Seekh Kabab (Minced Meat Kabobs)

If you've ever been to an Indian restaurant, you've probably started drooling as a waiter has walked by your table with a cast iron pan of sizzling meat (similar to a plate of fajita meat). That dish is usually a plate of tandoori meats - chicken, shrimp, lamb and many times seekh kababs on a bed of onions.

Seekh Kabab is ground meat (usually lamb, but can be beef) blended with spices, onions, cilantro and peppers shaped around sticks into long, narrow cylinders. They also have a hint of tandoori seasoning.

Usually they are served along with raita, cilantro-mint chutney and tamarind sauce.

So I decided to try making them a few weeks ago, when I invited friends over for an Indian dinner - and I think they were pretty popular.

I used two pounds of ground beef which made about 12 kebabs.

Here's how I made them. Note: Soak wooden skewers for an entire day in water.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of ground beef
4 tbsp. of plain yogurt
1 inch of ginger, grated (use a Microplane for best results)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, minced
3 to 4 green chilies, chopped with seeds
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp. of tandoori powder
2 tbsp of garam masala
1 tsp of sea salt or 1.5 of regular salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add all ingredients to the meat.
2. With your hands, blend all the ingredients together, evenly. The meat should change consistency a bit to be smoother and the color will be redder, because of the tandoori.
3. Allow the meat to marinate for 1 hour in the fridge.
4. Preheat grill or oven to 400 degrees. If cooking in an oven use a sheet pan with a tray to drain the liquid from the meat. 
5. Take about 1/4 cup of meat and shape it around the skewer. Add a bit of oil to the meat as you place it around the skewer so it doesn't stick. Repeat 11 more times. 
6. Place the skewers on the grill or oven, and turn every 5 minutes so the meat cooks evenly. Should be cooked in 20 to 25 minutes and will be a golden brown color on the outside. You may need to drain the pan, if cooking in the oven. 

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.

Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Chicken is one of the more popular dishes non-Indians love to order and eat when they are out in Indian restaurants.

So why not grill some up while you're at home, outdoors on the grill?

Here's a super easy recipe - although I'll say you should probably marinate overnight, for the best flavor.

Also I prefer dark meat chicken because it seems to soak up the flavor better than white meat.


Ingredients:

• 4 skinless thighs
• 1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp. of salt
• 4 tbsp of yogurt
• 1/2 lime
• 1/2 tsp of pepper
• 1/2 tsp of chili powder
• 1/2 tsp of fenugreek powder
• 1 tsp of garam masala
• 1/2 tsp of coriander
• 1/2 tsp of cumin
• 1/2 tsp of turmeric
• red food coloring, optional.
• 2 tbsp of oil.

Directions:

Marinade - for at least 4 hours, overnight for best results.

1. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the chicken
2. Add yogurt, spices, oil, lime juice and food coloring in a bowl. Blend well with hands. Add chicken and make sure all chicken is covered in marinade. 
3. Grill the tandoori chicken as you would normally cook chicken, or if you're cooking it in an oven, then cook the chicken for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Cover for 30 minutes, then uncover for remaining 10 minutes.

Samosas

Even if you don't like Indian food -- you will like samosas, a crunchy potato filled pastry of YUM!

Usually, you make the pastry dough from scratch as well, and fry the samosas, which cooks the dough to crispiness. But as I've said before, you can make really great Indian food without actually using as much oil as our grandmothers are known to do. I wanted to bake the samosas and if I did that I need something that crisps up in the oven.

When I initially tested this recipe, I used phyllo dough thinking the crispiness of a spanikopita could be replicated. What I learned however, was that I hate working with phyllo dough, it dries too quickly, eek! So I think working with puff pastry may be better -- or trying the homemade dough and frying it.

So although the pictures for this don't show the actual end result, I was enjoying them so much I forgot to take a picture, I'm sure I will eventually make these again, and I'll add a picture then!

SAMOSAS, makes 32--

Ingredients:

pastry: puff pastry or phyllo for baking.
or for frying:

• 7.5 cups flour 
• 1 tbsp. salt 
• 3/4 cup clarified butter or ghee, melted (use vegetable shortening or oil for vegan variation) 
• hot water

filling:

• 3 medium-sized potatoes, boiled and peeled
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 1 cup of carrots, chopped finely
• 1 cup of onions, chopped finely
• 2 tsp. of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp of turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp of cumin powder
• 1 tsp of coriander powder
• 1 tsp of garam masala
• 1/2 to 1 tsp of chili powder
• 1/4 cup of oil or ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 tsp of salt
• 3 tbsp of chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Sift flour and salt into a bowl, then stir in melted ghee. Add 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of hot water gradually, tossing and stirring, to make a dough. 
2. Knead for 2 minutes, then chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling. If using a food processor, combine flour and salt in processor bowl. Pour in ghee and blend to combine. With processor running at medium speed, stream in the hot water, then process an additional 15 - 20 seconds. Remove from processor, form into a ball, and chill while you prepare the filling.
3. In a medium skillet, saute onions, carrots, peas and ginger in tsp of oil over medium heat until onions are translucent.
4. In a separate bowl, mash the cooked potatoes with the spices and sauteed veggies. Add oil or ghee, salt and cilantro and mixed thoroughly
5. If you're using puff pastry/phyllo follow care instructions on package and create square pieces to put filling in. The samosas will be flat triangles rather than 3D triangles. Or if using pastry follow directions below.
6. Divide the dough into 16 equal balls. The easiest way is to keep halving the dough until you have 16 pieces (you'll divide the dough 4 times total). Roll or pat each ball into a 7-inch disc. Cut each disk in half. Roll each half into a cone, overlapping the edges and pinching or wetting to seal. Stuff the cone with a big spoonful or two of filling, then pinch the open end closed (wetting if necessary), forming a puffy triangle. 
7. Chill finished samosas and continue until you've used all the dough.  
8. In a wok or large sauce pan, heat several inches of oil to 350, or until a cube of bread browns in 40 seconds. Fry samosas, 3 - 6 at a time, until golden, blistered, and crisp, about 3 - 4 minutes, turning them over halfway through frying. Remove with tongs, drain on paper towels, and continue until all samosas are fried. May be held in a warm (250-degree) oven while you cook all the batches. 

Serve with tamarind chutney.

Coconut Green Beans

Every so often when growing up in an Indian home, there's just not enough time to stew up something - so simple recipes become a way to satisfy the flavors without a lot of work.

One of these recipes is Coconut Green Beans. Basically it's a bag of frozen green beans with shredded coconut and other spices and takes no time to make.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of frozen green beans, thawed
• 1/4 cup of shredded coconut
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1/2 tsp of pepper
• 1 tbsp. of oil

Directions:

1. Add oil to a pan over medium high heat.
2. Add shredded coconut and beans and saute for 7 to 10 mins.
3. Add salt and pepper

Indian Mac and Cheese (Masala Mac)

So, I started a new job in the Washington, D.C. area and moved out of New York City, so I'm officially on a mission to find good Indian grocery stores in the area and good Indian food.

But when I went back to NYC for some work training, I got a chance to finally try something I really wanted to eat the entire time I was in the city - masala mac and cheese from S'Mac in the East Village.

It's my favorite guilty pleasure with Indian spices, how can I resist? - or you for that matter.

So I decided I would try to create my own recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of macaroni, cooked in salted water, drained (use directions on box)
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup of shredded gruyere or provolone
• 1/2 cup of parmesan
• 2 cups of milk
• 2 tbsp. of butter
• 2 tbsp. of flour
• 2 tsp of cumin
• 1 tsp of coriander
• 1 tsp of onion powder
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp of turmeric
• 1/2 of red chili or cayenne
• 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
• oil spray
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, melt butter and add flour to it. Blend to make a roux. 
2. Add milk to mixture and heat through. Try not to boil it, so stir regularly.
3. Slowly add cheeses. Each time you add some stir it in until it it's melted through.
4. Add spices - cumin, coriander, garlic, onion, turmeric and chili.
5. Add cilantro to the mix and add cooked pasta.
6. Taste mixture and add salt and pepper as needed.
7. Place the entire pot of mac in cheese in a brownie pan or casserole dish that has been sprayed with oil.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 mins. covered. Uncover and baked for an additional 10 minutes until bubbly.

To find more info on S'Mac go to:
http://www.smacnyc.com/home.html

Gourmet: Goan Gobi Curry (Cauliflower Curry)

Excuse the state of the photos, they were taken from my phone, but this was a part of my gourmet meal I had with my mom and roommate Sara, as a part of graduation weekend at Vermillion in New York City.

Vermiilion is a Latin-Indian fusion restaurant off Lexington Avenue, near an area in New York City known as "Curry Hill," for obviously all of it's Indian restaurants and stores. I had originally heard of the place while watch The Iron Chef on the Food Network when Vermillion's chef, Maneet Chauhan, battled Iron Chef Morimoto.

I was so intrigued by the fusion because although I've noticed many similarities in the the types of foods Latinos and Indians eat -- I was excited to find out how the flavors would blend.

Anyway, Sara and I enjoyed so much food, literally SO MUCH FOOD including tandoori skirt steak (seared churrasco in a classic indian marinade, plantain chips, garlic spinach), cauliflower portuguese (stewed in a goan gravy + coconut rice), juhu ki pani puri (street indian chaat, flour shells, spiced potato, chili mint water) and my mom had paneer konkani (cheese, oaxacan crepas de huitlacoche/mexican truffle, inca red quinoa).  THESE PICTURES DON'T EVEN GIVE JUSTICE TO WHAT WE ATE!!!

Anyway, I was really inspired by the food and I wanted to try making the Cauliflower Portuguese, otherwise known as Goan curry. It's called Goan after an coastal/beach area in India known as Goa. After Portuguese conquistadors came to the area, and some later settled, it has been greatly influenced by Portuguese cuisine. Goan cuisine in general is a mix of spicy and sweet flavors.

Similarly, this dish is sweet with the help of coconut milk and spicy with the help of chilies. 


Although many times shredded coconut is blended into the paste, I used coconut milk instead. Also Goan curry is usually accompanied with shrimp, but I made this vegetarian version for the sake of mimicking what I ate at Vermillion -- but using shrimp instead of cauliflower is yummy too!


Ingredients:

• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1/2 cup of vegetable broth
• 1 head of cauliflower, stems removed and cut into florets
• 1 tsp of curry paste
• 1 tsp of ginger, grated
• 1/2 tsp of garlic minced
• 1 green chili, chopped with seeds
• 1/2 tsp of turmeric

Directions:

1. Over medium heat, place broth in a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Add cauliflower and allow to steam for 5 to 6 minutes or until tender.
3. Add garlic, ginger and chili to the cauliflower and allow the flavors to blend. Some to all of the broth will boil away.
4. Add coconut milk, turmeric and curry paste and allow stew to simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. 
5. Add salt or pepper if desired.