Tuesday, March 17, 2009

St. Patrick's Day Meal

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, J and I had shepherd's pie and Irish soda bread tonight (both Veganomicon recipes).   They are both excellent.  I don't know that shepherd's pie is traditionally Irish, but it involved mashed potatoes, so that was close enough for me.  The Irish soda bread recipe from V-con is my favorite ever, even if it s not very authentic.  The millet gives it a wonderful chew, and it has just the right sweet/salty balance.

Other recent culinary experiments included punjabi chola and spinach paratha.  Both were delicious, and I'd recommend them if you feel like branching out with Indian cooking.  If Indian cooking is new to you, I'd recommend starting with chana masala and chapati, because the recipes are more streamlined and closer to popular restaurant cuisine.

As a side note, Manjula's dosa recipe with aloo masala is also awesome and does not require a multi-day fermentation, which is a major plus in the world of dosa making.  Pair it with sambar (I always just do it from a mix) and some coconut chutney and you'll be in South Indian heaven.

2 comments:

jovaliquilts said...

Ooo...the spinach paratha recipe looks really good! I've made them "stuffed" with spiced mashed potatoes, but never spinach. Thanks so much for all the links!

Ribbit said...

I just made the spinach paratha and it came out really good!!
I didn't initially understand that rolling 3 inch circles did not mean "roll into a ball and flatten with your hand" but by the time they were stuffed and i needed 6 inch circles, I got wise and pulled out the roller. They stood up very well to my inexpertise and the fennel seeds gave them the wonderful flavor that I'd never realized was the key to paratha.
Also, I didn't know you could basically just fry flour and water and eat it. Cool :)
So thanks a bunch for recommending this recipe! Foolproof, delicious, and educational.

Also, I want to go to south indian heaven. mmmm i love those things.