Indian Feast! (Recipe Round-up)

The whole spread!

I've been meaning to post my Indian food recipes for awhile but last night the opportunity presented itself.  I feel that to really appreciate a food blog you need pictures. Everyone loves a little food porn right? Well, last night some family came over and I made a great Indian feast. 

Happy Vegan MOFO!

Palak (Pureed Spinach dish)
24 ounce bag young spinach leaves, washed
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 T. Nutritional Yeast
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 t. Garam Masala
1/2- 1 t. Curry (adjust for how spicy you want it, I use hot curry)

1. In a medium stock pot saute garlic in a little olive oil until slightly golden brown. 
2. Add spinach to stock pot and heat until the spinach is thoroughly wilted, stir often.
3. When its all wilty put it in a blender and puree until its as smooth as you want it.  I personally like mine pretty smooth.

Potatoes before being boiled

Curried Coconut Potatoes
5-6 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
1/2- 3/4 of a can of coconut  milk (depends on how much sauce you want)
1 t. Curry powder
1 t. Garam Masala
1 t. Tumeric Powder
1/2 t. Garlic Powder (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Boil potatoes until cooked through.  Drain and set aside.
2. In a separate bowl whisk together the other ingredients.  Add the potatoes and mix to combine.

Boiling the cauliflower

 
Baked Curry Cauliflower
1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
3/4 C. Frozen Peas (optional), thawed
1/2-1 Can of coconut milk
1.5 t. Garam Masala
1 t. Hot Curry (more if you like it extra spicy)
1 t. Dill
1/2 t. Chili Powder
1/2 t. Garlic Powder
1 T. Tumeric Powder (you can add more if you want a more vibrant yellow color)
2 T. Arrowroot Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

1.Boil cauliflower until tender. 
2.In a separate bowl whisk together sauce ingredients. If you want a thick sauce transfer to a sauce pan and heat until reduced, stirring occassionally.
3. Combine the cauliflower and the sauce with the peas.  If its not hot enough I put it in the oven at 200 degrees until the peas are heated through.

Finished Curry Cauliflower

Pumpkin Chickpea Masala (Chana Masala)
3 (15 oz) Cans Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 C. Pumpkin ( I was a little generous)
4 T. Ketchup (again, be generous)
2 t. Garam Masala
1 t. Hot Curry (I like it spicy)
1/2 t. Chili Powder (optional)
1/2 a Can of coconut milk (3/4- 1 cup approx.)
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a medium saucepan whisk the sauce ingredients together. Simmer for a few minutes.
2. Add the chickpeas.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes more or until the sauce thickens slightly.

Yum!

It didn't take me long to make all of these dishes and they all go great with naan.  This fed five of us with enough for a lunch the next day and several of us had seconds too.  This meal also pairs wonderfully with red wine! I like to cook these dishes when I'm entertaining because the food is new and fun and everyone can mix and match what they like.  Works great for a family dinner!