I have a thing for curry leaves

Several years ago, I was introduced to Indo-Chinese food and a dish that was loaded with chiles and curry leaves. It sounded a bit weird (some things on the menu were completely unfamiliar and I was wary at first, and a short time later, I affair with curry leaves that has not stopped. 

Usually, that's been in a restaurant, then someone pointed me here. A south Indian curry that is made kosher because it uses coconut oil instead of ghee. It's rich, filling, and deliciously simple. I did boost the spices:

• 500 g chicken (thigh or breast) pieces 
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup coconut milk 
• 1 large onion, sliced into half moons
• 1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste 
• 10 curry leaves 
• 2 green chilies, finely chopped (I used two tiny Thai chiles and two jalapeños)
• 1 tsp red chili powder 
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric 
• 1 tsp ground cumin 
• 2 1/2 cups water (I used vegetable broth here because I didn't want the taste of the chicken broth to overwhelm the coconut
• salt, to taste (I recommend lightly salting the chicken before cooking, that's just enough to enhance flavors )

• Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add onions and fry until they turn brown.
• Add the curry leaves and green chilies, stir and cook for a few minutes.
• Add the chicken pieces, coconut milk, chili powder, turmeric, cumin, salt, and water and cook on a low heat until the chicken is tender. 

I served this over basmati rice, with an appetizer of store-bought papadum and some mint chutney (I can eat enough mint chutney to count as a serving of vegetables). The sauce wasn't as thick as I usually like, but when I had the leftovers, I simmered it for some extra time to make that happen. 

This one will be going into heavy rotation. I've also got some other recipes in mind from the Nosher. There's a fabulous assortment there.

Not a Weeknight Recipe: Dal Makhani

I was introduced to lentils late in life and have loved them in most presentations I've tried. My all-time favorite might be mujadera, which is on my list to make as soon as I'm in the mood for spending an hour or so caramelizing onions.

The other lentil dish that might be my favorite is dal makhani. The recipe I found has some good points and bad points, but the end result was absolutely delicious.

• 1 Cup dry lentils (I used brown ones, red would also do fine)
• 1/4 Cup dry kidney beans, optional (I used these, but they didn't actually cook all the way through and I have no idea why)
• Water to cover (for soaking)
• 5 cups of water (I used broth, and this was really too much)
• 2 Tablespoons salt (I used a T and it turned out to be way too much. I should have considered that there was salt in the low-sodium broth and probably added maybe a teaspoon total)
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil (I used avocado, see below)
• 1 Tablespoon cumin seeds
• 4 cardamom pods (I used 6 because I love cardamom so much)
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken (in several pieces)
• 4 bay leaves
• 6 whole cloves
• 1.5 Tablespoons ginger paste (I keep chopped ginger in a jar around, grating or mincing the same amount would probably be fine, though I suggest if you mince add the ginger earlier in the cooking process to give it time to soften)
• 1.5 Tablespoons garlic paste (see comment above)
• .5 teaspoon ground tumeric (I used more like 2 teaspoons because there was only a little left in the jar)
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)
• 1 Cup canned tomato puree
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 2 Tablespoons ground coriander
• 1/4 cup of butter (half a stick)
• 2 Tablespoons dried fenugeek leaves (I used powdered fenugeek)
• 1/2 Cup cream, optional

I've been using avocado oil lately because of the light taste and I thought this was another great opportunity to take advantage of the lightness.

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• Place lentils and kidney beans in a large bowl; cover with plenty of water. Soak for at least 2 hours or overnight. Drain.
• Cook lentils, kidney beans, 5 cups water, and salt in a pot over medium heat until tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Remove from heat and set aside. Keep the lentils, kidney beans, and any excess cooking water in the pot. The nice part about this step is it gives you time to measure out and have all your ingredients ready. I was talked in cooking classes that you should always do this, but Nexx will tell you I can be a little haphazard when prepping.)
• Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook cumin seeds in the hot oil until they begin to pop, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and cloves; cook until bay leaves turn brown, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low; add ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric, and cayenne pepper. Stir to coat.
• Stir tomato puree into spice mixture; cook over medium heat until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, coriander, and butter; cook and stir until butter is melted.Stir lentils, kidney beans and any leftover cooking water into tomato mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Stir fenugreek into lentil mixture. Cover saucepan and simmer until heated through, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Add cream and cook until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes.

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Following the recipe was pretty easy, but I ended up with way too much cooking liquid in the lentils. We ended up fishing the lentils and some of the sauce into a pot with a slotted spoon. I'm not sure if that means cooking them a little longer or using less liquid; I will have to experiment.

I forgot the cream, but when I realized it, I decided we really didn't needed. There was a little creaminess from the butter, and that was enough. This came out delicious, rich, complicated. We served it with chicken that I sautéed with some curry leaves, a recipe that I am going to perfect when I get some new curry leaves. 

I'll definitely make this again, though probably not for a while because it took so long. The leftovers, on the other hand, can easily be microwaved and put over rice.

Questions? Comments? A good mujadera recipe? Let's hear from you!

Not Quite What I Had In Mind: Chicken UnTikka Masala

It's no secret I love Indian food, whether it's spicy or not. I make an aloo gobi that passed muster with the Indian guys on my team at my former job. I grind my own garam masala when I manage to have most of the spices in the pantry (pantry is a bit of an exaggeration. We have the bottom half of a storage unit from IKEA, but I have a drawer in it with nothing but different kinds of pepper, which I find quite cool).

Anyway, most recipes I've found on Epicurious have been pretty good, and they email me recipes on a regular basis, though I know I never signed up for that.

So I found this recipe in my mailbox and thought I'd give it a try. No chicken tikka masala I've ever had has included peas, but peas do go well in curry, so I figured I'd follow the recipe. I'll critique the "quick" part in a bit.

• 1 (2 1/2") piece ginger, peeled
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 breasts), cut into 1" cubes
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided, plus more to taste
• 2 1/2 teaspoons garam masala, divided
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, thawed
• 1/2 cup plain full-fat or low-fat yogurt (not Greek)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

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A few comments before I get started. This seemed to be pretty heavy on the salt, so I cut that a bit. I'm also of the firm opinion (I can hear Nexx muttering "Do you have any other kind?) that if you're chopping more than two things, you're  no longer making a quick recipe. Quick to me means 30 minutes from having all your ingredients out to having the food plated on the table in front of your guinea pigs, er, loved ones.

I also had a slight problem with the yogurt. We get our groceries delivered if we need a lot at once. It saves on the back muscles. It does come with its risks, and one of those is missing the email when they're out of something. The plain unstrained yogurt I ordered was replaced by vanilla, which was not going to work. So I cut some Greek yogurt with some cream and I know I was missing some of the tanginess that should be there, so that one's on me.

The instructions:

1. Pulse ginger and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add onion and pulse again until finely chopped. (You really don't need a food processor, you can chop just fine by yourself. Also, considering the time it takes to put a food processor together, this also removes from the definition of "quick."
2. Toss chicken with 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and 1 tsp. garam masala in a medium bowl. (too much salt, I cut it to .5 teaspoon)
3. Heat oil over high in a large skillet (at least 12" in diameter). Add chicken and cook, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a clean medium bowl. (this took closer to 12 minutes)
4. Heat same skillet over medium-high and add butter, chopped onion mixture, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. (I did't bother with the salt and black pepper here. There's already black pepper in the garam masala) Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, about 3 minutes (closer to 5). Add tomato paste, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 1 1/2 tsp. garam masala and cook, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 2 minutes (again, closer to five minutes). Return chicken to pan, add peas, and cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 1 (3) minute more.
5. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among 4 plates, top with cilantro, and serve with naan.

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It was tasty, but way too heavy on the tomato taste. I felt like Bobby Flay in a Throwdown episode. "Hey Bobby, this is great, but it isn't the challenge food of the week." While we were eating, I started to deconstruct the recipe, starting with eliminating the tomato paste, and Nexx stopped me. He liked it just as it was. 

Success? I guess so. There's two more servings in the freezer that will be very nice on a cold winter's night very soon.

What to do with leftover cabbage

When we last left our intrepid heroine, she was serving fish tacos with a lovely cabbage slaw. Now that recipe only required 4 cups of cabbage, so I had a ton left over, even after removing the outer leaves. 


One of my favorite dishes on an Indian buffet is curried cabbage. It's not a creamy recipe like many curries, but vinegar-based. This one has quite a bit of mustards. Here's our ingredient list:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard (I used a beer mustard that I picked up on my last trip to New Orleans)
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 12 cups thinly sliced green cabbage (about 3 pounds)
• 1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add mustard, curry, and turmeric; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in cabbage and remaining ingredients; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.

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I think this one needs a little bit of tweaking, even as I enjoyed the results. The mustard was a little bit overwhelming to me, though my sweetie liked it quite a bit. I'm thinking a touch more curry and tumeric, perhaps another teaspoon each.


Some news on a personal level. I just recently had some braces installed on my teeth, so my posts are going to be changing slightly. There may be a few more soft foods than usual, as quiche and soups are easier on my mouth than say, lamb or beef. Next post will be my first attempt in over ten years making a yeast bread. Flatbread, specifically, cooked in a dry pan on the stovetop.


I will be going away for a week next month on a cruise and also participating in Nanowrimo, so I may be a bit distracted. Okay, I'll be a lot distracted and living mostly on coffee, tea and red wine in approximately equal amounts. Fortunately, vanilla protein powder makes a semi-decent coffee creamer.


Until next time, thank you for reading and your comments are always welcome!

Sucking up to the landlord

This is the recipe that inspired me to start the blog, and this entry was originally posted at My Live Journal. I've done a few edits for grammar and readability, but the post is pretty much the same as I wrote it.


Today's recipe is Chicken Vindaloo. Partly so I can use the new blender (remind me to tell you about the salad dressing episode), partly because Austin the minimalist landlord/housemate is very fond it and because me and my sweetie almost never say no to Indian food, even if it was brought to the subcontinent by the Portugese

1/3 cup white wine vinegar  easy enough to find at Stop & Shop
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder I was told after the fact by a friend from India that most authentic Indian dishes do not contain curry powder, it's more of an Anglo-Indian thing. I found this recipe on the Epicurious website, and I must admit one of the reasons I chose it was for ease.

2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon (generous) dried crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs (about 10), cut into 1-to 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 14 1/2- to 16-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 cinnamon stick

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Place first 8 ingredients in blender. Add 1 tablespoon mustard seeds and blend until smooth. Transfer spice mixture to large bowl. Add chicken and 2 tablespoons oil and toss to coat well.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add chicken mixture and stir 3 minutes to blend flavors. Add tomatoes with their juice and cinnamon stick; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until chicken is tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Season chicken mixture to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in remaining 1 tablespoon mustard seeds. Simmer uncovered until liquid is slightly thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick. Stir in cilantro and serve.


Step one (a couple days before), go to Asian market to buy ginger and a few other things for this recipe.(next week's entry) Discover the Asian market on Google Maps no longer exists. Find another Asian market a couple blocks away, pull into metered spot with time left on it.

Wander Asian market, which smells like fish. Find ingredients, get checked out by a very nice man. Discover parking ticket. Nine dollars worth of ingredients now costs $29. Grumble.

Step two (day of). Print shopping list from Epicurious (this is a great function of theirs, it even sorts it by department). Drive in snow to grocery store. Shop. Clean off car, bitching at the snow. Get home and start making recipe.

Step three start throwing things in the new blender. Realize that you forgot the tomatoes at the market. Curse and swear until boyfriend and housemate come running. Find tomato sauce in larder; it will have to do because I don't want to drive in the snow and more because I don't want to clean off the car.

Step four after having first eight ingredients in blender, attempt to blend until smooth. No dice. Try three speeds, and several attempts of moving spice mixture on to blades of blender only to see everything thrown to the sides. Curse. Yell for help. Enter boyfriend, who determines more liquid is needed. Add more vinegar and a can of tomato sauce. Items in blender now blend into a thick pasty sauce.

Step five: complete recipe, but note sauce is very thick. Add a tomato-sauce-can full of water, cursing because there's no chicken broth in the house. Stir, let cook down. Tear cilantro into little bits, forget to stir it into the vindaloo before serving.

Step six serve to housemate the gourmand, me the gourmet and the boyfriend who is a bit of both. Boyfriend eats three servings. Housemate and self enjoy but agree it isn't perfect. Toss around various ideas--more curry, more tumeric, beer, chicken broth, but can't pinpoint. Still undecided whether to try new recipe or try to improve this one


My friend Martin pointed me to several other vindaloo recipes that are a bit more authentic (he also never makes vindaloo from scratch because good spice mixes are easily obtainable in his hemisphere. The bastard.), so I don't think I'll be trying this particular recipe again.  His suggestions:


Aayi's Recipes Chicken Vindaloo
Goan Chicken Vindaloo

Goan Chicken Curry--Chicken Vindaloo
Chicken Vindaloo


I'd love to hear your experiences with vindaloo.


Comments? Questions? Want a recipe deconstructed? Let me know!