Favorite Recipe: Taste of India

I have been dying to try my hand at some Indian cuisine for quite some time now, but from countless hours of reading recipes, all that I gathered was that it was quite complicated. I finally came to the conclusion that if I couldn't put the time and effort into preparing my favorite Indian entrees, I could at least try to capture the flavors that make them special. Not only are the following recipes extremely simple, they are also quick to prepare, low cost, and very filling. If you like Indian, these recipes are a must. If you aren't sure, give them a try. You might be pleasantly surprised. Enjoy!

Vegetable Curried Couscous

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked plain couscous

1 and 3/4 cups water

1- 15 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped

1 and 1/2 cups broccoli florets, steamed

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil + 2 teaspoons olive oil

1 and 1/2 tablespoons sugar

2 and 1/2 teaspoons red curry powder

1 teaspoon ginger

1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1) Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. When water boils, stir in coucous. Remove from heat and cover with a lid. Let stand for 6 minutes.

2) While couscous is cooking, steam broccoli for 6 minutes.

3) In a large saucepan, saute onion with 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add chickpeas and heat an additional 3 minutes.

4) In a small bowl, whisk together remaining olive oil, vinegar, sugar, curry, ginger, and salt.

5) Add steamed broccoli and couscous to chickpea mixture, remove from heat, and mix well. Pour curry sauce over mixture and toss well to combine.

Cucumber Yogurt Raita Dip with Pita Slices

Ingredients:

2 cups plain, unsweetened yogurt

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1) Puree cucumber in a food processor until smooth. Add remaining ingredients to food processor and pulse to combine.

2) Let stand in refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.

3) Serve with sliced pita triangles for dipping.