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Hi there, I'm Rose. I love to cook food - and eat it. If you have any questions concerning any of my recipes, drop me a line at:
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rose [at] avocadobravado.net
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It’s been a while since I made a curry. By “a while”, I mean well over a month. That’s a long time in these here parts. Besides tagines, I’ve been making a lot of salads (with and without lettuce), cold noodle dishes, and lots of small vegetable-based side dishes. After Cory and I ate lunch at a Turkish restaurant on Saturday, I was already thinking about what to make for dinner on the bus ride home. What? I have a food blog. That gives me an excuse to daydream about food all the time, right? Right? Maybe not.
I really wanted to make a curry and butter chicken fit the bill. Though butter is an important ingredient in butter chicken, the dish gets its distinct flavor from fenugreek, which is a slightly sweet and nutty herb that tastes a little like maple and celery. Chances are, you won’t find fenugreek at your local supermarket but you will find it at your local Indian grocery. Fenugreek also pairs really well with other meats. So if you pick some up, don’t forget to sprinkle a little over your favorite pork or lamb dish. I suggest not adding more than a teaspoon at a time, too much fenugreek will make a dish bitter.
The butter chicken was a success and we both finished up our bowls rather quickly. When I’ve made butter chicken in the past, I’ve always added heavy whipping cream at the very end, but I’ve found that it weighs down the dish. This time around, I used half and half (for non-’Murrikans, that’s equal parts heavy cream and whole milk) and thought that was much better. If you find your curry sauce to be too runny, mix a little cornstarch with equal parts warm water and stir that into the curry. Traditionally, cashew paste would be used as a thickener, but just use whatever is more easily available to you. Also, peas aren’t typically added to the dish, but I added them anyway. Why not? Peas are adorable!
Butter Chicken
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Marinade
1 cup whole yogurt (preferably strained or Greek yogurt)
2″ piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons curry powder
juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon ghee or butter, melted
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt & pepper, to taste
Sauce
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped
1-3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
2″ piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried fenugreek (methi) leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 cup heavy cream, half & half, or whole milk
1/2 cup peas (optional)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
flat bread and/or rice, for serving
Rinse and pat dry chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken, cut into small pieces, and set aside. Mix together yogurt, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, garam masala, lemon juice, and ghee or butter in a roasting pan. Toss in the chicken pieces, cover with plastic wrap, and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour.
Pre-heat oven to 350F. Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven. Separate the chicken from the marinade. Keep the chicken on a plate and leave the marinade in the roasting pan.
Meanwhile, heat butter to a large non-stick stockpot over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook until translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add peppers and ginger and cook for a couple minutes more, stirring constantly. Add the garlic and cook for another couple minutes, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes to the stockpot and adjust the heat to low. Now, add all the spices – fenugreek, cumin, garam masala, cinnamon, and clove. Continue cooking until the tomatoes begin to break apart, about 10 or so minutes. Stir in the marinade to the stockpot.
Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and pulse into you have a silky, smooth curry. Return the curry back to the stockpot and bring to a very gentle boil. Add the chicken and cook until heated through, about 7 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper, to taste. In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the freshly chopped cilantro and peas, if using. Just before serving, stir in the cream or half and half. Serve with flat bread and/or rice.
Serves 4-6
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In theory, I’m very much opposed to buying store-bought sauces and spice mixes. I don’t like clutter and every inch of kitchen space is precious, especially since we live in a studio apartment. Not to mention many store-bought sauces contain more water, sugar, thickeners, and additives than anything else. In reality, store-bought curry powder is my favorite thing ever (my clothes have the stains to prove it!) and there are more store-bought sauces in my fridge and pantry than I’d like to admit. Still, I try to make an effort to make everything from scratch, especially when I have all the ingredients on hand.
A couple months ago, Cory made a dish that called for Chinese five-spice powder, which is a mixture of ground star anise, fennel, cinnamon, clove, and Sichuan peppercorns. We had all the spices on hand except for Sichuan pepper. It was a bit tricky to find at our local Asian market since it goes by so many names – aniseed pepper, Szechwan pepper, Chinese pepper, Chinese prickly ash, timur pepper, among others. Sichuan pepper is unrelated to black pepper and has a distinctive woody aroma. It’s very interesting to cook with (and eat!), it even leaves a slight numbing effect around the mouth. I’m always on the lookout for interesting chicken dishes and this one was excellent. Sticky, spicy, and sweet! Feel free to use store-bought five-spice powder and hoisin sauce, if you wish. I decided to make both from scratch because I had everything on hand. And, you know, to avoid clutter.
Hoisin Five-Spice Chicken Drumsticks
(adapted from Epicurious)
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12 chicken drumsticks
1 cup hoisin sauce (store-bought or homemade, see recipe below)
1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder (store-bought or homemade, see recipe below)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon honey
a few pinches of sesame seeds, for garnish
Preheat oven to 500F.
Place the drumsticks in a baking pan lined with foil. In a large bowl, stir together hoisin sauce, five-spice powder, ground ginger, garlic. Pour and brush the sauce over the chicken. Bake in the oven until skin is browned and chicken is cooked through, 30-35 minutes. Garnish with sesame seeds before serving.
Hoisin sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup peanut butter or black bean paste
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon molasses
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
hot sauce, according to taste
Mix together ingredients in a large bowl.
Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
Mix together ingredients in a large bowl.
Serves 6-8
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Boneless chicken breasts have a bit of a bad rep in the world of food blogging, but I quite enjoy it. In fact, it was the only cut of meat I would eat growing up. Well, besides bacon… but bacon is heaven itself. I don’t prepare chicken breast as often as I used to, but I continually find myself thinking of various ways to prepare it in a more interesting way. Like tofu, the inherent blandness of boneless chicken breast makes it a perfect blank slate. I prepared this tangy and slightly spicy dish the other night, it paired perfectly with a green salad, crusty bread, corn on the cob.
Chicken with Dijon Mustard, Rosemary, and Thyme
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4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
salt & pepper, to taste
red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
1 teaspoon capers, drained
In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, red wine vinegar, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, and capers.
Rinse and pat dry chicken. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken pieces. Place in a lightly oiled glass baking dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least two hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Remove plastic wrap and place the chicken in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (160 F). Serve right away.
Serves 4
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If you take a peak at my recipe index, you’ll notice that there are a lot of soups, stews, and curries. I am a sucker for one-pot meals. When I’m not in the mood for any of soup or stew and I don’t want to deal with a sink full of dishes, I turn to the trusty cast iron skillet. The prep time for this dish is painless and the roasted broccoli is phenomenal. When roasted at high temperatures, the natural sugars from the broccoli caramelizes. After roasting broccoli (and cauliflower!), it’s difficult to go back to eating it any other way.
Vibrant Lemon Chicken with Vegetables
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4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
salt & pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cups potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 broccoli crown, chopped into florets
Preheat oven to 450F.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron skillet. When hot, add the chicken thighs. Cook on both sides until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds or so, or until fragrant. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, mix together the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, lemon zest, salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme. Toss the potatoes and tomatoes into the lemon and olive oil dressing and arrange them in the cast iron skillet. Transfer to the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
Toss the broccoli in about a tablespoon of olive oil and set aside. Remove the skillet from the oven and add the broccoli. Return to the oven and roast for another 20-25 minutes, or until chicken and potatoes are cooked through.
Serves about 3
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I’ve been happily cooking and eating my way through The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden and every dish I’ve made so far has been wonderful. It’s almost always stew and soup season here in San Francisco and I love, love, love a good tagine. For those who are suffering through the summer heat and spending very little time slaving over a hot stove, I sincerely apologize and hope you’ll save this recipe for when the weather cools down. Let me make it up to you by sharing this picture of Cory’s brother’s puppy:
 Pure love in dog form, I tell ya.
Chicken with Tomatoes and Honey
(adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden)
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2 lb chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-3 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup blanched almonds, chopped and toasted (optional)
freshly chopped parsley, for garnishing (optional)
couscous or rice, for serving
Heat oil in a large pot. When hot, add the onions and chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions have softened. Add garlic and cook for about a minute. Add salt, pepper, ginger, and cinnamon. Mix in the spices and cook for another minute. Stir in the tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for an hour.
Remove the chicken from the pan and continue cooking the sauce until reduced to a thick sauce, about 30-40 minutes. Stir often. Stir in the honey and return the chicken to the pan, coating each piece of chicken with the sauce. Continue cooking until heated through Garnish with almonds and parsley and serve over rice or couscous.
Serves 4
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