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Dinner Tonight: Indian-Style Broccoli with Spiced Yogurt

Posted by Nick Kindelsperger, January 21, 2008 at 4:00 PM

We were having vegetables. That was a fact. The fiancée and I had spent the weekend eating crispy, fat covered carnitas which we then stuffed into homemade corn tortillas. More succulent than pulled pork, and probably three times less healthy, they kept us happy and warm on one of the coldest days Ohio has seen all winter. That was until we woke up this morning and needed something green to get our bodies back in balance. An all veggie recovery meal was in order. I immediately pulled out my spanking new Jamie Oliver’s Cook with Jamie, knowing that he’d have something good to show us. Isn’t his new show fantastic? I’d never seen so many vegetables on a plate before!

It wasn’t long until we were debating between having Steamed Broccoli with Soy and Ginger or the titled dish. I guess you can tell which one I chose, and it was all those spices mixed with yogurt that really got my mind racing. It reminded me of the Donna Hay’s Baked Chicken with Yogurt and Chili Paste, a previous Dinner Tonight entry, and one that I really enjoyed. Before I knew was happening, I was off to get a chicken to round out this proto-Indian meal with lots of yogurt and so much spice. It wasn’t until halfway through that I remembered the original veggie pledge, but, I thought, it is still very cold. There is always tomorrow to try again.

Indian-Style Broccoli with Spiced Yogurt

- makes 4 servings -

Ingredients

1 head broccoli, stems removed and florets halved
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
5 cardamom pods, seeds removed (about 40-50 seeds) and pods discarded
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper

Procedure

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli for about 4 minutes. When done, drain in a colander.

2. Pour the cumin, fennel, and cardamom seeds into a skillet and toast over medium heat for a couple minutes until aromatic. Transfer to a mortar and smash them up with a pestle. A grinder would work, too.

3. Mix together spices, lemon zest, lemon juice, and the yogurt. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Heat the olive oil in pan over medium high heat. Dump in the drained broccoli and cook until slightly charred, about two minutes.

5. Plate the broccoli and pour the sauce over top.

3 Comments | Tags: broccoli, Dinner Tonight, Healthy and Delicious, Indian, Jamie Oliver, vegetarian

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