Kheema, by Vijay

Published at Lorence's Kitchen
Ingredients:
½" peeled & finely chopped fresh ginger
6 cloves of garlic, minced (6 of 'em! oh yeah!)
2 large onions, finely chopped
2 pounds of ground meat (lamb or a decent beef, like sirloin)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon of salt
2 Tablespoons of garam masala (if you can't find it locally, order it from Penzey's)
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
A few mustard seeds (I usually use about ½ teaspoon or so...)
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Optional veggies (that I don't think are optional at all)
1 cup of cut green beans
1 can of pigeon peas (gandules), drained. (I think it's about a 14.5 ounces can)
Cubed potatoes, ½"cubes (I use 3 regular sized russets, about 2 cups or so)

I usually don't have fresh ginger on hand, but I always have a tube of ginger paste in the fridge. Fortunately for me, my local grocery store carries it, so look around! It's probably hiding out there somewhere. Also useful for this dish is a small can of whole tomatoes (in tomato juice) instead of fresh - I keep a couple of cans in the cupboard at all times for just such an emergency... chop up the entire can and add the juice, too.

The directions:

Add the oil to a large (did I say large? I meant LARGE) skillet and sauté the onion until soft and transparent.
Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for another minute or so.
Add the ground meat and brown it for 10 minutes. Break it up so it is in fine pieces.
Add the spices, tomatoes, and "optional" veggies, stir it all around...Cook, covered, on low heat for about 40 minutes

The finished product:


I serve this with basmati rice that I flavor with a bit of cumin, cilantro and some whole garlic cloves. The cloves boil and steam to a tender softness that allows them to be spread on some bread...


Enjoy, and think good things for Vijay.
Lorence

Peanr and apple and spinach saute with garlic

This recipe works out wonderfully for a vegetarian diet, to make it vegan, substitute the butter for margarine.
Ingredients:
Two apples,
two pears,
one head of garlic,
one packet of dry roasted peanuts,
the juice of one lemon,
one tablespoon of butter,
two packages of spinach.


Melt the butter and add the pressed garlic until lightly browned.


Add the chopped apples and saute until tender, then add the chopped pears and the peanuts and keep sauteing. Be careful because pears are softer than apples and you don't want them to get to be mushy.


Add the spinach and saute until wilted.

Finally sprinkle the juice of half a lemon.

Serve over cooked wild rice.

This is a lot like the "bowls" from Fresh on Bloor and on Spadina, but with the advantage that it is homemade. Very nutritious and delicious.