When it is cold, rainy and wet, the body craves food that warms the soul. Some fragrant lamb curry spooned up with chunks of soft naan is just what is required to counter the effects of the weather.

Madras No. 4 Lamb Curry

The Ingredients

• 1 packet Madras Curry No. 4 whole spice blend
• 2 pounds leg of lamb (Trader Joe’s has boneless butterflied lamb leg, which is what I used)
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• Fleur de Sel
• Pinch of sugar
• 4 Tablespoons plain yogurt

The Cooking

Trim and dice the lamb into 1 inch cubes. Grind the Madras Curry No. 4 with a mortar and pestle. Mix half of the freshly ground spices with the lamb and set aside. Next, chop the onion finely and sweat in two tablespoons of oil. Throw in a pinch of sugar – this will give the onions a beautiful brown color thanks to the magic of caramelization. When the onions have taken on a nice brown hue, pour in the remaining ground spices with a generous pinch of Fleur de Sel. Stir for a few minutes until the onions and spices are good friends.

Add the spice-coated lamb cubes into the onion mixture and stir well to sear the meat. Cover the pan, turn the heat down low and wait 10 minutes, which will allow the meat and spices to get well acquainted with the sauteed onions. Next, mix in four tablespoons of fresh yogurt, stir, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the lamb is tender.

Serve with hot naans. I used Trader Joe’s naans imported from India.

Yields 4-6 servings

Hot caffeinated beverages are not the only way to awaken the mind and body in the morning. A small addition of the Madras Curry No. 4 to simple scrambled eggs will awaken the palate and the little gray cells.

The Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Madras Curry No. 4 whole spice blend
• 2 Tablespoon oil
• 3 whole eggs
• 1/2 medium onion
• Fleur de Sel

Chop the onion finely and sweat in two tablespoons of oil. While the onion is cooking, take a tablespoon of Madras Curry No. 4, and grind in a mortar and pestle. Toss the freshly-ground spice blend into the sautéed onions, add three eggs and a pinch of Fleur de Sel. Stir quickly but gently and the the desired degree of looseness.

Serve with toast spread with good butter.

Yields 1 serving

This recipe makes an excellent and different treat at holiday time regardless of which holiday you are celebrating: flavor is totally non sectarian. Created by our photographic collaborator, globe trotting gourmand and accomplished home cook, Chats Chatterjee, it’s easy and delicious.

The Ingredients

• One tablespoon of coarsely ground Madras Curry No. 4 whole spice blend
• One cup of pecans
• Two tablespoons of butter — President is ideal, but any good quality sweet butter will do
• A pinch of Fleur de Sel

Let’s face it, Chicken a la King can be a snoozer. Comforting perhaps, but a bit of a culinary soporific. When that classic dish travels south of the border, however, it sizzles. The Peruvian version, Aji de Gallina, adds walnuts, Parmesan and spicy aji amarillo chilis to give it zing and depth of flavor. The recipe below is adapted from Marian Blazes’ version in About.com and makes a really different, snazzy version of the old standby. Serve it with hard boiled eggs, olives, potatoes and walnuts and you really have a feast.

The Ingredients

• 1 1/2 – 2 pounds mixed boneless skinless thighs and breasts
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3-4 yellow aji amarillo peppers
• 2 gloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts – plus extra for garnishing
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 6 slices white bread
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 4 yellow potatoes
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 10 black olives, halved

The Cooking

Cook the yellow potatoes in water until tender. Let cool, peel, cut into quarters, and set aside. Place the bread in a small bowl and pour the evaporated milk over it to soak. Set aside. Place the chicken in a pot with the chicken stock, and bring to a simmer. Poach for 10-15 minutes, until chicken is just barely cooked through. Set chicken aside to cool, and strain the broth and reserve at least 3 cups.

While the chicken is poaching, remove stems and seeds from the aji amarillo peppers and process peppers with the vegetable oil in a blender or food processor until smooth. Sauté the garlic and onions with the puréed peppers and oil until the onions are soft. Be careful not burn garlic Remove from heat and let cool. Shred or cut the cooled chicken into bite-size pieces.

Process the evaporated milk and bread mixture with the nuts and Parmesan cheese until smooth. Add the cooked onion mixture and process briefly. Return onion mixture to pan, and add 2 or more cups of the reserved chicken stock as needed to bring the sauce to the right consistency. Bring to a low simmer, and stir in the chicken. Heat until warmed through, adding more chicken stock if sauce is too thick.

Serve over rice, garnished with the yellow potatoes, slices of hard boiled egg, black olives and chopped walnuts.

Yields 6 servings

The Beverage Pairing

A dry fruity white wine with a decent amount of alcohol to balance the richness of the cream sauce, and cool the fire.

Adapted from Marian Blazes’ “Peruvian Spicy Creamed Chicken -Aji de Gallina” http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/maincourses/r/ajidegallina.htm

This make-up of this dish has evolved over the years and is a perennial favorite chez Spice Mogul. When the weather gets cold, the days get short and green vegetables are scarce , this dish provides a level of comfort and satisfaction that almost makes you wish winter wouldn’t end so soon. The resulting layers of earthy flavors cry out for a nice hearty Rhone style wine. Bon apetit.

The Ingredients and The Cooking

For the gratin…

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

• 1 large head cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound diced black forest ham
• 2 cups frozen peas/petit pois

Break the cauliflower into florets, toss the with the olive oil and roast for 30 minutes or until tender, turning midway to ensure even browning.

For the cheese sauce…

• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups scalded whole milk
• 8 ounces grated Gruyere
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

While the cauliflower is roasting, melt the butter over medium heat and stir in the flour. Cook together for 2-3 minutes. Add the 2 cups of scalded milk, and stir until thickened. Add add the cream and bring to a simmer. Add mustard, salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne. Off heat, stir in the gruyere.

For the topping…

• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

In a frying pan over low heat, melt the butter and stir in the bread crumbs. Stir to distribute the butter evenly.

In a large bowl, combine the roasted cauliflower, peas and diced ham. Pour over the cheese sauce and stir to blend. Turn into a gratin dish, and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until bubbling and hot, and the topping has browned. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with a simple green salad and warm crusty bread.

Yields 4-6 servings.

The Beverage Pairing

This dish is basically all about earthy flavors, so it calls for a nice heart Rhone style wine. If you are feeling like a flush peasant, Chateauneuf du Pape goes especially well.

One of the great things about Halloween is having all those crunchy and delicious pumpkin seeds leftover from your carving efforts. This year we did a bit of experimentation with our Madras Curry No. 4 blend and came up with a spicy salty snack that would be great at any time of the year.

The Ingredients

• 2 cups pumpkin seeds, cleaned and dried
• 2 Tbs of finely ground Madras Curry No. 4 (approximately 1/2 packet)
• 2 Tbs melted unsalted butter
• 1 tsp salt

The Cooking

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, and when foaming, add the ground Madras Curry No. 4 and the salt and heat for 2 minutes without burning. Place the pumpkin seeds in a bowl, and toss with the melted butter mixture, to coat evenly.

Spread on a large cookie sheet, single layer and roast in the over for 45 minutes, turning every 10-15 minutes to ensure even roasting. Remove from the oven, let cool to room temperature and serve with your favorite gin-based cocktail.

Happy Halloween from Spice Mogul

Wishing you Happy Halloween from chez Spice Mogul!