Apparently rista and goshtaba are commonly served at Kashmiri weddings. Both dishes use the same meatballs, but serve them in a different sauce. I decided that I liked the idea of serving them together so that I could compare and contrast the two. The goshtaba were, of course, delicious in their creamy sauce, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the rista with their much thinner sauce. It is essentially water with spices in; no oil, no veggies, just... spice-infused water. And it's not like there are even that many spices! And yet, it was absolutely delicious.

Rista & Goshtaba

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

Meatballs

• 450g ground lamb
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. fennel seeds, ground
• 1 tsp. black cumin seeds, ground
• 1 tsp. ginger powder
• 1 small red onion, minced
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 c. mustard oil

Rista

• 2 c. water
• 1 tsp. ground Kashmiri chiles¹
• 1/4 tsp. saffron threads
• 4 black cardamom pods
• 6 whole cloves, crushed

Goshtaba

• 1 c. half-and-half²
• 1/2 tsp. Kashmiri garam masala
• 1/4 tsp. saffron threads

Directions

Meatballs

1. Combine lamb, salt, fennel, cumin, ginger, onion, and garlic and mix thoroughly.
2. Divide into 20 equal portions and form into balls.
3. Heat the oil over medium heat.
4. Brown the meatballs in the oil. Cook for 5-7 minutes, turning frequently, until all sides have been browned. (They don't need to be cooked all the way through as they will finish cooking in the sauce.) Work in batches if necessary.

Rista

1. Combine all sauce ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Simmer vigorously for 5 minutes.
3. Once meatballs have been browned, add 10 of them to the sauce and cook for an additional 10 minutes, basting every minute or two.
4. Remove meatballs with a slotted spoon and continue to cook the sauce, uncovered, for another 10 minutes or so.
5. Pour the sauce over the meatballs.
6. Serve with rice.

Gostaba

1. Drain any excess oil from remaining 10 meatballs.
2. Pour half-and-half over meatballs and add masala and saffron.
3. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, basting and turning meatballs as necessary.
4. Serve over rice.

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¹ If Kashmiri chiles are unavailable, substitute 1/4 tsp. cayenne + 3/4 tsp. sweet paprika. ^Back
2 Half-and-half is ~10% milk fat. If a 10% cream isn't available, you can mix cream and milk to get the right percentage. A 50:50 mix of milk and table/single/18% cream should result in a mixture that's approximately 10% milk fat. In a pinch, I think table/single/18% cream would be fine. It just means that the final sauce will end up being a bit thicker and richer than it would've been otherwise. ^Back

This is a beautiful, full-flavoured spice blend. It's also a little unusual in that it contains ground roasted split peas. I don't us sambhar masala all that often, but every time I do I'm reminded of how much I like it and tell myself I should find more excuses to use it. I think sambhar masala and balti masala are probably my two all-time favourite spice blends.

Sambhar Masala

From 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. firmly-packed fresh curry leaves
• 1/2 c. dried red Thai or cayenne chiles, stems removed
• 1/4 c. yellow split peas
• 1/4 c. coriander seeds
• 2 Tbsp. cumin seeds
• 1 Tbsp. fenugreek seeds
• 1 Tbsp. mustard seeds
• 1 Tbsp. white poppy seeds
• 2 (3") cinnamon sticks, broken
• 1 Tbsp. sesame or canola oil

Directions

1. Combine all of the spices and drizzle with oil. Toss to coat well.
2. Heat a pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the oiled spices and roast, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes.
4. Transfer to a plate to cool.
5. Once mixture is completely cool, grind (in batches if necessary).

Chana Saag (Chickpeas with Spinach)

I really loved this curry. It tastes rich and full-flavoured and buttery. The sambhar masala gives it a nice robust flavour with just a bit of gentle heat. The tomato paste adds a good hit of umami. And the ghee contributes its own lovely flavour as well as a pleasant mouthfeel. Oh, and it's dead easy to make. I will definitely be coming back to this recipe!

Chana Saag

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1/4 c. fried onion
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 tsp. sambhar masala
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 c. cooked chickpeas
• 2 c. water
• 250g fresh spinach, rinsed well and chopped

Directions

1. Heat the ghee over medium-high heat.
2. Add mustard seeds and cover. Cook until mustard seeds have stopped popping.
3. Add ginger paste¹ and cook for another minute or so.
4. Add fried onion, tomato paste, sambhar masala, salt, and chickpeas. Stir to combine and thoroughly coat the chickpeas.
5. Add water, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium.
6. Stir in spinach, cover, and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
7. Serve with rice².

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Variations

Vegan

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1/4 c. fried onion
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 tsp. sambhar masala
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 c. cooked chickpeas
• 2 c. water
• 250g fresh spinach, rinsed well and chopped

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¹ The ginger paste will spatter A LOT. I was only able to mix it in after I took the pan off the heat and let it cool a little. I mixed it around, then returned it to the heat to let the ginger paste cook a little. ^Back
2 I chose to make a sort of rice pilau. I added fried onion, whole peppercorns, cumin seeds, dried chopped garlic, parsley, a dried Kashmiri chile, a cassia/Indian bay leaf, and just a touch of ghee to the rice while it cooked. I would've added some fresh cilantro if I'd had any on hand as well. At the end of cooking, I stirred in a little more fried onion and some thawed frozen peas. I think slivered almonds would've been a nice addition as well. ^Back

Cabbage Roll Casserole

All the deliciousness of cabbage rolls with only a fraction of the effort! My kind of recipe.

I found a cabbage roll casserole recipe floating around online somewhere several years ago. I've long since lost the original link. Although if you look around you can find dozens of different variants on the theme these days. The original had you prepare this most of the way on the stove and then assemble in a casserole dish and bake for an hour or so. I simplified it further and just did the whole thing on the stove top. I also added a few extra spices. And today I ended up making it with a combination of sauerkraut and kale since the last of our cabbage had gone off. It's really quite a forgiving and flexible recipe.

Cabbage Roll Casserole (or maybe it's more of a stew?)

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 450g lean ground beef
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp. hot paprika
• 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds, ground
• 800mL whole tinned tomatoes (with juice)¹
• 1/2 c. long-grain white rice²
• 2 c. vegetable stock
• 1/4 of a large head of cabbage, chopped³

Directions

1. In large pot, cook onion in oil over medium heat.
2. When onion has softened and begun to brown, add garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Break up beef and add to pot.
4. Season with salt and pepper and add Italian seasoning, bay leaf, both types of paprika, and ground coriander. Continue cooking until beef is brown and cooked through.
5. If using whole tomatoes, break them up and add them to the pot.
6. Stir in rice and vegetable stock.
7. Add cabbage (or vegetables of choice) on top of this.
8. Cover and bring to a boil.
9. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes (or until rice is cooked).
10. Stir and check consistency. If it seems too thin, simmer uncovered for a few minutes.

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¹ I used whole tomatoes because that's what I had on hand. I've also made this with crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. I think diced tomatoes would also work just fine. ^Back
2 Brown rice also works here, you'll just need to add a bit more liquid to compensate for the longer cooking time. ^Back
3 I'd been hanging on to a cabbage quarter for a while and apparently it had been languishing in the fridge a bit too long. It wasn't looking so hot when I went to get it out, so I ended up composting it and using a bunch of kale and a little sauerkraut in my casserole instead. It's less cabbage roll-esque than the standard recipe, but still plenty tasty! ^Back

TF already did a write-up for this recipe a while ago. It's evolved a little bit since then though, so I figured it could do with an updated write-up.

Buffalo "Chicken" Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper
• paprika (optional)
• 1 recipe Extra Delicious Tofu¹
• 1 c. grated mozzarella
• 1/3 c. buffalo wing sauce
• 1/3 c. coconut milk
• 1/4 c. blue cheese, crumbled
2-4 green onions, sliced (optional)
• 1/2 c. sugar snap peas, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 c. grated Cheddar

To Serve:

• extra buffalo sauce
• extra blue cheese
• blue cheese dressing

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise.
3. Scoop out seeds and brush inside surface with olive oil.
4. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika.
5. Place cut-side-down on baking sheet at bake at 400°F (200°C) for 35-40 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
7. Toss tofu (which should already be seasoned and baked) with mozzarella, buffalo sauce, coconut milk, blue cheese, and green onions and peas (if using).
8. Once squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape the flesh from the skin (being careful not the puncture the skin.
9. Toss cooked squash with tofu mixture until well combined.
10. Scoop squash mixture back into skin.
11. Top with grated Cheddar.
12. Place under broiler until cheese has melted an begun to brown.
13. If desired, serve with extra buffalo sauce and either extra blue cheese or blue cheese dressing.

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¹ Play around with the marinade. I used a mix of light soy, dark soy, mushroom ketchup, tomato ketchup, tomato paste, maple syrup, and liquid smoke for mine. ^Back

Thick Beef Stew

This is my mom's stew recipe, and it's what I think of as a "proper" stew: very thick, practically spreadable when fresh and capable of standing a knife up in it when cold; full of vegetables, but visually homogenous. It's tasty in its own right, and goes excellently with rice, or, better yet, baguette.

The recipe is somewhat vague and quite open to variation; while written for a dutch oven, it can also be made in a crock pot, and I think that using an instant pot it could be done as a one-pot countertop meal.

Ingredients

• 1-2kg of beef or veal, cubed
• flour
• thyme
• majoram
• savoury
• paprika
• black pepper
• at least one each, finely chopped; preferably more
• carrot
• onion
• celery
• a bunch of garlic cloves, peeled and whole
• liquid; typically 250-750mL wine or (half-strength) stock. If using stock, cut with worchestershire sauce and/or balsamic vinegar; if using wine, add some salt.

Procedure

1. Trim meat as needed.
2. Heat ~60mL oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to become translucent.
3. Combine flour and herbs in a bowl.
4. Toss meat in flour-herb mix until coated.
5. Brown meat in the dutch oven. It will probably take several batches. Do not overload it! Remove and buffer each batch of meat as you finish it. Adding more oil with each batch may be necessary.
6. Once all the meat is browned and has been removed from the pot, add the liquid and deglaze, bringing the liquid to a boil.
7. Return the meat to the pot. Add the garlic cloves.
8. Cover the pot and bake at 325°F for 2-3 hours (or more, to taste). Check periodically to make sure there's still enough liquid, and top up with hot water if needed. Alternately, cook in a slow cooker, or on the stovetop at the lowest simmer possible.

Gnocchi with Sausage & Baked Parmesan Crisps

Hello Fresh strikes again! This one took quite a while to put together, but wasn't particularly difficult, just time-consuming, and it was delicious.

Ingredients

• 2 large shallots, peeled, quartered and coarsely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 500g sausage meat
• 30mL balsamic vinegar
• 30mL tomato paste
• 370mL crushed tomatoes
• 3mL sugar
• 1kg fresh-packed gnocchi
• a bunch of fresh basil, coarsely chopped, or equivalent lightly dried basil
• 50g baby arugula
• 128mL freshly grated parmesan

Procedure
All these components can be done more or less in parallel; if you start the parmesan crisps early, you can remove them from the oven and let them cool while cooking the rest of it, and if you start the gnocchi at about the time the sauce enters the simmering stage, you can buffer the first batch of gnocchi in the sauce rather than needing a separate plate.

1. Parmesan Crisps
1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Arrange parmesan in four piles on the paper.
4. Bake until bubbly and starting to brown, 4-5 minutes.
5. Remove and let cool.
2. Sauce
1. Heat a medium-to-large pot over medium heat.
2. Add 15mL oil and the shallots. Cook until softened, 4-5 minutes.
3. Add vinegar, garlic, and sausage. Cook, breaking up sausage and stirring often, until sausage is cooked through, 4-5 minutes.
4. Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, sugar, and 250mL water. Stir together and simmer on medium-low until it thickens slightly, 10-20 minutes depending on taste.
3. Gnocchi
1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add 30mL butter and half the gnocchi; cook, stirring occasionally, until gnocchi is golden-brown, 8-10 minutes. Buffer the gnocchi -- in the sauce if it's already simmering, on a plate otherwise.
3. Repeat with another 30mL butter and the rest of the gnocchi.
4. Combine gnocchi and sauce.
5. Stir in arugula and basil. Serve with parmesan crisps.

Hawaiian Veggie Rice Bowl with Bacon and Pineapple

The Hello Fresh carnival continues, this time with a hawaiian-inspired pork-and-pineapple dish. I suspect this would work excellently with fried spam, but the recipe as written uses peameal bacon and is delicious with that, too.

If you don't like your broccoli crunchy (as symbol does), extend the broccoli cooking time.

Ingredients

• Meal
• 375mL short grain white rice
• 500g peameal bacon, sliced into rounds and then cut into 1cm squares
• 225g broccoli florets
• 100g pineapple chunks
• 1 large (~170g) carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
• 115g corn kernels
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 30mL ginger paste
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• Sauce
• 120mL sweet chili sauce
• 60mL soy sauce

Procedure

1. Whisk together sauce ingredients.
2. Start rice cooking.
3. Cook peameal bacon over medium-high heat, until cooked through and just starting to brown, ~5 minutes. Buffer.
4. Cook broccoli in same pan, ~1-2 minutes.
5. Add pineapple, carrots, corn, ginger, and garlic; cook, stirring often, until heated through, ~1-2 minutes.
6. Add peameal, including juices, and mix together.
7. Fluff rice and stir in green onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve veggie-pork mix over rice with sauce.