The festival earned the tag line, “festival of lights” from its name. Diwali is a contraction of the word Deepavali which translates into row of lamps; specifically oil lamps made with clay called Diyas. These lamps are then placed outside every one’s homes to light the night. They signify the triumph of good over evil. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think. Every holiday has its own traditions that make it meaningful and fun. Another tradition is that everyone wears new clothes and shares sweets with all their friends and family. Food also plays a part in the celebration and I want to share one of the recipes below.
Indo-Thai Green Curry
Ingredients
– 1 lb Green Bell Peppers, chopped into 1″ cubes
– ½ cup Frozen Peas
– 3 Green chilies, finely chopped
– 1″ piece Ginger, grated
– ¾ cup Grated coconut
– ½ cup Evaporated Milk
– ¼ cup Fresh Coriander, chopped
– 1 tsp Whole Cumin or Mustard seeds
– 1½ tbsp Vegetable oil
– 1 tsp Salt (or as needed)
Procedure:
1) In a blender, blend coconut, green chilies and ginger to a smooth paste.
2) Heat oil in a saucepan and add whole cumin. When they splutter, add bell pepper and salt. Mix well and cook under covered lid for about 5-7 minutes until the bell pepper pieces are soft but firm.
3) Now add the coconut paste that you made in Step 1 as well as evaporated milk and cook uncovered for about 3 to 4 minutes or until you notice a gravy consistency.
4) Remove from stove and mix in the frozen peas. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with your favorite flatbread: rotis, naan, or pooris. This curry is also good with rice.
Quick Tips:
1) For a richer consistency, replace evaporated milk with coconut milk or half and half.
2) You can substitute potatoes for bell peppers (just boil the potatoes in microwave for 5-6 minutes, peel & cube them and follow the directions.
3) Also, coconut can be replaced with 1/3 cup poppy seeds (powder the dry seeds and then add water to make a smooth paste). You can also replace it with coconut milk and dry coconut if fresh coconut is not available with the same measurements.
Jahnavi is the creator of Indian Khana, Made Easy. Jahnavi’s passion for cooking started in her freshman year of high school when she took an International cooking class. Her blog focuses on vegetarian Indian cooking.
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