Let's Do Indian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzN2gUGYUGc

Do you remember just why Christopher Columbus conned Queen Isabella into financing his great adventure? He believed he could find a short cut to the Indian food section of the world. Europe had found that spice was a vital ingredient in turning a meal of gruel and grease into a tasty treat and most of the tea and spices came from India by caravan, a long and costly process. And so he set out to find spice and discovered a new world. And, as they say, the rest is history, blah, blah, blah.

One of the most memorable meals of my life was my first taste of Indian food. I will never forget the first few bites, all of my taste buds were awakened and on high alert. They were being flooded with new and exciting flavors that I had never experienced. I was engulfed by flavors and tastes that my brain could not recognize or identify and it was all good, real good! I was in love.

I had tasted "curry" a couple of times before but had never had real Indian Food. When friends asked me to go with them to an Indian Restaurant, my first reaction was to ask which kind of "Indian." I had recently moved to Houston, TX. and was unaware of the large Indian community. I was not familiar with Indian cuisine other than the stock impression of curry. I was also relieved because I wasn't interested in parched corn, pumpkin, and pemmican of the Native Americans.

Almost nothing on the menu was familiar so my friends ordered. In most Indian restaurants most everything on the menu is ala cart so it is best to order several dishes and then share. This is especially good because it lets you taste a variety of dishes. We ordered, Tandoori Chicken, Lamb Korma, Saag Panner, Chicken Tikka Masala, Channa Masala, Gobi Mattar, Rice and Nan. And for desert we had Kheer, a saffron flavored rice pudding with raisins cashews and slivered almonds. Did I mention that I was in love.

If you are like I was then the list of delicacies that we dined of that night sounds strange and "foreign." I will try to translate. I remember everything that I ate that night because the flavors made such an impression on me. As much as I love to eat and to cook, I have only prepared Indian a few times. Indian cooking is an altogether different process than we are used to as well as the combinations and the variety of spices used.

• Tandoori Chicken: Chicken cut up, skin removed and marinated in a mixture of yogurt, raisins and spices and then skewered and roasted in a wood fired earthen oven. Served with raw onion, lemon and a mint chutney.
• Lamb Korma: Chunks of boneless lamb, cooked in a gravy of yogurt, tomato paste, with raisins, cashews and almonds and spices. Very tasty! (Any meat or vegetable works well prepared this way)
• Saag Paneer: Saag is spinach and Paneer is a farmer cheese, similar to dry curd cottage cheese, pressed until all the water is squeezed out and then cut into chunks. This is nothing like the green glop that you don't like. It is creamy and spicy.
• Chicken Tikka Masala: This is a great curry dish that is found in almost all Indian restaurants. Chicken pieces cooked in a sauce of yoghurt, coconut milk, onions, spices. My mouth waters now! So good with rice.
• Channa Masala: Before you change the channel, hang on, this is a most glorious dish of garbanzo beans. They are cooked with tomato, onions and spices and are easy to prepare at home. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiDMmrRcvOQ&feature=related
• Gobi Mattar: Gobi is cauliflower and Mattar is green peas. Cooked with onions, tomatoes and spices.

If you don't have someone who is familiar with Indian food, the best way to enjoy Indian food for the first time is to go to the noon buffet and try a little of each item. Get used to all the new experiences that your taste buds are having. We may be used to cinnamon and ginger flavors but the combination of them with 4 or 5 other spices makes it into something all together different and wonderful.

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

INGREDIENTS

MASALA MARINADE

• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• CHICKEN

• 2 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup blanched whole almonds
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• One 35-ounce can peeled tomatoes, finely chopped, juices reserved
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the Masala Marinade: In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cayenne and tumeric. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Prepare the Chicken: Using a sharp knife, make a few shallow slashes in each piece of chicken. Add the chicken to the marinade, turn to coat and put in the frig. overnight. Or dump the whole thing into a large Ziploc bag and refrigerate.

3. Preheat the broiler and position a rack about 8 inches from the heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade; scrape off as much of the marinade as possible. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and spread pieces on a baking sheet. Broil the chicken, turning once or twice, until just cooked through and browned in spots, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 2-inch pieces.

4. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 1teaspoon of oil or ghee, add the almonds and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer the almonds to a plate and let cool completely. In a food processor, pulse the almonds until finely ground.

5. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stiring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garam Masala, chile powder and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook over a moderate heat, stirring occasionaly until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the cream and ground almonds and cook over low heat stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes longer. Stir in the chicken; simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, and serve.

6. Varation: The marinade and sauce here are also delicious with shrimp, lamb and vegetables. The Chicken Tikka Masala can be made ahead and will keep in the frig. for up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving.

Serve with steamed basmati rice or Peas Pullao.

Peas (Mattar) Pullao

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs butter or vegetable oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 4 whole black peppercorns
• 4 whole cardamom pods
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup long-grain rice, preferably basmati, (look for basmati rice, the flavor and the taste will be well worth the cost and time, really.)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 9-oz package frozen sweet peas

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in an ovenproof pot with a lid over moderate heat and saute the onion, peppercorns, cardamom, cumin, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick for 5 minutes.

2. Add the rice and stir until the rice kernels are coated with oil.

3. Add the water, bring to a boil, and simmer covered until about half the water is absorbed, 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Lower the heat, cover the pan and simmer without disturbing, until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

5. Uncover the pan and mix in the peas while fluffing the rice with a fork; cover and set aside for 5 minutes, until the peas are heated.

6. Before serving, remove the bay leaves, cardamom pods, and cinnamon stick, and fluff the rice with a fork.