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This is a recipe adapted from one I found online. Obviously, the fake meat doesn't do it justice, but the fennel seeds add a freshness to this dish that you do not normally find with everyday Indian meals.
Ingredients:
"Lamb" - any fake meat will do here. You can use a couple of blocks of thawed, frozen tofu (freezing tofu gives it a chewier texture). Or rehydrate some TVP or other dried faked meat to get about 16 oz. of it once drained of liquid.
1 onion, sliced to medium thickness
1 bell pepper, sliced to medium thickness
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
5-6 curry leaves
4 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 shallot, minced
1 tbs black pepper (ground fresh)
1 tsp white pepper
Greek yogurt, as needed
Salt, to taste
Instructions:
Marinate the tofu or TVP with salt and yogurt so that it is adequately coated. Mix in the garlic. Place in a ziplock bag and leave to rest in the fridge for a couple of hours.
When ready to cook, heat a stainless steel pan with a teaspoon of oil. Add the cumin, fennel, coriander, and curry leaves. When fragrant, add the shallots, and lower to medium-low heat. After about a minute, add the onions. When the onions are light brown, add in the tofu or TVP, with any yogurt mixture remaining, and mix in. Add the black and white peppers, and mix well. After about five minutes, add the peas and green peppers, and mix in. Add salt as needed.
Continue cooking for another ten minutes at low heat to allow the flavors to permeate through the tofu or TVP. You may need to add water periodically to prevent sticking and burning.
Garnish with cilantro, and serve hot with roti and a side salad.
This is a variation on the Gobi Manchurian recipe. If you don't want to fry up the cauliflower or make the "bhajiya." Just gather up your favorite vegetables (I wouldn't do karela, but that's just me) and give them a nice saute. Finish with the manchurian sauce and serve with steamed rice.
These days, on the weekend, we make a little bread for the week. Its really cool what a little flour and a KitchenAid mixer can do in an afternoon. It's certainly not artisan bread, but the results are pretty good. This is a quick and easy recipe for wheat bread with a little flax seed for added nutrition. I used a KitchenAid mixer for the kneading, but you can do this by hand as well.
Ingredients:*
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2 1/4 tbs honey
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tbs flax seed
2 tbs melted butter
1 tbs honey
1 1/2 tsp fine salt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
Instructions:
Place the warm water, yeast, honey, flax seed, and bread flour in the bowl of the mixer, and set on mix speed for about a minute. Once, a rough doughy mixture forms, leave it alone for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.
Add the melted butter, extra honey, salt, and whole wheat flour. Set the mixer on speed 2, and knead with the dough hook. After several minutes, the dough should look elastic and springy.
Stop the mixer, and empty the dough out on a floured counter. Form the dough into a tight ball and place in a greased bowl. Cover with a wet towel and allow the dough to rise and double in size (about 45 mins.).
After the dough has risen, punch the dough down to remove any air bubbles, and shape into a greased loaf pan. Cover with a wet towel and allow to double in size (about 30 mins.). Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, with the tray positioned in the middle of the oven. Place an oven-proof pan filled with water in the bottom-most tray.
After the dough has risen again, place the loaf pan in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. Once baked, carefully remove the bread on to a cooling rack, and allow to cool thoroughly before storing.
* The ingredient quantities are estimates. So, it may take some trial and error before you perfect this recipe.
