Back on Track….let’s celebrate with a recipe!

So I’ve been away for a long time, going through some pretty intense life changes, but I’m finally back and ready to update you with some amazing news and recipes!

First, the amazing news. Drum roll please…..

Tamarind will be vending at Halifax Veg Fest this year, with some tasty food alongside some other amazing vendors; you can check out the website here.

Second, the tasty news.

Here’s a recipe for one of my favourite dishes, Chana Masala.  (The recipe calls for dried chickpeas, you can use canned chickpeas if you don’t have dried ones, just omit the step where you boil them until tender)

 

Chana Masala

For the dried chickpeas

3 cups dried chickpeas.  Soak in 6 cups of water with 2 tea bags over night

When you’re ready to make them the next day:

Pour the soaked chickpeas into a saucepan, leave in the tea bags for now.  Add in some extra water to just cover the top of the chickpeas.  Boil over medium-high heat, adding more water as desired.

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small green chili, or ½ tsp red chili powder (adjust to taste)
5 Tbsp Garam Masala (don’t be afraid to make some of these heaping)
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 tbsp Tumeric
1 tsp ground cumin (optional)
3 Tbsp oil or butter
1tsp black pepper
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a frying pan over med-high heat and add the onions, cook down for about two minutes and then add the garlic; cook until onions are translucent.

Add in everything else listed except for the chopped tomato.  Cook the onion and spice mixture for another three minutes, and then add in the tomatoes.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes on medium-low heat

Add the masala mixture to the chickpeas and give it a stir, keep cooking until the chickpeas are done.

**If you are using canned chickpeas, rinse and drain them and wait until the masala mix is cooked before you pour everthing in a pot and add as much water as you’d like, add in two tea bags and cook for approximately ten minutes.  Adjust the salt and heat as needed.

Serve over rice, with samosas, with roti or eat on their own.

Tandoori Chicken & Curried Couscous

Tags

Couscous, Garam Masala, Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Marinade

2 Tbsp Greek yogurt
2 tsp tandoori powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
1 small onion diced finely
1” piece of ginger grated
1-2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 Tbsp lime juice
*I used about 8 skinless, bone-in chicken legs

Mix all ingredients together and add chicken, store in airtight container or in a freezer bag and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.  When you’re ready to eat, just grill on the BBQ or stick it in the oven at 350 until no longer pink on the inside. (*Note, tandoori chicken tastes BEST when it’s done on the grill*)

Masala Couscous

The best couscous to water/liquid ratio that I’ve found is one cup of couscous to 1 ¼ cups of liquid.
I always make extra couscous because I like having it the next day as a small snack or I add it to a salad.

2 cups couscous
2 ½ cups low sodium chicken/beef stock or water
2 Tbsp coconut oil (or any vegetable oil)
1 small onion chopped
1 clove of garlic
2-3 heaping teaspoons of garam masala
½ tsp turmeric
1 tomato chopped small
¼ tsp red chili powder
½ green chili
Salt to taste

1. In a medium saucepan bring chicken stock to a boil, add couscous, remove from heat, cover and let sit for 5 minutes
2. In a medium frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat, add onions and garlic, cook until onions are translucent, approx. 4 minutes
3. Reduce heat to medium and add in the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes
4. Add in the turmeric, salt, and garam masala and cook for approx. 8-10 minutes until you can ‘smush’ the tomatoes and the whole mix is paste-like
5. Fluff the couscous and add to the masala mix, taste and adjust the seasonings, serve with the tandoori chicken and a side of garlic green beans.

Almost Famous

Tags

99One Cafe, Gottingen Street, Halifax, PlanB Merchants Co-op, POP-ular Sweet Treats, Samosa Sandwich Board, Tamarind

Hi Everyone!

We have some exciting news to share with you…..

drumroll…..

We now have our samosas available at 99One Cafe inside of the PlanB Merchants Co-op on 2180 Gottingen Street, Halifax.

I was there earlier this afternoon to drop off some tamarind chutney (yum!) and to my delight I saw that we made it onto the sandwich board! How exciting!! Made my day for sure; If you’re in the area, be sure to check them out, the space is fantastic, there is TONS to see and 99One makes a mean coffee and has some great eats to offer. I had a large coffee to start off my day and a cake pop by POP-ular Sweet Treats, amazing!

Halifax Tall Ships Festival 2012

Tags

Chuck Hughes, Paneer, Tall Ships Festival 2012, Tamarind Chutney

It has been a very crazy past few weeks for Tamarind, and I apologize for being MIA for a little while.  I have been working non stop on recipes and tastings and trying to fit in time with the husband and time out of the kitchen, but it’s where I love to be!  The time in the kitchen has definitely paid off though, I’ve perfected our tamarind chutney and paneer!  Prepare to see some amazing paneer pakoras on the menu soon, hopefully this weekend.  A small chutney is available with each Samosa order (up to 12), if you order more you get a large one, and if you love it and want more (it stores for a few months in the fridge) it’s just $5.00 extra.  Give us a call if you have any questions! 902-223-0120

I also made my way to the Tall Ships Festival in Halifax last weekend with some amazing friends and my amazingly supportive husband.  If I had known how beautiful the summers out here were, I would have moved here sooner; amazing.  The vibe in Halifax is something else, people are so welcoming and friendly, and Happy! ALL THE TIME, love it!

If the majestic tall ships, the sun, and the people weren’t enough to put me in a great mood, I had the honor of meeting my all time favourite chef, Chef Chuck Hughes! SWOON!  Man was I ever star struck; my mouth went dry, I started blinking a lot and I’m pretty sure I was sweating profusely and stuttering. Oi!  It was a great wrap up for an already amazing day, an autograph and a photo, it’s all I needed!

Were any of you out at the fest? If so, what was your most memorable moment?

Menu

This is just the beginning, we will be updating the menu soon with new items.

 

We Did It!

Food is our passion. 
We believe in providing you with the most authentic Indian dishes made with the finest quality ingredients available. Our hope is to give you a taste of the traditions that have been passed through several generations of our families; we look forward to cooking for you.

We’re here!  We are so excited to be able to bring the tastes and traditions of our families to you and yours out here on the East Coast.  It has been our dream to cook fresh, authentic food for others and that day has finally arrived.  We are still updating our menu, but please check back regularly for updates; our Facebook page is also up and running, please feel free to follow us and share the page with your family and friends!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tamarind/197084363752521