Chana Dal with Potatoes

First of all, Happy Valentine's Day, to those who care about such things! We are celebrating with dinner at Grezzo, which is a fabulous raw restaurant in Boston's North End with the sort of astonishingly beautiful, imaginative and delicious food it would never occur to me to attempt at home; definitely "special occasion" fare. I always think of raw vegans as the pinnacle of healthiness, and while I admire them, I doubt I could do it full-time (unless Alissa Cohen wants to become my live-in chef, in which case I might reconsider). It's one of those ideas that gains appeal in the summer, when we're surrounded by local fruits and veggies in season, but in the middle of a New England winter, hot food feels like a necessity, and we do like our lentils, beans, whole grains, etc. So: Grezzo (http://www.grezzorestaurant.com) for a romantic evening, chana dal and potato curry for an ordinary February night!

At my house we love us some Indian food; occasionally we go out for it (there's one great place near us that's all vegetarian and mostly vegan), but it's way more fun to whip something up at home. I didn't have much experience until a few years ago, but my partner, Robert, was cooking Indian long before he laid eyes on me, and it was always his go-to option for dinner parties, etc. When he came to live with me he brought along his vasty collection of cookbooks by the likes of Madhur Jaffrey and Yamuna Devi, and I've been like the proverbial kid in a candy shop ever since. Many of the dishes are fascinatingly complex, and the fragrances released by the seasonings are so seductive that I was quickly hooked, and nowadays various curries, stews and dals appear on our table regularly.

You can easily find recipes that will keep you busy at the stove all day, and sometimes that's exactly what I want (especially if we're having company). Mostly, though, I cook things that can be put together relatively easily and make a lot, because leftovers are like gold around here. The dish below meets both of those requirements, and is a fairly standard curry using potatoes, chana dal (yellow split peas) and coconut milk, which are all staples in my cupboard. This version is quite mild and family-friendly, but you can always add some chili peppers, cayenne or a shot of hot sauce if you want to heat things up a bit. On the side I like basic saffron basmati rice, but it would be fine with brown rice, millet or even quinoa if that's more your style. Add some naan and spicy pickle, and you'll have a delicious, healthy dinner that's as good as anything you'll get in a restaurant, with the added bonus of being able to eat it in your pajamas. (If you like that sort of thing, which we do!)

Chana Dal with Potatoes

Ingredients:
~ 1 tbsp. mustard oil (olive or canola would do, too)
~ 1 tsp.hot chili oil
~ 1 tsp. black or yellow mustard seeds (I use a combination)
~ 1 tsp. cumin seeds
~ 3 cups chopped yellow onions
~ 2 tbsp. each: minced garlic, grated ginger
~ 1 tbsp. each: fenugreek powder, curry powder, brown sugar
~ 1 tsp. each: kosher salt, garam masala, cumin, black pepper
~ 1/2 tsp. each: nutmeg, cinnamon
~ 4 cups potatoes, cut in 1/2" cubes (I used Yukon Gold)
~ 1 28 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes, including liquid
~ 1 cup chana dal (yellow split peas)
~ 2 15 oz. cans coconut milk
~ 1 cup frozen green peas

Directions:
~ In a large, deep pot combine the oils and toast the mustard and cumin seeds over medium heat until they begin to pop (about 2 minutes; you might want to cover the pot for this part)
~ Add the onions, garlic, ginger and seasonings. Continue cooking another 5 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.
~ Add the potatoes, chana dal, tomatoes and their liquid; cook another few minutes.
~ Add the coconut milk, cover and bring to a boil.
~ Reduce heat to low and cook (about) 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so to prevent sticking.
~ Add the frozen peas and cook another 10 minutes.
~ Serve over saffron rice (or whatever you like, but I'm not going to lie: this rice is really good):

Saffron Rice

Ingredients:
~ 1/2 tsp. saffron, soaked in 1.5 cups hot vegetable stock for 5-10 minutes
~ 1.5 cups plain unsweetened soy milk
~ 2 tbsp. Earth Balance (or oil, I just like EB here)
~ 3 scallions, thinly sliced
~ 1 tsp. kosher salt
~ 1.5 cups basmati or jasmine rice

Directions:
_ In a saucepan, heat the EB or oil over medium heat; add the scallions, salt and saute about 3 minutes.
~ Add the rice and cook another few minutes until all the grains are coated.
~ Pour in the hot saffron/broth mixture and the soy milk.
~ Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 10-15 minutes.
~ Fluff with a fork and serve!