Recipe Testing: Coconut Bean Curry (Lobia) & Basic Roti

Back again, with more delicious previews of Terry Hope Romero's International Cookbook, scheduled to be published this Fall.  

Above, we have Coconut Bean Curry (Lobia)  Another winner!  I loved this, and found it has GREAT heat from the cayenne (3/4 t!) which balanced nicely with the cool cream of the coconut milk. A squeeze of lime juice at the end added a perfect bright, fresh flavor. A nice change from tomato based bean curries that I tend to make so often.

Since I ususally don’t have black eyed peas on hand, I used 1 can of chickpeas and 1 can of pintos. No fresh cilantro on hand this time, so I topped with some chopped scallions, because I like some green! I will definitely make this again. The use of canned beans makes this a great weeknight meal. Like another reviewer suggested, I might experiment with adding baby spinach, or maybe some cauliflower next time.

There is nothing like making fresh flat bread. A tender and warm roti, right off the skillet and served alongside your favorite curry is pure paradise!  

I’ve made this recipe twice now (once in the very beginning of the testing process, and then again last week). First time was ok, because I wasn't really sure what I was doing, and used a crappy pan.  The second time was wonderful, after I watched this delightful video on YouTube (below) from Manjula's Kitchen, about kneading and cooking the roti on hot cast iron.  I am a very visual person, and sometimes just reading a description of a cooking technique I've never used before isn't always enough for me.  Please, check out her videos. If you are a lover of authentic vegetarian Indian curry, as I am, I'm sure you will enjoy them immensely! NAMASTE :)

Now for Terry's recipe:  I really liked the mix of wheat and white flour, as I do not usually have atta flour on hand. The only hitch I had, was that the directions under “For Simple Roti” has the heat level listed as "high". I have an electric glass top stove, and my high is HIGH, almost too high to cook anything other than pasta water. So I need to keep my cast iron pan on medium to medium high at the most, or else they burn.

Asian Fusion Night

Kathy and I have done it again! LEFT: Spicy Coconut Red Thai Curry served over Jasmine Rice (not pictured) RIGHT: Vegetable Tofu Lettuce Wraps with spicy hoisin OR sweet peanut sauce.

SPICY COCONUT RED THAI CURRY

This dish comes together so quickly and tasted amazing.  I originally got the idea from my Aunt Jean, who makes this curry for her fabulous parties, mainly because it's so quick and easy, and tastes like you've slaved over it for hours.  The key ingredient is authentic Thai curry paste, which can be found at most Asian markets.

When I was in Baltimore a couple weeks ago, I took a walk, and found the most wonderful Asian grocery.  I came home with this:



quite a haul, indeed

The thai curry paste I used in this dish is the very top can, next to the panko, called Panang Curry by the brand Maesri.  Close up of the can here:

When buying Thai curry pastes, be sure to check ingredient list on the back, as some types do contain fish sauce.  I've found that the Panang (above), Red and Yellow curry pastes are vegan, whereas the Green usually have fish sauce in them.  I will keep on the lookout for a vegan "Green" curry, as those are SUPER spicy which I like!

INGREDIENTS:

What makes my Aunt Jean's recipe so wonderfully versatile is that you can use just about anything you like!  The vegetables I used in this particular one were: 1/2 a yellow pepper, 1/2 a red pepper. 1/2 red onion, 2 carrots, 1 can bamboo shoots, chopped, and the white parts of 2 scallions, all sliced.



Now, for the protein, I used 2 loaves of homemade, Steamed White Seitan from VIVA VEGAN that I had in the freezer.  If you don't have this amazing book, the recipe for the home made seitan can be found here.   Ideally, I probably would have omitted the cumin in the seitan recipe, as this seitan is meant for Latin-style dishes.  But, it's what I had on hand, the cumin wasn't too strong, and the Panang red curry sauce is a strong enough flavor to cover it.  (And, by using it  I've discovered that the steamed white seitan freezes EXTREMELY well)! Now if seitan isn't your thing, this dish works wonderfully with a package of extra firm tofu, cubed and browned with a bit of the curry paste added in for flavor.

For this recipe, I sliced the defrosted seitan into bite size pieces, and sauteed them in some canola oil and shallot until brown.  Then, I stirred in about 1 TBSP of the panang curry paste, and sauteed a few minutes more.  I then removed the seitan from the pan and set aside while I cooked the vegetables.

In the same pan, I sauted the veggies in a bit of canola oil for about 5 minutes. At this point, my Aunt would add fish sauce to hers, but I used about a tbsp of Braggs liquid aminos instead.  I find that really works well to replace the fish sauce called for in many Thai dishes. Then I added the curry paste, mixed it through the vegetables, and sauteed for another minute or two. I used about 1/2 a can (I had used about 1/4 can to sautee the seitan)  Cut back on the paste if you don't like too much heat, but I like it spicy. Finally, I added about half a can of light coconut milk (Trader Joe's 14 1/2 oz can). Simmer for 5- 10 minutes, then top with chopped scallions and basil. Serve it over Jasmine rice ^_^

Farmer's Market Fun

This recipe was inspired from the lovely little butternut squashes at the Farmer's Market last week.

I used my recipe: Sweet Potato Curry With Spinach and Chickpeas as a base, switched the sweet potatoes for butternut squash, and added a can of coconut milk, and came up with this!

Butternut Squash Coconut Curry

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
1-2 teaspoon canola oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon cinnamon
10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cubed
curry powder, salt and pepper for sprinkling over squash
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can light coconut milk
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped for garnish
basmati rice or brown rice, for serving



Directions
1. Place cubed butternut squash on a foil lined baking sheet, sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Sprinkle generously with curry powder, salt and pepper, and roast at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until tender. You still want them to hold their shape when added to the curry, and not be mush :>.
3. While squash cooks, heat 1-2 tsp of canola oil over medium heat.
4. Add onions and a little bit of salt, and sauté 2-3 minutes, or until they begin to soften.
5. Next, add the curry powder, cumin, coriander and cinnamon, and stir to coat the onions evenly with spices.
6. Add tomatoes with their juices, and the chickpeas, stir to combine.
7. Next, add the spinach, stirring to coat with cooking liquid.
8. When all the spinach is added to the pan, cover and simmer until just wilted, about 3 minutes.
9. Add coconut milk and gently stir to combine.
10. Finally, add the roasted butternut squash to the liquid, and stir to coat.
11. Top with fresh chopped cilantro (optional) and serve over basmati rice (I like brown basmati).

I did take the time to toast and grind whole cumin and coriander, but feel free to use the already-ground versions of these spices as well.

Also, roasting your butternut squash with some salt pepper and curry powder brings a wonderfully deep and caramelized flavor to your curry.