Chicken Tikka Masala and Naan

I’ve been fascinated by Indian culture for just about as long as I can remember. Granted, this fascination didn’t exactly come out of nowhere or result from reading a lot of Rudyard Kipling. See, when we first came to the U.S. my parents were pretty involved in the Hare Krishna movement, so some of my first memories involve colorful events at the Hare Krishna temple in Boston, where I was surrounded by a sea of saris (how do you like that alliteration?), lively music, and bright flower petals.

Although my parents eventually joined the LDS church and moved our family to Utah, a bit of that devotion to the far East still remained. My dad keeps a poster of yoga asanas hanging on the wall of his study and books like the Bhagavad Gita and Autobiography of a Yogi sit alongside his copies of The Book of Mormon and Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, my sister and I still like to bust out the old vhs tape of Sita’s Wedding-- a bollywood classic and our favorite movie when we were kids-- to drool over the gorgeous costumes and music, and many of the wooden spoons in my parents’ kitchen are stained yellow with tumeric, a colorful spice used in Indian cooking.

Most of the Indian food my mom cooked was simple, vegetarian fare. Things like a potato and spinach curry that she called sabji, or a bright yellow rice dish with potatoes, cauliflower, and tomatoes that didn’t really have a name, at least not one I can recall at the moment. So I didn’t encounter rich dishes like this tikka masala or vegetable coconut kurma (my favorite) until I grew older and started venturing out to Indian restaurants, but rest assured that I loved them all at first bite.

Chicken tikka masala consists of chicken marinated in yogurt and spices, then grilled and served in a spicy tomato cream sauce. This version, though it might not be the most authentic recipe out there, tastes pretty darn close to the tikka masala I’ve had at my favorite Indian restaurants. Served with some basmati rice* and naan, it brought a welcome flair to our dinner table.

Chicken Tikka Masala (adapted from allrecipes.com)

When I went to make this recipe I found a note that I had previously made to double the sauce. I followed that instruction this time around but found that it was a little overkill. If you like plenty of sauce to soak up the rice and dip your naan in, I would say do about one and a half times the sauce proportions listed below.

Oh, and this isn't traditional but I added some frozen peas just because I had them and felt like it.

Marinade:
1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4 long skewers

Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1) In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 1 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2) Preheat a grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side (Both times I’ve made this I haven’t wanted to use my grill so I just put the chicken on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet and baked it at 375 for about 15 minutes).
3) Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream.
4)Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in frozen peas (if using). Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Naan (from food.com)

I was so excited to make this after seeing how simple this recipe was and what rave reviews it was getting. When mine turned out heavy and didn’t puff up too much, I immediately went to look for some kind of user error. Sure enough, my baking powder expired a year ago. So I’m going to go ahead and recommend this recipe anyway, since it seemed to work out just fine for 130 other people, who I’m assuming didn’t use old baking powder.

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups plain low-fat yogurt

1) Mix together flour, baking powder and salt.
2) Stir in the yogurt till the dough is too stiff for a spoon, then knead it in the bowl till it holds together well, adding more flour if necessary.
3) Turn it out on a floured surface and continue kneading for about 5 minutes till the dough feels smooth and elastic.
4) Form the dough into a ball and put it in an oiled bowl, covered with a towel, to rest for an hour or longer.
5) Take the dough out and cut it into 10 equal pieces. Form each into a ball and press the balls flat into round discs.
6) Heat a large frying pan or griddle, either seasoned cast iron or a good non-stick finish.
7) Heat your oven to about 500 and have the broiler on (this is how the original recipe states it - I know with my oven it's either 500 degree oven OR the broiler, but you get the idea.
8) Take 1 piece of dough at a time and roll it out on a floured surface till it is about 8-10 inches across and less than 1/4 inch thick.
9) Lay it on the hot griddle and cook it over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes (I don't think mine took that long).
10) It will puff up in places or all over, and there will be some blackish-brown spots on the bottom.
11) Slide a spatula under the naan and transfer it to the oven, directly onto the rack, for a minute or two, just till it finishes puffing up into a balloon and begins to color lightly on top.
12) Remove naan from the oven and brush it lightly with melted butter if you like.
13) Continue this way with all the dough, stacking the breads into a napkin-lined basket.
14) Serve the breads hot, fresh from the oven, or let them cool and wrap them up.
15) To reheat, wrap them in aluminum foil, in packets of 4 or 5 breads and put them in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

*Basmati rice is a long, thin rice that cooks up very dry and light. You can buy it at Asian markets and I believe in bulk at costco. I bought some from the bulk section of Whole Foods and it wasn't that great. Usually I just steal it from my parents' kitchen.

Not a recipe, but still worth your time

I posted a link to this article on my facebook page this morning, but thought I would share it here as well:

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/a-food-manifesto-for-the-future/?WT.mc_id=OP-SM-E-FB-SM-LIN-AFM-020311-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click

After doing a lot of reading on this subject for the past year and a half, I can say that I agree wholeheartedly with the points made in this article and hope that these goals can be accomplished in my lifetime. Many of the current methods used to produce food in our country are toxic for both our bodies and the environment and this issue really needs to be a matter of national concern rather than just some fringe movement dismissed as something only elitists and hippies care about.

To show just how messed up things are these days, I thought I would share an excerpt from an email I recently received from Christiansen Farm, a local farm from which Mike and I buy our meat. This enterprise is a truly admirable one in which animals are raised the way they should be. They sell top-quality beef, pork, and, until recently, chicken:

"...our plans [to sell chickens in 2011] have recently been squashed by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF). Last winter we spoke extensively with the inspectors to find out how we could legally and safely process chickens for our customers. They helped us get set up under an exemption that allowed small farms to process their own poultry. Under this exemption, we had a young aspiring butcher process our chickens outdoors on our property following safety guidelines set forth by the department. This has worked wonderfully all year. Recently, we received a call from the department informing us that we would now have to take the live chickens to each of our customer's private property and process them on their property in order to continue under this small farm exemption. We protested their request stating that not only would it be economically unfeasible, less sanitary, and ridiculously time consuming, but that no city would allow for processing poultry in people's driveways. However, they refused to budge. Our only alternative is a costly one, which would require us to build a full blown processing facility. Even if we were able to justify such an investment the UDAF informed us that there isn't an inspector in Utah who is even certified to inspect our facility. So, for now poultry is on hold for 2011 as we explore our options.

So apparently the chicken sold in grocery stores--which comes from animals who stand in their own crap all day and get pumped full of all kinds of crazy drugs, then slaughtered using methods that are both inhumane and often unsanitary--are just fine to eat, yet chickens raised and butchered using traditional methods that farmers employed for hundreds of years are deemed unfit for consumption? Ethical issues aside, the sheer stupidity of this frustrates me.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed my moment on the soapbox. Tomorrow I'll be back to normal with a recipe for some delicious Indian food.

Curried Lentil Soup

Two soup recipe posts in one week? It must be January. But while the broccoli cheddar soup I told you about on Monday is more of a rich indulgence, this lentil one lies on the opposite end of the soup spectrum. I guess the word I can best use to describe it is "wholesome."

I've actually had lentil soup on the brain for the past couple of months and have even gone so far as to bookmark about five or so recipes with every intention of making them. But for some reason it wasn't until I read Molly Wizenburg's column in the December issue of Bon Appetit that I finally got around to it. Maybe I ended up making this version because her description of the soup was so mouthwatering, or maybe it was just because I had all the ingredients on hand. Either way, I'm glad I did it because this soup lived up to every letter of Molly's beautiful description. I think it's going to become a winter staple around these parts.

Curried Lentil Soup (from bonappetit.com)

One quick note about this recipe: use a curry powder you like. I used the generic yellow stuff simply marked "curry powder" because I had it sitting in my cupboard, then added some cumin and cayenne pepper to give it more kick, but I really wish I had used something with a little more smoky depth to it. It would have made this soup even better.


(Image via bonappetit.com)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, chopped, divided
2 tablespoons (or more) curry powder
1 cup French green lentils (I found mine in the bulk section of Whole Foods)
4 1/4 cups (or more) water, divided
1 15- to 16-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

1) Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.
2) Add half of chopped garlic; stir until vegetables are soft but not brown, about 4 minutes longer.
3) Add 2 tablespoons curry powder; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4) Add lentils and 4 cups water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5) Increase heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
6) Meanwhile, puree chickpeas, lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and remaining garlic in processor.
7) Add chickpea puree and butter to lentil soup. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and additional curry powder, if desired. Add water by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency.

Broccoli and Cheddar Chowder

Doesn’t that name sound a helluva lot more appetizing than just plain old broccoli cheese? Actually the real name of this soup, found in The Gourmet Cookbook, is Broccoli, Red Pepper, and Cheddar Chowder. But I left out the red pepper because A) I didn’t really like the sound of it in this soup and B) red peppers aren’t in season right now and therefore too expensive for a gal on a budget.

Without the red pepper, though, this recipe is essentially Gourmet’s take on classic broccoli cheese soup, a dish that I’ve always had mixed feelings about. At its best, broccoli cheese soup is the epitome of winter comfort food—creamy and rich but chock full of wholesome little broccoli chunks. At its worst, it’s a thick, velveeta-filled sludge of mushy vegetables.

I was intrigued by this particular recipe when I saw that it used potato to give the soup some body rather than just the standard roux or unholy amounts of cheese. I made it for dinner on a cold winter’s night when we were feeling indulgent and, to be totally honest, wasn’t overly impressed. The soup was good, it was just a little bit on the thin side and had an almost sour aftertaste to it that I couldn’t quite pinpoint.

But then a miraculous thing happened. When I heated up the leftover soup for lunch at work the next day, I noticed that not only had the consistency thickened up a bit, but the strange sour taste from the night before had disappeared completely and the flavor of the soup was incredible. So from now on, I’ll be making this soup the day before I plan to eat it. Kind of a pain but the best things in life, they say, are worth waiting for.

Broccoli and Cheddar Chowder (Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook;also found here)

1 small head broccoli (1/2 pound)
1 large boiling potato (1/2 pound)
1 large onion, chopped
l large garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) sharp Cheddar, coarsely grated (I used mild)

1) Discard tough lower third of broccoli stem. Peel remaining stem and finely chop. Cut remaining broccoli into very small (1-inch) florets. Cook florets in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
2) Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking, then drain. Reserve 3 cups cooking water for chowder.
3) Peel potato and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Cook potato, onion, broccoli stems, and garlic in butter in a 3- to 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
4) Add cumin, salt, pepper, and mustard and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
5) Add reserved cooking water and simmer (partially covered), stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in cream and cheese and cook, stirring, until cheese is melted, then season with salt and pepper.
6) Purée about 2 cups of chowder in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and return to pot. Add florets and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Cookies that contain candy.

OK so I know the holidays are almost over and most of you are sick of sweets, but I had to share a couple of cookie recipes that I made this Christmas season before I forget about them. Incidentally, both of these would be a good way to use up some of that candy you got in your stocking if your haul happened to include candy cane kisses or Rolos (neither of which are that great when eaten plain, in my opinion).

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies (adapted slightly from ourbestbites.com)

(Image courtesy of Our Best Bites)

I made these cookies for a Christmas party with my high school girlfriends and they were a hit. Since then I’ve made them using both the shortening and butter mixture the recipe recommends and just butter alone. I have to say I prefer the butter, since shortening freaks me out a little and it didn’t seem to make that much difference in the texture of the cookie.

1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
1/2 c. real butter
OR
1 cup butter

1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp peppermint extract
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
48 Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped

1) Preheat oven to 350.
2) Cream together softened butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed or until light and fluffy.
3) Add the eggs and vanilla.
4) Meanwhile, combine the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.
5)Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the centers are set but still soft.
6)Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1 minute. Top each cookie with an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss. Allow to cool completely, long enough for the Kiss to harden. If necessary, after the cookies have cooled, they can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to re-solidify the Kiss

Rolo Cookies (from the Ivory Favorites cookbook)

I originally bought Rolos intending to make an entirely different treat, but after finding out that peanut butter is literally the only flavor of M&Ms not available in holiday colors (a fact that seriously baffled me) I had to put the kaibosh on that idea. These cookies were a more than adequate substitute.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Bag of Rolo candies, unwrapped
2 Tbsp. sugar for rolling the cookie dough balls in (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees .

2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.

3. With a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until smooth.

Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

4. Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture and blend well.

5. Using your hands, shape dough into small balls (mine were about the size of a ping pong ball, maybe a little smaller).

6. Press Rolo into center of ball and cover with dough.

7. Roll dough ball in sugar ( I skipped this step because I’m not a fan of that sugary texture) and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

8. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until tops of cookies are slightly cracked.

9. Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes. Move to a cooling rack and cool completely.

White Chili

Is there a better winter dinner than warm, hearty soup? I made this one for a Jazz party and a friend asked for the recipe. Hansol, this one's for you:

White Chili

2 tablespoons oil (the recipe recommends vegetable but I use olive)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 (9 oz.) package frozen white corn (preferably shoepeg)
1 large clove minced garlic
2 (15 oz.) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans chopped green chiles
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons lime juice

Garnishes (optional):
Sour cream
grated cheese
tortilla chips

1) heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onions and garlic and saute for about five minutes until onion is soft and translucent.
2) Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then let soup simmer for 20-30 minutes.

A roundup of Thanksgiving desserts

OK, I know I probably should have gotten around to posting this sooner, before it was almost Christmas and you all still had Thanksgiving on the brain, but I am nothing if not the queen of procrastination. I am also the queen of stealing good ideas, so after years of hearing about people having pie parties the night before Thanksgiving in order to more fully enjoy the dessert portion of the holiday meal, I finally got my act together this year and had one of my own.

I’m not too big on pies, and I figured that most people would get their fill of them after Thanksgiving dinner, so instead I called my function a dessert party, and it was really just an excuse for me to bust out all the autumnal baked goods recipes that I’d had bookmarked for months but never made.

The party itself turned out to be quite fun, and, in my opinion, a perfect way to spend the night before Thanksgiving. It consisted of an assortment of friends and family dropping by to eat and mingle, with the Jazz game and baby Anna providing ample entertainment. On a cold, snowy night, our house felt warm and cozy as it was packed with people. This gathering might just have to become a tradition.

Of course I failed to take a single photo that night, including one of the dessert table. Luckily I found all of the recipes I made that night on the internet, so I’ve posted the links to the recipes (along with beautifully styled food photography that you sure won’t find on this site) and included my opinion of them, along with any changes/adjustments I made.

Pumpkin Brownies (via Smitten Kitchen and marthastewart.com)
I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, but the original can be found on Martha Stewart’s site. The Smitten Kitchen version reduces the amount of sugar in the recipe, which I’m thinking is a mistake. As much as I normally like my desserts on the subtle side, this one could have used a little more sweetness.

Overall, though, these were very good. Moist, dense, and a great take on the pumpkin/chocolate combination. I did make them in a 9X13 pan instead of the recommended 9x9 (which I would suggest doing unless you like your brownies really thick) and if I were to make them again I would probably drop the final pumpkin layer onto the chocolate batter in big spoonfuls, then swirl in with a butter knife, rather than just pouring it on. I’m thinking I would get a better marbleized effect this way.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding (via foodnetwork.com)
Thing is, I love the flavor of pumpkin but hate the smooth, gooey texture of pumpkin pie. When I saw this dessert on an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay I knew it would be a perfect nontraditional take on the flavor of the season. It turned out delicious.

I skipped the caramel apple sauce on this one, and, due to a stove burner that likes to lie about its temperature, curdled the freaking crème anglaise. After losing my mind a little over the fact that I had just wasted a ton of egg yolks and a pricey vanilla bean, I set about googling ways to remedy the situation. I read through a bunch of complex solutions that would have been impossible given the temperamental state of the aforementioned stove before coming across a suggestion to just throw the sauce in a blender. Miraculously enough, it worked. A few whirls in the blender turned a curdled mess into a sauce as silky and creamy as any crème anglaise I’ve ever had. Thank goodness for the internet.

Other changes: left the bread out to dry the night before instead of toasting it, omitted the bourbon.

Pumpkin Cheesecake (via Smitten Kitchen)
Ah, the dessert that took 5 years off my life. After baking this cheesecake for ten minutes longer than the recommended time, the thing still jiggled like crazy. I gave it ten minutes more, then spent the next few hours obsessing over whether or not it would set. Luckily it did, and ended up looking exactly like the photos on the website. Crisis averted.

This cheesecake was good in terms of flavor, but I think I would like the filling to be a little more dense. Or maybe I did just underbake the thing. Who knows. I left the bourbon out of this recipe as well.

Rustic Apple Tart (via marthastewart.com)
I’m always looking for new apple desserts and this one seemed like a good variation on the traditional pie. I actually never got to taste this tart, as it was gone before I had a chance to, but everyone that tried it said it was good. However, if I had found it earlier I think I would have tried the Pioneer Woman’s approach to this dessert, as it seems infinitely easier and results in no pieces being left without those delicious puffed edges. Leave it to Martha to make things complicated.

Pecan Chocolate Pie (via She Wears Many Hats)
This was a “filler” dessert that I quickly threw together because I had all the ingredients and wanted to add something more traditional to the spread. I’m not a huge fan of pecan pie, but those that are said this one was great. Although the recipe doesn’t state this, I would recommend covering the edges of the pie crust in tin foil for all but the last twenty or so minutes of baking time. Oh, and in case you haven’t noticed a pattern already, my version of this pie was bourbon-free.

Baked Brie with Red Pepper Jelly (via Our Best Bites)
Ok, so I know this isn’t a dessert but I wanted to provide something not completely sugary in case people weren’t in the mood for sweets. So I served this baked brie and a mound of blue cheese drizzled with honey (sounds weird but is so good) alongside some sliced fruit and crackers. My only complaint about baked brie is that, unless you keep it warm somehow, it congeals fairly quickly, so I might not serve it next time I have a party like this. But I did love the combination of brie and red pepper jelly, especially when eaten with pear slices.