CURRYING
THE HINDU SAVOR! 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 paste
* 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
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 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
and jalapeno pepper, and season with salt. Cover, and cook 10 minutes over
high heat. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking about
5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.
My own preference is, when I TURN FIRE OFF, I stir in a half cup of Greek Yogurt, making sauce creamier.
TOFU CURRY!
* 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger (about 2 slices)
* 5 cloves garlic
* 1 onion
* 2 stalks fresh lemongrass (optional)
* 3 tbsp olive oil
* 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
* 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 Pear/Apple Chutney. I can throw together a quick, Bartlett pear chutney in four minutes flat. Easy to make, some chile chopped or in dry flakes, some onion, raisins, sliced ginger or grated, sugar or honey, simmer, and voila! It's like a jam that goes on the side of the curry.
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