Curry Lentil Stew with Cilantro Oil

This Curry Lentil Stew is a twist on the traditional middle eastern red lentil soup with lemon. I realize it is not necessary to improve on the original, which is simple, perfect, and beloved, especially by vegetarians, but this soup is different. I gave it an Indian spin; adding ginger, curry, and saffron and then went new world with some potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomato, and hot sauce. The result is spicy and sweet layered on earthy, rich lentils and potatoes with a finish of fresh lemon and cilantro. This is a healthy vegetarian meal that doesn't remind you of it with every bight; it layers on the flavors, hits all the right buttons and leaves you fully satisfied.






















the recipe:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 sm onion, chopped
1 lg stalk celery, minced
1 lg carrot, minced
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp minced ginger
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 cup tomato sauce, or chopped fresh tomato
1 cup pureed sweet potato
3 quarts cold water
3 tsp Sriracha Chili sauce
4-5 threads saffron (optional)
1 cup red lentils
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tsp sugar
salt
3 - 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice

cilantro oil:
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch cilantro
1 clove garlic
salt

serve with:
lemon wedges
Sriracha Chili Sauce


Heat Vegetable oil in Dutch oven, over medium heat. Add chopped onions, minced carrot and celery, and saute until gently caramelized: about 15 minutes. (Lower heat and scrape bottom of pan if necessary to avoid burnt edges) Add garlic, ginger, curry powder and cumin and saute 1 or 2 minutes. Add tomato and sweet potato puree and caramelize about a minute then add water, hot sauce, saffron and lentils. Bring to a boil and skim foam off surface. Lower heat and simmer 1 hour, skimming often. Add sweet potatoes, potatoes and sugar, and liberally season with salt. Simmer 2o minutes skimming often. Add lemon juice and adjust seasoning to taste.

Meanwhile, in blender, puree cilantro, olive oil, 1 clove garlic and a pinch of salt until smooth. Force through a sieve with a wooden spoon and reserve. (You will have extra cilantro oil for another use)

Ladle soup in warm bowls and drizzle with cilantro oil (alternatively, sprinkle with olive oil and chopped cilantro) Serve with with lemon wedges and hot sauce on the side. Serves 4-6

(Just to throw in one more twist; It is also surprisingly very good with polish kielbasa. Just chop the cilantro, omit the olive oil, and add sliced kielbasa in at the same time as the potatoes.)

Curry Chicken Salad

This is, with out a doubt, the best chicken salad I've ever made. (It's also the only time I recall making something with saffron that tasted like saffron, and tasted good!) Its subtle, but full flavored. The first flavor you get is chicken, then just enough curry to know its there, followed by nutty almond, cut occasionally by a burst of sweet raisin, with on unexpected finish of saffron. These starring ingredients wouldn't work without the foundation of complex vegetal flavor: the peppers adding sweetness, the onion: bite, and the celery: freshness. I was pleasantly surprised by the great texture of this salad. The veggies happily play a supporting roll, unnoticeable except to give some structure.

I think some of the keys to its nuanced flavor are, first: the curry powder. While no universal recipe exists, there are two obviously different categories: British/Indian and Jamaican styles. I say style, because Curry Powder is a western invention. In India they generally use fresh ground aromatics and spices for their sauces. Curry powder was brought to the UK and then to the Caribbean, where it was further altered to suit local tastes and ingredients (most notably allspice). In the past I had used a Jamaican style curry powder, (which I do use in my Curry Tuna Salad). This time I used an Indian variety, (Maharajah Curry Powder from Penzy Spices), that had one unique addition: saffron, which turned out to go beautifully with the second star of this dish and my favorite element in the salad; roasted almonds. The combo was a huge success. The floral nature of Indian curry powder and saffron was perfectly balanced by the rich, toasted, nutty flavor. (A similar effect could be achieved by adding a couple of threads of saffron to your favorite Indian curry powder blend.)

I know most people don't own saffron, but haven't you always wanted a reason to buy some?


the recipe:

1 1/2 cups shredded poached chicken
2 tbsp. onion, minced
1 sm. stalk celery, sliced
1/3 orange or red bell pepper, small diced
2 tbsp. raisins
2 tbsp. roasted almonds, chopped
1/2-2/3 cup mayonnaise
1-2 tsp. Indian curry powder
2-3 threads saffron
fresh ground black pepper
salt

In small bowl, add saffron to curry powder and crush thoroughly with the back of a spoon, (or crush with mortar and pestle.) In Larger bowl, Mix chicken, onion, celery, pepper, raisins, and mayonnaise (you may need more or less mayonnaise depending on the moistness of your chicken). Season with salt and pepper, and gradually add your curry powder blend until you can clearly identify your chicken salad as curry, but no more. Let rest for ten minutes or more for flavors to marry. Stir in almonds, taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve on soft dense wheat bread with green leaf lettuce. Makes two sandwiches.