I’ve always loved the idea of Thanksgiving. After all, what’s there to complain about? A whole day dedicated to spending time with loved ones and eating good, comfort food – count me in! Roasting an entire bird large enough to feed half of my neighbourhood has never been my kinda thing, so I always went for something else. Over the last couple of years, my sister volunteered roasting a whole chicken (something I can never manage to do successfully, no matter how many kinds of recipes I tried!), while I’ve been more than happy to lay out a spread of delicious sides ranging from luscious pulaos, creamy rich curries and a variety of assorted vegetable dishes. Early on this year, without glancing at the calendar of course, I had decided that I wanted to host a wonderful Indian-inspired Thanksgiving feast. Well, Thanksgiving came and went. And now here I am still caressing the desire to feed my family and friends. So like I always do in most cases, I just decided to throw caution to the wind and host a dinner anyway. Folks in the US can say I celebrated with them, while rest of the world can take this as my pre Holiday Season bash. The menu I had in mind definitely resonates with a traditional Thanksgiving feast seasoned with an Indian touch. Here is what my ideal Indian-inspired Thanksgiving dinner table will look like, good enough for a gathering of 12-15 hungry tummies: Appertizers Mini Samosa Puffs with Tamarind and Mint-Coriander Chutneys Tandoori Chicken Pops with Minty Yogurt Dipping Sauce Dinner Indian Roast Chicken Legs Rajma (recipe follows) Paneer Makhani Baingan Patiala Spinach Saag Mushroom & Peas Pulao Garlic Naan Cucumber Raita Chopped Salad Dessert Gajar Halwa Vanilla Ice-cream What does your Thanksgiving menu look like? I’d love to hear some of your favourite dishes and traditions around this holiday, so please do share!
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Directions:
Heat oil in a large deep pan on medium heat and add in onion, and fry for 2-3 minutes till lightly browned. Add ginger, garlic and spices, and fry for a few seconds till fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and combine well with the onion and spices. Add in tomatoes, stir well, and let it cook covered for a few minutes till the tomatoes start to pulp and blend with the spice mixture. Stir in kidney beans, and about 1-2 cups of water (depending on the thickness of gravy you prefer), and cook covered for 5-6 minutes on low heat. If you prefer a bit more of gravy, add some water and bring it to a slow simmer. Season with salt. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.
