Entrées

Mung Bean and Rice Curry
Green Curry Noodles with Seitan

Mung Bean and Rice Curry

This is a GREAT spicy easy healthy veggie Indian-tasting recipe from my friend Jane's stepmother. The spice combination is just great, though it might be overly spicy for some. Just put a dollop of yoghurt on it if it's too intense, and then decrease or eliminate the cayenne for the next time.  It's great with a salad, all year round.

1 cup mung beans (Lentils can be substituted for mung beans if necessary, though I prefer it with mung.)
1 cup rice  (I always use Lundberg short-grain organic brown rice, how's that for a plug? :-))
5 cups water

1 onion
2-3 carrots
4 stalks celery (or whatever veggies you want to use up, it doesn't matter)

4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup oil
1/4 c soy sauce
2 tblsp turmeric
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tblsp cumin
2 tblsp coriander

Boil water, add beans and rice. Chop veggies, add them to pot when mung beans are sort of al dente.  If using lentils, add veggies before the lentils are that soft.  Meanwhile, put all the spices in a food processor and blend until fully mixed. Add spice mixture to pot, cooked covered until done.

This recipe is pretty fail-proof--it's always delicious. It's a great way to use up cooked rice or vegetables--the spice combination is just amazing.  Again, watch the cayenne.  My girls prefer it if I leave it out entirely!!! Another friendly tip--use a metal serving spoon--the turmeric tends to turn wood and plastic yellow.

Green Curry Noodles with Seitan

Inspired by the green curry noodle dish at Amber Waves Thai Restaurant, Amherst, Mass.

1 large onion, chopped
olive oil
1 pkg soba noodles or thin oriental egg noodles
1 tsp green curry paste
seitan, cut up into small pieces
soy sauce
sea salt
green vegetable (green beans, broccoli, etc.)
green onions, sliced
toasted peanuts, chopped small

Start the water boiling for the noodles.  Prep the green beans/broccoli for cooking.  In a large frying pan or wok, sauté the onion in the olive oil until soft.  Add the green curry paste and stir it around until aromatic.  Add the seitan pieces and some soy sauce, stir, and lower heat.  Once the water boils, add the noodles and green vegetable, and cook until done, about 6 minutes.  Drain (keep the cooking water for stock!), and toss into the frying pan with the seitan.  Add green onions and toasted peanuts at this point, and adjust seasonings.   It should be mildly spicy.

The restaurant that inspired this recipe does not add the extra green vegetable, but Noel needs his (almost) nightly broccoli fix, so there you are.  I’m not complaining! J