Vegan Chickpeas and Sweet Potato Curry

This is the first time ever, I made this curry. Actually I created this recipe with throwing ingredients together after rummaging my brain and pantry to make something out of nothing. I wasn’t too sure about the combination of sweet potato, chickpeas and mushroom but the result astounded me. It turned out fantastic. I was ecstatic.

My hubby always says that I prepare best and exquisite meals when I put together whatever is available in the fridge and pantry. I guess, I just love the challenge of preparing a meal that everyone will love with limited resources.

I should document these crisis creations as I face these situation more often than I would like being a busy mom.

This curry is full of flavour. It has a big hit of chilli, thick and rich gravy, balance of spice, earthiness, sweetness and also packed a punch with hint of lemon juice.

Without further ado, I’m very excited to share this recipe. I hope you will love it as much as I enjoyed it,

Ingredients

4 tablespoons of oil
1 medium size onion finely sliced
1-2 green cardamom pods
1-2 cloves
A small sprig of cinnamon
2 medium size tomatoes cubed
5 green chillies sliced in half (or adjust per your liking)
1 sweet potato (peeled and cubed)
1 can of chickpeas (400g)
750ml of water or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 bay leaves
A handful of dried tea-tree mushroom (soak it in hot water for 10 minutes to rehydrate it)
4 cloves of chopped garlic
A small piece of chopped ginger
Salt as per taste
Lemon juice (half lemon squeezed)

In a pan, heat oil and add cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and toss it for few seconds to release its aroma. Fry onion until golden brown on a medium heat.

Add chillies, tomatoes and cubed sweet potatoes cook it for 5 minutes until tomato and potato softens.

Add chickpeas and all dry spices (cumin, turmeric, coriander, curry powder, garam masala powder, chilli powder) and salt and cook it for few minutes to cook rawness of the spices.

Add bay leaves and add liquid. Cover the pot with a lid and cook it for 5 minutes until the liquid comes to boil.

Add tea-tree mushroom and cook it in a gentle simmer for 15 minutes until the gravy thickens and chickpeas and potatoes are soft.

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Add lemon juice and stir it. Serve it with bowl of rice or rotis. Enjoy.

Note: For non vegetarians, substitute water with chicken or beef stock and add a chicken stock cube to make it meatier.

Piro Aloo Dum (Hot & Spicy Potato Curry)

Warning: This is a very hot potato curry.

I got this recipe from my bestie from primary school. She went to boarding school in Darjeeling after her primary schooling. This is where she found this dish and loved it. She promised me that she will make this cracking aloo dum for me one day as it’s her signature dish. But I never got to taste it because shortly after her return to Nepal, I moved to Australia.

Sometime ago, I reminded her that she still owes me piro aloo dum. So she sent me this recipe for me to try it.

I’ve made this few times. It’s so delicious and hot. It goes really well with puris (deep fried puffed breads).

Here’s my take on piro aloo dum.

Ingredients

10-12 small red chat potatoes 3 teaspoons of nigella seeds
3 teaspoons of lovage seeds
2 teaspoon of fennel seeds
2 teaspoon of mustard seeds
1 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
3 large tomatoes
10 dried red chillies (or as per your liking)
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons of oil

Boil whole potatoes, until soft and peel and cut them into quarters. Set aside.

Boil tomatoes and chillies in a pot, until tomatoes are mushy and soft.

When tomatoes have cooled down, blend tomatoes and chillies to make a thick purée. Set aside.

Heat oil in the pot and add all the seeds. When it starts to pop, add tomato purée, turmeric powder and salt. Cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes.

Add boiled and cubed potatoes and mix well with the gravy. Simmer it for 5-10 minutes on low heat so the potatoes soaks up the flavour.

Serve hot with puris or steam rice. Enjoy.

Chicken Chowmein (Nepali-style Chowmin)

This is a simple and no fuss cooking for a fast lunch or dinner. Rather than spending on takeaways or eating junk food, I prefer making quick fix like this dish. It is home cooking at it’s best as it’s simple, easy and tasty too.

You can find this dish in every corner restaurants or in street stalls in Nepal. The ingredients differs from place to place as it’s your own interpretation to suit your need. You can put loads of other ingredients like mushroom, spring onion,eggs or seafood or any other meat. So go nuts.

Here’s my version of Chicken Chowmein.

Note: I added chicken as a topping because I have to cater for vegetarian in the family. Otherwise you would add chicken to hot oil, fry it for few minutes, then add veggies and sauce and noodles.

Ingredients
2 small sized onion sliced thick
2 gloves of garlic chopped finely
Fresh ginger julienned
1/2 of capsicum julienned
1/4 of cabbage finely chopped
1/2 a carrot julienned
400 grams of thin spaghetti pasta or Chowmein noodle (Asian Grocery)
400 grams of chicken breast or thigh fillets
Salt as per taste
2 teaspoon dark soy
2 teaspoon of vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce
2 teaspoon chilli paste
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
3 tablespoon of Oil

Boil water in a large pot. Add a teaspoon of salt and a dash of oil to a boiling water so pasta doesn’t stick. Add thin spaghetti and cook it al dente.

While spaghetti is cooking, heat pan in high heat. Add oil. When oil is smoking, add garlic and sauté for few seconds. Then add onion, carrots, capsicum and toss it for 20 seconds. Add cabbage and mix.

Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, chilli paste, and salt. Toss it for few seconds.

Add spaghetti drained straight from the pot. Toss spaghetti with the mix and cook for 2 minutes. It’s ready to be served as a vegetarian alternative.

For non veg, heat pan in a oil and add chicken. Fry it for 3-5 minutes until it’s golden brown or as per your liking. Add salt and cumin.

Mix chicken wit Chowmein and serve it with ketchup and chilli sauce.