Tag: main course
Mash Ki Daal
Mash Ki Daal
Mash ki daal is a lesser known daal eaten in Pakistani households. The particular daal used in this recipe is urid daal, which are split white maape beans. The daal is soaked then simmered with a tomato/onion/garlic masala. This type of daal is best garnished with green chilies, cilantro, and a knob of butter(omit if you want to keep this vegan); served with chapati to scoop up the lentils.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1” ginger minced
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 cup urid lentils soaked for 1 hour
- 2 cups water
Garnish
- green chilies finely chopped
- cilantro chopped
- butter optional
Instructions
- Heat up cooking oil in a pot over high heat. Sauté the onions, garlic, and ginger for 5 minutes.
- Add in the tomatoes and all of the seasonings. Sauté for 10 minutes until the tomatoes have completely cooked down. Add a couple splashes of water to help the process.
- Pour in the water and urid lentils. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes.
- Adjust the salt to your liking. If the dal is too thick, add a little more water.
Chicken Kofta Curry
Chicken Kofta Curry
Kofta curry makes me feel good inside. This Pakistani comfort food is very versatile; being able to use chicken, lamb, or beef for the meatballs. Traditionally, the meatballs are fried. I wanted to make this a little healthier, so I baked them instead. Still just as good. The meatballs are then simmered in a curry sauce of onions, garlic, yogurt and spices; then served with basmati rice and parathas. The kofta curry is garnished with poppy seeds.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Spice grinder
- food processor
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 2 lbs ground chicken thigh
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 1/2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1/2 cup chickpea flour
Curry
- 1 medium onion
- 12 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 3 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 black cardamom ground in spice grinder
- 1 small cinnamon stick ground in spice grinder
- 3 cups water
Garnish
- poppy seeds
Instructions
- Add all of the meatball whole spices in a spice grinder.
- Grind into a powder.
- Mix all of the meatball ingredients together.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wet your hands. Roll the mix into 24 meatballs.
- Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes. Set aside.
- Heat up the cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the sautéed onions and garlic to a food processor and process until smooth.
- Return the purée to the sauté pan with the yogurt.
- Add all of the spice to the sauté pan. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Pour in 3 cups of water. Bring to a simmer.
- Add in the meatballs. Cover. Reduce the heat to medium low.
- Simmer for 30 minutes.
Black Pork Curry
Black Pork Curry
This spicy curry gets it’s name from the dark color of the Sri Lankan curry powder and the black peppercorns that gives it it’s heat. Cubes of pork shoulder are marinated in the curry powder and black peppercorns, then simmered with onions, ginger, garlic, and jalapeños for an hour until tender. The sugar and tamarind gives the curry a tangy sweetness that makes this the perfect comfort food. Serve the black pork curry with steamed basmati rice.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Spice grinder
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pork shoulder cut into 1 1/2” cubes
Pork Marinade
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 6 green cardamom pods seeded
- 1 tsp Sri Lankan curry powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate
Curry
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
- 1” ginger minced
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 jalapeños thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Grind the whole spices in a spice grinder.
- Marinate the pork with all of the spices and tamarind concentrate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
- Heat up the cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the onions, ginger, and bay leaves for 7-8 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and jalapeños. Sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add in the marinated pork and sugar. Sauté for 10 minutes.
- Pour in a 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 1 hour. Season with salt and squeeze in the lemon juice.
Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder
Sri Lankan roasted curry powder is the base of so many Sri Lankan curries. It is specifically used in curries that contain proteins like beef, pork, lamb, and chicken. It can also used in vegetarian curries. If you want to use the curry powder for fish and seafood, don’t toast any of the spices. Dry toasted spices are too strong for aquatic protein and will overpower the flavor.
Equipment
- Spice grinder
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp coriander seeds
- 3 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp basmati rice
- 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
- 3 tsp whole cloves
- 2 tsp green cardamom seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
Instructions
- Dry toast the rice in a nonstick pan over medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients. Toast for 5 minutes; continuously moving the pan to keep the spices from burning. Let cool completely.
- Grind to a powder in a spice grinder.
