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

Vegan MoFo Day 9: Spice up your life (People of the World)

HAH! Get that song stuck in your head all day suckers!

(although I actually like that song but I'd never admit it to anyone) Geri and her pals aside - I wanna talk about Spice and not in the Dune sense either. I think most vegetarians and vegans have a well stocked Spice supply. Spices can change a meal into something magical - a pinch of this here and a sprinkling of that there. Spices are dried parts of aromatic plants, usually tropical and include Seeds, Flowers, Leaves, Barks and Roots. They are warming and aromatic and conjure up a thousand images with the power of their colour alone. Once upon a time Spices were valued as highly as gold and acquiring them has influenced history dramatically. Possession of the spice growing islands and territories meant world trade and power. Nations fought wars over occupation of these spice territories, slavery followed and political power shifted from east to west when Spices started to be carried mainly by sea rather than transported by caravans overland, so that the seafaring nations became rich and powerful and built up empires. Spices were used for their healing properties, for cosmetics, for preserving food and also for religious purposes. So we owe a lot to these Spices and we should honour them with the respect they deserve. I am a spice freak, probably because I am a lover of Indian cooking and I probably love Indian cooking because they use and incorporate such a cacophony of the wonderful Spices Nature has provided us with. Hmmm...which came first - my love of Spices or my love of Indian food? For anyone who is intimidated by using Spices in your cooking what follows are a few of my favourite Spices with a brief description. I hope you find this informative and useful. Cardamom has a delightfully pleasant aroma, faintly reminiscent of Eucalyptus. It suits sweet and savoury dishes alike and is often an ingredient in curries. If you want to use this in a curry buy the Seeds as whole and break them up and grind them yourself, add a little (about half a teaspoon) to your curry, taste, and add more if you wish. It is easier to add more than it is to take away. Which is true of all Herbs, Spices and Seasonings - but you already knew that right. This Spice is a wonderful addition to a Fruit Salad Syrup. Simmer together 150ml of Water with 150ml Maple Syrup. Add the juice from half a Lemon and a quarter of a teaspoon of ground Cardamom. When cool strain over your favourite Fruit Salad and give it a wake-up call. Black Cardamom is as far removed from it's namesake as cheezly is from cheese. When I first tried this Spice it reminded me so much of Vick's Vapour Rub that my mum used to rub on my chest at the first sign of a cold - so straight away it evoked happiness and comfort. It is best used for flavouring Rice when added whole after the Rice is cooked and left to permeate each grain with its intoxicating aroma. Star Anise is as beautiful to look at as it is to be inhaled. Such a pretty pretty Spice. Now I'm no fan of Aniseed but these little babies always make their way to my Onion Rice everytime. This Spice is very popular in Chinese cooking and it can also be used in baking and Jam making where an aniseed flavour is required. Try it! Cinnamon is one that everyone knows about. Used in countless recipes and loved by everyone I don't think this needs any dialogue except that I urge you to try it in savoury dishes and not just sweet. A sprinkling in Chili or in Curry works wonders. Cloves are Christmas in a jar! There is no other way to describe it's smell. It is used in so many Christmas recipes from Mince Pies to Figgy Pudding that everyone will know it as soon as they smell it. Such a wonderful Spice with so many uses besides festive cooking. An essential ingredient in Mulled Wine and Hot Toddy's and also complements Fuits such as Pears, Apples and Plums. It is used in making one of my favourite sauces - Bread Sauce. HURRAH! Bread Sauce Ingredients 1 Medium Onion 4 Slices White Bread (this is the ONLY time I eat white bread) 2oz Vegan Margarine 1 Pint Plain Soy Milk 5 Cloves Salt Freshly Ground Black Pepper Method Peel the Onion and slice off the end that isn't the Root. Gently push each Clove around the outside, near the end that you just chopped off. Place in a saucepan chopped off side down and pour over the milk. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 10 mins. You will have to stir this a few times. Place the lid on the pan, take off the heat and set to one side for half an hour. When cooled take the Cloves out of the Onion and dice the Onion up into chunks - discard the Root end. Roughly break the Bread into chunks and add to the Oniony Milk - return to the heat and cook for a few minutes stirring continuously. Take off the heat, add the margarine and season to taste. Serve. Yellow Mustard Seeds are one of life's little treasures. They have a pleasant slightly nutty flavour yet mysteriously enough they have no aroma until you cook them. Whole Yellow Mustard Seeds are used in Curries and Breads as well as being used in numerous pickling recipes. Be careful when adding these to hot Oil - see my post here. Chillies are well known by everyone as well but I have included them here because I know a lot of people fear them. Used correctly they add a wonderful flavour to so many recipes that I urge everyone to incorporate them into your cooking somewhere down the line. The Seeds are what make this vegetable hot - so a really good tip is to not use the Seeds - simple huh! You will still get the full flavour from just using the flesh of this Plant and maybe when you are a bit more confident you will start to add a few Seeds as well. Be REALLY careful when handling this vegetable. Do not touch your face or eyes - whether it's dried or fresh, and always thoroughly wash your hands afterwards. I had fully intended on making Indian food for dinner tonight but I completely forgot that today was a Red Day (National Holiday). All the shops are shut so I was unable to buy Onions and Spinnach - BOO! But the good news is I have leftover Chili - YAY! Todays song is Dakota by The Stereophonics (I'm having to fight the urge to download The Spice Girls - I will be strong)