May 8, 2021

trinidad chickpea and potato curry

Overview

Time: 35 minutes
Dishes: large pot, rice cooker


Hello, hello Dear Readers!

This Trinidad recipe comes courtesy of my son's mother-in-law. I'd say it comes courtesy of my son-in-law, but he doesn't cook and never learned. My son learned this recipe directly from his husband's mother. This is very near and dear to both my son and son-in-law and they make it every few weeks or so.

I completely understand why - it is delicious and ridiculously easy to make! This is another dish where it is best to start making the rice first because the curry is done so quickly! 

The original version of this recipe uses about 6 tablespoons of oil (neutral oil is best if using this amount) and a half cup of brown sugar, so if you want the very authentic version, bump up my quantities accordingly. 

For an everyday recipe, I recommend using the proportions I gave, which does have my son-in-law's stamp of approval. In fact, they both say that it is too close in flavor to the original to not go the healthier route. 

Also, my recipe uses my homemade curry powder (get it HERE), which I HIGHLY recommend. Buying curry powder at the store will leave your curry a bit flat, unless you know the spices were ground recently. That is something near impossible to tell with a store-bought curry powder. Making your own takes about 10 minutes and lasts about 3 months (for optimal flavor). 

I know the recipe and the ingredients look too easy and simple to possibly produce anything amazing, but the sum of the parts is absolutely delicious! 

Deep appreciation is sent to my son-in-law's mother. I hope she has a few more recipes she's willing to share!

If you need inspiration for your weekly menu, check out ours HERE.


Enjoy!




Speedy Cooking Tips:

  • Start the rice first.
  • Peel the potatoes and drain the chickpeas (reserve aquafaba; freeze if not using within a few days).
  • Prepare the water to add to the curry.
  • Measure the sugar, salt, garlic and salt-free seasoning while the water comes to a boil, after adding the chickpeas and potatoes.
  • Wash the spinach while the curry cooks.
 


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Trinidad Chickpea and Potato Curry

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com

Makes 4 servings 

weekday

 

2 cups rice, any kind

2 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons curry powder (store-bought or Zsu’s Curry Powder)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 - 3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic granules or powder

1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning (like Mrs. Dash)

5 ounces baby spinach (optional)

 

1. Rice: Cook the rice as desired, in a rice cooker or Instant Pot.

2. Base: Have the 2 cups of water ready next to the pot to avoid burning the curry powder. Add the oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add the curry powder and cumin seeds, mix well. Cook very briefly to awaken the flavors and then immediately add the water.   

3. Potatoes:  Add the potatoes, chickpeas, sugar, salt, garlic and salt-free seasoning to the Base. Mix well, bring to boil over high heat, and reduce to medium heat to simmer. Partly cover and cook until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is well reduced, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir once or twice toward the end of the cooking. Taste and adjust seasoning.  

4. Spinach (optional): Stir in the spinach. Cook to wilt, about 1 minute and serve.


 




© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.






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May 3, 2021

making curry powder



Welcome to Making Mondays, dear Readers! 


Today's Making Monday recipe is Curry Powder. I know - you can buy curry powder at any store. But I ask you, how do you know how long it's been on the store shelf before you picked it up? I say to you that making your own curry powder returns your investment of time in spades.

The most obscure ingredient is fenugreek seeds, so you can skip it if you must, but if you can get ahold of some (at Indian grocers or Amazon) , it adds a wonderful aromatic and flavorful component to the curry powder - and your kitchen. 

I think making your own curry powder elevates whatever dish you add it to, be it an Asian, African or American dish. I find myself reaching for curry powder quite often and am always elated when I open my jar; the aroma is so fragrant and smells delicious.

Making it is simple: you toast the whole seeds, allow them to cool a bit and add those and paprika and turmeric to a personal blender. Use a piece of paper rolled into a tube that is wider at the top to act as  a funnel for the transfer of the seeds. Blend into a powder and store. 

This recipe makes one spice jar's worth and will keep for about 3 months. Store it in the freezer if you use it infrequently, but mine hasn't lasted 3 months at any point.

It is VERY important that you add the paprika to the blender and not the skillet to avoid burning it. If you burn the paprika, even slightly, it will impart an unpleasant bitter flavor to the powder. 

Below is the step by step.

Enjoy!




(Printer-friendly doesn't seem to be so friendly. Just select the text between the arrows (including the white space to add margin on the top), right-click, select Print, and now it's printer-friendly. Can also be saved as PDF:  choose Save as PDF in Destination drop-down, instead of a printer.)





.

Making Zsu's Curry Powder

Makes 1/3 cup

www.ZsusVeganPantry.com




1/4 cup coriander seeds

2 teaspoons black peppercorn 

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds


2 tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoons turmeric


1. Toast: Add the coriander, peppercorn, cumin and fenugreek seeds to a medium skillet over medium heat. Toast the seeds until they smell nutty, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.

2. Blend: Add the seeds to a personal blender. Add the paprika and turmeric. Use the flat blade, if possible:

3. Blend well into a powder. Transfer to an air-tight container and store away from light.





© 2021 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.











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