Nepalese Dahl

This recipe is amazing. I didn't realize until after I took the picture that I forgot eggy, but I am too excited to share this recipe to care at this point. It's so simple and so delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup lentils
• 3 cups hot water
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (or more to increase the spiciness of the dish to your desire)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 tablespoon oil

Method:

1. Sauté onions in oil for 5 minutes or until soft/translucent
2. While sautéing the onions, mix all the spices together in a small bowl
3. Once the onions are soft, add the spices and fry 30 seconds
4. Then add the lentils (not the water yet!) and stir heating them for 5 minutes
5. Add the mixture to the hot water, cover, and simmer until lentils are soft and most of the water has evaporated. It is okay to leave a little water, but it should not be too watery.  It will take around thirty minutes to cook, however, some lentils can take up to 45 minutes
6. Serve with naan or over rice!

Italian Dressing

This recipe for Italian dressing is very delicious.  After having lived over 6 months in Tanzania, I was craving a salad and needed to create my own dressing.  After a few failed attempts, I finally got the proportions right with a little help from the internet!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vinegar
  
• 1 1/3 cup oil of your choice (canola, vegetable, sunflower)
  
• 2 tablespoons water
  
• 3-4 gloves garlic, minced (or 1/2 tablespoon garlic salt)
  
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
  
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  
• 1 onion, chopped (or 1/2 tablespoon dried onion powder)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
  
• 1 tablespoon salt
  
• 1/2 tablespoon parsley (optional)

Method:
Mix all ingredients together and allow to sit at least 24 hours.  If you use fresh onion and garlic, the vinegar will preserve them.  You do not need to refrigerate.  Be sure to mix again before using on a fresh salad!

Lo Mein

I really miss having Chinese food here in Tanzania.  That salty, soy sauce goodness is something your body really begins to miss (or is it just the MSG?).  There’s a great little store where we bank and use internet that has some non-Tanzanian goods to sell.  I was psyched to find soy sauce and make Lo Mein.  I was even happier to discover that this soy sauce is far better than the soy sauce purchased in America.  We make Asian fried rice and Lo Mein with it mostly.  This recipe is so good that if you ever decide to not order Chinese and to try to make it, here it is:
Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound uncooked spaghetti noodles
  
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  
• 1 green pepper, chopped
  
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1” piece of ginger, peeled and minced
  
• green onion and cilantro optional
  
• 1/2 cup cooked green peas
  
• mushroom (optional)
  
• oil for frying

Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar (optional, but I would recommend starting out with less and seeing if you want to add this much)
  
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
  
• 4 teaspoons sesame oil
  
• salt to taste (I’ve used as little as 1/4 teaspoon and as much as 1 teaspoon)

Method:

1. Cook noodles according to directions on the packet.
   
2. Heat tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan and add the garlic and ginger, then add onions, green peppers, carrots.  Then, add cooked peas and any other veggies you may have chosen to include.
   
3. Mix all the ingredients of the sauce together in a large bowl
   
4. Add boiled noodles and sauce to the large frying pan.  Stir fry for five minutes.  If you wish, you can add cilantro and green onion at this point.
   
5. Stir for a few more seconds with all ingredients together and remove from heat!
    

Serves approximately 2-3 adults.

Tanzania

If you frequent my blog or just happened to come across it in a google search, you may have noticed the lack of posts over the course of the last two months.  My husband and I quit our jobs and took a road trip across America.  As you can imagine, during this time, we did not cook often.  In less than two weeks, we depart for Tanzania with the Peace Corps.  I hope that I can continue blogging about vegetarianism and provide you with some vegetarian Tanzanian recipes.  I heard that the Peace Corps gives us cook books when we arrive into country.  I am so happy because I hear that it's a predominantly vegetarian country.  I don't know if I will have internet access often, but if I do, I will be continuing to update this blog.  However, it will be infrequent, if at all.  Thanks for your continued interest in my blog and check back every now and then to see if I can get a Tanzanian vegetarian recipe up here and there!

Mujadarrah

This is another one of the recipes that I received from my wedding shower from Erin, my lovely college roommate.  This is a middle-eastern comfort food.  Lentils are always a hit at our home, so we're very excited to eat it!

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, sliced into rings
• 1 1/3 cups lentils (uncooked)
• 3/4 cup long grain white rice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

Method:

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat
2. Cook onions until browned and set aside
3. Place lentils in lightly salted water and cover (bring them to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes)
4. Stir in rice and extra water to cover.  Add salt and pepper.  Cover and simmer until tender (about 25 minutes)
5. Mix in onions and serve with yogurt or sour cream

Butter Tofu Curry

This is a "cheat" recipe.  You see, we buy this butter chicken curry paste out of a box and make it into butter tofu curry by adding tofu, not chicken.  It's cheating because it's out of the box.   My ex-boss told me about this paste and it's such a wonderful taste and so quick to make!

I don't know what the recipe on the back of the box actually tells you to do, but all we do is follow the directions for water and use the ingredient list below:

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter only (about half of the recommended butter)
• 1/2 bag frozen green peas
• 14 oz. extra firm tofu
• rice to serve (about 1.5 cups)
• 2 boxes of the butter chicken curry paste

Method:

1. Begin cooking the rice according to instructions 
2. In a large saucepan, stir together the butter chicken curry paste, recommended water on the back of the box, and butter.  Wait until it boils.
3. Meanwhile, cut the tofu into small pieces (like cubes)
4. Add peas and tofu
5. Cook together for approximately 8-10 minutes
6. Serve over rice

This is what the box looks like:

Baked Ziti

This is a great and easy recipe that I got from my lovely college roommate.  She got it from her mom or grandma and made it for me one evening for a dinner party.  Of course, I asked for the recipe!

Ingredients:  

• 1 box of ziti pasta (plain-no ridges)
• 1 jar of pasta sauce
• 1 package of mozzarella cheese cut in half 
• 1  16 oz. container of ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Method:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

2.  Shred 1/2 of the mozzarella and set aside

3.  Cube other 1/2 of mozzarella and set aside.

4.  Cook ziti according to directions on box (el dente) and drain

5.  Pour all of sauce jar into pasta and mix well

6.  Next, add in whole container of ricotta, the cubed mozzarella, & the parmesan cheese.  Mix until well combined.

7.  Transfer mixture to an oven-safe casserole dish & top with the shredded mozzerella

8.  If desired, sprinkle the top with some parmesan cheese

9.  Cook for 30-45 minutes or until top starts to brown & inside is bubbly.