There are a lot of chanas (chick pea curries) out there. Generally, though (at least in my experience at Indian restaurants in America, mostly in the Midwest), they can be divided into masalas and pindis. While there are some differences in the spices, the fundamental difference is that masalas have a tomato/onion gravy and pindis don’t. Recently, we’ve been more into the pindi-style chana, but this is an old standby that I find myself returning to over and over, largely on account of its simplicity.

It isn’t particularly authentic–there are way more spices in a genuine chana masala–but it is delicious. It’s also a really good starter chana, something to develop. In my early Indian cooking days, I over-spiced everything. I took this in the reverse direction, letting the chickpeas and tomatoes do more of the work. The optional veggie stock gives it a little extra body, but moves it further away from authentic chana masala.

Chana Marksala

• ~ 4 cups (2 cans) cooked chick peas
• 1 large tomato (1 8oz can), diced
• 1 medium-sized onion, diced
• 2 -4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp ground ginger powder (depending on desired level of sweetness)
• 4 cups water or veggie stock (you can use veggie bouillon and/or chick pea water)
• salt, to taste
• handful of diced cilantro (optional), for garnish

Saute the onion and garlic in high heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the onions start to become tender, stir in the spices, coating the onions well. Add in the tomatoes, then the chickpeas, then the water/veggie stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to then reduce heat to low and let simmer–at least 45 minutes, but the longer the better. Before serving, add in the diced cilantro, if using.

That’s it!

The Indian Feast Saturday night would not have been the same without pakora.  We especially like that our version is baked, not deep fried.  If you know anything about us here at IV, you know that we leave frying to greasy spoons and love adapting fried recipes to delicious (and healthier) baked ones almost as much as we like converting meaty, cheesy, eggy dishes to delicious (and healthier) vegan versions.

When we told our friend Mad Dog about this recipe last night, she nearly squealed with glee.  We hope you receive it with just as much enthusiasm.  Adapted to vegan from this recipe, it sure was fun to make (even more fun to eat).  At the last minute, we got the bright idea to make dhaniya dipping sauce to accompany the fresh pakora.  Ken was a champ and served as our runner, heading out the local food coop for a big bunch of cilantro (in southeast Asia, it’s called coriander) to make it happen.  Without further ado, we give you:

Baked Pakora and Dhaniya (Coriander Chutney)

Pakora:

• three medium-sized soft-skinned potatoes (such as red or yukon gold) or peeled russet potatoes, grated
• one large onion (any color), diced
• one overflowing handful of chopped spinach
• any other veggies you might want to add such as grated carrots, peas, or diced cauliflower.
• 2 cups chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp red pepper (optional)
• 1 1/2 tsp dried coriander (cilantro)
• 1 1/2 cups water

Preheat oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients (flour, spices, herbs, baking power).  Stir in enough water to make a batter.  Do it a bit at a time, making sure that is it about the consistency of pancake batter.  Ours was a little too thin, but didn’t affect the overall deliciocity of the outcome.

In a separate bowl, combine all veggies, and mix well with your hands.  Pour the batter into the veggies, stirring to a homogeneous consistency.

Use a spoon to ladle little bundles of battered veggies onto an oiled cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes, then flip and bake for 10 more minutes until toasty around the edges.  This batch made about 30 pakora for us, but the final quantity really just depends on the size you make each one.

Dhaniya

(We used this recipe and are rewriting it here with some measurement and ingredient changes.)

• one large bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro), leaves peeled from the stems
• a one-inch square chunk of fresh ginger, grated on a ginger grater (or about 1 tbsp of dry ginger)
• 4 cloves of garlic
• the juice of half of a lemon
• a whole green chili (we used half of a poblano pepper since that’s all we had)
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• enough olive oil to make into a sauce (1/4-1/2 cup)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  If you want enough dhaniya to accompany all of the pakora in the recipe above, I suggest at least tripling this recipe.

Aloo Gobi is our second favorite Indian dish after Chana Pindi/Masala (and maybe third after Dal Makhni, if you can ever find it vegan). There are lots of variations on this dish across restaurants, some saucy and others more or less just seasoned cauliflower and potatoes. We love the former, and thusly bring you:

The secret to this guy is (a) chickpea water or veggie stock and (b) blending a small portion of it to make it saucy.

Aloo Gobi

• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into pieces
• 4 or 5 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 -4 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
• 1 large/2 medium tomato(es) (or 1 8oz can), diced
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 green chili, seeded and diced finely
• small bunch of chives, diced (optional)
• 1 cup veggie stock or chick pea water
• salt, to taste

In a medium-sized pot, cook the potatoes until they’re barely tender. Strain and save.

In a large skillet or wok (as always, wearing leg warmers and a headband), heat up some high heat cooking oil over medium heat. Toss in the cumin seeds, chili, and garlic and cook until the garlic begins to brown. Add in half of the spices (you can just combine them in a small dish ahead of time and pour in about half–this doesn’t have to be exact). Let them cook for a few seconds, then add in the cauliflower, stirring well to coat, cooking until it starts to brown/sear–about 6 – 8 minutes. Add in the potatoes, again, coating well, and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes. Add in the tomatoes, broth/chick pea water (we made this along with a chana, so we had chick pea water on hand), and remaining spices. Blend briefly with an immersion blender or scoop a small portion into a standard blender and puree–this should be just enough to make a thick sauce to coat the potatoes and cauliflower.

Serve over rice (we had this over couscous the second time, and have had it over quinoa to delicious effect as well), ideally with pakora and naan (gluten free), and maybe Chana Marksala, if it’s a feast.

Stef is allergic to wheat products, so we rocked the gluten-free naan action for the Indian Feast.  She and Ken came prepared with this recipe, which we veganized.  It was some superlative naan, I assure you.  I should mention that before they arrived on Saturday night, I searched high and low all over the interwebs for vegan AND gluten free naan to no avail.  So this might be one of the only recipes of this sort you’ll find for this Indian curry-scooping staple.  Here’s the translation:

Veganized Gluten Free Naan

• 1 cup tepid unsweetened soy milk
• 1/2 cup brown rice flour (superfine)
• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 1/2 cup sweet rice flour
• 3 tbsp chickpea (garbanzo bean) and/or fava bean flour (we didn’t have the required teff flour and this worked fine)
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp gluten free baking powder
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp dried active yeast
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup soy creamer (or soymilk) with 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 2 tbsp cornstarch added as replacement for the yogurt [plain soy, coconut or rice yogurt would probably work fine too if you have one of them on hand (we didn't)]
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed combined with 3 tbsp water as replacement for the egg
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• melted Earth Balance ™ for brushing atop naan prior to baking
• onion powder and more salt for sprinkling onto naan prior to baking
• optional fresh minced chives–either mix into dough or sprinkle atop each piece prior to baking (ideally both!)

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the tepid soymilk and store in a warm place for 10 minutes or so. Make the “egg” and set aside. Make the “yogurt” by whisking the ingredients together and set aside. In a large-ish bowl, sift the dry ingredients (flours, salt, baking powder, xanthan gum) together. Mix the wet ingredients (“egg”, “yogurt”, and yeast-milk) into the dry and continue mixing until a smooth dough is formed.

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide dough into about six separate balls, and roll each one into a thin flat round using the traditional rolling pin method (be sure to use one of the flours on the rolling pin and surface first), or use a floured plastic bag or piece of parchment paper between the rolling pin and the dough. It should look something like this:

Place each piece onto an oiled cookie sheet and bake for about three minutes. Flip bread and bake for 2 minutes more.  Watch for brown spots to appear on top of each piece. You may need to put it under the broiler for additional browning, or add baking time depending on your oven.

Celiacs and vegans alike can rejoice over this one!  The naan was an essential component to our feast.  Victory!

We mentioned last week that our friends Stef and Ken had decided to rock the vegan action for a week, so we thought it would be fun to get together and do some serious cooking. They were game for any type of food, so we thought we’d try an Indian feast.

The Menu

• Gluten-free naan
• Pakora w/dhaniya (cilantro sauce)
• Chana Marksala
• Aloo Gobi
• Rice

Two nights later, we also revisited our old Indian Dal recipe as well as a standard vegan naan, just for good measure, thus declaring this Indian Week here at IV. We’ll be posting all of these recipes throughout the week, so stay tuned!

And…Some Thoughts

As with many vegans, Indian food was one of our first exotic culinary love affairs. Over the years, we’ve gotten closer and closer to authentic on many dishes, but have never fully mastered any of them, so every time we try it’s sort of an adventure. And did I mention? Team Stef and Ken got cooks. So what better way to perfect a recipe than to get some feedback from other folks?

Cooking with other people is one of our favorite activities. It’s not just the task-sharing or equal-stakes-in-the-meal thing; it’s a way of connecting with people. Everyone has a different cooking style and, depending on the mix of people, will fall into certain roles. Some folks love the chaos of managing multiple dishes on the stovetop, spicing at will. Others like the regimented baking process. Still others are happy to sous chef or are “runners” (those folks awesome enough to run to the store for that one ingredient you inevitably forgot).

And what else are you doing? You can talk while you cook. You can drink while you cook. There’ll be time for games or a movie after you eat (unless you don’t eat until like 10:30 and drink waaay too much while cooking…then there will just be sleeping).

A Brief Stroll Down Memory Lane

I remember my first experience really cooking down with other people–making Indian food in my friend Uncle Nathan’s kitchen (I think that first menu was Spicy Chick Peas and Kale [like a chana], Kofta, some sort of naan, and rice). I’d only been vegan for a year or two at that point, so I was sous chef-ing for the most part. I’d just begun my own forays into Indian food, which at the time seemed pretty good. In retrospect, I can’t imagine using roughly a cup of spices (I later learned about hot and cool spices from an Indian friend).

[Actually, my first forays were into collaborative baking--in this case "Man Baking" with my friend and vegan sire Nick, which involved splurging on good vodka, drinking a lot of it, then making cookies with kids cereal (think Cocoa Puffs) in them.]

An Invitation

Interested in cooking down? We’re always hip to cook together, taking fledgling vegans under our wing, embarking on culinary adventures with the vegan-curious, or just communing with friends who like great food.

Because I derive such great joy from the bastardization of both the Indian language and cuisine–I present another in my series of madeup Indian dishes: Aloo Dal Makhani. It’s an attempt at a “standard” Dal (lentil) Makhani, but with Aloo (potatoes). It’s very rich and a little sweet.

I’m not sure what possessed me to base this on Vegan Dad’s Tofu Makhani recipe instead of something more authentic. Well, nix that. I am sure. I saw the picture on his site and almost gave myself a concussion from salivating too hard. I didn’t use tofu, because I don’t really like tofu in curries, and I wanted something a little more traditional. Like Vegan Dad, Indian food was my first love as a vegan, the first food that shocked me out of my usual Western palette.

This recipe did mark the first time I’ve used soy yogurt and cashew cream (my version, not Vegan Dad’s) in an Indian dish–and let me tell you, ’twas a revelation. This dish also doesn’t have any cumin! This is perhaps one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I’d probably put cumin in beer. Or an open wound.

Aloo Dal Makhani

• 1 cup red lentils
• 1/2 cup black lentils
• 4 small-medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 medium-sized onions, diced
• 2 medium-sized tomatoes, diced finely
• 1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed
• 2/3 cup (or 1 single-serving) soy yogurt
• 1/3 cup Earth Balance ™
• 1/2 cup ground almonds*
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1.5 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup cashew cream (you can substitute soy creamer or coconut milk, but it’s not as intensely awesome)
• 4 .5 cups of water
• salt, to taste

* we get almond meal at our local coop–it’s cheaper than buying whole almonds and less work

Melt the Earth Balance ™ in a large pot over medium heat. Toss in the onions and cook until they start to get soft. Add in the garlic, salt, all of the spices, the almonds, the yogurt, and finally 1/2 cup water. Stir it up! Mix in the tomatoes. Then add the lentils and potatoes, stirring well. Add in the remaining water, and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, cover it and cook over low-medium heat for about 30 minutes.

Once the potatoes and lentils are soft, add in half of the cilantro and the cashew cream. Simmer uncovered on low for another 10 – 15 minutes. Add in the remaining cilantro and serve over rice or couscous (we used couscous, cooked in veggie stock).

For some extra green action, we had this with savory green beans–which, strangely, complemented this perfectly.

Savory Green Beans

• green beans
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• Spike ™
• almond slivers
• rosemary olive oil (or regular, and a dash of ground rosemary)

Steam the green beans until they’re done the way you like them. Who am I to tell you how you like your beans? Toss in rosemary olive oil and add in the spices and almond slivers.

The first step to failure is making up the name for something that already has a name, probably. If I weren’t too lazy, I’d know what the name for an Indian curry made from chick peas and zucchini is called. But instead, I just used the words for each: chana and toree. Hey, it works for Aloo Gobi, right?

Actually, this wasn’t a failure, per se, but it wasn’t as savory as lots of other curries I’ve made. The zucchini made it kind of “watery” tasting. It did, however, make it a very attractive dish. So if you’re in the mood for a really mellow curry, this could be just the guy for you. But I wasn’t, so it wasn’t. Thus, it was not a success.

Allow me to impart a nugget of wisdom wrested from the gaping maw of failure: It’s okay to give some of your zucchini away. Now, I’m not admitting defeat; I’m not saying that a sufficiently crafty person couldn’t make an average of 2.75 zucchini-based meals per week. But from a utilitarian perspective, you would maximize overall happiness by giving some of your zucchini away and focusing on making meals with zucchini that you really like, not just adding zucchini to every recipe you know, willy-nilly.

And anyway, it’s not like we’re talking about kale here. Adding zucchini to everything doesn’t really confer any great health advantage.

But.

The pretty picture above has piqued your interest nonetheless. So here you go:

Chana Toree

• 1 large zucchini or 1/2 of a REALLY large zucchini, diced*
• 2 cups cooked chick peas, rinsed and drained
• 2 large tomatoes, diced finely
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1.5 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 cup veggie stock
• salt, to taste

In a large-ish pot over medium heat, sautee the onions and garlic in oil until they are soft and starting to brown. Toss in the zucchini, mixing well. Add in all of the spices, taking care to coat everything. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add in the tomatoes, chick peas, and veggie stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for about 2 hours. Serve over rice, couscous, or quinoa.

* Cut the zucchini into about 2″ lengths. Cut those in half lengthwise, then cut the halves in half, then again. In other, simpler, words, cut the slices into eighths lengthwise. Now cut those slices widthwise into about 1/8 – 1/4″ little triangles. While this does nothing for the actual taste of the dish, it does look attractive, which in turn may trick folks into thinking it’s more delicious than it actually is. Presentation is often a subterfuge.

We made this with homemade naan, which was awesome.

Here is how it looks in a blue pot, which also lends to the transference of attractiveness to deliciousness:

Complementary colors are also a culinary subterfuge

I’m very sorry sir to let the raccoon out of the satchel, but this recipe is, with all due respect, “fusion”.

Read: I have bastardized, in my quaint American way, another delicious Indian entree.

But the title. Isn’t it hilarious? You know, dal, delicious, dal-icious. No. Truly not funny.

I have posted it here to dodge that bullet for you, lest you make a fool of yourself in front of company. I’m a true modern day hero.

Dal Markni

• 1 cup green lentils
• 1 cup black lentils (2 cups green lentils is okay)
• 4 cups water
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 2 hot peppers, seeded and minced (jalapeno, serrano, fresno)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• tsp ground cumin (fresh ground, preferably)
• 4 sprigs  (minced) or 1.5 tsp oregano
• small handful chives or green onions
• 1 squeeze of lemon
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large-ish pot, sautee the garlic in cooking oil. When the garlic starts to brown, add in the onions and peppers. Cook until tender. Stir in the lentils and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the tomatoes.

Add the water and some salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer, in that order. Any other order just wouldn’t make sense. Unless you’re making BIZARRO DAL.

Once the lentils are tender, add in the oregano and chives and squeeze of lemon. At this point you’ll want to sample the dal to confirm that you have, in fact, added far too little salt. It’s time to face reality. Add salt until daliciosity occurs. Eat eat eat!