30.11.08: Channa masala and cucumber & poppyseed salad

She took a hint and tried out this channa masala recipe b/c it seemed so easy and eager to please. The debut recipe from our spankin' new Ottolenghi cookbook, cucumber and poppyseed salad, also took a pretty, chili-topped bow.

SHE SAYS: I'm pretty disappointed in this channa attempt, tho' it's probably my own fault for being shy about doubling spices when doubling the chickpea count. (I went for half again, and then nearly triple garam masla at the end upon tasting). The spices simply vanished along the way, leaving me with a pile of velvety but fairly bland chickpeas to spoon thru. Also, I find the high-heat cooking time too long for the spice/onion mix; mine simply started burning. I rescued it more or less in time, but still. The cucumber salad perked me up somewhat with its pickledy sweet-n-sour kick and delicate crunch of both cuke and blue poppyseed.

HE SAYS: I think I was less disappointed in this batch of chickpeas then Her. I enjoyed the spice quota, pretty much, although the garam masala was a little overpowering. I added some homemade tomato chutney to mine which livened it up with a juicy, slightly sweet and tangy element. The cucumber salad was a great fresh and vinegary opponent and a fantastic introduction to a book which I think we'll be using a lot in the near future.