Black Pepper and Curry Leaves Spaghetti Tossed with Clarified Butter (Ghee) ~ Day 11

Everything gets better when you cook with butter.  And, if it happens to be ghee / clarified butter, it's even better.  Nowadays, you can find ghee practically in any major grocery store here in the USA.

This rich, aromatic, warm and spicy spaghetti is so comforting and addictive for cold winter nights.

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 Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 -12  minutes

Serves: 4

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Ingredients:

• Organic Spaghetti - 1 lb
• Black peppercorns - 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 10
• Ghee / Clarified butter - 3 tbsp (you can use half olive oil and half ghee as well)
• Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Cook pasta in boiling water with some salt for 7-8 minutes or according to the instruction on the package.
2. Meanwhile, in a small pan, heat about 1/2 tsp ghee and roast the black peppercorns, cumin seeds and 5 curry leaves for 30 seconds.  Let it cool a bit and grind into a coarse powder. Mortar and pestle can be used to crush the peppercorns as well.
3. Drain the pasta and reserve some water.  In a large skillet, heat the reaming ghee and splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves.
4. Reduce the heat to low and add the ground pepper powder.  Add the cooked pasta and salt and toss well to coat. 
5. Serve hot.  If pasta gets dry after a while, add little pasta water and mix.