Vegetable Tikka Masala

I feel like I'm totally cheating on this recipe. I'm cheating because a real Indian chef wouldn't use a spice paste to get the delicious tikka masala flavor. A real Indian chef would grind up the spices herself and make the paste. But here's my justification: 1) A long list of ingredients can be intimidating and overwhelming. And this recipe is already sufficiently long. I did it for you. Really. 2) Most of the spices that would go into a tikka  paste are not commonly found in an American kitchen (well, aside from mine and others who like to make Indian food). Rather than tell you all to go out and purchase 7 new spices, you just need to buy one little jar that's most likely under $4. Again. I did it for you. Aren't you grateful?

Red Peanut Curry

So my friend Layla, who brought us these awesome cupcakes, and her husband Brock came to visit us in DC this past weekend. We had a marvelous time romping around the city, packing in as much as humanly possible in 2 short days. We saw most of the monuments (sorry, Jefferson, we didn't make it to you), gawked at the fading Declaration, admired the dresses of the First Ladies and Julia Child's kitchen (of course!), ate some of the tastiest Lebanese food ever, walked and walked and walked, and managed to squeeze in a little cooking. It was a busy weekend.

This curry is a concoction based on several different recipes. It's part Thai, part Indian, and a large part us. And it is dang tasty. The peanut butter adds a creaminess that makes it irresistible, while the red curry paste gives just enough kick to keep things interesting. We made this in my crock pot, but it would work equally well on the stove top; just adjust the cooking time to make sure the chicken is cooked through. I wish I still had some left to eat for lunch tomorrow, which is a rare wish because I don't love leftovers. Maybe I'll have to make it again for dinner tonight...

Vegetable Biryani

 I can't get enough Indian food these days. And it certainly doesn't help that I work with about a dozen guys from Afghanistan who always bring The. Most. Delicious. smelling food for lunch. It's torture. Maybe one day I'll be "in" enough for them to share their food with me. But until that day (and I may be waiting a very long time), I'll have to do with my own South Asian cuisine.

A biryani is a spiced rice dish that is popular in countries all through South Asia. It can be meaty or meat-free.You'll find that unlike some other Indian dishes, this one is quite simple (throw everything in the pot) and doesn't have a huge list of ingredients, thanks to the tikka paste. Because your main flavoring comes from the paste, be sure you get a good brand. Of the ones I've tried, I like Patak, but couldn't find any at the store near me, and I think the flavor suffered a little as a result.

M's Chicken Curry

Curry night, always a good time and always messy, at least at my house. If you have never had curry before this is a good curry beginners recipe, confirmed by the man who gave us this recipe. He told us that once we had perfected this recipe, we could move onto a more advanced recipe which requires you to mix your own spices rather than purchasing a premixed curry powder. I have to admit though, I think the curry powder that he had us get worked great and made the process very easy.

We made this recipe with the suggested potatoes, but really you could make the chicken curry and have it over rice. In fact this is now I plan to make it next time, although admittedly I am not the biggest potato fan. I do like them, but I really only like to have them about once a week. And since I had actually made a potato stew the night before this I may have not enjoyed the potatos as much as I would have otherwise; everyone else loved them, so don't let me discourage you from making this recipe as is - it is fantastic.

Curried Squash and Red Lentils

Today, for the first time possibly ever, my sister ate lentils and liked them. When I invited her over for dinner, she asked me what was on the menu...and I refused to tell her. I had this sneaky suspicion that if lentils were mentioned, she would howl in protest. And since I really wanted lentils, I refused to tell her. I made her stay in the living room while I cooked and hid the ingredients when she poked her head in the kitchen.

The smells, as usual, were tantalizing. She guessed that it was something Indian. But not until everything was in the pot and almost ready to be served did she discover the star of this vegetarian dish. Although apprehensive at first, after her first bite, she was hooked. She admitted that she could hardly tell there were lentils involved at all. The warm flavor of the curry combined with the earthy lentils and sweet squash was just too good of a combination to pass up.

Green Lentils and Rice

I love lentils. I love rice. When I found this recipe, I was ecstatic- you mean I can combine two of my favorite sides to make one even better one?! Hurrah! And this dish is not your run-of-the-mill rice dish. It has just the right amount of spice combined with a nice warm hint of cinnamon. Sounds weird, I know (but after the sweet potatoes with black beans, no combination of spices can scare me), but it's really great.

Try serving with Chicken Saag or Chicken Curry Korma.

Green Lentils and Rice
Recipe adapted from India's 500 Best Recipes
Pictures by Caroline

1 3/4 cups rice (basmati recommended)
3/4 cups green lentils, rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and grated
2 jalepeno peppers, chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
3 1/2 cups water

1. Place lentils into a small bowl. Pour cold water over the top until lentils are covered. Soak about 20 minutes.
   
2. Pour lentils and water into a medium saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes. Drain.
   
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil on medium heat in a large pot. Saute the onion, garlic, ginger, peppers, cloves, cinnamon, turmeric and salt until the onion is soft (about 5 minutes).
4. Add the lentils and rice and saute 2-3 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook about 20-25 minutes, checking periodically to add more water if needed. Cook until all the water is absorbed and rice is tender.
   

Chicken Saag

Chicken Saag literally means "chicken spinach," and it's an ever popular Indian dish. And contrary to what the picture below might lead you to believe, it tastes absolutely fantastic. (Not that Caroline didn't do a great job with her photography; it's just that Indian food isn't the most...photogenic of the food genres out there). But you can't expect real beauty from pureed spinach.

Two bits of advice before you begin cooking: (1) you might notice our slightly-too-thin-sauce in the picture; we have adjusted the recipe so that yours will hopefully avoid such a mishap. But just be sure, wait til the very end to add more water to the sauce (we were a little over eager). (2) We recommend serving the chicken saag over or alongside of naan bread. But if you're crunched for time, rice will also suffice.

Chicken Saag
Recipe adapted from India's 500 Best Recipes
Pictures by Caroline

8 oz fresh spinach, washed, but not dried
1 1/2 inch piece ginger root, peeled and grated
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, roughly chopped
1/2 cup water, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
4 large chicken breasts, cut in half

1. In a large skillet on medium heat, cook the spinach, covered, for about 5 minutes. Combine the cooked spinach, ginger, garlic, jalapeno peppers, and 1/4 cup water in a blender. Pulse until a thick puree. Set aside.
2. Using the same large skillet, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the bay leaves and black peppercorns and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the onion and saute until onion is soft (about 5 minutes).
3. Add the tomatoes (including juice) and simmer about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder, salt, and chili powder. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the spinach puree. Add the yogurt and simmer 5 more minutes.
4. Add the chicken and stir to coat with sauce. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Add more water if a thinner sauce is desired. Serve over naan bread or basmati rice.

Chicken Curry Korma

My sister has been asking me to find a good recipe for Chicken Korma for ages. It's a type of curry often served in Indian restaurants with chicken, cashews and raisins. For this dish, you will need two "unusual" spices you may not have on hand: turmeric and garam masala. They're spicy in the flavorful sense of the word, not hot, and are used in dozens of other Indian recipes, so they surely won't go to waste.

A note to the wise: you may want to take special care to be tidy when cooking with turmeric; it has a very bright neon yellow/green color and can be a pain to try to clean off counter tops, especially white ones (trust me, I know).

Chicken Curry Korma

Recipe by Kelly

Pictures by Kelly

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch ginger root, minced

1/3 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 teaspoons turmeric powder

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon allspice

2 teaspoons salt

2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/3 cup roasted cashews

1/3 cup golden raisins

1. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and saute until softened. Add garlic and ginger and cook about 2 minutes.
2. Add yogurt, coconut milk and spices. Bring to a boil and add chicken pieces. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through.
3. Add cashews and raisins. Simmer 4-5 more minutes. Serve over rice or with naan bread.
   

*If you like your sauce thicker, add less coconut milk and more yogurt. If you like it thinner, add more coconut milk (or some water). You may also increase/decrease the amount of cashews and raisins according to your preference.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Tikka Masala is an Indian dish jokingly considered to be the UK's national favorite (due to the growing Indian population in Britain). You can find it at almost any Indian restaurant with varying degrees of spice. I like it with a little bit of kick served over rice, though naan bread (if I could only make a good batch of it!) would also be a good option.

Tikka Masala paste is the most important ingredient in this recipe and is actually a type of curry. You can find it at most grocery stores in the ethnic food section. Our closest grocery store carries Patak’s brand “Taste of India” and makes all types of curries. The recipe calls for 6 tablespoons of paste, but if you want a stronger flavor, add an extra spoonful or two. I recommend trying the sauce before making any additions to it. If you do find it too spicy, add a few extra spoonfuls of yogurt to temper the heat.*

*Your tikka masala sauce should be a darker shade of orange than ours; I ran out of tikka paste mid-recipe so the color and flavor was a little weak.

Chicken Tikka Masala
Recipe from India's 500 Best Recipes
Pictures by Caroline

4 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
6 tablespoons tikka masala paste
1 1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 green chili, seeded and chopped
1 inch piece fresh root ginger, grated
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. In a large bowl, mix 3 tablespoons tikka paste and 4 tablespoons yogurt. Add the chicken and leave to marinate 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Preheat the oven to low broil.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy pan and sauté the onion, garlic, chili and ginger for 5 minutes. Add the remaining tikka paste and fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and water; bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, pour the chicken onto a large, lightly greased pan.* Broil on low for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until the chicken is done through.
4. Put the tikka sauce into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Return to the pan.
5. Add the remaining yogurt and the lemon juice. Add the chicken and simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve over rice or naan bread.

*You may want to line your pan foil or you could end up with a pan that is very very difficult to clean.

Chicken Dhansak

This dish is a delicious combination of Indian and Iranian flavors. Dhansak is a type of curry that traditionally includes lentils. I love the flavor, slight spice of the dish, and the texture of the lentils.

Like many Indian dishes, it's fairly easy to throw together, but contains several ingredients or spices you may not have on hand. I would recommend just biting the bullet and buying all the spices you'll need for this recipe; once you've collected all of them, you'll be able to make almost any Indian dish.



Chicken Dhansak
from India's 500 Best Recipes
Picture by Caroline

1/3 cup green lentils*
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 curry leaves
1 onion, finely chopped
1 inch piece fresh root ginger, chopped
1 fresh green chili, chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
4 chicken breasts
6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon garam masala

1. Rinse the lentils under cold running water. Put into a pan with the stock. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
   
2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pan and fry the cumin seeds and curry leaves for 2 minutes. Add the onion, ginger, and chili and fry for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, coriander, salt and chili powder with 2 tablespoons water.
3. Add the tomatoes and the chicken pieces to the spices. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
4. Add the lentils and the stock, half the chopped cilantro and the garam masala. Cook for a further 10 mintues r until the chicken is tender. Garnish with the remaining fresh cilantro and serve over rice.

*Before cooking the lentils, be sure to pick them over and remove any small twigs that may have hidden themselves amongst the lentils.

Tandoori Chicken with Yogurt Sauce

This dish is a nice change from my usual flavors, and it is a great combination of a bit of spice mixed with the sweetness of apples. The yogurt sauce is a beautiful combination of greens and produces a wonderful smell as you grate the apples and chop the cilantro.

Although this recipe doesn't call for it, I think that next time I make this dish, I will add some chicken broth to my rice as it cooks for a bit of additional flavor. Also, I would suggest making extra yogurt sauce, because it is just so good you will want plenty for slathering on your chicken.

Tandoori Chicken with Yogurt Sauce
Recipe from Everyday Foods: Great Food Fast
Pictures by Caroline
Serves 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes (It only took me about 15-20 minutes of prep time)
Total Time: 35 minutes

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
4 bone-in, skinless chicken breast halves (10 to 12 ounces each). Note: I used boneless chicken breasts
2 Granny Smith apples
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F. In a large bowl, mix together ½ cup of the yogurt, the garlic, turmeric, ginger, 2 teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken; turn to coat.
2. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast (avoiding the bone) registers 160°F, 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, peel the apple; coarsely grate into a medium bowl. Add the cilantro and the remaining ½ cup yogurt; season with salt and pepper. Serve the sauce alongside the chicken, with rice, if desired.

-Caroline

Zucchini Eggplant Curry

Feeling vegetarian tonight? This recipe is healthy, easy and versatile. And if you're not a fan of eggplant, simply omit and increase the amount of zucchini. I would highly recommend serving this dish with some basmati or jasmine rice, rather than regular rice. But just for clarification, let me explain the differences.

Basmati and jasmine rice each have a slightly different flavor and texture. Basmati is a long grain rice that is native to the Himalaya region. It also smells delightfully nutty when cooking. Jasmine is also a long grain, but has a slight jasmine scent and taste (no surprise there) and is a bit stickier than Basmati. Usually jasmine is used in Thai recipes and basmati in Indian, but I usually use whichever one I happen to have on hand. I promise it will taste better than regular rice.

Zucchini Eggplant Curry
adapted from www.epicurious.com
Pictures by Caroline

1 garlic clove, chopped
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeño chile including seeds (optional)
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon curry powder*
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 medium green zucchini, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 small eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 (13 1/2- to 14-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk, well stirred
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

1. Pound garlic, ginger and chile pepper to a paste with 1 teaspoon salt (using the back of a spoon). Then stir in curry powder, coriander, and mustard and cumin seeds.
   
2. Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat until hot. Then sauté onion, stirring, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add curry paste and cook, about 2 minutes.
   
3. Add zucchini and eggplant and cook, stirring, until it begins to appear moist, 3 to 5 minutes. Add coconut milk and remaining teaspoon salt and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is just tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
   
4. Serve over rice and sprinkle with almonds.

*In this dish, using a good quality curry powder makes a big difference. I suggest a medium hot variety. You might also want to check and make sure your curry powder hasn't been sitting in the cupboard for years. It starts to lose its flavor after a while.

-Kelly