From me@privacy.net Fri Mar 11 09:06:55 2005 Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 21:15:11 -0500 From: Judy Bolton Newsgroups: uk.food+drink.indian Subject: Re: Chillis in curries like Punjabi Chatpate Choley "James Silverton" wrote in message news:4_WdnYFbNNHHo7LfRVn-2g@comcast.com... >I will admit that I have already posted this in alt.food.asian but, since >there has been no response as yet, perhaps I can be allowed to repeat it >here. > > I have done a fair amount of experimentation and Googling but I have > yet to find a recipe for a chickpea curry that I like enough to keep. > Perhaps I should buy a can of the stuff and see if I like even that! I > wonder if part of the problem is that a lot of recipes call for "green > chillis" and don't specify what type. Even my local supermarket has at > least four varieties with heat levels ranging from almost as low as > sweet peppers to dangerous! Is there a particular variety that is so > common in Indian cooking that its name does not have to be specified? > > > -- > James V. Silverton > Potomac, Maryland, USA > Hello James, I always - well, almost always - use serranos when an Indian recipe calls for fresh green chilies. I think I saw this suggested in Julie Sahni's books, and possibly in other places. I like using them better than, say, jalapenos. Strangely enough, I don't seem to have a recipe for just a plain chhole on hand, but I do have a TNT recipe for pinde chhole from another Indian cooking group to which I belong. It's funny, though.. it doesn't call for fresh green chilies... but you could add them of course. Pindi Chole Ingredients: 1 tablespoon cumin seeds 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon minced gingerroot 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed dried hot peppers 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander Several good grinds black pepper 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes (about 3 cups cubes) 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes 2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas (if canned, drained and rinsed) 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaf, for garnish Cooked rice or chapatis Preparation: In a small skillet, toast the cumin seeds over moderate heat, stirring until they begin to brown and become aromatic. Remove from the heat and let cool, then grind in a spice grinder. In a medium to large pot, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the onion, gingerroot, garlic and hot peppers and cook, stirring until the onion wilts and the mixture becomes aromatic. Add the cinnamon, coriander, black pepper, and 1-1/2 teaspoons of the ground cumin. Saute for a few minutes, then add the potatoes and stir them into the spice mixture. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the chickpeas, lime juice and salt and mix well; cook, stirring for another 5 minutes or so. Taste for salt, then stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin. Garnish the mixture with the chopped coriander and serve hot with cooked rice or chapatis. Serves 4.