Chana Masala

Adapted from a Madhur Jaffrey recipe.

The recipe calls for a tablespoon of amchoor powder, dried unripe mango powder. If you can't find this, double the lemon juice instead. #vegan

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 fresh, hot green chili pepper, minced
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 tablespoon amchoor powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 cups tomatoes, chopped small
2/3 cup water
4 cups cooked chickpeas,drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon(see note)

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper and sauté over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cumin seeds, amchoor (if using it), paprika and garam masala. Cook onion mixture with spiced for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes and any accumulated juices, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Add the water and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.

Eat up or put a lid on it and reheat it when needed. Curries such as this reheat very well, they are actually better the second day. I often take this to work for lunch.

Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing

Adapted from Orangette, who adapted it from Casa Moro
Yield: 4 servings

For salad:
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoons ground allspice (I skip this)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

For tahini dressing:
1 medium garlic clove, finely minced with a pinch of salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to taste

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

In a large bowl, combine the butternut squash, garlic, allspice, olive oil, and a few pinches of salt. Toss the squash pieces until evenly coated. Roast them on a baking sheet for 25 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the oven and cool.
Meanwhile, make the tahini dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic and lemon juice. Add the tahini, and whisk to blend. Add the water and olive oil, whisk well, and taste for seasoning. The sauce should have plenty of nutty tahini flavor, but also a little kick of lemon. You will probably need to add more water to thin it out.

To assemble the salad, combine the squash, chickpeas, onion, and cilantro or parsley in a mixing bowl. Either add the tahini dressing to taste, and toss carefully, or you could serve the salad with the dressing on the side. Serve immediately.

Do ahead: Molly says this salad, lightly dressed, keeps beautifully in the fridge, that you should hold a little of the dressing on the side and that it can be reheated in the microwave. I, for one, have never had any leftovers.

Zucchini and quinoa salad

This is from Bon Appetit, with some changes

1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained
3 T lemon juice
5 T olive oil
2 garlic cloves
2 t cumin seeds
1 t turmeric
1 t smoked paprika
2 c water
1 c quinoa (~6 oz.), rinsed and drained
1 t kosher salt
1 1/2 lb zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
1 medium onion or equivalent shallots, chopped
1 1/2 t ground cumin
4 scallions, sliced
1/4 c chopped Italian parsley

Combine chickpeas, lemon juice, 3 T of the olive oil, and garlic in a large bowl and let marinate 15 minutes to 2 hours.

Heat 1 T of oil in a saucepan. Add cumin seeds, 1/2 of the turmeric, 1/2 of the paprika, and stir about 1 minute over medium heat. Add water, quinoa, and salt, bring to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and simmer until water is absorbed.

In a saute pan, toss zucchini with 1 T oil, ground cumin, rest of the turmeric and paprika, and saute with the onion in a tablespoon of oil. (Or grill zucchini until tender and chop into 1/2 inch pieces.)

Add quinoa mixture and zucchini mixture to chickpea mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Good hot as well as cold.