THE CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Does this humble,yet hugely popular curry need an introduction? This is like the voice of India.Whichever restaurant you go to here, this is on their menu for sure! I even like the way it sounds.This was never a curry we had at home while growing up. A good Butter Chicken would appear once in a while on the dinner table when Amma was in a mood for a change. But,never a Chicken Tikka Masala.

I like all curries with a thick smooth sauce made with onions and tomatoes. And to go with that, I'd love some Garlic Naan,with some butter slathered over it.

I made this curry a month or two back and this post was in my drafts for the longest time. I don't know why,but,everytime I saw it, I did not feel like posting it here.I am trying my best to stop procrastinating things these days because,once I do that,it never gets done later on. It's a bit difficult at times but,when I am done with it,it feels awesome! There are days when I don't feel like doing anything, but,just sit and watch some movies or catch up on some idiotic reality shows.

Back to the curry.This is really an awesome one! Once you make it,you will feel like a kitchen goddess. Trust me, you will! Your kitchen will smell amazing while it's cooking and your tastebuds will feel pampered when you taste it! None of Mr. Raghavan Iyer's recipes, that I've tried so far, have failed to impress.It's not just me. It's been impressing a lot of our friends too! I paired it with a simple Peas Pulao, that I love making with some red onions, cumin & cilantro. It would pair well with just steamed Basmati rice too! This curry is bursting with flavours and you will wonder why you didn't make it earlier!

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
You will need some bamboo skewers

For the marinade:
1/2 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons ginger paste
2 tablespoons garlic paste
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons coriander seeds,ground
1 teaspoon cumin seeds,ground
1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 pound boneless,skinless chicken breasts,cut lengthwise into 1 inch wide strips

For the sauce:
2 tablespoon ghee
1 small red onion,coarsely chopped
1 small red bell pepper,seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon garam masala

2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Method:Soak the bamboo skewers in water for an hour.
Whisk all the ingredients given under the marinade,stir in the chicken and toss thoroughly. Refrigerate covered, for atleast 30 minutes or up to 6 hours.

When you are ready to cook the chicken,make the sauce: Heat the ghee in a small saucepan* over medium -high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, almonds and raisins, and cook, stirring frequently,until the vegetables soften and then acquire honey -brown patches,10-12 minutes.Stir in the tomatoes and scrape the bottom to deglaze it.Pour this chunky sauce into the blender and add the cream,salt,cayenne and garam masala. Puree,scraping the jar as needed,to make a thick,nutty-gritty sauce.Pour the sauce into a medium size saucepan and simmer it over low heat while you grill the chicken.

Grill or broil (on the shelf closest to the heating element) the chicken for 6-8 minutes,turning occassionally,until they juices run clear.Slide the chicken off the skewers into the sauce.Stir to coat well and serve garnished with cilantro!

*Forcing the vegetables into a small pan allows them to sweat a little,creating moisture that prevents burning.

This curry is a bomb! That's all that I have to say :) We enjoyed it to the last bite. The sauce will thicken up as it cools,so feel free to adjust the consistency with some cream,if need be.

SAAG MURGHI

T he only reason for  trying out this curry was because, I do not like to eat greens in it's pure form. No matter what it is, I cannot. I like to combine it with some protein and that way, I just forget about the green goodness that's hidden in the sauce. My Spinach & Coriander Chicken Curry, one of my most popular recipes,is a good example. So, when I came across this recipe in 660 Curries by Mr.Raghavan Iyer, I made a mental note to try it as soon as I could.

I've never cooked with mustard greens so far. I've heard thats it's bitter. So, when we went to our Farmers Market last weekend, I bought a bunch of  mustard greens having this recipe in mind. Only after I came home did I realise that it also called for some Spinach. So, naturally, the curry didn't happen that day. It had to wait until we went and bought some spinach. Jobin's mom is visiting us now and she loves to eat greens,like most other people. When I told her I am planning on making this curry,she was equally excited.

Jobin loves dosa with chicken curry,of any kind.So, that was the combination we had,last night. This curry pairs well with pretty much anything...rice,rotis etc., I am not a fan of Palak Paneer and I did have a fear in my mind if it would taste like it.My fears vanished when I took a small bite once the curry was simmering away. It did taste different. It could be because there's chicken in it. The juices from the chicken can flavour the sauce like no other! The original recipe calls for a whole chicken cut into 8 portions. Even though I planned on making this curry for over a week, it never occured to me that I should be using a bone-in chicken. Instead, I went ahead with a different cut.So, if you are planning to sneak in more greens into your diet,try this curry. This is delicious and doesn't taste green,just the way I like it!

Whenever I am making a boneless chicken curry,I try to use boneless,skinless chicken thighs. Dark meat of a chicken is amazing and so full of flavour when compared to white meat,the breast of the chicken. I use chicken breast only for certain purposes,like kebabs,cutlets etc.Since I used a boneless cut of chicken, I had to alter the recipe as I went along.It was just a few shortcuts because the cooking time is much less than bone-in chicken.

SAAG MURGHI
Serves 6

Ingredients
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 tablespoon coriander seeds,ground
1 teaspoon cumin seeds , ground
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 chicken ( 3 1/2 pounds),skin removed,cut into 8 pieces
4 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium sized red onion,finely chopped
5 cloves of garlic,finely chopped
8 ounces fresh spinach,coarsely chopped
8 ounces fresh mustard greens,coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon rock salt, pounded

Method:
In a medium bowl, whisk together ingredients from yogurt through turmeric. Add the chicken to it, toss well to coat,cover and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan on medium high heat.Add the chicken pieces,reserving any marinade in the dish, Cook the chicken until light brown on both sides,about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the pieces to a plate.
Pour the remaining 2 tablespoon oil into the pan and when hot,add the onions and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium- low,cover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions and garlic turn caramel brown,about 15-20 minutes. Add the chopped greens by the handful,cover the skillet and let it wilt. Repeat till the greens are over. Stir in the reserved marinade and 1/2 cup water. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally,to allow the greens to soften and the marinade to cook , 3-7 minutes.
Return the chicken to the pan and let it cook,covered for another 15-20 minutes. Carefully transfer the greens and any liquid in the skillet to a food processor and process to create a smooth sauce. Spoon this sauce over the chicken,sprinkle the rock salt and serve!

This curry was very well recieved by all of us.Ian proved to be a better eater than me! He loved the sauce and mopped it up with dosa,chapathi and even rice! The sauce is very mild,unlike our usual chicken curries. There's no cream in it, yet, it creates a beautiful silky sauce.It must be yogurt in the marinade! If you feel the sauce is thickening when it cools, feel free to thin it out using some chicken broth or even water!
I hope you enjoy this healthy & delicious curry !
 

JHINGA VINDALOO

We absolutely love anything Vindaloo! I've tried Pork Vindaloo, Chicken Vindaloo and now, Jhinga Vindaloo. All of them are loved by us,equally!Jhinga is the Hindi word for Shrimp / Prawns and I love the how rustic it sounds. It makes the dish feel so exotic and delicious,just how it turned out to be. I am a big Shrimp lover but I don't like it when it's served cold.Same is the case with other seafood. I like seafood to be spicy,juicy,fiery hot and full of flavour.

Whenever I hear the word Vindaloo, it reminds me of Goa. Amma used to make Pork Vindaloo very often at home so we never order it at any restaurant. A few years back when I visited Goa, Tia, my cousin, took me to one of her favourite restaurants there. I don't remember what I ordered but I know Tia ordered a vindaloo. I was really excited to try it out but somehow it wasn't to my liking. It was just not how Amma made it.

That experience made me realize that every household makes it different. So does the restaurants.It's just not the same anywhere.There might be one or two common ingredients but other than that, nothing is common.The most common ingredient is white vinegar. So, when I decided to try this recipe out, I was visualising it in my mind how the end result would be. This Jhinga Vindaloo is orangish-yellow and the curry has a kick from the vingear and spices used in it and I really loved it! Love all of Mr. Raghavan Iyer's recipes from 660 Curries!

JHINGA VINDALOO
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coriander seeds,ground
1 teaspoon cumin seeds,ground
10 raw cashewnuts, ground
1 teaspoon cayenne / red chili powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup white vinegar, warmed in the microwave for 15 seconds
1 pound shrimp,cleaned & peeled but with tails on
2 tablespoons canola oil
Chopped cilantro for garnish

Method: Mix together all the ingredients from coriander seeds through vingear to make a thin paste. Pour this over the shrimp and toss well. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 15 minutes.
In a wide pan, heat the oil on medium high and add the shrimp in one layer. Let it sear for 1 minute on each side. Pour the remaining marinade over and reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 3-5 mins or until the sauce is almost absorbed. Serve garnished with cilantro.

Ian loved the curry and was asking for 'Chemmen', a new word that is. He is a sport when it comes to food, I think he is more like Jobin that way. I am a little reserved. I always have a list of things that I would never eat :)
This curry is so good and perfect for weeknight dinner.If you do try this out, don't forget to come back and tell me how you liked it!
 

TARIDAAR COPRAY CHI MUCHEE

Guess what? I am posting another recipe for a simple fish curry! Ian enjoys fish as much he enjoys his veggies,poultry and meat.So I enjoy frying fish and making curries with it for him. He calls is 'Mee Mee' fry and waits for me to finish mixing rice, yogurt and fish for him to start eating. Every time he sees me draining freshly cooked rice, he would ask me for 'Mee Mee' fry :-) It melts my heart...every single time!

Ian has grown so much after he turned two. He talks a lot and loves to sing. If you ever come home and need something from the kitchen, you know whom to ask. He know where everything is kept and helps me put away things when we get back home after grocery shopping. I love to see the look on his face when I ask him to do things...he really feels important then!The other day, he saw me put away some story books and asked me to give him one. When I did, he said 'Thank you, Amma!'. I was shocked and couldn't breathe for a second or two. He also blesses us every time we sneeze.His version is,'Bless La Amma!'.Yesterday, we were at the mall for Toddler Tuesdays, and met a reader's cousin for lunch. Someone at the restaurant we were eating sneezed, and I heard a small voice saying, Bless La ! next to me. I wonder how they learn how to connect things!

Getting back to this delicious simple curry. This is another favourite from Mr. Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries. It is super easy to make and very very tasty! The recipe calls for Kokum and I  have substituted it equally with Gambooge / Kudampuli. Also, this curry uses raw rice as an ingredient! I've never heard of it before and that's one reason why I tried this dish.I've made slight changes to certain ingredients and I have given the measurements accordingly.

TARIDAAR COPRAY CHI MUCHEE
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds skinless catfish filets, cut up
1/2 cup shredded fresh coconut
2 tablespoon long- grain white rice
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 dried Thai or cayenne chilies, stems removed
5 pieces dried black kokums/gambooge, each roughly 2 inches long and 1 inch wide
1/4 cup boiling water
2 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup finely choppped red onion
3 fresh green Serrano chili,chopped fine

Method:
Sprinkle salt over the fish,spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and let them chill in the fridge,covered,for 30 minutes.Meanwhile pour 1/2 cup water into a blender jar and add the coconut,rice, coriander seeds,peppercorns, turmeric and dried chilies. Puree, scraping as needed,to make a thick paste.
Combine kokum with the boiling water and let it steep for 10-15 mins. Squeeze the fruit to extract the pulp and discard the fruit.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat .Add onions and chilies and stir fry until the onion is light brown around the edges and the chilies smell pungent,2-3 minutes. Ad the ground coconut paste and stir-fry until the spices and coconut form a thin yellow film on the bottom,1-2 minutes. Pour 1 1/2 cup water into the blender jar and swish it around to wash it out. Pour this to the skillet and scrape the bottom to deglaze it. Submerge the fish filets,in a single layer,in the sun-yellow sauce and cover the skillet. Poach gently, turning the fish halfway through cooking once,12-15 minutes.Add the kokum water,swirl the pan gently to get it mixed in.Adjust salt,simmer for a minute or two and serve hot!

This curry pairs well with Kerala Matta Rice,Basmati Rice or even Sona Masoori rice. We like to eat fish curries with Kerala Matta Rice mostly because how the mouth feel is. The grains are bigger, chubbier and starchy. It is truly a delectable fish curry with a twist from my usual ones. Jobin thinks this curry is delicious and I agree to it 100%!

ALOO PARANTHAS ( DECONSTRUCTED )

I adore Aloo Paranthas and so does my little family.The best part of making these for dinner is that we don't need any curry to accompany this hearty griddle bread. Sometimes, I like to dip mine in a nice spicy mango pickle but, not yogurt,as many people love to. I like yogurt with rice,better. Ian started enjoying these a few months ago and everytime I make it, he will be standing right there by the stove!

This is not your regular Aloo Paranthas. There's no stuffing involved! Yes, you read it right! Instead, potatoes are boiled,mashed and mixed along with a fragrant herb mixture and whole wheat flour. It makes life so much easier. It's so quick to make and tastes fantabulous! It is perfect for weeknights when you don't have time to make a curry but need something filling.

I started enjoying Paranthas during my college days. Vasu, my best friend, knew a very good place in Commercial Street ( Bangalore) which made amaaaazing paranthas of every kind! Being a hard core non vegetarian, I would always order meat paranthas and they used to be heavenly! Warm,pliable whole wheat paranthas with a dollop of butter on to was a piece of heaven for us, who were literally starving in our hostels!

I don't know how many of you have tried the meat Parantha's from a popular departmental store in Kottayam,Kerala. It is to-die-for! I've actually forgotten the name of that store because it's been a while since we went there.

I've borrowed this recipe from Mr. Raghavan Iyer's latest, Indian Cooking Unfolded.That book is a treasure chest waiting to be opened. I've bookmarked so many recipes from it by now and I don't know what to cook next. Every recipe is so well explained and everything looks and sounds delicious! Once you make these and realise how easy and quick it is, you will not go back to the stuffed version of Aloo Paranthas.

ALOO PARANTHA

Makes 16

Ingredients:
1 pound russet potatoes
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 inch piece ginger
2 green chili
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (atta)
Ghee

Method: Peel the potatoes and place them in a small saucepan . Add water to cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce to medium and let the potatoes simmer, covered, until they are very tender,15-20 minutes. Meantime, grind together cilantro,ginger and green chili.Once the potatoes are cooked,reserve 1/2 cup of the hot liquid and drain the rest. Mash the potatoes very well. Add the ground herb mixture, garam masala , salt and fold it in. Add the flour and stir to mix. Add the reserved cooking liquid by the tablespoon and form a smooth ball of dough. I needed only 1/4 cup of the liquid. Divide into 16 and roll them out into discs measuring 5-6 inches in diameter.

Heat a skillet on medium heat. Place one parantha over it and cook till the surface has some bumps and bubbles and the underside has some brown spots and looks cooked, 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook the second side until it has brown spots, 2-3 minutes. Apply some ghee and turn over to sear it, about 15 seconds. Brush the top with ghee and flip the bread once again and sear the second side, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cooked bread into a hot box or you can store them between sheets of aluminium foil. These re-heat very well!

You need to make these to know how soft they are! They are incredibly delicious and like how I mentioned earlier, you really don't need a curry for this. I just placed a kadai with some Adraki Masoor Dal that I had just made (another one from his book!) just for aesthetics.
These paranthas vanish in our household. 16 never seems to be enough ! :)
  

DRAAKSH RAITA

I never thought a combination of fresh grapes and yogurt could be this good! I saw this recipe in my friend Raghavan Iyer's latest cookbook, Indian Cooking Unfolded, a few weeks ago but never got around to making it until recently. It was like a revelation to me. It really changed the way I looked at combining fruits with spiced yogurt. I am thinking of pineapple and yogurt next! What do you think?

I was making my Kerala Style Beef Biriyani that evening and since we had friends over, I thought of making some Raita to go along with it. Jobin & myself like to have our biriyani's as is. We don't like mixing it with the usual accompaniments. But,like I mentioned earlier, I made it just incase our friends wanted something to mix their biriyani with.

It turns out even they liked their's plain.Even then, they did take a spoonful just to taste the 'new' raita I told them about.'The raita is awesome', was their only reply. I tasted it as soon as it was made and knew it would hit the spot with everyone! And it sure did!

DRAAKSH RAITA 
Makes 3 cups

Ingredients:
2 cups plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, dry roasted
1/2 pound crisp,fresh green and red seedless grapes,sliced in half
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Method:Whisk together yogurt,salt & red chili powder.Add the dry roasted cumin seeds along with the grapes and cilantro and fold it in. Serve chilled.

This raita will keep in the refrigerator,covered,for up to 5 days.

This raita tastes a lot different from all other raitas. I felt, it did taste like a chaat,due to the addition of dry roasted cumin seeds. There's something so addictive about this one because there's sweet & salty along with the heat from the red chili powder. You have to try it to believe me :)
Mr. Raghavan also suggests that we can toss the remaining raita with some greens for a luscious, low-fat, oil-free dressing! How cool is that?