HOW TO MAKE A CURRY THAT STANDS UP AND SHOUTS "YOU GOT IT RIGHT, WESTERNER!"  Not only do you need curry powder, mustard seed, chopped ginger root and black pepper corms but U need these goshfangled little curry leaves so you are going to seek out a real HINDU market.

If you are CURRYING FAVOR with your family or dinner guests and they LOVE spicy HINDU FOOD? Did you know that this curry spice, major part of which is turmeric, member of the curcumin family ---will prevent senility? With this tidal wave of brain deficit goin' around ya better get on this!

 

CURRYING THE HINDU SAVOR and throwing it onto rice with a lot of vegies in the dish is good for you. New SCIENTIFIC research shows that eating curry once or twice a week will help prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The key reason is curcumin, a component of the spice turmeric. Curcumin prevents the spread of amyloid protein plaques, which are thought to cause dementia. Amyloid plaques, along with tangles of nerve fibers, contribute to the degradation of the wiring in brain cells. There is evidence that people who eat a curry meal two or three times a week have a lower risk of dementia. Researchers are currently testing the impact of higher doses, such as the equivalent of going on a curry spree for a week, to see if they can maximize the effect.

EGGPLANT CURRY
    * 1 large eggplant
    * 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    * 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    * 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
    * 1 tablespoon ginger garlic mixed.
    * 1 tablespoon curry powder
    * 1 tomato, diced
    * 1/2 cup plain yogurt
    * 1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 1/4 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
    * curry leaves, six or so & Black pepper corms, smashed.

   1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
   2. Place eggplant on a medium baking sheet. Bake 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender. Remove from heat, cool, peel, and chop.
   3. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mix in cumin seeds black pepper corms and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender.
   4. Mix ginger garlic paste, curry powder, and tomato into the saucepan, and cook about 1 minute. Stir in yogurt. Mix in eggplant &  curry leaves,  jalapeno pepper, and season with salt. Cover, and cook 10 minutes over medium heat. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, throw in curry leaves and continue cooking about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

TOFU CURRY!

    * 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger (about 2 slices)
    * 5 cloves garlic
    * 1 onion
    * 2 stalks fresh lemongrass (optional)
    * 3 tbsp olive oil
    * ten black pepper corms, smashed, 6 curry leaves
    * dash red pepper flakes
    * 1 block tofu, drained and sliced into approx 1 inch squares
    * 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
    * 14 oz coconut milk
    * 1 cup water

Preparation:
In a blender or food processor, process the ginger, garlic, onion and lemongrass until smooth, adding a bit of olive oil if needed.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the blended garlic mixture. Sautee this mixture for 1-3 minutes, then add the tofu and red pepper flakes, stirring gently to mix the tofu with the garlic mixture for another 3-5 minutes, adding more olive oil if needed.

Reduce heat to medium low and add coconut, water, and curry, stirring well to combine. Cover the skillet and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve hot over rice and enjoy!

Potato and Pea Curry

    * 3 large, firm potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
    * 1/2 cup corn, or soy, or peanut oil
    * 2 large onions, chopped
    * 1 heaping T. pureed garlic
    * 1 heaping T. finely chopped fresh ginger
    * 3 T. ground cumin
    * 1 tbsp. turmeric or curry powder
    * 1/2 T. ground coriander
    * 1/2 T. dried red pepper flakes
    * 3 tomatoes (see below), peeled, seeded, and diced
     * l0 smashed black pepper and curry leaves
    * 2 cups water
    * 1 T. salt
    * 2 cups frozen peas
    * 1 T. brown sugar
    * 1/4 cup, or more lime juice
 
Peeling Tomatoes
To peel ripe tomatoes, place them in a brown paper bag, resting in the kitchen sink. Bring a pot of water to a boil, pour into the bag of tomatoes, and close the top of the bag. By the time the water is cool enough to touch, the skin on the tomatoes will be loose enough to gently press away from the tomatoes.

Preparing the curry
Place the cubed potatoes in a bowl and rinse with cold water until the water is clear (this is to remove the excess starch).

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Sauté onions until brown. At the same time heat the remaining oil in a large pot over moderate heat. Fry the potatoes until golden and add the onions.

Add the garlic and ginger, and stir 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the spices. Return the pot to the heat and cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the tomatoes, water, and salt.

Simmer, covered, until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the peas are heated through. Adjust the seasonings.

Serve over rice, accompanied by Spicy Apple Chutney. Or throw together a quick, Bartlett pear chutney, Either is easy to make, some chile flakes, some onion, fruit and raisins, sugar, simmer, and voila! I always tell diners not to eat black pepper corms. The flavor is important but they are not good for GI tract. Spitting out is permitted.
Ingredients

1 cup chana dal (dried chick-peas; or garbanzos) Or lentils, same treatment.
3 to 6 curry leaves
1 teaspoon salt
5 cup water; plus
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 tablespoon ghee (clairifed butter); may be doubled
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root; scraped, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper; hot
1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves; finely chopped
1 cooked rice

Chana Dal (Curried Chick-Peas)

In a large sieve or colander, wash the lentils or chick-peas under cold running water until the draining water runs clear. For lentils, pick out rocks. Drop the chick-peas into a large bowl or pan, pour in enough water to cover them by at least 2 inches, and let them soak at room temperature uncovered for 12 hours or overnight. Drain the chick-peas in a large sieve or colander, place them in a heavy 3- to 4-quart saucepan, and add the curry leaves, salt and 4 cups of the water. Bring to a boil over high heat, partially cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour.

In a separate 3- to 4-quart saucepan, heat the ghee over high heat until a drop of water flicked into it splutters instantly. Add the cumin seeds and stir for 30 seconds, then add the onions and ginger. Lower the heat to moderate and, stirring constantly, fry the mixture for 7 to 8 minutes, until the onions are soft and golden brown. Watch carefully for any sign of burning and regulate the heat accordingly.

Stir in the turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, garam masala, red pepper and 1 tablespoon of water, and fry for 1 minute. Then add the chick-peas their cooking liquid and the remaining 1 cup of water. Stirring constantly bring to a boil over high heat, cover the pan tightly, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the chick-peas are tender but still intact.

Taste for seasoning, ladle the entire contents of the pan into a heated bowl. Sprinkle with the fresh coriander and serve at once. Serves 4 to 6; one of many dishes. Serve with rice.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~~^~^~^~^ serve with cucumber raita ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^
    * 2 cups thick Indian, persian or Greek yogurt, whisked till smooth
    * 1/2 cup mint leaves chopped fine
    * 1 large cucumber grated
    * 3/4 tsp cumin powder
    * 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
    * 1/2 tsp sugar
    * Salt to taste
Preparation:
    * Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and blend till mixed well.
    * Chill and serve.

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