Adventures into Indian Food

The full spread!

Coconut Chicken Curry


















I DID IT! I completed my first challenge! Nine and a half months pregnant none the less! Today, I created a masterpiece. Of course that is my opinion, but still... this dinner was fabulous! As you will see by the pictures as well, even my two year old, Jude, LOVED it.
I started prep around two o'clock today, dicing onions and garlic, chopping paneer (the cheese I mentioned in my last post), cubing chicken, mixing spices. I started out by making the base for my Coconut Chicken Curry.

**Side note: There are a TON of spices that go into this recipe. I found that the best place to buy spices for a reasonable price is actually the ethnic markets in town. There is a Middle Eastern market on Franklin and Curtis. There is also an Indian market on Fairview between Liberty and Curtis. Both are excellent options for your spices. They sell more than just ethnic spices as well, so with the grocery store prices, I would definitely recommend trying them first.**

Something I didn't know about spices, is that heat actually activates the oils in dried spices and gives them better flavor. It also makes your house smell really amazing.

Also, it takes longer to cook chicken in liquid than you realize that it does, just FYI. So, I cooked up the spice mix first and split it into two pans. From there I created a chicken and a vegetarian option of the same dish.

**Side note 2: I would not recommend doubling the spice mixture for the Curry if you are going to make a double batch. Maybe do one and a half, but do not double. After eating a bit of it, we noticed that our tongues were a little numb:) That is a lot of Allspice and Cinnamon and other spices to overwhelm your palate with...**

After that one was on the stove, I started on the Tikka Masala. Fewer spices go into this recipe for sure. It is a much simpler dish in my opinion. It also happens to be my favorite of the two. I also made two versions of this one as well. My little sister is not fully a vegetarian, but she would prefer vegetarian options most of the time, so I thought it would be a good way for me to experiment with vegetarian meals and make my sister happy at the same time. While making the vegetarian Tikka however, I had a bit of a mishap. I accidentally mixed the finished Paneer Coconut Curry with the Tikka sauce instead of the paneer mixture that was meant for the Tikka Masala. Thankfully I was able to recover some of the Tikka sauce and make the vegetarian one for my sister, however, she was not able to have the Coconut Curry in it's original state. (It wasn't half bad though, so it wasn't a total bust.) :) It, of course, was a bigger deal to me than it really was I think.

I also got papadam and naan to eat with the meal. For those of you who are unfamiliar with either one, you are missing out. Papadam is a very thin wafer made of lentils. It is often served in a similar way that chips and salsa are at a Mexican restaurant or breadsticks at an Italian restaurant. I bought it in the raw form and all you have to do is fry it for about ten seconds in vegetable oil and then let it dry. Easy enough for sheer bliss:) Naan is a flatbread that is common in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine. I prefer the garlic flavored naan, but there are various flavors that you can try and see what you like the best.

I finished it off with plain white rice to eat with the main dishes. Believe it or not, I had never cooked rice before. I have made instant rice like in the microwave or Rice A Roni or whatever, but I have never made conventional rice where you put the rice and the water in the pot and aren't supposed to take off the lid and all that. I usually make what we call Brown Butter Rice, but it was a long day and it just didn't happen. (It is literally the easiest thing ever. Make up a pot of white rice. When that is finished cooking, brown butter in another pan. Add some parsley flakes or garlic to the mixture if you so choose. When the butter is melted and and browned, pour it over the rice. See? Sooooo Easy! Soooo fatty... and SOOOOOO worth it!)

All in all it took me quite a while to get it done, but it was so worth it. I started about two o'clock and we finally ate around five or five thirty. I have to say though, I am a very, Very, VERY slow cook, so you should not use me as a gauge of how long this meal might take you. Keep in mind also, that I made two versions of each dish to accommodate the vegetarian tastes in the family. I hope I didn't scare you off from trying it, because if you are at all interested in Indian or ethnic foods, or even just trying something new and fun, these dishes are amazing.

Coconut Curry Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon coriander
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon clove
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• salt to taste
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 (14oz) can coconut milk
• 4 tablespoons butter
• Spritz of lime juice to taste

Directions

1. 1. Place Curry, Cumin, Turmeric, Coriander, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove, Allspice, Paprika, Bay Leaves, Cayenne Pepper, and Black pepper in skillet and heat on medium for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. This allows the oils in the spices to activate.
2. 2. Pour olive oil in the skillet with Spices. Then Saute onion until lightly browned about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger, sugar and salt. Continue stirring for another 5 minutes. Add chicken pieces, yogurt, coconut milk, and butter. Bring to a boil, slightly reduce heat, and simmer until sauce reduces to desired thickness, about 30 minutes.
3. 2. Remove bay leaf and serve with lime wedges on the side, spritz with lime juice as desired.

Tikka Masala

Ingredients

• TIKKA MARINADE
• 1/2 Cup Dahi Yogurt (Substitute Greek or American)
• 1 TSP Turmeric
• 1 TSP Grated Ginger
• 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
• 1 TBSP Garam Masala
• 1 TSP Tandoori Masala
• Juice of 1 Lime
• Salt to Taste
• Cilantro Chopped as Desired
• 2 Cups Paneer Cubed(or Chicken)
  
• 1/2 Onion Diced
• 1 Tomato Diced
• 
  
• GRAVY
• 1 TBSP Ghee (Substitute 2 TBSP Butter)
• 2 Cups Tomato Puree
• 1/2 Onion Diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 2 TSP Tandoori Masala
• 2 TSP Garam Masala
• 2 TSP Suger
• Salt to Taste
• 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• Cilantro Chopped for Garnish
• Spritz of lime

Directions

1. TIKKA MARINADE
2. 1. Combine Yogurt, Turmeric, Ginger, Garlic, Garam Masala, Tandoori Masala, Lime Juice, Salt, and Cilantro. Mix well.
3. 2. Add Paneer or Chicken, Onion, and Tomato. Mix well.
4. 3. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Longer is better up to 4 hours.
5. 4. Put marinated Paneer on skewers and bake at 350 for 5 minutes or until browned. (If making the version with chicken, ignore this step and just cook the chicken in the gravy mixture when you combine the two.)
   
6. GRAVY
7. 1. Heat Ghee in sauce pan. Add Onions and Garlic. Saute on medium for 5 minutes.
8. 2. Add Tomato Puree cook for 5 minutes or until oil separates.
9. 3. Add Tandoori Masala, Garam Masala, Suger, Salt, and Cream. Mix well.
10. 4. Remove from heat. Blend till smooth.
11. 5. Add Paneer. Fold gently into the Gravy. (Cook chicken at this point if you make the chicken version)
12. 6. Garnish with Cilantro. Spritz with Lime wedge if desired.

Day one

So, today was one of "those days" that everyone has. I woke up KNOWING that when dinner time rolled around, I was not going to want to be in the kitchen, slaving away. So, I decided that it was a good night to make Taco Soup. It is the easiest (and one of the cheapest) things in the world to make, and I have met very few people who don't like it. Immediately after deciding to make the world's easiest dinner, I was filled with a sense of dread. I realized that if I don't step up my game, I might lose my whole two followers. How boring is something that easy?! My sweet husband knows just how to talk me down, and assured me that I am still just one person, and I am nine and a half months pregnant, so people will understand if I don't make a masterpiece every night. So I put on my big girl pants and settled in on the idea of making taco soup. I have posted the recipe at the end of my blog tonight. It is a fabulous option when you are having one of "those days" that I was referring to at the beginning of my post tonight.

I also made a big decision regarding this blog. My first challenge will be to create two dishes that I have always loved from Indian restaurants. With the current economy, and both my husband and I in school, it's not always possible to eat out whenever I want it. I am going to be creating my attempt at Chicken Tikka Masala and Coconut Chicken Curry. I will be serving it with a garlic naan. I will also be making a vegetarian version of both dishes for my little sister, using an Indian cheese called paneer. Paneer is a form of non melting cheese curd that is often made from goat's milk instead of cow's milk (although the cow's milk version is more readily available in the US). I am so excited to try it out for the first time. I will be making it for a group of people who love food about as much as I do... My family. I will give each of them a comment card when the meal is over and allow them to rate my meal and comment on it. I will be doing this with every meal challenge I take throughout this adventure. I am still calling out to cyberspace for any challenges you may have for me. I don't want to allow myself to take it to easy.



Taco Soup
1 lb Ground Beef or Turkey (I prefer the taste of Ground Turkey and it's lower in fat and healthier for you)
1 can Chili Beans
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Black Beans
1 can Great Northern or Cannellini Beans
2 cans Corn (I like more corn, so I do two instead of one)
3 cans Diced Tomatoes (I use tomatoes with flavoring like garlic or mexican spices just for added flavor)
2 packets of Taco Seasoning

1.) Mix 1 packet Taco Seasoning with the raw ground beef or turkey, making sure to mix the seasoning all throughout evenly.
2.) Cook meat thoroughly and drain excess grease from pan.
3.) Add all of the cans of vegetables and liquid in the cans to a large pot along with the other packet of taco seasoning.
4.) Add meat to mixture with vegetables.
5.) Heat on medium heat until simmering.

I serve it with cheese and sour cream and avocado on top. The combination of the cool sour cream and the hot soup is super awesome. I also like tortilla chips with mine. You can use the Tostitos' Scoops or Fritos' Scoops to eat it and it makes it fun:)
I hope you enjoy this quick and easy dinner option. It is wonderful for "those days."

Excited and Terrified!

As the title states, I am excited and terrified all at the same time! I have been working my way around the kitchen for a while now, and I am actually getting super good at it. However, when I decided to attach some responsibility to it, like this blog, I suddenly became terrified. What if I am not interesting to these people? What if I epically fail at a particular recipe? Am I going to disappoint people if I don't make something interesting enough? Worse yet, what if nobody cares at all?!
So here I am, calling out to the cyber world. I want to be challenged! I want you to hit me with your best shot. I will take any and all suggestions. Do you LOVE a particular weird vegetable? I want to know and I will stick it in a recipe. Do you have a recipe from your great great grandmother that is impossible to make? I would love the recipe and I will try to do Nana proud! I will even let you be my reviewer:) I will totally cook you dinner (or dessert or a snack or whatever). I am so excited to try this and embark on this adventure, hopefully with all of you out there reading this!