In the event of a hurricane/earthquake:
If you were all the crazy people in Baltimore, you would immediately run out and buy every last gallon of milk, carton of eggs and loaf of bread. If anyone got in your way,  you would run them over with your cart and beat them over the head with closest log of pepperoni you could find.

But who needs “Mother Nature”! I made my own-it went something like this:

Hurricane Irene was is full swing and I was thinking that if the electricity went out, we would have to throw all this food away, from our freezer. So, I pulled the chicken out and decided to make coconut curry and Dhaal(my version…all you Indian folks who actually know how to make this but refuse to teach me-not that I am bitter-don’t freak out at my attempt). I got everything on the stove and cooking. I nursed the baby, while the children played. The smell of curry wafted through the air and the wind blew outside. It was very relaxing. I should have known something was amiss.  I went back to the kitchen to check on my chicken. It was simmering nicely, as was the Dhaal. As I was standing there,  I kept hearing this weird trickling noise above my head. So I did what anyone would do and tapped the ceiling with my finger. My hand went through.  Apparently, water from the tank on the toilet had been leaking into the floor. That was our first leak of the night. The basement was next to go. And then Sarayah, who is potty training, graced us with our final “leak” of the evening…Anyway…

I finished up the chicken and went to puree the sauce. I put the sauce in the blender, made sure the lid was on tight, and hit the “liquify” button. You know how you see those scenes in the movies where the dumb guy turns the blender on without the lid and the food goes everywhere? Ya, well…I mean EVERYWHERE! The ceiling, the floor, the walls, the mail, the dining room table-me. Apparently, you really should read the instruction manual. The good news  is my hands will heal and the curry was awesome. My counters, however, may never be the same. Anyone know how to get curry stains out of a counter?

Coconut Curry and “Bec-Dhaal”

~Serves 4~

Food Stuffs:
2 Onions-peeled and chopped
3 Large tomatoes-chopped
5TBLS Yellow curry powder
2TBLS Cumin seeds
1TBL Coriander
1/2tsp Pepper flakes or Cayenne powder
2 TBLS Sea salt
4TBLS Fresh chopped garlic
2 Carrots-peeled and shredded
2 Beef bullion cubes
2 Cans coconut milk
8pc Chicken (with bone-i.e. thighs, drumsticks)
8oz Dhaal (looks like a yellow lentil)
3oz Tomato paste
1tsp Ginger powder
1tsp Cumin
1tsp Coriander
1tsp Turmeric
1/2tsp Cayenne pepper
1TBS Sea salt
6 Kokam-dried fruit you can buy at your local Indian market (tip: Don’t eat it-it tastes very odd)
3c Cooked rice

Ok, so in a large pot brown your chicken, 2/3 of your onions and all of the fresh tomatoes. Once your chicken is browned, add enough water to cover the chicken. Then add carrots, curry powder, cumin seeds, coriander, pepper flakes, 2 TBS sea salt, fresh garlic and 2 beef bullion cubes. Bring to boil and cook for an hour. Reduce heat, and remove the chicken. While your chicken cools, add the coconut milk and simmer the sauce so it reduces and thickens (about 20 minutes). Once the chicken is cool to touch, peel and discard skin. Remove the meat from the bones and set aside.

Grab your blender and puree the sauce. Please be very careful not to repeat my mistake! Once your sauce is a nice creamy consistency, pour it back into your pot, add in your chicken and set on low heat to keep it warm.

Now for the Dhaal. Here is how I did mine:
Set your onions on the stove to saute and then rinse your Dhaal, thoroughly. Once the onions are a nice brown color, throw the Dhaal in  and add water to the pot. *Tip: It’s one part beans, to two parts water*.  Combine all the remaining spices, including the tomato paste. On med heat, cook until the Dhaal is tender but not mushy(About 70min). Salt to taste.

I served this with Basmati rice and naan. Remember, if you have kids you should wait to add the pepper flakes until you have reserved a portion for them.

I am open to suggestions on a wine. I like this with a heavier, more robust red wine. But, Indian is a difficult pairing for me. Let me know which wines you enjoy with your spicy Indian dishes. I love reading your comments!