Chicken Curry

NOTE: Allow chicken to marinate overnight for better flavor. 


Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, quartered
• 3 or 4 garlic cloves, peeled (you can substitute 2 tsp. garlic paste)
• 1 inch of ginger, peeled (you can substitute 2 tsp. of ginger paste)
• 3 green chilis (thai)
• 1.5 cups of yogurt
• 1 tsp. of turmeric
• 3 tsp. of curry powder (see my family's recipe)
• 1 whole chicken, skinless and broken down. (bones are fine, but you can do the boneless variety, too.)
• 2 medium or 1 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 tsp. of tomato paste.
• 3 cups of water (or chicken broth for extra flavor)
• At least 1 tsp. of salt, rest to taste
• 1 tsp. of sugar
• 1/4 cup of cilantro, cleaned and chopped. 
• the juice of 1/2 lemon 
• 2 tsp. vegetable or grapeseed or canola oil.

Directions: 

1. In a blender or food processor, add onions, ginger and garlic. Blend or process until it's a thick paste-like substance (you can add 1 or 2 tsp. of water if needed). Add salt, lemon, turmeric and yogurt to the blender and continue to mix. If you want this chicken to be spicy, blend in two of the chilis, without stems. For medium spice, blend in 1 chili; for mild don't blend in chilis.  The mixture is the marinade for the chicken. 
2. Once all is combined, allow chicken to marinate overnight. 
3. Next day, in a large pot -- add the oil and heat. 
4. When the oil starts smoking slightly, add diced tomatoes and allow to "fry" in the oil for one minute. 
5. Add curry powder and allow the spices to bloom for another minute. 
6. Then add chicken to pot with it's marinade. The chicken will begin to cook in the marinade, which now will act as the based for the sauce. [Note the marinade will be heated and any possible contamination from the poultry won't exist anymore. However, if you can't imagine using the marinade as the sauce, repeat Step 1 and make a "fresh" marinade to use with the chicken. Pull the chicken out of marinade and sear off, adding marinade as the base to the sauce.
7. Once you see the chicken is starting to cook, add in the tomato paste, sugar and water or broth to the pot. Add the remaining chili to the pot to add more flavor.
8. Bring to a boil. Cover then cook on low for 30 minutes; stirring occasionally.
9. After 30 minutes, check for seasoning; add salt to taste or more spice if necessary. [Fans of sriracha, this is a good place to add at least 1 tsp.)
10. Turn heat off. Add cilantro and stir in. Cover pot until you serve it. 
11. Serve with rice.

Coconut Spinach Curry with Paneer and Peas

This is one of those original recipes - something I decided to create based off some flavors I truly enjoy - coconut, curry and spinach.

If you like Saag Paneer and Thai food you'll like this. The spice of the dish is tamed by the sweet of the coconut.


Ingredients:

• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1 bag of spinach
• 1 cup of onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp of garlic-ginger paste
• 1 cup of peas
• 1 bag of frozen paneer cheese
• 1 tsp. of garam masala
• 1/2 tsp of chili powder
• 1 heaping tsp. of curry paste
• 1 tbsp of oil
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

1. Heat up oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic-ginger paste and saute.
2. When onions are translucent, add tomatoes and saute. Add spinach and allow it to wilt.
3. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, chili powder and garam masala. 
4. When all ingredients are mixed well, add it to a food processor and pulse until it is blended.
5. In a separate pan, add paneer and a bit of oil and allow it to brown on sides.
6. In the pot, add coconut milk and blended spinach dish and curry paste. Stir.
7. When paneer cubes are brown add them, some more salt and peas. 

Serve with rice.

Dimer Jhol (Egg Curry)

Even if you're not a fan of hard-boiled eggs - this recipe will make you want them!

It's super easy and ingredients can be adjusted - you can add potatoes or leave them out or you could ask various vegetables like cauliflower.

Ingredients:

4 Eggs, hard boiled and shelled

2 Medium-large potatoes (optional)  

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large tomato

1 tsp. of tomato paste

1" cube of fresh ginger, grated

2-3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced

1/2 teaspoon crushed chilli

1 level teaspoon garam masala powder

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed (dhanya)

1.5 teaspoon turmeric powder (halood)

1 level teaspoon ground cumin seed (jeera)

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon of sugar

2 cups of warm water or chicken broth

salt to taste

Directions:

1. Once you have gathered the ingredients peel the potatoes and cut each into 6 pieces. Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot fry the potatoes for 4-5 mins turning them over from time to time. Take them out and place aside when they are done
2. Next make 2-3 small slits in each egg, coat with half of the turmeric powder and fry eggs in the remaining oil in the pan until slightly browned. You must continuously turn the eggs. When these are done set them aside.
3. In the remaining oil add the crushed chilli and the garam masala and fry for one minute (medium heat). Next add the ginger and garlic and fry for another minute. After this you add the chopped onion, tomato and tomato paste and fry for 5 minutes, lower the heat to "low" and add the chilli powder, coriander and cumin and curry powder. Stir and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Now add to the pan the potatoes, salt and turmeric, turn up the heat to medium again and stir to coat the potatoes with the spices. Add the water and bring to boil. Once it starts boiling lower the heat and cover the pan with a lid and allow to simmer till the potatoes are almost done (10 min). Add the eggs and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are well done.

Serves: 4 people
Serving ideas: plain boiled rice and postho or just with roti

Chana & Aloo Curry (Chick Peas and Potato Curry)

This dish is an adaptation of Chana Masala which I made earlier in this blog. However, this chick pea dish also includes potatoes and other veggies.

Chana & Aloo Curry
serves 4 to 6, Prep: 20 min., Cook: 25 min.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium potato, cubed
• 1 can of chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tsp. of garam masala (it's a blend of spices you can buy in the ethnic food aisle.)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp of fresh grated ginger
• 1 tsp of tumeric
• 1/2 tsp. of corriander
• 1/4 cup of water or vegetable stock.
• 2 tsp of oil
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp of sugar 

 Ingredients:

1. In a large skillet or pot, add cubed potatoes and brown over medium heat with 1 tsp of oil. Add turmeric and 1/2 tsp of salt to potatoes.
2. Once potatoes are browned (about 7 mins.), add onions and saute with garlic, ginger and tomatoes.
3. Once the onions are translucent and the peppers and tomatoes. 
4. Add the chick peas and saute.
5. Add salt to taste, sugar, tumeric, corriander, bay leaf and garam masala and the 1/4 cup of stock or water. Let it come to a boil.
6. Let the stew simmer... until it is the how you want it. Some people like it a little soupy while others want it thicker.

Chicken Malai Curry

My family loves our chicken curry dishes. 

This is a recipe from Thanksgiving dinner, which my uncle prepared. It's similar to chicken makhani but the preparation and some ingredients are different. It's not too spicy, although you can add chilies if you want.

Chicken Malai Curry
serves 6, Prep: 25 min., Cook: 35 min.


Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of chicken breast cuts in cubes
• 2 cans of tomato paste
• 2 cups of plain yogurt
• 3 table spoon of ginger root paste
• 5 gloves of garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoon of turmeric powder
• 3 tablespoon of cumin powder
• 3 tablespoon of coriander powder
• 2 tablespoon of anisette seeds
• 4 bay leaves
• 4/5 green cardamoms finely crushed in blender with shells and seeds.
• ¼ gallon of light cream
• Salt
• Sugar
• 2 Cups of Cashew nuts
• Cooking oil

Directions:

1. In a large container, place the chicken cubes, add yogurt, little salt and turmeric powder. Mix them well and marinate overnight or 6 to 8 hours.
   
2. Soak the cashew nuts in water for 3 to 4 hours.
3. Heat oil in a large heavy based saucepan on high heat first. Add marinated chicken to the heated oil and start stirring.  Turn down the heat, cover the pan and let it simmer for a while for about 25 to 35 minutes stirring occasionally.
   
4. In a blender, blend rest of the ingredients, except sugar, cream, bay leaves and cardamoms powder. Add the blended mixture to the chicken in the saucepan and stir thoroughly. After a while add the cream and bay leaves and mixes all the ingredients together by stirring.  Cook on slow heat for a while until the chicken pieces get tender. Add salt and sugar as required and add half of blended cardamoms powder. Place the cooked chicken in a serving dish and sprinkle rest of the blended cardamoms powder for garnishing.

Thai Spaghetti Squash with Yellow Coconut Curry Sauce

So this isn't really an Indian dish, but Thai cuisine is popular among Indians because it fuses Chinese cuisine with Indian curries.

This fall I've had an obsession with spaghetti squash - because it's a no calorie version of pasta - and when you mix it with a bolognese or with other sauces used with pastas, you can't tell the difference.

So although this recipe can be made with regular pasta - I'm trying it with spaghetti sauce.

Thai Noodles with Yellow Curry Sauce
serves 4 to 5, Prep: 30 min, Cook: 30 min.

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 2 tsp. of curry paste
• 1 inch. of ginger root, grated
• 2 cloves of garlic, grated
• 1 small can of water chestnuts, drained
• 1 can of chinese vegetables, drained (look for baby corn, bamboo shoots, etc.)
• 1 medium onion, sliced thinly into half moons.
• 2 tsp of oil
  
• green onions for garnish
• lemongrass is optional.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Split the spaghetti squash in half with a sharp knife and remove seeds. Brush with oil on the inside halves and place the halves squash side down on a sheet tray. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender in the oven.
   While squash is cooking, place a large saucepan or pot over medium low heat. Once it is heated, add the oil, ginger, garlic and onions. Saute until translucent.
   
2. Add the coconut milk. (If you want the lemongrass flavor, add a few pieces into the coconut milk. and let it steep for five minutes. Then remove it.) Let it thicken a bit. 
3. Add the curry paste and mix thoroughly.
4. Then add vegetables. Set the pot aside, while squash finishes roasting.
5. When the squash is finished, let it cool. Once cooled, use a fork and remove the "strings" of squash. 
6. Add squash to curry.
7. Heat through and serve. Garnish with green scallions.
   

Rajma (Red Kidney Bean Curry)

This week I was craving a bit of protein - but not meat. And I was craving chili.

So the best Indian-version of chili is rajma, a red kidney bean curry, with spices and ingredients similar to an American chili.

It's so simple to make, literally takes 15 minutes to cook, once you have the ingredients prepped and super delicious.

And it's one of those dishes you could whip up after work on a cold day and feel satisfied with the result.

When I made this - I oversalted by accident so although I'll give you my exact ingredients and directions, please double check and make sure some products your using aren't pre-salted. Also, if you use sea salt (which I did), use less. Kosher salt is the best kind to use in any cooking in my opinion. Sea salt is great on seafoods and fries - it's tastes saltier so use less.

Rajma
serves 4, Prep: 15 min., Cook: 30 min.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp of oil
• 1 small yellow/white onion, diced
• 1 clove of garlic, smashed or grated
• 1 tbsp of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 can of red kidney beans, drained but not rinsed.
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (I used smoked, makes it spicier and gives it a deeper flavor.)
• 1 green chili chopped, no seeds.
• 1 tsp of tumeric
• 1 tsp of garam masala
• 1/2 tsp of corriander
• 1/2 tsp of cumin
• salt to taste
• cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, sweat onions with oil over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and ginger, and saute for 1 min.
3. Add kidney beans and saute for 2 min. Some of the liquid from the can will go in now and thicken the sauce later.
4. Add tomatoes, green chili and spices and allow curry to reach low simmer. simmer on low for 10 mins.

Check seasoning. Add salt to taste and cilantro as a garnish. Yum!

Southern Indian Lamb Curry

I'm a big Food Network fiend and so I was intrigued the other day when I saw Tyler Florence make an "Ultimate Indian Dinner" on his show.

He made Lamb Curry, raita and samosas. Haven't made this recipe yet - but I'm gonna try it this weekend. As for the samosas... I'm on a mission to find one authentic recipe, and one that is easy - so that I can compare them in a later blog.

Southern Indian Lamb Curry
serves 8, Prep: 35 min., Cook 40 min.

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence and Food Network

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cloves
• 1 1/2 tablespoon cumin seed
• 11/2 tablespoon fennel seed
• 1 1/2 tablespoon coriander seed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons turmeric
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 10 fresh curry leaves
• 3 pounds boned shoulder lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 fresh red chili
• 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 large fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 cup plain unsweetened natural yogurt
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 scallion, cut into strips
• 6 cups steamed basmati rice

Directions:

1. Begin by setting a large, heavy-based pot over medium heat. Grind the cloves, fennel, cumin, coriander, and turmeric in a spice grinder. Add oil to the hot pot and pour in the spices. Throw in cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, curry leaves, and chilli. Toast for 2-3 minutes until golden and aromatic - be careful, the leaves will splatter a little. While they are toasting, add onion, garlic and ginger to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
2. Season cubed lamb with salt and pepper then add to the pot of oil and spices. Brown all over, about 5-7 minutes.Add onion puree and sweat a little to remove some of the moisture - about 8 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon as you go. Now add fresh tomatoes and cover slightly with lid. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes until the lamb is tender. Remove the lid and skim fat off the surface. Fold in the yogurt and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and scallions serve with steamed basmati rice and raita.

Copied from FoodNetwork.com on Wed. Nov. 4, 2009

© 2009 Scripps Networks, LLC. All Rights Reserved

My Mom's Famous Coconut Curry Shrimp

I'm going to preface this recipe with a little story about my mom, just because she cracks me up in the kitchen.

My mom swears she's an awful cook, yet the woman has fed her children for years and we've eaten it. I'll admit her culinary skills when it comes to meat preparation are funny, she is scared that it'll be raw so she overcooks meat until it's rubbery, but I can't blame her - she's vegetarian.

Anyway, her skills as an Indian cook are fine, though and actually good. I mean growing up my dad cooked a lot at home and there are some recipes he made that's no one has been able to replicate, however between my mom and my grandmother (her mother) I get a fair share of good indian cooking.

This shrimp dish was my vegetarian mom's creation and I honestly don't know what made her decide to mix these ingredients but this recipe is simple and delicious. Seriously, it's requested by my friends, her friends and family, alike. Furthermore, the best thing about this recipe is you can substitute anything for the shrimp and it would be just as good, we've used chicken before as well as an assortment of veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, eggplant, carrots and etc.

My friend tried to order it once at an Indian restaurant and they had no idea what he was talking about, but that's because it's very Thai-influenced and it's a family recipe. So cherish this one!

Milu's Coconut Curry Shrimp
serves 6, Prep: 5 min., Cook: 25 min.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of coconut milk (usually in Mexican aisle)
• 1 tsp. of Patak's Curry Paste (stick with mild)
• 1 pound of shrimp
• 1 carton of cherry tomatoes
• salt to taste
• cilantro

Directions:

1. Clean the shrimp, if fresh, disgarding veins and tails. Add shrimp to boiling water for approximetely 5 to 7 mins. Remove shrimp or drain water. Set aside.
2. In a pot add coconut milk and bring to simmer over low to medium heat depending on your stove. Add 1 heaping teaspoon of the curry paste and blend into coconut milk. Taste the sauce and decide if you should add more curry. This recipe takes some trial and error. If you want a stronger curry flavor add another 1/2 tsp. of the curry paste and taste again. Remember as the sauce thickens and continues to cook, it'll take on a stronger flavor.
3. Add cooked shrimp and fold in with sauce. If you want more spice, you could add a small green chili or 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes.
4. Add cherry tomatoes and let simmer until tomatoes look a little wrinkly.

Serve over rice with a garnish of cilantro.