Finding Bliss Again / What's for Dinner Tonight?

As the aromas of my curry dinner are wafting towards my office, I am prompted to resurrect this food blog of mine. Tired of thinking of things that I used to do and enjoy, I may as well do what I enjoy now. So here I go again. Our dinner tonight:

Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry

Ingredients

1 can of chickpeas (size = your choice), drained and rinsed
1 can of whole tomatoes (28 oz), broken up with a knife
1 can of coconut milk
1 head of cauliflower (size = your choice), chopped / broken into florets
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Bunch of Cilantro (chop right before adding to curry)
2-3 tablespoons Canola or vegetable oil
6 cloves (whole)
6 cardamom pods (whole)
1 stick of cinnamon (whole)
2-3 tablespoons Patak's Curry Paste (your choice of flavour, Vindaloo is very nice and has a medium heat)
Basmati Rice 1-2 cups raw, cooked according to directions

Directions

1.While preparing curry: Cook rice according to directions and keep warm on stove.

2. Chop all veggies

3. Heat oil on medium heat. Add dry spices until they "pop". Once they pop, strain out cardamom pods, etc and collect the oil in a little bowl or cup. Place the oil back in the saucepan and discard the spices

4. On medium heat, add the onion and garlic to the pot. Once they start to soften, add the curry paste and stir until incorporated.

5. Add Cauliflower and stir.

6. Add tomatoes and stir.

7. Add Coconut milk and chick peas and stir.

8. Simmer partially covered for 20-30 minutes or until desired "doneness" has been reached. Sauce should reduce and be thicker and creamy looking.

9. Add chopped cilantro and stir.

10. Serve over rice with fresh cilantro on top.

Tibetan Kitchen

On Saturday, my husband and I were out in Victoria and were ready for dinner. With no particular destination in mind, we happened to park on Broughton Street. Right by spot we parked was the Tibetan Kitchen Restaurant. So we went in.

The food was scrumptious and the service was delightful. We started with cocktails and momos. Having had not prior experience with Tibetan food, we did not know what to expect. Momos are a whole wheat dumpling filled with either pork, beef, or vegetables. We tried all three available fillings. They were served with a spicy green cilantro dip. Momos remind me of pot stickers. Delicious and delightful.

The cocktails were great - and strong. Mine was infused with lychee liquor and was called something like "Buddha's Delight" - I didn't know that Buddhists were drinkers, but hey it was a tasty drink. We shared two curries: the butter chicken and the vegetarian curry. They offer a choice of white rice or brown rice served with the curry. Both curries were flavourful and fresh.

The Tibetan Kitchen is a family-run business. The mother is the main cook, the daughter was serving at our table and the father was our host. The service is excellent - they take pride in their food and serve with an unpretentious but conscientious approach. I highly recommend this place.

Tibetan Kitchen
680 Broughton Street, Victoria BC
http://www.tibetankitchen.com/