Indian Egg Curry with Potatoes

 I really love egg curry with potatoes.  Not only is it absolutely delicious--in fact, I think only buffat pork or mutton curry can compete--it is easy to make as well provided you have a blender or food processor.

• 4-6 hard boiled eggs
• 4 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
• 2 medium sized onion cut into quarters
• 3 medium sized tomatoes cut into quarters
• 2 green or red chillies
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 inch of ginger, crushed
• 3-4 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• 2 potatoes cut into 1" cubes (optional) or about 10 new potatoes

Preparation:

•  Remember you need to hard boil your eggs first.
• I always put the potatoes on to boil in a pot as I begin chopping the onions, garlic and ginger.  I boil them until about half done -they begin to be soft- and set to the side.
• Heat 2 tbsps of the cooking oil in a deep pan and when hot, add the onions. Fry till slightly golden. Turn off the fire. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions from the pan and put them in a food processor. Grind the onions, tomatoes, green chillies into a smooth paste. Do not to add water while grinding, if possible.
• Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and add the paste you just made to it when it is hot. Fry for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the ginger and garlic pastes, all the dry spices, mix and fry till the oil begins to separate from the masala (onion-tomato-spice mix).
• Now add 1.5 cups of warm water (I use the hot water from my potatoes) to this masala and bring to a boil on a medium flame.  You may need to add a little more water, but later you will really want this to reduce.
• If adding potatoes to the curry, add them now.
• Half slit the boiled eggs vertically and add them gently to the gravy. Simmer the flame and cook for 10 minutes or till the gravy is thickened/ reduced to about 3/4 of the original quantity (when you added the water). If you have added potatoes they should ideally be cooked by now.
• Turn off the fire!  Serve hot with rice and a vegetable side dish with pappads.

Chao Ga, Vietnamese Rice Porriage

INGREDIENTS

* 3 cups water

* 3 cups chicken stock

* 1/2 cup glutinous rice

* 1 cups long grain rice

* 1 cup chicken meat, shredded

* 2 tablespoons fish sauce

* ½ teaspoon sugar

* ½ tablespoon poultry seasoning


GARNISHES

* ½ teaspoon white pepper (black works also)

* 2 spring onions or scallions or green onions, sliced thin


DIRECTIONS

1. Place rice and glutinous rice in a large pot with water and stock.

2. Bring to boil then lower heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally.

3. Cook until rice is very soft and mixture is thick. Roughly 45-60 minutes.

4. Add fish sauce, sugar, shredded chicken, mushrooms, and poultry seasoning.

5. Stir Gently.

6. Spoon porridge into individual serving bowls.

7. Garnish with spring onion.

8. Sprinkle with pepper.

I Swear It Isn't Bad For You Super Simple Potato Soup

This simple rustic potato soup is unbelievably delicious. It tastes like much guiltier cousins, say cream of potato soup, but without packing the caloric punch of its heavyweight relatives.

The key to its down-homey goodness is from one oft-overlooked ingredient: the humble hambone. Your local butcher should be able to supply you with some, likely with a little meat and a little fat attached, for hardly anything at all--I think I got a pound for less than $3. This recipe's delicious yet-not-too-fatty flavor comes from cooking with a hambone, about 1 inch of bone for every serving (and cut into inch long pieces--your butcher can cut it for you). Alternatively, pieces of ham can be used. When purchasing your ham, though, be careful to see that it is naturally cured rather than chocked full of artificial chemicals and preservatives.

Remember, too, a little goes a long way. Also, if you are using ham pieces rather than bone, or your bone has a lot of fat on it, simply use a spoon to dip out excess fat as it rises to the surface, or premptively remove fat from the pieces you put in. A little fat in this recipe isn't going to hurt--in fact, it is what gives it part of its richness, but a little bit goes a long way. The following proportions make roughly four servings.

I Swear It Isn't Bad For You Super Simple Potato Soup

Six to Eight Medium Size Potatoes, Unpeeled and Chopped into Small Pieces
Four 1" Pieces of Ham Bone or Pieces of Ham
Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Cup Skim or 2% Milk

Don't peel your potatoes! You're getting rid of most of the vitamin content when you do. Instead, I wash mine in a little soapy water with a scour and then rinse very thoroughly. Chop them into about 1" square peices, cover completely with water, and bring to a boil. You'll want to add your ham bone now, several turns of the pepper mill, and salt. It is usually better to salt this recipe towards the end, though--salting it at the beginning, before the ham has given up its flavor, can lead you to oversalt this dish.

And by the way--if you don't own a pepper mill for freshly ground black pepper, invest in one. Peppercorns are not very expensive, and if you buy a reusable mill you'll find the flavor it adds is worth making the switch to freshly ground pepper.

After the potatoes are thoroughly cooked, mash them in the pot with a whisk or just with a wooden spoon. This isn't a recipe you want smooth as a cream soup--some chunks of potato still in there compliment its hearty down home taste. Continue cooking until it has reduced to a pretty thick consistency--be your own judge--and once it has, remove from heat and stir in the milk. It doesn't take much, but it will lighten up the color and give it a creamer consistency as well, and the slight sweetness of the milk also lends itself well. All in all, the cooking time should be about 25-30 minutes plus at most ten minutes prep--just washing and cutting the potatoes.

Here, I've served it with a simple meal consisting of wasabi salmon patties (recipe forthcoming), spinach with vinegar and garlic, and fresh baby carrots. You can cut your potatoes and put your soup on, mix and make the salmon patties and cook the spinach all in the time it takes your soup to cook, making this a simple, delicious and delightful 30 minute three pot meal.

Vegetarian Chili

Dried beans are a staple . . . cheap and easy. All you have to do is plan ahead.

This chili is simple as could be.

3/4 Pound of Dried Red Kidney Beans, Soaked at Least 24 Hours in Water
1 Cup Barley
1 Can Tomato Juice
2 Medium Onions
2 Cloves Garlic
1.5 Tablespoons Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Cumin
A few dashes of Basil
4-5 Turns of the Pepper Grinder (Black)
1 Teaspoon of Cayenne (this will make it warm)

Combine all ingredients into a large saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer 45-55 minutes, stirring occassionally.

You can add more chili powder or cayenne to taste. If you use unsalted tomato juice, you will also want to add salt to taste--otherwise, there is probably enough in the juice.

This makes roughly 6 generous servings!