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Tag: garam masala

Chicken Curry

Curry Chicken2

  • 1 pound chicken thighs, with or without bones, without skin
  • ½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons half and half
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 inch fresh ginger, grated
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala

Mix the yogurt, half and half, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, salt and garam masala in a bowl. Add to a zip lock bag with the chicken and marinate in the fridge overnight or at least 2 hours. Keep aside.

  • 1 medium yellow onion, cut in half
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, washed
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 green cardamoms, crushed
  • 2 cloves

Add the onion, tomatoes, chicken broth, cardamom and cloves to a medium pan. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 30 minutes or till everything is soft and mushy. Blend in a blender till smooth.

  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • ½ cinnamon stick
  • Salt
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a large saucepan with the olive oil and cinnamon stick. Add the blended onion mixture and sauté on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken including the marinade. Mix well and cook on a medium heat covered for 20 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Take the lid off and turn the heat up to cook the extra moisture off, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro.
Chicken Curry1

Cauliflower and Potatoes Sauteed with Tomatoes

Cauliflower and Potatoes Sauteed with Tomatoes1

  • 1 cauliflower head, cut into florets
  • 4 to 5 medium sized yellow potatoes, cut into ½ inch wedges
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ajwain (carom) seeds
  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 inch ginger, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the cumin and ajwain seeds and sauté on medium high heat till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the onion, ginger and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté for another 4-5 minutes. Add the salt, turmeric, coriander powder and garam masala. Mix well and add the cauliflower and potatoes. Mix well and lower the heat and cover for 15 minutes or till the potatoes and cauliflower are tender. Turn the heat up and uncover the pan and sauté, stirring constantly. Saute for 5-6 minutes, till the excess moisture at the bottom of the pan has evaporated. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro.

Chicken with Almond and Cilantro Curry

  • 1 pound chicken thighs, skinless and boneless, cut into 2 inch pieces
  • ½ cup full fat yogurt
  • ¼ cup half and half
  • ¼ cup fresh mint
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro
  • 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and cut
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Add the yogurt, half and half, mint, cilantro, ginger, garam masala and salt to a blender and blend till a smooth sauce is formed. Transfer to a mixing bowl with the chicken pieces and marinate for at least 2 to 3 hours, preferably over night.

  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • ½ cup hot water

Soak the almonds in the hot water for an hour and then place in a blender and blend till a smooth paste is formed, keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ teaspoon mace
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
  • 1 cinnamon stick, ½ inch
  • 1 medium onion, chopped

Heat a heavy saucepan with the butter. Add the mace, nutmeg, black cumin seeds and cinnamon stick. Saute on medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the onion and sauté on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the almond paste and sauté for another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken with the marinade and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover with lid and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take the lid off and check for seasonings. Turn the heat up to cook off any excess moisture. Mix well and serve warm with rice or rotis.

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

Kadhi1

  • 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

Kadhi3

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.

Kadhi4

Brown Lentils with Tomatoes & Onions

Lentils with Tomatoes and Onions

  • 1 cup brown lentils
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • ½ cup crushed tomatoes
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 inch ginger, grated
  • 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala

Add the lentils into a medium bowl. Add the chicken broth, onion, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, oil, salt, turmeric and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium low heat for 30 to 45 minutes – or till the lentils are soft and the consistency is between a soup and a stew. Add the garam masala. Check for seasonings and serve with rice.

Cauliflower and Potatoes with Ajwain

Cauliflower and Potatoes with Ajwain

  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into large florets
  • 2 large Idaho potatoes, cut into long wedges and par boiled
  • 1 large cookie sheet
  • 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
  • 3 teaspoons ajwain
  • 3 teaspoons salt

Place the cauliflower and potatoes on to the cookie sheet. Drizzle the oil and sprinkle the ajwain and salt. Mix well with fingers. Brown under a high broiler for ten minutes, or till vegetables are golden brown. Take out and keep aside.

  • 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 inch ginger, grated
  • 1 cup crushed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • Salt
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Heat a wok like pan with the olive oil. Add the onions, ginger and garlic. Saute on a medium high heat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and potatoes. Add the turmeric, cayenne pepper, coriander and garam masala. Mix gingerly making sure not to break the vegetables. Check for seasonings and add salt. Garnish with cilantro.

Easy Indian Recipe: Cauliflower and Peas- Gobi Mattar

Gobi Mattar

1 cauliflower head- florets cut into ½ inch pieces

1 cup frozen peas

3 tablespoons extra light olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 inch ginger, chopped

2 serrano chilies, deseeded and chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 cup cilantro, chopped and divided in half

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons coriander powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

In a large wide saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, ginger and green chilies. Saute on high heat for a minute and add the cumin seeds. Saute for 4-5 minutes on medium high heat. Add the cauliflower florets and half cup cilantro. Add the salt, turmeric and coriander powder. Saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and cover for about 10 minutes or till the cauliflower is cooked. Take the lid off and add the peas. Mix well and cook for a few minutes till the peas are warmed through. Add the remaining cilantro and garam masala. Check for seasonings.