A few days ago I had a big craving for Indian food and have also been staring at a big butternut sitting on the kitchen table for some time, so what better than to combine the two.
Finally last night I decided to give it some more thought and decided to just go with my inspiration. It was super good...just like sitting at an Indian restaurant but with the comfort of being at home.....The smell of Indian spices is still lingering in the whole apartment :D
On a cold day like this I can't think of anything better than a hearty bowl of hot curry to warm me up from the inside out.
Indian Butternut Curry
5oo g Butternut squash
4 garlic cloves (15g)
1 onion (45g)
1/2 chili (depending on how strong it is)
1/2 tsp-1 tsp cayenne pepper
1-2 tsp ground Turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tbsp cumin (I added a bit more in the end)
1 tbsp crushed coriander seeds
1 tbsp ground ginger (I added a bit more of this too) if you have fresh ginger use this instead :)
4 dl water
salt
1 dl Plain yoghurt ( I used Turkish yoghurt)...I don't remember exactly how much I put in so just add according to your liking to balance off the spices.
1-2 dl Chick peas (amount is not so important)
1) Chop the onion, garlic and chili (and if you have fresh ginger chop that too)
2) peel and dice the butternut into approximately 3/4 inch cubes (you can save the seeds for later use and toast them)
3) Add some oil in a pot and sauté the onion, garlic and chili
4) Add the spices
5) Chuck in the butternut
6) add water and let simmer until the butternut squash is soft and the kitchen smells heavenly
7) By this time if you're making the Naan bread yourself it would be ideal to start frying them on the pan
8) add the chickpeas and yoghurt
7) decorate with fresh cilantro
Naan Bread (makes 4)
I haven't made a lot of Naan bread before so I tried to google for a recipe....well I ended up free styling after all and just decided to go with my instincts on the amounts. I had watched a video on youtube where the Indian lady was explaining the consistency...so I decided to try my own.
These turned out really really good. However once the dough had risen to double the size it was really sticky and difficult to handle...but by adding a bit more flour it was possible to make into the shape of drops like naan bread usually are ( they were still quite sticky so don't add too much flour to keep them moist).
These breads turned out really good. Fluffy and soft and perfect for scooping up the curry and raita. I just love to eat my Indian food with my hands.
You will need:
1 tsp instant dry yeast
1/2 dl milk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 dl all purpose flour (+ a bit more in the end)
2 dl yoghurt (I used Turkish Yoghurt)
salt
optional:
garlic and cilantro
1) heat up the milk until about 40°C ( a bit warmer than your body temp.)
2) mix in the yeast
3) mix the dry ingredients together
4) make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the milk and yeast mixture
5) also add the yoghurt
6) mix together slowly combining all the ingredients
7) knead the dough until its nice and smooth
8) let the dough rest under a cloth or cling film in warm place for atleast 2 hrs
9) Heat the oven onto the broil/grill to 250°C (which is the maximum on my oven) If you have a pizza stone put this in the oven
10) when the dough has rested share it into 4 equal sized balls ( if you need add flour until you are able to handle the dough)
11) shape the balls into oblong drop shapes approximately 1/2 cm thick ( just make them the size you would have naan bread)
12) if you want you can keep them plain and just brush a bit of oil on the surface and sprinkle with salt
13) or you could grate some garlic and chop some cilantro on top
14) heat a frying pan (unless you happen to own a tandoori oven)
15) fry the bread until the surface starts to bubble and the bottom is getting some brown spots
16) place the breads in the oven onto the pizza stone and bake for a few minutes until the top starts to become nice and golden as well. I'm sure you could make both sides on the pan too.
Raita (yoghurt sauce)
1 dl plain yoghurt
1/2 dl of finely chopped and peeled cucumber (I even deseeded them)
ground coriander
Cumin
Fresh coriander/ cilantro
salt
1) Add the yoghurt into a bowl
2) peel and chop the cucumber
3) add the spices ( you don't need more than a sprinkle since this sauce is supposed to taste refreshing not spicy
4) chop some fresh cilantro and mix
5) add a pinch of salt
Enjoy my Vegetarian Curry!
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