Moong and Toor Dal Tadka with Coconut and Red Chilies...

I know what you’re thinking, hot soup or dal in the middle of summer? You’re crazy! And normally I would agree with you only I just recently came off five days of being ridiculously ill with what was probably Norovirus and so I didn’t want to push the limits of my digestion. Since Thursday afternoon I’d been living off of crackers, bread, tea, and on Saturday evening when I finally began to feel stable enough to take in something heartier I made a very brothy vegetable soup. It was pretty basic - potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, broth, water, and spike seasoning. It was tasty, but come Monday when I was feeling roughly 85%-90% better I wanted to eat something fun!

I’ve really been craving Indian food lately, specifically lentils, and when I think of lentils I automatically think of dal, there are few things more nourishing and comforting then a big ‘ole bowl of dal. Specifically I wanted dal tadka, which I’ve only recently discovered There’s a great little Vegetarian Indian Restaurant not far from where I live that serves a wicked good Dal Tadka, I had it the week my mother was in town visiting me, and I’ve been kind of dreaming about tadka ever since.

Tadka incase you don’t know is really just a cooking technique in which you fry whole spices in oil so that they release their natural oils, and after a minute or so you pour the whole thing - oil and all - into the dish you’ve prepared. It sound a bit strange maybe since we’re used to putting spices in our food at the beginning of cooking rather then at the end but let me assure you that this technique imparts some truly phenomenal flavor! And that’s exactly what I wanted.

Now, I’m not going to lay any claims saying that this is in any way a traditional dal tadka, or even a traditional dal, but it is delicious. It’s full of ingredients that are delicious and healing, however if you’re unaccustomed to cooking Indian food at home you may not have them all on hand. Still, they should be easy enough to find at your local Indian grocery - that’s where I get mine - and they are well worth hunting down. Trust me once you taste the slightly bitter, onion flavor of Nigella seeds you’ll be hooked! Similarly the buttery, garlic/onion flavor of asafetida can not be matched, and black mustard has a unique flavor itself, different from that of yellow mustard. As for pickled red chilies I make them myself, and so I’m not sure if you can actually buy such a thing anywhere. Though if you have a basic pickling recipe you can easily pickle some of your own chilies. It’s not necessary but I love the added flavor note.

Moong and Toor Dal Tadka with Coconut and Red Chilies 

Dal

1 tsp Olive Oil
1 Large Yellow Onion Diced
1 C Moong Dal - soaked for 1 hour and rinsed
½ C Toor Dal - soaked for 1 hour and rinsed
4 C Water
½ tsp Ground Turmeric
1 - 1 ½ tsp Salt - to taste
1 13.5oz can Full Fat Coconut Milk
½ Bunch Cilantro Minced

Tadka 

2-3 tsp Olive Oil
1 ½ tsp Black Mustard Seeds
½ tsp Nigella Seeds
½ tsp Coriander Seeds
½ tsp Fenugreek Seeds
1 tsp Asafetida Powder
6 Garlic Cloves Minced
1-2 Red Chilies Minced - depending on heat preference.

To Garnish -

Extra Minced Cilantro
Sliced Pickled Red Chillies - optional but highly recommended!

For the Dal 

- Heat the Olive oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the diced onion and saute for 5-6 minutes until lightly golden.

- To the pot add the soaked and rinsed Moong Dal as well as the Toor Dal. Stir to combine.

- Add the 4 cups of water, the turmeric, and the salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes then reduce the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.

- Check on the doneness of your dal. If the lentils are still hard, or too firm for your liking continue to simmer for an additional 10 minutes until they become soft. If the lentils are soft already, and have reached a somewhat mushy consistency add in the coconut milk and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes.

- Remove the pot from the heat and add in the minced cilantro. Stir to combine.

For the Tadka 

- Heat the oil on high in a heavy bottomed frying pan. Once hot add in the mustard seeds, nigella seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, asafetida powder, minced garlic and minced chili. Fry for one minute or until the seeds pop, the garlic has turned golden and the chilies have softened slightly. It’s okay if the spices brown a little, it adds to the flavor.

- Remove the pan from the heat and scrape the entire contents - spices and residual oil - into your pot containing the dal.

Assembly - 

- Stir the Tadka into the dal until it’s been well combined. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors mingle. Then divide amongst serving bowls and garnish with additional cilantro and pickled red chilies if desired.

- Serve with basmati rice, and/or Indian Flatbread. I made a batch of Roti to scoop the dal up and it was a delicious accompaniment.

Coriander Is The Spice of Life...

I probably say this about every spice but I really, really love Coriander. Did you know that coriander is both an herb and a spice? This is because both the fresh leaves and the seeds are used. In North America we commonly refer to the seeds (ground or whole) as coriander, while we refer to the fresh leaves as cilantro.  While I tend to use both in my cooking I typically reserve coriander seeds and powder for dishes of a Mediterranean, Mexican, Indian, or Middle Eastern flair, where as Cilantro I’ll toss into just about anything. I use a ridiculous amount of Cilantro, and probably buy anywhere from 3-4 large bunches of it per week. I love everything about it from it’s unique flavor to it’s smell, and it works well in almost any dish.

Interestingly enough did you know that many people can’t stand the leaves because they experience un unpleasant soapy taste or rank flavor when eating them? This is due to an aromatic chemical compound within the leaves that is somewhat related to a chemical group found in the Stink Bug. Apparently the different perceptions of coriander leaves is genetic - like that whole Asparagus/stinky pee thing - with some people having absolutely no reaction to the chemicals whatsoever, while others can’t stand it. Glad I’m one of the people who can stand Coriander/Cilantro, because I don’t know what I’d do without it! But enough about all that, lets get to some history.

History/Cultivation

Coriander is native to a wide range of areas spanning Southern Europe all the way to South Asia, and since it grows wild in so many areas it’s hard for us to pinpoint exactly where it was first cultivated. There is however plenty of evidence to suggest that Coriander has been in use for a very, very long time. For example fifteen desiccated coriander mericarps were found in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B Level of the Nahal Hemel Cave in Israel which is potentially the oldest archeological find of coriander. Roughly half a liter of coriander mericarps were recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun, and since the plant does not grow wild in Egypt archeologists interpret this as proof that coriander was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians.

Coriander also seems to have been cultivated in Greece since roughly the second millennium BC. A Linear B Tablet recovered from Pylos refers to the species being cultivated for use in perfume as well as for it’s culinary/medicinal properties Large quantities of the species being recovered at an Early Bronze Age layer at Sitagori in Macedonia could indicate cultivation of the species at that time..

If you want to get a little less Scientific coriander is also mentioned in the Old Testament of The Bible. It’s also said to have been used by the Romans to preserve meat and flavor bread, and it’s associated with Hippocrates who apparently used it as an aromatic stimulant.

Lastly coriander was brought to the British Colonies in North America around 1670, and became one of the first spices cultivated by early settlers.

Health Benefits 

Recent animal-based research has confirmed that coriander can control blood sugar, cholesterol, and free radical production. When it was added to the diet of diabetic mice, it helped stimulate their secretion of insulin and lowered their blood sugar.  When it was given to rats fed a high fat, high cholesterol diet, coriander lowered levels of total LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while increasing the levels of HDL cholesterol. This effect appears to be caused by increasing synthesis of bile by the liver and increasing the breakdown of cholesterol into other compounds. Finally in rats coriander was also shown to reduce the amount of damaged fats in their cell membranes.

Interestingly in parts of Europe coriander has been traditionally referred to as an ‘anti-diabetic’ herb, and has been documented as a traditional treatment for Type 2 Diabetes.

A study published in the June 2004 issue of the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry suggests that coriander could be a natural way to fight Salmonella - which is a frequently and sometimes deadly cause of foodborne illness. Together US and Mexican researchers isolated the compound dodecenal, which laboratory tests showed is twice as effective as the commonly used antibiotic drug gentamicin at killing Salmonella.

Coriander - like many spices - also contains antioxidants, which can delay or prevent the spoilage of food seasoned with it. Though antioxidants were found in both the seeds as well as the leaves the antioxidant effect of the leaves proved to be greater.

Coriander has also been used as a folk remedy in Iran to treat anxiety and insomnia. While it’s long been used in Indian Medicine as a diuretic, as well as a carminative and digestive aid.

Lastly the essential oil produced from coriander has shown to have antimicrobial effects.

So it’s antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-diabetic, and antimicrobial - what more could you ask for?

Preparation -

I like cilantro in just about anything but some of my favorite ways to use it are in fresh salsa, guacamole, black bean soup, in grain salads like tabbouleh, in dal’s, in curries - especially spicy curries or coconut based curries - in chili, in cornbread, sprinkled over top of roasted potatoes or carrots, in lentil soup - or any soup - sprinkled over top of salad, in chutney, dressing’s, dip’s, and even on pasta. It’s great with lightly sauteed white beans, and goes pretty well with just about any Mexican, Latin American, Indian, Asian, North African, Mediterranean, or Tex-Mex style cuisine.

You can even make a holistic tea out of it by boiling the seeds - though I’ll be honest and say I have no idea what that might taste like.

There’s really so much you can do with cilantro that as long as you don’t have an aversion to it you should just start liberally using it in everything.

Classic Hummus...

I love hummus - who doesn’t - I love it, and I make it often. It’s one of my favorite foods, and it’s often a saving grace when it comes to eating healthfully - and sometimes just plain eating - as a vegan traveler. No matter where you go, no matter how small the town, or how vegan-unfriendly the city, someone, somewhere has hummus. It seems to be universally loved, and it seems that everyone and their mother has a personal hummus recipe that they like best.

When it comes to hummus I don’t care if it’s thick, thin, creamy, extra-creamy, or a little textured. I love them all just so long as the flavor is good. That’s that’s really the key, because hummus just ain’t no good if it’s bland or boring. I don’t mean that you have to dress it up and make if fancy - although I love that too - I just mean that when it comes to a good hummus you should be able to taste the nutty tahini, the tart lemon, the bitter cumin, and the garlic, oh gods the garlic!  Hummus without garlic is like a hand without fingers. You definitely, definitely need the garlic!

For years and years I used to make hummus with canned chickpeas and the result was always good it comes out smooth and creamy like I like, and the flavor is wonderful. Until this year I had never made hummus with dried beans before, and this is because my old stove just wasn’t up to the challenge of cooking a bean as hard as the garbanzo. I don’t know why this is, but no matter how long I cooked them on the stove they never got soft. Now my new stove cooks these things like a champ in about an hour, and I have to say the flavor of hummus with home-cooked beans is really out of this world.

Another thing I love about hummus is that it’s so versatile. Really as long as you have chickpeas you can do basically anything else you like. You can season it with whatever you have on hand, and often times while I’ve been on vacations where I’ve had access to a kitchen - or at least a food processor - I’ve been able to whip up hummus using almond butter instead of tahini, lime juice instead of lemon, garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. Hell I’ve even used basil, oregano, curry, and other random seasonings to flavor it when I didn’t have enough cumin. It’s easy, simple, filling and oh so satisfying!

For the sake of your convenience you can use either canned or home-cooked in this recipe, but I highly recommend you trying the home-cooked method, because it really is amazing. So here I go tossing my hat into the ring and adding another hummus recipe into the

Classic Hummus 

2 ½ C Home-Cooked Chickpeas (about 1 heaping cup dried)
4-6 Garlic cloves
3 tsp Ground Cumin
2 tsp Ground Coriander
3/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
½ tsp Onion Powder
5 Tbsp Lemon Juice
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
6 Tbsp Tahini
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1/3C -2/3C water - (Or enough to reach your desired consistency, the more you use the creamier and thinner the hummus)


- Combine the chickpeas and the garlic in a food processor and process until you have corse crumbs.

- Add in the spices, salt, pepper, tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil. Process until you have a thick paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

- Add in the water and process until you have a smooth creamy dip. Add enough water to reach your desired consistency. This may take a few minutes depending on your processor and you may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times.

- Scrape the hummus out into a serving dish and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, some smoked paprika or a dash of cayenne pepper, and a little minced cilantro. Enjoy as a dip for veggies or toasted pita or forget the serving dish and use the hummus in a wrap, on a sandwich, scooped onto a salad, spread out onto some falafels, or spread across some socca. Enjoy!

Harvest Pumpkin Apple Galette...

Sometime last week I saw an item listed on a menu that really intrigued me. It was a Squash and Apple Galette. I’ve only eaten a Galette once. I made one a few months ago and it was delicious, delicious enough to make me wonder why I’d never made one before, and delicious enough to make me want to try my hand at making one again. As I looked over the ingredients listed in the menu for this particular galette my salivary glands started dripping. Butternut Squash, Apples, Onions, Spices and Parmesan. Minus the parm that sounded pretty damn good. It sounded warm and comforting and autumnal, and really who doesn’t love anything baked inside a crust? Looking over the menu I thought, ‘I could make that.’ and so a few days later - armed with nothing but a few vague ideas - I did just that.

As it turns out though I didn’t have any butternut squash, I did however have two beautiful sugar pumpkins that I’d bought in a moment of inspiration and then never used. I wanted to - no I needed to - use them, and since I like pumpkin, and sugar pumpkins are naturally a little sweeter like a butternut squash I didn’t see any reason why they wouldn’t be just as delicious in my Galette. Apples and onions of course I had and so the only thing left to decide was the spices. The menu had been vague on that account, but that was okay, I’m good with spices. After a few minutes thought I decided to go with a subtle Middle Eastern flavor, with a French twist. These two seemingly distinct and different flavors actually paired quite well together, who would have thought?

Now I hate to break a bit of bad news but the night I made this I was in a bit of a hurry and I didn’t exactly measure any of the spices. I added what I thought would be good, taste tested it and adjusted as needed. I hadn’t originally intended to post this recipe on the blog as I wasn’t sure if it would even be any good - in fact I was expecting it to be a fail - but it far exceeded my expectations. This was so phenomenal that I knew I would have to post it and so I’ll try to give you an approximate. I would suggest maybe half to one full tsp of smoked paprika, Rosemary, and Coriander. And a quarter to half a tsp of cinnamon and ginger, or something there about. You want all the flavors to blend together you don’t want any one flavor to overpower the others. You want enough cinnamon and ginger to be able to taste them but not enough so that it’s all you taste. Same with the paprika and coriander you want enough to taste them fully, but not enough that your entire galette is ruined by them. Go with your gut and you’ll be alright I think.

This turned out so well in fact that I can’t wait to make another galette! Enjoy!

Galette Dough 

2 ½ Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 C Whole Wheat or Whole Wheat Pastry flour
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 - 1 ½ tsp Sea Salt
1-2 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary minced finely
! C Vegetable Shortening (Earth Balance Shortening is what I used)
3/4 C Ice Water or as needed
Olive Oil for Brushing
Sea Salt, Black Pepper and Basil to taste

Pumpkin Apple Filling

2 Small-Medium Sized Sugar Pumpkins (Pie Pumpkins)
2 Granny Smith Apples
1 Large Yellow Onion Diced
8 Garlic Cloves Minced
Smoked Paprika
Ground Cinnamon
Ground Coriander
Ground Ginger
Fresh Minced Rosemary
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1-2 dashes of Dried Basil
3 Tbsp Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1-2 Tbsp Lemon Flavored Olive Oil (or a mixture of Olive Oil and Pure Lemon Juice)
1-2 Tsp Olive Oil

I served our galette with a side of Terry Waters Fingerling Potatoes with
Red Onion and Sage from "Clean Start" which were very good!

To Make the Dough 

- In a food processor combine the flours, salt, sugar, and rosemary. Pulse to combine.

- Cut the Shortening into the food processor with a knife in small dice. Then pulse until the dough becomes pebbly and crumbly.

- Add in the ice water a little at a time, 1-2 Tbsp at a time, and pulse until the dough just holds together. You may need to add more water or use less. Do not over process.

- Form dough into a disk wrap in plastic and place in the fridge for 20 minutes

- Lightly oil a 12 to 14 inch pizza pan. Remove dough from fridge and roll out onto a floured surface. Roll out into a circle big enough to fit your pan with some dough hanging over the edges. It doesn’t have to be a perfect circle. Thickness should be between 1/4 -1/2 inch.

- Carefully transfer dough to the pizza pan and brush lightly with olive oil.


To Make the Filling 

- Preheat Oven to 400'F

- Cut Pumpkins, Remove seeds, Peel and cut into cubes.

- Toss pumpkin with the lemon olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Roast in the preheated oven for 45-60 minutes until pumpkin is tender.

- Set aside and let cool.

- Heat 1-2 tsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic. Cook until onion is translucent and just beginning to caramelize. About 10-15 minutes.

- Peel, and dice apples.

- Once onions have cooked, add the roasted pumpkin and the diced apples to the pan, stir to combine. Season to taste with fresh Rosemary, smoked paprika, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger. Stir to combine.

- Add in the maple syrup and Dijon Mustard and stir again to combine. Remove from heat and let cool while you make the dough.

Assembly 

Preheat oven to 375"F

- Scrape your pumpkin apple filling onto the dough lined Pizza pan. Spreading the filling out evenly to the edges of the pan with the back of a spoon or spatula.

- Carefully fold over any excess dough hanging off the edges of your pizza pan. Folding them into a rustic looking shape and leaving the middle open.

- Brush the folded dough lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt, black pepper, and a little dash of dried basil.

- Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the crust is lightly brown.

And of course no dinner is complete without dessert. This is Isa and Terry's
She's my Cherry Pie from "Vegan Pie in the Sky"

PS: I know there are quite a few steps involved here, but this can be super simple to make if you do a little work in advance. You can roast your pumpkin a day ahead and even make the dough a day ahead leaving it wrapped in plastic until ready to use. 

Roasted Chili Lime and Indian Spiced Chickpeas...

Garbanzo Beans or Chickpeas as they’re also called are my hands down favorite bean ever! Well, I love other beans of course, and If I had to pick I’d say black beans, lima beans and edamame are right up there with chickpeas but chickpeas were the first bean I fell in love with so they’d always hold a special place in my heart.

I truly love them in anything. Soup, chili, stew, salad, sauteed with greens and other veggies. In rice, cous cous, or farro dishes, obviously as hummus. I love them in traditional Indian, Middle Eastern and Hispanic dishes, I just love, love, love them. They are probably the bean I buy and eat most frequently but sometimes - if you’re like me - you don’t want to go through the whole rigamarole of making something just to enjoy the one ingredient you love. Am I right? Now, I am no stranger to eating chickpeas right out of the can, I do it often, and it’s delicious, but some days you jsut need a little more than that, but you want something less than a meal. Well roasted snack chickpeas are just the thing!

Roasted Indian Spiced Chickpeas

Now roasting chickpeas isn’t exactly a new idea, so I can’t take credit for it. I’d seen mention of it before in magazine’s and online articles that connected to ‘healthy snacking’ though always intrigued by the idea I’d never actually thought to do it until last week. By then the recipes I’d previously seen were distant memories but roasting chickpeas seemed an easy enough task. All I needed to do was decide what flavorings I wanted to use. In the end I decided to go with a Mexican inspired flavor, and an Indian inspired flavor. Since they are two of my favorite types of cuisine and both traditionally use chickpeas it seemed a no-brainer.

Chili Lime Roasted Chickpeas

I was so impressed with the finished result. Not only do these things cook up fast, but they’re delicious! Absolutely-freaking delicious. They’re a truly healthy snack, and hearty too. The perfect thing to munch on pre-dinner when you usually reach for the sweets. They’re great served hot out of the oven or at room temperature, and truth be told they’re not half bad cold either. Bring a batch to your next BBQ or pot-luck and stick them on the snack table beside the chips, dips, pretzels, and party mix. They’ll be a sure fire hit.

Roasted Chickpeas 2 ways
(Cooking Instructions are the same for both)

Chili Lime Roast Chickpeas

1 15oz can Chickpeas
1 ½ Tbsp Lime Juice
½ Tbsp Agave Nectar
3/4 tsp Chili Powder
3/4 tsp Ground Cumin
Sea Salt

Indian Spiced Roast Chickpeas

1 15oz Can Chickpeas
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
½ Tbsp Agave
½ Tbsp Olive Oil
3/4 tsp Curry Powder
3/4 tsp Gram Masala
1/4 tsp Ground Coriander
1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
Sea Salt

- Preheat oven to 400'F

- Drain and Rinse Chickpeas, then pat dry. Try to get them as dry as possible, before transferring them to a bowl.

- In a separate small bowl whisk together all flavor ingredients, both liquids and spices.

- Pour over the chickpeas and stir until thoroughly combined.

- Spread chickpeas in a single layer over a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes then stir and bake another 10-15 minutes until chickpeas are brown and crispy.

- Remove from oven and transfer to a serving bowl, serve hot or refrigerate in an airtight container for later.

*** Note - For an Oil-Free version of the Indian Spiced Chickpeas Omit Olive Oil and use Lemon Juice or Tamarind Paste instead.***

PS: This probably goes without saying but if you decide to make both flavors at once do not put them on the same baking sheet. Use two different sheets!

Indo-Malaysian 'Mutton' Soup...

I have never eaten mutton in my life, nor have I had any desire to. However when I came across a recipe for an Indian Mutton Soup in a Malaysian cook book recently, I found myself intrigued. Not in the least by the meat but by the idea of a rich, flavorful, lightly spiced soup with large chunks of tomato. The picture looked very appetizing, and I could feel the creative juices in my brain begin to flow. How could I make this vegan? At first I wasn’t sure how I’d be able to achieve this, because as far as I know there is not currently a vegan lamb, or sheep substitute. There is vegan beef, and vegan chicken, there is vegan tuna, and vegan shrimp, hell there is even vegan calamari and Haggis, but no vegan lamb. I considered using seitan or tempeh because they’re both chewy and easily soak up flavor but I didn’t have any seitan on hand and tempeh I decided might taste too much like tempeh. I wanted this dish to be really rich and decadent so I needed something else.

Lucky for me I had a package of Gardein Beefless Tips in my freezer. Even though they’re not in the slightest bit mutton like I figured they’d be a fine substitute. I’ve only eaten lamb a couple of times in my life and it was long ago. I recall it being stronger, gamier, and richer then beef but not necessarily that different, maybe I’m wrong there but I’ll never know. The tips in the end worked magically. They were exactly the right thing for this delicious hearty soup. The mixture of flavors in this soup is incredible, my husband and I couldn’t stop raving about the awesome flavor of the broth. It was perfectly spiced and tasted fantastic with bread. Originally I wanted to use Naan, but the store was out, and I didn’t have the time to make any so we used pita. It worked just as well I think, so when you make this soup you must get bread, any kind! You will not be sorry.

This soup apparently also goes by the name of Sop Kambing and is a particularly popular dish amongst the Muslim and Malay hawker stalls, as well as in the coffee shops. I hear it’s best when served at night as it’s said to have a restorative property. I don’t know about that, but I definitely felt sated after finishing off a large bowl, and now you can enjoy it too!

Indo-Malaysian 'Mutton' Soup

1 thumb size piece of ginger
8 Garlic Cloves
1 Red Chili or ½-1 tsp Red pepper Flakes
1 Large Yellow Onion roughly chopped
2 Tbsp Non-dairy Butter
1 ½ tsp Ground Coriander
1 ½ tsp Ground Cumin
1 ½ tsp Ground Fenugreek
1 ½ tsp Sugar
1/4-1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
3-4 tsp Tomato Paste
7 Green Cardamom Pods
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
2 C Water + 1 Vegan ‘Beef’ Bullion Cube
3 Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and quartered, then the quarters cut in half
10oz -1 lb Gardein Beefless Tips
1 Bunch Cilantro minced

- Spray large pan with non-stick spray and cook beef tips over high heat until browned on all sides. 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.

- Place Ginger, Garlic and Red Chili into a food processor and process into a paste

- Heat the non-dairy butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for 4-5 minutes until fragrant. Add the garlic, ginger paste and saute another 2 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, fenugreek and sugar stir to combine and saute another 2-3 minutes until very fragrant and onions are golden.

- Add the water and bullion cube, along with the tomato paste, cinnamon and cardamom pods. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil.

- Reduce the heat and cover simmer for 20 minutes.

- Add the tomatoes along with sea salt and pepper to taste. Then cover and simmer another 15 minutes.

- Add in the reserved ‘beef’ tips and simmer another 10 minutes.

- Fish out the cardamom pods and discard. Garnish with the cilantro and serve with your favorite crusty bread or Naan.

*** Note - This can be made Gluten-Free if using Tempeh or soy based beef instead. Or it can be made Soy-free if using Seitan or soy-free beef and soy-free non-dairy butter instead. Although I can’t promise it’ll taste the same with either substitution.***