Thanksgiving Indian Style ..

For a few years now, I've been having a late Thanksgiving dinner at my house. It started as an off-the-cuff idea 3 years ago because I wanted to learn how to make a turkey :) yeah .. how times of changed. I'd rather make everything other than the turkey. The idea initially was to make a semi-traditional Holiday dinner with a twist to each of the traditional dishes. The first year I wasn't online so all my recipes were on paper. Last year, I did post all my recipes online in a post entitled Thanksgiving Indian Ishtyle. This year, I modified all of my recipes to make plant-based, low-fat versions (as much as possible). Because I was entertaining 20 omnivores (and 2 herbivores) I decided that it would be easier to allow myself some added fat/butter for ease of cooking if nothing else. Where needed, I used it minimally and used either Olive Oil or Earth Balance. The use of fat/oil was especially beneficial (IMHO) in some of the hot & dry dishes which I was making a couple of hours in advance of the meal. Recipes that are 100% fat-free are clearly marked as such (see labels below each one!).

All my dishes were 100% plant-based with the exception of the Turkey which I made for our Omnivore guests and kids. And my husband has already asked for 3 Herbie-Holidays when he decided to go plant-based with me - 2 Thanksgiving dinners and Christmas dinner. This was his second holiday :)

My final menu for this year was: 

1. Turkey Do Pyaaza (for the Omnis).
2. East-Indian Dressing/Stuffing
3. Candied Yams in Coconut Milk
4. Herb Roasted Red Potatoes
5. Kerela Green Beans
6. Spicy Candied Carrots
7. Cranberry Chutney
8. Everyday Mushroom Gravy (pp.289)
9. Traditional Turkey Gravy
10. Plain Baked White and Sweet Potatoes
11. Fresh Greens Salad (w fixings - craisins, sunflower seeds, etc.)
12. Sabra Red Pepper Hummus (in lieu of my Pumpkin Hummus) w Baby Carrots & Sliced Cucumbers
13. Dinner Rolls & Earth Balance. 
14. A variety of desserts which the guests brought. 
15. Fruit Punch, Sparkling Apple Cider, and Pop
16. Prechilled Gewürztraminer (a sweet & dry wine that complements Indian spices)

We had 23 people here and the several of the serving bowls were wiped clean (always a good sign!). The roasted potatoes, green beans, turkey and to my very pleasant surprise EHH Mushroom Gravy were all gone.  Overall, I think the dinner was a hit!! Thanks everyone for being there and thanks for being a part of our lives!!! Happy Holidays!! 

Chatpati Cranberry Chutney

For the last 2 years, I've been having a late Thanksgiving meal at my place. I call it Thanksgiving Indian Style. While I do make all the traditional dishes for my Thanksgiving meal, I add a little Indian twist to each one. This year, since I'm plant-based I'm modifying all of my usual recipes to make plant-based, low-fat versions. Because I will be entertaining omnivores and because sometimes it's difficult to make non-fat foods ahead of time (which I need to do given the number of dishes), I will be using some minimal amount of oil/fat in these dishes - for that, I'll probably use Earth Balance. 

Chatpati Cranberry Chutney

Cranberry Sauce is what made thanksgiving turkey palatable to me when I was still eating meat. My MIL never used to make Cranberry Sauce for Thanksgiving, until she found out that I liked it. This is also one of the items on my menu that can be made up to a week in advance. For my dinner, in order to add an Indian twist, I convert the traditional sauce into a Chutney.  According to Wikipedia, Chutney refers to a wide-ranging family of condiments from South Asian cuisine that usually contain some mixture of spice(s), herb(s), vegetable(s) and/or fruit(s). They are typically grouped into either sweet or hot versions; both versions usually contain spices, including chili peppers, but differ by their main flavors. Chutney types and their preparations vary widely across Pakistan and India. The word itself is derived from the Sanskrit word which means "to lick" and most varieties are used as dipping sauces and condiments, so in some ways, they are the ethnic version of ketchup, mustard and ranch dipping sauce :) !!! A "Chatpati" Chutney is typically a sweet, sour and spicy concoction, that can be eaten with a variety of savory foods!  

Adapted from Plant-Powered Kitchen (Dreena Burton)'s Traditional Cranberry Sauce.

Ingredients:

1. 12 oz (~2.5 cups) fresh Cranberries
2. 1 cup Maple Syrup
3. 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
4. 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
5. 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
6. 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
7. 1/2 tsp All Spice
8. 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
9. 1 tsp Garam Masala

Directions (3-7 days in advance of Dinner):

In a sauce pan, combine all ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have broken down and take on a darker deeper color. Once it has thickened, turn heat off, taste test, add more salt or spices, if needed (mine came out perfect with the above formula) and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for up to 1 week. Serve Chilled!! This was so easy to make and turned out so delish, I could eat it with a spoon :)

Herb Roasted Red Potatoes

I don't think I've ever met a potato I didn't like. For most people, mashed potatoes are a staple. Personally, I much prefer a baked potato with some of my favorite toppings and have often been known to nuke one for dinner. This dish, Masala Aloo, was a serendipitous addition to my Thanksgiving table. A few weeks before my first Indian Style Thanksgiving dinner, I had a sack of Red potatoes sitting in the pantry and I made them one evening as a side. All the boys absolutely LOVED this version of potatoes and when asked if I should include this dish for Thanksgiving, I got a very promising "YES" from each one of them.  

Masala Aloo

Ingredients: 

1. 2-3 lbs Russet Red potatoes 
2. 2 tsp ginger/garlic paste 
3. 1 tbsp whole mustard seeds 
4. 1 tbsp McCormick's Steak Seasoning 
5. 1 tbsp Garam Masala (optional)
6. 1-2 tbsp Olive Oil
7. Salt and Pepper, to taste 

Directions (30 min before Dinner):

Rinse potatoes in water, and scrub with a vegetable brush to remove all dirt. Cut potatoes into halves, or quarters, depending upon the size (with skin on). In a sauteing pan, heat olive oil and add mustard seeds (warning: mustard seeds can pop when added to hot oil, so be careful). As the aroma is released from the mustard seeds (5-15 seconds in hot oil), add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Add potatoes and toss well. Transfer to a baking sheet. Cover with aluminum foil and set aside. About 30 minutes before dinner, roast uncovered at 375 F until done. Takes about 15 min. 

Quick Tip: If potatoes are beginning to brown on the outside, but still aren't 100% fork tender, transfer to a microwave safe dish and nuke on high for 3-5 minutes.

Quick Tip 2: Try par-boiling the potatoes in advance to quicken the roasting time. (Thanks Jeanne Wolf, for that tip!).