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Jan. 11th, 2005 11:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
which_chickI have some food in the cupboard that I should probably do something with. Now, I really hate how people post on cooking forums that they "just bought some xxxx" and need to know what to do with it RIGHT AWAY. I don't understand such cooking emergencies. Was there some bizarre shopping accident where they inexplicably wound up with two sheep's stomachs, a live goose, or a puffer fish when they THOUGHT they were getting four pork chops or a pound of ground turkey? They never say how it happened that they wound up with the weird ingredient, just that they have it. I dunno. I think that an examination of the mental processes that lead people to lay out good money for something they do not have any idea how to make into actual food would be enlightening, but I can't find a polite way to say that in said forums. Ah, well. Those innocent victims of bizarre shopping accidents have got to be shopping at a Trader Joe's or a Whole Foods or something similarly upscale. We don't have sheep stomachs, live geese, or puffer fish at the Weiss.
If I've bought it, I have some idea what I'm going to be doing with it. These things that I have, I did not buy. They were gift items, many of them from my aunt Linda. Linda lives on the west coast, makes weird food, and sends me care packages of weird ingredients. Today's problematic ingredient is chana dal, a dried legume that looks a hell of a lot like a yellow split pea. Chana dal is an ingredient in Indian and Pakistani cooking.
The internet hath provided a recipe. All hail the internet!
Directions: Put the dal in a heavy pot along with the water. Bring to a boil, skim off ick, add turmeric and ginger. Cover, leaving the lid just very slightly ajar, turn heat to low, and simmer gently until the dal is tender. Stir every 5 minutes or so during the last half hour of cooking to prevent sticking. Remove the ginger slices. Add the salt and garam masala to the dal. Stir to mix. At this point, heat the ghee/oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. When hot, put in the cumin seeds. A couple of seconds later, put in the garlic. Stir and fry until the garlic pieces are lightly browned. Put the chili powder into the pan. Immediately lift the pan off the heat and pour the mixture into the pot with the dal.
What am I going to eat with this? Dunno. I was thinking chapatis (a kind of Indian flatbread). They're quck, easy, filling, and entertaining to make. I think more people should make flatbreads at home. Probably some sort of greens would be nice, too. Maybe some spinach? I wonder how spinach would taste cooked in with this? Hrm. I've got frozen spinach. I think I'll try it on the side, first. I'll keep you posted.
Does anyone have a recipe for whole moong dal? (These are also known as mung beans.) Anyone? Bueller? Spicy is not a problem. Ethnic is not a problem. I also have a pretty decent selection of spices, for a whitebread redneck. Teh interweb says they're found in the cuisines of India, China, Thailand, and Japan...
If I've bought it, I have some idea what I'm going to be doing with it. These things that I have, I did not buy. They were gift items, many of them from my aunt Linda. Linda lives on the west coast, makes weird food, and sends me care packages of weird ingredients. Today's problematic ingredient is chana dal, a dried legume that looks a hell of a lot like a yellow split pea. Chana dal is an ingredient in Indian and Pakistani cooking.
The internet hath provided a recipe. All hail the internet!
- 1.5 cups chana dal
- 5 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 thin slices unpeeled ginger
- salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 3 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil (it'll be olive oil & butter, half and half)
- 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1 clove garlic (More like three, large. I like garlic.)
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder (This may go higher and it'll probably be a mix of ancho and chipotle. I do not want to discuss the relative authenticity of using new-world chili peppers. They are what I have and I like how they taste.)
Directions: Put the dal in a heavy pot along with the water. Bring to a boil, skim off ick, add turmeric and ginger. Cover, leaving the lid just very slightly ajar, turn heat to low, and simmer gently until the dal is tender. Stir every 5 minutes or so during the last half hour of cooking to prevent sticking. Remove the ginger slices. Add the salt and garam masala to the dal. Stir to mix. At this point, heat the ghee/oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. When hot, put in the cumin seeds. A couple of seconds later, put in the garlic. Stir and fry until the garlic pieces are lightly browned. Put the chili powder into the pan. Immediately lift the pan off the heat and pour the mixture into the pot with the dal.
What am I going to eat with this? Dunno. I was thinking chapatis (a kind of Indian flatbread). They're quck, easy, filling, and entertaining to make. I think more people should make flatbreads at home. Probably some sort of greens would be nice, too. Maybe some spinach? I wonder how spinach would taste cooked in with this? Hrm. I've got frozen spinach. I think I'll try it on the side, first. I'll keep you posted.
Does anyone have a recipe for whole moong dal? (These are also known as mung beans.) Anyone? Bueller? Spicy is not a problem. Ethnic is not a problem. I also have a pretty decent selection of spices, for a whitebread redneck. Teh interweb says they're found in the cuisines of India, China, Thailand, and Japan...
