avocado & bravado : a food blog » indian-inspired

chicken tikka masala

Rose — Sat, 22 May 2010 06:56:15 +0000

A few years ago, my friend Steve and I were accepted to SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London). I was going to study Arabic and he was going to study Korean. And we were going to have lots of adventures. Then reality hit us. To put things into perspective, the cost of tuition alone at SOAS was more than what my parents made in a year. Needless to say, we both ended up staying in Michigan and I continued my Arabic studies at the University of Michigan. I’d like to think that if I had ended up in London, I would have gained my “freshman 15″ from Chicken Tikka Masala instead of pizza, gyros, and sugary concoctions from Starbucks. Chicken Tikka Masala, Britain’s (unofficial) national dish, is a creamy tomato-based curry. Though its true origins are disputed, the taste is undeniably delicious. If you’re intimidated by cooking Indian cuisine at all, Chicken Tikka Masala is a perfect place to start.

Chicken Tikka Masala
(Adapted from Mangio da Sola)
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3-5 chicken breasts
salt
1/3-1/2 cup plain yogurt
ghee, butter and oil, or oil
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 T butter, oil, or ghee
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 2″ piece of fresh ginger
3 tablespoons garam masala (store bought is fine, but if you’d prefer to make your own check out this very basic recipe from AllRecipes and this more interesting blend from Epicurious)
1 28-oz can of tomatoes
1 tablespoon sugar
cayenne pepper or red chili flakes, to taste
1/2-1 cup heavy cream
fresh cilantro, for serving

Season the chicken breasts with salt, coriander and cumin. Coat the chicken breasts with plain yogurt and place about 10-12″ inches below a broiler for 5-7 minutes per side until slightly charred around the edges. Remove from oven and set aside. Alternatively, grill or pan fry the chicken.

Heat oil, butter, or ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot/melted, add onions and cook until slightly browned. Add garlic, ginger, and salt and cook for another minute or so. Stir in garam masala, cayenne, and sugar and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, lower the heat, and simmer for about 10-15. Stir in the heavy cream.

The chicken should be cool enough to handle by now. Dice the chicken into bite sized pieces and add them to the sauce. Stir in a little fresh cilantro and save a little for garnishing. Season the sauce to taste, adding more salt if needed. Serve with rice and naan.

Serves 4

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green bean curry

Rose — Tue, 18 May 2010 01:58:12 +0000

I didn’t always love green beans. As a kid, I was only really familiar with them in the form of green bean casseroles – which I still avoid to this day. It took me many, many years to appreciate green beans. Normally, I don’t ever spend much time preparing lunch for myself. I often opt to just eat leftovers instead and focus on dinner. But when I saw this green bean recipe this morning from Mark Bittman, I knew what I was having for lunch – all the ingredients were already waiting for me in the kitchen. The dish comes together very quickly, about 25-40 minutes (depending if you use fresh or frozen green beans). The combination of coconut milk and lime juice was wonderful. For a more filling dish, add a can chickpeas or kidney beans.

Green Bean and Coconut Curry
(adapted from The New York Times)
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ghee, butter and oil, or oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 fresh chili, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 thumb size piece of ginger, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon paprika
a couple pinches of ground clove
1 teaspoon curry powder
cayenne pepper or red chili pepper flakes, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
3/4 cup coconut milk
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley
cashew pieces, for garnish (optional)

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, add ghee, butter and oil, or oil. When hot, add onion and chili. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently until onion begins to soften. Add garlic, ginger, and spices. Cook for another 30 seconds to a minute, stirring frequently.

Pour coconut milk into the saucepan and add green beans. Mix together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook uncovered, or until the beans are tender, 5-8 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in lime juice. Serve over rice or with flat bread. Garnish with cashews and freshly chopped cilantro.

Serves 2

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curried chicken salad

Rose — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 22:15:47 +0000

I subscribe to the belief that most of the cuisines of the world are basically the same, except for some differences in spices and grains. Especially when you’re in the States and eating Americanized versions of any ethnic cuisine. Before I moved to San Francisco, I suggested to my dad that we go to a local Indian restaurant for dinner. My dad wasn’t sold on the idea. His excuse for not wanting to go was “what if I don’t like it?”

“They serve meat and rice. You’ll like it.”

And he did. In my quest to expand my dad’s palate, I made him a curried chicken salad to take with him to lunch. After all, what could be more harmless and Midwestern than a chicken salad? He did end up liking it, or so he told me at the time. Before leaving for San Francisco, I intentionally left the bottle of curry powder behind so my dad could experiment with it. I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s been collecting dust ever since, but I can still hope.

I’ve since lost the recipe that I used last year, but when I saw a recipe for curried chicken salad over at Mehan’s Kitchen, I knew I had to make it. Admittedly, I never take a lot of time to prepare lunch for myself. Lunch usually consists of leftovers from dinner or anything in the kitchen that doesn’t require too much effort. I’m trying to get into the habit of spending more time preparing lunches and I figured a curried chicken salad would be a perfect place to start. I love the contrast between the savoriness from the curry powder and the sweetness from the grapes.

Curried Chicken Salad
(adapted from Mehan’s Kitchen)
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1 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1/2 c slivered almonds or cashews (I used cashews)
1.5 seedless red grapes
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 small onion, finely chopped (preferably red, but I used yellow)
1 T mustard
2 T curry powder
1 t paprika
cayenne pepper, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 mayonnaise
olive oil
water
fresh cilantro or parsley, for garnish

- Preheat oven to 350F. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Coat with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool until easy enough to handle. Remove the skin and bone and cube chicken into bite-sized pieces.

- Add mustard, curry powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, mayonnaise, a couple tablespoons of olive oil to a large mixing bowl and stir. Add chicken, almonds, grapes, celery, and onion and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Stir in 1/4 cup water to thin out the dressing, add another 1/4 c of water if it’s too thick. Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley.

Serves 4

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simple chicken and potato curry

Rose — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:30:56 +0000

I like the idea of coconut milk in savory dishes, but it often overwhelms a dish and I ultimately find it very disappointing. The solution? Don’t use as much coconut milk. I suppose this is common sense, but I’m glad that I’ve finally made a savory dish with coconut and had it turn out well. This dish is a lot less time intensive than most curries I’ve made. It had just enough hint of coconut and the spiciness was perfect. With the potatoes and garbanzo beans, it’s filling enough to eat without naan or rice. But really, why would you want to do that?

Simple Chicken and Potato Curry
(inspired by Raising Peanut via Primordial Pottage)
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1 onion, finely minced
1 c chicken breast, cut into 1″ pieces
1-3 small chilis, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste or finely minced
1 thumb size piece of fresh ginger, mashed into a paste or finely minced
2 t curry powder
1 large red potato, cut into 1″ cubes
1/2 c coconut milk
1 3/4 c chicken broth
1 15-oz can chickpeas
1/3 c frozen peas
1 c spinach, chopped
salt & pepper to taste

Serves 3 or 4

- Open the can of garbanzo beans and pour into a colander. Rinse thoroughly and scoop up 1/3 c beans. With a mortar and pestle (or a fork), mash the beans into to a paste. Set beans aside.
- Heat oil (or better yet, ghee) in a stockpot over medium high heat. Add onion and chicken and cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and chili and stir for about a minute. Add curry powder and stir for another 30 seconds.
- Add potatoes to the pot and make sure each piece is coated with the curry powder. Stir in the chicken broth, coconut milk, garbanzo beans (whole and mashed). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are cooked, 20-25 minutes.
- In the last couple minutes of cooking, stir in frozen peas and spinach, about 2 minutes. Give the curry a taste test and add salt and pepper to taste.