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Bouchons au Chocolat

Bouchons au Chocolat

I don’t know about you, but corks don’t sound all that appetizing to me. Nevertheless, these chocholaty treats, Bouchons au Chocolat,  are basically called “little corks.”  This Bouchon au Chocolat recipe is from Aleksandra Crapanzano’s wonderful cookbook Gateau: The Suprising Simplicity of French Cakes. Crapanzano…

Oldies But Goodies: Italian Chickpeas With Pesto

Oldies But Goodies: Italian Chickpeas With Pesto

Every month Blue Cayenne features recipes from our archive of more than four hundred recipes. These recipes are our “Oldies But Goodies.” Today’s Oldie But Goodie recipe is perfect to celebrate spring. It’s a recipe for Italian Chickpeas With Pesto. You don’t want to miss…

It’s all in the sauce: Indian Butter Chickpeas

It’s all in the sauce: Indian Butter Chickpeas

Having enjoyed perhaps more than my fair share of wonderful Indian butter masala (makhani) recipes, I’m a tough critic of “butter” recipes. From the original Moti Mahal restaurant in Old Delhi (which claims to have invented the dish)  to the scruffy airport restaurant in Bagdogra, India, eating on a free meal voucher from Indian Airlines after a problematic flight to restaurants in Artesia’s Little India,  I’ve enjoyed the dish in many of its permutations–chickpeas, dal, paneer. 

 

 

I can say without equivocation that this is a really tasty recipe, reminiscent of the original if not as spicy.  

This recipe is adapted from one that appears in the New York Times. You can find that recipe here.

Here is the recipe as I prepared it in my kitchen.

Indian Butter Chickpeas

April 14, 2024
Ingredients
  • 4 T. unsalted butter
  • 1 large onion (minced)
  • 1 1/2 t. kosher salt (or more to your taste)
  • 4 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 1 T. fresh ginger (grated)
  • 2 t. ground cumin
  • 2 t. sweet paprika
  • 2 t. garam masala
  • 1 small cinnamon. stick
  • 1 28-ounce can whole peeled plum tomatoes
  • 1 15-ounce can coconut milk
  • 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas (drained)
  • Ground cayenne
  • Cooked white rice
  • Chopped cilantro (for garnish)
  • Heavy cream
Directions
  • Step 1 Saute onion and 1/2 t. salt in melted butter in a large pan or Dutch oven until the onions begin to brown on the edges. Stir as the onions are sauteeing. This will take about 20 minutes.
  • Step 2 Add ginger and garlic to the pan with the sauteed onions and saute for another minute. Add cumin, paprika, garam masala and cinnamon stick to the pan and saute for about 30 seconds.
  • Step 3 Break the tomatoes up by crushing them with your hands or cutting them with scissors or a knife. Add tomatoes to the pan. Add the coconut milk and the remaining 1 t. of salt. Stir to mix well and cook this mixture for about 10 minutes.
  • Step 4 Add the chickpeas to the pot. I added a generous pinch of cayenne pepper at this point but you can omit it if you don’t want your finished dish to be spicy. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings to your taste adding more salt if necessary.
  • Step 5 To serve, add some heavy cream and top with chopped cilantro. Serve with rice or naan.

 

Who Knew? Japanese Potato Salad

Who Knew? Japanese Potato Salad

My friend Joyce recently made a heritage trip to Japan with her daughter. From luxury hotels to rustic ryokans, they savored the sights and tastes of Japan.  As dedicated foodies, Joyce and I talked a lot about Japanese food before her trip. While we were…

Harissa-Creamed Cauliflower

Harissa-Creamed Cauliflower

Harissa. What in the heck is harissa? Harissa is a middle eastern paste. It is made with hot chili peppers and a variety of spices. It is a common ingredient in dishes served across North Africa and is especially associated with the cooking of Tunisia.…

Oldies But Goodies: Hot Cross Buns

Oldies But Goodies: Hot Cross Buns

Every month Blue Cayenne features recipes from our archive of more than four hundred recipes. These recipes are our “Oldies But Goodies.” Today’s Oldie But Goodie recipe is perfect to celebrate spring. It’s a recipe for Hot Cross Buns: Hot Cross Buns.

You don’t want to miss this great recipe…again.

Want to dive deeper into our recipe archive? Just click one of the categories at the top of this page or use the category search drop down menu on the right side of this page.

And…here is a link to Blue Cayenne’s main page: Blue Cayenne.If you are in the mood to cook (or eat!), we hope you will take a moment to look at the many excellent recipes we have featured.

Red Potatoes With Lentils and Avocado Sauce

Red Potatoes With Lentils and Avocado Sauce

  Interesting salads. I love interesting salads! Clearly, I’m not alone.  Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of a “funeral garden”  outside a rock-cut tomb on Dra Abu el-Naga hill in Luxor. Apparently, they have found four thousand year-old evidence of lettuce! There also are ancient…

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Best cookies in Los Angeles! Three years in a row! That’s what the cookbook author says about these cookies and we can’t disagree. This recipe is from Rose Wilde’s cookbook Bread and Roses. The cookbook is available through your local bookstore and from Amazon here. Here…

Oldies But Goodies: Spinach and Potato Soup

Oldies But Goodies: Spinach and Potato Soup

 

Every month Blue Cayenne features recipes from our archive of more than four hundred recipes. These recipes are our “Oldies But Goodies.” Today’s Oldie But Goodie recipe is for a warm and comforting Spinach and Potato Soup. It’s just the thing to warm up those cold winterish days. 

You don’t want to miss this great recipe…again.

Want to dive deeper into our recipe archive? Just click one of the categories at the top of this page or use the category search drop down menu on the right side of this page.

And…here is a link to Blue Cayenne’s main page: Blue Cayenne.If you are in the mood to cook (or eat!), we hope you will take a moment to look at the many excellent recipes we have featured.


For Whenever: Double  Chocolate Banana Muffins

For Whenever: Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

Got ripe bananas? Got a chocolate craving? Can’t face one more banana bread? These muffins are for you. Eat them for breakfast, dessert, midnight snack, mid-morning snack, midnight and mid-morning snack, afternoon tea, party treat. Heck, slip one in your purse.  They’re a compact, very…


All Time Favorites

Oldies  But Goodies: Blackeyed Peas With Coconut Milk and Ethiopian Spices

Oldies But Goodies: Blackeyed Peas With Coconut Milk and Ethiopian Spices

Every month Blue Cayenne features recipes from our archive of more than four hundred recipes. These recipes are our “Oldies But Goodies.” Today’s Oldie But Goodie recipe is for Blackeyed Peas With Coconut Milk and Ethiopian spices. It’s spicy and delicious! You don’t want to…

Charro-Ish Beans

Charro-Ish Beans

I’m always looking for bean recipes.  Always.  Recently, I saw recipes for Charro Beans (Mexican Cowboy Beans) posted on the Internet. They all had bacon as an ingredient. I decided to experiment with the recipe. I ended up with three variations on the original recipe.…

Oldies But Goodies: Confit Tandoori Chickpeas

Oldies But Goodies: Confit Tandoori Chickpeas

Every month Blue Cayenne features recipes from our archive of more than four hundred recipes. These recipes are our “Oldies But Goodies.” Today’s Oldie But Goodie recipe is for Confit Tandoori Chickpeas. You’ll find it here. You don’t want to miss this great recipe…again. Want to…

Beans on Toast With a Touch of Curry: It’s What’s For Breakfast!

Beans on Toast With a Touch of Curry: It’s What’s For Breakfast!

I grew up thinking beans belonged in a bowl. (The cuisine in my childhood home was pretty devoid of spice and imagination. Mine was a meat and potatoes kind of family.) Then I grew up and went to India.  There, in the Taj Mahal Hotel…

Spicy Black Bean Chili

Spicy Black Bean Chili

It’s the end of the month. It’s cold.  What better time for a hot spicy bowl of chili? If you’ve been curious about some of those meat substitutes that have come on the market, here is a chance to try them out. Or, not.  This…