Eat The World- Korma Curry

My excursion into Indian cooking continues and I must say, it is becoming quite rewarding. I've said before, my first experience with Indian cooking was at the Indian takeaway near my home in England years ago. Let's just say...... it was NOT a good experience. Ever since then I have shied away from those bold flavors, for sure I would hate everything I tried. Indian restaurants came and went in town and yet.... I could not be convinced to try them. It wasn't until the start of my blogging hobby that I decided to take the plunge again, and it's been worth the wait.

Even though I have a significant and maybe ridiculously huge collection of herbs and spices, most Indian and Middle Eastern spices were not part of the collection, mostly because of that fear of awful flavors. As I began to follow other bloggers and read the recipes they were sharing, and eventually purchasing my first Indian cookbook, I knew the time had come. I needed to brave up and start cooking. I already knew I would be buying a lot of new spices (and as you can imagine I was pretty torn up about that) to get authentic Indian flavor into my dishes. Buying curries and masalas and ajwain seeds and using some of those super hot peppers was inevitable. I did a lot of reading, a ton of research on recipes and started playing in the kitchen. 

Now authentic korma curry is made with a sauce based on pureed cashews, tomatoes, and coconut milk. Lots and lots and lots of spices. Very lengthy and lots of steps, and lots of utensils. I wanted to make this a lot easier so my version is not really "authentic." Mostly I wanted to avoid having to soak cashews for an extended period of time just to make the sauce. Luckily I found quite a few recipes that did not include this technique so my experimentation continued. I chose to use curry powder, garam masala and a dried hot pepper seasoning blend to prepare mine which meant I didn't have to have every Indian spice on hand and could use some of what I already had on hand. I also wanted to really kick up the heat in my korma too, and since I have such an awesome collection of hot peppers that was not hard to do. I added a healthy dose of Quick's Hot Spice in Blazzin' to my curry near the end of cooking and wow, what a punch! 

Korma Curry

1 package boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 small onion

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

4 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon curry powder*

1 teaspoon garam masala

dash of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup tomato puree or tomato sauce

1/4 cup coconut milk (use full fat for the creamy texture)

minced cilantro

coarsely chopped cashews, if desired

* Use hot or mild curry powder. My curry powder was mild so I added a healthy dose of Quick's Hot Spice in Blazzin'. CLICK HERE to get yours.

Dice the chicken breast into small pieces. Set aside. Cut the onion into medium chunks. Mince the garlic cloves.

Heat a couple tablespoons of cooking oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the chicken and onion. Stir fry until chicken is mostly cooked. Add the ginger and garlic. Stir one more minute. Add the spices to the chicken and stir until fragrant. Add the tomato puree and coconut milk. When mixture boils, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Serve over hot cooked rice with the minced cilantro and cashews, if using.

Some cooks like to add cubed potato to the korma, I chose not to. I served the korma over coconut rice- which is super easy to make. For every 1 cup of uncooked rice, use one can coconut milk and enough water to make 2 1/4 cups liquid. Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat. Cook for ten minutes then turn off the heat and let rest while the curry cooks. 

This speedy version cooks up quickly and makes a great weeknight meal. It's the perfect amount for two and can be doubled for more servings.  Stir fried veggies make a nice accompaniment and of course, naan bread. Now that this can be considered a success.....it's time to move on to some of the more complicated recipes. I can't wait!!

I Must Be a Farmer- I Grew My Own Fenugreek!

The world can be a very small place at times. Thanks to the Internet and social media it's growing ever smaller by the day. I am making friends in far away lands and enjoying those connections through food, through music, through family, all the commonalities that make in-person friendships so wonder also help shape our online friendships. In my journey as a blogger and Facebook page owner, I met a young lady who lives in Holland. She has a very diverse background, being of Trinidadian descent, born in England, moved about Europe and settled in Holland with her husband and daughter, where Sue cooks amazing Indian recipes using the freshest ingredients, all homemade, and demonstrates a skill far too many cooks these days don't know how to deliver- portion control.

On Sue's Facebook Page Sue, You and Cooking Too she shares photos of everything she prepares for her family. The first thing I noticed when I first met Sue, besides in creative use of spices and the Euro names for foods we call something totally different in the U.S., was the heavy handed use of fresh vegetables on her plate. Her portion size is perfect- no monster piles of meat and starches, and the vegetables are often the stars of the plate. Lots of stir fried and fresh steamed veg. Careful use of lean proteins such as fish and other lean meats. Of course, those spices. Sue is a flavor master when it comes to spices. She inspires me to get out of my comfort zone and try all things Indian.

The fenugreek plants were sturdy and bright and the
blooms were fragrant and pretty.

Since I have this desire to try these new flavors, and spices I have been accumulating them over the last several months. Fenugreek is one such spice that Sue and I were talking about one day. I have a packet of the seeds but Sue says the leaves of the plant are also commonly used in Indian cooking. Now......as a gardener that just seemed like a challenge and a great idea. I have always loved growing "weird" things just to see how they turn out. Last summer it was a pot full of lentil plants- which resulted in a small palmful of lentils. Kind of fun actually. I separated out about 6 or 7 fenugreek seeds and planted them in a pot on the deck. Lo and behold they sprouted- very quickly I might add, making their appearance on the third day after planting. The plants grew quickly but weren't especially huge- maybe because they were grown in containers, I'm not really sure as I have no idea what they are like ground in the ground (maybe at the new house?). Anyway, the leave were bright green and solid. Sue told me I should make curry and chop up and include the leaves from the fenugreek plants in my dish. I did a little research and found lots of recipes using the leaves. Sue said they stink, but I didn't find them stinky at all- I found them to smell green and herbaceous. With all this information I was armed with fresh fenugreek leaves and ready to get cooking.

My schedule being as it was I never was able to utilize the leaves in any cooking so when I saw seed pods forming I knew it would be best to let the pods go and until they were fully formed and dry. The leaves browned and dried up and fell off the plants, as most plants often do.

The pots looked like just a bunch of dead sticks but those sticks held on to the seed pods, which hadn't fully dried yet.

After a week or so on the plant, the pods were finally dried. Splitting them open was interesting- they opened easily and revealed a line of squarish brown fenugreek seeds, packed in there like sardines. They popped out easily and are ready to go into whatever dish I plan to use them in, or to replant, for an ever-bearing harvest of fenugreek.

What happened was not only did I replace the few seeds I began with, I have an additional couple tablespoons worth of seeds to add to my jar. I can see this being a regular part of my herb gardening from now on, even if just for the seeds. Since I have these beautiful little seeds, it's time to get busy making something with them. I'm going to rely on Sue for some guidance in this department and get a recipe recommendation from her. I know it's going to be outrageously delicious.

Sue's West Indian Masala Blend
Photo is property of Sue, You and Cooking Too.

Sue's West Indian Masala

 2 tablespoons coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seed
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Combine the seeds in a DRY skillet. Toast the seeds over medium high heat for several minutes until they become fragrant. Remove to a plate and allow the seeds to cool. Grind and use as desired.

So with Sue's masala blend, we are all set to make something really memorable. Once again I reached out to her for a recommendation on how to best use this spice blend and she suggested using the mixture as a dry rub for chicken or fish. She also said if you add a teaspoon of turmeric to the ground mixture it becomes a West Indian Curry. With that in mind, let's play around with some ingredients and do some research and come up with a great way to use this spice blend.

West Indian Curry Roast Chicken and Vegetables

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Sue's West Indian Masala (one batch with the turmeric)
4-6 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste
1/3 cup cooking oil
6 roma tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
2 zucchini, cut into chunks
head of cauliflower, broken into florets
1 stick butter
1 cup coconut milk
chopped fresh parsley
hot cooked rice, for serving

Cut the chicken breast into bite sized cubes and set aside.

In a large bowl add cooking oil. Add the curry seasoning and the garlic, stir to coat with the spices. Add the chicken cubes to the spice mixture, tossing to coat the chicken with the spiced oil. Allow the mixture to rest at room temperature about half an hour to marinate the chicken.

Add the vegetables to the bowl with the chicken. Toss to coat everything. Spread out in a rimmed baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle with the stick of butter, melted. Roast in a 425 degree oven until the chicken is cooked and golden and the vegetables are crisp/tender. 

Remove pan from oven, with a spoon scoop out the chicken, zucchini, onions and cauliflower and place in a bowl. Use a fork to mash the tomatoes in the pan. Add the coconut milk to the tomato mixture and heat to boiling.

To serve, scoop a serving of rice into a shallow bowl, top with chicken and vegetables and spoon sauce over. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Amazing, right? The vegetables really come to life with the flavorful spice mixture, and retain their texture and color in the oven. I added half a dried ghost chile, crushed, to the spice mixture for some heat. A LOT of heat actually. You can also add an orange veg such as carrots, butternut squash or sweet potatoes- simply cut into chunks and pre-cook until almost tender, then scatter in the roasting pan with the chicken and other vegetables. 

As a relative newbie in the world of Indian foods I am thoroughly enjoying all the culinary experiments. Sue has been an excellent tour guide too. If you're on Facebook you really should give Sue's page a Like. It won't be long and you'll see what I mean about her portion size and abundance of vegetables. The typical plate at Sue's house has a realistic portion of protein and a colorful variety of veggies- most steamed or roasted. The few times she does serve fried foods like "chips" the portions are small as regarded as a treat, not a main portion of the meal. You will also appreciate the genuineness of Sue's "real people food"- no fancy plating or tricks with lighting in her pictures, just real homemade cooking for her family. I can honestly say I have learned more from Sue than any other person in my foodie network.

A Peek Inside Old Mother Hubbard's Cupboard- Indian squash soup

Old Mother Hubbard has a cupboard full of Hubbard. Hubbard squash that is. If you have never seen one, they are GIANT things, my favorite variety being the big Blue Hubbard. The first time I saw one I was in awe of this gorgeous unique looking vegetable. There is an apple orchard not too far from the Little Lake House and it was on a tourism day for work that I visited, an they had a huge display of many different kinds of pumpkins, gourds and squash, but the big Blue Hubbard really stood out, and I had to have one.

A few smaller blue Hubbards among pumpkins and
other winter squash

Folks..........one squash is a lot. I spent the better part of an entire day cutting up, seeding, peeling, and cubing that monster. It had to be a good forty pounder. I ended up with over 20 quarts of canned squash cubes. Twenty quarts is a lot of squash to make other foods out of. I didn't just have the Hubbard- I'm not that smart. I left the orchard that day with the back of my SUV full of Hubbard, butternut, Celebration, turban-type, acorn, Delicata, pumpkins and of course, apples so I have tons to work with. Home canned squash is very tender and works best in recipes that call for a puree. Baked goods such as bread and cakes, pies, soups, puddings- all delicious options for using squash. We have been on a soup kick since embracing the home baked bread idea and, well, we have all that squash and hopefully we can use some of it before our upcoming move away from the lake. No one wants to pack, load, unload and unpack heavy quart jars of squash......

I think next to the pumpkins and other squash, you can
get an idea of the enormity of this Hubbard.

Besides making bread at home, learning new cuisines and food cultures has been a goal of mine, and especially exotic things like Indian flavors. I've stocked up on many new spices used in Indian cooking, and now want to try them out. So many incredible flavors make up any given Indian dish. Learning to make tandoori chicken was a crash course in spices. Lots of chilies are used in Indian cooking, from mild to mouth-scorching hot. Ajwain is a pungent seed that flavors stir fried vegetables wonderfully. Cardamom, peppercorns, cumin, celery seed, fenugreek leaves and seeds, mints, mustards, ginger, cloves, cinnamon- the list goes on and on. Some add a savory element, some add color, some heat, some an herbaceous quality. The sweetness of squash is the perfect background for creating an interesting mural of flavors.

In researching my Indian flavors I did come across a great blog featuring "How To Build an Indian Pantry". Click HERE to visit.

Now let's talk about spices. Indian spices are so perfect and beautiful on their own, combined in blends they take on a whole new dimension. Complexity, flavor, some with heat, some sweet, most are a true test for the palate- what exactly IS that in there?  This soup uses garam masala which is  a Northern Indian blend. Garam tells us it's a "hot" spice, but rather than hot pepper burn your face off heat, it refers to the intensity. Normally this mixture contains turmeric, white and black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom pods and cumin seeds,all ground together. You might find nutmeg, mace, star anise and allspice in there as well. In terms of Indian spices- the more the merrier! Toasting the spices really brings out the aromatic qualities and flavors in the spices.

Let's make some Indian Spiced Squash Soup. You will need-

• 4 cups pureed cooked Hubbard or other winter squash
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons garam masala
• 3/4 cup canned coconut milk (NOT cream of coconut)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• Herb Oil (recipe follows)

Heat the olive oil in a deep stockpot. Saute the onion until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Don't let the garlic brown. Add the garam masala and stir, cooking another couple minutes to bring out the aromas of the spices.

Add the squash, coconut milk and broth to pot. Mix well. Cover and simmer for about an hour. Puree the finished soup with an immersion blender (or CAREFULLY in batches in blender). Serve drizzled with a little Herb Oil.

Herb Oil

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup parsley leaves
• pinch of salt and pepper

Buzz in mini food processor til smooth. Use any leftovers in salad dressings, marinades or chimichurri.

This soup is perfect on a chilly, rainy fall day, and even better if you have a fresh from the oven loaf of crusty bread to go alongside. The Indian spices bring a warm feeling to the smooth creamy soup. Give this recipe a try!

The Indian Experiment Part 2

Some time ago I decided to make it a point to try my hand at Indian cooking. So far, that has included only one dish, tandoori chicken. I'm nowhere near done yet- still tons to learn about and master. So many spices and flavors to discover and new ways to prepare things. So here I am, finding myself researching recipes and trying to find ways to best use the ingredients I have on hand. Since I stocked up on almost everything in the spice category, it's pretty safe to say I'm prepared for just about any recipe. No bugs though. And no monkey brains. I always say no to bugs and monkey brains. I may have an adventurous palate but I am nooooo Indiana Jones at a time like this.

Butter chicken, also known as murg makhani, will be my next experiment. Probably one of the most popular dishes, this comes from the Punjab region and can be as mild or as hot as the cook decides.  Mine will not be the burn-your-face-off searing heat many Indian dishes are known for, but a pretty intense blend of flavors, and aromas. The spices cooked briefly in the melted butter is just enough to make the whole house smell wonderful. Poor planning on my part landed Indian night on a weeknight, so I won't have time to play with dough and make pita or naan this time either, darnit. I bet it would have been great for sopping up the creamy, spicy sauce. This dish is often served with lentils, but I think I am going to stick with rice.

The more I get to reading and researching these new foods, the more I find I want to make. In a perfect world I would spend all day cooking and playing with food. If only I had all the time I wanted and an endless supply of ingredients...... a girl can dream though, right?

***Please note, I did not "invent" this recipe, but based it on Food.com's version. I did make a few changes based on ingredients I had on hand, but the result was fantastic. So let's get cooking.

What you need:

2 tb oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
3 tb butter
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp sweet paprika
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tb fresh grated ginger
several dashes chili powder
1 cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods, slightly bruised
1 can tomato puree
1 tb sugar
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tb lemon juice

The method:

Heat oil in large wok or skillet. Add chicken and cook until nicely browned. You may need to do it two batches using 1 tb oil per batch. Remove to bowl and set aside. Reduce heat and add butter to wok. Add all spices to butter and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about a minute.  Return chicken to wok and stir to coat with spices. Add tomatoes and sugar, simmer for 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for a few more minutes until thickened. Serve over rice. (Make sure to fish out the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods- you don't want to eat those)

I'm so in love with fresh summer squash stir fried with Indian seasonings that again I went with that as a side. I have only made one other Indian dish so it can't technically be called a "rut" just yet. I like the mildness of the squash compared to the bold flavor of the entree- I don't have a plate full of competing flavors, which is more important to me. Concentrate on ONE dish and do it really well, and try a new side later, maybe when I have a couple extra hours for bread-making as well. 

Anyway, this dish really did come together very quickly, which is perfect for a weeknight when you don't want to spend the whole evening in the kitchen. It's basically a one-pot entree as well. If you are one of those super organized cooks, you can pre-prep just about everything- cut up the chicken, vegetables, mix the spices ahead of time. Then it's just a matter of heat, dump, saute and simmer. Done! Convenience food that's actually GOOD for you! I think we might be on to something here!

Product Review: The Indian Experiment

Part of my personal mission as an amateur chef and foodie fanatic has been to try new types of cuisine- something out of my comfort zone of French, Italian and American foods. I am really terrible at Asian foods. That area needs a lot of work. I especially want to learn to make my own sushi.

A lot of my foodie and blogger friends are nuts over Indian food. Now......my ONLY experience with Indian food was curry from a small Indian restaurant in the small British town I lived near back in the 80s. It was chicken curry and was terrible. I swore I'd never ever eat that again. But curiosity and the desire to expand my palate has changed my mind. Getting to know spice experts such as those at Spiceologist has only furthered my curiosity.

So armed with Google and hundreds of cook books, some newly-acquired spices, and after a visit to the big grocery store in the city, I am armed and ready!

The first decision was meat. I'm still not sold on lamb so chicken it is. Deciding what to do with the chicken was a tougher decision. "Butter Chicken" sounded awesome and not as hot as some of the other dishes. We are NOT afraid of heat around here but I did want to start with flavors I could enjoy and not just burn my mouth off. Since I had a jar of Tandoori rub from Spiceologist I decided to go with Chicken Tandoori. Easy to put together and cook.

Besides pairing with rice, I needed a vegetable as well so more research, more considering what spices I already own and I decided on my version of Zucchini Ki Bhaji, a stir fry of zucchini and lots of spicy goodness, including the aljwain seeds from Spiceologist. I'm going to switch it up and use zucchini and yellow squash and add some chunks of onion for sweetness. 

My plans also included some homemade pita bread to go with but with our below zero temps, the house just is a little too cool for proper rising, so I'll save that for Indian Experiment #2.

So let's get started on my Indian day-

For the Chicken Tandoori I used:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 8oz cup PLAIN yogurt-be careful not to accidentally get vanilla

Spiceologist Tandoori Glory rub  (you can get it by clicking HERE)

I like to use as few dishes as possible when cooking so I just cut around the edges of the foam tray the chicken came in and peeled it back. Throw out that pad in the bottom. Wash and pat dry chicken. In a small bowl mix the yogurt with about 2-3 tablespoons Tandoori Glory rub. 

Rub mixture all over chicken, thickly and evenly. Replace in foam tray, recover and put in a plastic bag and pop in the fridge for a couple hours until ready to cook. I use this marinating time to prep my vegetables.

After marinating for a while, place breasts in greased baking dish and bake at 375 until done (juices run clear or meat tests 165 degrees, usually about 30-35 minutes for boneless). You can also grill the chicken if you'd like.

While chicken is baking, get your rice going. Jasmine rice is traditional with Indian food but regular rice will be fine.

And it's also time to get your veggies going.

Zucchini Ki Bhaji  (my version)

1 medium zucchini

2 small yellow summer squash

1/2 medium onion

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cumin seed

1 tsp ajwain seed

3 tb cooking oil

Cut the zucchini, summer squash and onion into bite sized chunks. Set aside.

Start by adding all the spices and oil to a skillet. Heat and stir to toast and bring out the aromatic goodness of the spices. After several minutes, bring to heat over medium high.

Add vegetables and stir fry until crisp/tender and coated with spice. Pour into serving bowl and enjoy.

Now.......you might be wondering how our first home cooked Indian meal turned out-

Delicious !!!! The Tandoori chicken was tender and juicy and the yogurt and spice mixture left a delicious and spicy (not HOT) coating. The vegetables were soooo delicious. If you noticed in the picture I usually stir fry in a stock pot because it's less messy- no splattering. The spicy oil coated the veggies and was so incredibly flavorful! Now I really really want to explore Indian food!