Chana Masala

We are all cooking Indian for my dinner club tonight! We pick a country and each bring a main dish originating from there. The host provides drinks and dessert. It’s a lot of fun! Not only do we experiment and share new recipes but best of all, it is a great way to spend an evening catching up with friends. I don’t have a lot of experience cooking Indian food, but chana masala is one of my favourites when I go out. This recipe seemed like a good one for novices. It’s less oily than take out, and is quite tasty! I’m looking forward to see what everyone else brings!

3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
2 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp (30 mL) grated fresh ginger
2 tsp (10 mL) chili powder
2 tsp (10 mL) ground coriander
2 tsp (10 mL) ground cumin
2 tsp (10 mL) garam masala
1/2 cup (125 mL) tomato paste
2 tsp (10 mL) packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
2 cans (19 oz/540 mL each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice

In saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat; cook onions, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and ginger; cook for 1 minute. Stir in chili powder, coriander, cumin and garam masala; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in 1 cup water, tomato paste, brown sugar, salt and chickpeas, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in lemon juice.

Makes 6 servings – 7 weight watchers points plus each
Source : Canadian Living Magazine: April 2012

Dragon Bowl Peanut Stir Fry

One of my favourite vegetarian restaurants is The Coup in Calgary, AB. They make one of the most delicious stir fry dishes, and they call it a Dragon Bowl. This is my take on it…

Home Made Peanut Sauce
3 tbsp natural peanut butter
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp water
A dash of Tabasco sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp grated fresh ginger

Mix peanut butter, honey and soy sauce together. Slowly add water into the mixture until the sauce is smooth. Add tobasco, garlic and ginger and stir until thoroughly combined.

Steamed Vegetable Stir fry
2 medium carrots chopped
1/2 red onion chopped
Red pepper, cut into strips
Yellow pepper, cut into strips
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup snap peas halved
Bean sprouts
2 lime wedges
Peanuts
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

In a sauce pan bring 1 1/2 cups water to boil. Add rice, turn heat to low and cover. Cook approx 35 minutes until water has been absorbed and the rice is tender.

In a large sauce pan using a steamer, bring a small amount of water. Add carrots and onion to the steamer first. Cook until slightly softened. Add the peppers, broccoli, snap peas and steam all vegetables together for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Layer the ingredients in a bowl, starting with the rice, then vegetables and spoon the peanut sauce over top. Then top with fresh bean sprouts, peanuts and a wedge of fresh lime. YUM!

11 weight watchers points plus value for peanut sauce recipe
3 ppv for 1/2 cup cooked brown rice