Panjabi This!

Wafting smells of curry, vibrantly colored silk man-dresses and a choreographed dinner that rivaled the likes of MJ-inspired dance moves in Slumdog Millionaire. Yes, Grub Club went where we have never gone before: India!  In her grand finale appearance as host, Jessica bid adieu अलविदा। to her fellow grubbers before heading down unda’! Guests included: Eric, Bekah, Rebecca and Tim, Kevin and Kim’s fetus, Lara and Ken – who were accidentally not told about the Indian costume contest – sorry!

Lazy Bollywood Appetizer, provided by Megan Young

Visit the Indian booth at farmer’s market (Little Italy or Hillcrest). 

Buy naan bread with spinach inside and mint dipping sauce. 

Saag Paneer, provided by Megan Bitsoff

Ingredients

·         1 large onion

·         6 cloves garlic

·         1 oz fresh ginger (not from a can!)

·         1 lb frozen spinach, thawed

·         1 cup plain yogurt

·         4 oz buttermilk

·         2 teaspoon red chili powder

·         2 teaspoon garam masala

·         1 cup half and half

·         6 oz paneer, a homemade cheese

·         salt to taste

·         Paneer:

·         Ingredients

·         2 litres of milk

·         the juice of two lemons

·         cumin powder

·         salt

·         Equipment:

·         big pan, at least 4 litres

·         cheesecloth

·         wooden spoon

·         two chopping boards or similar

Directions

Grind the onion, garlic, and ginger into a fine paste.

In a medium saucepan, combine the paste, spinach, yogurt, buttermilk, chili powder, and garam masala. Simmer at medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Mash the ingredients with a potato masher. Add the half and half. Simmer until the mixture has a creamy consistency, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the cheese, simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Cut Paneer into cubes to use in Saag

Indian Coconut Vegetarian Curry in the Slow Cooker, provided by Hobbs

 

Ingredients

·         1/4 cup curry powder

·         2 tablespoons flour

·         1 tablespoon chili powder

·         1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

·         1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

·         1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix (such as Lipton®)

·         5 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

·         1 large green bell pepper, cut into strips

·         1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips

·         1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips

·         1 orange bell pepper, cut into strips

·         1 1/2 cups matchstick-cut carrots

·         1 cup green peas

·         1 cup raw whole cashews

·         1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk

·         ½ c water

Directions

·         Place all dry ingredients into a large bowl.  

·         Mix the curry powder, flour, onion soup mix chili powder, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl; sprinkle over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat evenly.

·         Transfer all ingredients into the slow cooker and pour in coconut milk and water.

·         Cover the slow cooker and cook on high until the mixture is bubbling, adding water as needed and stirring to keep moist.  Once the dish begins to bubble, turn temperature down to low.  Total cook time – 5 hours.

·         Serve over Saffron Basmati Rice and with a small side of  Madras Lentils.  

Coconut Lime Granata, provided by Messey

Ingredients

   

     

·         1 (13 1/2-ounce) can coconut milk (not low-fat!) 
·         1/2 cup sugar

·         Zest of 1 lime

·         Juice of 1/2 a lime

·         2 tablespoons shredded coconut (either fresh or the unsweetened desiccated kind)

·         Coarse sea salt

Directions

·         Place an 8-inch square baking dish in the freezer to chill while you make the simple syrup.

·         Combine the sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar is dissolved and syrup is at a gentle boil. Remove it from the heat, and allow it to cool. Cook's Note: I like to pour the syrup into a shallow bowl so that it cools more quickly.

·         Pull the chilled baking dish out of the freezer, and pour the coconut milk into the dish. You may need to whisk it to smooth out any lumps.

·         Whisk in the simple syrup, lime zest, lime juice and fresh coconut until well combined. Place the dish in the freezer, and let it chill for 1 hour.

·         Pull it out of the freezer, and using a fork, break up the ice crystals forming around the edge of the dish, by dragging them into the more molten center. Return to the freezer and repeat this process every hour or so, smoothing out the granita before you return it to the freezer. The whole process should take about 3 hours. When you're ready to serve, allow the granita to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes so that it softens. Spoon the mixture into a small bowl or glass, and top with a little coarse sea salt