Spicy Curries, Kullum, and Cake

I cooked all day and it was totally worth it. First I baked a loaf of Chickpea Potato Bread. I couldn’t taste the small amount of chickpea flour or potato flakes in it, but it was very good bread with a nice crust and texture.

The next thing I made was cake, but we’ll get to that in a bit. I baked some tofu for Chase. (I’m still abstaining.)

I made Spicy Chickpeas and Potatoes based on a recipe from Foods That Don't Bite Back, using your basic Indian spices and two cans of Rotel tomatoes. I made these early and let them hold over a low heat quite a long time. They were really tasty (and still steamy in this photo).

The most involved dish was Kullum, or Cabbage Rice, from Rice and Spice. First I prepared Basmati rice and carmelized some onions. Then I tempered the spices, added in some mild green peppers and instead of cabbage, I used broccoli slaw, and let the slaw soften. Then I put the onions in the bottom of pot, then half the rice, all the slaw mixture, then topped it with the remaining rice. It basically steamed while I fixed the rest of the meal, then got mixed altogether before serving. I didn’t really understand the layering procedure, but we really enjoyed this rice dish. It was a delicious departure from the norm.

Finally I made a Broccoli and Pepper Coconut Curry. It was really spicy tonight! I’ve been using the same Mae Plo green curry paste for years. Since this time the curry seemed especially hot, I asked Chase to check the ingredients. The list included mild green chilies and SHRIMP paste - ahhhhh! Darn those fish ingredients! I started using this paste pre-vegan and didn’t think to check the ingredients. Oh, well, the stuff was too spicy anyway, even if I only used a teaspoonful! Say No to Mae Plo!

I had to make strawberry avocado salads for Chase and Liz. Chase usually just tolerates salads, but he really really liked this one.

Here’s my spicy plate…..

….and here’s our spicy table.

All the dishes turned out really great, and thank goodness I made a cool cake for dessert. I made LDV’s Yella Cake and poked in some blackberries (I’m overstocked with blackberries!) and added in cinnamon and allspice and extra Mexican vanilla. I made VCTOTW pineapple topping to spread over it.

I had stored it in the refrigerator and we were anxious to have something cold and soothing. The cake is so moist and perfect, and the pineapple topping is killer! I served it with extra berries – oh so good.

Chase wasn’t feeling too good tonight, but he said this meal and a couple of slices of cake brought the first smile of the day to his face. That’s why I keep cooking for him!