Ok, ok, I know. I missed the last Sunday Night Dinner post, but I have a good excuse. Great people were over for an authentic Nova Scotia dinner and somehow too much wine was consumed and no pictures or writing took place. Can you blame me? Hopefully not. One of our guests actually blogged about his experience in Nova Scotia, which included some details from our dinner (blog post here).
On this past Sunday, I was feeling the after effects of doing a dinner at Sugar Moon Farm the night before (meaning my body was hurting) and the thought of stepping back into the kitchen repulsed me (yes, I know I say this every week). Hey, don't I ever get a night off? Seeing as all I consumed the day before was slow roasted pork belly, Mary's Bread Basket cinnamon buns and a whole lot of wine, I thought that I needed something to get the "gunk" out.
After making a quick trip over the bridge to "220 Volts" to pick up my favorite chutneys (tamarind, green chili & coriander), some paneer, okra and chickpeas, I felt comfortable with the thought of making some super spicy, ring of fire worthy vegetarian curry. Before I could get stated, I had to get the kids to bed...which could be a whole other blog post!
I got some ginger, garlic and onions sweating in a hot pot with oil. I added some black mustard seeds, cumin, coriander and tumeric. The heady scent emanating from the kitchen actually got Doug off the couch to check things out. Eggplant, fresh tomatoes, cilantro and coconut milk were then added to the pot. I simmered the contents for 20 minutes before throwing in potatoes, okra and chickpeas. After another 15 minutes, I added my tamarind, green chili and coriander chutneys. I finished of the curry with cubed paneer, peas and lime juice. I paired the curry with some fragrant basmati rice cooked with whole cloves. This spicy, hearty curry was exactly what the doctor ordered!
Sitting in front of the television, eating my dinner with a humongous glass of white wine at my side, my Sunday night was nearly complete. Now all I needed to make this a perfect evening was the newest episode of Mad Men and the season premier of Eastbound and Down. Sometimes folks, it's all about the simple pleasures in life.