Sunday Dinner Menu (Indian)

We've decided to start a tradition of cooking up a real storm on Sunday nights. Admittedly, this means grocery shopping on Sunday morning, which can involve a three-hour trip to the store unless we arrive at 10am sharp. This week we got lucky - we'll see how long that lasts.

This week's menu was as follows.

To begin:
Chana Chaat (chickpeas with cilantro, onion, tomato, yogurt, a sweet-spicy chaat. masala and tamarind - we used balsamic)
Tomato Catchumbar (a relish of tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet onions and green peppers in lemon)
Lavash (we have given up trying to make our own naan) with cucumber-mint raita

The main course:
Vij's Prawns (in an onion tomato masala)
Vij's Grilled Corn (with lemon, salt and an umami masala)
Tandoori Chicken (on the grill with a pre-made ginger-garlic sauce - good chicken, but I'll make my own sauces from now on, thank you very much)
Pearl Divers' Rice (recipe below)

Dessert:
The oh-so-authentically-Indian Streusel Plum Cake from Anne Lindsay's The Lighthearted Cookbook (recipe below)

The things really worth repeating (which we already repeat all the time) are the rice and the cake, so here are the recipes.

Pearl Divers' Rice with Saffron and Honey
(adapted from Clare Ferguson's Rice)

Combine 1 pinch of saffron, the black seeds of eight green cardamon pods, 2 tbsp. of rosewater and 4 tbsp. of boiling chicken stock in the top of a double boiler and simmer over boiling water.

Put 3 c. of basmati, 2 tsp. of salt and 2 thinly sliced onions in a heavy pan, and pour over a litre (less the 4 tbsp. used above) of boiling stock. Return to the boil, cover, reduce heat and cook for ten minutes, or until almost all the liquid is absorbed.

Pour the saffron mixture on top of the rice and drizzle 4 generous tbsp. of honey over the surface. Push eight holes in the rice right down to the bottom of the pan and add a bit of butter to each (try cutting a half stick - 1/4 c. - of butter into eight pieces here.) Cover the pan again and simmer for another five minutes. Remove from the heat, wrap the pan in a cloth, let stand for ten minutes, then eat hot.

This rice is DIVINE.

Streusel Plum Cake

Cake:

• 1/4 cup (50 mL) butter
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 1/4 cups (300 mL) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) milk
• 3 cups (750 mL) quartered fresh ripe plums or 2 cans (each 14 oz/398 mL) drained and halved plums

Streusel Topping:

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) packed brown sugar
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
• 1tsp (5 mL) cinnamon

1. Grease 9-in (2.5-L) or 10-in (3-L) square cake pan (for a thinner, quicker-cooking cake) or use spring-form pan.
2. In large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and egg yolks until fluffy. Combine flour and baking powder; beat into egg mixture alternately with milk. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold into batter. Turn into prepared pan. Arrange plums on top.
3. Streusel topping: In small bowl, combine brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon; mix well and sprinkle over fruit.
4. Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until top is golden and toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

This may just be my favourite cake. It makes a nice breakfast, too.