Meatball Curry

I finally created a successful curry sauce that did not involve garam masala. Huzzah! Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love garam masala-based curries, but every time I try to make a different one, it ends up tasting too coriander-y or cumin-y. This one was great. I think it was the addition of eggplant that really did the trick; it totally tasted like an authentic Baingan Bharta...with meatballs of course. 

Meatball Curry Recipe:

• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced cilantro
• 1 minced Serrano or Thai chili
• pinch of salt

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 Serrano or Thai chiles, diced
• About 5 Crimini mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 Japanese purple eggplant, chopped
• 1/4 cup beef broth
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt thinned with about 2 tbsp water

In a bowl, combine the first set of ingredients. Pinch off about a tablespoon size and roll into balls. I got about 12 meatballs from 1/2 pound of beef. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook until evenly browned. Remove, place on a plate and cover with paper towel. Add the onions to the residual grease and cook until softened and beginning to brown. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant and tender. Add about 1 tbsp of beef broth to deglaze the pan and scrape up all the browned bits. Next add your carrots and chiles, cook for a couple minutes. Add your mushrooms, cook for a couple minutes until they begin to release their moisture. Add your eggplant and cook until everything begins to soften. It might seem tedious, but I found that the order in which you add the ingredients and how long you let them cook and marinate with the other flavors is really important in this dish. Now add your blend of spices (plus salt to taste) and stir to make sure all the veggies are evenly coated. Cook for a couple minutes. Add your milk, remaining beef broth and ketchup. Stir and then add the Greek yogurt. 

Bring everything to a slight boil and then reduce heat. If you like the consistency of the sauce at this point, cover and let simmer. If you want it thicker, continue to cook with lid off. After about 10 minutes, add the meatballs back to the pan and cover. Cook for 5-7 minutes and then serve with rice or naan. I used a blend of black and brown rice.

Black Lentil Curry

Oh curry, how shall I profess my undying love for thee? You are so tantalizing, mouth-watering and brimming with exotic zest and spices. You are not only the meal upon my table once a week, but also the namesake for my cat. In a word, you are...perfection.

(Not exactly the most appetizing in photos though)

Wow...I'm not..insane

But I am crazy for curry. I realize "curry" is incredibly general and I love ALL of them. We make a Garam Masala based curry almost every week and it is my favorite. Sometimes we just use simple veggies, sometimes chicken; Steven even did meatballs once. This week, I used black lentils.

I did the best I could to "quantify" everything, but usually I just dash seasonings here and there. This sounds about right though. I like a really cinnamon-y Garam Masala curry, so I use about 2 tbsp of the stuff when I make curry. Steven...not so much so he'll use 1/2-1 tbsp. Really, it's up to you!

Black Lentil Curry Recipe:

• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced (We buy fresh ginger, but powder would probably work too though the flavor wouldn't be as strong)
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil (might need more if you decide to cook chicken before)
• 1 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp Turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp Garam Masala (less if you don't want that super cinnamony taste)
• 1/2 tbsp coriander (we have coriander seeds, which we smash in a mortar and pestle but you can buy coriander powder)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper (adjust to taste)
• 2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp peanut or cashew butter (any nut butter works. It's mainly for consistency and adds just a hint of flavor. But you really only need a very little bit bc too much and the whole dish will taste like peanut butter)
• 2 8oz cans tomato sauce (we accidentally used one once that had green chiles in it and it was AWESOME. Added a bit of spice so I might suggest using one can of that or just sticking to the original tomato sauce)
• 1/2 cup green peas (frozen works best)
• 1/2 cup corn (frozen works)
• 2 tbsp plain nonfat yogurt or coconut milk

• 1/2 cup black lentils
• 2 cups cups water

Rinse the black lentils very well in cold water. Place in a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cover with lid for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, caramelize onions in the olive oil over low to medium-low heat. Once translucent, add minced garlic, ginger and carrots. Once the ginger and garlic barely brown and the carrots become a bit more tender, add all the spices (except peanut butter) and mix until everything is well-coated.

Add the two cans of tomato sauce and cook on medium heat until bubbly. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes with a lid. If it looks a little too thick for your liking, add 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth until you get desired consistency.

After it simmers for awhile (and makes your house smelling all INCREDIBLE) add the peas, corn, lentils and dollop of peanut butter. Let that all come together nicely for about 10 minutes. At the end, add your yogurt or coconut milk to get a nice creamy texture. I typically use yogurt because I like the tang. Mix it all together and BAM.

Time to serve this awesome stuff over white/brown/basmati/jasmine rice. Pick your poison.

Now, before tonight, I had made brown rice several times in a variety of ways...all of which failed. Too chewy, undercooked, mushy, etc. I tried a new method tonight and can I get a hell yeah? It was great. You'll need to bring about 12 cups of water to a boil on high heat in a large pot with a lid. While this is heating up, rinse the brown rice thoroughly. When the water is boiling, add the rice and boil uncovered for 30 minutes. Then drain on a strainer, put back in the pot with heat off and steam for 10 minutes. Voila: fluffy, tasty brown rice.

Coconut Curry Baked Chicken Tenders

I must say that Indian food has definitely become one of my favorite cuisines. My boyfriend or I make a big batch of rice and slow-cooked curry at least once a week. You really can't find the depth of flavor, variety of spices or unique tastes in any other kind of food. And the funny part is, I remember balling my eyes out about 12 years ago whenever my parents mentioned the words Indian food. Listen to parents; your taste palate really DOES mature.

My boyfriend received a wonderful spice rack for Christmas, full of exotic salts, rubs and powders that I have been mulling over for weeks. One whiff of the Coconut Curry Powder and I was sold. Instead of making our usual curry dinner, I decided to shake (and bake) things up a bit. This recipe requires a few steps, but the outcome is delicious and nutritious. And by using chicken tenders, dare I even say, kid-friendly?

Coconut Curry Baked Chicken Tenders Recipe:

• 1 1/2 lb chicken tenders


• 2 cups plain non-fat yogurt
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro
• 4 cardamom pods, crushed (use mortar and pestle)
• Dash of salt
• Dash of pepper
• Dash of garlic powder
• 1/2 lime juice


• 1 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• *3-4 tbsp. coconut curry powder

*I understand that most people won't just have coconut curry powder lying around. In fact, we usually make our own spice blends. To keep with the same flavors, you could mix coriander, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and dried coconut flakes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Set aside a 9 x 11 baking pan. Wash and pat dry the chicken and set aside. Mix the yogurt with the first set of ingredients in a bowl (keep about 1/2 cup separate to have as a serving sauce). Mix the Panko and coconut curry seasoning in a shallow dish. Using tongs, dredge each chicken tender in the yogurt mixture first, then the Panko and place in the baking dish. For two people, I made about 8 tenders.


Bake in oven, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Flip and bake for another 8-10 minutes. Serve with brown rice and spinach and top with remaining yogurt sauce (oh and always have some srirachi sauce on hand).