#have made

Spiced chickpeas are crisped in olive oil, then simmered in a garlicky coconut milk for an insanely creamy, basically-good-for-you stew that evokes stews found in South India and parts of the Caribbean. While the chickpeas alone would be good as a side dish, they are further simmered with stock, bolstered with dark, leafy greens of your choosing and finished with a handful of fresh mint. When shopping, be sure to avoid low-fat coconut milk, coconut milk meant for drinking or cream of coconut: All are very different and would not be suitable here.

OP Note: When I cooked this I made a few changes to the ingredients and cooking process, based on the comments on the original post. Any additions or changes will be marked in italics.

Recipe from Alison Roman

—————————————————

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil, plus more for serving

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 (2-inch) piece ginger, finely chopped

1 serrano, seeded and chopped

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric, plus more for serving

1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 (15-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 bunch Swiss chard, kale or collard greens, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces

1/8 tsp garam masala or cumin

Fresh lime juice or kaffir lime leaves, to taste

1 cup mint leaves, for serving

Yogurt, for serving (optional)

Toasted pita, lavash or other flatbread, for serving (optional)

—————————————————

Directions

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large pot over medium. Add garlic, onion, serrano and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent and starts to brown a little at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric, 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, and the chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, so the chickpeas sizzle and fry a bit in the spices and oil, until they’ve started to break down and get a little browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove about a cup of chickpeas and set aside for garnish. 

Depending on the cooking vessel, your chickpeas may not crisp; if so, remove 1 cup of the chickpeas from pot, toss lightly with olive oil and cumin and bake in an oven set to 375 degrees Fahrenheit until crispy. Set aside.

Using a wooden spoon or spatula, further crush the remaining chickpeas slightly to release their starchy insides. (This will help thicken the stew.) Add coconut milk and stock, and season with salt and pepper. If using kaffir lime leaves, add one or two to the pot.

Bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits that have formed on the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until stew has thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. (Taste a chickpea or two, not just the liquid, to make sure they have simmered long enough to be as delicious as possible.) If after 30 to 35 minutes, you want the stew a bit thicker, keep simmering until you've reached your desired consistency. Determining perfect stew thickness is a personal journey!

Add greens and stir, making sure they’re submerged in the liquid. Cook until they wilt and soften, 3 to 7 minutes, depending on what you’re using. (Swiss chard and spinach will wilt and soften much faster than kale or collard greens.) Taste stew again and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add lime juice to taste, if using, or remove the kaffir lime leaves. Add garam masala. Stir well.

Divide among bowls and top with mint, reserved chickpeas, a sprinkle of red-pepper flakes and a good drizzle of olive oil. Serve alongside yogurt and toasted pita if using; dust the yogurt with turmeric if you'd like.

Stage Patalliro -Stardust Project- Final Dress Rehearsal

Louisiana strawberres are usually quite sweet. if your strawberries are tart, you will probably want to add more sugar.

Makes two 9-inch pies.

Recipe from Paul Prudhomme

—————————————————

Ingredients

Pie Dough

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour

6 tbsp margarine, softened

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 C cold milk

Strawberry Filling

6 lbs strawberries, in all, rinsed and stems removed

1 C sugar

1/2 C water

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

—————————————————

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the flour with the margarine and salt, cutting the margarine into the mixture until it's reduced to small lumps. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and add the milk, stirring until well blended, then continue mixing 1 minute more; do not overmix. Divide dough into 2 equal portions.

On a well-floured surface, roll each portion of dough 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Place a 9-inch pie pan face down over each piece and cut out the dough, leaving about a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold each piece of dough into quarters and place each in an ungreased 9-inch pan with the point centered. Unfold dough and line the pan bottom and sides, draping a little over the rim; gently press dough into place. Trim the edges. Cover the dough with waxed paper and carefully place pie weights (or dried beans) in the bottom and up the sides. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until edges are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove pie weights and waxed paper and cook until crust bottoms are lightly browned, about 11 to 13 minutes more, rotating the pans once during cooking so crusts will brown evenly. (Baking time may vary, from 10 to 15 minutes, depending on what you used to weigh down the dough.)

Place 1 1/2 quarts of the strawberries (use the smallest and least attractive ones) and the sugar in a food processor or blender; process until smooth, about 10 to 20 seconds. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart saucepan. Add the water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. Add the gelatin and beat with a metal whisk until gelatin is dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Loki is opo squash, a light green colored squash available at Indian stores and well-stocked supermarkets. The good thing about this recipe is that you can make koftas and the gravy ahead of time and freeze them separately until ready to use.

Recipe from Komali Nunna

Ingredients

Koftas

3 to 3 1/2 lbs opo squash

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup chickpea flour/besan, divided

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro/coriander

oil for deep frying

Gravy

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 cups minced onion

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

3 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 cups tomato sauce

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp garam masala powder

2 tbsp fresh cilantro/coriander for garnishing

Instructions

Using a sieve, sift chickpea flour/besan into a bowl to remove any lumps. Transfer 1/2 cup of chickpea flour/besan to a small skillet, dry roast over medium heat until flour loses its raw smell and turns one shade darker, while stirring constantly.

To make koftas, peel and remove seeds from the opo squash. Using a food processor with grater attachment or box grater, grate opo squash and measure 5 cups. Heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add grated opo squash with 1 tsp oil. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Transfer the cooked opo squash to a colander set over a bowl to catch any extra moisture and let it come to room temperature. Transfer the cooked opo squash to a bowl, add roasted chickpea flour/besan, garam masala powder, cayenne, and chopped cilantro and mix thoroughly. (You can finish the recipe up to this point and refrigerate for a couple of days.) Divide the dough into 16 parts. Using wet fingers, working with 1 portion at a time, make it into a ball. Roll each ball in the remaining chickpea flour. Shake off excess flour and finish the rest of the dough in the same manner.

Fill the wok or heavy bottomed saucepan until it is 1/2 full of oil (oil should be 2-3 inches deep). Heat oil to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, or when you add a piece of bread, it should rise to the top in 15 to 20 seconds. Add as many koftas as the pan can hold, without crowding them. Fry until evenly golden brown, while turning from time to time with a slotted with a slotted spoon. Using a slotted spoon. Using a slotted spoon, remove koftas from the hot oil onto a tray lined with paper towels and proceed with the rest of the koftas.