Ingredients:
3 T. Ghee
1 Onion, chopped
1/2 t. Turmeric
2 Bay leaves
4 Cloves
4 Black peppercorns
2 inches Cinnmaon stick
2 Black cardamom pods
2 C. Brown rice, presoaked
3/4 C. Water
3 T. Green peas
1 t. Salt
1 pinch Saffron
Procedure:
Heat the ghee in a skillet. Sauté the onion over a medium heat
until it is golden drown in colur. Reserve some of the onion for
garnishing later
Add turmeric to the skillet. Stir and heat briefly. Add the rest of
the spices in order. Mix well
Add the rice and stir a few times. Pour over the water, stir and bring
to a boil. Reduce the heat, mix in peas and salt, cover and cook for 10 to
15 minutes
Sprinkle with saffron and reserved sautéd onion
Serve hot
Notes:
Can be served with other Indian entrées
Do not over cook the rice
Ingredients:
2/3 Urad dal
3 T. raw kidney beans
Salt
3 1/2 t. Fresh ginger, minced
3 1/2 t. Fresh garlic, minced
4 1/2 oz. Fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 t. Chili powder or minced green serrano chilies with seeds
1/4 C. Vegetable oil
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Procedure:
Wash urad dal in running water. Place in pot and cover by 2 inches
with cold water and soak overnight. Soaking isn't necessary for other
varieties of lentils
Drain lentils and place in large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add salt and
6 1/4 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a slow simmer.
Simmer until the lentils are cooked and two thirds of the liquid has
evaporated, this takes about 3 hours. Do not disturb the lentils until
they soften
Mash lentils slightly against the sides of the pan with a wooden
spoon. Add ginger, garlic, tomatoes, chilies and oil. Stir and cook for 45
minutes
Adjust seasoning, add cilantro and stir to combine
Serve and garnish
Notes:
Lentils can be substituted for the urad dal
Include kidney beans only if using urad dal
Most types of dal are best made in advance and gently reheated
Serve with cooked rice
Urad Dal (whole) requires soaking and a long, slow cooking. For faster
versions, try moong dal, which doesn't require soaking and cooks in about
15 minu tes when split and washed (skinned) or 45 minutes when whole
Ingredients:
4 Lbs. Chicken thigh or breasts
Juice of 2 lemons
1 t. Salt
2 t. Cayenne
3 oz. Flour
6 oz. Butter
2 Onions, finely sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 1/2 Inch piece fresh ginger root, minced
2 t. Cumin seeds
1 pint Yoghurt
1/2 C. Fresh cream (or equal quantity of sour light cream)
8 oz. Coconut cream (if mixture seems too dry through prolonged
cooking)
Thinly pared rind of 1 lemon, in 1 piece
Procedure:
Place the chicken on a large platter and rub it over with lemon juice.
Set aside for at least 20 minutes, then pat fry with kitchen paper towel
Mix the salt, cayenne and flour on a plate and dredge the chicken
pieces in it, shaking off any excess
Melt butter in a hot skillet, add the chicken and fry until browned
Add the onions, garlic, ginger and cumin seeds and fry until the
mixture is golden brown
Stir in the yoghurt, cream and lemon rind. Return the chicken to the
mixture and mix until all chicken is well coated
Bring to the boiling point, reduce the heat to low and simmer for
about 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked. Uncover the pan for the last
20 minutes, to allow sauce to reduce
Discard lemon rind before serving
Serve and garnish
Notes:
If the mixture is too dry for the quantity of chicken, additional
yoghurt or sour cream and the coconut cream can be added to get the proper
consistency
Serve with rice and other Indian foods
Ingredients:
1 T. Coriander seeds
1 T. Poppy seeds
Red mustard seeds
1 T. Cumin seeds
1/2 C. Corn or peanut oil
2 T. Dried hot red chili flakes
1 T. Fresh ginger, minced
4 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Lbs. Pork, boneless, cut in 2 inch cubes
1 Lbs. Beef, boneless, cut in 2 inch cubes
1 t. Salt
1 C.Water
1/2 C. Vinegar
Procedure:
Lightly toast the coriander, poppy, mustard seeds and cumin seeds in a
dry skillet for 2 or 3 minutes until the aroma is released. Grind the
seeds in a processor to a fine powder. Set aside
Heat the oil in a pan and add all the toasted dry spices, the chili
flakes ginger and garlic. Stir fry over moderately low heat for 2 minutes
Add the meat & stir continuously for 10 minutes as the meat browns
Add the water, cover the pan and cook until the meats are tender,
about 1 hour
When the meats have been fully tenderized, add the vinegar and
continue to cook until the vinegar evaporates and the oil has risen. This
is an indication that the vindaloo is ready. At this stage, all the oil
may be poured off before serving
Serve warm with plain white rice and masoor dal
Notes:
Vinegar is a preservative and therefore the vindaloo may be kept in
the refrigerator for several days before using. In fact, the flavour are
intensified if the vindaloo is eaten one or two days before cooking, warm
slightly
The vindaloo requires that a substantial amount of oil be used in the
preparation. For our purpose and without compromising the flavor, I have
suggested that the excess oil be poured off before dining
Toasting and grinding the whole spice seeds is the old time method and
very effective in deriving the most flavor
The recipe is one prepared by the Bhatia Christians of Calcutta, a
group of Anglo Indians who have intermarried with Bengali Indians
Ingredients:
1 T. Coriander seeds
1 T.Cumin seeds
6 Black peppercorns
3 (2 inch) Stalks lemongrass include the bulbs, chopped
1/2 C. Cilantro leaves
1 (2 inch) Piece fresh galangal (or ginger), peeled
1 t. Lime zest
8 Garlic cloves, peeled
4 Shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
12 Green chilies such as serranos, seeds and stems removed and halved
1/4 C. Water
1 t. Salt
Procedure:
Roast the coriander and cumin seeds for about 2 minutes in a dry
skillet. When they have cooled, grind to a fine powder in a spice mill
Combine the roasted ground spices with all the remaining ingredients
in a food processor or blender and purée until a fine paste is
formed
Pour the paste into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to
one month
Notes:
This curry paste can be added to any other curry preparation. Just one
teaspoon will make other curries more flavorful, zesty and pungent