Witchy Kitchen

Tag: cumin

  • Chickpea, Carrot and Pea Samosas

    Chickpea, Carrot and Pea Samosas

    Samosas are one of those foods that are easy to buy but fun to make at home, even if they are a little labor intensive. You just have to put yourself in the mindset of it being a compliment that the dish you spent forever working on gets gobbled up in seconds. They’re universally popular, and can be filled with all kinds of yummy ingredients – tandoori chicken, keema, or fluffy potatoes. These particular ones have a mixture of chickpeas, carrots and peas that are lightly spiced and delicious with chutneys.

    Since these were for our Ms Marvel menu, I made some very cute little lightning bolts for the outside of some of the samosas. I had no idea how they’d turn out – I’d made samosas before but this part was a pure experiment. I colored the dough for the lightning bolts yellow with turmeric which turned out to be wholly unnecessary as they got nice and toasty brown; they looked great regardless!

    Chickpea, Carrot and Pea Samosas

    Adapted from Jasmine in Her Hair by Huma Saddiqi

    For the dough

    • 2 cups flour
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji, or black seed)
    • 2 tablespoons flavorless oil
    • 1/4 cup warm water

    Whisk together flour, salt, nigella seeds, and oil to sandy crumbs. Pour in water, and form into a ball. Knead on a floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Set aside in a bowl covered with a damp towel.

    For the filling

    • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
    • 1 large carrot, diced
    • 1/2 cup peas
    • 1-2 tablespoons flavorless oil
    • 3 green onions, sliced, white and green divided
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • 1/2 teaspoon coriander
    • 1/2 teaspoon red chili
    • salt to taste

    Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add chickpeas and carrots and simmer until carrots are soft. Add peas and cook another minute, then drain and rinse with cold water.

    Meanwhile, heat oil and gently saute the whites of the onions. Add cumin, coriander, and red chili and cook for a minute until fragrant. Add in the drained chickpeas, carrots, and peas and cook until mixture is fairly dry. Transfer to a food processor and pulse, scraping down the sides, until mixture is combined but not homogenous and still has lots of texture.

    To assemble samosas

    • Several inches of oil for frying

    Heat oil on medium in a pot or wok (I like using a wok, you get more surface area and need less oil).

    Optional, pinch off a piece of the dough to use for lightning bolts. I colored this with turmeric, but I’ll skip this step next time as it gets browned too much to tell. Divide remaining dough into 12 balls. Keep them on a plate covered with a damp towel so they don’t dry out while you work.

    Roll each ball out to about 6 inches and slice down the center so you have two semicircles. Fold the sides of the semicircle to the center of the curved side to form a triangle, and seal with water. Hold the dough in your hand to make a cone, and fill with a spoon or two of the filling. Roll the open side together and seal with water. You can reshape your samosa to a triangle at this point. (And if this all sounds crazy, watch this video at about 9:30 for folding technique).

    Fry in batches, turning, until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve hot with green chutney, tamarind chutney, yogurt, or ketchup!

    Check out the whole Ms Marvel Menu

    See more of the The Comic Vault’s Comic Kitchen

    Photo credit: Jonathan Hartzell

  • Capitol Pumpkin Soup

    Capitol Pumpkin Soup

    As reality and dystopian fiction become closer to indistinguishable, it’s no surprise that it is #DISHTOPIA Month: Eat Like It’s the End of the World, Fandom Foodies theme hosted by the lovely Catherine at The Gluttonous Geek – check out the linkup for more foodpocalypse!

    For the Hunger Games, unless you’re really into fried squirrel or nettle tea, the best food is going to be found in The Capitol. Obscene feasts are thrown regularly from the wealth of resources flowing in, which probably include spices, so when I set out to make the creamy pumpkin soup sprinkled with slivered nuts and black seeds that Katniss samples, that’s exactly what I imagined.

    I used canned pumpkin (LAZY! Like Capitol people) and a whole can of coconut milk (RICH and DECADENT! Like Capitol people).

    Paanch phoran, or five-spice powder, is made from cumin, fenugreek, fennel, mustard, and black seeds called kalonji (or nigella seeds, or onion seeds, or black seeds, etc. It’s the seed of many names), so that’s what I used as the seasoning for my soup. I much recommend seeking out the curry leaves (NOT bay leaves, even though they look similar) at your local Indian market, they will give your soup a delicate and delicious fragrance and really take it to Capitol level fare.

    May the soup be EVER in your flavor…

    Capitol Pumpkin Soup

    • 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil (or a flavorless cooking oil)
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 1 inch ginger, chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
    • 1/2 teaspoon each cumin, fenugreek, fennel, mustard, and kalonji seeds
    • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
    • 1/2 teaspoon red chili
    • 3 tablespoons ground almonds or almond meal
    • 1 can pumpkin puree
    • 4 cups vegetable broth
    • 1 can coconut milk
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 4-5 fresh curry leaves
    • sliced almond and a sprinkle of kalonji for garnish

    Heat the oil and saute onion until it just starts to turn golden. Add ginger and garlic and stir for a minute or two, then add all seeds and cook until they start to sizzle (be careful not to burn). Add turmeric and red chili, stir for a minute, then add almond meal, pumpkin puree and a cup of the chicken broth. Heat through.

    Blend the mixture thoroughly and return to the pot along with the rest of the chicken broth, the coconut milk, cinnamon stick, and curry leaves. Mix well, gently heat and cook on a low simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with sliced almonds and kalonji.

    This dish was first posted for Fiction Kitchen Episode 25: THE HUNGER GAMES in which Carrie and Diana discuss The Hunger Games books and movies, including from Greek mythological child sacrifices, Katniss’s practical hairstyle, social commentary, and the scarcity of goat milk.

  • Roasted Green Pepper Soup

    Roasted Green Pepper Soup

    Red peppers get all the love but the humble green pepper is fresh and unexpected. I had posted a green pepper soup recipe here years ago and it was one of my most popular; I’ve tweaked it slightly and taken terribly lit moody new photos.

    While not as sweet as red peppers, deeply roasting green ones does bring out a bit of sweetness, though their overall flavor is more grassy and herbal. In this soup the grassiness is enhanced by ground coriander, deepened by cumin, and mellowed and richened by coconut milk. It’s light enough that I’d like to try it chilled in the summer, but right now in the winter it’s the perfect cheap and green dish for your New Year.

    Roasted Green Pepper Soup

    • 3 green peppers
    • 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil, or a flavorless oil
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves, grated
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • salt & pepper to taste
    • 4 cups vegetable broth, divided
    • 1 can coconut milk, left in the fridge overnight to separate into water and cream

    Heat oven to 450° and roast green peppers by placing on the rack and turning with tongs as they blacken (place a cookie sheet on the rack underneath to catch any drips). When blackened, place in a bowl and cover with a plate or plastic wrap to steam and make easier to peel.

    Meanwhile in a soup pot heat coconut oil and saute onion until just beginning to turn golden, being careful not to burn. Add garlic and cook for a minute or so, then add coriander, cumin, salt (start with a scant teaspoon) and generous black pepper. Cook, stirring, for another minute, and add about a cup of the vegetable broth. Move mixture to a blender.

    Peel and deseed the green peppers and place in the blender with the soupy mixture and blend until smooth, adding more vegetable broth if necessary. Return to the pot and heat through.

    Open the can of coconut milk and reserve several spoons of the cream for garnish. Add the rest to the soup and heat through well, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve with a dollop of coconut cream.

  • Margoog

    Margoog

    This is my month to host the MENA Cooking Club; I was excited to volunteer for Qatar because it’s one of the only Middle Eastern countries I’ve actually been to, if only for a layover in Doha on our way to Pakistan. Qatar, may I say your airline is amazing, and extremely accommodating to travelers with babies!

    I had no idea it would be difficult to find Qatari recipes (it’s just Googling, right?), but the recipes I suggested all got rejected, even those straight from a Qatar-based website! There appears to be a lot of misinformation out there (shocking, I know – something on the internet is wrong). And the recipe they decided to use instead says it’s from the Najd region, which is in Saudi Arabia? So who knows 😉

    A little frustrating, but I guess this experience just highlights why Noor’s goal to bring more awareness to Middle Eastern food is valuable. Good job, Noor!

    Anyway, I may be a terrible hostess, but I’m a decent cook, and I love to try new ingredients. This time it was black lemon, which are actually dehydrated limes, and I just loved the flavor they imparted to this dish. I often squirt lemon or lime juice at the end to lighten up a heavy curry; this was the same concept only less sharp, more mellow, the sweet tartness cooked right in. I used three because I didn’t know how strong they would be, and I think it came out well (although I would have liked a fourth for an extra-lemony broth).

    Margoog is traditionally served either poured over thin flatbread (I love the concept of bread soup, see my Spring Ribollita) or else baked with a dough stretched over the top like a pot pie (edit: I misunderstood, it’s actually thin discs of dough that you drop into the hot pot, and they cook in the liquid like dumplings).

    However, I forwent this very important step (blasphemy!) because we’ve just started this low-carb meal plan at home to help my mother-in-law, who is diabetic, get her blood sugar under control. She’s made really good progress, so as much as I would like to make a lovely crust for this fragrant steamy stew (sigh, that sounds like pure comfort food)…I instead added extra vegetables.

    Margoog

    Note: this doesn’t include the dough which is a key part of traditional margoog, if you are interested see this recipe for method

    • 2 pounds bone-in goat, cut by butcher into 1 inch pieces
    • salt & pepper
    • olive oil
    • To flavor the broth: 2 smashed garlic cloves, 1 stick cinnamon, and 3 black lemons, slit
    • 3-4 shallots, sliced
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • 1 teaspoon coriander
    • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
    • 1/2 – 1 teaspoon kashmiri chili (less spicy, I did this so kids could eat it) or cayenne (more spicy)
    • 1 head cauliflower, cut/broken into florets
    • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thick chunks
    • 3 zucchini, cut into thick chunks

    Season goat with salt and pepper. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil and brown the goat on both sides, in two batches, removing the first batch to a plate. When they are all browned, deglaze the pot with a little water, then add the rest of the goat back in, plus garlic, cinnamon and black lemons, and water to just cover. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, covered, for an hour to an hour and a half, until goat is very tender, adding more water when necessary.

    Meanwhile, in another cooking vessel (I used a wok), heat another three tablespoons olive oil. Saute shallots until very golden, being careful not to burn. Add garlic and stir for a minute or two, then add tomatoes, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and kashmiri chili. Cook until tomatoes are broken down, thick and jammy, and most of the liquid has evaporated.

    Combine the goat and tomato mixtures in whichever pot is bigger so you have room for all the veggies (I put the goat into my wok). Add cauliflower and carrot and mix well, adding water so they are not quite covered. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes, then add zucchini and cook, covered, 10 more minutes, until all veggies are tender. Simmer uncovered for about 10 more minutes, until stew has thickened up a little (but still a little brothy).

    Garnish with a little chopped mint (optional) and and serve hot!

    This was lovely, but I am wickedly looking forward to pouring leftovers over naan at my desk lunch tomorrow.


  • Spiced Carrot and Fennel Soup

    Spiced Carrot and Fennel Soup

    This month for MENA Cooking Club, the lovely group I’ve been cooking with to try more Middle Eastern and North African recipes, the country was Oman, hosted by Rafeeda of the mouthwatering blog, The Big Sweet Tooth.

    This month also happens to fall during Ramadan. As I’ve been reading about Ramadan traditions around the world, it seems most Middle Eastern countries have a traditional iftar (fast opening meal) of a light soup of lentils and/or vegetables, humble food to kind of adjust the digestive system, gently bring it back to life. Makes sense, seems very peaceful and measured…then the Pakistani tradition, as far as I can tell, is party food: pakoray, dahi baray, papri chaat, rooh afza! Fried goodies and sugary drinks, at least we’ve got some watermelon or fruit chaat to balance it out, and I’ve been throwing in some roasted veggies or a fresh tomato salad as well.

    Anyway, since this month was Oman and one of the suggested recipes was a vegetable soup, that’s what I chose to make because it seemed like an appropriate iftar dish. I focused on carrots and fennel and added some Middle Eastern spices. Several of the soup recipes I looked at were thickened with oats, which I found interesting, so I tried that here. It gave the soup a nice creamy texture that I’m sure is much healthier than actual cream, so I might be trying that trick more often. I’m happy with the garnish too, I shaved a carrot and fried the shavings into crispy little carrot chips to sprinkle on top – I always garnish, it makes even the most mundane dish a little special.

    Please, friends, I’d love to hear more about your iftar traditions!

    Spiced Carrot and Fennel Soup

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 large onion, chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
    • 2 small bulbs or 1 large bulb fennel, sliced
    • whole spices: 1 teaspoon ajwain seeds (you could sub a little dried thyme), 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
    • powdered spices: 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon red chili
    • 1 pound of carrots
    • 1/4 cup quick cooking oats
    • 4 cups chicken broth

    In a large pot, heat butter/ghee and saute onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add fennel and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or so until fennel is softened. Add whole spices and stir for a minute, add powdered spices and stir for a minute more.

    Add carrots, oats, and 2 cups of the chicken broth. Stir well, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and simmer until carrots are very soft. Puree in a blender and return to the pot. Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth and heat back through.

    Serve garnished with crispy carrots (below) and chopped fennel fronds.

    For the crispy carrot garnish

    Peel and trim a medium carrot. Shave carrot into thin slices with the peeler. Heat a pan with oil and shallow fry the carrot in batches, until no longer bubbly and is beginning to turn golden. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.


  • Peach Chutney

    Peach Chutney

    Summery peach chutney is a lovely balance of sweet, spicy and refreshingly tart and is perfect on everything from grilled veggies to rice to sandwiches to toast – I know because I’ve been eating a lot of it! And I’m not complaining; the combination may not be for everyone, but for me it’s addictive!

    Peach Chutney

    • 2 pounds peaches (about 8 medium)
    • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
    • 2 inches ginger, peeled and grated
    • 2 tablespoons jaggery, brown sugar or sugar
    • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon red chili powder plus a couple dried red chilis (or to taste)
    • 1 teaspoon garam masala
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • generous pinch salt

    Wash the peaches then score them on the bottom. Drop in a boiling pot of water for two minutes and drain. When they are cook enough to handle, peel, pit, and chop into medium large chunks.

    Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan along with a cup of water. Cook, covered, on medium low heat for about an hour, gently stirring occasionally. After an hour, you can cook uncovered to thicken it up a bit to desired consistency.

    Cool completely and serve! Stores well in the fridge for up to a month.

  • Jerk Marinade

    Jerk Marinade

    That spinach leaf is to mark the spicy plate!

    Grill season has arrived, and one of the first things I was excited to make was jerk chicken – fresh, flavorful, and charred to perfection.

    I have one recipe way back in the archive that I was calling Spiced Thyme Chicken because I had a fear of claiming authenticity when it’s not (here is a cool article on Serious Eats about real authentic Jamaican jerk chicken). However, I’ve come around to the opinion that it’s ok to adapt classic recipes to your kitchen, especially if that means you can make it more often! Besides, I’m always amazed at similarities between certain cuisines; it was easy to construct this Caribbean marinade from ingredients I already had in my desi spice cabinet.

    The biggest change was using ajwain (carom) seeds in place of the typical thyme. I love using fresh thyme but it’s not a staple in my kitchen, whereas ajwain seeds are just because they store easily, and it’s a similar flavor so why not? Other than that, cloves, allspice, ginger, garlic and lime are ubiquitous in both cuisines, so this really isn’t that far off. I didn’t realize green onions were a must until I read that article afterwards, so will probably incorporate next time. I used paprika and a pinch of turmeric for a little flavor and color, and the fruitiness of apple cider vinegar, and that’s totally allowed because jerk marinade is one of those things with a hundred secret house recipes.

    We used this for chicken breasts (this makes enough for 6 or so), but you could use it for all kinds and cuts of meat, fish and veggies too!

    Jerk Marinade

    • 1 teaspoon ajwain (carom) seeds (alternately, you could use a few sprigs fresh thyme or a teaspoon dried thyme)
    • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
    • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
    • 6 cloves
    • 6 allspice berries
    • 2 teaspoons paprika
    • 2 teaspoons red chili powder (because kiddies, we divided the chicken breasts 3 and 3 and added 1 teaspoon to the grown-up’s portion)
    • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
    • generous pinch black pepper
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 1 inch ginger, peeled and grated
    • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
    • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
    • 2 teaspoons sugar
    • juice of half a lime
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil

    Heat a dry pan on medium heat. Gently toast the ajwain seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, and allspice. When they become fragrant, remove from heat and grind in a spice grinder.

    Whisk together fresh ground spices with paprika, red chili, turmeric, black pepper, ginger, salt garlic, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and lime juice. Pour olive oil in a stream while continuously whisking.

    Use as a marinade for chicken, beef, fish or veggies, ideally to grill!

    The fresh, bright flavor goes awesome with the nutty creaminess of Hara Masala Coconut Rice.

  • Hara Masala Coconut Rice

    Hara Masala Coconut Rice

    This rice dish is the perfect side for all your summer barbecues – it pairs perfectly with all kinds of grilled veggies, fish and meat, and particularly well with Caribbean, Southeast Asian, or desi menus. I would describe it as intensely pleasant. The flavors aren’t huge and bold, and it’s not exactly the star of the table, but it’s a fantastic supporting actor; for whatever reason it was the leftovers I was most excited to eat again!

    Hara Masala Coconut Rice

    For the hara masala:

    • 1/2 bunch mint
    • 1/2 bunch cilantro
    • handful basil
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled
    • 2 green chilis, optional (I left out for kids)
    • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

    Combine mint, cilantro, basil, garlic, ginger, chilis if using and turmeric in a food processor.

    For the rice:

    • 3 cups basmati rice, rinsed well and soaked for half an hour
    • 3 tablespoons ghee, use oil to make a vegan dish
    • 1 onion, thinly sliced
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • 4 cloves
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • pinch black pepper
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 1/2 cups (1 can) full-fat coconut milk
    • 1 1/2 cups water
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
    • green masala (above)
    • toasted coconut and chopped green onions or herbs for serving

    Heat ghee (I did the onion and spices in a wok then transferred to a pot, you can do that or just do everything in the pot) and fry onion, stirring, until VERY golden brown – un-goldened onion ends up as slimy strips in your rice, so make sure to cook thoroughly! Add cinnamon, cloves, cumin and black pepper and stir for a moment or two. Transfer everything to the pot (if you’re not there already), and add bayleaf, coconut milk, water and salt, and bring to a boil. Turn on another eye of the stove to low, you’ll move the pot here in a minute. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

    Stir in the hara masala, cover the pot with a tea towel first with the top over that. Transfer to the other eye on low, and let steam for 20 minutes.

    To serve, transfer to a serving dish and top with toasted coconut, green onions or herbs. Serve hot!

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  • Pindi Chana

    I saw this recipe and was eager to try it for several reasons:

    1. Cooking with tea – from chamomile cupcakes to Tea Eggs, I’m always excited to cook with tea. In this recipe it stains the chickpeas a deep brown.
    2. Cooking with pomegranate seeds (anardana) – I acquired these for making chapli kebabs, and like adding these little tart and unexpected additions.
    3. Named for Rawalpindi! I’ve been there!

    It turned out quite nice! I love to make a big pot of chickpeas or lentils to have around for a day or two, will definitely add these to the rotation.

    Pindi Chana

    Adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor, mostly because cooking with dried chickpeas require forethought that I don’t have

    For the chana masala

    • 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
    • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
    • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
    • 1/2 teaspoons amchoor powder
    • pinch turmeric

    Lightly toast the spices in a dry pan, crush lightly with a mortar and pestle, then set aside

    For the pindi chana

    • 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
    • 2 teabags
    • Salt
    • 4 tablespoons ghee, divided
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • 2 medium onions, sliced
    • 1 tablespoon garlic paste
    • 1 tablespoon ginger paste
    • 1 tablespoon cumin powder
    • 1 tablespoon coriander powder
    • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
    • 2 roma tomatoes, quartered
    • 4-6 green chilies, trimmed and slit
    • 1 teaspoon garam masala

    In a medium saucepan, heat the chickpeas, teabags, a good sprinkle of salt, and water to cover. Simmer for 10 minutes and set aside.

    In a heavy-bottomed pot, karahi or wok, heat 3 tablespoons of ghee. Add cumin seeds and heat until they sizzle, then add onions and saute until they are golden brown, stirring often and being careful not to burn. Add garlic paste, ginger paste, cumin, coriander, red chili, and turmeric powders, and saute for another minute or two.

    Add the chickpeas along with a cup or two of the cooking liquid (I started with about a cup and added more as it got a little dry – you want some sauce, but not for it to be soupy).

    In a separate pan, heat a tablespoon ghee. Heat tomato and chilis with a good sprinkle of salt for a minute (crush the tomatoes slightly as they start to break down), then add chana masala and garam masala. Toss the mixture for another minute, then stir into the chickpeas.

    Mix well and cook at a low simmer for 10-15 minutes until it thickens, adding more cooking liquid or water if necessary.

  • Tomato Rice Soup

    Tomato Rice Soup

    This month’s MENA Cooking Club is hosted by Evelyne of Cheap Ethnic Eatz. This month’s country was Jordan, and the recipe I chose was Jordanian Tomato and Rice Soup – although it veered into desi territory as I used ghee since I have a fresh made batch, and I ended up adding a few more spices (I opened up the cabinet for a cinnamon stick and…well, you know how it goes).

    This soup is warm and wintry: spiced tomato broth thickened with basmati rice, and it’s completely simple, made from ingredients I mostly have on hand – which is great, because we are having a streak of frigid weather (how do you Canadians/Chicagoans/etc. do it?!) and I am happy warm and cozy over the stove and refuse to venture out for procurement. We are out of coffee, my life blood, that’s how much I don’t want to go to the store.

    Anyway, the kids loved it and so did I, so thank you Evelyne for the lovely suggestion!

    Tomato Rice Soup

    • 1/3 cup basmatic rice
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • 2-3 garlic cloves, grated
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon garam masala
    • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
    • red chili (just a pinch because kids…you can add a little more if you like)
    • 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
    • salt
    • limes for serving

    Rinse the basmati rice well and soak as you prepare the rest.

    Heat ghee on medium high in a heavy-bottomed pot, and saute onions until they are beginning to turn golden. Add garlic and saute a minute or two, being careful not to burn, then add cumin, paprika, garam masala, turmeric and red chili and saute for a minute. Add tomatoes and a good couple pinches of salt and cook until they are well broken down and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

    Add about 6 cups of water, scraping the bottom of the pot and stirring well, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

    Bring back to a boil and add rice. Keep at a high simmer for about 15 minutes, gently stirring often. Add more water if necessary (I didn’t need to).

    Lower the heat, adjust seasoning if necessary (another pinch or two of salt), and serve brightened up with limes.