The Cookbook Challenge Week 38 - Spice - Pumpkin & Chickpea Curry - 2 - $ - V - (!)

This week's catch-up Cookbook Challenge was an epic fail! It had nothing to do with the recipe mind you. Well I'm assuming it was my fault due to my rather large deviation from the ingredients. It all started so well too, with good intentions of maximising today's vegetable intake and providing lunch for my colleagues tomorrow.

Never mind, cook and learn. And what I learned today was not to use the coconut version of evaporated milk thinking it will behave like proper coconut milk because it WON'T. It curdles and should only ever be added at the last minute on a low heat due to having barely any fat content. Of course I know this NOW. Which is a real shame because the curry looked and smelled great before it all went wrong.
I think you should give the recipe a try and follow the ingredients to the letter because I'm going to have another go and I promise to do as Curtis Stone asks in Issue 4 of the MasterChef magazine which is where it comes from.


Ingredients - serves 4

100gm dried chickpeas or 1 x 400gm tin - if using dried cover in boiling water and soak for 40 minutes or until water goes cold
2tbs olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2cm piece of ginger, grated
2 long green chillies, seeded and finely chopped
2 long red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
400gm butternut pumpkin, peeled and chopped into 3cm pieces
1 large carrot, cut into 3cm pieces
2tsp garam masala
2tsp ground coriander
2tsp caraway seeds, toasted
1/2tsp ground cumin
1/2tsp ground turmeric
juice of 1 lime
1tbs brown sugar
2 x 400ml cans of coconut milk - use the real deal!
1/4 cup coriander, roughly chopped and extra to serve
steamed rice

Sort out your chickpeas if using dried ones or drain the tinned ones and rinse well.
Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium-high heat and cook off the onion, ginger, garlic and half the chillies for about 4 minutes or until soft.
Add pumpkin, carrot, chickpeas and spices and cook stir for another 3 minutes. Add the lime juice and sugar and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add 250ml water and the coconut milk. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 35 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Season and stir in the chopped coriander.
Serve with rice and garnish with remaining chillies and extra coriander.

Enjoy!

The Cookbook Challenge Week 12 - Eggs - Salmon & Chickpea Frittata - 3 - $ - V

You know the old saying about needing the right tools for the job? Well I kind of didn't have the right pan for this frittata because it needs to go under the grill and I was worried about melting handles. So I plunged on and used a shallow cast iron French pan, which obviously withstood the heat under the grill but meant a little bit of stick on the bottom, despite a good oiling.

This recipe is really good! Filling, full of protein-goodness and could most definitely be served hot or cold. As a main I served it with some char-grilled asparagus and roasted tomatoes, but I would definitely serve it cold, cut into small pieces at a picnic or BBQ.

This is the second dish from the MasterChef magazine that has worked well for the Cookbook Challenge and is from Issue 4. I'd never made a frittata before and was happy with my first attempt, a non-stick pan will definitely be the go next time. The verdict on the chickpeas was varied so you have a go and make up your own mind.


Ingredients - serves 4 (I got 6 serves out of it)

2 x 200gm pieces of boneless, skinless salmon
2tbs olive oil
8 eggs
1/2tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic finely chopped/crushed
zest of 2 lemons
400gm can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
125gm fresh ricotta, crumbled into pieces
2tbs coriander leaves, plus extra to serve

Heat the pan over a high heat. Brush the salmon on both sides with 1tbs of the olive oil, season and cook for 1 minute each side or until medium-rare. Remove from pan and put aside. Wipe pan with paper towel.
Whisk together the eggs, cumin, garlic and zest and season. Stir in the chickpeas and then the ricotta and coriander. Stir gently to combine.
Heat the pan over a high heat and then add the last of the oil and swirl around the pan to coat the bottom and sides. Pour in the eggs and reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes or until the egg is almost cooked.
Meanwhile preheat the grill to high and then flake the fish into large pieces and tuck into the frittata. Place the pan under the grill and cook for 5 minutes or until just set and golden.
Scatter with the extra coriander and serve immediately.

Enjoy!