Chana Punjabi; Kosher Ghee = Glee

I am not going to lie.

This summer and autumn have been busy as all get out.

For Yom Kippur -- that is, to break the fast on Yom Kippur -- I'll be preparing my great uncle's famous sour cream cake. (Recipe TK.)

For now, exciting news in hecshered land: Purity Farms makes organic, kosher ghee -- which is pretty readily available in any good-sized supermarket, or via the Internet. Even more exciting: I recently bought some.

I can't wait to use it to cook the New York Times's recipe for Chana Punjabi, which the Grey Lady ran back in March 2009 (Elaine Louie adapted it from Heather Carlucci-Rodriguez at Lassi, a shoebox-sized restaurant on Greenwich Ave in the Village. I used to go there all the time during graduate school, and the food is delicious.)

Here is my version:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter or ghee
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 16 oz can tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt, or as needed
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice OR champagne vinegar
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Sides: yogurt, rice

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, heat oil and add onion. Sauté until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and chili, and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes. Cover and cook until tomatoes are very soft, about 5 minutes, then remove from heat.

2. Purée mixture -- I use an immersion blender -- then add paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, coriander, the garam masala, turmeric and lemon juice/vinegar. Add chickpeas and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

3. Cook for 5-10 minutes; add the cilantro. Remove from heat and enjoy!

Macromamas' tasty treats

So I've got to give a shout out to the Ithaca-based Macromamas, which is hands-down the most delicious hippie food I've ever eaten. Totally macro, totally vegetarian, totally kosher.
The peanut lime noodles can't be beat. The recipe is secret, but here is what I've been able to piece together. I need to work a bit more on the proportions, but this should work:

Several pounds soba noodles, preferably whole wheat
3 tbs Peanut butter (smooth, not chunky; whatever kind of natural, organic brand suits your fancy)
2 tbs pickled ginger, finely chopped
2 tbs lime juice
2 tbs rice vinegar
2 tbs chili sauce
2 tbs sesame oil
3 carrots, grated
3 scallions, green parts only, finely cut
1 bunch parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. Combine wet ingredients, add to noodles. Then add carrots, scallions, and parsley. DEVOUR.

OMG, I can't stop with the ghee

Ghee is clarified butter, and it is fundamental to delicious Indian food. It gives everything - rice, veggies, whatever - the aromatic smell and flavor that you get walking into an Indian restaurant. It's available in cow-based (traif) and veggie versions, though the vegetarian stuff doesn't have a hekscher - at least not at Kalustyans, where I do my Indian shopping. I have a good friend in India, a journalist, so for those of you who won't cook without a heksher - or who are interested in preparing the ultimate loophole-busting dish (chicken tikka masala!) for your most observant friends - stay tuned for what she turns up about kosher ghee.

In the meantime, a delicious recipe adapted from Heaven's Banquet,

4 tbs ghee OR ANY NEUTRAL OIL - like canola oil (if this needs to be hekshered)
2 tbs fresh ginger, fresh
2 tsp cumin
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into cubes
4 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
salt
2 tsp turmeric
4 chopped tomatoes
2 cans (16 oz each) chickpeas
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

In a saucepan, heat the ghee, then add the ginger and cumin. Add the tomatoes, then the eggplant and potatoes. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the salt and turmeric. Cook for anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours - depending on the size of the cubed potatoes, which take awhile to cook. I'm pretty lazy about this (more of a rough chopper than a fine dicer), but this dish is really delicious the longer it cooks, so that the eggplant almost caramelizes. Even people who hate eggplant will enjoy.
Before you serve, add the chickpeas and clinatro. Serve with yogurt.