Tag: saunf
Cardamom Fennel Chicken Tikkas
This is a great recipe for the summer- who doesn’t like chicken tikkas??? The only trick is to give the marinade some time to do its work.. the rest is easy…
- 1 pound chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
Marinade
- ½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons half and half
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground to a powder
- 4 to 6 cardamom pods, ground to a powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Juice of one lime
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
Mix the yogurt, half and half, ginger, fennel, cardamom, salt and lime juice in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and mix well. Marinate for at least 2 to 3 hours, preferably 24 hours.
Take the chicken pieces out of the marinade. Place on to a line cookie sheet. Drizzle the oil all over the chicken pieces. Place into a high broiler and broil both sides until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve hot and with cilantro chutney.
Kashimiri Koftas (Indian Style Meatballs in a Yogurt Gravy)
My mom has been making these meatballs ever since I can remember. A friend from Kashmir taught her these a long time ago. Since then the dish has been tweaked to perfection. Technically speaking- it is not a typical Kashmiri dish. My mom has changed it over the years by adding more onions to the gravy, etc- she has made it her own.
I had never made these before. I would usually wait for my Mom to visit and make this delicious dish. I finally decided to write down the recipe and try it on my own. It is a bit laborious- but definitely worth all the work.
It is a bit different than the rest of Indian dishes I have posted- the dish does not have any tomatoes or garlic. The main flavorings in the meat are ground fennel and ginger powder. The gravy includes whole cinnamon and cloves. The most interesting flavor comes from asafetida. It has a very distinct flavor. If you can’t find it, no worries- just eliminate it. The dish will be good even without this spice.
Serve it with naans or rotis. I would highly recommend this dish- try it and it will part of your repertoire…
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Mutton with Yogurt Gravy
As I have mentioned before, goat is my favorite meat to eat. I can eat it everyday! I love the earthy, falling off the bone taste- yum!
This particular recipe is Kashmiri inspired. A lot of Kashmiri dishes are yogurt based. They also have, fennel and ginger powder. These particular spices give the dish a savory yet sweet flavor- very distinct indeed. It is a flavor I absolutely love and according to me, it goes perfectly well with goat meat.
If you don’t have access to goat meat- by all means use dark meat chicken or any other stew meat- lamb or even beef will be delicious- but nothing like goat.
I also used a bit of baked onions in the gravy. The onions give the dish a great, long cooked flavor.
Overall the dish was delicious. I made fresh rotis and that is all we needed…
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Achari Gosht- Pickled Goat Meat
My Mom has been making this dish as long as I can remember. I particularly remember eating this goat dish when we went for picnics or a train ride to visit my cousins. It was cooked for those occasions since it was essentially ‘pickled’. It doesn’t go bad and can be kept outside for a long time. We would eat it room temperature and it was delicious.
It has a strong flavor of cooked onions with the tomato paste and is cooked for a while to cook off any water coming out of the vegetables. It is a concentrated flavor and so a little goes a long way. Typically Indian pickles consist of onion seeds, fennel seeds, etc. This dish has those flavors. Vinegar is added to finish the dish.
This dish can be made with any kind of stew meat. You can make it with dark meat chicken as well. To me, the goat tastes the best- I guess since I grew up eating it- that is what I like.
Looking at the list of ingredients, it may seem like a complicated dish- it isn’t. It does take a while to make it but it is totally worth it. It keeps for a while in the fridge so it is great to make a big batch and eat it once in a while. It is perfect for when there is nothing to eat and you don’t have time to cook anything. Take some pickled mutton out and eat it with a naan- yum!!!
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Brown Lentils with Fennel Seeds
These lentils are really delicious and easy to make. I used a few ingredients that are more prevalent in Kashmiri cuisine. I used fennel seeds and black cumin seeds. Fennel seeds are usually used for both sweet and savory dishes. I love the flavor it imparts in the savory ones. It gives them a very floral, earthy taste and aroma. It is one of my favorite spices to use. I especially love it in tea.
For these lentils, I started by cooking them in chicken broth. Typically lentils in India are cooked in water but I have been using chicken broth. I like it because it imparts extra flavor without a lot of effort. I added ginger, salt and turmeric.
The lentils don’t take very long to make. Once they became soft, I added sauteed fennel and cumin seeds. I tasted for seasonings and cooked the dal for another few minutes before I turned the heat off. I then added some low fat sour cream to finish off the dish. It provided a nice tang and delicious creaminess without a lot of calories. I served the dal with some rice and it was a great meal.
The fennel and cumin flavor came through clearly in the dish. It is a bit different and delicious- definitely try the brown lentils with fennel seeds…
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Achari Gobi Aaloo- Cauliflower and Potatoes Sauteed in Pickling Spices
As I have mentioned many times before, my darling husband loves cauliflower. To say he loves it, is an understatement. I like it as well but don’t make it often enough for him. I keep trying to explain to him that I need new ways of cooking the same vegetable if I want to post the recipe on the blog.
I found a fabulous looking head of cauliflower at the supermarket and picked it up immediately. I wasn’t sure how I was going to cook it. As I was going through my pantry, I came across some Indian condiments including spicy pickles. Most Indian pickles consist of fennel, cumin and onion seeds, etc.
I decided to use these spices in the cauliflower dish and make it with potatoes- which is the classic combination most people are familiar with.
I also used mustard and fenugreek seeds with a combination of onion, ginger, garlic and tomatoes. This is the type of dish you will find at Indian weddings in India. It’s rich, vibrant and full of flavor. It is also very appealing to the eye and did I mention delicious! The sweet cauliflower is a great complement to the flavorful spices in there.
I cannot tell you how my husband devoured this dish. He didn’t want me to share it with anyone- which I normally do since I churn so much food out of my kitchen- I like to give some away. He wanted to have it all to himself and asked me to make this dish again.
I guess its back to drawing board for me- trying to come up with new cauliflower recipes…. Enjoy- this one is a keeper.
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 3-4 white potatoes, cut into wedges
- 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon onion seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 2 medium white onions, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 3 inch ginger, sliced thin
- 3 serrano chilies, deseeded and sliced
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
In a large wok like pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, cumin, fennel, mustard and fenugreek seeds. Saute for a minute on high heat, or till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and Serrano chilies. Saute for 5-7 minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the cauliflower and potatoes. Mix well and add the salt, turmeric, cayenne pepper, coriander powder and garam masala. Mix well, turn the heat to low and cover and cook for 15 minutes. Take the lid off to check if the potatoes are tender. Turn the heat up and cook the excess moisture accumulated at the bottom of the pan. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes on high. Check for seasonings and add the cilantro before serving.
Sauteed Eggplant and Peppers
I have been making this dish for a very long time now. It is a combination of two eggplant dishes- one that my Mom makes and another that I read years ago in an Indian cook book. My Mom’s dish is quite complicated to make and includes a lot of steps. I love the texture of the dish especially because it includes roasted peanuts. The one from the cooking book includes onion and fennel seeds- which remind me of tangy pickles! Most people in India, pickle vegetables and fruits with a mix of spices that sometimes include onion and fennel seeds. There is a specific mango pickle I think of that has those spices. Whenever I taste and smell that mix, it reminds me of sweet and tangy things. I decided to combine the two recipes and add the onion and fennel seed mixture as well as some raisins and peanuts to give the dish more texture. It turned out to be a very easy and quick dish to make. The eggplant cooks down and becomes very soft and silky. The red peppers give the dish great color and sweetness. I use crushed tomatoes that add a sweet and sour taste. My favorite part of the dish is getting a mouth full of eggplant, peppers with some golden raisins and roasted peanuts all together! This dish can be served with some lentils and rice or it can make a wonderful side with fish, chicken, pork or steak!
- 1 big eggplant or 2-3 Japanese eggplants, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 small red peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon onion seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 medium onion, chopped fine
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
- 2 inches ginger, chopped fine
- 1 cup crushed tomato
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- ¼ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Process the onion, ginger and garlic. In a large pan, heat the olive oil. Add the cumin, onion and fennel seeds. Cook on high for about 10-20 seconds or when they start to sizzle. Add the onion, ginger and garlic mixtures. Saute on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the crushed tomato, sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add the eggplants and the peppers. Mix well. Add the turmeric, cayenne pepper, coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well and lower the heat to medium low. Cover the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes or till the eggplant and peppers are soft. Adjust seasonings and add the raisins and peanuts. Garnish with cilantro.