Dal Makhani

Yield:

• 2 quarts

Time:

• 90 minutes plus overnight soaking

Difficulty:

• Moderate

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups sabut urad (whole, dried black dal), picked over and washed
• ½ cup dried red kidney beans, picked over and washed
• 1½ t salt 
  
  
• 1 T ghee or vegetable oil
• 1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
• 2 t cumin seeds
• ½ t turmeric powder
• 1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf 
• ½ t fenugreek seeds 
  
  
• 1 small yellow or red onion, minced
• 1 (1-inch piece) ginger, minced 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1-4 Thai or serrano chiles, stems removed and thinly sliced
  
  
• ¼ cup unsalted tomato paste
• 2 t garam masala
• 2 t ground cumin
• 2 t ground coriander
• 2 t cayenne pepper
• 1 t cardamom seeds, ground (optional)
• 2 T methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  
  
• 1/4 cup cream (optional, can substitute cashew cream for vegans)

Instructions

1. Soak the urad dal and kidney beans together in boiled, hot water for at least 1 hour or in room temperature water overnight. Drain and discard the water. 
2. Add salt and 5 cups fresh water, and cook till soft. [40 minutes will do in an instant pot]  
3. While beans are soaking/cooking, prepare masala. Begin by heating oil, then add hing, cumin seeds, turmeric, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Stir and cook for 1 minute until the seeds turn reddish brown.
4. Add the fenugreek seeds, and stir and cook for 30 seconds. Be careful not to overcook, as these seeds get bitter quickly.
5. Add the onion, stir and cook for 3 minutes. 
6. Add the ginger, garlic, and fresh chilis. Stir and cook for 1 minute. 
7. Add the tomato paste, garam masala, ground cumin, coriander, cayenne, cardamom, garam masala, and methi, together with ½ c water.  Stir and cook for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
8. When beans are done, stir in cooked masala, add water to correct thickness, and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
9. If using, gently fold in cream and stir. Serve with basmati rice or Indian bread. .

Source: Based on https://www.indianasapplepie.com

Hummus Masabacha

Yield:  4 cups


Time: 75 minutes plus overnight soaking 


Ingredients

• 1/2 pound dried chickpeas
•  1 tablespoon baking soda
•  7 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
•  1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
•  1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more for garnish
•  1/2 cup tahini, at room temperature (see Note)
•  1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
•  Salt
•  Paprika, for garnish
•  1/4 cup chopped parsley
•  Pita bread, for serving

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, cover the dried chickpeas with 2 inches of water and stir in the baking soda. 
2. Refrigerate the chickpeas overnight. Drain the chickpeas and rinse them under cold water.
3.  In a medium saucepan, cover the chickpeas with 2 inches of fresh water. Add the garlic cloves and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat until the chickpeas are tender, about 40 minutes. Drain, reserving 10 tablespoons of the cooking water and 2 tablespoons of the chickpeas. Rinse the chickpeas under cold water. Peel the garlic cloves.
4. In a food processor, puree the chickpeas with 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water, 1/4 cup of the olive oil and 6 of the garlic cloves. Add the cumin along with 1/4 cup each of the tahini and lemon juice and process until creamy. Season the hummus with salt and transfer to a serving bowl.
5. Wipe out the food processor. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of tahini, 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of reserved cooking water, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and garlic clove and puree.
6. Using a ladle, make an indent in the center of the hummus. Spoon in the tahini-lemon mixture. Sprinkle the hummus with the cumin and paprika. 
7. Garnish with the reserved whole chickpeas and the parsley, and serve with pita bread.

Notes: 

• Next time try with a little less oil, or with more lemon juice in the tahini sauce, which is very thick when whipped in food processor. 
• The ungarnished hummus and cooked chickpeas can be refrigerated separately for up to 2 days. 
• Tahini has a tendency to separate, so be sure to stir the sesame paste thoroughly before measuring.
  

Variations:

• Garnish with pureed red peppers, fresh herbs, toasted pine nuts and zaatar, boiled eggs, fava beans, hot sauce.

Source:  http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/israeli-hummus-with-paprika-and-whole-chickpeas-cocktails-2009

Jamaican Rice And Peas

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c dried kidney beans, soaked overnight
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 c unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 whole scotch bonnet chili (or substitute several cayennes)
• 2 c rice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Boil the beans, garlic and salt until the beans are tender. Save three cups of the liquid, discarding the garlic.
   
2. Return the beans and the three cups liquid to the pot (if there's not enough of the cooking liquid use water), along with the coconut milk, scallions, thyme, chili, and black pepper and salt to taste. When it comes to a boil, add in the rice.
   
3. Let it boil for 20 minutes, then remove it from the heat and let it sit for 15 minutes. Stir with fork and serve.
   

Source: RecipeSource.

Flageolets a La Bretonne

Yield: Serves 4.

Time: 1 hr.

Ingredients

• 9 oz flageolet beans
• 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 yellow onions [1 whole, 1 chopped]
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 t of thyme, rosemary, savory
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Method

1. Put beans in cold water and bring to boil.
2. Drain and replace water and bring to boil with bay leaf, and the whole onion studded with cloves.
3. Simmer 40 min. or till beans are smooth.
4. While beans cook, saute onions in oil till translucent.
5. Add garlic and spices and cook 2 min. while stirring.
6. Add tomatoes, and when temperature is restored reduce heat, cover, and cook 30 min.
7. Stir in beans gently, adding salt if desired.
8. Serve warm or hot, with crusty bread, salad, and light red wine.

Source: Dean and DeLuca.

White Bean and Escarole Soup

Yield: 10 cups. Serves 4-6.

Time: 3 hrs.

Ingredients

• 1 lb white beans
• 1/2 c olive oil
• 4 cloves
• 1 lb escarole
• 2 onions
• 4 c (chicken) broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

Method

1. Soak beans 1 hr and drain. Stud an onion with the cloves and simmer with beans, bay leaf, and 2" covering of water for 90 minutes.
2. Saute other onion and garlic in 1/3 c of the oil till onion is golden.
3. Add escarole and saute till bright green. Stir broth into beans, cool 15 min and puree with escarole.
4. Saute tomato in remaining oil for 1 minute, and use as garnish.

Source: Gourmet.