Chicken Curry

I cannot count the number of failed attempts I have had with chicken curry. Finally here is a version which works for me without fail.

2 tablespoons yogurt
2 tablespoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic
1 inch piece of ginger
5 chicken thighs, deskinned and chopped into bite size pieces

In a medium glass bowl, mix together yogurt with spices and salt. Grate the garlic and ginger (or, put in blender with a little water to make a paste), it should come to about 2 tablespoons combined. Add to yogurt mixture. Add the chicken pieces and coat well with the yogurt mixture. Marinate for 3o minutes to 2 hours.

1 tablespoon oil

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

4 whole cloves

3 whole cardamom pods

4 pieces cinnamon stick

2 cloves garlic, 1/2 inch ginger grated or blended together

1 1/2 onions (medium), sliced

5 roma tomatoes, chopped

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon fennel seeds and 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds, dry roasted in a saute pan then ground (or you can keep them whole if you prefer)
cilantro

Heat oil in a saute pan. When hot add mustard and cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick. When mustard seeds "pop" (30-45 seconds), add ginger-garlic and saute for 30 seconds then add sliced onion and saute until onion is browned (be patient, this takes some time). When onion is cooked add chopped tomato. Continue cooking until tomato is soft and pulpy. Add salt and ground fennel and poppy seeds. Add marinated chicken (along with marinade) and stirfry for 5 minutes. Add 2 cups of water (or, per your taste), bring to boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until chicken cooked all the way through. (If you want the liquid to reduce, simmer uncovered.) Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Sambhar

Sambhar

A lentil stew, of sorts, usually eaten over rice with a side of chicken, or served alongside dosa, a South Indian rice-dal crepe. From my cooking lessons with my sister-in-law!

 Sambhar, idli and coconut chutney

Servings: 2-3 days worth for us. :-) I strongly recommend halving the recipe for those are not sambhar lovers like my husband.

1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
10-15 curry leaves
3 dry red chilis
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
3 or 4 radishes, thinly sliced
1 cup vegetables -- (i.e. one of, or combination of the following: cubed eggplant, vegetable drumstick, thinly sliced carrots, green beans)
4 cups water
1 scant cup toor dal (split yellow peas)
2 cups water
3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 inch piece of tamarind pulp, soaked in warm water
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon sambar powder (Dahlia's recipe is perfect!)
Salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves



Heat oil in a pot. When hot, add all mustard, cumin and fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, red chilis. When mustard seeds begin to "pop" add the chopped onion and saute until onion is translucent. Add tomato and saute until softened.  Add vegetables, saute for a minute then add 4 cups of water.  Gently boil the vegetables for 15-20 minutes, or until softened.

Meanwhile, in a pressure cooker combine toor dal, water, turmeric and garlic. Cook for 3 whistles, turn off heat and wait for the pressure to naturally release. Set aside


Mash the softened tamarind pulp in the soaking water.  Pour through a filter and into the pot of vegetables.  Stir in chili powder, sambar powder, and salt.  Simmer for a few minutes.

By now the pressure will have released from the toor dal.  Open the cooker, pour the contents into the vegetable mixture.  Simmer, adding water and salt as necessary.  Stir in cilantro leaves.

Serve with idli, dosa, white rice.

Mango Cheesecake

Crust

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or any vanilla biscuit/cookie crumbs)
2 Tablespoons sugar
6 Tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together graham cracker, sugar and butter and press into the bottom of a 10" springform (cheesecake) pan. Bake for 5-7 minutes. Cool.

Filling

3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar (can increase, per your taste)
5 eggs*
2 cups mango puree**
3 teaspoons lemon juice

Oven temperature: 300 degrees. Using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Mix in sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Mix in mango puree and lemon juice. Pour into crust.

I used a water bath method to cook it.*** (This prevents cracking.) Place the pan in 1 or 2 layers of aluminum foil, then place in a large roasting pan. Pour in enough cold water to go 3/4 the way up the side of the cheesecake pan. Bake for 90 minutes. (The cheesecake should be firm, but still "jiggle".) Turn the oven off and let the cheescake sit in the oven at least 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight. Before serving, run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen it, then unclip the clasp and remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Garnish with mango slices and/or mango puree.

*Next time I would try decreasing the amount of eggs to 3 or 4
**The canned mango puree from the Asian stores is presweetened
***I suppose if you are in a hurry and don't mind possible cracking (easy enough to cover the cracks with a sauce, fruits or whipped cream), you can increase the oven temp to 325, skip the water bath and bake for about 1 hour, cool and refrigerate.

Palak Dal

Palak Dal
(Orange/Red Lentils With Spinach)


1/2 cup mysor (red) dal
3 cups water
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

Bring dal, water and garlic to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until dal is soft. Skim off any foam that rises. To this, add:

2 handfuls of spinach (palak) leaves, rinsed
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Continue to simmer.

Meanwhile, heat a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil in a small pan. When oil is hot, add:

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

When the mustard seeds begin to "pop", add:

3 red chilies, broken in half
1 green chili (jalapeno), sliced lengthwise
1 small onion, chopped

Saute until onions are soft and translucent. Add to cooked dal/spinach mixture along with:

1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (to taste)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)

Simmer for 5 minutes to meld the flavors.

Serve with chapati or rice.

Chicken Marsala

2 large chicken breasts
Flour
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Old Bay seasoning (or seasoning of your choice)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil
2 pieces of bacon, chopped
16 oz mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup marsala
1 1/2 cup water
1 chicken bouillion cube (about 1 teaspoon of granules)
2 tablespoons butter

Slice chicken breasts in half. (Mine are always large and thick, but I like them to be serving size.) Flatten between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound out with a rolling pin until 1/4 to 1/2" thick.

Mix together about a 1/2 cup of flour, a teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning (to taste), oregano and the salt and pepper.

While heating the olive oil in a pan over medium heat, toss the chicken breasts in the flour mixture. When oil is hot, add the floured chicken breasts. Cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. (Chicken should be fully cooked. If both sides are browned and chicken is not fully cooked, can place in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes to complete the cooking process.)

Remove the chicken breasts and lower heat. Add bacon and saute until browned. Add mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper to taste and and cook until tender, 5-7 minutes. Add marsala and cook for about 7 minutes. Add hot water and chicken bouillion, and simmer until desired consistency is reached. Add butter. Add chicken breasts, heat.

Serve over pasta or with a side of yummy garlic mashed potatoes . . .

Nasi Goreng - Indonesian Fried Rice

Credit goes to my dad, the world traveller, for this one. He first tasted this in Indonesia, came home and experimented in the kitchen until it came out to his satisfaction (and ours!) Great use of leftovers and endless possibilities -- add egg, chopped ham, shrimp, chicken drumstick on the side, cabbage, green beans . . . excellent use of leftovers.

Ingredients

Cook previous day, refrigerate overnight:
2 cups uncooked rice (dry variety like basmati)
__

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 inches ginger, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, shredded
1 cup frozen peas (or other vegetables, to taste)

2 tablespoons sesame oil
2-3 tablespoons sambal sauce (red chili paste with ginger and garlic-yum)
4 teaspoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Heat vegetable oil in a large wok or frying pan, when hot add the onion, ginger and garlic. Stir fry until onion tender, add carrots, and last, the peas.

Meanwhile, mix the sesame oil, sambal, and fish, sweet soy and soy sauces together. Add the the stirfried vegetables and mix well. To this mixture add the cold rice and stirfry, until mixed thoroughly.

Chapati

Thus far, the only chapati recipe that turns out for me! Other times the chapati becomes too hard (could use it as a frisbee)!

Ingredients

2 cups chapati flour
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 - 1 cup boiling water

Method

Mix flour and salt together. Add butter, and cut together with flour until mixture is soft and crumbly. Add half water, mix. Add remaining water little at a time until the dough is soft - knead until it becomes a smooth ball, not too dry, just slightly sticky. Then let the dough rest for at least a half hour. Divide the dough evenly, roll until flat. In a flat bottom pan, cook over medium heat until you see small bubbles in the chapati. Turn and cook on the other side.

Note(s): If I don't have chapati flour I mix a little whole wheat flour with all purpose.