Curried Yellow Split Peas And Cauliflower Food

EASY CURRIED YELLOW DAL (YELLOW SPLIT PEAS)

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion and salt. Saute until soft, about five minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add remaining spices and stir. Saute for about 1 minute, cooking spices. If spices start to stick to pan, add some water - 1/4 cup should do. Add peas and stir to coat with butter, onion, and spice mixture. Add broth, 1/2 cup water and bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer.
• Simmer for 40-50 minutes or until peas are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. (Check peas periodically - you may need to add more water during cooking if peas are absorbing the liquid too quickly). Garnish with chopped cilantro/coriander leaves before serving.
• Options: Serve with hot basmati or brown rice for a filling one-dish meal. Or, double the broth/water to make a curried pea soup. To turn this into a spicy curry, add some finely chopped jalapeno, serrano, or chile pepper at the same time as the garlic.
• Update 1/6/2010: Some people have reported issues with the peas taking longer to soften. I have never had an issue but try cooking the onions without salt and waiting until the last 10 minutes or so of cooking time to add the salt. I have heard salt interfers with lentils softening perhaps it is the same for split peas. Curry powder - I usually use a mild Indian yellow variety, the all-purpose kind found in most US supermarkets. But I have also made this with a hot Madras and it was also delicious (but spicy!).

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER & CURRY SOUP

Steps:

• In a large bowl add 1 tbsp of melted oil to cauli florets, season with salt & pepper, place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast 425 F 20-25 min until edges get brown & caramelized
• In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil on med and sautée onions & leek till translucent about 5-7 min
• Mix in tomato paste, garlic, ginger, & the rest of seasonings for 1 min until you can smell spices
• Add broth, lentils, cauliflower (reserving 1 cup for soup topping), bay leaf and bring to a boil then simmer 15-20 min
• Use immersion blender, or blend in blender in batches till smooth. Add lemon juice & garam masala. Adjust seasonings. Top with reserved roasted cauliflower & fresh herbs. Enjoy!

CURRIED CAULIFLOWER WITH CHICKPEAS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat the ghee in a deep skillet or pot over medium flame. Add the onion, curry powder, and ginger; cook and stir for a few minutes to soften the onion. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes break down and soften, about 6 minutes. Mix in the cauliflower, chickpeas, tomato paste, and 1 cup of water; stir everything together. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover, and continue cooking until the excess moisture has evaporated and the cauliflower and chickpeas are coated with a thick gravy. Season with salt, to taste, and garnish with cilantro before serving.
• Put the butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, swirl the pot around to ensure that it melts slowly and does not sizzle or brown. Increase the heat and bring the butter to a boil. When the surface is covered with foam, stir gently and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Gently simmer, uncovered, and undisturbed for 45 minutes, until the milk solids in the bottom of the pan have turned golden brown and the butter on top is transparent. Strain the ghee through a sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth. The ghee should be perfectly clear and smell nutty; pour into a glass jar and seal tightly.
• Toast the whole spices (coriander, cumin, fennel, cloves, mustard, cardamom and peppercorns) and the chiles in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, shaking the pan often to prevent them from burning. Toast for a couple of minutes until the spices smell fragrant. In a clean coffee grinder, grind the toasted spices together to a fine powder. Add the turmeric and give it another quick buzz to combine. Use the spice blend immediately, or store in a sealed jar for as long as 1 month.

CURRIED SPLIT PEA SOUP

Steps:

• Place the butter into a large (4 to 6-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to sweat for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, making certain not to allow onions or garlic to brown.
• Add the peas, chicken broth and curry powder. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook at a simmer until the peas are tender and not holding their shape any longer, approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Using care and a stick blender, puree the soup until the desired consistency. Watch out for hot splatters.

CURRIED YELLOW SPLIT PEAS AND CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• In large saucepan, combine split peas and water, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Cover pan with lid slightly ajar, reduce heat to low and cook about 15 minutes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium heat. Stir in turmeric, curry powder and onion, and sauté, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add cauliflower florets and 1 cup vegetable stock, and continue cooking and stirring for 7 to 10 minutes more.
• Add split peas, remaining oil and any remaining cooking water to skillet, stirring to combine well.
• Reduce heat to medium- low and add green peas, red pepper and more stock, if needed. Continue to cook until split peas are soft, about 5 minutes more.
• Stir in coconut, raisins and salt to taste. Serve hot.

EASY YELLOW SPLIT PEA AND SPINACH DHAL (VEGAN)

Steps:

• Place the olive oil and diced onions in a large lidded sauce pan and cook gently, with the lid on for 3-4 minutes, until softened but not browned.
• Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 more minute over a low heat, with the lid off.
• Add the chilli flakes, cumin, turmeric, cloves and cinnamon and cook for 2 more minutes - add a splash or two of water if the pan gets dry.
• Add the yellow split peas, vegetable stock and tomato puree, give everything a good stir and then bring to the boil.
• Turn the heat down low and cover with a lid. Simmer for 40-45 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed and the split peas are done to your liking (see note 1).
• If all the water gets absorbed before the split peas are done to your liking, add a little more water and continue cooking until they are done.
• When the dhal is just cooked, add the spinach on top and stir until all the spinach leaves have just wilted, but still retain some texture. (It will look like way too much spinach to start with, but keep stirring and have faith!)
• Serve with brown or white rice and Cumin Roasted Cauliflower and Butternut Squash. (Or serve whatever you like best with a curry!)

CAULIFLOWER AND PEA CURRY

Steps:

• Begin by making a coarse paste of the chilies and ginger in a mortar and pestle or blender. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and stir for 30 seconds or until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to splutter and pop. Toss in the asafetida and quickly stir once.
• Add the chili and ginger paste, cauliflower, turmeric, chili powder, ground coriander, salt and a few tablespoons of water, and stir well to coat the cauliflower with spices. Cover and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is just tender, stirring often.
• Now add the peas, tomato and curry leaves, stir well, and continue to cook, covered, for another 5 minutes or until the peas are tender, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat, stir in the lime juice and fresh parsley or cilantro, reserving some for garnish, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
• Serve garnished with the remaining parsley or cilantro with a dal soup, rice and homemade chapati breads for a comforting and complete meal.

SPLIT PEA & CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Steps:

• In a large soup pot with a lid, bring the split peas and the vegetable broth or water to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• In a sauté pan, sweat* the cauliflower, carrots, and onions until the cauliflower starts to brown and the onions become translucent, stirring frequently. If the veggies start to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a little water as needed. Then add the spices and cook for a couple more minutes, stirring frequently. Pour the veggies into the split peas.
• Let the soup simmer for 30 minutes, or until it reaches your desired consistency. The longer the soup cooks, the more the split peas break down and the creamier the soup becomes. If it gets too thick, you can add more water or vegetable broth. Note: Sweating is a mix of sautéing and steaming. The idea is that the veggies "sweat" (release some of their natural water), creating enough moisture to soften and steam them in their own juices without adding any liquid. To sweat cut veggies, place them in a dry sauté pan over medium heat. Stir frequently until the desired consistency is reached, covering the pan when not stirring. If the veggies start to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a little water or vegetable broth. You can also turn down the heat.