Spreading the Love, One Take-away Container at a Time

A few ingredients needed for Sweet and Sour Eggplant Curry

Bell Pepper Curry with Roasted Chickpea Flour. Here's how: You'll need to use green bell peppers for this unusual curry from coastal India. Start by mixing together in a bowl: 1 1/2 cups chickpea flour (besan), 1/2 t. turmeric, 2-3 t. cayenne pepper and 1 t. sugar. Set aside. Now slice thinly 6 good-sized green bell peppers - set aside. Heat 2 T. vegetable oil (we used grape seed) over medium heat and when hot toss in 3 t. black mustard seeds and 1/2 t. asafoetida (hing) if you have it. Once the mustard seeds begin to pop (about a minute) toss in the peppers and fry over medium-high heat until they are almost tender. Add salt now, to your taste. You'll need a good bit. Reduce heat to medium flame and add in the chickpea flour mixture. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring well to make sure all the peppers are covered with the flour. You'll end up with an odd but pleasant textural contrast of soft peppers and crumbly toasted earthiness via the flour. This curry reheats well but add a few drops of water when doing so and voila!

Mint and sugar add unexpected interest to a rather basic eggplant curry, elevating and enriching the dish.

All packed up and ready to go

Cafe Drake shares our table even via the occasional take-out container. Jen and Ben were last week's recipients of two new curry debuts.