Middle Eastern Lime Stew

[rosefox]

sinboy and I recently bought Cardamom and Lime, a Middle Eastern cookbook, and promised each other that we would make ten recipes from it to justify the expenditure. I love dumplings, so when I saw a recipe for a dumpling stew in there, I insisted that we make it first.

The dumplings turned out to be a total failure because I didn't roll the dough out nearly enough. We decided not to do it that way again. Instead, this is the recipe with the dumpling filling ingredients mixed into the stew, which I think would work much better and also be faster and easier.

4 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely (or 1 tsp diced garlic from a jar)
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
.5 tsp turmeric
.5 tsp curry powder
.5 tsp cumin
3 medium white or yellow onions, chopped finely, divided into two bowls
3 large tomatoes, peeled and cored, chopped roughly (with juice and seeds)
1 large or 2 small carrots, peeled and cut into coins
1 large or 2 small zucchini, cut into coins
1 tsp tomato paste or puree
2 Tbsp lime juice
.5 cup raisins
.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried lime powder (could substitute sumac or mango powder)
Salt to taste

In a pot big enough to hold all your ingredients, heat 2 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat until a drop of water flicked into the oil sizzles. Fry garlic, ginger, turmeric, curry powder, and cumin until fragrant. Add half the onions and reduce heat; saute until soft. Add vegetables, lime juice, and enough water to just cover the vegetables. Turn heat down and simmer covered. Meanwhile, in another pan, heat remaining 2 Tbsp oil. Saute remaining onions until soft. Add raisins, pepper, and lime/sumac/mango powder and mix thoroughly. When carrots and zucchini are cooked to your taste, add onion–raisin mixture to stew. Salt to taste; optionally, add a little water to thin or a little flour to thicken the broth. Serve immediately.

There's no protein in there--though it wouldn't be hard to add some--but it makes a great side dish or appetizer. It would be extra delicious over couscous.

If you want to try the dumpling version, buy pre-made dumpling wrappers or use your own tried-and-true recipe for the dough, and fill the dumplings with the onion–raisin mixture. When the vegetables are mostly done, strain out and reserve all the solids and simmer the dumplings in the broth until cooked (the original recipe advises half an hour). Return the vegetables to the broth, simmer until vegetables are done, and serve.