Often when I think of cinnamon, I think about cinnamon buns, the ones with thick cream cheese icing. It’s perhaps unfortunate that such a versatile spice is associated with a sweet, sticky, and relatively unhealthy healthy snack (although I must admit it’s one of my faves).
In Indian cuisine, cinnamon is used everywhere. As it should be, the spice works well with salty and sweet. At Sula Indian Restaurant, cinnamon is a staple in several different dishes; it’s also what makes the chai really amazing (shameless plug, but it’s cold out and chai is especially good when it’s cold).
Another thing that’s completely random about cinnamon, actually something that I didn’t realize until just now, cinnamon is extracted from the inner bark of Cinnamomum; these trees are considered to be the source of “real cinnamon.” Often, cinnamon is a hybrid of related spices. The true cinnamon, in case you’re curious, is from Sri Lanka. Whether you’re working with true cinnamon, or not, the spice itself is used in so much including this fabulous vegetable dish, Vegetable Makhni.
Vegetable Makhni (packed with all of cinnamon’s goodness!)
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 med. Carrot, chopped
- ½ cup Corn
- ¼ Cauliflower, separated
- 10 French beans, chopped
- 6 mushrooms, chopped
- 1/4 cup green peas
- 1 small piece of ginger, chopped
- 6 cloves of Garlic
- 4 pods of green cardamom
- stick of Cinnamon (spice of choice!)
- 2 tsp. red chili powder
- Salt, just a pinch
- 1 ½ cups tomato puree (hand blender can help with this)
- 3 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. honey
- 2 tsp. fenugreek powder
- 1 tsp. Garam masala
- 2 tbsp. Fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- ¼ cup cream
METHOD:
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil
- Add carrot and corn, let boil for 5 min
- Grind the ginger, garlic, cinnamon, and cardamom with 1 – 2 tbsp. of water to create a fine paste
- Add beans, cauliflower, mushrooms, ground paste, red chili powder, and salt to the boiling vegetables
- Mix well, then let the vegetable cook
- Add tomato puree with 2 tbsp. of butter to the vegetables
- Add peas and honey to the vegetables
- Season with garam masala and coriander
- Add cream and lower heat
Serve with a bit of butter, and enjoy!
- Sula Indian Restaurant Vancouver now offers delivery and takeout of Indian cuisine. Sula serves authentic Indian cuisine that you can order online. Also, look at Gehringer Brothers Winery’s Sula Wines.
