the food scene in north carolina hasn’t always been the most diverse & adventurous, but THANK YOU JESUS, that has all changed for the better over the past few years.

it’s a great time to be a food lover {& beer drinker, for that matter} in north carolina!

& now, we have some really great places to buy ingredients…one of our favorites being savory spice shop.  they have a wonderful selection of fresh spices & encourage you to experience them hands on, by tasting while you shop.  best of all?  they’ll package small quantities, so you don’t have to commit to huge bottles of things you may not use all that often.

like garam masala.

it was new to us, but we tasted it, thought it was interesting & picked up an ounce with this dish in mind.

it was really good, but different {for us, at least}.  the blend of garam masala spices, which includes familiar {coriander, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon & bay leaves & not so familiar {charnushka, two kinds of cardamom & mace} flavors, is really like a blanket for your stomach…warming, without being at all spicy.

CURRIED NOODLE STIR FRY

serves 4

1/2 lb pasta
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
3/4 cup vegetable broth, divided
2 teaspoons sugar
1 large yellow onion, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 red bell pepper, seeded & thinly sliced
1 hot red chile, stemmed, seeded & thinly sliced
1/2 pound broccoli florets, chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce

1.  bring a large pot of water to a boil.  add pasta & cook according to package instructions.  drain & set aside.

2.  heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil over medium low heat in a medium saucepan.  add the flour to make a roux & cook until brown, about 10 minutes.  add the curry powder & garam masala to the roux & cook for another minute, until the spices become fragrant.  slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth, then the sugar.  whisk until the sauce turns thick, then turn off the heat & set aside.

3.  add the rest of the canola oil to a large nonstick skillet, or wok, & heat over medium heat.  add the onion & cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes.  add the ginger, bell pepper & chile & cook for another 5 minutes.  add the broccoli & cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.  add the cooked pasta to the skillet.  stir fry for about a minute, then add the soy sauce & cook for a minute more.

4.  whisk the rest of the vegetable broth into the curry roux.  pour this mixture over the pasta & vegetables.  stir fry until warmed through.  serve.

very slightly adapted from dinner tonight, serious eats