Cashew chicken korma with coriander, peas and rice

This is my take on the great Indian classic that is chicken korma. The coriander, peas, cashews and raisins make it a sweet and fresh dinner for summer.

Cashew chicken korma

1 package boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped into 2-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1-inch piece ginger, grated or finely minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 cup plain yoghurt
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 black cardamom pod (optional)
pinch green cardamom seeds (optional)
canola oil for frying
fresh coriander leaves for garnish (optional)
1 cup toasted cashews for garnish (optional)

In a large soup pot, heat the oil and brown the chicken pieces until golden. They do not have to be cooked all the way. Lift the chicken pieces out of the pot, leaving the oil behind, and set them aside.

Toast the spices in a frying pan until aromatic and slightly "tanned." Grind them in a food processor or spice grinder. If you do not have whole spices, just use equivalent amounts of ground spices and don't toast them.

In the same pot in the same oil, saute the onion and tomato for five minutes or until they form a thick paste. Add the ginger, garlic and spices, and stir for another three minutes. Add half of the yoghurt, stirring in a tablespoon at a time. Do not allow to boil.

Return the chicken pieces to the pot. At this point, try not to bring the curry to a rolling boil because the yoghurt will curdle. Cover and simmer slowly for six minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Add the rest of the yoghurt. Simmer again for another six minutes.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and toasted cashews, if you have them.

Coriander, peas and rice

1.5 cups jasmine rice
1 Tbsp butter
2 star anise
handful chopped coriander
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup peas

Pour the rice into your rice cooker and rinse it in cold water four times or until the water runs clear. Add the butter and star anise. Turn the rice cooker on.

While the rice is cooking, boil the peas for five minutes and soak the raisins in hot water for 10 minutes to plump up. Drain both and mix the peas and raisins into the rice once the rice is cooked.

Garnish with raisins and coriander.

Indian curries and a stocked freezer

I have to give a big shout-out to my Mom and L for stocking our freezer while I was pregnant with twins! My babies were born this summer – and have big appetites thanks to all the good food they ate while still inside me.

What a treat it was to eat my mom's cooking every day once again. I haven't had this privilege since high school when I was still living at home and didn't appreciate her cooking as much as I should have. Even the best restaurants have nothing on her.   

I love you, Mom. And I hope one day that my kids will love my cooking as much as I do yours.

All India Sweets & Restaurant

In Vancouver, my friend Gill took me to the All India Sweets & Restaurant, a place where she used to eat with a big group at least once a week way back in 2002, when our mutual friend Kimme Gibbler was also living there. That's over 52 times a year. (Wow!) Afterwards, they would go back to someone's place and watch a couple of people who had eaten too much roll around on the floor in mock pain.

I could see the attraction right away. The place is totally unpretentious, friendly and all about the mountains of Indian desserts and good food for very little money. For $10.95, you can eat unlimited Indian food daily from their vegetarian buffet. Gill gave me the inside scoop: the sag paneer is to die for. I tried it. It is. We both died and went to heaven that lunch hour! And I got to catch up with one of my nearest and dearest friends. Thanks Gill!

All India Sweets & Restaurant
6507 Main Street 

(49th & Main)
Vancouver, B.C.
604.327.0891

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Rogan josh

Rogan josh on Flickr by beFOODled.

This is my Dad's recipe for rogan josh, a mild lamb curry that originated in Kashmir.

I've read different explanations for what rogan josh means. One of my cookbooks says the fat that slowly separates from the meat during cooking is called the rogan and the deep red colour is the josh. Wikipedia says something totally different.

We used boneless leg of lamb because that's what we had, but lamb shoulder or neck are actually better for this dish — they are tougher cuts but impart a richer flavour and stay moister during slow cooking than leg meat does. As an added bonus, shoulder and neck cuts are also cheaper!


Boneless leg of lamb for rogan josh on Flickr by beFOODled.

We made this for several guests and cooked almost 2 kilograms of lamb, which can serve about 12 people. If you want to serve only four people, buy closer to 500 grams of lamb instead.

Rogan josh

In the marinating tupperware
2 kg lamb meat
1 onions
fresh coriander
sherry or red wine
lemon husk

Marinade sauce
Spices and herbs: whole fenugreek, turmeric, cumin, coriander, paprika, cloves, black pepper, thyme, Italian seasoning
juice of one lemon
a spoonful of tandoori paste
three tablespoons yoghurt
one tablespoon rice wine vinegar
one tablespoon oil

Day of cooking
one onion
big can of chopped tomatoes
tomato puree
chopped green onion or fresh coriander for garnish

Finely dice one of the onions. Add to a large tupperware or bowl big enough to marinate the meat.

Cut the lamb into biggish pieces — cubes bigger than bite-sized hold their flavour better — and add to the tupperware.


Preparing marinade for rogan josh on Flickr by beFOODled.

Mix the ingredients for the marinade in a separate bowl — whole fenugreek, turmeric, cumin, coriander, paprika, cloves, black pepper, thyme, Italian seasoning, lemon juice, a spoonful of tandoori paste, three tablespoons yoghurt and one tablespoon each of rice wine vinegar and oil.


Marinating rogan josh on Flickr by beFOODled.

Add fresh coriander, the lemon husk from the marinade and sherry or red wine to the meat in the tupperware. Mix everything in the marinade, cover and refrigerate overnight. You can also marinate for few hours if that's all you have time for.

The next day, heat some oil in a large saucepan, stock pot or cast-iron pot. Dice the second onion and add it to the pan. Fry until translucent. Add the meat and cook for about five minutes, stirring often. Stir in a large can of chopped tomatoes, a bit of tomato puree and cover and simmer over low heat for about one hour.

Serve garnished with some finely chopped green onion or fresh coriander sprinkled over top.

Quail masala

Quail masala, originally uploaded by beFOODled.

Here is PB and J's recipe for quail masala, which they brought to our last Gastronati evening. It was our most beautiful and photogenic dish. Unfortunately Squeaky was a bit squeamish and couldn't eat these little quails because they reminded her of her chihuahua, Webo :) If you are like Squeaky, feel free to substitute another kind of meat, such as chicken. The garnish of cucumber, mint and mango was also delicious. In larger quantities it would make a refreshing salad.

Quail Masala
serves six

six quails of 150 g (5 1/2 oz) each

Marinade:
2/3 cup blanched almonds
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 cm (1 1/4 inch) piece of ginger, grated
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
2 Tbsp mint leaves, finely chopped
3/4 cup plain youghurt
1 tsp chopped mango

Rice stuffing:
1/4 cup rice
1 tsp amchoor powder
1/3 cup chopped pine nuts
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

2 young banana leaves or aluminum foil
3 Tbsp lemon juice
cucumber slices
green mango slices
mint leaves

Clean the quails by rinsing them well and wiping them dry. Prick the flesh all over so the marinade will penetrate the meat.

To make the marinade, grind the almonds in a food processor or finely chop them with a knife, then mix them with the remaining marinade ingredients. Coat the quails evenly with the marinade, then cover and marinate for four hours or overnight in the fridge.

To make the rice stuffing, preheat the oven to 200 C or 400 F. Cook the rice in boiling water for 15 minutes or until just tender. Drain well and allow to cool. Combine the rice, chopped mango, pine nuts and lemon juice and season with salt. Just before cooking, fill the quails with the rice stuffing and brush some of marinade on the quails. If you are making the stuffing in advance, make sure you refrigerate it until you are ready to use it.

Cut the banana leaves into neat pieces big enough to wrap a quail. Soften the leaves by dipping them into a pan of hot water. Wipe them dry when they become bendable. (If you cannot use banana leaves, use foil.)

Wrap each quail individually in a piece of banana leaf, drizzling with any excess marinade. Tie firmly with a piece of kitchen string. Place the parcels, with the seam side up on a rack above a baking tray and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Check to see if the quails are cooked by opening one. The meat should be slightly pink but the juices should run clear when pierced. If necessary, cook the quails for another five minutes. Open the packets completely for three minutes at the end of cooking to brown quail slightly. Sprinkle a dash of lemon juice over each quail. Serve in package garnish with sliced mango and cucumber.

Pea and Paneer Curry

Paneer is a special kind of Indian cheese that can be fried without losing its shape. It comes in a brick shape and is available at Indian grocery stores. I served this tasty curry at the Gastronati's Indian night. The recipe's adapted from a British cookbook called Easy Indian by Das Sreedharan.

Pea and Paneer Curry

150 g (5 oz) paneer cheese
vegetable oil for deep-frying
3 small onions or 1 big one, sliced
2.5-cm piece of ginger, grated or finely chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp tomato paste
1 cup of peas
salt

Cut the paneer cheese into 1-centimetre cubes. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the cubes for one or two minutes per side, stirring until golden (about 10 minutes). Set aside to drain on paper towels.

Heat more oil in a large frypan. Add the onions and ginger and fry for about 10 minutes until golden. Add the spices and poppy seeds and cook for two minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another three minutes.

Pour in a cup of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for five minutes and add the peas, fried paneer and salt. Cook for another five minutes and you're done!

Serve hot with chapatis, naan bread or rice.

Raita

If anyone ever decides to award a prize for "simplest Indian dish ever," then it should go to raita. Good thing, too, because it's the best way to cool one's palate after those hot and spicy curries have blazed a trail down your throat. In fact, the yoghurt in raita or even a mango lassi is much more effective than water for this purpose - and somehow it tastes more refreshing, too. I made this for the Gastronati's Indian night. The recipe is from an Indian cooking class at the Real Canadian Superstore that I attended with Squeaky and Calimocho in November of 2006.

Raita

1 large tub of plain yoghurt (I like the red-and-white Astro Balkan Style with the cow picture)
one whole cucumber with skin
salt to taste
roasted and ground cumin seeds
dried mint

Stir the yogurt into a smooth paste in a large bowl. Grate the cucumber into the bowl. Add the salt. Stir well and serve cold. Sprinkle cumin and mint on top before serving, as much as you want!

Coriander Chutney

This coriander chutney is a great recipe! People love the sharp flavour. My mom sent me this recipe when I lived in Montreal and needed ideas for an Indian supper I was making for my housemates.

I made this chutney for the Gastronati's Indian feast last month. The recipe only makes a small amount, about half a cup or so. But the flavours are very concentrated. You only need a tablespoon on the side of your plate as a condiment. It's also a nice garnish in Indian dhals and soups (kind of like India's version of the Italian gremolata).

This is meant to be a mint and coriander chutney, but I didn't have fresh mint so I chopped fresh coriander only and added a teaspoon of dried mint.

Coriander Chutney

1.5 cups firmly packed fresh coriander leaves (or 3/4 cup each of fresh mint and coriander)
1 tsp tamarind (roughly)
1 tsp dried mint if not using fresh
1 green or red fresh chilli, take the seeds out (very hot)
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1.5 tsp sugar
bit of water if needed
1/2 tsp garam masala
lemon juice (optional)

If you are using tamarind concentrate, you are lucky and can save time by skipping this step. If you are using a brick of tamarind, twist off a knob about two inches long, and wash and soak the tamarind in some boiling water to cover and let it sit until it is cool. You can do this ahead of time too.

Wash the coriander (and mint) very thoroughly since it is often full of sand. Discard any tough stems, but tender stems give good flavour. Chop finely and mix with the chopped garlic and onions.

If you presoaked the tamarind, knead it in the water to separate the pulp from the seeds. Rub the pulp through a sieve and add the pulp only to the chutney. Add the tamarind, garam masala, dried mint, salt and sugar to the coriander mixture and stir it all together.

Taste it for seasoning after it has sat for a bit to see if more salt or sugar is needed, or even a bit of lemon juice to sharpen the flavour.

If you have a blender you can put it all (including the tamarind pulp) in and blitz to a paste, but I prefer the texture of the finely chopped greens better.

This is best made on the day that you eat it. It can sit in the fridge a while before you serve it.

The Gastronati Serve the Tastes of India

I know that most of you beFOODies have polled for English and/or German fare, but the Gastronati made an executive decision to do Indian first, and here are the results of our labours. S and I hosted and we got a chance to test out our new $20 tripod (our Valentine's day gift to each other :)

Peanut Butter and Jelly brought the fabulously photogenic quail masala wrapped in banana leaves. You can see before and after photos above. I made cucumber raita, a coriander-and-mint chutney, and a pea-and-paneer curry, pictured in the bottom row. We also whizzed up some mango lassis for dessert. Squeaky and Calimocho brought over dum aloo (a type of potato curry), some luscious curried meatballs and a sweet nutty palao rice. As usual, our taste buds danced for joy! Stay tuned for recipe postings coming soon ...