Chana Masala

Not only do I hate, hate, hate packing, but I'm really, really, really awful at it.  For every one item that goes into a box, five items require further investigation, reminiscing, or use.  Needless to say, this ends up making a bigger mess than if I'd just grabbed everything and thrown it into a box. 

It's good now and then to take a break in the midst of the colossal mess to make a mess in the kitchen.  And this is approach is exactly why I'm just so bad at packing. 

If I'm going to make a mess, chana masala is a pretty good outcome.  Full of yummy chickpeas and wonderful Indian spices, it's quick to throw together and cooked up in no time.  I like potatoes in mine, but if you leave them out, you can throw this together in the time it takes to cook the rice.

Yes, some messes are definitely worth it. 

Chana Masala

Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, diced
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tsp amchoor powder (optional)
3 green chilies chopped
1.5 cups chopped tomato
3/4 cup water
2  15oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced in 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 lemon, juiced

Additional tsp minced ginger (optional)

3 tbsp minced cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger,  turmeric, paprika, garam masala, salt and amchoor if using and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Reduce heat to medium low.  Add the tomatoes, water, potatoes and chickpeas and cook until potatoes are tender and sauce has thickened,  about 20 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, fresh ginger and cilantro if using. Add additional salt to taste. 

Grilled Tandoori Chicken Kabobs

The longer you go between posts, the harder it is to get back to blogging.  I have to admit to loving a little break over the summer.  Work has been exhausting, weather has been dreadfully hot and I've been lazy.  I'm sure the three are inextricably tied together. 

But alas, I fired up the grill and cooked up some indian fare.  I'm pretty sure I don't cook indian nearly often enough.  I saw a bazillion great looking recipes online and on Pinterest, but in the end, I need to justify my unnecessary cookbook collection so I grabbed American Masala off my bookshelf.  Every time I make something from a cookbook I wish I had more time (or the dedication required) to crack them open more and experiment with all of the recipes. 

This recipe for tandoori chicken taught me that tandoori chicken is not naturally colored red.  Shocking right?  You could add red food coloring if the red is important to you.  I also thought this version was pretty fascinating in that it was one of the few I've seen that included an onion (blitzed completely in the food processor) as a major marinade ingredient.  

All in all, it was fantastic and as it turns out, chopped cold tandoori chicken is also pretty tasty thrown on top of a regular 'ole green salad for lunch the next day. Definitely a recipe keeper. 

Grilled Tandoori Chicken Kabobs

adapted from American Masala by Suvir Saran

For the chicken:

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tbsp paprika

3 large chicken breasts (about 2.5 lbs) cubed into 1 inch pieces

Mix spices spices and lemon juice together in a large bowl.  Add chicken.  Stir and let sit for 30 minutes in refrigerator.

For Marinade:

1 small red onion, roughly chopped

4 large garlic cloves peeled and smashed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1/2 cup greek yogurt

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garam masala

pinch of cinnamon

1/2 tsp cardamom (optional)

¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like it)

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Place marinade ingredients into food processor and pulse until smooth.  Pour over chicken and let marinate in fridge for 8 hours or overnight

To prepare chicken, soak skewers in water for 30 minutes

Heat grill to medium-high

Thread chicken onto skewers

Grill for 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through, turning halfway through

Cookbook # 58, Williams Sonoma London

I love this particular world cookbook collection from Williams Sonoma....it's more armchair travel then cookbook really.  With advice on where to shop and what foods to shop for in each city, it's hard not to browse through one when standing in Williams Sonoma. That being said, I usually grab "Paris"  (oh the cheeses) or "New York" (how I miss thee) or Florence (food so worthy of an entire series of cookbooks).  London, well, not so much.   It's not that I don't adore London.  Truth be told, the UK is my all time favorite travel destination. No other country makes me want to chuck it all for any opportunity to live within its borders. I would wait tables to live there or herd sheep in the Scottish highlands--with my kilted lover reading The Lady of the Lake with his thick Scottish brogue of course.  Ahhh the brogue.... and what could be grander than being able to travel to Cotswolds for the weekend? There is anglophilia flowing through this girl's blood.

But the food?  I am ashamed to admit that my trips there have not been culinary adventures.  There was a love affair with shortbread and tea and scones, but I couldn't even tell you what real food I've eaten over there aside from Chinese and Indian.  Shame on me. 

Can we talk about the curries though?  Unbelieveable.  Truly.  And when I picked up this cookbook, I was drawn specifically to the curry recipe.  Don't try to tell me I could find those recipes in an Indian cookbook--I'd finally justified the London cookbook and it's filled with photos of London.  It was the armchair travel that I really wanted.

That being said, the recipes in here actually do sound quite fabulous...Lemon Lavender cake for tea, Asian Grilled Salmon Salad and Pear Souffle.  And the crowning glory?  Sticky Toffee Pudding.  I've never had toffee pudding, and when I read the recipes, I"m not even sure how much I really want to eat a pudding.  But I sure do fancy the idea of making a traditional English pudding.  This Sticky Toffee Pudding pulls out all the raisins and dried fruit that had me passing on the other recipes.  Perhaps this will be the year I make my first English Pudding.  While singing traditional English Christmas carols, because they are the best as well.  Who doesn't want to go wasailing?

Oh right, the cookbook.  So of course, until I can get over my pudding phobia and just do it, I have to settle for somthing a little safer....Chicken Tikka Masala.  And who knew that while Indian in influence, it's a British invention?

Chicken Tikka Massala is now a true British national dish, not only because it is the most popular, but because it is a perfect illustration of the way Britain absorbs and adapts external influences. Chicken Tikka is an Indian dish. The Massala sauce was added to satisfy the desire of British people to have their meat served in gravy. ”

                - Extract from a speech by British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook.

Since I don't cook a lot of Indian, I don't know how traditional or authentic the recipe was, but it did involve a lot of steps like marinating chicken overnight in spices and yogurt, and grinding your own spices. 

It was worth every step.  I don't usually like leftovers, but this was even fabulous when taken to work two days later.  Way to go London. I will always love you more than Paris--even if some of your other foods have the words "blood"  or "kidney" in them and you outright refuse my yankee request for ketchup with my "chips."  That's what unconditional love is all about.

Chicken Tikka Masala
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma London

1/4 cup Greek yogurt
4 skinless boneless chicken breast, chopped into 1 inch cubes
juice of 1 lime
2 t. minced ginger
1 tsp each ground cumin and garam masala

In nonreactive bowl, stir together the above ingredients, cover and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.
Preheat broiler.  Remove chicken from marinade and place on plate.  Season with salt and drizzle with oil.  Toss to coat.  Arrange chicken in a single layer on a foil-lined broiler pan and set under the broiler, turning once, until browned.(about 3 minutes per side)

Masala Sauce

1 small yellow onion diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 tsp minced ginger
5  green cardamom pods
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. turmeric
1 tsp each of ground cumin and coriander
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp heavy cream
1/2 tsp garam masala
Juice of half lemon

In a saucepan over medium heat, warm 3 tsp oil.  Add onion, ginger and garlic and cook 4-5 minutes until onion is softened, stirring frequently.  Add cardamom and ground spices except garam masala and cook 2 minutes stirring constantly.  Add tomatoes and cook additional 5-8 minutes.  Add cream and yogurt, 1/4 cup water and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer untl the mixture forms a cream sauce, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in cooked chicken and garam masal and cook additional 8-10 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice.  Serve with naan or rice.

Cooking It Up Indian Style

A friend of mine surprised me on my bday with a gift certificate to Cook Street School of Fine Cooking. Oh the class choices...Greek, Thai, technique, knife skills. I've been eyeing their class list ever since Passionate Palette closed its doors.

In the end I chose the class that felt that most foreign to me...indian. I love indian food-I've even made it on several occasions. But really, I'm not going to lie to you here. It always tastes exactly like curry. No matter what I make, or how the recipes differ, I'm making something that tastes like curry. I knew there was more to indian than just curry.

The class did not disappoint. I learned all about spices, that saffron could be found in powder form for a fraction of its whole price, how to make my own garam masala and even how to to turn fabulousing thick greek yogurt into a fabulous mousse dessert by adding saffron, powdered sugar and some freshly ground cardomom.

Of course the yogurt mousse is best served on a bit of fresh grilled pineapple,

and only after consuming the Chicken Korma, minted lamb, naan and jeweled rice we'd prepared. Fun, scrumptious, and I got to pull out my camera. It was the perfect evening.

Cookbook #37 American Masala

I spent a bit of time in the kitchen today. I'm not going to lie, I put my PJs back on after my shower and spent the day in flannel. I justify it by saying that I was triple booked for meetings just about every day this past week. Triple booked--I'm only one little woman. In response, today I was lazy and spent the day cleaning and organizing the kitchen and cooking and baking.

American Masala can best be described as American cooking with Indian flavors. Duh, Mary--that's what the title implies I suppose. While there are more seemingly traditional Indian recipes like Tandoori chicken and chutneys, there are also some pretty fascinating remakes of American classics, with an Indian twist like fried chicken...masala. I was struck by a recipe in the dessert section that combined pistachios, cardamom and lemon, and so I headed for that recipe when I picked this cookbook back up. Pistacho and Cardamom Pound Cake with Lemon Icing was indeed a hit.

The combination of cardamom and citrus seems like one of those perfect flavor matches, like chocolate and sea salt. I left the pistachios a bit bigger than called form because I'm not a huge fan of nut meal cakes, and then made cupcakes instead of a traditional loaf pound cake. The dense pound cake crumb and yummy lemon icing, made it perfect for afternoon tea. Appropriate considering the Indian influence on British tastes and flavors.

Pistachio & Cardamom Pound Cake with Lemon Icing
adapted from American Masala

1 c raw shelled pistachios
1 1/2 sticks room temp butter
1 1/4 cup ap flour
3/4 teaspon baking powder
1 tsp freshly ground cardamom
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla ext
1 c. sugar
1/2 cup whole milk

1. Toast pistachios over stove or in a 425 oven for about 5 mins. (if using oven, reduce to 350 degrees. Pulse in food processor until small pieces remain.
2. Grease and flour loaf pan
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt together and set aside. Crack eggs into liquid measuring cup, mix in vanilla and set aside.
4. Cream butter and sugar until light and airy. Add egg mixture slowly while continuing to beat. Alternately add and mix in flour and milk mixture, starting and ending with flour.
5. Fold in pistachios and pour into prepared pan.
6. Bake for 40-45 mins or until cake tester comes out clean.
7. Let cool for 10 mins and then remove from pan and onto cooling rack to cool completely
8. When cool spread icing over cake and let set.

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
1.5 tbsp fresh lemon uice
a few grates of lemon peel
1 tsp heavy cream or milk