What I had for dinner:

An American Curry (or an Indian Chili?)

1 Aug 1994 22:43:50 -0400

Often, recipes grow out of necessity: no room left in the fridge; it's time to get rid of things. The centerpiece today was a half-dozen Scotch Bonnet peppers that did not look like they would last much longer. I had peas, and a cucumber, and a little plain tomato sauce.

The flavor of Scotch Bonnets (or of Habañeros, which are very closely related) is too obvious to pretend that they would blend into a traditional Indian recipe. On the other hand, I had half a box of Basmati rice that had to go as well. Time for an exercice in cross-cultural pollinization.

I browned an onion in 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp oil, then added the peppers, trimmed and cut into thin strips. It is a good idea to stir this from afar, at arm's length, as the fumes can be quite irritating to the eyes. After a few minutes, I added, all at once, 1/2 tsp of foenugreek, a pinch of mace, 1/4 tsp of cardamom, 1 tbsp of turmeric, and a pinch of asafoetida, and a minute or so later 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced.

About 3 tbsp of tomato sauce, 1 small can (300g) of drained and washed chick peas, and enough water to cover were added after another minute, the sauce was brought to a simmer, and left to simmer for a while.

Meanwhile, the rice was cooked in plain water, and I shelled a handful of fresh peas, and a handful of pistachios that were then toasted in a small frying pan.

Just before serving, the peas and the pistachios were added to the sauce, which made 2 servings. There will be lunch tomorrow...