Aloo Matar Rasedaa - Curried Potatoes and Elephant Safari

Aloo Mater Rasedaa - Curried Potatoes.




They don't get much cuter, but she was a surprise. Her Daddy was a rogue.



This is her teen-age mother.



At home in the jungle.



Conference room.



Kitchen.





Termite Colony.



Tiger



Rhino.


Crocodile.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The Silver Fox loves nature. I love the Silver Fox. The bit about jungles and safari was buried in the fine print of our marriage contract. I missed it. He didn't. That's how I ended up in the middle of a jungle on the back of an elephant who cared a good deal more about her offspring than me or my welfare. We had signed on for a four day stay at a Nepali eco-lodge, hoping that would be enough time to see at least some on the wildlife the camp was famous for. As luck would have it, we got to see everything our first morning on safari. That was wonderful. Folks can spend years trying to catch glimpses of the tigers or white rhinos in the reserve. We hit a homer our first time at bat. Our good luck, however, meant we had to come up with other plans to fill the time we had left in camp. Four days can be an eternity in a place that has only intermittent electricity and hot water. It does not encourage the reading or writing of the great American novel and bubble baths are not de rigueur. I spent my time in the primitive kitchen and at the elephant camp watching the antics of a two year old who was such a minx you couldn't help but love her. She's now old enough to walk behind her mother on expedition. If she's hungry she nurses and everyone waits till she's had her fill. If she finds a pile of dirt or an especially lush leaf, she'll stop and play. Everybody waits. If they're lucky they'll escape the dirt she blows their way as an invitation to play. It's also interesting to watch the behavior of the other elephants when she is around. If they scent boar or other animals that might be dangerous, they close ranks and form a protective circle around her. When I tire of the elephants, I wander down to the primitive kitchen and watch them prepare meals for 40 or so guests. There are no appliances to speak of. There are 5 cooks who report to head chef who barks orders but also cooks. The six of then produce breakfast and two large buffets every day. The food they cook must be walked uphill to the dining room. When the meals are over, dishes are walked to another facility to be washed and stored away. The arrangement is uniquely inefficient but the job gets done, even in rainy season. Eco-tours are not for everyone, but if you love nature and being outdoors you'd love to spend some time on jungle safari. I glad I did it. Once!

The food prepared in the kitchen at Temple Tiger was, of necessity, easy to make. It lacked refinement, but it was delicious and there was always plenty of it. I especially like their recipe for curried potatoes and peas. It can be served with any meal, but it is a wonderful addition to the Nepali set I've been talking about building. It perfectly fits the curry component of the dish. Here is the recipe.

Aloo Matar Rasedaa - Curried Potatoes and Peas...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled and quartered
2 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
1 medium onion, finely minced
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1-1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or ground red pepper
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 can (15-oz.) chopped tomatoes, undrained
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 teaspoon garam masala

Directions:
1) Boil potatoes in lightly salted water until barely tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2) Heat oil in a large pot. Add onions and ginger and cook until softened. Stir in turmeric, cayenne, cumin powder, coriander and cumin seed and cook until fragrant.
3) Add potatoes to skillet and stir to coat with spices. Add tomatoes and sugar and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in peas and garam masala. Cook 5 minutes longer. Add additional water if sauce becomes too thick. Season with salt to taste. Serve hot. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Curried Vegetables With Whole Wheat and Couscous - Simply Recipes
Indian Style Curried Vegetables - What's Cookin, Chicago?
Curried Potato and Vegetable Soup - Simply Recipes
Aloo Gobi - No Recipes
Fresh Vegetable Curry - The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen
Mixed Vegetable Curry - What's Cooking Today

Black-Eyed Pea Casserole - Blue Monday

Photo Courtesy of EV Photos

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Barbecue season is rapidly approaching and with it come large gatherings of family and friends. This casserole is wonderful for picnics, barbecues or covered dish suppers. It was develop years ago for my Southern son-in-law who, as luck would have it, has yet to taste it. It is an economical dish and that makes it perfect for church suppers or organization picnics. Anyone who has ever managed one of these affairs knows the importance of foods that are inexpensive and allow dollars to be stretched as far as possible. The black-eyed pea, which is actually a bean, originated in Asia and was brought to the United States by slave traders. This small beige bean has a black circular "eye" at its inner curve. While originally grown as animal fodder, the beans, which are also called cowpeas, have become popular and are associated with good luck. Prior to the siege of Vicksburg during the American Civil War, the beans were used exclusively for feeding cattle. The siege lasted for 40 days and the people of the town were forced to eat cowpeas to avoid starvation. That started a southern tradition and nowadays they are eaten by some on New Year's Day to bring good luck in the coming year. The beans have been associated with luck and fortune since the days of the pharaohs. The superstitious believe that those who eat the humble cowpea show humility and will be protected from the wrath that will be visited on the vain. Fortunately, there are no meteor showers or thunderbolts tonight, so we can talk a bit about the casserole. It is very easy to make but plan on lead time for soaking the beans. Many feel this is not necessary, but I think the dish has better texture when the beans are soaked for 8 hours before proceeding with the recipe. If you want a completely vegan dish, saute the onions in vegetable oil. If you love bacon, fry four rashers of diced bacon and use the drippings to saute the onions. The bacon adds enormous flavor to the dish and I recommend using it if you can. As with all casseroles, flavor improves if the dish is allowed to sit overnight. That's it. Here's the recipe.

Black-Eyed Pea Casserole...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 cups dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and soaked overnight in cold water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Optional: 4 slices bacon, diced
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons molasses
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground mustard powder
1/4 cup tomato paste or tomato catsup
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 large bay leaf
1 spring each fresh rosemary, thyme and sage
1 small orange
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Drain and rinse soaked beans. Place in a heavy bottomed sauce pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse again. Place into a 3-quart to 4-quart casserole.
2) While beans are boiling, heat oil in a large skillet. If using bacon, add to skillet and saute until bacon is brown. Add onions and saute over medium heat until softened and transparent, about 5 minutes. Stir in honey, molasses, soy sauce, mustard and tomato paste or catsup. Pour in stock and bring to a boil. Pour mixture over beans in casserole.
3) Tie bay leaf and herbs together with a piece of string and add to pot. Pare 3 wide strips of zest from orange. Mix zest and black pepper into bean mixture. Bring to a boil. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Bake for 1 hour.
4) Meanwhile, combine juice from orange with cornstarch and blend to form a smooth paste.
5) At end of hour, remove casserole from oven. Stir in paste and diced red peppers. Return casserole to oven, cover, and bake for 1 hour longer, or until beans are very tender.
6) Remove orange rind and herbs. Garnish with parsley and serve while hot. Yield 4 to 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Tuscan Bean Soup - One Perfect Bite
Chocolate and Black Bean Chili - One Perfect Bite
Mexican Black Bean Salad - One Perfect Bite
Smoked Ham Soup with White Beans - The Recipe Girl
Creamy Navy Bean Soup with Chicken - Poor Girl Eats Well
Navy Bean and Refried Bean Stew - Kalyn's Kitchen

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday