Tag: fenugreek seeds

Punjabi Kadhi- Potato Fritters Cooked in a Yogurt Gravy

Kadhi 1

Amazing recipe I haven’t posted in a while…

This is a delicious dish I grew up with. My mom would make it once in a while and when she did – we all looked forward to it. For me it is one of those things I like to eat every few months- not all the time- not sure why- maybe because it is a bit labor intensive so people don’t end up making it very often.

This dish also has a few hard to find ingredients- including asafetida, fenugreek seeds and dried fenugreek. These ingredients are available at any Indian grocery store or online.

The dish is essentially a yogurt gravy thickened with besan (chickpea flour). Potato fritters are fried made with onions, ginger, cilantro,etc and are added to the thickened yogurt gravy.

Last but not least, the dish is seasoned with a mixture of fenugreek seeds and chili peppers and topped with dried fenugreek leaves.

The dish has a very distinct flavor imparted by the asafetida and the fenugreek seeds. You could make it without either and it will still taste good.

Try this on a Sunday afternoon when you have some time to spend in the kitchen- our family will love it…

Yogurt Gravy

6 cups low-fat plain yogurt (it should be nice and tangy), whisk till smooth
1 cup besan (chickpea flour), sifted
7 cups water
Salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon asafetida powder

Add the yogurt and besan to a large saucepan. Whisk till smooth, getting rid of all lumps. Add the water, salt, turmeric and asafetida powder. Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 45 minutes to an hour.

Potato Fritters

2 cups besan (chickpea flour)
1 large potato, chopped into ¼ inch dice
½ cup cilantro, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
½ small red onion, chopped
2 inch grated ginger
1 teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons coriander powder
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons baking powder
¾ cup water

Mix the besan, potato, cilantro, green onions, red onion, ginger, garam masala, cayenne pepper, coriander powder, salt and baking powder into a medium bowl. Add the water slowly while mixing the ingredients with your hands. The consistency should be like a wet potato salad.

Kadhi

2 cups extra light olive oil

Place the oil into a wok like saucepan and heat the oil to 375 degrees. Form soft balls with a spoon and gently fry in the oil. Try not to over crowd. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes or till the fritters are golden brown. Take out and drain in a paper towel lined platter. Repeat process till all the mixture is used up.
Add the fritters to the simmering yogurt gravy. Turn the heat off.

Seasonings

2 tablespoons extra light olive oil (you can same oil you used for frying)
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
¼ teaspoon asafetida
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 dried chili pepper

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Heat the oil in a small frying pan. Add the fenugreek seeds, asafetida, cayenne pepper and the chili peppers. Saute on medium heat till the seeds begin to sizzle, about 30 seconds. Add the seasoned oil into the gravy. Mix and check for seasonings.

Garnish

1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (methi)

Garnish with garam masala and methi. Serve hot with plain rice.

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Chicken Curry with a Fenugreek Cream Sauce

This is a very simple dish to make… the only catch is to make sure you have fenugreek seeds and dried fenugreek.. any Indian store will have it and a little goes a long way… especially the seeds. Fenugreek has a very earthy yet pungent flavor.. it adds a certain nuance to a dish which is hard to explain.. you will have to try it yourself… oh and btw, the naans from yesterday will go fabulously with this dish…

2 tablespoons coconut oil
¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 inch ginger, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon dried fenugreek
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons full fat yogurt
2 tablespoons half and half
1 cup water
1 pound chicken thighs, skinless, cut into 2 inch pieces
Salt to taste
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a wok like pan with the coconut oil. Add the fenugreek and cumin seeds. Saute for 30 seconds on medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onion and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the fenugreek powder, coriander powder, garam masala, sugar and cayenne pepper. Saute for a minute and add the yogurt, half and half and the water. Bring to a boil. Take off heat and transfer to a blender. Blend till smooth and return to the pan. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken and salt. Simmer the chicken covered with lid for 15 to 20 minutes. Check for seasonings, garnish with cilantro and serve.

Achari Chicken Tikkas (Chicken Cooked In Pickling Spices)

I am always looking for different ways to cook chicken- I guess so is everyone else. It is easy to pick it up while doing your weekly shop- or in my case- daily shop. I have to admit- I prefer chicken thighs to any other part of the bird. I find it very versatile, forgiving and full of flavor. I especially use it when making ethnic dishes.

I love making chicken tikkas- my daughter loves them- and I feel good about giving her delicious, organic meat with some veggies on the side.

I felt like eating tikkas but I wanted to prepare them a little differently than my usual. The cooking method is the same- it is the marinade that is completely different- sky is the limit when it comes to flavoring the yogurt. I made a spice mix which is similar to pickling spices used in Indian pickles. It is a classic mixture of fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds with onion seeds, etc. It gives the chicken a delicious sweet, savory and liquorice flavor.

These are best if marinated over night- if you didn’t plan ahead, no worries- a couple of hours will be fine as well. Keep this recipe in mind as you start thinking of grilling outside- enjoy!!

Achari Mix

2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
2 teaspoon onion seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds

Roast the seeds on stovetop until aromatic on medium heat- about 2 to 3 minutes. Cool and grind to a powder. Keep aside.

1½ pounds chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
¾ cups non-fat Greek yogurt
¼ cup half and half
Juice of one lemon
3 teaspoons salt
½ red onion, sliced thin
1 lemon cut into wedges

Marinate the chicken in the garlic, ginger, yogurt, half and half, lemon juice, salt and the spice powder. Let it sit in the fridge over night or at least 2 to 3 hours.
Skewer the chicken pieces and cook under a broiler or on an outdoor grill. Cook till golden brown. Serve on a platter with sliced onions and lemon wedges.

Hyderabadi Style Chicken

We are all guilty of being stuck in a rut- especially when it comes to cooking. I realized, I had not cooked Indian food in a while- not sure what my rut was but it certainly wasn’t Indian food. I decided to change that and come up with a delicious chicken curry!

2 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in or out, without skin
½ cup Greek yogurt
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 inch ginger, grated
½ cup cilantro, chopped fine
Juice of one lemon
2 teaspoons salt

Mix the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cilantro, lemon juice and salt. Transfer to a medium bowl with the chicken. Marinate over night or at least 2 to 3 hours.

Spice Mix

½ cup grated coconut (I use frozen)
2 green cardamoms
4 cloves
2 dried red chilies
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
½ inch cinnamon stick
¼ cup chopped almonds

Process all the ingredients in a spice grinder (coffee grinder) and keep aside.

3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup tomato puree
½ cup water
Salt

Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil. Add the onion and sauté on medium high heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add the spice mix and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the tomato puree and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken and water. Bring to a boil and simmer with lid for 35 to 40 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Take lid off and cook on high heat to cook off the excess liquid. Add salt if necessary. Serve warm with rice or quinoa.

Kerala Fry Shrimp

1 pound medium shrimp, cleaned and deveined

Dry Rub

2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
2 teaspoons salt

Add the spices into a spice grinder and grind to a powder. Sprinkle the spice rub all over the shrimp and marinate in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours.

1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
3 tablespoons corn starch

Take the shrimp out of fridge and sprinkle with corn flour.

4 to 5 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and grated
8 to 9 curry leaves, sliced
½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a wok like pan with the coconut and olive oil. Saute the shrimp in a few batches making sure not to over crowd the pan. Saute for about a minute or two and take out onto a platter. Reheat the pan on a simmer and add the garlic, ginger and curry leaves. Saute on a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and sauté for another few minutes on high heat until shrimp is done. Garnish with cilantro and add salt if necessary. Serve warm.

South Indian Fish Curry

South Indian Fish Curry We were in the city on a Monday for lunch and as usual even after a delicious meal- I was thinking about what to cook for dinner. I asked my husband for ideas and he suggested some thing South Indian. I reminded him Mondays are my busy day since our daughter has some activities after school and we don’t get home until about 6 PM. I don’t get a lot of time to cook and my daughter is super hungry when we get home. So, I need to prepare something in the afternoon and put it together quickly once we get home.

I ended up making a South Indian style fish curry- I happened to have cod in the freezer which I took out as soon as I got home. I processed shallots and ginger together. I roasted cumin, fenugreek and mustard seeds and ground them up. The spice mixture holds the key to this curry- it gives it great flavor.

I marinated the fish with some shredded coconut, tamarind concentrate, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, turmeric and salt. Remember to keep the fish in the fridge and only marinate for an hour. The rest was easy- I started with sauteing the shallots and curry leaves and then added the spice mix. I then added the coconut milk and fish stock.

The curry was delicious, especially with the Indian style polenta- yes, you read it correctly.. recipe to follow tomorrow…
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Tomato Rice with Peas

Tomato Rice This is my version of a South Indian rice dish my husband has all the time at restaurants. I have never made it before and thought it would be nice to try it at home. It is essentially cooked rice sauteed with a lot of spices, lentils and curry leaves. I decided to take it to another level and make a one pot meal out of it. How much do we love one pot meals?

In order to make this dish balanced I added frozen peas and shredded paneer which is an Indian style cheese. So now I had vegetables and protein in the rice dish. I guess if you wanted to be even more healthy, you can use brown rice instead of the white.

The rice dish was super flavorful with the mustard seeds, curry leaves, and a blend of spices. The crushed tomatoes and peanuts made this dish fabulous. My daughter is not into nuts- so all I did was take them out for her. She was very skeptical trying the rice- but once she had a bite, she was sold…
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