Indian cuisine is one of the most popular food genres in the U.S., thanks in part to its flavor profile, which consists of a variety of warming spices, chilis, fruits and vegetables. The preparation of these wonderful dishes varies by regions and even families, but the vast majority of the dishes are spicy, with a lot of heat, and are served with condiments like raita that are designed to soothe the palate during the meal. Once you prepare a dish, you will learn how to adjust the heat to suit your taste. And don’t forget the staple, basmati rice, which forms the perfect serving base.
Chicken vindaloo
This recipe for chicken curry is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. It does not require marinating and uses only one pan.
Photo by Michael Phillips
Chicken Vindaloo
SERVES 4–6
Spice Mix
2 tablespoon garam masala (homemade or store-bought)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
Chicken
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3–4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated
¼ cup tomato paste
½ cup white wine or white vinegar
2 cups chicken stock
Cilantro, for garnish
In a small bowl, combine the garam masala, paprika, mustard powder, brown sugar and salt. Set aside.
In a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken and cook until all of the pink areas start to brown. Remove to a plate. Add remaining oil to pan and add onions. Cook, stirring until soft, about 4–5 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook another 30 seconds. Add the spice mix and cook, stirring, another minute. Add tomato paste, wine and chicken stock and stir. Return chicken to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove top and cook 10 minutes more, allowing sauce to thicken. Garnish with cilantro and serve over basmati rice.
Chicken Tandoori
Chicken Tandoori
Tandoori-style chicken is marinated in yogurt and spices for several hours, and then baked or grilled. This recipe—served as a main course or appetizer—also works well with chicken wings.
Photo by Iuliia Nedrygailova
SERVES 4–5
1 5-ounce container plain Greek yogurt
Juice of 1 lime
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon garam masala (homemade or store-bought)
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds skin-on drumsticks
Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish
In a large bowl, using a whisk or spatula, combine yogurt, lime juice, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, salt and cayenne. Add the drumsticks and turn to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for at least two hours.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking pan with foil and insert a wire cooking rack. Place drumsticks on rack and bake, turning once, until temperature reaches 165 F on an instant-read thermometer, about 20–25 minutes per side. Turn oven temperature to broil setting and broil until skin is crispy, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from oven, plate on a serving tray and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.
Beef Curry
Beef Curry
This dish is similar to what we know as beef stew, except with the unique spices and flavors of Indian food.
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
SERVES 4
2 tablespoons garam masala (homemade or store-bought)
2–3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
2½ tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes (or store-bought cubed beef chunks)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup crushed tomatoes
1 cup beef stock
Rice, to serve
Raita, to serve (see recipe below)
Cilantro, for garnish
Mint, for garnish
Sliced red chili, optional garnish
In a small bowl, combine garam masala, garlic, ginger and lemon juice to form a paste. Set aside.
In a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add half the beef chunks and brown on all sides, stirring, 2–3 minutes. Remove to a bowl and repeat with remaining oil and beef. Reduce heat to medium, add onions and cook for 1 minute. Add paste and cook an additional minute. Add meat back to the skillet and stir to coat. Stir in tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and stock. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes or until beef is tender. If beef mixture gets too thick during simmering, stir in additional stock ¼ cup at a time.
Remove top and allow sauce to reduce and thicken, if necessary, about 15 minutes. Serve with basmati rice and raita. Garnish with cilantro, mint and chilis.
Raita
Combine 1 cup thick yogurt with ½ finely diced seedless cucumber and 2 tablespoons freshly chopped mint leaves. Store in refrigerator.
Goan Coconut Cake
Goan Coconut Cake
Goan, also known as Baath cake, is made with semolina flour and grated coconut as its main ingredients. And it’s delicious!
Photo by Gina Moore
SERVES 6
2 cups semolina flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups grated coconut
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
4 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon rosewater or almond extract
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan, and line with parchment paper.
Into a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the coconut and whisk until combined. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time and beat until combined. Add the extract. Gradually fold in the semolina mixture. The batter will be thick.
In another medium bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer using the whisk beater attachments, gradually increasing to the highest speed, until stiff peaks form. Reduce stand mixer speed to lowest setting and fold egg whites into the cake mixture. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared cake pan. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate overnight.
Remove batter from refrigerator, uncover and set on counter at least 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool slightly in pan. Remove from pan, remove parchment and cool completely on a cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
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Tips and techniques
Give it some juice. Get into the habit of microwaving citrus before squeezing. Microwaving limes and lemons—15 to 20 seconds—allows for the most juice to be extracted. This process also removes germs that live on the outside skin of citrus.
Coming up rosewater. Many Indian recipes call for rosewater; but unless you live near a major city, it is difficult to find. An acceptable substitute is almond extract, but the taste is not quite the same. Rosewater is not difficult to make—just a little time-consuming.
Strip rose petals from the stems and rinse well. Put into a medium saucepan with just enough distilled water to cover. Boil 20–30 minutes until petals have turned pale. Strain to separate petals from water and discard petals. Pour rosewater into a small jar and store in a cool dry place; no need to refrigerate.
Raita vs. chutney. What is the difference between raita and chutney? Raita is a yogurt-based sauce meant to balance out spiciness on the palate. Unlike chutney, it can be served with any dish, and goes best with meals where it is necessary to ease burning on the tongue and palate.
Chutneys are condiments used to complement or balance certain flavors. They are most commonly made with fruit, vinegar, sugar and an array of spices. They can be sweet, tart, smooth or chunky.
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What’s cooking at SCLiving.coop
Homemade garam masala—In her latest how-to video, Chef Belinda shows us how to make garam masala, a mainstay spice blend that is a must for authentic Indian flavor in meat dishes.