Navratan Korma

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About seven years ago, I signed up for a local cooking class focusing on vegetarian East Indian cuisine. It was an 8 week course where I learned all about spices, different legumes and curries galore. Each class we made an appetizer or soup, a bread (chapatis, naan, roti etc), a main dish, a salad and a dessert. In twelve weeks, I amassed a fantastic collection of tried-and true-recipes from our teacher Rani Rehal. Each week, after all of the food was prepared, the students would sit together and eat all of the menu items. It was DELICIOUS! After I finished the class, I was completely hooked on East Indian cuisine and decided I would start making a lot of my favourite Indian take-out items at home.  At the end of the course, the teacher sold these adorable little spice kits to get us started with East Indian cooking at home. It was all the inspiration I needed! I cooked up a ton of curries and kormas over a few months. This navratan korma came out as my very favourite of all the recipes I tried. It…is….yummy!

Korma is a dish originating from Central Asia and is generally considered to be a stew with a base of cream, coconut milk, yogurt and/or nut paste (cashew paste in particular). My cooking teacher, Rani, showed the class a easy way to put together a savoury, flavourful korma in about 45 minutes. (You cannot rush a good curry!) The first (and most important) key is to brown the onions to allow them to develop as much flavour as possible. The second key is a good blend of spices. This recipe hits the mark with a delicious mixture of spice. There’s a great balance of sweet, spicy, savoury and earthy. Navratan Korma is classically a vegetarian dish, but can easily be made vegan with coconut milk. Navratan translates to “nine gems” – where the combination of nine vegetables, fruits and/or nuts are the “gems”. Don’t be afraid of the long list of ingredients. This recipe is well worth the time and effort. You could easily mix all of the spices in advance and triple the quantity, so you are set for your next batch. I guarantee after you try this, you’ll want to make a lot more :)

Hope you are all having a wonderful week! xo
Ingredients
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons of canola oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1 heaping teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of vegetable stock
  • 3 cups of mixed frozen veggies (peas, carrots, corn, green beans etc)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of cauliflower florets
  • 3/4 cup of cashews
  • 1/2 cup of golden raisins 
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of paneer (or extra-firm tofu; cubed)
  • 1/3 cup of cream or 1 can of coconut milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon of garam masala
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup of chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (for garnish)

Note: feel free to add diced peppers, zucchini, eggplant etc to the korma. If you don’t have raisins, feel free to use pineapple tidbits. They are equally delicious in this korma.


Method

1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add oil.

2. Add onions and sauté them until a nice, golden brown (about 15 to 20 minutes). Once onions have browned, add the garlic and ginger. Sauté for a minute and then add the cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, turmeric and cayenne. Toast the spices for a minute and then add the tomato paste. 

3. Slowly whisk in the vegetable stock and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the cauliflower florets and frozen vegetable mixture. Allow the vegetables to cook for about 15 minutes and soften. Season the dish with salt and pepper.

4. Add the cashews, raisins and paneer cheese. Slowly stir in the cream or coconut milk. Heat through. Note: if the paneer is frozen, make sure to thaw it before adding it to the korma. I normally place the bag of frozen paneer in warm water for 15 minutes before adding it to the korma. Works like a charm!

5. Add the garam masala right before taking the korma off the heat.

Serve the korma with a cilantro or parsley garnish. Serve with basmati rice and/or garlic naan.

Yield: serves 6

Source: inspired by Rani Rehal (cooking instructor) in Winnipeg

Antipasto Pasta Salad

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I don’t know about you guys, but I’m sick of winter. I admit, it’s been a bit more tolerable the past few days, as it’s warmed up here slightly on Friday. Who knew -25’C (-13’F) could feel balmy!? *hah* But after a whole week of -40’C (-40’F), -25’C felt a heck of a lot better!
Being in the midst of winter has me very much missing the long, warm days of summer. I’m sure many of you feel the same way. So, in order to capture a little bit of summer, I decided to make a pasta salad to share. I feel like a bit of a rebel, as “antipasto” translates to “anti-pasta”. So what do I go and do? I add pasta to the antipasto. *hah* Antipasto is traditionally the first course of an Italian meal and normally includes a variety of cheeses, olives, peppers, cured meats, vegetables and a combination of olive oil and vinegar. Fresh herbs are often added as well.
 This antipasto salad is a perfect pasta salad to make over the winter, as you can use a lot of organic, canned produce (peppers, tomatoes etc) to create a fresh tasting “summery” salad. It’s also a fun salad to be creative with. You can add different types of cheeses such as provolone and mozzarella. You can also add kalamata olives, mushrooms, cauliflower and herbs (parsley, oregano, basil etc). This recipe can easily be made vegan by either omitting the cheese or using a variety of vegan cheese.
Wishing you all a wonderful “summery” Monday. :) I’ll be back in a few days with a new recipe. I’m thinking I may share one of my favourite curry recipes!
Ingredients
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
  • 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons of sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 lb of pasta, preferably a tube-shaped pasta
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 pound of green beans, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 small bulb of fennel, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices
  • 2 large jarred roasted red peppers, diced
  • 1 yellow pepper, diced
  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 cups of mini bocconcini cheese balls (omit for vegan)
  • 1 cup of green Spanish olives
  • 1-12 ounce jar of pepperoncini; drained and rinsed
  • 1-7 ounce jar of marinated artichoke hearts
  • 1 bunch of fresh basil, chopped

 

Method
1. In a small bowl or jar, combine the minced garlic, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk well. Set aside and allow flavours to combine.
2. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Allow the pasta to cook until el dente. Note: The pasta will soften up a little when it sits in the dressing, so it’s a good idea to under cook the pasta a bit. During the last 4 minutes of the pasta cooking, add the carrots, green beans and fennel to blanch them. Drain pasta and vegetables. Run cool water over the pasta/vegetables to stop the cooking process. Pour into a large serving bowl and set aside.
3. Once the pasta is completely cooled, add the roasted red pepper, yellow pepper, cherry tomatoes, bocconcini cheese, spanish olives, pepperoncini, and marinated artichoke hearts. Drizzle the salad with the prepared dressing. Mix well. Refrigerate salad for at least an hour to allow flavours to combine.
Add fresh basil to salad and mix just before serving.
Yield: serves 6 to 8 people
Source: Courtney Jones

Cajun White Bean Dip with Veggies

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Hello! I hope that all of my friends in Canada and the Northern United States are keeping warm. On the Canadian Prairies today, it’s -40’C (-40’F). Brrrrr! This bloody cold weather has me longing for spring or an impromptu winter getaway. Hmmmm. Alas, since I have no vacation time left until April, I guess the winter getaway is out of the question. So, I will have to find other ways to wait the winter season out. Staying in the kitchen and cooking seems to be a great way to stay warm and be creative. Using ingredients that pack a little heat also seems to help the situation. 

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with adding Cajun seasoning to a variety of dishes including stews, soups, roasted veggies and now this dip in an effort to warm things up a bit around here. And let me tell you, this dip is delicious. I was slightly surprised, as I’ve had bean based dips many times. They’ve all been yummy, but they have started blending together in my mind. The nice sweet, smokiness from the paprika really made this dip a bit different. The lime lightened it up nicely and the cayenne packed a little bit of heat. I enjoyed this dip with raw veggies, but I would imagine it is really nice on a sandwich as a spread too. I highly recommend trying to make your own simple Cajun seasoning. It’s more economical than buying a specialty blend at the store and creating your own allows you to choose how spicy you want the mix.

If you are looking for a healthy appetizer option to serve at your upcoming Super Bowl party, I highly suggest this dip. It’s high fibre + protein and is full of flavour. It’s also a great vegan option! 

Stay warm everyone! xo
Ingredients
  • 1 (19 oz) can of white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  • juice of one small lime
  • 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning (recipe to follow)
  • 1 small clove of garlic
  • 1/4 cup of finely chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup of finely chopped yellow bell pepper
  • raw veggies for dipping (carrots, snap peas, peppers, cauliflower etc)


Cajun Seasoning
  • 1/4 cup of paprika
  • 1/4 cup of dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon of dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Combine all of the spices + herbs together in a jar. Recipe yields 1/2 cup of seasoning and keeps fresh for about a month. Use cajun spice mix in dips, soups, stews and in marinades.

Method

1. Purée the beans, juice of one small lime, cloves of garlic, oil and Cajun seasoning together in a food processor until creamy and smooth.

2. Transfer dip to a serving bowl and mix in the finely chopped pepper. Sprinkle with a touch of Cajun seasoning. Allow dip to sit for about 15 minutes to allow flavours to meld. Serve with your favourite raw veggies.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Source: Bean dip adapted from Whole Foods website; Cajun seasoning from Canadian Living website