Vegetable Korma

This original, super easy and delicious recipe is from Cooking Light magazine: they had a bad time as a magazine for a while (about 2 years ago) but I think they have improved a lot and now they are a high quality magazine with wonderful recipes: I look forward to receiving my new issue in the mail because they always have a number of recipes that I want to try! Check the recipe here.

Saffron Rice

Saffron Rice

(From Curried Flavors, Maya Kaimal MacMillan)

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

2 C basmati rice, well washed

1/2 t saffron threads

2 T warm milk

1 cinnamon stick

4 whole cloves

4 cardamom pods, slightly crushed

1 T oil

3 1/4 C water

1 1/2 t salt

½ cup broken raw cashew nuts or blanched slivered almonds

1/3 cup raisins

1 tablespoon Ghee or butter

Directions:

Soak the saffron in warm milk for 10 min.

Boil the water.

Add oil, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom to a pan, at medium heat.

When the spices start to release their fragrance, add the rice and fry for a couple of minutes, until the rice is shinny and coated with the oil.

Add the boiling water, saffron, lower the heat and cover.

Cook till all the water is absorbed.

In a small frying pan over medium heat, fry nuts and raisins in ghee or butter until nuts turn redish brown. Stir thoroughly into rice and serve.

Chicken Tagine

This is a recipe I found years ago in a magazine. I made it so many times and every time I made it I would change something. The flavors in this dish are wonderful, it’s fragrant and extremely aromatic. I am serving it with whole wheat couscous and broccoli.

Chicken Tagine

4 servings

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts halves (about 2 lb), skinned

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

¾ cup water

¾ cup pitted whole kalamata olives

2 cinnamon sticks

2 cloves (optional)

½ teaspoons fresh ground ginger

1 ½ teaspoons grated lime rind

¼ cup lime juice

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley

Directions:

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large non stick pan over high heat. Add chicken, cook 3 minutes each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Add onion and garlic to pan, cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add chicken, water, olives, cinnamon, clove and ginger. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes. Turn chicken over, cook, uncovered, 15 minutes.

Add lime rind, lime juice, cilantro, and parsley to pan; cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Keema-Pulao

My friend Camilla always talks about Keema, she says it’s one of her favorite dishes. I have this grass fed ground beef and I am in an Indian cooking mode, so why not make Keema? Camilla, I hope this is like the Keema you make. Of course Tanya (our common Indian friend) needs to give her blessing, but she is in India right now. 

I served it with a good shredded carrot and cabbage salad.

Keema-Pulao

(Adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Kheema-Pulao/Detail.aspx)

8 servings

Ingredients

3 cups basmati rice

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 large onions, minced

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 pound ground beef

salt to taste

1/2 cup frozen green peas (optional)

4 green chile peppers, halved lengthwise

1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)

1 cinnamon stick

1 black cardamom pod

2 bay leaves

4 whole cloves

5 cups boiling water

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Place the basmati rice in a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 30 minutes. Drain.

Heat the oil in a large pan with a heavy bottom; fry the onion, garlic paste and, ginger paste in the hot oil until the onions are caramelized and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir the turmeric, garam masala, and cumin into the mixture; allow to cook together for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook until the oil separates, about 10 minutes. Crumble the ground beef into the tomato mixture; season with salt and cook until the beef is no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Mix the frozen peas and the green chile peppers into the beef.

Heat the ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the cinnamon stick, cardamom pod, bay leaves, and cloves in the ghee until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rice to the spice mixture; cook until the rice smells nutty, 1 to 2 minutes more. Spread the rice with the spices over the beef mixture, but do not stir. Gently pour the water over the rice and season with salt; bring the mixture to a boil for 2 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking until the rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat completely and allow to sit covered another 20 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

Tandoori Chicken

The Tandoori Masala composition can vary a lot. The first time I made it, I started with a basic recipe I found online. Then I adjusted the formula to my taste in subsequent meals. Some recipes call for fenugreek or mace. Some ask for cloves. Some ask for powdered herbs, some for seeds. Some recipes ask for powdered ginger and garlic, some for fresh. In my opinion, it’s better to make a fresh mix each time and not store it, as the fragrance can fade over time. I also prefer to use fresh ginger and garlic. But it all depends on the time you have and ingredient availability. The end result is always delicious.

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lb chicken pieces of your choice with skin and visible fat removed

1/2 Tandoori Masala recipe

1 cup yogurt (preferably regular)

1 tablespoon oil

1 lime or lemon juice

Sea salt to taste

½ teaspoon chili or cayenne pepper powder

Tandoori Masala Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cumin seeds or 1 ½ tablespoons cumin powder

2 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds or 2 tablespoons coriander powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp garlic powder or 3 fresh garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp ginger powder or 1 tablespoon grated ginger

½ to 1 tsp red chili or cayenne pepper powder

¼ tsp clove powder

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp orange or red food coloring (optional)

Directions:

To make the tandoori masala, if using seeds, dry roast the cumin and coriander seeds in a pan on a low flame, till they begin to release their aroma. Remove from fire and cool. Grind seeds in a grinder. Add all ingredients and mix well.

Make slits in the chicken pieces with a knife. Mix lime, salt and chili pepper in a small bowl. Rub the lime mixture into the chicken slits. Combine yogurt and tandoori masala in a bowl. Mix well. Add the yogurt mix to a large plastic bag or a glass bowl. Add the chicken to the mix and toss well, making sure all the pieces are well coated. Drizzle the oil and toss. Marinate in the fridge for 6 to 24 hours.

Preheat the grill to medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Spray oil in the chicken pieces and quickly sear both sides of the chicken. Reduce heat and cover the grill. Cook until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Or you can cook the chicken in the oven: preheat broiler. Cover a baking pan with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. Lay chicken on greased foil and spray with more cooking spray. Broil until it starts browning and turn. Brown the other side. Lower temperature to 350 F. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or done.

Top with onion slices while grilling.

Garnish cilantro and lemon wedges.