Alternative Vegan

I give a VERY short primer on blooming spices in fat.

As promised, here's the written instructions for the basic daal tarka: http://goonswithspoons.com/Daal_Tarka The thing about daal is that there are so many different types out there that it's impossible to pin it down to one technique or recipe. I tried to give  general overview here about the regionality of daal, and how it generally works for most people. I ended up rambling a lot. There's an excellent article (with pictures) about daal written here: http://indiaphile.info/guide-indian-lentils/ It gives cooking times and ideas of what to do with the various daal we use.

There's been a lot of questions about curry leaves coming up as of late. I figured now is as good a time as any to answer them. The audio in ogg or mp3 can be found here or in iTunes.

In response to Margie, I've made a new episode, discussing fat free cooking. It's been difficult but I'm glad I tried it.

It's FINALLY hit above the freezing temperature here in New York, so I'm not as bummed out about cooking as I've been; the really cold weather makes it difficult to get up the motivation to do very much at all. To celebrate, I've put up a new podcast episode! Feel free to give it a listen.

Very short one today, because about 1/2 way into the recording, my head started pounding in screaming pain. Apologies. Going to go lie down. I didn't want to deny you the dubious joy of listening to me ramble.

Today, I'm not feeling well at all, so I ramble on about food to make when you're feeling sickly. Cabbage Soup 1 1/2 lbs cabbage, chopped 1 TB canola oil 1 tsp cumin seed 1 tsp sesame seed 1 large onion, diced 1 green chilie pepper, chopped (with or without seeds) 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 2 litres water, boiling 3 TB grated ginger In a deep pot, add the oil, and heat it over high heat. Add the cumin seeds and sesame seeds. When they pop, add the chilie pepper and onion. Stir well until the onions are softened. Add turmeric powder, and stir through. Add the cabbage, and stir-fry for around 10 seconds or so. Add the water, and bring to a boil. Add the ginger. Continue to boil until the cabbage is the desired tenderness. Variations - To thicken, blend in a blender: 1 cup of cooked rice, and 1 cup of the broth from the soup (if cabbage comes along for the ride with the broth, it's OK). Add 2 - 3 cups of cooked rice to the pot, and bring to the boil. - 3 - 5 cloves of chopped garlic, added in with the onions would not go amiss! - If you have the energy to do so, some frozen peas are a lovely addition (add in the last minute of cooking)