Of course pork vindaloo was going to be a popular dish at the 3rd Annual Christmas Extravaganza. You take a bunch of pork and slow-cook it until it basically turns into the Indian version of pulled pork. Anything "pork" and "slow-cooked" will be amazing. You don't even need to … [Read more...] about Slow-Cooked Pork Vindaloo: More Than My Dad’s Heaven
Indian
Canned and Pickled Everything
The person who gave me the copy I have of the 1948 Joy of Cooking and a cast-iron skillet came to my house for lunch. It had to be one heck of a thank-you lunch. The 1948 freaking Joy of Cooking, for goodness sake! (I edited that sentence...) So we had soup, yes, one of my … [Read more...] about Canned and Pickled Everything
The Soup That Started It All: Spicy Sweet Potato
It's almost my one-year Midnight Poutine anniversary. I just remembered this the other day when I made this spicy sweet potato soup recipe. It was the first recipe I posted on the site and it's even been linked to from a site called Endless Simmer about the top 100 sweet potato … [Read more...] about The Soup That Started It All: Spicy Sweet Potato
Roti Chanai, Take 2, with Roasted Squash and Jalapeno Pickle
I'm all about eating locally, and Indian food is not exactly what immediately pops to mind. I'll tell you, though, everything in this dish was local, from the chili peppers to the squash, to the flour for the roti. Last time my roti turned out pretty ugly, but delicious. This … [Read more...] about Roti Chanai, Take 2, with Roasted Squash and Jalapeno Pickle
Inexpensive Moong Dal and the Montreal Metro’s Helpful Spice-Grinding Tips
So I was in the metro yesterday and looked up at the big MetroVision screens in the subway that tell you when the next train is coming and give you some generally uninformative news headlines, when lo and behold, I read the following: "To grind spices in a mortar and pestle, … [Read more...] about Inexpensive Moong Dal and the Montreal Metro’s Helpful Spice-Grinding Tips
Horribly Misshapen but Still Delicious Roti Chanai
Ever had someone tell you that Jesus loves all the little children, even the ugly ones? All childhood scarring aside, that's how I feel about this roti. I kneaded and put all my love into it, and then Montreal's environment and my horribly cold hands didn't get along with the … [Read more...] about Horribly Misshapen but Still Delicious Roti Chanai
Indian Jalapeno Chili Pepper Pickle and My Addiction to Heat
Absolutely amazing. I can't believe I almost didn't make this recipe. I spent about an hour looking for the perfect pickled jalapeno recipe and I chose two -- this one and a standard vinegar-brine chili pepper recipe. But this one...I have no words.Basically my first bite of this … [Read more...] about Indian Jalapeno Chili Pepper Pickle and My Addiction to Heat
Extraordinary Eggplant: Indian Bringal
I've gotten into the habit of roasting or even boiling (in a rush) eggplant and then seasoning it with a blend of "hot", "salty", and "sweet" (ex: cayenne + soy sauce + oyster sauce; chili paste + fish sauce + hoisin; red pepper flakes + miso + mirin, or some combination of these … [Read more...] about Extraordinary Eggplant: Indian Bringal
Sambar — Take 2 (No, Not Samba. Wrong Continent)
I'm convinced that in Mexico you have to dance salsa when they make salsa, but what if the country of the food and the dance don't match? I'm not so foolish to believe that South Indians dance samba when they make sambar. In fact I'm sure they dance bhangra instead. God, I hope … [Read more...] about Sambar — Take 2 (No, Not Samba. Wrong Continent)
South Indian Sambar: Tamarind, Lentils and Spices
I love making recipes when I don't need to go buy any ingredients. It's only kind of fair because I happen to have a lot of weird ingredients that normal people don't usually stock in their kitchens (chana dal, asafoetida, curry leaves, and even soaked and sieved tamarind in my … [Read more...] about South Indian Sambar: Tamarind, Lentils and Spices