I like turkey and all, but I also like cooking something a little more challenging. For several years now I’ve cooked an ethnic feast the day after Thanksgiving. It’s usually Indian, as it was again this year - I can’t resist dabbling in the alchemy of spices. I rationalize it as a tribute to the land Columbus was originally seeking.  I even found a local-ish source for fresh curry leaves: India Bazar Grocery in Folsom, about a half hour away.

Here’s the menu I prepared:

• Prawns with pomegranates: Prawns marinated in tomato paste, ground dried pomegranate seeds and other spices, and baked in foil packages with onion, cilantro, and fresh pomegranate seeds.
• Ooroomas Badun: A Sri-Lankan disk of pork chunks simmered in rich dark spices, curry leaves, and coconut milk.  Awesome!
• Saag Maas: Spinach with lamb chunks.  I added turnips (Charmaine Solomon’s Saag trick) to the recipe this year for the best results ever.
• Bhindi Masala: Okra and jalapenos in a dark, rather dry spicy sauce.
• Spicy Eggplant: Wedges of eggplant in a tomato-based sauce, prepared in the style of pickles but even tastier fresh.
• Dosas: Rice and dal crepes, filled with Potato Masala or chutneys, (or any of the other dishes, actually).
• Potato Masala: Mild potatoes in an onion, tamarind, and tumeric sauce. Actually I find Charmaine Solomon’s Gujharti Potatoes better - more tamarind plus some grated coconut give it a more interesting flavor.
• Naan Bread

Most of these recipes were from The Food of India, though the Ooroomas Badun was from Charmaine Solomon’s Complete Asian Cookbook.  Those two resources are certainly something to be grateful for!