main dish Archives - The Hungary Buddha Eats the World

Dang, This Stew is Good: Beef Rendang

In the hopes that my exploits in the kitchen would have some sort of cosmic power over the temperature gods (and armed with the foresight knowing that my wishes for fall weather would come through by the end of the week), I made beef stew. …

Nicely Dressed Fish: Malaysian Fish and Herb Salad

Man, today was hot. So hot. So hot that I had sweat dripping down my legs while riding in an un-airconditioned EL car on my way home. It definitely looked like I was peeing. Sexy. I was crabby. What’s taking so long, fall??? ANYWAY, moving…

Batar Da’an Expected: Squash, Bean and Corn Stew

Okay, so with this one, I can’t offer you any historical facts or profound tidbits. All I can say is that when I searched for popular East Timor dishes, this came up first each time.

Admittedly the thought of making Batar Da’an, a stew, with the weather being what it has been the last week was less than appealing. In between blog meals, it’s been salads all the way. Hey, boring, but at least I’m not subsisting on just ice cream like I was doing back in June. That was poor use of my adult discretion. Anyway, we had an unexpected dip in temps, so turning on the stove and throwing this together was less painful than expected.

This Batar Da’an couldn’t really be easier. As for ingredients, I’ve seen a few variations; pumpkin rather than squash, mung beans rather than kidney beans. I opted for butternut squash because pumpkin isn’t quite as prominent in the market right now the way I’m sure it will be in a few weeks, and kidney rather than mung beans because, frankly, I’m not a fan of mungs, despite the fact that they taste pretty much like nothing. Maybe that’s the cause of the dislike. Plus, mom used to make us eat them all the time as kids, and I never seemed to acquire a taste for them. In any case, those are two more options for you.

Another note: I used white beans rather than red. Why? Not sure, but I accidentally bought the white.

The verdict on this dish is that it packs a surprisingly pleasing flavor despite the seemingly blah ingredients and very little spice in the way of seasonings; it really has none aside from salt and pepper. I made one personal addition that I think made all the difference- chopped cilantro. I’m a big believer that a bland dish can become infinitely more flavorful by using fresh herbs, and this is just one example of that. Without would be more authentic, I suppose, but I do suggest my Buddha addition. I also think this will be more suitable and therefore more enjoyable in a few weeks, so into the freezer it goes until then.

Serves 4-6

Recipe adapted from Catholic Relief Services

Ingredients

1 small-ish butternut squash, peeled and diced.

1 can kidney beans

1 large onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups vegetable or chicken stock

2 cups frozen corn

handful chopped cilantro

salt and pepper, to taste

Tabasco sauce, a few shakes to taste

Quinoa, for serving*

*While rice is the traditional accompaniment, I had a lot of quinoa, so I just ate mine with that*

Directions

1. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until tender.

2. Add stock and squash, and increase heat until water is simmering. Add corn and kidney beans, reduce to medium heat, and cook (stirring occasionally) until squash is tender (15-20 minutes).

3. Add salt and pepper to taste.Mix in cilantro. Serve with rice or quinoa.

That’s it. SUPER easy.

Admittedly, that is the saddest looking parsley garnish ever.

I Say Yeer-Oh, You Say Jai-Ro, But It All Tastes the Same: Gyros and Tzatziki Sauce

Well kids, it’s the last of my favorites (for now, anyway). The last two weeks have been a great and tasty way to celebrate my birthday. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about them. I close out my birthday menu with the Gyro. Again, this is…

Things Are Getting Saucy!: Barbecued Chicken with Cheesy Grits

I lived in the southern U.S. for a long time. More than half of my life, really. And while many would argue that Florida (where I grew up) is not actually the south, but rather the transplanted north (which, to some extent is true, my…

Honey Dijon Dipping Sauce

Today’s offering is a condiment, this honey Dijon dipping sauce. A condiment that goes with the best sandwich ever (aside from The Best German Chicken Sandwich).

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What’s That, You Satay?: Pork Satay and Gado-Gado, or, Vegetables with Peanut Sauce

Did you know that Satay was Indonesian? I didn’t either, but lo and behold it is. That meat-on-a-stick that you can find at any generic Asian eatery actually has its origins in Java, Indonesia and its popularity has spread to most Southeast Asian nations. The…