Butter and spice and everything nice

Greetings from sunny Florida once again! There is something to be said about being around good weather, it makes you a nicer human being.  Really, I feel mentally upbeat, I have been working out and eating healthy. All of this positivity brings my thoughts to the matter of making a lifestyle change and settling into a regimen that is sustainable for me.  Easier said than done because I haven’t found one yet, so instead I get to wax eloquent on the subject in my blog today. Authorship has it’s privileges.

There  are quite a few diets making the rounds , right from utter starvation (fasting diet) to intermittent eating ( 8/16 formula) to the Keto diet( no sugar or carbs). I personally have not been able to stick to any of these but have friends, bravehearts actually, who are doing a bang up job on them. Only time will tell if these can be sustained but for now, boy do they look like a million bucks. There are studies out there extolling the virtues of one as opposed to the dangers of others, but at the end of the day if any of these diets can be used as an initial weight loss tool on the path to maintain a better body/ weight/ fat index, I say so be it.

The Keto diet according to me is one of the more fun diets to be on as you are allowed all the meat and fats in the world. That brings me to the world famous Indian chicken dish Butter Chicken, which is loved by kids and adults all over and is tailor made for Ketonians. It’s origins can be traced to a restaurant in Delhi  called Moti Mahal and was the brainchild of the three owners who came up with the recipe. Folklore goes that they wanted to do something with all the tandoori chicken that they would have left over every night and needed to put it to good use. So they basically took the left over chicken mixed it up in a rich tomato gravy , rich in butter and cream.  Their version of the hundreds of recipes that sprung out of a need to use left over turkey after Thanksgiving.

I  have come up with my own easy, breezy version of that dish which I kid you not, touches the soul. It’s a hit with all my guests and so I share it with you today(It comes with a vegetarian / vegan option too).

Butter Chicken / Paneer/ Tofu

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (whole not cubed)

Or 1 lb paneer ( cottage cheese) or extra firm tofu

1 tbsp garlic and red chili paste ( use 3 dry red chilies soaked for an hour in warm water and then grind with the garlic)

juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp turmeric

1/4 stick Butter

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

2 tsp dry fenugreek leaves ( kasuri methi)

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 28oz can San Marzano crushed tomatoes

1 tbsp honey

1/2 cup whipping cream

#salt as needed

Marinate the chicken for about 4 hours in the garlic- red chili paste, lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil , turmeric and salt. Pre- heat the oven to 375 degrees and bake for about 40 minutes or till chicken is cooked but still moist. Cool on a rack and cut up into 2″ pieces. Set aside. If using paneer or tofu use pre- cubed and the baking time would be about 15 minutes.

In a heavy bottom pan on medium flame take the butter and  2 tbsp olive oil, when heated add the fenugreek leaves crushing it with your fingers as you drop it in. Sauté for a minute on a low flame, now add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for a few minutes.  Next put in the red chili  and coriander powder, cook for a couple minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes  and salt and let it come to a boil. Next add the chicken/ paneer/ tofu and gently stir.  Now put in the honey and after a few minutes add the cream ( save a tbsp for the garnish). Let the cream just about warm up and then take the pan off the  stove.

Just before serving garnish with a spoon of cream and chopped coriander leaves.

Serving Suggestions:

1. With Naan or Rotis

2. On al dente Penne Pasta or Fettuccine

3. As a Tapas in a small earthen dish with dipping bread on the side.

Wine Pairing: I think this dish would go great with your favorite Zin. I love the 7 Deadly Zins from Trader Joe’s .

Notes:

1.For Vegan substitute tofu instead of chicken and use full fat coconut milk instead of cream.

2. Paneer is available at all Indian stores and Costco. Tofu and coconut milk can be bought at ant local grocery store.

Happy Cooking !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Suitable Food

My first blog ever!  Excited … scared. Deal with it, human.

I watched a great film, A Suitable Girl at the recently concluded Chicago South Asian film festival (csaff.org) which traces the lives of 3 girls in India. Coming from varied socioeconomic backgrounds, all well educated and independent and the only thing in common- either desperately or reluctantly looking to get married within the arranged marriage framework. Beautifully nuanced, the makers set out to lay the facts as they are, without taking sides. What shocked me was that things are pretty much the same as they were eons ago for girls  on the ‘marriage market’. Don’t want to give out too much about the movie so will stop here.

That got me thinking about the this past week when married women from India partially fasted for eight days on specially ordained foods during the festival of Navratri ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navaratri)  presumably for the long lives of their  husbands.  One of those foods is the under rated Sweet Potato.   Why not take this versatile  root vegetable that coincidentally is also found on the Thanksgiving table and give it my own special twist. So from the kitchens of India  to my lab (aka kitchen) I go, to perfect a recipe and  bring to the tables here. I am going to try and keep the ingredients simple, healthy and easily available at the local grocery stores.   Below is the fruit of my labor.

SWEET POTATOES WITH A PECAN AND COCONUT CRUMBLE

2 Sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1/4 ” roundels)

4-5 twigs of thyme

3  cinnamon sticks

4 tbsp Ghee/clarified butter (no Substitution please)*

CRUMBLE

Large handful of pecans crushed in a mortar and pestle

4 tbsp fresh or dry desiccated or grated coconut*

4 tbsp brown sugar

5 tbsp crushed oats

2 tbsp cold butter diced

2 tbsp flour (optional) *

Salt as Needed

Season the SP with a little salt and keep aside. In a flat bottomed pan put in the ghee, thyme and cinnamon sticks. On a low flame stir for a few minutes so that all the flavors are nicely infused into the ghee.  Now in batches cook the SP on both sides till crisp(careful not to burn them). Transfer directly on to a pie dish(no greasing needed).

To prepare the crumble  put all the ingredients  along with the drippings from the pan (toss the thyme and cinnamon) into a bowl and mix well with a fork. The mixture will have a soft gooey texture which is fine.

Now spread it over the SP and bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve as a side dish or a healthy dessert.

HAPPY COOKING FROM KAVITA ATUL!

SIDEBARS:

  1. Ghee is available in most grocery stores now but if you not want to purchase a whole bottle heat 3 tbsp of butter,  on a low flame stir till it turns a golden brown and gives off a nutty, rich aroma. Now you can add the thyme etc and carry on.
  2. If you cannot find fresh or fresh frozen use dry coconut but soak it in a couple tbsp cold milk for a few mins and then use as directed.
  3. I used whole grain Teff flour, you could use white flour too.