Cooking in Pajamas

I must have been India in another life, because I could eat Indian food every day.  I am not exaggerating.  I wouldn't necessarily like it for breakfast, but I would definitely have it for lunch and dinner whenever possible.  Atlanta has lots of good Indian restaurants, the problem is, the are none within a 10 minute drive of my house.  That limits my Indian dinners out, because on a weeknight, I won't drive more that 10 minutes to go out to dinner (which is why we almost never go out to dinner on weeknights).

So, I have begun to experiment with cooking Indian at home.  It's not difficult, but it requires many ingredients and spices that you may not recognize.  I know that is intimidating, but you can get a lot of Indian cooking done with the purchase of Garam Masala.  Garam Masala is a blend of spices that are common in Indian cooking.  Every Garam Masala is a little different, but I have never had a bad one.  Some of the spices in Garam Masala could include peppercorns, cumin seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon, coriander seeds, turmeric, fennel seeds and star anise.  Each blend is different.

Chicken Tikka Masala is probably one of the most popular Indian dishes in the world.  It is simply chicken, marinated in a seasoned yogurt mixture, then cooked or grilled and served in a tomato cream sauce.  If you have never had it, you are missing the most amazing chicken dish ever.  I love it served with rice, naan bread and raita on the side.  I actually amazing myself at the quantity of this meal I can consume (that's right, I said quantity, not quality).  I actually eat to the point where I have to unbutton my pants.  That is called "eating without dignity"!  There is no other cuisine that I enjoy as much as Indian food.

If you think you don't like Indian food, you have either not tried it, or you have tried poor quality Indian food.  Give this recipe a try and see if you like it.  Serve it over basmati rice, and pick up some naan from Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.  If you can't find naan, try pita bread, or some other flat bread.  Make a quick raita by mixing plain greek yogurt, coarsely grated cucumber, a squirt of lemon juice, some fresh chopped mint and/or cilantro and salt and pepper.

Chicken Tikka Masala

1 cup yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1 tablespoon butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 1/2 cups half and half

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375.

Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray and place chicken in dish. Discard marinade. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, garam masal and salt. Stir in tomato sauce tomato paste and half and half. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add cooked chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

I am so excited about my introduction to Indian Cooking.  I was always intimidated by it because of the long list of strange ingredients.  Thanks to Aarti Sequeira of Aarti Paarti and winner of Next Food Network Star, I decided to give Indian cooking a try.  She explains Indian spices in a way that makes them seem as unintimidating as oregano.

These Samosas, which are savory Indian pastries, usually served at tea time, or as a starter course to a meal, are addictive.  When you bite into a warm samosa, you taste a combination of salty and sweet.  You will also taste the warm spices that infuse every bite.  You will feel the creaminess of the filling with contrast the crunchiness of the pastry, and then the sweet-spicy combination of a mango chutney that I like to serve on the side.   How can this not be delicious.

Usually Samosa's are deep fried, but this version, is baked.  The technique has been copied from Aarti Party, but I changed the recipe quite a bit.  Click here if you want Aart's original samosa recipe.  The original recipe calls for using puff pastry.  Here is the batch of samosas I made using puff pastry:

They were delicious, but very puffy and messy to eat.  I had a package of ready-made pie dough in the refrigerator (yes....I sometimes use ready made pie dough!!!), so I made the next batch with the pie dough.  That is what I photographed in the top picture.  It is easier to eat, less messy and, IMHO, looks nicer.  The puff pastry is lighter and crunchier and the pie dough is thinner and easier to eat.  They are both very easy to work with, so it is just a question of personal preference.

Vegetarian Samosas

printable version

Filling:

2 large potatoes, cooked and mashed

1 T. butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced

2 medium garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp. dry mustard powder

1/2 tsp. garam masala

1/4 tsp. curry powder

1 mango, peeled, pitted and finely diced

1/2 c. cooked peas

cayenne pepper and kosher salt, to taste

big handful cilantro leaves, finely chopped

juice of 1/2 lime

Samosas:

2 pkgs. puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

1 tsp. water

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat butter in a large skillet. Add onions and saute for 2 - 3 minutes. Add carrots, garlic, ginger and mustard. Saute another 4 - 5 minutes until carrots are slightly soft.

Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings. Set aside.

Samosas:

Roll the puff pastry out slightly, to flatten the seams. Using a paring knife to trace a 7-inch ring mold or bowl, cut the dough into 8 (7-inch wide) rounds. Cut each into 2 semicircles.

Put a tablespoon or so of the filling in the center of a semicircle. Have a small bowl of water handy. Dip your finger in the water and run it along the edges of the semicircle. Arrange the samosas so the flat side is facing away from you. Grab the left corner and fold it over the dough in a triangular motion, so that this corner lands on the bottom right side of the filling. Do the same with the other corner.

Squeeze bottom shut, and fold over, sealing with water. If you like, seal using a fork. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Arrange the 8 samosas on a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and 1 teaspoon water with a fork until thoroughly combined. Brush the tops of the samosas with the egg wash.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 375 and bake for 10 more minutes.

Serve hot.

Optional: Serve with a mango or peach chutney on the side.

Another "Indian fusion" dish from my fellow food blogger Aarti, of Aarti's Party.  This recipe introduces you to basic Indian flavors.  Other than garam masala and cumin seed, you probably recognize all of the ingredients.  A well stocked grocery store will carry both of these items.  If you cannot find a serrano chile, a jalapeno pepper will work.

Although this is a recipe for Sloppy Joes, the filling on this recipe is delicious on its' own.  I served it with toasted, soft whole wheat rolls (I made an open faced sandwich and used a knife and fork because Sloppy Joe's are messy).  I think the filling would be delicious over rice, egg noodles or in a baked potato.  However you serve it, this is delicious!

Bombay Sloppy Joes

(courtesy of Aarti Sequeira)

Sauce:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 serrano chile, seeded and finely minced (save the other half for the turkey)

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 cup water

Turkey:

3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Small handful shelled pistachios, about 1/4 cup

Small handful raisins, about 1/4 cup

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 large white onion, finely diced

1 red bell pepper, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced

1/2 serrano chile, seeds intact (don't chop it up unless you like things spicy!)

Kosher salt

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 teaspoon honey

1/4 cup half-and-half

Small handful chopped fresh cilantro (soft stems included)

4 to 6 hamburger buns

Directions:

Begin by making the sauce: Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until it shimmers. Add the ginger, garlic and serrano pepper. Saute until the ginger and garlic brown a little. Add the garam masala and paprika and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile for the turkey, in large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons of oil. When shimmering, add the pistachios and raisins. Cook until the raisins swell up and the pistachios toast slightly. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Return the pan to medium heat, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of oil, and warm until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for about 10 seconds, or until some of the sizzling subsides. Stir in the onions and bell pepper; saute until softened and starting to brown. Add the serrano pepper. Saute for another couple of minutes, seasoning with a little salt. Stir in the turkey, breaking up the big lumps. Cook until opaque, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, your sauce should be ready. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the turkey. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

Once the turkey is cooked and the sauce has thickened a little, remove the serrano pepper (unless you want to eat it whole, like my Dad does!). Add the honey, half-and-half, pistachios and raisins. Stir through and taste for seasoning. Before serving, garnish with fresh cilantro.

Toast the buns, fill with the turkey mixture and serve. Eat (with your hands!) and enjoy!

I think I may watch every food competition show on television.  Top Chef, Master Chef, Iron Chef, Food Network Challenge, Throwdown with Bobby Flay,  Worst Cooks in America, Hell's Kitchen,  Ace of Cakes...and my favorite, Next Food Network Star.  I watch in morbid fascination, knowing that I can probably cook as well as the amateur home cooks who compete, but also knowing that I would crack under the time pressures of these competitions.  I hate being rushed and never leave things for the last minute.  I am quite sure working against a clock in an unfamiliar kitchen would not be a shining moment for me.  Which is why I love watching these shows.  Of course I am impressed watching the professionally trained chefs at work, but when I see someone without any formal culinary training whipping up a dish using only ingredients in a "Mystery Box" in 45 minutes (or some other crazy challenge of the week), I am impressed!  Sure, I could do that too, but I would need a day or two to think about it, not 30 minutes.  By then, Gordon Ramsey would have asked me for my apron back, and I would be conducting my exit interview.

This summer I watched Next Food Network Star and immediately picked out Aarti Seqeuria as my favorite to win (that's her up top).  First of all, she is a food blogger.  I always root for the food blogger!  Second, her specialty is Indian cooking.  Indian cooking is almost absent from instructional cooking television (with the exception of a BBC import on the Cooking Channel that is almost as boring as watching ice melt), and it is one of the most intimidating ethnic cuisines to prepare.  Many people I know won't even try eating in an Indian restaurant because they "don't like curry".  Indian food is so much more than curry!  There are many unusual ingredients in Indian cooking.  Ingredients like garam masala, sumac, turmeric, fenugreek and cardamom pods.  That's enough to make anyone give up....but you shouldn't.  Once you learn a few of the basics of Indian cooking, you will see it is not much different than many of the other cuisines of Southeast Asia.

If you live in or near a big city, you can pick up most of these ingredients at your local Whole Foods.  I'll also bet that many of you have Asian markets near your house that you never knew were there.  It takes a little investigative work to find them, but they are there.  Phil and I found this huge Asian "mega-mart" about 20 minutes from our house.  You would never see it from the road and the only marking from the street to know it is there is a small blue sign that says "Super H Market".  You have it be looking for it.  Once you are there, you will find a food court with several Asian booths that sell everything from authentic hand-pulled noodles (a huge bowl for like six bucks) to tandoori lamb on a stick (two dollars a stick with free rice).   I have been known to sneak in these less than swanky food courts to grab myself a quick, cheap and healthy lunch.  I am usually the only non-Asian in the place and the menus rarely are in English (although oddly they are sometimes in Chinese and Spanish).  Some of the more helpful owners have a photo book for me to look through and I order by pointing at the dish I want, which actually comes out looking like the picture!  I always get asked the same question in English, "Do you want it spicy?"  I used to answer, "Medium spice," and then I would get a bowl of noodles so hot that my face would be red and flushed the rest of the day and my taste buds were just about burned off.  Then I began to say, "A little bit spicy" and I would regret that answer as well.  I now say, "No spice.", and then I sort of mutter about bringing the leftovers home to some little kids who can't eat spicy foods, yadda, yadda, yadda.  Then he writes the order in Chinese to send back to the cook.  I just know the order pad says, "Boring suburban housewife trying to be cool and wants to eat authentic Korean/Malaysian/Chinese food, but can't handle the heat.  Give her the Americnized meal!" Or maybe they are happy to have the business and I am just being paranoid.  Either way, I get an enormous bowl of flavorful broth loaded with noodles, veggies, tofu and a protein of my choice.  I eat some for lunch and bring the rest home for my dinner (and for the rest of the family to taste).  All for $6!!!

There is also a houseware store within the market that sells gorgeous Asian dinnerware and serving pieces for a dollar or two per piece!

Then there is the part of the market that sells fresh produce, meats, dairy, and seafood.  There is a bakery and thousands of specialty Asian and Hispanic products.  Many of the labels were in Chinese, so I just guess what everything is.  It is so much fun.  I could spend all afternoon browsing through the aisles.  Anyway, they had every spice and ingredient you could imagine there, and it was very inexpensive.  I think a 2 oz. bag of garam masala (a Indian spice mixture) was two dollars.  That is enough to last me two years and it will be stale before I can even finish it.

There are also great internet sources to buy non perishables.  Amazon has almost everything you need.  I also like Penzey's Spices, The Spice House, and Indian Foods Co.   Once you have these basic Indian staple ingredients, you will find other uses for them.  For example, take the mango chutney in this recipe (or any jarred chutney for that matter).  I always have a sweet chutney (like the one called for here) in my fridge and a sweet-spicy one in my fridge (like Major Greys Chutney).  You can spoon it over brie and serve it on crostini; mix 1 T. into a vinaigrette to make a salad dressing; add 1/4 c. into plain rice to make a pilaf; make a mixture of half mayonnaise and half chutney to make a sandwich spread or a burger topping; substitute it for jelly in almost anything (try a sweet chutney and almond butter sandwich);  use as a topping for sweet potatoes; top a bagel crisp with cream cheese and chutney; spread it plain on a turkey sandwich;  mix equal amounts of goat cheese and chutney and bake in a puff pastry; serve it along side roasted chicken or grilled lamb; I have even heard of people spooning it over vanilla ice cream.  I haven't even gotten to the part where I tell you about how easy it is to cook your own chutneys (it is very simple!).  I'll save that for the fall.

I hope you will give this "Pizza" a try.  Any sweet chutney will do in the recipe (mango and peach would be my two top choices).  Queso Blanco is available is almost every supermarket and the naan can be found at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.  If you can't find naan, try this recipe using pizza dough, or substitute pita bread instead.  I promise, you are going to love this recipe.

Indian "Pizza" (adapted from Aarti Sequeria)

(printable version)

1/2 cup tomato paste

2 tablespoons sweet mango chutney (recommended: Patak's Sweet Mango Chutney)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup water

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup crumbled paneer cheese or queso blanco

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 large green onion, finely chopped

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

A glug extra-virgin olive oil

4 naan bread, frozen or fresh

4 slices prosciutto, torn

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, combine the tomato paste, mango chutney, minced garlic, and water over medium heat, until well combined. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes and then remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the mozzarella, paneer or queso blanco, red pepper flakes, cilantro, green onion, ground cumin and extra-virgin olive oil. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Add more red pepper flakes if you like it spicy!

Arrange the naans on a cookie sheet. Divide the tomato-mango chutney sauce evenly among the naans, spreading to coat the top. Evenly divide the cheese mixture among the naans. Throw in the oven for 8 to 13 minutes, or until crisped around the edges.*

Meanwhile, tear the prosciutto into small pieces. When the pizzas are ready, top them with the fresh prosciutto. Cut each naan in half or into quarters, and serve!

*I like to bake pizzas directly on a preheated baking stone in a hot oven for an extra crispy crust.