Indian food for friends

We had our friend visiting from California. We also had another mutual friend coming to dinner so that we could all be together. One friend Vegan other friend not vegan. What do I do? Ah, Indian food to the rescue.

I made quite a few things. Unfortunately it was being devoured when I remembered that I hadn't taken any pictures. So, the pictures that you are getting won't win any "buzz" or prizes, or maybe they will make you sick to look at, but the food was fantastic.

First off we had Vij's Family Curry Chicken from the "Vij" cookbook. Our vegan friend didn't have this one. It was for the meat people.



Next off we had my new favorite. It is also from the Vij cookbook and it is called "Semolina Noodles with Vegetables and Lentils"



Masala
1/2 C canola oil
1/2 Tbsp black mustard seeds
2 1/2 C finely chopped onion
1/3 C chopped tomatoes
2 tsp salt
1/3 tsp turmeric
2 Tbsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp chopped jalapeno pepper
12 oz green beans, strings removed and chopped

Heat oil in medium frying pan on high heat for 1 minute. Add mustard seeds, reduce the heat tyo medium, stir once and wait until you hear the fist popping sound. Immediately add onions and stir well to make sure the seeds don't stick ad burn at the bottom of the pan. When onions are golden, add tomatoes, salt , turmeric, coriander and jalapeno peppers.Cook masala for 2 to 3 minutes. Add green beans and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Turn off heat.



Lentils
3/4 C split moong dal
2 C water
1 tsp salt

Wash and sort lentils. Place lentils water and salt in a pot and bring to a boil on medium heat. Boil gentl for about 10 minutes, or until lentils are tender but not mushy.
Immediately drain lentils in a large colander to prevent them from cooking any further. Run cold water over lentils for k30 seconds, then drain for 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Rinse out the colander.


Noodles
2 Tbsp canola oil
5 oz semolina (vermicelli) noodles, 2" long
5 C water
1 tsp salt

Heat oil in a medium pot on medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Add noodles and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. When the edges of the noodles are browning and the noodles look darker overall, add water and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes, or until much of the water has evaporated and the noodles are soft. Drain noodles over a large colander and run cold water over them for 30 seconds. Gently separate the noodles with a fork, then drain completely for another 5 minutes.

To finish curry:
Add lentils and noodles to green beans and masala Stir gently with a fork to ensure that everything is well mixed. Just before serving, heat on low, stirring gently but regularly for 5 minutes. If the noodles start to stick to the pot, sprinkle 2 Tbsp of water into the pan.



Next off was Canned chickpeas with garlic and ginger. This was from Madhuyr Jaffrey's "An Invitation to Indian Cooking". I liked this dish too and so did our Vegan.

We also of course had rice and naan and maybe another dish that I think I forgot what it was because we also had a lot of good wine.