Nunafoodie is a series that documents my efforts to entertain and share my love for food, north of 60. Scroll down to the bottom of each post for a bonus recipe!
On Friday, May 9th, I had the opportunity to cater for the fantastic volunteers and sponsors of Toonik Tyme, Iqaluit’s unique spring festival. The dinner was held at the Francophone Centre, where the volunteers were also treated to an advance showing of the Mahaha Comedy Jam‘s Open Mic Night. Food and laughter; what more could you ask for?
This was the largest meal I have catered to date: 70 persons including some whom were vegan and/or gluten-free and/or vegetarian. Dinner was meant to be served buffet-style, and so had to hold up well on warming trays. Without much hesitation, I knew pretty much right away what kind of food I wanted to make: Indian again. I think people enjoyed it…
Shout out to @_anubha for the delicious catering at last night's @ToonikTyme dinner! #mamaqtuq pic.twitter.com/P0omo1ENYQ
— Taha Tabish (@taabai) May 10, 2014
@taabai @ToonikTyme I can attest to Chef @_anubha's culinary skills! #5stars #SmellsLikeMomsKitcheninHere
— Aaron Watson (@Teirersias) May 9, 2014
Many thanks to Blake Wilson, who himself is a serial volunteer (he gives his time to various organizations, including Toonik Tyme and the Qayuqtuvik Society, Iqaluit’s Soup Kitchen), for helping me plan the menu, shop for groceries, prepare and serve the meal, and for passing on so many catering tips and tricks.
Much curry.
Menu
Coconut chicken curry
Aloo gobi with peas
Creamy tomato egg curry
Dahl
Basmati rice
Raita (yogurt with cucumber and lime)
Warm brownies with cardamom whipped cream
Creamy Egg Curry Recipe
This is my absolute favourite curry of all time, and super easy to make. If you don’t have the spices listed below, feel free to substitute the spices and the tomato paste with half a jar of your favourite curry paste.
Ingredients
- 2 tbs vegetable oil
- 2 onions, sliced or chopped
- 1 tbs cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tbs curry powder
- 2-3 chilis, to taste
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 can whole tomatoes
- 8-10 eggs
- 4 tbs plain yogurt
- frozen peas
- salt and pepper
Preparation
Heat oil in a large pot and add the onions. Fry the onions until softened with a bit of salt, then add all the spices, tomato paste, and chilis. Stir onions, paste, and spices together for 2-3 minutes, then add the canned tomatoes. Use your hands or a spoon to crush the whole tomatoes and allow the mixture to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens.
While the sauce cooks, boil the eggs for 6-7 minutes until they are hard-boiled. Peel and halve the boiled eggs. Once the tomato sauce has thickened, add the yogurt and peas. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the halved eggs into the sauce and stir gently so as not to break the eggs. Spoon over rice or serve with naan bread.
Looks good, and I actually have all the ingredients — you may have just inspired tonight’s dinner! About how many people will this feed? I assume the answer is less than 70.
It’ll feed about 4-6 people, depending on how many eggs you use/eat!