Mandu

We've been pretty heavy into the Friday night Pizza and movie night the past few months. Last night I thought that we needed something different. Next to pizza, my kids' favorite treat is take-out Chinese. The girls have discovered a deep and abiding love for wonton soup and pan-fried Chinese dumplings (jiaozi). If they had their way, we'd get takeout Chinese food every week!

Jiaozi are quite similar to the Korean snack Yakki-mandu/Geun-mandu, which are a popular street vendor food. Vendors would deep fry batches of frozen mandu and serve them in a waxed paper cone. Home cooks in Korea often make them fresh and then pan-fry them, as seen in the following video:







Mandu are my number one favorite street vendor food from my time in Korea. I got seriously addicted to these when I was there, and adapted a recipe for them when I got back. I like these as an appetizer for large family gatherings because when I make them, I bake them in large batches instead of subjecting them to the fryer. I also shape my mandu differently from the traditional fat crescent shape of mandu/jiaozi. Nevertheless, they are probably my most-requested party food.

A few years ago, I started letting the girls help me make the mandu. It's a time-consuming process, because for a typical party I may make as many as 200 of them. We manage to have fun together, listening to music, singing and telling jokes.


Since I am trying to spend less money on take-out in addition to getting them involved with me in the kitchen, like with the homemade personal pizzas, I thought that we could have mandu for our Friday night homemade takeout. When I mentioned it to the girls, they cheered. So yesterday, the girls and I sat at the dining room table and churned out about 120 mandu for our very own version of takeout Chinese food night.

I'm positive that I'm spending less money on takeout than I was before, and I know I am enjoying these DIY nights as much as the girls are. I hope that you enjoy this recipe. :)

Babs's Mandu

Ingredients:

• 1 Pkg egg roll wrappers (makes 80 mandu)/or 1 Pkg wonton wrappers (makes appr. 50 slightly larger mandu)*
• 2-3 eggs, beaten
• Filling (recipes and suggestions follow)
• Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)
• Cooking spray
  

*Note: I usually use the egg roll wrappers because they make more mandu for about the same price, but first you have to cut them into quarters. Take out about 20 at a time, and put the rest back in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap and a damp paper towel on top so they don’t dry out.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375, and spray a cookie sheet with the cooking spray.


2. Moisten all four edges of a wrapper with the beaten egg, and then place a scant teaspoonful of the filling into the center. Take two adjacent corners (not opposite, that is) and bring them together, then bring up the other two corners, and then press all four down onto the center, closing it into a little package.*


3. Brush the top with more egg and repeat over and over and over until you are sick of the sight of them!
   


4. Before placing the sheet in the oven, spray them with the cooking spray, then bake for 9-12 minutes, or until the tops brown. Serve with dipping sauce.
   

I usually make them in advance and then reheat them for 3 minutes in the microwave. Alternately, you can reheat them in a 300-degree oven for 15 minutes.

*You may fold them in different ways, too; just simply fold them over into little triangles or into little envelopes. If you are using different fillings, it’s good to choose different folds just to differentiate them.

Fillings:

Beef filling: Brown approximately 1 lb ground beef (chuck, round or sirloin, but a leaner cut is better) and drain the fat. Then in a large bowl, mix the meat with chopped scallions, toasted sesame seeds and soy sauce or House of Tsang’s Korean-style Teriaki marinade (available at Price Chopper).

If you are baking these rather than frying them, YOU MUST cook the beef ahead of time. You can make these more traditionally by simmering them in broth, deep-frying or pan-frying. In those cases, you do not have to pre-cook the meat.

Crab rangoon filling: 6oz lump crab meat mixed with chopped scallions, 1 T soy sauce, diced pimento and 8oz softened cream cheese. Serve those mandu with Sweet and Sour sauce.

Tofu filling: mash tofu with a little tabasco, chopped scallions, cream cheese, sesame seeds and soy sauce. Use the same dipping sauce as the meat-filled mandu.

Dipping Sauce (Chojang):

3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
sliced green onion

Lucy demonstrates a few of the steps in making mandu:

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Chicken Tetrazzini

When I was growing up, our school hot lunch menu boasted chicken or turkey tetrazzini every week. I remember trying it once and nearly gagging at the overly-salty thick sauce and the texture of the mushy peas and limp slivered almonds. I swore never to eat anything tetrazzini ever again.

Then, a few years ago, I hosted Christmas for the first time and despite having a houseful of dinner guests, I found myself staring at a plate of leftover turkey meat piled high. There was no way, I thought, that we could possibly get through all of that meat just by eating turkey sandwiches, so I delved into my then-new copy of The Joy of Cooking, desperate for recipes for leftover turkey.

I recall shuddering when I turned the page and glanced down at "Chicken or Turkey Tetrazzini," but as my eyes strolled over the ingredients I thought that it didn't sound half-bad. Why not, right? After all, even though the school lunch pizzas were among the worst I have ever had, I certainly do not shun pizza. Perhaps I had just never had good tetrazzini.

Well, it was delicious, but really, with a luscious sauce made from heavy cream, milk, broth and freshly grated parm, how could it be otherwise?


I make this quite often after I have made a roast chicken, and I have made some adjustments to suit the palates of my kids:

• no almonds - they are not fans of random nuts in their main dishes;
  


• rotini instead of spaghetti or fettucine - if it si a baked pasta dish, they prefer elbows, penne or twisty pasta shapes
  


• individual dishes - this goes straight back to Hell's Kitchen. They are mightily impressed by individual baking dishes; they said that it looks fancier and fancier is usually better. :)
  

Chicken Tetrazzini

Ingredients:

• Cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
• butter
• olive oil
• 4 oz. cremini mushrooms (baby bellas/Italian brown mushrooms), sliced
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• fresh thyme
• sherry
• 2 T flour
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• salt
• pepper
• nutmeg
• cooked pasta (I cooked up 1/2 of a 1-lb box)
• green peas (cooked)
  
• freshly grated parm
• panko
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
   


2. Melt 1 T butter and 2 T olive oil in a large skillet. Saute the mushrooms over medium-high heat until the mushroom liquid evaporates, about 8 minutes.
   


3. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another 2 minutes,
   


4. Add the sherry and stir well until the liquid reduces. Turn off the heat and add the shredded, cooked chicken to the skillet, mixing to coat well. Fold in the peas, set aside.
   


5. In a sauce pan, melt 1 1/2 T butter over medium high heat. Add about 3 tablespoons of flour to make a roux. Add the broth, milk, cream, nutmeg salt and pepper, cover and bring to a near-boil. Uncover and reduce heat to low and simmer until thick, about 10 minutes.
   


6. Add 1/2 cup grated parm and stir well.
   


7. Divide the chicken and mushroom mixture into 4 mini casserole dishes, and ladle the sauce over the mixture. Top with panko and more grated parm.
   


8. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the top starts to brown.
   

If you double this recipe, it should fit into a 2-quart casserole dish and serve 6 quite nicely.

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Red Beans and Rice

This is my adaptation of a classic Cajun recipe. I took some shortcuts by using canned kidney beans instead of cooking a mess of beans with a ham hock. I also added canned tomatoes which I know is a somewhat nontraditional addition to this dish, but my God, it is so tasty! The purists may scoff, but really, they should try it.

I did use the Holy Trinity of Cajun and Creole cooking though, that special Cajun mirepoix of celery, onion and green bell pepper, so perhaps I get a few points for effort if not a gold star for authenticity.

Either way, this is a hearty, spicy dish that helps warm me up on a blustery day.

Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• ½ green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Creole/Cajun seasoning
• 1 lb. Andouille sausage, sliced (I used an entire package of Gaspar’s)
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
• Water
• Tomato paste
• Red wine
• Thyme
• 1 15 oz can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  

Directions

1. In a large, deep skillet, saute onion, celery and green pepper until soft.
   


2. Add garlic and sauté for 5 minutes more.
   


3. Push the sautéed veggies to the sides of the skillet and dump in the sliced andouille.
   


4. Sprinkle with creole seasoning.
   


5. Cook until the sausage is browned, stirring frequently.
   


6. Add the can of diced tomatoes, juice and all, add some more creole seasoning, mix well, lower heat and simmer, covered.
   


7. After 30 minutes or so, add 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and a bit of wine (1/4 cup or so).
   


8. Mix well, and add 1T thyme. Let cook down some more.
   


9. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more creole seasoning to taste. You may add more tomato paste and water for the consistency you like.
   


10. Add the drained kidney beans, cover and let simmer a while longer.
    


11. Serve over rice.
    

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Pizza for Shannon

Pizza is a staple in my house. I might go so far as to say that pizza is the staff of life. We have Pizza & Movie Night as often as we can, and as nice as it is to get take out pizza, nothing, and I do mean nothing, beats a good homemade pizza.

I have showed my daughters how to pat out the dough and make their own personal pizzas, which delighted them. Now they don't bicker over toppings or who got more slices. It's really the perfect answer, plus they get the pleasure of cooking with Mommy. My older daughter likes watching me make the dough. I know that she is dying to give kneading the dough a try. She is already pretty adept at using a box grater to shred the block of mozzarella - I just have to be sure that she does not sneak huge handfuls of the cheese when I am not looking! The littler one loves to help out too by assembling the topping ingredients. So all told, it is time together well spent and well enjoyed.

As far as toppings go, sometimes I want something really simple, like a plain old super-cheesy pizza or a spicy pepperoni pizza; other times I get all fancy with the toppings. One of my favorites has kalamata olives, artichoke hearts and feta with a sun-dried tomato pesto. It is a fairly oily and salty pizza from the brines and the feta, but on top of a cracker-thin crust and paired with some really good cheese, it is absolutely sublime.

So yeah, we take our pizza fairly seriously here. No Boboli crusts or pizza dough from a packet for me. A few weeks ago, my friend Shannon asked me for my pizza dough recipe because she said she wanted to start making pizza from scratch. I have experiemented with different dough recipes, but have settled on this, my basic pizza dough recipe. It is fairly fast-acting,and very versatile, but you have to be careful about the type of yeast you use.

Pizza

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 T RapidRise Yeast
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Italian seasoning (optional)
• garlic powder(optional)
• onion powder (optional)



• 1 cup hot water (between 120-130 F)
• 2 T olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450. You want the kitchen to be good and warm.
   


2. Put 2 cups of the flour in a large bowl along with the yeast granules, salt and Italian seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder.
   


3. Mix very well with a whisk, breaking up any clumps.
   


4. Test the temperature of the water (very important when you are using RapidRise yeast). When it is about 125 F, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon until all of the water is incorporated.
   


5. On a well-floured surface (I just use a clean counter) dump out the dough. At this point it is a wet, scary-looking, shaggy mess. Don't worry. You still have 1 cup of flour nearby.
   


6. Knead the dough and work in the extra flour one small handful at a time. It takes a good 4-6 minutes to get the right amount of flour in. Because there is oil in it, the dough will still be slightly tacky, though not sticky. If it's sticky, keep adding flour. You will use as little as 1/2 cup of flour and maybe even the entire cup. You'd be surprised what a different the humidity of the air can make.
   
   How I like to knead: I fold over half the dough and press it in, then I turn the whole ball of dough a quarter turn, and keep on folding and pressing, adding more flour to the counter and to the dough as it absorbs.
   


7. Once the dough is slightly silky, shape it into a ball, re-flour a bit of the counter, set the ball on it and dust it with more loose flour then cover it with a cloth. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes, longer is better, like 30 minutes.
   


8. When you are ready to shape it, remove the cloth. It ought to have risen nicely - if it did not, chances are the kitchen is too cold or the yeast died. So sad. :(
   
   Punch it down and divide it into pieces. It makes 2 12-inch pizzas or 4 smaller personal pizzas. or, if you are careful and patient, 3 10-inch pizzas with cracker-thin crusts.
   


9. Oil a pan with olive oil (or cooking spray).
   


10. Place the ball of dough in the center, and starting in the middle of the ball, flatten it gently. DO NOT PULL or STRETCH THE DOUGH That will just rip holes in it. With your fingertips, press down, gently flattening the dough. It is elastic and will stretch out if you are patient. I turn the pan as I do it to keep it even. If you find that the dough is a little bit resistant and springs back into a smaller shape, put it aside near the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes. The heat will help relax the dough until it's ready to be patted out to a large circle.
    


11. Optional- let it sit in a warm spot and rise 10 minutes... OR
    


12. Top it immediately with sauce and toppings.
    


13. Bake in a wicked hot oven (450 F) for 9-12 minutes. It really depends on the thickness of your crust, the accuracy of your oven, how may toppings you have. At about 9 minutes in, check on it.
    


14. Let sit for a good 5 minutes before slicing.
    

Notes:

• Flour I prefer bread flour, but all-purpose works fine too, especially with 1 tablespoon of gluten per cup of flour, but if you have only All Purpose flour, that will be just fine. All the extra gluten does is give the dough a bit more structure. If you like a really cracker-thin crust, though, you might not need the extra gluten.
  


• Yeast I have made this with regular old active yeast (non Bread machine, non RapidRise), and have had good results, even with a shorter rising time, although it will probably NOT be ready in just a 10-minute rise. Plan on at least a 30-minute rise PLUS a second rise for 10 minutes once you have the dough patted into shape.
  


• Kneading Your first time with this recipe may be weird, especially if you are not used to kneading. This starts out as a very rough, sticky dough, so you have to be generous with the flour and don't be gentle with the dough either. Work that flour in there. It is TOTALLY therapeutic and definitely worth it.
  


• Optional Seasonings I have been using this recipe for, no joke, 10 years now. I only recently hit on adding garlic powder and onion powder to the dry ingredients at the start. The kids both commented on how awesome it was. You can add finely grated parm too if you like, though really I like to save the cheese for the topping.
  
  You may use a bit of whole wheat flour too, but I would not substitute more than 1 cup of the AP flour for WW. After that point you really have to do some fancy finagling and add extra gluten to get the texture right. JMO.
  


• Pans I really like the perforated pizza pans, especially if I go a little heavy-handed with the toppings. Sometimes a lot of raw veggies can make things a bit soggy.
  
  However, when the girls make their own personal pizzas, I just use cookie sheets. If you really like a thicker crust, I would suggest using a perforated pan and lowering the heat to 400/425 and baking it longer.
  
  If you have a pizza stone, then I am jealous.
  


• Adjustments This recipe halves very well to make one pizza. You can also take those halved measurements and add it to the regular recipe to make 3 pizzas. It also doubles nicely to make an obscene amount of pizza.
  
  ALSO! If you make the regular batch but decide that you just aren't feeling gluttonous enough to eat 2 whole pizzas in one sitting, you can take the 2nd ball of dough and put it in a plastic bread bag and stick it in the fridge. Give it some room in the bag because it WILL expand.
  
  When you are ready to make it, say, the next day, take it out and let it come to room temperature. Then shape to fit the pan, top, bake and devour.

Gallery of Pizzas

Here is my younger daughter's favorite, your standard pepperoni pizza.

She really patted out the dough on her own after I got her started with the ball of dough. The first time she made this, she layered the pepperoni slices on so thickly, it looked as though the pizza was shellacked with pepperoni!

She ended up pulling off almost all of them, but she still devoured the pizza.




This is my older daughter's specialty: the stuffed-crust, super-cheesey pizza.

She pats out the dough extra wide so that the crusts are super thin and hanging over the edge of the pan. Then she takes string cheese and rips it into long, thin shreds, places them around the perimeter and rolls up the extra crust around it.

She finishes it off by mounding it with shredded mozzarella and grated parmigiano and pecorino.




My most recent pizza, this is a white pizza topped with andouille, red potato and a sprinkling of thyme.

I really wanted something different and was not in the mood for a tomato sauce base.


It was really, really delicious. Tweet

Spaghetti Bolognese

Ok, actually this recipe is not a traditional ragu alla bolognese with its rich, milk-simmered cut of beef and pancetta, but it is more than simply "Spaghetti with Meat Sauce."

This recipe churns out such a lovely, thick succulent sauce of meat, herbs and tomatoes that it is almost chili-like. In fact, when I am avoiding carbs, I will eat just a bowl of this and call it "Italian Chili." I bet if I tossed in some white cannellini beans this would be over-the-top good.

You might say that nothing is worth waiting the hours it takes to cook, but in fact you would be wrong. I usually let this simmer on the stove for a few hours, letting all that collagen in the meat break down into gelatin, though it can be ready about 3 hours after you start.

Topped with some freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and a chiffonade of fresh basil, you have a satisfying and sublime dish.

See? I ate this last night with no pasta, just a bowl full of sauce. It was insanely delicious.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large onions, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• pounds lean ground beef
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 (14 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes, juice reserved
  
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 T dried basil
• 1 T minced sundried tomato and garlic* (See Notes)
  
• ½ cup red wine
• 1 T minced sundried tomato and garlic
  

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until onions are tender. Stir in red bell pepper and saute 2 minutes.
   


2. Place ground beef in the skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Stir in beef broth, diced tomatoes (without the juice), wine and tomato paste. Bring to a boil and add celery, bay leaves and Italian seasoning.
   


3. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour, or until sauce thickens. Check from time to time and stir, making sure that it is not sticking and burning. You don't want this to scorch.
   


4. Add 1 tablespoon of the minced sundried tomato and garlic, 1 T of basil and let simmer for another hour.
   


5. Remove the bay leaves, add ½ cup of red wine, the reserved tomato juice and the final tablespoon of minced sundried tomato and garlic, raise the heat slightly, uncover and let cook down if necessary.
   


6. Serve over pasta.
   

Even better the next day.

Notes:

• About the sundried tomatoes and garlic - I often buy California brand minced sun-dried tomato with garlic, but if I can't find that, I will substitute jarred sun-dried tomato pesto.
  
  Barring that, I make my own mixture by dumping 1/4 cup of sun-dried tomatoes into a bowl and covering them with really hot, near-boiling water and let them sit and rehydrate.
  
  Then I chop them finely and add minced garlic and a wee bit of olive oil and let them sit for about 30 minutes.
  


• Be sure to use your largest skillet or good-sized dutch oven, because this makes a ton of sauce.
  

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Black Bean Soup

This soup is replete with tomato flavor, so if you are looking for a more deeply "beany" soup like the kind at Panera, you'll have to look elsewhere. Like that other soup, this is deeply satisfying on those cold winter months.

The fresh cilantro in this dish makes a pretty bold flavor note, so if you happen to be one of those people who absolutely cannot abide cilantro, don't worry, it's plenty flavorful without it.

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• ½ cup black beans, dried 
• 1 bay leaf
• pinch (less than 1/8 teaspoon) baking soda - See Notes
• water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• ½ red bell pepper chopped
• ½ hot green pepper, chopped
• ½ teaspoon chipotle chili seasoning*
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
• ¼ cup salsa
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• fresh cilantro, chopped plus additional (to garnish)
• Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Soak the beans overnight or do a quick soak by placing the dried beans in a medium sauce pan with enough water to cover twice over. Add a pinch of baking soda and bring to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit, covered for 2 hours.


2. Drain the beans and rinse very well. Then place beans back in the saucepan.


3. Add 3 cups water and bay leaf.


4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and let cook 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until beans are tender. Check the water level occasionally, adding more as necessary.


5. Remove bay leaf. Drain the beans.


6. In a medium sauce pan, over medium-high heat, sauté onion, and shallots in olive oil until they become soft and translucent.


7. Add the celery, hot pepper and bell pepper and saute for another 5 minutes.


8. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.


9. Add the chipotle chili seasoning, the can of tomatoes and vegetable broth and bring to a rolling boil.


10. Add the drained, cooked beans.


11. Reduce heat and simmer 5-7 minutes longer.


12. Remove about half of the mixture to a blender and puree return pureed soup to the pot - or if you have an immersion blender, use it in the pot.


13. Stir in the salsa and about 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro.


14. Taste to adjust seasoning. Add the cumin and more chipotle chili seasoning if necessary.


15. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a healthy dose of Greek yogurt (or sour cream if you prefer) and a few more sprigs of cilantro.

* Chipotle Chili Seasoning

I made this to replace the sodium-laden packet of taco seasoning for that 7-layer Taco dip. It was so good, that I've decided to use it in everything that might be considered remotely Mexican.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder, or pulverized dried chipotle chili
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika - if you can find pimentón, smoked Spanish paprika, use this
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.


2. Store in an airtight container, like an empty spice jar.

Notes:

1. Adding baking soda to the soaking phase is supposed to help reduce the gas factor of the beans. I honestly do not know if this is real or just another kitchen myth, but in my experience, it seems to work. Then again, I also take Beano some of the time. I am also used to a diet rich in beans and legumes, so perhaps it doesn't effect me as harshly as it does others.


2. For a "beanier" taste, you could add the beans' cooking liquid in lieu of some of the vegetable broth.


3. More fun links dealing with the cilantro issue:
   
   • Why Do People Hate Cilantro?
   • Fuck yeah, Cilantro
   • NPR: Getting to the Root of the Great Cilantro Divide
   • Science Blogs: Do You Love or Hate Cilantro?

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Aloo Gobi

This past weekend, I had an intense craving for Indian food. While there are a few good Indian places near me, I love to fill up the house with the amazing smells as cumin seeds toast in hot oil and then mingle with the other distinctive seasonings in the various curry sauces.

Plus, you have to admit, it's way cheaper to make it yourself.

I had a large menu planned, but I found that I was missing a few key ingredients. I would have had to drag along a sick child to the grocery store for the three missing ingredients, and I finally decided that the risk (child puking all over the produce section) was not worth the reward (green pea and potato samosas). Fear not, I will make those samosas soon.

In the end, I settled for Aloo Gobi, Onion Kulcha and Mango Chutney.

Aloo Gobi (Cauliflower-Potato Curry)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
  
• Large bunch of fresh coriander, separated into stalks and leaves and roughly chopped
• Small green chilies, diced
  
• 1 head of cauliflower, leaves removed and cut evenly into eighths
• 3 large potatoes, cut into even pieces
• 1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes with juice
• Fresh ginger, peeled and diced
  
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 2 green cardamom pods
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• mirch achaar (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan.
   


2. Add the chopped onion and one tablespoon of cumin seeds to the oil.
   


3. Stir together and cook until onions become soft and translucent.
   


4. Add chopped coriander stalks, two teaspoons of turmeric, and one teaspoon of salt.
   


5. Add chopped chili peppers - more or less according to taste.
   


6. Stir tomatoes into onion mixture, reserving the juice.
   


7. Add ginger and garlic; mix thoroughly.
   


8. Add potatoes to the sauce plus the reserved tomato juice and a few tablespoons of water. Stir well.
   


9. Toss in the green cardamom pods.
   


10. Cover and let cook for 10 minutes, then add the cauliflower.
    


11. Stir thoroughly so that the cauliflower is coated with the curry sauce.
    


12. Cover and allow to simmer for twenty minutes (or until potatoes are cooked). You will want to stir from time to time to make sure that it's not sticking. Add more water as necessary.
    


13. Add two teaspoons of garam masala and stir.
    


14. Taste to check the seasoning. Now is when I add the chopped mirch achaar (pickled hot chili peppers) for added kick.
    


15. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top of the curry.
    


16. Turn off the heat, cover, and leave for as long as possible before serving.

Notes:

1. If you like spice, you can use 2 14-oz cans of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chillies instead of the plain tomatoes.

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