Tag: crushed tomatoes
Cauliflower and Potatoes
Here we go again- this is yet another version of cauliflower. I should go back and look on this blog and count how many different cauliflower recipes I have. It is my husbands favorite thing to eat so I try to make it as much as I can- the problem is, coming up with different versions of the same vegetable- yes you are right- I am patting myself on the back for coming up with a new recipe.
Well, it is really not new. I remember eating this kind of a dish at wedding parties in India. It was not the most healthy way of cooking it.. they would fry the cauliflower florets and potatoes first and then cook it with lots of onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes. It tasted really good but I certainly didn’t want to make it the same way. So- I decided to roast the vegetables in a large cookie sheet to attain similar results. I roasted them till they were soft and golden brown. I then started a saucepan with oil, cumin seeds, onion, ginger and garlic. I later added the crushed tomatoes and other spices.
Overall, it is a fairly simple dish with a few extra steps- but it is worth the work. The dish is delicious…
read more …
Shrimp Saute with Dill and Cilantro
This was one of those quick recipes I came up with. I didn’t think about it much as I made it up.
I had a large bunch of dill in my fridge and wanted to use some up. I took out the jumbo shrimp from the freezer to thaw them out.
I kept it simple and marinated the shrimp in coriander powder and my super flavorful garam masala. I then sauteed the shrimp with onion, ginger and tomatoes. Curry leaves, dill and cilantro bring loads of flavor to this simple dish. It came out unbelievably delicious. While I was making the shrimp, I was thinking of what to make with it to make the meal balanced and healthier. I love rice with shrimp and I decided to make some with spinach and broccoli rabe. It was green in color and looked fabulous with the red shrimp.
While I was finishing up the meal, my daughter and her friend were playing and asked me if the friend could stay for dinner. I stopped and told the friend she could but she would have to eat what ever is for dinner. She said fine and I asked her to come up to the stove to look at the shrimp and the green rice.
As we sat down for dinner, I served my daughter a good amount of shrimp and rice and told her friend I would give her a little bit and if she liked it, I will give her more. She looked skeptical and I reminded her she promised me to try and eat whatever I gave her. Although nothing was spicy, I was still a bit worried about all the different flavors going on in both the dishes.
The meal was a big success and the girls finished everything on their plates. It makes me so happy when kids eat a well balanced meal.
Try this shrimp- you will love it…
read more …
An Easy Indian Recipe: Chicken with Green Beans
My Mom has been making this chicken dish for a very long time. She usually cuts up a whole chicken and uses all the parts- which is the right way to make a chicken curry of any sort… all the pieces in there are from the same chicken- what a concept?? We don’t do that any more… I end up buying a pack of chicken thighs or chicken breast to use for me daily cooking. I am not happy with the idea of using a bunch of different chickens in one dish- I guess I will start buying whole chickens – soon…
I had a pack of chicken thighs which I decided to cook with green beans. Its a one pot meal concept which I like so much. I started off with whole, skinless, boneless thighs which I shredded after they were cooked. I am not really sure why I did that- somehow it seemed like a good idea at the time. I guess my point is that you can do it either way- serve the thighs or breasts whole or shred them.
If you are using breast- I would suggest browning them in the beginning of the cooking process and then removing them to the side till the beans are almost done. Add the breast pieces at the very end and cook them for a few minutes and they will be perfectly tender.
This was a delicious meal with fresh, homemade rotis- yum! Nothing else was needed- thats right we didn’t have any wine with this meal. I had a small serving of a very spicy chili pickle- delicious!
This is a great dish to make for a crowd as well, enjoy!
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ pound green beans, chopped into an inch pieces
- Salt
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 inch piece ginger, roughly chopped
- ½ cup cilantro
Process the onion, garlic, ginger and cilantro into a smooth paste.
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3-4 cloves
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Salt
- 1 cup chicken broth
In a wide saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken pieces, sprinkle with salt. Brown the pieces on both sides for 5-6 minutes each on high heat. Lower the heat to medium and add the cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon stick. Saute for a minute and add the processed onion mixture. Saute on medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, coriander powder, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and cover with lid. Lower the heat and cook for 13-15 minutes or till chicken pieces are cooked. Take the lid off and add the green beans. Place the lid back on the saucepan and cook for another 7-8 minutes, till beans are tender. Take the lid off and increase the heat. Cook the chicken and beans on high till the excess water has evaporated, about 3-4 minutes. Check for seasonings and serve.
Chicken Curry
Who doesn’t like a deliciously cooked chicken curry? So, when my husband said to me, “how come you never cook chicken curry?”, I didn’t have an answer. I was speechless (yes it does happen to me once in a while).
I thought about it and realized I have never made a simple chicken curry before. I usually make chicken with vegetables like spinach, etc but never just chicken curry.
So, I was ready for the challenge! I started thinking of the chicken curry my Mom used to make. It was usually a very lengthy process and I was definitely now up for that.
I decided to use the same process I have in the past to make channa masala or mattar paneer. I used my magic, secret ingredients- the baked or fried onions and chicken broth. Both give the dish a long cooked flavor- and that is exactly what I am looking for.
The dry spices give this curry great flavor- you will not find at any restaurant- so make this at home. Finally, the dried fenugreek is de piece de resistance! It finishes this dish off beautifully. My family loved it- and I did too. I wonder why I never made it before- my guess is because I always thought chicken curry as quite boring- well, there is nothing boring about this recipe…
- 2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 inch piece ginger, minced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Juice of one lemon
Marinate the chicken pieces in a mixture of garlic, ginger, salt and lemon juice for 2-3 hours.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 cloves
- 1 3 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 green cardamom pods, crushed
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1/3 cup baked onions
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt
- ¼ cup kasuri methi (dried fenugreek)
In a processor, add the onion. Process till chopped fine. Keep aside. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick and cardamom pods and sauté for a minute or till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the onion and sauté on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the baked onions and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook stirring consistently for 5-6 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the turmeric, coriander powder, cayenne pepper and salt. Mix well. Add the chicken broth. Cook for 10-15 minutes on medium low heat. Add the kasuri methi. Cook on high heat till reached the desired consistency (it should be between a soup and a stew). Check for seasonings.
Mattar Paneer- Indian Cheese Cooked with Peas
I don’t want you to get intimidated by the long ingredient list. This dish is easy to make- just needs a bit of planning and some preparation. It is worth taking the time out and isn’t it great to know how to make one of the very popular dishes served in an Indian restaurant? If you make it at home, you will save money and it will taste a lot better and it will be a lot healthier. You can control the amount of oil, etc you add to the dish. There is usually a lot of butter and cream added to most Indian dishes with gravy.
The secret ingredient in the dish is the baked onions. It gives this dish a slow and long cooked flavor. The onions are baked with a bit of flour which thickens the gravy- perfect!
All the other spices add delicious savory flavor to the dish. Kasuri methi or dry fenugreek is really the key to finish the dish off. For my readers in the Maplewood/South Orange area- there is a new Indian/Sri Lankan grocery store on Irvington Ave in Maplewood- they will have kasuri methi. It is a great ingredient to have in your pantry and lasts a very long time.
Mattar paneer can be served with rice or roti- either way it tastes really good. It’s my husband’s favorite so he is extremely happy whenever I make it for him…
read more …