Serves 4 people.

Ingredients

• 6-cups of water
• 2 cups of chana dal (split chickpeas)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1½ tsp salt
• ghee/oil of choice
• 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• large handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method

1. Place the dal in the Speedi pot without the crisper tray. Add the water, turmeric powder, and salt. Set to “steam” mode for 60 minutes.  When this step is done, it should still be slightly soupy.
2. Add 3 tbsp of ghee/oil to hot a pan. Add the cumin seeds and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes or until golden.
3. Add the chilli powder and coriander. Stir through and then add to the dal. Cook for 2 minutes on sear/saute Hi5

This pilaf is a light and quick dinner from “Chetna's 30 Minute Indian: Quick and Easy Everyday Meals” by Chetna Makan. It doesn’t need a major side with it just some pickles and yoghurt, or perhaps some dhal or potato sabji.

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 2-3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 4-5 cloves
• 4-5 black peppercorns
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 200g fresh spinach, chopped (~7 oz)
• 250g basmati rice, washed (~1 cup)
• 450ml boiling water (~2 cups)

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan and cook onions for 5 minutes until lightly golden.
2. In another pan, lightly toast the spices until they are aromatic and the color has changed slightly just a few seconds.
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Use a pestle and mortar to blend the spices into a coarse powder.
5. Add to the onion pan with salt and chilli powder and mix through.
6. Add spinach and mix.
7. Add rice and mix through to coat in the flavours.
8. Mix the boiling water into the pan and cover and cook for exactly 15 minutes.
9. Once it is cooked, turn the heat off and leave to sit for 12-15 minutes to let the steam fluff up the rice.

This recipe flows much more smoothly if you actually do the mise en place.  No, don’t ask me what that is.  You are a grown-up.  You know how to use the internet.

Ingredients

Cumin rice

• ½ tsp black cardamom seeds (or 2 pods)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 cup of long-grained rice
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp of ghee or oil of choice
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 ½ cups of water

Curry-roasted potatoes

• 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
• ¼ teaspoons ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon course ground pepper
• Juice of 1 small lime

Method

1. Place cardamom and cumin seeds in a tiny bowl.
2. In a separate small bowl place the rice’s ground spices.
3. In a medium-size bowl put the potatoes and olive oil.  Sprinkle in the potatoes’ ground spices.  Toss together.
4. Place the ghee in the Speedi pot on “sear/saute” level Hi5.  
5. When the ghee seems hot, pour the cumin and cardamom in.  Cook them until the cardamom or cumin becomes fragrant, or the cumin starts to brown just a bit, whichever comes first.  I usually keep my eyes open for where the ghee puddles to place the spices, not on the most ghee-less spots.  That way the flavors meld into the ghee.
6. Place the rice’s ground spices into the pot.  Mix and cook for a minute.
7. Pour in the rice and stir until all the rice is covered with ghee.  
8. Add the bay leaves and water.
9. Add the crisper tray try to the upper level.  Pour the potatoes onto the tray in an even layer.
10. Lower the lid and continue to cook at the same setting for 13 minutes.
11. Turn off the Speedi.  Turn it on again.  Set it to “bake/roast” at 390°F for 11 minutes.
12. Turn off and and put in serving dishes.  Squeeze the juice of the lime over the potatoes.

Note

Next time add 1 cup of raisins to the rice while it’s cooking, and use 1 tbsp of curry powder with the potatoes.  Consider also adding half a cup of shredded carrots to the rice.

Ingredients

• Two 13.5 oz cans of coconut milk, plus half a can of water to rinse them out
• One heaping tablespoon of Mae Ploy Thai Green Curry Paste... the heapinger the better
• One freakishly enormous carrot, the kind you can get in an Asian grocery store in the US (or any farmer's market in Kyrgyzstan), sliced into diagonals cuz we're fancy
• A pound or two of frozen broccoli flowerets
• 3 small red bell peppers (or two medium ones), cut into one-inch chunks

Method

1. You will not use the crisper tray for this recipe.
2. Pour coconut milk, water, curry paste, and carrots into the pot.  Set to "sear/saute" at Hi5 with the pot covered for 10 minutes.
3. Pour in enough brocolli flowerets to fill the pot.  Continue at same heat uncovered for 10 minutes.
4. Check to see whether the brocolli is tooth-ready, per your preferences, but I think it's best to leave the broccoli with just a bit of crunch.
5. Toss raw bell peppers with everything else.  Yup, we want those in there raw.

Notes: 

You can serve it over rice, just like any other unimaginative chef, or better yet in a bowl as a soup, or, since we want to explore other grains, serve it over boiled wheat berries (for digestive health) or boiled millet or even quinoa, but if you use the latter make sure you look up how to pronounce.  For years I said "quinn-OH-uh."  Pretty damn embarrasing.

This is one of those recipes that really prove that simple cooking can be excellent.

Ingredients

• 4 Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” chunks
• Frozen broccoli florets, enough to cover the bottom of the pot
• 1 tbsp Mae Ploy green curry paste, which should be available in the Asian section of huge gringo grocery stores or the Thai section of Asian grocery stores
• 4 Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” chunks
• Frozen broccoli florets, enough to cover the bottom of the pot
• 1 tbsp Mae Ploy green curry paste, which should be available in the Asian section of huge gringo grocery stores or the Thai section of Asian grocery stores
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Spices:
  Garlic powder
  Onion powder
  Pepper
  Chives
  Parsley
  Salt
• 4-6 cups of water

Method

1. Remove tray. Pour 2 cups of water in the pot. Add green curry paste. Whisk until the paste is dissolved in the water.
2. Pour broccoli into pot. Add enough water so that it comes half-way up the broccoli.
3. In a separate bowl toss the potatoes with the olive oil.
4. Sprinkle the spices all over the potatoes and toss the potatoes so that they are all coated.
5. Put tray in upper position. Place potatoes on tray in a single layer.
6. Set the Speedi to Speedi meals at 400°F for 11 minutes.

2023-11-07:  I basically tried to use the Chicken Broccoli Alfredo recipe from the Speedi recipe book that came with the Speedi.  The sausages turned black outside although, praise Heaven, they didn't have a burnt taste.  Next time instead of using the whole fifteen minutes on the sausage, I think I should put it on Speedi meals for 5 minutes, then add the sausage in and set it for 10 more minutes.

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups of water.  Add a bit more if necessary to make sure all the pasta is covered with water.
• 24 oz can of pasta sauce (I used Hunt's garlic and herb pasta sauce.)
• 8 oz orecchiette (half of a 16 oz box)
• 9-12 frozen meatballs, roughly golf-ball size or a bit smaller
• 1 tsp of garlic salt
• 1 tsp of mixed Italian seasonings

Method

Mix everything in the bottom of the bottom of the pot without the crisper tray.  Steam for 18 minutes.  Half way through, pause and give it all a good stir with a non-metal spatula, being careful to scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure none of pasta is sticking.

Source:  video

Notes:

2023-08-13: In terms of textures and timing this was great, but the diluted sauce was too bland.  Next time try 1.5 tsp of garlic salt and 1.5 tsp of Italian seasonings.

This is a minor variation of the "chicken paprika" recipe from "The Joy of Cooking."

Ingredients

• 2 large chicken breasts
• 1.5 tbsp butter
• 1.5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 2 tbsp Szeged paprika
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 2 tsp flour
• 1 cup sour cream

Method

Cut chicken into largeish chunks. Heat butter and oil in pan. Add onions and paprika, fry till glossy and red. Add chicken and broth. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Simmer uncovered till liquid reduces a bit. Add flour to sourcream. Add sourcream to pan a bit at a time and stir it in. Don't bring to a boil, but let the sauce thicken.

2020-03-28: This was my first attempt. I'm pretty pleased with it. Definitely a repeater.

The original recipe called for a 2.5 pound fryer, but I just used chicken breasts. I wanted thighs, but the store was out of them thanks to the coronavirus lockdown. If find myself wondering whether it would be better just to simmer it uncovered. I'll try that next time.

Source: video

Ingredients for the chicken

• 300 gms chicken breast boneless
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• Oil to pan fry

Ingredients for gravy

• 500 gms roughly slit tomatoes
• 100 gms roughly cut onions
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 50 gms cashew
• 1 tsp kasoori methi
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder
• 5 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp cream
• 2 tbsp malt vinegar / 1.5 tbsp White Vinegar
• Salt to taste

Method

• Marinate the chicken with ginger paste, garlic paste, red chilli powder. Salt and keep it aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a pan heat some oil, then fry the marinated chicken pieces in it. Once done place it into a bowl.
• In the same pan add onion, oil, a spoonful of butter. Once the onions are cooked, add tomatoes and cashews.
• Add some water and garlic paste, salt, malt vinegar, sugar, garam masala, and chilli powder. Evenly mix it and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes
• Churn the mixture into fine puree with a hand blender.
• Strain it back into the same pan. Make sure there is minimal wastage.
• Add butter, cream, chicken and kasoori meethi. Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
• Garnish it with cream and kasoori meethi.

2019-01-18: I tried the recipe for the first time, but didn't have all the ingredients. Here are my comments.

• I substitute Szeged paprika instead of Kashmiri chili.
• I used rice wine vinegar instead of malt vinegar.
• I didn't have garlic/ginger paste, so I substituted chopped garlic from a jar and ginger paste from a plastic container.
• I used curry powder instead of garam masala.
• Make sure to cut the chicken into thin chunks.

I like the result. It was rather more savory than the butter chicken I had the other day at Curry Corner.

This was my first effort at cheese enchiladas.

Ingredients

• 28 oz. of Las Palmas red enchilada sauce
• 8 flour tortillas (roughly 8 inches in diameter
• 3/4 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3/4 lb. sour cream
• 1/4 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Method

1. Pour enough enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish to cover the bottom.
2. Mix cheese and sour cream in a bowl.
3. Break up the cheese/sour cream mixture into eight portions. Wrap an eighth of the cheese/sour cream in a tortilla. Roll up. Place seam-side down in casserole dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
4. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas.
5. Pour the rest of the cheddar cheese over the top.
6. Put the casserole in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes.

2018-09-26

This turned out fine. I would serve it to guests.

A couple of thoughts:

• I used flour tortillas. I think corn would be tastier. (And would frying them be better?)
• The Las Palmas enchilada sauce is okay, but it's a bit more bitter than I would prefer... although I would still both make and eat and serve this to guests again.

Second attempt

• 28 oz can of green enchilada sauce
• 12 white corn tortillas
• Monterey jack cheese

Yup, that's it. 350° in the oven for about 25 minutes (or until some of the cheese on top starts turning brown). This worked. Next time I would probably make a roue to thicken the enchilada sauce a bit more, but perfectly good without it. If this is all there is in the fridge to cook with, I'd definitely do it again, even without the roue.

2018-10-10: I did this again using ricotta cheese and a medium spicy enchilada sauce. Y'know, that much ricotta doesn't have the texture or taste to be a repeater.

2018-10-13: This time I decided to do a sort of Mexican lasagna. White corn tortillas. Ricotta. Fried ground beef. Marinara sauce. Not bad. I could do this cooking for the family.