Tag: foodporn

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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 !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Curry ‘n’ Flava with Kavita Atul

So this was supposed to be the name for my blog initially but was rudely struck down by my L&M (Lord and Master) and the PKs (Prodigal kids). The general opinion (to put it mildly) was it sounds like ‘Korean Flavor’, go figure.  But what do I, having stayed home for 20+ years know about the world and the way it turns,  so I gave in and spent another 6 months looking for a new name –  Salt as Needed. Miracle of miracles they approved, Bless my heart !  And the journey starts…….
In India when something is referred to as Curry or Kadhi it really means some kind of a gravy or ‘liquidy” dish made with either lentils, legumes,yogurt, veggies or a protein. Every region in India has their own version of a curry. Western India uses a lot of dry coconut,turmeric, cumin, coriander , jaggery or sugar with tamarind  and kokum (Garcinia Indica)  used to add acidity to the curry . In the North they use  red chili powder, coriander, cumin, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves along with tomatoes or yogurt to form their curries. .  The South uses fresh coconut, black pepper,dry red chillies, coriander and cumin seeds with tamarind in their lentils and veggies. It is very interesting, in the East they use a lot of coconut milk but very few spices like mustard seeds, fennel seeds and black cumin with jalapeno peppers used for heat in  their curries, relying more on the natural flavors of the veggies and protein  and keeping it delicate. Growing up in India, the  famous “Sindhi Kadhi”, laden with veggies in an aromatic lentil based tamarind and tomato broth,  was a Sunday staple at my house (promise to share that recipe soon).
When I moved to the USA,  I saw a lot of curry powder or Madras curry powder on grocery shelves that smelt and tasted nothing like what we used in Indian cooking. They were the English version of the curry powder, a leftover from their days of colonizing India-  which like their Raj(rule)- they did a terrible job of.
So let me share with you my version of a Shrimp Curry that is like me, a lot of East and a little of the West :
Curried Shrimp garnished with crushed pappadums served with mini pita pockets
 
1 lb medium sized shrimp ( shelled and deveined) drained and dried on a paper towel
2  tbsp olive oil
1 small onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
7-8 Curry Leaves* torn in half (see note)
1/2 tbsp chili  powder
1/2 tbsp curry powder ( recipe given below)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp lemon juice
1-2 pappadums** crushed
6 Mini pocket Pitas
SALT AS NEEDED

Curry Powder or Garam Masala ( for Milder curries)

Curry Powder or Garam Masala

8 tsp Green Cardamoms seeds only

6 tsp Cumin Seeds

6 Tsp Peppercorns

1 tsp Cinnamon powder
1 tbsp Cloves
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
Dry roast all the ingredients (except the cinnamon powder)for the curry powder in a pan and grind or finely crush in a mortar and pestle. Store in an airtight bottle  a cool place.
Heat oil in a  flat bottomed pan, add the chopped onions and saute till translucent . Now add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Put in the red chilli powder, curry leaves, tomato paste, salt and cook on low flame  stirring all the time for 5 minutes. Add a couple tbsp of water if required. Now increase the flame to medium and add the shrimp in a single layer cooking it for 2 minutes on each side. Take off the stove add  lemon juice and sprinkle  curry powder all over and lightly toss. The shrimp should be thickly coated with the tomato gravy and have no extra moisture.
Serving Suggestion:
Take a shallow platter or low bowl, pour the shrimps in the center and arrange pita triangles or baby pitas all around. Garnish the shrimp curry with crushed pappadums, giving the dish a variety of textures and tastes all in one bite. You could serve it with a side of sliced red onions too.  Serve hot as an appetizer or entree.
HAPPY COOKING FROM KAVITA ATUL!!
Wine Pairing :
I paired this dish with the Pavao, Vinho Verde, a  white from Portugal with crisp flavors and just the right acidity and and just enough sweetness to complement shellfish.
Side bar :
  1. *You can find curry leaves, which have a strong citrusy/lemon grassy aroma, in Indian grocery stores but if unable to do so substitute with Basil or Parsley as both are mild herbs that would not overpower the sweetness of the shrimps.

    Curry Leaves
  2. **Pappadums are available in Indian grocery stores in various flavors- cumin, pepper, plain etc. choose any that look good to you. They are easy to cook  in the microwave. Place them one at a time on a paper towel and cook them for 30 seconds on each side (cooking time may vary with different microwaves). They will crisp up and the way to check preparedness is by making sure there are no doughy parts left. Once again if you are not able to find them, crush plain potato chips and use instead.

    Crisp pappadums
  3. Pitas need to be toasted before serving too.
    Mini Pita pockets
    Saute Onions,Garlic Curry Leaves and Chilli Powder

    Add Tomato paste
Add Shrimp in a single layer
Shrimp coated in the tomato base.
Viola!