1 pound spinach, finely chopped
2 tablespoons ghee
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
salt and pepper

1. Heat ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red pepper flakes and mustard seed and fry until it begins to pop.
2. Reduce heat to low and add the cumin, coriander and spinach.
3. Stir until the spinach begins to wilt, then season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Makes 4 servings

1 tablespoon ghee
1 cup brown basmati rice
2 cups boiling water or stock
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
3 scallions, chopped
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
4 black peppercorns
2 black cardamom pods
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

1. Heat ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the onions, frying until lightly browned.
2. Add the sugar and allow it to caramelize, then stir in the scallions, cinnamon stick, cloves, pepper, cardamom, cumin seed and bay leaf.
3. Stir the rice into the skillet, then pour boiling water overtop. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover, cooking until rice is tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.

Makes 4 servings

6 eggs, hard boiled
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper

1. Combine coriander, cumin, chili powder and turmeric with the vinegar.
2. Heat a large sauce pan over medium heat and add the oil. Sauté the onions, ginger and garlic until tender.
3. Stir in the spice and vinegar mixture, adding a little bit of water if it begins to stick.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Slice eggs in half lengthwise and place them in the sauce. Allow them to warm and serve.

Makes 4 servings

This was a fairly lackluster, though quite healthy, dinner. I did learn something new tonight though, and food knowledge is the sweetest reward. That or victory, I always get the two mixed up. Anyhow, tonight I learned that if you fry mustard seeds they no longer taste like mustard. They actually taste quite nutty. I think I probably over "popped" them since they were perhaps a little too nutty (read: occasionally burnt) but the Mustard Seed Spinach was an interesting experiment.

My entree is supposedly a way of using up leftover Easter eggs. It was not a particularly satisfying entree, more like the side dish you pick up at a buffet and decide you didn't really want anymore. I tried to convince Shannon it was good so we didn't have leftovers, but for some reason she never got around to eating it. I called them Tomato Curried Eggs, because that's basically what they are. Eggs are quite versatile and belong in a great many dishes, but in tomato sauce is apparently not one of them.

I have enough rice in my cupboard still that I could drop all of it off of my third floor balcony and probably kill an elephant. So, I made Spiced Brown Basmati Rice to stick with this whole Indian theme. This was likely my favorite of the bunch, since it's just mildly fragrant rice with a nice delicate flavor. And I like rice.