Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Meatloaf Masala with Tomato Chutney

This loaf is colorful, beautiful, flavorful, and light. You can see the bits of chickpea and cauliflower running through it. This recipe is an easy but delicious solution for the home cook who wants to have fun with Indian/American fusion. Enjoy!


Admittedly, there is nothing authentic about this loaf. First, I use curry powder, which (as you may have learned from Chef Suvir Saran's appearance on The Next Iron Chef), a true Indian cook would not use. Second, it doesn't have the heat level of an authentic Indian dish; the heat is toned down for the mainstream American palate. Feel free to add green chili peppers to the tomato chutney if you'd like more heat. The chilis would probably be overpowering if added to the actual loaf.

Ingredients for Meatloaf Masala
1 pound ground chicken breast
2 cups cauliflower that has been boiled in well-salted water and diced into small bite-sized pieces
1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 cup finely diced onions
1 tbsp. curry powder
1 tbsp. cumin
1/2 tbsp. garam masala
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tbsp. dried fennel seeds (technically fennel fruits)
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 cup egg substitute (I used Publix EggStirs)

Ingredients for Tomato Chutney
1 cup canned diced tomatoes with no salt added
1/2 cup organic chicken broth
1 tbsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Splenda

Directions
Begin by preparing the tomato chutney. Dump all ingredients except the Splenda into a small saucepan and bring to a medium temperature. Allow the chutney to reduce until the broth is about 1/3 of its original volume, or until it goes from translucent to opaque. Finish by adding the Splenda. Allow the mixture to cool. [Tip: Double the chutney recipe if you want extra to sprinkle over the meatloaf slices for serving. The recipe as written makes just enough chutney to top the meatloaf during cooking.]

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine all of the loaf ingredients in a large bowl. Place the mixture onto an oven safe plan and shape as you'd prefer; I like to shape mine into a long, thin log with a flat top so that the sauce doesn't fall off. Top with cooled tomato chutney. Bake the meatloaf at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until an oven themometer indicates that the chicken is at a safe temperature to eat.

Makes 14 3-oz. servings.

Nutritional Information
1 3-oz. slice of Meatloaf Masala with Tomato Chutney contains 75 calories, 9.5 grams of protein, and 5 grams of net carbs (that is, total carbs minus fiber and 1/2 of the sugar alcohol grams, where applicable.)

Pairing
Serve with okra, raita (especially if you added chilis to the sauce, for the cooling effect), and/or mango lassi made with mango puree, nonfat yogurt, and the artificial sweetener of your choice. If you eat starchy carbs, perhaps naan or Basmati rice would be appropriate as well.

No comments:

Post a Comment