Tag: curry leaves
Chicken Curry with a South Indian Twist
I concocted this dish for a dinner party we had. I wanted to make a traditional chicken curry but with a twist… a South Indian twist.. which meant I used curry leaves and mustard seeds… it was delicious…
- 1 pound chicken thighs, skinless and cut into 2 inch pieces
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 inch ginger piece, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
Process the garlic, ginger and cilantro. Add to a small bow with the yogurt and salt. Mix well and add to a large zip lock bag with the chicken. Marinate over night or at least 2 to 3 hours.
- 1 14 ounces can diced fire roasted tomatoes with chilies
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cardamom pods
- 2 cloves
- 1 cup chicken broth
Transfer all the ingredients to a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Take off the heat and transfer to a blender and blend till smooth. Keep aside.
- 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 8 to 10 curry leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the curry leaves, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Saute for a minute and add the chicken with the marinade. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes on high heat. Add the blended tomato mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Take the lid off and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes. Check for seasonings.
Pepper Chicken Curry
Spice Mix
- 2 teaspoons whole peppercorns
- 4 cloves
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
Roast the spices and grind, keep aside.
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 5 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, skin off with bone
Mix the spices, oil, ginger, garlic and salt. Mix well and rub all over the chicken pieces and marinate for 2 to 3 hours.
- 2 tablespoons ghee or butter
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 10 to 15 curry leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Heat a heavy saucepan with the ghee. Brown the chicken pieces on both sides on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes each. Take the pieces out and add the onion and curry leaves. Add the turmeric and sauté on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken pieces and broth. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer and cover with lid. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes and take the lid off to check if chicken is done. Increase the heat to cook any excess liquid in the pan. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro.
Cabbage and Carrots
My husband loves cabbage… so I try to make it a different way each time I cook it, which is not too often as I am not a huge fan. I will eat it but I never seek it out in a grocery store. I should since it is so healthy to eat…
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 10 to 15 curry leaves, chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- ½ cup peanuts, chopped
- 1 tablespoon channa dal
- 1 tablespoon white urad dal
- 3 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ cup cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
Heat a medium pan with the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Cook for a minute. Add the ginger, peanuts, channa dal and urad dal. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat. Add the cabbage, carrots, ground coriander, cayenne pepper and salt. Mix well and sauté on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and cover with lid and cook for 5 minutes. Take lid off and check for seasonings. Serve warm.
Gobi Mattar: Cauliflower and Peas
- 1 small head of cauliflower, florets separated and shredded
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 7-8 curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Juice of half a lemon
- ½ cup chopped cilantro for garnish
In a large wok-like pan heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Saute for a minute, or till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the grated ginger and shredded cauliflower. Saute for at least 20 minutes on medium high heat, stirring constantly, or till the cauliflower begins to turn golden brown. Add coriander powder, turmeric, salt and cayenne pepper. Mix well and sauté for another 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the peas and sauté for another 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice and cilantro. Mix well and check for seasonings before serving.
Healthy South Indian Style Lemon Rice
This is a great dish to eat as a snack or as a starch in a meal- the best part is that they are super healthy. I used brown rice and no one could tell!!
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1½ cups brown rice
- 1 cup coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 3 cups water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons urad dal
- 2 teaspoons channa dal
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 2-3 dried red chilies
- A pinch of asafetida
- ½ cup peanuts, roasted
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Salt to taste
Heat a saucepan with the oil and butter. Add the rice and sauté on medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the coconut milk, turmeric, water and salt. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes. Once the liquid is cooked from the surface, lower the heat and place lid. Cook for another 15 minutes or till the rice is cooked through but not mushy. Cool the rice off once cooked and keep aside.
In a large wok like pan, heat the oil. Add the urad and channa dal and sauté for about 30 seconds on medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and saute for another minute. Next, add the red chilies and asafetida. Add the cooked and cooled rice. Mix well. Add the peanuts, lemon juice and salt. Mix well and serve.
South Indian Style Quinoa
This one is genius- if I do say so myself… the flavors are yum and the whole things is super healthy!
I made this dish with the chicken curry and the whole meal was delicious!
- 1 cup white quinoa
- 2 cups coconut milk
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt
Bring the coconut milk, lemon juice and salt to a boil in a small pan. Add the quinoa and cook according to package directions.
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- ½ cup raw peanuts, rough chop
- 3 to 4 green onions, chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 7 to 8 curry leaves, chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt to taste
Heat a wok like pan with the oil. Add the peanuts, green onions, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves to the pan. Saute on medium heat for a minute or two, until the spices become aromatic. Add the frozen peas and the quinoa. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lemon juice and salt. Taste for seasonings and serve.
Indian Style Polenta
Polenta is a very easy, healthy and quick starch to make. Like rice, it is very versatile and anything and everything can be added to make it yummier. I have made quite a few different kinds in the past.
I made this one Indian style to serve with the fish curry. I started with mustard seeds and curry leaves. I also added a couple of different kinds of lentils for a nice crunch and I also included peanuts.
My original idea was to cook the polenta in coconut milk and chicken broth but then I realized I was out of coconut milk. Instead I cooked it with my normal mixture of milk and chicken broth- both the liquids ensure yummy flavor in the dish.. and this dish was extremely yummy.
The only person who doesn’t like polenta in the house is my daughter. I made her some rice on the side. She does not enjoy the texture of polenta… but I love it…
- 1 cup fine polenta
- 1½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1½ cups milk
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 4 to 5 curry leaves
- 1 tablespoons white moong dal
- 1 tablespoons channa dal
- ½ cup roasted peanuts, chopped
- 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
Heat a medium saucepan with the olive oil. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, moong dal, channa dal and peanuts. Saute on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach and sauté for a minute. Add the broth and milk with the salt. Bring to a boil and add the polenta. Follow package instructions to cook the polenta. Taste for seasonings and serve with the fish curry.