Nepal

Welcome to Nepal!  We had to take a little detour on our way to Latvia, due to some unforeseen circumstances, but we should be there next time!  Meanwhile though, Nepal was a fun country!  I've always wanted to go to Nepal to see the Himalayan mountains.  Maybe someday I'll get there...According to Google, Nepal has a population of 28.09 million people, and the capital is Kathmandu.  And their national dish is...  

  

Dal Bhat!

No idea what that was, but I know I like Indian food, and just picking up the spices made me think immediately of Indian food.  I was excited to try it.  I found another veggie recipe to go with it: Nepali Style Cauli Aloo.  I don't know if it was an authentic recipe, but it had good reviews, I like cauliflower and an adventure, so I thought I'd try it.  Here's what I did:

DAL BHAT

For the Masala Powder:

2 Dry Red Chilies

About 1 tsp Cinnamon

2 Cloves

About 1 tsp Cardamom

About 1 tsp Cumin

About 1 tsp Coriander 

5 Peppercorns

I used my mortar and pestle and ground up these ingredients for later.  

For the Rice

1 C Brown Rice

2 C Beef Bone Broth

I cooked the brown rice like you would normal brown rice.  Nothing fancy here :-) 

For the Dal

3 1/2 C Water 

1 C Dry Lentils

1 Large Onion

6 Cloves Garlic (you can never have too much)

Avocado Oil

1 Can Tomatoes

Cilantro, for garnish

1. Heat oil in pan and add onions and garlic and fry until softened.
2. Add lentils and cook for around 3 minutes.
3. Add the water and cook until the water is absorbed.  This took me about 20 minutes, and not all of the water ever absorbed.
4. Add the can of tomatoes and all of the Masala powder and cook for two more minutes.
5. Simmer until the lentils are soft.
6. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top, and serve!
   

When I served it, I also sauteed some kale to go with.  I saw this suggestion on one of the recipes. 

(Sources: https://www.cookshideout.com/nepali-dal-bhat-recipe and http://www.alifefullofserendipity.com/daal-bhat-nepalese-lentil-curry/)

NEPALI STYLE CAULI ALOO 

1 Large Cauliflower, cut into large florets

1 Medium Red Potato, chopped to bite-size pieces

1/4 C Green Peas (frozen is fine)

Avocado Oil

1/4 tsp Fenugreek Seeds

1/4 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

2 tsp Cumin 

1/4 tsp Chili Powder

1 Small Knob Ginger, minced

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Cilantro, for garnish

1. Heat oil over medium heat.  Add Fenugreek seeds and cook until it begins to pop and is fragrant.  
2. Add 1/4 tsp Cumin, and give it a stir.
3. Add potatoes, and cook until they are about halfway done.  Stir frequently so that they don't stick to the pan.
4. Add the turmeric and cook for another couple minutes
5. Add the cauliflower to the pot and add all the remaining ingredients.  Give it all a good stir.
6. Lower the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for three minutes.  After three minutes, open the lid and gently shake the pot.  If there is water, continue to cook uncovered for a minute or so.
7. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, and add 1/4 C water if needed.
8. When ready to serve, the cauliflower should be tender.
9. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!
   

(Source: https://www.foodpleasureandhealth.com/blog/2016/10/nepali-style-cauli-aloo.html) 

 

 

The verdict?  The lentils were very good!  They had a very unique taste - not like the typical lentil stew I grew up eating.  There was a depth of flavor that we really enjoyed, and then a hint of spice kicked in.  The rice and the kale complemented it well, and added some different, mellow flavors and textures.  I think this lentil recipe will be in our playbook!  We were not impressed by the cauliflower.  It never cooked all the way, so it tasted like coated, raw cauliflower.  There wasn't much taste to it.  It would probably taste much better cooked and maybe with some chili (I forgot to add it...).  Also, I think we are going to invest in a spice grinder.  The original recipes wanted seeds and pods to make the spices.  I didn't have the correct tool, but the mortar and pestle worked this time around.  Overall, it was a (mostly) delicious dinner!

So the rating.  We are both going to rate the dishes on a scale of 1-10.

ME

Taste of Dal Bhat (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 4

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Dal Bhat (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 6

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 4

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 6

 

ME

Taste of Nepali Style Cauli Aloo (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 2

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 2

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Nepali Style Cauli Aloo (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 3

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 3

 

Hope you enjoyed our journey to Nepal!  Next time, hopefully for real, we will be stopping in Latvia with my Nifty Niece!  Thanks for stopping by!