April 22: Indian Spiced Vegetables

SPICE BLEND
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pinches of ground cinnamon

3 large waxy white potatoes, peeled and diced
   Coarse salt
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus some for drizzling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 15-ounce can chick peas, drained
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1 cup frozen green peas
1 small head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds
4 radishes, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, your choice
   Juice of 1 lemon

Combine the ingredients for the spice blend and reserve.

Place the potatoes in a pot and cover them with water. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil. Take off the lid and add salt. Boil the potatoes for 6 to 7 minutes, then add the cauliflower to the same pot. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, then drain. The potatoes and cauliflower should still be a little undercooked.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil, then the butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add in the onions and garlic and saute for 5 minutes.

Add the drained potatoes and cauliflower and the chick peas and combine.

Stir the reserved spices into the vegetables and cook for a minute or two to develop the flavors. Stir in the stock and turn the vegetables to evenly distribute. The dish will turn a bright yellow. Cook over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the peas and turn off the heat. The carry-over heat will warm them through. Taste to adjust the salt in the dish.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded lettuce with the almonds, radishes, mint, and parsley or cilantro.

Dress the salad with the lemon juice, a drizzle of vegetable oil, and some salt. Pile the salad on plates, top with the hot vegetables, and serve.

4 SERVINGS

This meal is edible, but we didn't like it that much. We thought it needed some meat maybe... or served over rice without the lettuce salad. Hot veggies on cold salad is a strange combination. The only thing I didn't have was the cumin seeds. I've never seen those before, so I just used ground cumin.