Category Archives: Indian Cuisine
South Indian Style Brown Fried Rice with Red Pepper and Green Beans
I love south indian style lemon rice… and make it often… so I was in the mood but wanted to make it healthier and filled with veggies- so I came up with this recipe… I cooked it with brown rice and added peppers and green beans.. check it out- it is yummy!
- 1 cup brown jasmine rice, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups water
Transfer the rice to a heavy saucepan with the oil and sauté on medium heat for a minute. Add the salt and water, bring to a boil and cover partially with a lid and lower the heat to a low medium. Continue cooking, about 15 minutes till all the water is cooked off from the surface. Place the lid on the pan and lower the heat to a very low and continue cooking for at least 20 minutes or till cooked. Fluff with fork and let cool.
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 12-15 curry leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon white moong dal
- 1 tablespoon channa dal
- ¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- ½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 cup green beans, chopped
- Salt
- Juice of half a large lemon
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Add the oil to a wok like saucepan with the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, moong dal, channa dal, coconut and peanuts. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the onion and ginger and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the red pepper and green beans and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cooled brown rice, salt and lemon juice. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes, check for seasonings and finish off with the cilantro. Serve with grilled meats or lentils.
Creamy Paneer and Peas (Mattar Paneer)
This is yummy interpretation of a classic mattar paneer…
2 tablespoons ghee or butter
1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
3 cloves
2 inch cinnamon stick
1 medium yellow onion
4 garlic cloves
2 inch fresh ginger
1 cup tomato puree
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups paneer, grated
½ cup cream
1½ cups frozen peas
½ cup cilantro, chopped
Transfer the onion, garlic and ginger to a processor and process till finely chopped.
Heat a large frying pan with the ghee/butter. Add the cumin, cloves and cinnamon. Saute on medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the onion mixture and sauté on medium heat, stirring constantly for about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato puree, salt, turmeric, cayenne pepper and coriander and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the paneer and cream. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer and cook with lid on for 5 minutes. Add the frozen peas, cover with lid and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro.
Quick Chicken Curry with Curry Leaves
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch pieces
Marinade
- Juice of a large lime
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Marinate the chicken pieces with the lime juice, salt, coriander and cayenne pepper for 2 to 3 hours.
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
- 10 to 12 curry leaves
- 2 medium yellow onions, sliced
- 1 serrano pepper, slice in half
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Salt
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Heat a large saucepan with coconut oil. Add the fennel seeds, curry leaves, onion, Serrano pepper and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 4 to 5 inutes. Add the turmeric, coriander powder and a teaspoon of salt. Saute on medium heat for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken with the marinade and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover with lid and cook for about 15 minutes. Take the lid off and let the chicken simmer on medium heat for another 5 to 6 minutes. Check for seasonings and garnish with garam masala and cilantro. Serve with rice and roti.
Channa Masala and Spinach Fried Rice Bowls
I love making noodle and rice bowls and so I thought why couldn’t I make one with Indian ingredients.. that is how this bowl came about. If you want to leave it completely vegetarian and more vegan, eliminate the egg.
- 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked for at least 2 to 3 hours
- 1 14 ounces can fire roasted tomatoes with chili
- 1 small onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 inch fresh ginger
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 3 cloves
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 black tea bag
- 3 cups water
- Salt
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
Transfer the tomatoes, onion, garlic and ginger to a blender. Blend well till everything is well combined and formed into a sauce. Keep aside. Heat a pressure cooker to a large saucepan with the butter. Add the cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Saute for 30 seconds on medium heat. Add the drained chickpeas, tea bag, salt and water. Bring to a boil and follow directions for the pressure cooker and cook under pressure for 2 hours. If using a regular saucepan, cook for 2 to 3 hours or more depending on how long the chickpeas were soaked. Keep adding more water as needed. Once the chickpeas are soft and tender, bring to a boil and cook till a thick soup consistency if formed. Check for seasonings and garnish with garam masala.
Spinach Brown Rice with Mustard Seeds Fried Rice
- 1 cup brown rice, rinsed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups water
Heat a medium saucepan with the butter. Add the rice and salt and sauté for a minute. Add the water and bring to a boil. Partially cover the saucepan with lid and cook on medium low heat till most of the water is cooked away, about 15 minutes. Cover with lid and lower the heat to low and cook for another 20 to 25 minutes or till the rice is cooked through. Fluff rice with fork and let cool.
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 4 to 5 curry leaves
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 pounds baby spinach, chopped
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- Salt
Heat a wok like pan with the coconut oil. Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves and cook for 30 seconds on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat. Add the spinach and let it wilt, add the cool rice and soy sauce. Cook on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add salt if needed.
Tomato and Cucumber Relish
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup cucumbers, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Juice of one lemon
Mix everything together and keep aside.
Assemble bowls with the spinach rice, channa masala and relish. Top with fried eggs if desired and garnish with some chili sauce.
Paneer and Peas Korma
- ½ pound paneer, cut into small squares and soaked in warm water
- 2 tablespoons fresh cashews, soaked in ¼ cup warm water for 20 minutes
- 2 tablespoons cream
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
Transfer the drained cashews, cream, onion, tomato, ginger and garlic to a blender. Add some water if necessary and blend till a smooth paste is formed. Keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ inch cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
- 1-2 cups water
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon kauri methi (dried fenugreek)
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil. Add the bay leave and cinnamon stick and sauté for 20 seconds. Add the cashew paste and sauté on medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the cayenne pepper, turmeric, salt and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the drained paneer and peas and bring back to a boil and simmer half covered with a lid for 10 minutes. Add the kasuri methi and cilantro. Check for seasonings and serve warm.
Indian Fish Curry
This recipe is inspired by a bengali fish curry. It doesn’t have any tomatoes or yogurt as a base for the gravy. It is mostly flavored with spices including mustard seeds and onion seeds- which is one of my favorite combinations. It is quite simple and quick to make…
- 2 pounds fish fillets, (any white fish will do)
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons salt
Marinate the fish fillets with the lemon juice, turmeric and salt.
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons kalonji (onion seeds)
- 2 tablespoons garlic, grated
- 2 tablespoons ginger, grated
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped fine
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups water, fish or chicken broth
- Salt
Heat a non stick pan with the 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Saute the fish pieces briefly on high heat. Keep aside. Add the leftover oil from the non-stick pan to a saucepan and add the remaining coconut oil. Heat the pan and add the mustard and onion seeds on medium heat. Saute for a minute. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onions, coriander powder and bay leaf. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the liquid and salt and bring to a boil. Add the fish pieces and simmer for a few minutes till the fish is cooked through but not over done. Check for seasonings and serve with rice.
Chicken Korma
- 1½ skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½ inch pieces
Marinade
- 1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup low-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup half and half
- ½ medium yellow onion, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 inch ginger, grated
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Mix the yogurt, sour cream, half and half, onion, garlic, ginger, salt and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl. Add the chicken pieces and marinate for at least 2 to 3 hours if not over night.
- ½ cup cashews soaked over night in ½ cup hot water
Blend the cashews with the water into a paste. Keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds (shaahi zeera)
- 2 green cardamoms, crushed
- 1 ½ inch cinnamon stick
- 3 to 4 cloves, crushed
- 1 large or 2 small yellow onions, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Heat a deep saucepan with the oil. Add the cumin, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. Cook on medium heat for about 30 seconds. Add the onions, garlic, cashew paste and cook medium heat for at least 20 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken with the marinade and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Check every 10 minutes, making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Take the lid off and turn the heat up to medium high and let the excess moisture evaporate- another 10 minutes stirring constantly. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro.