Expand your culinary repertoire to include a vegetarian stew and a spicy Indian dish in one fell swoop with this tasty fall fare.

This stew is really good when served over rice. While jasmine or basmati are the obvious choices for rice to accompany this stew, plain white or brown rice will work well, too.

The stew utilizes curry powder, which is a blend of turmeric, cumin, ginger and black pepper. Some blends incorporate garlic and cinnamon, so try different blends until you find your favorite.

It also calls for Garam masala, which is also a blend of spices. It is composed of fewer spices than the 20 or so called for in traditional curry powder. Translated from Hindi, garam masala means warm or warming spice, referring to the warmth it adds to a dish. You may be able to find this in the international section of your grocery store. If not, we’ve added an easy recipe for garam masala at the end of the recipe.

To reduce the spiciness, serve the stew with a few tablespoons of plain yogurt.

This dish can be adapted for those who want meat by topping it with broiled shrimp or shredded deli rotisserie chicken.

VEGETARIAN INDIAN STEW

Ingredients
Stew
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups chopped (1/2 inch) onions
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons grated ginger root
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup chopped (1/2 inch) peeled carrots
1 cup chopped (1/2 inch) peeled potatoes
1 cup vegetable broth
1 can (28 oz.) fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (19 oz.) chickpeas, drained, rinsed
1 cup canned light coconut milk

Directions
■ In a 5-quart Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add salt, garam masala and curry powder; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until fragrant and brown. Add ginger root and garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add carrots and potatoes; cook for 2 minutes. Add broth; simmer for about 5 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are softened. Add tomatoes, chickpeas and coconut milk; stir to combine.
■ Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until carrots and potatoes are tender and liquid is slightly reduced. Remove from heat; cool slightly.
■ Serve over rice, and top with remaining ingredients.

GARAM MASALA
Garam Masala is better when made with whole spices that have been roasted and ground, but this substitute is pretty good.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons ground cardamom
1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions
■ Mix cumin, coriander, cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a bowl. Place mix in an airtight container, and store in a cool, dry place.