've recently rekindled my relationship with blogging and also hope to expand this blog beyond the boundaries of solely Indian cuisine.

One thing that is common for first-generation Indian children is that their parents and grandparents are not as open to different cuisines. In my case my grandmother and my maternal uncle are not so open to eating Italian food. My grandmother thinks marinara sauce is to tart and my uncle favors eating Indian, Chinese and other foods of Asian decent. Although my mom loves Italian food, she's vegetarian, so often when she eats it, the meal is full of carbs and dairy rather than protein. This recipe is sweet and hearty with a hint of spice. It's not tart at all.

A couple of things inspired this Almost Vegan Acorn Squash Lasagna:

1. On Trisha Yearwood's (yes, the country singer) new Food Network cooking show, she and Garth Brooks (yes another country singer) made Black Bean Lasagna using a faux ricotta made with tofu. Using tofu instead of ricotta really cuts down on the fat in lasagna.

2. My mom recently went to a work lunch at a fancy country club where she dined on butternut squash ravioli with brown butter sauce. I might be great in the kitchen by ravioli is pretty intense to make and I figured a squash lasagna would really mimic the flavor without the work.

Take note: it's almost vegan because I used one egg and parmesan. You could make it without the egg, use egg-free lasagna, and substitute the real parmesan for a vegan version. I also will be using whole wheat lasagna next time I make it, but I had to regular boxes on me and I like to use what I have.

Almost Vegan Acorn Squash Lasagna
Serves 4-5, Prep Time: 1 hour, Cook time: 50 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of faux ricotta (make it the day of) recipe below)
• 2 cups of marinara (store bought is fine - I used Trader Joe's organic)
• 1 cup of Parmesan
• 1/8 of Italian breadcrumbs
• 12 pieces of lasagna (you can make extra just in case and use the leftovers later)
• 1 acorn squash, roasted with spices (can be made ahead of time, recipe below)
• 1 large onion, caramelized

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Place a 1/3 of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the lasagna pan to help prevent the noodles from sticking.
3. Add one layer of lasagna (4 slices overlapping) on the bottom of the pan.
4. Layer a 1/3 of the marinara sauce to the noodles and spread out across the pan, covering all the noodles. 
5. Add 1/2 of the acorn squash over the noodles and spread out across the pan again, covering the sauce. (A trick: wet the back of the spoon, helps with sticking)
6. Sprinkle 1/2 of the caramelized onions over the squash
7. Add 1/2 of faux ricotta over the onions and squash
8. Repeat the layers once more, but don't use the tomato sauce (reserve for top layer). 
9. Place the last layer of lasagna noodles in the pan. 
10. Add the remaining 1/3 of the tomato sauce onto the noodles.
11. Mix the Parmesan and breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top.
12. Cover with foil (Trick: spray foil with cooking spray to prevent sticking).
13. Bake for 40 minutes. 
14. Remove foil. Bake for another 10 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbling. 

Roasted Acorn Squash:

• 1 acorn squash
• 1/8 cup of olive oil 
• 1 tsp. of cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. of salt
• 1 tsp. of pepper

Split the acorn squash in half—lengthwise. Remove the stem and slice the bottom of the squash so it's flat. Drizzle olive oil over the squash and sprinkle all of the spices over the squash. Roast the squash at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Once roasted scoop out the pulp and let cool. Store in refrigerator if making ahead of time. Makes 2 cups

Faux Ricotta

• 1 container of tofu (I used light silken, but you can use firm or extra firm)
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts or cashews (toasted)
• 10 leaves of basil
• 1 tsp. of nutmeg
• 1 tsp. of sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. of red pepper flakes or to taste
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of Parmesan
• 1/2 tsp of pepper
• 1 tsp. of lemon juice

A few hours or even overnight, wrap the tofu in a couple of layers of paper towel and place in a colander in a bowl with a weight over it so all the liquid drains. Once drained: place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until everything is mixed together and consistency is similar to ricotta. Set aside. Makes 2 cups. 

Tandoori Tostadas

So last weekend in honor of my last weekend at my apartment I threw a dinner party -- with apps and wine.

I'm a huge fan of Mexican food and often find huge similarities between Mexican and Indian food.

So I decided to make tandoori tostadas. Yes, I said it -- tandoori.

It actually tastes great and most of the components can be made ahead of time and then compiled together.

First, make the tandoori chicken. You can substitute chick peas (2 cans) or paneer (2 packs) if you're vegetarian, but then omit the yogurt.

Basic marinade recipe:
1/2 cup of yogurt, 1 tbsp of curry paste, 2 tsp of tandoori powder, 2 tsp of lemon juice. Mix ingredients in a large bowl until combined.

1. Take two bone-in chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper. 
2. Place the chicken in the marinade and leave in fridge overnight or at least for two hours (but then cut slices into chicken breast so marinade can get into the meat.) 
3. Roast chicken (with all of the marinade) for 45 minutes covered with foil in the oven -- 375 to 385. Remove foil and cook another 30 minutes at the same temperature. 
4. Shred chicken and combine with cooking juices. Set aside. 
5. Prepare tostadas by toasting corn tortillas, or buy prepared tostadas. 
6. Combine salsa ingredients: 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, chop a 1/2 of a large red onion, dice two tomatoes, dice 1 red bell pepper, the juice of a lime, 1/2 tsp of salt and more to taste.
7. Combine 1 cup of sour cream with 1 heaping tablespoon of cilantro chutney. Place the mixture in a squeeze bottle. 
8. Choose a green - can be sprouts, spinach or lettuce. 
9. Place tostada on plate, add greens, chicken, salsa and squeeze cilantro-sour cream mixture on top, repeat. 

Will make 12 tostadas, serves 3 to 4 people. 

Seekh Kabab (Minced Meat Kabobs)

If you've ever been to an Indian restaurant, you've probably started drooling as a waiter has walked by your table with a cast iron pan of sizzling meat (similar to a plate of fajita meat). That dish is usually a plate of tandoori meats - chicken, shrimp, lamb and many times seekh kababs on a bed of onions.

Seekh Kabab is ground meat (usually lamb, but can be beef) blended with spices, onions, cilantro and peppers shaped around sticks into long, narrow cylinders. They also have a hint of tandoori seasoning.

Usually they are served along with raita, cilantro-mint chutney and tamarind sauce.

So I decided to try making them a few weeks ago, when I invited friends over for an Indian dinner - and I think they were pretty popular.

I used two pounds of ground beef which made about 12 kebabs.

Here's how I made them. Note: Soak wooden skewers for an entire day in water.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of ground beef
4 tbsp. of plain yogurt
1 inch of ginger, grated (use a Microplane for best results)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, minced
3 to 4 green chilies, chopped with seeds
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp. of tandoori powder
2 tbsp of garam masala
1 tsp of sea salt or 1.5 of regular salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add all ingredients to the meat.
2. With your hands, blend all the ingredients together, evenly. The meat should change consistency a bit to be smoother and the color will be redder, because of the tandoori.
3. Allow the meat to marinate for 1 hour in the fridge.
4. Preheat grill or oven to 400 degrees. If cooking in an oven use a sheet pan with a tray to drain the liquid from the meat. 
5. Take about 1/4 cup of meat and shape it around the skewer. Add a bit of oil to the meat as you place it around the skewer so it doesn't stick. Repeat 11 more times. 
6. Place the skewers on the grill or oven, and turn every 5 minutes so the meat cooks evenly. Should be cooked in 20 to 25 minutes and will be a golden brown color on the outside. You may need to drain the pan, if cooking in the oven. 

Coconut Spinach Curry with Paneer and Peas

This is one of those original recipes - something I decided to create based off some flavors I truly enjoy - coconut, curry and spinach.

If you like Saag Paneer and Thai food you'll like this. The spice of the dish is tamed by the sweet of the coconut.


Ingredients:

• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1 bag of spinach
• 1 cup of onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp of garlic-ginger paste
• 1 cup of peas
• 1 bag of frozen paneer cheese
• 1 tsp. of garam masala
• 1/2 tsp of chili powder
• 1 heaping tsp. of curry paste
• 1 tbsp of oil
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

1. Heat up oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic-ginger paste and saute.
2. When onions are translucent, add tomatoes and saute. Add spinach and allow it to wilt.
3. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, chili powder and garam masala. 
4. When all ingredients are mixed well, add it to a food processor and pulse until it is blended.
5. In a separate pan, add paneer and a bit of oil and allow it to brown on sides.
6. In the pot, add coconut milk and blended spinach dish and curry paste. Stir.
7. When paneer cubes are brown add them, some more salt and peas. 

Serve with rice.

Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Chicken is one of the more popular dishes non-Indians love to order and eat when they are out in Indian restaurants.

So why not grill some up while you're at home, outdoors on the grill?

Here's a super easy recipe - although I'll say you should probably marinate overnight, for the best flavor.

Also I prefer dark meat chicken because it seems to soak up the flavor better than white meat.


Ingredients:

• 4 skinless thighs
• 1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp. of salt
• 4 tbsp of yogurt
• 1/2 lime
• 1/2 tsp of pepper
• 1/2 tsp of chili powder
• 1/2 tsp of fenugreek powder
• 1 tsp of garam masala
• 1/2 tsp of coriander
• 1/2 tsp of cumin
• 1/2 tsp of turmeric
• red food coloring, optional.
• 2 tbsp of oil.

Directions:

Marinade - for at least 4 hours, overnight for best results.

1. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the chicken
2. Add yogurt, spices, oil, lime juice and food coloring in a bowl. Blend well with hands. Add chicken and make sure all chicken is covered in marinade. 
3. Grill the tandoori chicken as you would normally cook chicken, or if you're cooking it in an oven, then cook the chicken for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Cover for 30 minutes, then uncover for remaining 10 minutes.

Samosas

Even if you don't like Indian food -- you will like samosas, a crunchy potato filled pastry of YUM!

Usually, you make the pastry dough from scratch as well, and fry the samosas, which cooks the dough to crispiness. But as I've said before, you can make really great Indian food without actually using as much oil as our grandmothers are known to do. I wanted to bake the samosas and if I did that I need something that crisps up in the oven.

When I initially tested this recipe, I used phyllo dough thinking the crispiness of a spanikopita could be replicated. What I learned however, was that I hate working with phyllo dough, it dries too quickly, eek! So I think working with puff pastry may be better -- or trying the homemade dough and frying it.

So although the pictures for this don't show the actual end result, I was enjoying them so much I forgot to take a picture, I'm sure I will eventually make these again, and I'll add a picture then!

SAMOSAS, makes 32--

Ingredients:

pastry: puff pastry or phyllo for baking.
or for frying:

• 7.5 cups flour 
• 1 tbsp. salt 
• 3/4 cup clarified butter or ghee, melted (use vegetable shortening or oil for vegan variation) 
• hot water

filling:

• 3 medium-sized potatoes, boiled and peeled
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 1 cup of carrots, chopped finely
• 1 cup of onions, chopped finely
• 2 tsp. of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp of turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp of cumin powder
• 1 tsp of coriander powder
• 1 tsp of garam masala
• 1/2 to 1 tsp of chili powder
• 1/4 cup of oil or ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 tsp of salt
• 3 tbsp of chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Sift flour and salt into a bowl, then stir in melted ghee. Add 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of hot water gradually, tossing and stirring, to make a dough. 
2. Knead for 2 minutes, then chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling. If using a food processor, combine flour and salt in processor bowl. Pour in ghee and blend to combine. With processor running at medium speed, stream in the hot water, then process an additional 15 - 20 seconds. Remove from processor, form into a ball, and chill while you prepare the filling.
3. In a medium skillet, saute onions, carrots, peas and ginger in tsp of oil over medium heat until onions are translucent.
4. In a separate bowl, mash the cooked potatoes with the spices and sauteed veggies. Add oil or ghee, salt and cilantro and mixed thoroughly
5. If you're using puff pastry/phyllo follow care instructions on package and create square pieces to put filling in. The samosas will be flat triangles rather than 3D triangles. Or if using pastry follow directions below.
6. Divide the dough into 16 equal balls. The easiest way is to keep halving the dough until you have 16 pieces (you'll divide the dough 4 times total). Roll or pat each ball into a 7-inch disc. Cut each disk in half. Roll each half into a cone, overlapping the edges and pinching or wetting to seal. Stuff the cone with a big spoonful or two of filling, then pinch the open end closed (wetting if necessary), forming a puffy triangle. 
7. Chill finished samosas and continue until you've used all the dough.  
8. In a wok or large sauce pan, heat several inches of oil to 350, or until a cube of bread browns in 40 seconds. Fry samosas, 3 - 6 at a time, until golden, blistered, and crisp, about 3 - 4 minutes, turning them over halfway through frying. Remove with tongs, drain on paper towels, and continue until all samosas are fried. May be held in a warm (250-degree) oven while you cook all the batches. 

Serve with tamarind chutney.