Rogan Josh

Serving Size : 4

• 2 1″ chunks fresh ginger ,peeled, coarsley chopped 
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled 
• 2 cups water
• 10 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 2 pounds boned lamb shoulder or leg -- cut into 1″ cubes 
• 10 whole cardamom pods 
• 2 whole bay leaves 
• 6 whole cloves 
• 10 whole black peppercorns 
• 1 stick cinnamon 
• 2 medium onions, peeled, finely chopped 
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed -- ground 
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds -- ground 
• 4 teaspoons red paprika 
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, gounnd (adjust to taste) 
• 1 teaspoon salt, to taste 
• 6 tablespoons plain yogurt 
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala (your favorite) 
• 1 dash fresh ground pepper to taste 

1.  Put the ginger, garlic and 4 tablespoons of water into the container of an electric blender. Blend well into a smooth paste. 
2. Heat oil in a wide, heavy pot over a medium-high flame. Brown meat cubes in several batches and set aside in a bowl. 
3. Put the cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon into the same hot oil. Stir once and wait until cloves swell and the bay leaves begin to take on color. This just takes a few seconds. 
4. Now put in the onions. Stir and fry for 5 minutes or until the onions turn a medium-brown color. 
5. Put in ginger-garlic paste and stir for 30 seconds. Then add the coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne, and the salt. Stir fry for another 30 seconds. 
6. Add the browned meat cubes and the meat juices. Now put in 1 tablespoon of the yogurt and stir and fry for about 30 seconds until yogurt is well blended. 
7. Add the remaining yogurt, a tablespoon at a time in the same way. Stir and fry for another 3-4 minutes. 
8. Now add 1 1/4 cups water and bring the contents of the pot to a boil, scraping in all the browned spices on the sides and bottom of the pot. 
9. Cover, turn heat to low and simmer for about an hour or until meat is tender. Every 10 minutes give the pot a good stir to prevent burning. 
10. When the meat is tender, take off the lid, turn the fire to medium high and boil off some of the liquid, stirring all the time, until the sauce is thickened. 
11. Sprinkle the garam masala and black pepper over the dish and mix them in just before you serve it. 

Thai Spring Rolls

Yield: Approx. 1 dozen spring rolls

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, grated
• 2 green onions, sliced into matchstick pieces
• 1 red chili, minced, OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper (omit if you prefer very mild spring rolls)
• 1/2 cup shredded or finely chopped cabbage
• 4-6 shiitake mushrooms, cut into matchstick pieces
• 1/2 cup medium to firm tofu, sliced into matchstick pieces (If non-vegetarian: add 1/2 cup cooked baby shrimp)
• approx. 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp. oil, plus more for deep-frying
• 1 pkg. spring roll wrappers (thawed if frozen)

STIR-FRY SAUCE:

• 2 Tbsp. regular soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce OR vegetarian stir-fry sauce (I like Lee Kum Kee brand)
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1/4 tsp. sugar

TO SERVE:

• Thai sweet chili sauce (available in most supermarkets, Asian section)

Preparation:

1. Place 2 Tbsp. oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium to high heat. Add garlic, galangal (or ginger), green onion, and chili. Stir-fry until fragrant (about 1 minute). Stir-frying Tip: Add a little water to the wok/pan when it gets too dry instead of more oil.
2. Add cabbage, mushrooms, and tofu (or shrimp). As you stir-fry, add the sauce. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes, until vegetables have softened.
3. Remove from heat and add bean sprouts, tossing to mix in.
4. Do a taste test for salt, adding 1 Tbsp. more fish or soy sauce if not salty enough.
5. To assemble rolls, place a spring roll wrapper on a clean working surface. Place one heaping Tbsp. of the filling on the wrapper (if using large wrappers, you will need more).Tips: Spread the filling lengthwise along the spring roll wrapper nearer the end closest to you. Also, try not to include too much of the liquid left in the bottom of your wok/pan (a slotted spoon works well for this - drier filling is better.
6. Now sprinkle some of the fresh coriander and basil over the filling.
7. Fold the left and right sides of wrapper over filling, then lift up the wide end nearest you and tuck overtop. Roll to the other end. Secure the roll by dipping your fingers in some water and wetting the end, "pasting" it shut.
8. To fry spring rolls, place some oil (about 1 inch deep) in a wok or deep-sided frying pan over medium-high heat. When bubbles rise, or when the oil begins to form snake-like lines across the bottom of the pan, the oil may be hot enough. To test it, dip one corner of a spring roll into the oil. If it beginsto sizzle and cook, the oil is ready. If not, wait another 30 seconds to one minute and try again.
9. Using tongs, place spring rolls in oil, allowing them to fry about 1 minute on each side. Spring rolls are done when they turn light to medium golden-brown (see photo). Place on paper towels (or a clean dish towel) to drain while you finish frying the rest.

Serve spring rolls while still hot with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, or your own dipping sauce (see recipe above). ENJOY!

TO MAKE YOUR OWN DIPPING SAUCE: Mix 1/3 cup plum sauce with 3 Tbsp. soy sauce. Add fresh cut red chili or dried crushed chili as desired.