How did you spend your Independence Day long weekend? Eating hot dogs with mustard and relish, drinking way too many ice cold beers and watching Team USA kick ass in the Women’s World Cup? I hope you did. That’s kind of how I’d planned to spend mine, but some turmoil in the ol’ personal life sent me to a weird, but not wholly unexpected, place that involved a lot of intense exercise, incredibly overly ambitious kitchen projects (even for me) and manic socializing.

It’s understandable that you probably didn’t exit the long weekend with some additional muscle tone on your arms and a bunch of unusual Macanese sauces in your refrigerator like I did. Also, you probably didn’t lug home 8 pounds of pig trotters and chicken feet from Chinatown. Also, your cat probably didn’t steal a bag of dried scallops that you purchased for $60/pound, eat a bunch of them while you were sleeping and then vomit them all over your floor and carpet! Happy birthday, America!

I digress. If you, like most people, spent your time off guzzling beer and eating one too many grilled pieces of meat, maybe you’re looking for something a little lighter this week. Maybe some vegetables. But maybe that weekend grilling really inspired you! If so, I think this is a great post-holiday summer meal.

What you’ll need are a bunch of herbs, a bunch of vegetables, a grill and a blender. In the blender you’ll make a super simple Indian-inspired cilantro-mint sauce that you can put on this but also just about everything else. You should also make some basmati rice to serve under the “salad” to mop up some of the juices and make it a full meal.

On another note, after a bit of a travel lull, I’m off to Savannah on Friday for a long weekend with my family and then to Goa, India in October for some far-away solo time, just me and as many novels as I can carry! No big summer travel plans for me, but I kind of like a quiet summer day in the kitchen, with the oven on and the AC on and the utility bill steadily rising. Ah, New York.

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Masala Grilled Vegetables with Spicy Mint Chutney

Category: Main Course

Servings: Serves 4-6

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 ears fresh corn, shucked
  • 1 large red onion, cut through the root into 1/2-inch wedges
  • 7 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 lb. 5 oz.)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 lb. fresh okra, cut in half lengthwise
  • 2 medium-size yellow squash, cut in half lengthwise, halves cut into 1/2-inch-thick half-moons 1 small bunch scallions (about 4 oz.)
  • 2 cups packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (about 2 oz.)
  • 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves (about 1 oz.)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped serrano chile (from 1 medium chile)
  • 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 cup torn mixed fresh herbs (such as cilantro, mint, and Thai basil)
  • Cooked basmati rice, for serving

Instructions

  1. Open bottom vent of a charcoal grill completely. Light 2 charcoal chimney starters filled with briquettes. When briquettes are covered with gray ash, pour onto bottom grate of grill. Adjust vents as needed to maintain an internal temperature of 400°F to 450°F.
  2. Stir together curry powder, 2 teaspoons salt, ground ginger, and garam masala in a small bowl. Place corn, red onion, and cauliflower on a large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons curry mixture, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; toss to coat. Place okra and squash in a large bowl. Sprinkle with remaining curry mixture, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; toss to coat.
  3. Working in batches, place corn, onion, and cauliflower mixture in a single layer on oiled grill grate. Grill, covered, until crisp-tender and lightly charred, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from grill.
  4. Place okra and squash on oiled grate; grill, covered, until slightly charred and crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Place in a large bowl. Separate onion wedges into petals, and cut chunks of corn kernels from cobs. Add cauliflower florets, onion petals, and corn kernels to bowl with okra and squash. Cover to keep warm.
  5. Chop white parts of scallions to equal 1/2 cup. Coarsely chop green scallion tops, and set aside. Place white scallion pieces in a blender with cilantro, mint, 1/2 cup water, lemon juice, chile, ginger, vinegar, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.
  6. Add chopped green parts of scallions and torn herbs to bowl with squash mixture; toss gently to combine. Season with salt to taste. Divide rice among plates; top evenly with vegetable mixture, and drizzle with mint chutney.

Notes

https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2019/07/11/masala-grilled-vegetables-with-spicy-mint-chutney/