Gourmet Ethnic Cooking Series: Indian

The last place I enjoyed really tasty Indian food was in Japan where there were numerous places to eat out. Every once in a while, I crave this type of cuisine, but have a hard time dodging eggplant, potatoes, and tomatoes, which don't always agree with me. The following menu was created when the Macrobiotic Community Dinner was still happening, and I decided to teach it as part of the 3-week Ethnic Gourmet series. Some of the recipes are adapted from World of the East Vegetarian Cooking.

For the class, the menu was :

Red Lentil Dahl
Quinoa and Veggie Samosas
Apricot Raisin Chutney
Spiced Basmati Rice
Carrot Halwa


Ruth took numerous photos of me assembling the samosas and the group that I can share with you (thanks Ruth!).
We had a engaging time talking about macrobiotic principles, including yin and yang foods, what is moderate and extreme, the effects on the body, and why it's important to eat variety that is better quality yin/yang.

Of course, the best part is dishing up and eating!!


We finished the meal with this carrot pudding and a spoonful of vanilla soy ice cream on the side.

Testimonial:

"Leslie, the class was fabulous! I totally enjoyed watching you cook as well as learn more about yin/yang and the energetics of different foods. The Indian menu was such a treat. I've gotta try rolling out those samosas (you make it look so easy), and seeing if I can duplicate that yummy dahl and apricot chutney. I was pleasantly(!) surprised at some of the food combination, eg, rice and shredded coconut, and carrots for dessert with ice cream. The exotic, complex flavors were outstanding. You can bet I'll be trying all of these recipes soon! You did it again! Mahalo nui, R"