Indian is the New Italian

You know how much I love to horrify you with ugly food, right?  But did you know that I also like to harass Tastespotting with photos such as this, knowing full well that they’ll have a field day making fun of it and curse me for wasting their time by submitting it?  As if I actually think it’s art. 

Well, it IS art.  This was my favorite local meal of the week.  I thought it was going to be the squash ravioli in the biggest upset of all time.  But no, it was this.  Lentils with wilted bok choy, aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes with Indian spices), and homemade, whole wheat naan (Indian flatbread) to mop up the spicy bits of onion left behind.  And, no, I didn’t get it from Bombay Mahal (though I value their craft). 

I remember the first time I was exposed to Indian food in college.  I was perplexed.  What is all this brown food and why does it smell so good?  Now I know that Indian food is just like Italian food in all the ways that matter.  Heavy on the garlic and onions, bread to sop things up with.  I’m sure there are other parallels.  We'll be making Indian food again during this challenge, despite the unpopularity of the lentils with three out of four family members.  I plan to rely heavily on Madhur Jaffrey to give me some ideas for all of these legumes I’ve purchased.  I hope you have a strong stomach.

***
ELC Recap: 10/4-10/8

Saturday, October 4
Breakfast: Yogurt, scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast with grape jam, apple cider

Lunch: Grilled tomato and cheese sandwiches, pepper slices, strawberries, milk

Snack: Apples

Dinner: Sausage and peppers in sub rolls, salad, milk

Sunday, October 5
Breakfast: Yogurt, apple cider, contraband Cheerios (because Husband cannot be trusted to give the children breakfast)

Snack: Apples

Lunch: Meatloaf sandwiches with homemade pickles.  Kids had hard-boiled eggs, baguette, and cheese.

Dinner: At a family gathering; rules suspended.  I contributed local apple cake.

Monday, October 6
Breakfast: Yogurt, whole wheat toast with honey, apple cider

Lunch: Fried egg sandwich on whole wheat with garlicky broccoli rabe, cheddar cheese, and tomato (my god, this was awesome).  Kids had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cheese, and strawberries.

Dinner: Indian cauliflower and potatoes, lentils with wilted bok choy, whole wheat naan, Wachusett Octoberfest.

Tuesday, October 7
Breakfast: Yogurt, scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast with honey, apple cider

Lunch: Leftovers from Monday’s dinner.  The kids had meatloaf, apples, and cheese.

Snack: Dried cranberries

Dinner: Sausage and peppers in sub rolls, apples

Wednesday, October 8
Breakfast: Yogurt, homemade granola (the kids did not like this), whole wheat toast with honey, apple cider

Lunch: Leftover lentils and naan.  The kids had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cheese, apples, bok choy slices

Dinner: Husband and I went out to a local restaurant--more on that to come.  The kids had pita pizzas with tomato sauce I had put up, steamed broccoli, apples.

Sources:
Drumlin Farm CSA, Lincoln, MA: tomatoes, bell peppers, lettuce, turnips, cucumbers, shallots, onions, garlic, broccoli rabe, potatoes, hot peppers, bok choy, broccoli

Milk: Our Family Farms of Western Massachusetts, Bernardston, MA (Russo’s)
Butter: Cabot, Cabot, VT
Eggs: Chip-In Farm, Bedford, MA (Russo’s)
Cheese: Smith’s Farmstead, Winchendon, MA (Waltham Farmer’s Market); Cabot, Cabot, VT; Grafton Village Cheese Company, Grafton, VT (Russo’s)
Yogurt: Stonyfield Farm, Londonderry, NH
Flour, oats: Wood Prairie Farm, Bridgewater, ME (mail order)
Baguettes, sub rolls: Russo’s, Watertown, MA
Pita bread: Bay State Bakery, Worcester, MA (Russo’s)
Honey: Golden Meadow, Reseska Apiaries, Holliston, MA (Russo's)
Jam: Trappist, Saint Joseph’s Abbey, Spencer, MA; The Salted Cod, Concord, MA
Peanut butter: Teddie, Everett, MA
Maple sugar: The Warren Farm & Sugarhouse, North Brookfield, MA (Waltham Farmer’s Market)
Apples: Autumn Hills Orchard, Groton, MA; Tougas Family Farm, Northboro, MA
Apple cider: Box Mill Farms, Carver Hill Orchard, Stow, MA (Russo's)
Apple cider vinegar: Carlson Orchards, Harvard, MA (Russo's)
Cauliflower: Great Oak Farm, Berlin, MA (Waltham Farmer’s Market)
Strawberries: Dick’s Market Garden, Lunenburg, MA (Waltham Farmer’s Market)
Dried cranberries: New England Cranberry, Lynn, MA (mail order)
Lentils, flax seed: Baer’s Best, Moraine Farm, Beverly, MA (Russo’s)
Sausages: DePasquale’s, Newton, MA
Ground beef: Codman Farm, Lincoln, MA
Beer: Wachusett Brewing Company, Westminster, MA

Comments

[Cornelia]

You're amazing! The list of sources is incredible - thank you!

[Erin]

Wow - I can't get over the HOMEMADE whole wheat naan. Do you have some special insert for your bread machine to make it look like that? HaHa, my fear of dough shows...

[adele]

Embarrassing as it is to admit it, I can't make anything authentically Indian from scratch. (Yet. It might happen someday.) I'm going to point to my lack of funds for spices and even more kitchen equipment as an excuse.

[Tammy]

Adele: I didn't cook Indian, either, until I picked up a cookbook from a yard sale. So many flavorful vegetable dishes--I've only scratched the surface. You don't need too much in the way of special equipment, except maybe a baking stone for naan. You can buy the spices in big bags for cheap at the Indian markets on Moody St. Convinced?

Erin: I am in no way a master bread baker. The process for naan is very similar to pizza dough, which I suck at (I can never roll it out thin enough for my liking), but somehow this came out really good and I can't wait to make it again.

Cornelia: It takes a while to put it all together, so thanks for noticing!!

[Helen]

So funny! You keep on harassing tastespotting and let them send you back that polite e-mail saying how your picture didn't make the grade. I am familiar with that e-mail myself...

[jacqueline church]

I included the URL to my Indian Potluck. I too, had been hesitant to cook Indian food from scratch at home. What a revelation Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries has been!

If you look at the slide show, you'll see a table over-flowing with wonderful food we all made from his book. There were also a couple dishes from our friends Polish cookbook on Indian food. (Odd phrasing, I know but "Polish Indian cookbook" seemed to describe some bizarre fusion cooking...)

Anyway, I love this blog and curse you (just a little!) for derailing my night's work..."Eating Local" (when did we decide to eat adjectives instead of nouns) is much easier when you're in say, the BAY AREA. I mean really, how hard can it be when EVERYTHING grows, swims, walks, vines, ferments and lactates in a 100 mile radius?

You're doing great work and sharing all the real challenges is also a great service to readers and cooks who are bullied into thinking if they don't comply they're personally responsible for the planet's ruin.

Baby steps - be kind to yourself - pat yourself on the back and take one baby step at a time.

Cheers,
Jacqueline
The Leather District Gourmet

PS I just fed my sourdough starter and made the overnight sponge for tomorrow's pancakes. I don't think the tea I'm drinking nor the flour I'm using is "local" - oh well.

[Family Nutritionist]

And I thought Mexican was the new Italian.