10:42 PM 3/21/98
rfvc

Here's the recipe I said I'd post for Jim, who wants to use up his
chickpeas, vegetable ghee and frozen spinach. Use the ghee instead of
the oil that I have suggested below. If your chickpeas are not canned,
you need to soak them overnight and boil them until soft before using
in this recipe. 125g (4oz) dried chickpeas should be enough to make
this dish.

This recipe is adapted from Kumud Shah's Quick After-Work Indian
Vegetarian Cookbook. Other Indian recipes, including some others from
this book, are available on my website at
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~corp0141/Cooking/Indian/index.html

Kate

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* Spicy Chickpeas and Spinach *
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* Serves 2 as main dish, 4 as side dish *

1/2 medium onion
2 large fresh tomatoes, or 3 tbsp tinned tomatoes
1 x 400g (14oz) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 tsp sunflower oil, or other flavourless vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1/2 tsp asafoetida (optional)
6 tbsp (100g, 4oz) frozen spinach, defrosted
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp mild chilli powder
1 tbsp dhana jheera (recipe below)
1 tsp amchoor (dried, powdered mango) - optional
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp tamarind sauce or lime juice
175ml (6fl oz) water

1. Peel and chop the onion. Peel the tomatoes if you wish, then chop
them finely (I don't think it's worth peeling them - the pieces of
skin should be very tiny in the finished dish). Drain the chickpeas
and rinse them well.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the cumin and asafoetida (if
using). Stir, then add the onion. Cook, stirring, until the onion is
browned - if it begins to stick, add a small amount of water and
unstick it.

3. Add the spinach and tomato, and stir for 3 minutes.

4. Add the salt, chilli powder, dhana jheera, amchoor (if using),
sugar and tamarind sauce or lime juice. Stir in the chickpeas and
water, then cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes more.

5. When water is gone, and the thick green sauce sticks to the
chickpeas, the dish is ready.

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* Dhana Jheera *
----------------

I learnt about this spice mixture from Kumud Shah's Quick
After-Work Indian Vegetarian Cookbook. According to her, it is used in
fairly large quantities to flavour and thicken curries.

* Makes about 1 tbsp *

2 tsp ground coriander seed, or 1 tbsp whole coriander seed
1/2 tsp ground cumin, or 1 tsp whole cumin seed

1. If using the whole spices, roast them over a low heat in a dry
frying pan (ie, no oil) until they start to smell nice. Remove from
the heat and grind together.

2. If using ready-ground spices, just mix them together.

--
I like red wine that doesn't make my mouth hurt.
Kake Lemon Pugh - http://users.ox.ac.uk/~corp0141/index.html