Curried Split Pea Soup

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2005

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 12 ounces dried green or yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon curry powder

Directions

Place the butter into a large (4 to 6-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sweat for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, making certain not to allow onions or garlic to brown.

Add the peas, chicken broth and curry powder. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook at a simmer until the peas are tender and not holding their shape any longer, approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Using care and a stick blender, puree the soup until the desired consistency. Watch out for hot splatters.

Batata Bhaji

Holy Cow
Ingredients:

5 medium potatoes, boiled in their jackets and diced. ( don't peel the potato skin, most of the nutrients in the potato sit right under the skin so by peeling the potato you will turn this healthy veggie into a blob of tasty but starchy nothingness-- well, almost.)

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 green chillies, like serrano, minced 1 tbsp grated ginger

10-15 curry leaves, chopped

½ tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

¼ cup coriander leaves

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp canola oil

Heat the oil in a skillet.


Add the cumin seeds and asafetida. When the seeds sputter, add the onions and curry leaves and green chillies and saute until the onion turns transparent, about five minutes on medium heat. 

Add the ginger and turmeric and saute a few more seconds. Add the potatoes and stir them in to combine with the oil and spices.


Mash down the potatoes with a potato masher or a heavy ladle so some of the pieces break up but others remain mostly intact. You want the potatoes to start turning slightly golden and crusty at the bottom of the pan.

Add salt and lemon juice and mix well. Garnish with the coriander seeds or, if you like, some grated coconut.

Pattypan (Flying Saucer Squash) Kootu

Ingredients:

2 medium pattypan squash, diced into very small cubes (about 1 cm)

3/4 cup tuvar dal (yellow split peas)

1 sprig curry leaves (optional)

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1 tsp canola or other vegetable oil

Salt to taste

For masala:

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp blackgram dal (udad dal)

1 tbsp chana dal (Bengalgram dal)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 cup shredded coconut

2-3 dry red chilies

1 tbsp black peppercorns

1 tsp canola or other vegetable oil

Pressure-cook the split yellow peas until mashably soft. (If you don't have a pressure cooker, use a saucepan and enough water to cover the lentils by about 2 inches. The lentils should take about 45 minutes to become mashably soft. Check often and stir to ensure that the water hasn't evaporated or the lentils will burn. Add more water if needed).

Fry masala ingredients in a teaspoon of oil. When the dals turn golden, remove to a blender and grind into a smooth paste along with coconut.

Heat the remaining teaspoon of oil and add mustard seeds and curry leaves, if using.

Add the pattypan squash and stir-fry for about five minutes or until it starts to get tender.

Add the ground masala and the cooked split peas and stir well.

Add more water if the kootu is too thick and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the flavors have blended together and the squash is very tender.

Add salt to taste.

Serve hot with rice and papads.

Ridiculously Easy Curry-Scrambled Tofu

Tofu can be either crumbled or cubed. Omit or reduce the salt to lower sodium. The black salt gives tofu a very eggy flavor but can be overpowering so use cautiously.

Ingredients

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

8 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

14 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained, dried off, and cubed or crumbled

1 teaspoon good curry powder (or more, to taste)

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (or to taste)

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

pinch black salt (kala namak), optional

Instructions

1. Heat a non-stick skillet. Spray it lightly with pan spray if you wish and add the chopped peppers and mushrooms. Cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two until mushrooms have darkened in color.

2. Stir in the tofu, sprinkle it with curry powder and ground red pepper, and pour the vegetable broth over it. Cook on medium-high, turning gently with a spatula, until most of the liquid is evaporated and tofu is hot and beginning to brown in places. Stir in salt to taste along with nutritional yeast and black salt, if using. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s) | Cooking time: 15 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 3

Curried Sweet Potato Soup

from The Essential New York Times Cookbook via joy

serves 6 to 8

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup coarsely chopped onions

1 large clove garlic, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

6 cups chicken broth, or slightly more as needed.

salt and pepper to taste

6 to 8 teaspoons goat cheese

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onions and saute until the onions begin to brown, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute, stirring for 30 seconds.  Add the ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric and red pepper flakes.  Add the sweet potatoes and broth and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.

Puree the soup, in batches in a blender or food processor.  Season to taste.  The soup can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge.  Reheat over a low flame.  If the soup is too thick, add a little more stock.

Baked Curry Sweet Potato Fries with Yogurt Dipping Sauce

By Joy the Baker

Makes 1 potatoes worth of fries.  This recipe is easily multiplied

1 plump sweet potato/yam/orange-fleshed potato, peeled

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/8 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Yogurt Sauce:

1/3 cup Greet yogurt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon olive oil

salt to taste

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Peel sweet potato and slice off the top  and bottom points of the potato.  With potato positioned north to south, use a large knife to slice potato into 1/3-inch potato planks.  Stack planks in two piles, and slice, north to south, into 1/3-inch sticks.  Fries!

Place potato sticks onto prepared baking sheet and toss with olive oil.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, add oil curry powder, cumin, turmeric, and crushed red pepper flakes and whisk to incorporate.  Pour the mixture over the potato sticks and gentle toss to coat the potatoes.

Place in the oven and bake to desired doneness and crispiness, my fries took about 40 minutes.  While the fries bake, stir together yogurt, cumin, olive oil and salt.  Place in a small serving dish.

Curried Lentil Sprout Sala

This dish is a favorite at our annual Block Party. It's a pretty decadent dressing,
but ooooh, it is really, Really Good!

Sprouts to Use

Peasant Mix

Any and All Lentils:

Crimson Lentils

French Blue Lentils

Green Lentils

Red Chief Lentils

etc.

Ingredients

Serves 1 as main course or 2 as a side

1 cup Lentil Sprouts or Peasant Mix
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbs. ketchup
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. dill weed
1/2 smallish red onion - diced
1/2 - 1 Tbs. curry powder
salt + pepper to taste
1 tomato - diced

Preparation

Chop veggies.
Mix all ingredients (except tomato) together by tossing gently.
Sprinkle diced tomato on top.

Serve

With pride.
Be sure to watch some of the folks first reactions when they taste this,
 and prepare yourself to tell them about it. They will be asking.

Notes

If this recipe doesn't prove that you can do ANYthing with sprouts, I don't know what will.

Feel free to substitute yogurt for the mayo and another tomato based product for the
ketchup -it is your kitchen after all!

We triple or quadruple this recipe for our parties. It is extremely popular.

Red Curry Soup with Rice

by IsaChandra

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced medium
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3/4 cups basmati or jasmine rice, rinsed
6 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons red curry paste
1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 can lite coconut milk
1 tablespoon agave syrup
Juice of one lime

Optional: fresh chopped cilantro to garnish

Preheat a 4 quart soup pot over medium heat. Saute onion in oil with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes or so, until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and saute a minute more.

Add rice, vegetable broth and salt, cover pot and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, lower heat to simmer. Mix in 2 tablespoons curry paste. Add kale and sweet potatoes. Cover pot and let simmer for about 15 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender.

Add coconut milk, agave and lime. Taste for salt and flavor. Add more curry paste if you like.

Remove from heat and serve immediately, or even better let it sit for 10 minutes to give the flavors a chance to meld. Top with fresh chopped cilantro if you like.

Mellow Lentil Soup

From 

Dreena's Vegan Recipes

MAKES 5–6 SERVINGS. WHEAT-FREE

1–1½ tbsp olive oil
1½ cups onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
¾ cup carrots, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
¾–1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp paprika
¼ tsp dried thyme
2 cups dry red lentils
3 cups vegetable stock
4–4½ cups water
2½–3 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped (see note)
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

In a large pot on medium heat, add oil, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, salt, pepper, curry powder, paprika, and dried thyme and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Rinse lentils. Add lentils, stock, and water and stir to combine. Increase heat to bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12–15 minutes. Add rosemary and simmer for another 8–10 minutes or more, until lentils are completely softened. Stir in vinegar, season to taste with additional salt and black pepper if desired.

Cooking Note: Fresh rosemary is exquisite in this soup, but if you don’t have it, you can use dried. However, add it at the beginning of the cooking process, along with the other dried spices, and use less—about 1 tsp.

Red Lentil Thai Chili

By Isa Chandra

Olive oil (1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons, however much you feel like using)

1 large yellow onion, diced medium

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced medium

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes cut into æ inch chunks

1 cup red lentils

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups vegetable broth

2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

1 15-ounce can low-fat coconut milk

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish

Limes for garnish (optional)

Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Sauté onions and pepper in oil with a pinch of salt, for 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and sauté a minute more.

Add chili powder, sweet potatoes, lentils, salt and vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. When lentils are cooked and sweet potatoes are tender, add the remaining ingredients and heat through.

Taste for salt and seasoning, top with cilantro and lime and serve!

Spinach "Chicken" Curry

Spinach "Chicken" Curry  From Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes.

(Makes 8 servings)

Ingredients:

1 10-oz package of frozen spinach, thawed in the microwave with a tablespoon of water. Puree in a blender and set aside.

1 package chicken.

2 cups mushrooms 

1 onion, minced

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

1 cup tomato puree

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp red chilli powder 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup of almonds, soaked in hot water for two hours, then pureed in a blender to a smooth paste with 1 cup water. (You can use pistachios which make this dish even more wonderful-- I didn't have any on hand this time. Cashews are also a good substitute)

Salt to taste

1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves

Juice of 1 lemon

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the onions and saute until brown spots start to appear, about five minutes over medium heat.

Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute another minute.

Add the tomato puree and the powdered spices and saute until the tomato darkens and starts to express oil from the sides.

Add the mushrooms and saute until they start to soften, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the vegan chicken chunks and saute another three to four minutes.

Add the spinach puree and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent any sticking, until the spinach darkens and all the water has evaporated.

Add the almond paste and 1/2 to 1 cup water (depending on how thick you want your curry) and bring to a boil.

Add lemon juice and salt to taste and turn off the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves.






(Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories 128; Protein 10.5 grams;  Dietary Fiber 4.1 grams; Total Fat: 5.8 grams (Saturated Fat 0.5 grams, Polyunsaturated Fat 1 gram; Monounsaturated Fat 3 grams); Carbohydrates 11.1 grams)

Curried Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Soup

This lovely recipe comes from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen and is really so delish! It's been one of my favorite so far. Although all the recipes I post are my faves. If I don't love it, then I don't post it. I loved it so much that it's going on the list for next week menus.

I didn't have chickpeas so I used corn. But, if I had been thinking i would of put in chicken. Since beans are there to provide protein. Also, I forgot to put in the peanut butter at the end. 

The soup was so good the way it was though. However, I do want to try it with the chickpeas and peanut butter. 

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon ginger paste or minced ginger root

1 small chile pepper, such as jalapeño or serrano, seeded and minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups vegetable broth (or water plus bouillon cubes)

1 pound sweet potatoes (about 1 large), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 tablespoon mild curry powder, divided

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large head cauliflower, separated into bite-sized flowerets

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

2-4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1 tablespoon natural peanut butter

Heat a large non-stick pot (4 quarts or larger). Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add the cumin seeds, ginger, chile pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, for another 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, sweet potatoes, 1 teaspoon of the curry powder, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook over low heat until sweet potato softens, about 20 minutes.

Add the cauliflower, chickpeas, and tomatoes to the pot. Add just enough water to almost cover the cauliflower, probably about 3 cups. Stir in the remaining 2 teaspoons of curry powder, and add salt and cayenne pepper (more if you like things hot, less or none at all if you prefer it not spicy). Cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter and serve hot.