Hey eco-friends!
I hope you're all staying safe and staying home if you are able to do so! Since we are in a global crisis right now, it's highly recommended that you cook your own food at home. I thought I'd share some recipes that you can make with pantry staples and mainly shelf-stable or freezer-safe ingredients. This first recipe is going to be super easy to adapt to any kind of protein source you have on hand, whether it be tofu, chickpeas, seitan, you name it.
I happened to have these soy chunks in my pantry that I wanted to use up anyway, so instead of making channa masala, I made the channa masala gravy and used soya chunks instead of chickpeas. This is just to show you how versatile Indian gravies can be.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic
1" piece ginger
1/2 large red onion or 1 small red onion
3-4 green chilies
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried kasuri methi (optional)
1 block tofu, cut into cubes and baked or lightly fried OR 1 cup soy chunks OR 1 cup chickpeas
2 cups spinach or other dark leafy greens (frozen/fresh)
Directions:
In a pot over medium heat, saute the olive oil, garlic, ginger, and onions until the onions are translucent. Add in the chilies, cumin, coriander, tomato paste, and methi (if you have some).
Blend them up with around 1 1/2 cups of water until smooth. Pour this blend back into the pot and cook until it comes to a rolling boil. Add in your protein of choice.
Cook for about 10 more minutes, depending on which protein you are using.
Finish off the dish with any dark leafy greens you have on hand. Cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes.
Plate this up with some rice, roti, or naan. If you have it, garnish with cilantro and lemon to drizzle over for some freshness.
There you have it. An easy recipe that you can make any time you feel like having a little Indian comfort food.
I'll be making many more recipes like this with ingredients that you would usually always have on hand, or ones that are freezer-safe.
Stay home, my friends.