Vegan MoFo day 10: Friday Night is Indian Night...HURRAH!

Well it is in our house tonight! Though admittedly this meal was intended for last night but some silly treehugger had forgotten yesterday was a National Holiday and all the shops were shut so she couldn't buy Onions and Spinach. This meal was the reason and inspiration for yesterdays blog on Spices, which I'm so glad so many of you enjoyed. I really appreciate feedback so thank you for leaving all your comments. I made the Chickpea and Spinach Curry out of Vegan with a Vengeance after my good blog friend Half Pint Pixie rated it so highly. And for once I actually followed the recipe. Following recipes is something I have a real problem doing. I always think "Oooh I'll add this and that to it" or "Hmmm..that's a bit too much of that, I'll just put half in". But I resisted the temptation with this and I'm glad I did because I don't think there is one thing I would change about it - not a thing, nada. To accompany the Curry I made Onion Bahji's and Onion Rice. I'm not a fan of Rice but Mr treehugger loves it and he loves this version that I make for him whenever we have Indian food. The Onion Bahji's were amazing and lower in fat than normal because they were baked in the oven and not the traditional method of deep frying - so you can eat twice as many!

YAY! I got my inspiration for them from here, there's a brilliant step by step instructions too, but I made a few alterations (see above).

Onion Bahji makes 6 Ingredients 1 Large Onion 1 medium Carrot, peeled and grated 4oz (1 1/8 Cup) Gram Flour 1/2 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Cumin 1/4 Tsp Baking Powder 2 Tblsp Olive Oil 1 Large Tblsp Tomato Paste 100ml Water 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1/4 tsp Cumin Powder 1/4 tsp Cinnamon 1/4 Chili Powder Method Cut your Onions in half then cut into medium sized slices, not too thick nor too thin, 'kay. In a large pan heat the Olive Oil and saute the Onions for 8 mins. Add the grated Carrot and stir well. Continue cooking for a few minutes - it's important not to let the Onions go brown. Then add the Chili Powder, Turmeric, Cumin and Cinnamon and take off the heat. In a bowl add the Gram Flour, Baking Powder, Salt and Cumin and mix together really well. Now add the Onions and Carrots to the bowl - mix well. In a jug, add the Tomato Paste to the Water and stir it all up. Gradually add the Tomatoey Water to the Flour and Onions until you have a thick batter (you may not need to use it all or you may need to add more water) and stir really well whilst doing so. Grease a baking tray and place two tablespoons of the Onion mixture per Bhaji onto the tray. Flatten a little with the back of your spoon. Place into a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, take them out and turn them over and return to the oven for another 5-10 mins. Keep an eye on them because I know ovens vary from one to another. They will be ready when golden brown all over and with a few little burnt crispy bits. Serve immediately. The Onion Rice isn't exact measurements, it is pretty much done to your own preference. It is important to cook your Rice beforehand and leave it to go cold (ideal for using up leftover Rice from the day before). Basmati is best but it really doesn't matter. I used up the leftover Rice from my Chili Gone Barmy and it was still delicious. Onion Rice Ingredients Cooked Rice 2 Tblsp Olive Oil Half an Onion, sliced thinnish Handful of Dried Caramelised Onion 1/2 tsp Turmeric 3 Cardamoms 1 Black Cardamom 2 Cloves 1 Bay Leaf 4 Black Peppercorns Salt Method In a large frying pan, heat the Oil and add the sliced Onions. Saute for 5-10 mins stirring quite regularly. Add the cooked Rice and Turmeric and cook for 5 mins or so. Add the Dried Caramelised Onions and cook for another 5 minutes. Then add the Salt, Bay Leaf, Cardamoms, Cloves and Peppercorns, cook for another 5 minutes. Place in a dish with the lid on and keep warm until you are ready to serve. Today's song is Billie the Vision and the Dancers - Ask For More