Potato, Cauliflower & Pea Curry (Aloo Gobi Matar) for Cook the Books August/September Pick: Love & Saffron

It's Cook the Books time again. (OK, it's a bit past but I'm hosting so...). As usual, work is keeping me massively busy and likely will for the next bit as I hit six months in my new company and new role. It's all good, just not much time and energy leftover, which is why I am happy I selected Love & Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food & Love by Kim Fay for our Cook the Books August/September pick. It's a quick and delightful read, full of delicious food and engaging characters. 

From the Publisher's blurb:

"Two strangers. One recipe. A friendship for the ages.

Creamy risotto alla Milanese. Mussels in a hot, buttery broth. Chicken spiced with cinnamon and cloves. Joan Bergstrom and Imogen Fortier understand the key to a savored life—delicious food. Young Joan is just discovering herself as a foodwriter in bustling Los Angeles, while experienced columnist Imogen is settled in her decades-long marriage on Camano Island outside Seattle. When Joan sends a fan letter to Imogen with an enclosed packet of saffron and a recipe, their journey of culinary exploration and soul-deep friendship begins. 

A long-lost flavor surfaces buried memories, and a quest to make carne asada opens the doors of a sheltered life. Into this beautiful, intimate world comes the ultimate test of their friendship, and of their belief that food and love can sustain us during our darkest hours."

I loved this book! The letters that chronicled the friendship between Joan and Imogen were wonderful. Set in the 1960s, when "snail mail" was the option for penpals, they moved from strangers to a solid friendship over the years. It made me both smile and brought me to tears as both women faced challenges in their lives and were there for each other during them. I loved that Immy lived in Seattle (my old stomping grounds) and the mentions of Frederick & Nelson department store and Frango Mints as I worked there in the late 80s and the mints are still an occasional treat from Macy's. The fact that an earlier Cook the Books pick, The Unprejudiced Palate was mentioned and its author Angelo Pellegrini was a secondary character was also fun. But mainly I loved watching a friendship forged in delicious food unfold. 

There was so much food packed in the pages from risotto to hamburgers and hot dogs, Hungarian chicken, homemade blackberry jam, omelettes with saffron and herbs de Provence, cottage cheese and salmon mold, tamales, grilled crab, chile rellenos, meatloaf, jerk chicken, pesto, teriyaki and tempura, ceviche, Aplets & Cotlets (another Pacific Northwest tradition), coq au vin, clam chowder, aebleskivers, homemade sausage in Milanese stew, heart of palm salad, muffins, and apple butter--just to name some of it. 

For my book inspired dish, I ended up going with curry. Joan wrote, "At Stanford I was drawn to students from India because they cooked up little pots of curry in their rooms." I too am drawn to the smells of a delicious curry and I love how easy it is to knock one together. I decided on an old favorite, Aloo Gobi Matar which is simple potatoes, cauliflower and peas in a dryish simple tomato curry, served with rice. 

Potato, Cauliflower & Pea Curry (Aloo Gobi Matar)

Slightly Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

(Makes 4-5 servings)

1/4 cup ghee or olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 Tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp finely chopped ginger 
1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic 
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chile powder or to taste
1.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped/quartered depending on size
salt to taste

1 bag (12-oz) frozen cauliflower florets, thawed

1 (14-oz) can crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup coconut milk, water or broth
1 cup frozen green sweet peas, thawed

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil or ghee over medium heat in a large heavy-bottom pan. Add onion, ginger, garlic, and chile; cook, stirring often, until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in coriander, cumin, garam masala, turmeric, and chile powder and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add cauliflower, potatoes, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk or broth and peas and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Stir in cilantro and season to taste with more salt as needed. Serve with basmati rice. 

Notes/Results: Just a good simple curry--hearty and good. You can change around the spices, add more chile, or liquid if desired. This hit the spot as I was craving curry and I'd happily make it again. 

I'll be rounding up the dishes from this round of Cook the Books shortly on the site. If you missed this round and love food, books and foodie book, join us for our October/November round, hosted by Claudia of Honey From Rock. We'll be reading The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller. 

 

Revisiting Ghoulish Green Curry Veggie Chowder for a Halloween Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

It's Halloween when made me think of this Ghoulish Green Curry Veggie Chowder that I made back in 2016 for a Food 'N Flix event I hosted for the movie Beetlejuice. It doesn't need to be Halloween to enjoy this veggie chowder and/or the optional Scary Shrimp--they are great any time of the year.

What I said:

I decided to go with a green curry chowder--both because it sounded delicious and also because I wanted to capture the eerie green light of the afterlife and the ends of Beetlejuice's lovely hair, and a chowder full of veggie pieces conjured up the strange, almost junkyard feeling of the Maitland's model cemetery where Beetlejuice hangs out.I probably should have done a more Jamaican-style curry soup based on the Calypso music of the Deetz's dinner party, but I was craving those classic Thai green curry flavors and so that's what I made.  

I'm calling these shrimp "scary" because I bought some fresh-frozen Kauai shrimp and decided to leave them with their heads on--often scary for people, but that's where the true flavor in shrimp is and Kauai Shrimp says, "Don't be afraid of the head!" Because not everyone is a shrimp eater, I grilled them separately after marinating for extra flavor. The chowder stands on its own with great flavor, so if you don't do shrimp, you could eat it without, or add some fun hard-boiled egg eyeballs (with green olive and capers) for extra protein and a still creepy look. But, personally I think the shrimp add so much--both in their flavor, and their looks--giving off a spooky Beetlejuice and Tim Burton vibe.  

You can see the original post here:

Ghoulish Green Curry Veggie Chowder 
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Serves 6-8)

2 Tbsp butter or coconut oil
2 large leeks, white and light green parts, cut in half, cleaned and sliced into half-moons
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 stalk lemongrass, outer core peeled and inner core bruised
4-5 kaffir lime leaves, left whole but tears made on the edges to release oils (optional)
2 to 3 Tbsp of your favorite green curry paste, or to taste
1  jalapeño pepper, seeds removed, diced 
large carrot, peeled and sliced into thin coins
6 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed, skin on
4 cups of broth or stock (veggie, chicken, shrimp) or water
2 (14.5 oz) cans coconut milk (I used 1 lite, 1 regular) 
2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
4 heaping cups baby spinach leaves, washed and sliced
2 Tbsp Thai fish sauce 
juice and zest of 1 lime + extra if needed

Optional Garnishes: Grilled "Scary" Shrimp (recipe below), hard-boiled eggs (green olives & capers to make eyes), lime wedges, fresh cilantro 

Grilled "Scary Shrimp"
Marinade inspired by Chef Andy's Flame-Grilled Kauai Shrimp via KauiShrimp.com
(Makes 13-15 shrimp) 

1 lb jumbo (13-15 per lb) fresh head-on, un-shelled shrimp, thawed 
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 Tbsp ginger, peeled and minced
2 Tbsp cilantro leaves 
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari 
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch of coconut sugar
pinch of black pepper

Leave heads and shells on shrimp. Starting where the head meets the body, use a pair of kitchen shears to cut the shell down the back of the shrimp. Grasp vein with a toothpick and gently pull from shrimp and dispose of vein. Rinse and pat dry shrimp and place in a shallow bowl or plastic bag. (Optional: Flip shrimp over and using the tip of pairing knife, gently cut along the center where you see a vein, and gently pull and scrape out the smaller vein and dispose it before rinsing shrimp.)

Place the remaining ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the marinade over the shrimp and gently toss until coated. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 25-30 minutes.

Preheat a large grill pan over high heat. When hot, working in batches, add shrimp and grill about 2 minutes per side--until shrimp is pink and cooked through. Set aside to serve with soup or enjoy!

My Notes/Results: First off, this chowder is so good! Great green curry flavor, just the right amount of heat--that warmth at the back of the throat--and so rich and creamy, you just want to keep scooping it up. The shrimp are delectable--so fresh and so much flavor--the slightly tangy and salty/savory marinade contrasting with the sweet shrimp. Even if you aren't brave enough to suck on the shrimp head, they are delicious. Just have extra napkins for peeling and enjoying them. I would happily make both recipes again! 

Now let's take a look into the Souper Sundays kitchen: 

Melynda of Scratch Made Food shares a classic soup, saying "This is the Broccoli and Cheddar Soup recipe to keep handy for the colder weather that is slowly coming to every home in your neighborhood! No matter where your neighborhood might be...this soup is easy to make, delicious, and made with pantry ingredients." 

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor made a hearty stew saying, "For the Spooktacular Supper theme at I Heart Cooking Club I made a Donna Hay recipe - Chicken Pancetta and Mushroom Stew. ... For the mushroom haters who visit me I would recommend skipping this recipe as, in my opinion, it's the mushrooms that make this such a great combo and so hearty."

 

 

Thank you Tina and Melynda for joining me this week! 

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
 

If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.
• Although we are pretty wide on what defines a soup, sandwich or salad, entries that are clearly not in the same family (ie: desserts, meats, random main or side dishes that aren't salads, etc.) are meant for another round up and will be deleted. 

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!

 

Simple Vegan Curry and Rice Soup with Tofu and Chickpeas: One-Pot Meal for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

I had a craving for creamy korma-style Indian curry and rice so I decided to make it into a soup this week to make a one-pot meal, and to use up some leftover veggies, herbs and pantry ingredients. 

I used non-chicken stock and coconut milk with chickpeas and tofu as proteins to make this a vegan soup. You I wanted mild and creamy but you can adjust your curry and spices for some kick. You could also leave out the rice and serve it separately, but sometimes I just want it easy and involving as few pans as possible. 

Chickpea Curry and Rice Soup

By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen

(Makes About 6 Servings)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 small red pepper, seeded and chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced

1/4 cup korma curry paste

2 tsp Garam Masala

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained

4 cups vegetable or non-chicken stock

1 cup Jasmine or Basmati rice

16-oz package extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed and cut into 3/4" pieces

1 cup frozen green peas

1 can (15-oz) coconut milk

sea salt and black pepper

juice of 1 lime, optional

chopped cilantro or Thai basil to garnish

naan bread to serve

In a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot heat the oil over medium and add the onion, carrot, and red pepper. Sauce about 6-7 minutes, until vegetables soften and onion translucent. Add garlic, ginger, curry paste and garam masala and cook about 2 more minutes. add the chickpeas and stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then bring back to a slow boil and add rice. Reduce heat slightly and simmer for 15 minutes, or until rice is mostly cooked. Add tofu and peas and stir in coconut milk, return to a simmer and cook another 10 minutes until vegetables and rice are cooked  and tofu is warmed through. Taste and add sea salt, black pepper and lime juice if using. 

Serve, garnished with cilantro or Thai basil and serve with grilled naan bread. Enjoy!

Notes/Results: Exactly what I wanted, creamy, flavorful, rich and satisfying. It also was very easy to toss together, which makes it even better. the soft chewy naan that I toasted/grilled on a rack in my toaster oven, was perfect for dipping. ZZThis swill make for great lunches this week. I will happily make it again. 

Let's see who is in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week. 

Debra of Eliot's Eats shared the Potato Sandwiches with Pepperoni and Basil she made for Cook the Books, saying, "I knew I wanted to make something with potatoes and I recently came across a recipe for Potato, Chorizo, and Egg Sandwiches. Since the immigrants were fascinated by sandwiches upon their arrival, I decided to modify this recipe just a bit. ... The original recipe calls for Yukon gold potatoes, but I used plain old russet potatoes. I figured that was probably what was available to the book’s families. So here you go—my composite homage to all that lived at 97 Orchard.  Even though Ziegelman didn’t mention a lot of potatoes in the Italian section of the book, I tried to include them here with the peppers, pepperonis, and basil."

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor shared Caesar Salad saying, "We have had some good luck with movies lately and had a pizza night to watch one of them. A salad of romaine with fresh parmesan, tomatoes, toasted bread crumbs and a creamy dressing was a good accompaniment. ... The pizza is from a locally owned restaurant called Solle’s and we like supporting local businesses. The salad we tossed together from fridge ingredients."

Radha of The Magical Ingredients for a Wholesome Life from the Heart of My Home brought a Caprese Salad, saying, "This salad can be made in no time. Very simple and easy. Ingredients are fresh and simple and the recipe is simple too! The fresh tomatoes and basil of the summer gives wonderful flavor. Though this can be had any time of the year, the season's produce always has the peak flavor enhancing the flavor profile of the meal. All you need to do is stack the slices and sprinkle salt and pepper, drizzle a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. That easy." 

Simona of briciole shared Kohlrabi Slaw with Fresh Fruit and says, "Kohlrabi and carrot go well together. The original recipe for this slaw was kindly shared with me by Kelsey Perone of Rain Frog Farm located near Blue Lake, CA (details in an article I wrote for the North Coast Journal1). The recipe includes raisins (uvetta) and I have also prepared it with dried cherries. The version I am sharing here uses fresh fruit instead."

Thanks to Debra, Tina, Radha, and Simona for joining me this week! 

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
 

If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.
• Although we are pretty wide on what defines a soup, sandwich or salad, entries that are clearly not in the same family (ie: desserts, meats, random main or side dishes that aren't salads, etc.) are meant for another round up and will be deleted. 

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!

 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "The Ocean in Winter" by Elizabeth de Veer, Served with Two Favorite Dal Recipes

Happy Aloha Friday. Today, I am happy to be today's stop on the TLC Book Tour for The Ocean in Winter by Elizabeth de Veer. Accompanying my review are two recipes for Indian dals, inspired by my reading. 

Publisher's Blurb:

The lives of the three Emery sisters were changed forever when Alex, eleven at the time, found their mother drowned in the bathtub of their home. After their mother’s suicide, the girls’ father shut down emotionally, leaving Alex responsible for caring for Colleen, then eight, and little Riley, just four. Now the girls are grown and navigating different directions. Alex, a nurse, has been traveling in India and grieving her struggle to have a child; Colleen is the devoted mother of preteens in denial that her marriage is ending; and Riley has been leading what her sisters imagine to be the dream life of a successful model in New York City. Decades may have passed, but the unresolved trauma of their mother’s death still looms over them creating distance between the sisters.

Then on a March night, a storm rages near the coast of northeastern Massachusetts. Alex sits alone in an old farmhouse she inherited from a stranger. The lights are out because of the storm; then, an unexpected knock at the door. When Alex opens it, her beautiful younger sister stands before her. Riley has long been estranged from their family, prompting Colleen to hire the private investigator from whom they’d been awaiting news. Comforted by her unexpected presence, Alex holds back her nagging questions: How had Riley found her? Wouldn’t the dirt roads have been impassable in the storm? Why did Riley insist on disappearing back into the night?

After her mysterious visitation, Alex and Colleen are determined to reconcile with Riley and to face their painful past, but the closer they come to finding their missing sister, the more they fear they’ll only be left with Riley’s secrets. An unforgettable story about grief, love, and what it means to be haunted, The Ocean in Winter marks the debut of a remarkable new voice in fiction.

Publisher : Blackstone Publishing; Unabridged Edition (July 6, 2021) 

Hardcover : 336 pages

My Review:

The Ocean in Winter is a beautiful book, both sad and beautiful. It's a story of three sisters whose lives have never been the same since their mother committed suicide when they were young. So there are definitely some triggers here; suicide, death, grief, abuse, addiction and drug use and it's not at all a light read. But, if you can brave through the difficult parts, there is a story about sisters, family, love and connection. I found myself caught up in the sisters; caretaker Alex, a nurse who wants to have a life of her own and journey to India, Colleen, a mother and perfectionist, whose marriage is crumbling despite her attempts to put it back together, and Riley, the youngest, a well-known model whose childhood trauma combined with a life of excess have her struggling with a drug addiction she can't break away from, and hiding herself and her secrets from her sisters. Although in my own sister line-up, I am the youngest and I did not suffer the trauma they did, I found I could identify with things about each character and was hopeful for them all finding some peace and happiness. 

There are some mystical and supernatural elements and for the most part they work and are not overdone, but add to the story. de Veer's poetic words brought the landscape of Massachusetts  to life from the storm raging to the ocean waves to the creaking noises of an old house. I marked down several quotes that spoke to me, like this one:

"Maybe all that has been happening in this house hasn't been from squirrels or bad wiring, nor spirits of former residents. Maybe these are my memories, hung around me like laundry on a clothesline. Do memories choose us or do we choose our memories? I don't know, but maybe a memory can put itself before you and insist that you reckon with it."

Overall, I found The Ocean in Winter to be a book that drew me in and kept me reading, and caring about the characters. Mixed in with the sadness, there is hope and moments of joy. It's the author's first book, and I look forward to seeing what she writes next. 

 -----

Author Notes: Elizabeth de Veer has a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and has been admitted to writing residencies at the Jentel Artist Residency, the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She is a member of several writing groups, including Grub Street Writers’ Collective of Boston, the Newburyport Writers’ Group, Sisters in Crime New England, and the New Hampshire Writers’ Project. She lives in a small town in Northeast Massachusetts with her husband, daughter, and labradoodle.

Connect with Elizabeth via her website, Facebook or Instagram.

-----

There was a good amount of food in The Ocean in Winter, mentions included mustard, wine, crackers, coffee, pizza, chicken, salad, fresh vegetables and hummus, granola bars, apples, yogurt, rice and curry, cake, idli (soft, warm rice cakes) and a spiced lentil soup to dip them in., bacon and eggs, raw almonds and green juice, milk, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on fluffy white bread, chocolate milk, bagels, a hamburger with fries on the side, a small Milky Way candy bar, Goldfish crackers, pot roast, falafel, cereal, blueberries, mashed potatoes and stuffing, ginger-cinnamon martinis, cheese, crackers and nuts, a box of expensive chocolate, beef Stroganoff, hot caramel macchiato, hot chocolate, doughnuts, a Panera breakfast sandwich, pancakes, Cheetos, Coca-Coal, frozen chocolate cake, tater tots, taquitos, pizza rolls, Pop-Tarts, frozen burritos, pre-sweetened oatmeal in packets and presugared yogurt in cups, lobster rolls, French fries, and chowder, Indian takeout of steaming curries, rice, naan, samosas, dosas, and "an extra greasy order of pakoras", oysters, chicken Caesar salad, a kale and faro salad, ice cream, blueberry jam, griddle cakes, bacon and hash browns, slices of pie--berry and apple, birthday cake, tangerines, saltines paired with crunchy peanut butter and the occasional garnish of M&M's and saltines with spray cheese, Pringles and onion dip, chocolate chip Cookes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and fancy lemonade in a pretty bottle, a Starbucks muffin, and mac and cheese--homemade baked with a crunchy topping and packaged Kraft.  

With all of that food, it should have been easy to come up with a dish inspired b y my reading and I was prepared to make a curry and rice or maybe a dal but the week totally got away from me and I found myself too exhausted to even go into the kitchen. So, I am taking the lazy way out--a reoccurring theme lately, and sharing a couple of my favorite dal recipes. Alex wants to return to India, the trip she was pulled away from, and she and Colleen get Indian take-out one night--something I should have considered doing. ;-)

I have a lot of Indian recipes on the blog, loving the flavors and especially the comfort of dal--those soupy lentils and pulses, but here are two dals that I might pair with this book as the sisters are all in need of warming, comfort foods.

Masoor Dal (Split Red Lentils) from 100 Weeknight Curries by Madhur Jaffrey, simple nourishing and delicious. 

A very simple Mung Bean Dal slightly adapted from Surya Spa via Goop 

Both of these are easy to make, easy to adapt to your tastes and delicious. 

I'm sharing this post with the Weekend Cooking event  being hosted by Marg at The Adventures of An Intrepid Reader. It's a weekly event that is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share. Here's a link to this week's post. 

Note: A review copy of The Ocean in Winter was provided to me by the author and the publisher via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.   

 
You can see the stops for the rest of this TLC Book Tour and what other reviewers thought about the book here. 

 

Ethiopian Lentil Stew (Misr Wot): Exotic Comfort Food for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

I have been cooking and reading along with the #FoodandLit group on Litsy, my favorite book social network. So far we have visited Brazil and Vietnam, and for March, our country is Ethiopia. I am a bit behind on my reading but should finish Open My Eyes, That I May See Marvelous Things by Alice Allan shortly, and the book is set in Addis Ababa. 

For my bookish dish, I went with Misr Wot, a spiced Ethiopian Lentil Stew and I found a recipe from Saveur Magazine. The issue also had recipes for the nit'r quibe, a spiced clarified butter, and berbere, the traditional spice mix but I ended up ordering them on Amazon because it's been that kind of week. Traditionally, this stew would be served with injera, a bread made from teff and used to scoop up the stew by hand, but although I have tried it, it's not a taste/texture I have fully acquired, so I ate my curry with rice. 

Ethiopian Lentil Stew (Misr Wot)

Slightly Adapted from Saveur Magazine, Saveur: Soups and Stews

(Serves 4 to 6)

Saveur Magazine says, "The small lentils (variously called red lentils, pink lentils, Egyptian lentils, and, in South Asia, masoor dal) used for this dish turn yellow when cooked. The recipe for this version comes from an Ethiopean cook, Alemtshaye Yigezu, who cooked this dish for us while visiting her home."

1 cup red lentils
4 Tbsp nit'r qibe (Ethiopian Spiced Butter) or unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp berbere (Ethiopian Spice Mix)
1 small tomato, cored and chopped
kosher salt, to taste

Rinse the lentils in a sieve under cold running water and set aside.

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the reserved lentils, 1 tbsp. of the berbere, tomato, and 4 cups water to the saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and the lentils are tender, 45–50 minutes. Stir in the remaining berbere and season generously with salt. Serve immediately.

Notes/Results: A tasty curry with warm spices and surprising layers of flavor from the butter and the spices. Thick and satisfying, and it smelled exotic and heavenly as it simmered away. The berbere spice is warm rather than spicy hot, and you can taste the cinnamon and fenugreek, along with the other spices. I have more butter. lentils and spices and I will happily make this stew again. 

Let's see who is here in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week: 

CraftyGardener is here with a classic Chicken Soup saying, "Chicken soup is a favourite in our house. This time I used an extra chicken breast that had been poached, added stock and veggies and had a delicious soup in no time. ... A delicious soup for a chilly day or a not so chilly day."

Shaheen of Allotment2Kitchen was also feeling the red lentil this week and brought Red Lentil and Thyme Soup, saying, "Its been a while since i've both eaten and cooked with red lentils.  I am missing both my mothers and sister-in-law's Red Lentil Dal. Yes, i know it is pauper food, but when made really well, it is most delicious comfort food, and this vegetarian does appreciate humble food.  This Red Lentil Soup is nothing like dal though.  It was tame soup enhanced with thyme and tomatoes to give it a bit of depth."

Thank you to Crafty Gardener and Shaheen for joining me this week!

 

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
 

If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!