My approach to learning how to cook has basically been "Oh my lord I'm craving (random dish I ate at a restaurant)! Woe is me, for I can no longer eat at restaurants . . . But wait a second, maybe there is a recipe!" And for the most part, this strategy has worked. The recipes here are all super-simple and quite similar - once you've made one you've basically made them all.
For anyone curious, I am currently following a "strict gluten-free" diet, which means I must ensure that not a single crumb or molecule of gluten enters my body. This means keeping my dishes separate from those of my gluten-eating family, inspecting all surfaces for signs of crumbs or flour, and checking each and every ingredient in my to make sure that it has no gluten ingredients or contamination. For anyone reading this who is also on a strict-GF diet, I include details about the brands I use which I believe are fairly safe.
And, without further ado, my GF take on a vegetarian Indian meal: spiced basmati rice with peas, black bean dahl, and brocolli-chickpea curry!
Indian Style Basmati Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
- 2 cups water or vegetable stock
- 1 cup frozen peas
Directions
- Place the rice in a large bowl and add enough water to cover. Stir the rice, pour off the water, and repeat until the water runs clear.
- Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the spices (cinnamon, cloves, and cumin seeds) and cook for about one minute. Add the onion and half of the salt and cook until it starts to brown. Add the rice cook for about a minute, until the rice is lightly toasted. Add the water or vegetable stock and the peas and bring the mix to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for another 15 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Black Bean Dahl
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 oz) organic black beans, drained
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup water, vegetable stock, or chicken stock
Directions
- Heat the olive oil in a thick-bottomed frying pan or wok. Add the cumin seeds and stir for about a minute. Add the onion and garlic and saute until they start to brown. Add the black beans, turmeric, ginger, and cilantro. Let the mixture simmer, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, adding small amounts of water, vegetable stock, or chicken stock to retain moisture, until it is fully heated and the flavors blended. Serve with rice and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli or cauliflowerets (or a mix)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons shredded fresh gingerroot
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 cup water, chicken stock, or vegetable stock
Directions
- Heat the olive oil in a thick-bottomed frying pan or wok. Add the cumin seeds and cloves and stir for about a minute. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic and saute until they start to become tender. Add the chickpeas, peas, brocolli, and water/stock. Lower flame to low, cover, and let the mixture simmer, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the brocolli is tender. Serve with rice and enjoy!
- Lundberg brand rice (I also heard Thai Kitchen is very safe)
- McCormick spices (they will always disclose gluten ingredients, which is not always true of spices, especially mixes)
- Bird's Eye green peas
- Eden Organic black beans (I read that they DO process in a facility that also contains wheat, but they also perform periodic testing to prevent contamination - if anyone knows a better brand, let me know!)
- Imagine brand stock (I heard that Swanson's is GFCO certified)
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