Chana Masala and Indian Style Cabbage

And....

















we're back to food. That didn't take long, did it?


I can't say enough good things about this meal. I got the recipes from Kira's blog, and her observations were the same as mine for both dishes:
a) The chana masala is the easiest "Indian" thing we've ever made, and it tastes awesome.
b) The original title of the cabbage is "five-minute Indian-style cabbage," and that timing is correct. In 5 minutes we had the cabbage ready to eat. So keep that in mind - you can get the cabbage ready and set it aside while the chana masala cooks, or make it second.
With two people you can make this entire meal in 20 minutes or less.























I'll note the changes I made below, but basically we took Kira's suggestions for things to add to the cabbage. I think there are a lot of possibilities that would work really well. You could also add tofu or a meat, if you felt so inclined.

Chana Masala
From Food alla Puttanesca

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large Roma tomato, seeded and chopped
1 15oz can chickpeas, not drained (or about 2 cups cooked beans with liquid)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger

Preparation
Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium high heat, then add the onion and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown (5-7 minutes)
Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and curry powder, and let cook for about a minute. Stir in the tomato and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add the chickpeas and their liquid, turn the head down to medium, and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it has thickened slightly. Stir in the fresh ginger, taste and add salt if necessary, then serve.


Five-Minute Indian-Style Cabbage
from Food alla Puttanesca

Ingredients

1/2 head green cabbage, cored and sliced thin
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter), or mustard oil, or more to taste
1 tablespoon black mustard seeds (I forgot these and added 1/4 tsp mustard powder to the other seasonings)
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
optional: garlic, ginger, unsweetened shredded coconut, fresh chilis or dried chili flakes, garam masala*
optional garnish: cilantro, lemon juice*

Preparation
Heat a large skillet or wok over a medium-high flame. Add the oil, wait 10 seconds, and immediately add the mustard seeds.
As soon as they start to pop, add the rest of the spices and any optional ingredients and stir-fry for 10 more seconds. Move quickly here so you infuse the flavor in the oil but don't burn them.
Add the cabbage and salt, and stir-fry until crisp-tender or tender, your preference. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Garnish with cilantro and/or lemon juice.


*In terms of optional ingredients, we added garlic, ginger, and dried red pepper flakes. I'm not that into shredded coconut, but I feel like this dish could go a lot of different ways.