Lentil with Fennel and Ginger

Ingredients

- ½ cup white urad dal

- A pinch of turmeric

- 1-2 green chilies, sliced horizontally

- a pinch of nigella

- 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

- 1 tbsp oil

- 1 tsp fennel seeds

- Salt

- Lime wedges

Method

1. Wash the urad dal 3-4 times until the water runs clear.

2. Add 3 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until most of the water has been absorbed by the dal. Be careful not to overcook it.

3. Now add a pinch of salt, turmeric, and the green chilies. Let it simmer for a few more minutes.

4. Dry roast the fennel seeds on a dry, hot pan for about 30 seconds.

5. In a small pan, heat the tablespoon of oil. When it gets hot, add in the nigella and after about 10 seconds, pour the oil with the nigella into the dal.

6. Grind the roasted fennel seeds and ginger in a blender or grinder. Add to the dal. Let it cook for another minute. Turn off heat and keep covered until ready to serve.

7. Squeeze lime wedges over the dal and serve extras on the side.

Bengali Goat Curry

Ingredients

Goat meat – 2 pounds
Ginger paste – 2 tbsp
Garlic paste – 1 1/2 tbsp
Onion sliced – 1 cup
Bay leaf – 2
Cinnamon – half a stick
Cardamom – 2 cloves
Whole black pepper – 1 tsp
Cooking oil – 3-4 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Sugar – 1 tbsp

For the marinade

Yogurt – 3 tbsp
Cumin powder – 1 tbsp
Coriander powder – 1tbsp
Chili powder – 1/2 -1 tbsp
Turmeric – 1 tbsp
Mustard oil – 2 tbsp

Method

Clean the meat and pat dry. Place meat in a large bowl.

To the meat add all the ingredients under marinade and mix well.

Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 2-3 hours. If you can keep it overnight, even better. The more you let it sit in the marinade the better but not more than 24 hours.

In a heavy bottomed pan put oil and heat it.

When oil is heated enough add the sugar and let it melt until it reaches a dark brown color.

Now throw in the bay leaf, whole black peppers, cinnamon and cardamom. Be careful, the whole peppers will sputter a bit. Stir for a minute or so.

Add garlic paste, ginger paste, and onion to the pan and fry until the mixture takes up a brownish color, approximately 15-20 minutes.

When oil starts coming out from the masala put in the meat and coat evenly with the masala.

Add salt (according to taste), and water so that the meat is just above the water surface.

Put on a lid tightly and let cook on low to medium low for two hours, by which time the meat will be fork tender. Just check once in a while so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom.

Aloo Posto

Ingredients

2 tbs white poppy seeds
1tbs cumin seeds
1 pound small potatoes (or large ones can be used since will cut into pieces)
4 tbs vegetable oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (or powder if cannot find seeds)
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/8 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 chili powder
1 tbs lime juice

Method

1. Begin by grinding the 2 tbs white poppy seeds and 1tbs cumin seeds into a paste. Set aside until step 10.

2. Cook and peel potatoes using your preferred method. We boiled them in water first, stopping while they were still firm, and then peeled them.

3. Cut the peeled potatoes into 1/2" or so cubes. If possible, try to get them all to be similar in size.

4. Heat 4 tbs of vegetable oil on medium heat, in a pan or pot with high sides since you will be stirring the dish

5. Put the 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds and 1/4 tsp fennel seeds into the hot oil and stir until they take on a golden color.

6. Turn the heat to very low or a low simmer.

7. Add the potatoes and stir until lightly coated with mixture.

8. Add the 1/8 tsp ground turmeric and stir to distribute and coat.

9. Add 1/4 tsp salt, and stir to distribute and coat.

10. Add the poppy seed/cumin paste made earlier in step 1. Stir to distribute and coat.

11. Add 1/4 tsp chili pepper, and stir to distribute and coat.

12. Add 1 tbs lime juice, and stir to distribute and coat.

13. Cover, remove from heat, and let the potatoes sit to absorb the spices.

14. Add an optional 1 tbs fresh, chopped cilantro.