Quick Cauliflower Curry Rice

I knew I was going to be grilling some Indian-Spiced Pork Chops for lunch on Saturday and wanted something quick and easy and flavorful to go with them.   Normally I cook some basmati rice and usually a vegetable dish to go with anything Indian, but I didn't want to have to run back and forth between the kitchen and the grill while making lunch, and I knew Juli was going to be busy making ice cream at the same time, so I decided to make a quick dish with rice, vegetables and Indian flavor elements.   I could have made some sort of Indian-flavored pilaf or a vegetable biryani, but both would have required more time and effort than I wanted to put in.   So, I came up with a short cut by using something pre-prepared.

Juli likes the packets of supermarket flavored rice and noodle packets, the sort where you boil some water, stir in the contents of a packet, and in a few minutes you've got noodles or rice in a flavored (if usually too salty) sauce.    I'm okay with those sometimes, if I'm in a hurry or want something fast and easy to accompany something else, but the supermarkets in our neck of the woods don't carry any Indian-flavored brands.  I figured I could still use a couple of those rice packets, though.   I'd just fry up some onions and vegetables in oil first, then stir in some curry powder and the packet contents along with some chicken broth and water (much more flavorful than using only water).  Since I'd need oil to fry the onions and vegetables, I'd also then be able to skip adding any butter along with the flavor contents while still being sure the rice wouldn't be too dried out.

I decided I'd chop up some Indian hot peppers I picked up last weekend when we dropped by Maria Grocery, plus some cauliflower.    Along with the onions, that would give me a flavorful vegetable element for the meal, and a mix of hot and sweet curry powders would provide a distinctly Indian touch.

It worked like a charm.   This rice and vegetable dish turned out much better than I'd expected.  In fact, it was really darn good!   I'm not a big fan of the packet/box/can shortcut school of cooking, but there are times when it works, and this is one of those times.   This was so good, in fact, that it would really stand on its own as a meal.   As is, it went great with the chops, and some samosas and chutney rounded out the meal quite nicely. 

I'll still probably stick with some basmati rice and a vegetable curry most of the time when I'm cooking Indian, but given how fast and easy it was, and how pleased we both were, we'll probably be falling back on this every now and then, and I'm going to remember it for when we need a quick, easy meal to fall back on.

Quick Cauliflower Curry Rice

yield = 6-8 servings

3          tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1          large onion, chopped fine
2          hot chili peppers, minced
1          head cauliflower, cut into bite-size floret pieces
2          teaspoons hot (Madras) curry powder
1          teaspoon sweet curry powder
2          packets (5.7 ounces) chicken-flavored rice and
               pasta blend
2          cups low-sodium chicken broth
2          cups water

Add the oil to a Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and cook 4 minutes. 

Stir in the chili pepper and cook 2 minutes.   Add the cauliflower and the two curry powders and cook, stirring often, 3-4 minutes. 

Add the flavored rice packets, chicken broth and water.  Stir to mix and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low simmer and cook 7 minutes, then remove from the heat.  

Let sit off heat for 2 minutes, then stir with a fork, and serve.

Lamb Curry with Chilis and Mint

I got a meat grinder/sausage maker for my birthday this year, but I haven't yet had an opportunity to try it out.  I had planned to grind up some lamb to make a type of ground-meat kabob on the grill sometime this weekend, but the weather unfortunately did not cooperate.    It was too wet for me to enjoy standing outside tending the grill, but I still had lamb on hand and needed to do something with it.   No other great idea came to mind, so I fell back on my default "when in doubt..." solution and made a curry. 

I decided I'd make a lamb curry featuring hot chili peppers, but also including an ample helping of mint, so the coolness of the mint would balance out the heat of the chilis.   I also selected a mix of curry spices heavy on the coriander, which I knew would go well with lamb.  The result was a curry unlike any I've ever made, or had.  Marinating the lamb in lemon juice and spices, browning it in hot oil then stewing it for a long time in a rich, flavorful gravy resulted in the meat being tender and boldly-flavored.  The dish was hot, but not overpoweringly so, and the lemon juice and tomato added a pleasant bit of acid bite, mellowed out by the addition of yogurt and the mint at the end.

I served up this lamb curry with some baked spiced cauliflower (which I'll talk more about in another post), some vegetable samosas we purchased at Maria's Grocery, a couple different sorts of chutney, basmati rice and naan.  This made for a very satisfying meal with ample leftovers for next week.

This recipe is a definite keeper.  It is a bit on the spicy side, so it may not be the best choice for any of our readers that aren't familiar with, and fond of, Indian-style curries, but for those who like curries, or who simply appreciate a bit of heat, I recommend this recipe if you want something delightfully different. 

Lamb Curry with Chilis and Mint

yield = 6 servings

2              lbs lean lamb (leg, shoulder, etc.), cut into
                  bite-size pieces
1              teaspoon turmeric
1/2           teaspoon table salt
2              tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
3              tablespoons vegetable oil
1              large onion, chopped
2              jalapeno peppers, thinly-sliced
2              tablespoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
2              teaspoons minced garlic
2              teaspoons coriander powder
1              teaspoon ground cumin
2              bay leaves
1              cinnamon stick
1              can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
2              cups low-sodium chicken broth
6              ounces plain yogurt
1/4           cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Add the lamb, salt, turmeric and two tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 a fresh lemon) to a bowl.  Stir thoroughly and let sit for about 30 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.   When the oil is shimmering, add 1/2 of the lamb and cook, stirring often, until browned on all sides.  Transfer the cooked lamb to a clean bowl and repeat with the remainder of the lamb pieces.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the Dutch oven and heat for 1 minute.  Add the onion and jalapeno and cook until the onion has softened and started to brown (about 6 minutes).  Add the ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin and bay leaves and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.

Add the cinnamon stick and stir in the tomatoes, scraping along the bottom of the pot to remove any cooked-on bits.  Heat to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook for one hour, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.

Remove from heat and stir in the yogurt.   Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the mint.  Serve with basmati rice and naan or other Indian-style bread.

Chicken Tikka Masala - A Great, Big Batch

Juli and I like our leftovers.   We work long hours, and most workdays we eat leftovers for lunch.  Sometimes we eat leftovers for dinner, too.   We've both gotten compliments (and occasional words of envy) over the things we bring for our meals at work, which isn't surprising.  After all, who wouldn't prefer home-cooked lamb stews, Thai chicken soup, smoked ribs or a fragrant shrimp curry with rice and naan over a Hot Pocket or packet of Lipton Soup?   I will admit, I find these sorts of responses quite gratifying, but mostly I'm just glad to provide Juli and myself with some great meals to warm up at work.

Most of the recipes we cook are designed to serve four, which ends up giving us a couple batches of leftovers, but occasionally I like to make a really big batch of something, so I'll have lots of servings of leftovers.   We often finish off our leftovers a day or two after first preparing a dish, but it's also nice to look for something tasty in the freezer and spot a serving of that excellent beef and bean soup or spaghetti with meat sauce or pork vindaloo from a couple weeks earlier. 

Today's featured recipe is from one of those times I wanted to make a lot of leftovers, but it would serve just as well if you simply wanted to feed a lot of people something tasty and slightly exotic and just plain good.

Chicken Tikka Masala has become something of a "standard" Indian dish, even though it isn't traditionally Indian.  It was first cooked in an Indian restaurant in Great Britain and became such a big hit that it has not only become a restaurant staple, spawning countless variations, but is now also cooked in India.  You can find recipes everywhere for it, and I've tried several.  They've ranged from weak to acceptable to quite good, but I haven't yet found "the" Chicken Tikka Masala recipe that will become my standard.  I keep looking, though.

A version at My Gourmet Connection caught my eye some time back.  Looking it over, I realized that it could easily be doubled to serve a bunch of people... or to make lots of leftovers.   I made a few adjustments to the recipe as printed, starting with doubling some of the ingredients and then switching some of the ratios of the ingredients to get the exact mix of flavors and the specific texture I wanted.  I also decided to use some fresh hot peppers in place of some of the cayenne called for in the original recipe.  The recipe below reflects the changes I made, adjusted to reflect some things I'll do differently next time. 

The result was quite good.   Not perfect, mind you.  I still haven't found my "perfect" version of Chicken Tikka Masala.  But this was nonetheless quite good.  It will provide me with a good place to start from as I tinker around and try to perfect the recipe, but in the meantime it is quick and easy and good and makes enough for a bunch of hungry people. 

I was quite happy with the mix of seasonings and the overall flavor of the dish.   I was somewhat less pleased with the texture.  The gravy wasn't as smooth as I'd have liked   The culprit there was the chicken.  I think I used a bit too much yogurt in the marinade, which caused two problems.  First, the chicken didn't chunk up quite the way I'd have liked.    My preference is that the cooked pieces of chicken be firm enough that they cut easily into neat cubes, as one might get with a piece of properly-roasted tandoori chicken. 

In contrast, this chicken was coated in a bit too much marinade, and as a result, it steamed or boiled as much as it roasted, so it didn't have as firm a texture as I'd have liked.  It shredded when cut, rather than slicing into neat chunks, and it fell apart more when it was mixed into the gravy.   This didn't impact the flavor at all, but it did give the dish a texture and a mouth-feel different than I'd prefer.  I also minced the ginger in the marinade rather than grating it, and in retrospect it's pretty obvious that grated ginger would have made for a smoother marinade, which would translate into a smoother gravy.  The instructions below reflect these changes from how I prepared the dish.

Some people prefer Chicken Tikka Masala to have more of a red color to the gravy and less in the way of tomato chunks.  If you'd prefer that, you could simply add some tomato paste, but that risks throwing off the overall flavor of the dish by boosting the tomato element.  A better option would probably be to puree the diced tomatoes before adding them to the gravy.  One could also add a few drops of red food coloring to the marinade, which will dye the chicken pieces red on the outside.  That's what many Indian recipes do when preparing Tandoori chicken, which is then chopped into chunks and added to the gravy.

In any case, this still made for a very nice meal when served up with basmati rice, naan and Indian-Spiced Cauliflower (I'll present that recipe another day), and it did indeed make for a lot of tasty leftovers that froze and warmed up quite nicely.   While I am not done tinkering with this recipe, I was pleased with the results of my first try, and I expect you would also find it to your liking.

Chicken Tikka Masala

yield = 10-12 generous servings

Yogurt Marinade
2                   cups plain nonfat yogurt
4                   tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2                   tabespoons minced garlic
2                   tablespoons peeled, grated fresh ginger
3                   teaspoons ground cumin
2                   teaspoons ground cinnamon
2                   teaspoons ground coriander
1                   teaspoon ground cardamom
1                   teaspoon cayenne pepper

Chicken Tikka Masala
5                   pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs,
                        trimmed of any excess fat
3                   tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2                cup sliced almonds
1                   large white onion, finely chopped
2                   serrano chilis, seeded and chopped
2                   tablespoons fresh, peeled and grated ginger
1                   tablespoon minced garlic
1                   tablespoon ground cumin
2                   teaspoons ground cardamom
2                   teaspoons ground cinnamon
2                   teaspoons ground coriander
1                   teaspoon table salt
3/4                teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2                teaspoon ground cloves
1                   can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
2                   teaspoons sugar
1 1/3             cup heavy cream
                     chopped fresh cilantro as garnish

Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.  Poke the chicken thighs on all sides with a fork, to allow the marinade to better penetrate, then add the chicken thighs to the marinade.  Turn and stir to coat the chicken pieces on all sides.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or more (preferably overnight).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line two or more baking sheets with foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray.  Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, shaking off excess marinade, and arrange them on the baking sheets, leaving at least 1/2 inch of space between the individual chicken pieces.  

Roast until the chicken thighs are cooked through, turning once (10-12 minutes).  When the chicken is cooked through, remove the baking sheets from the oven and set them aside to cool.

While the chicken roasts, heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the sliced almonds and cook, stirring constantly, until they are golden-brown (about 2 minutes).  Remove the almonds from the pan and increase heat to medium high. 

Add the onion and serrano chilis and cook until the onion starts to brown (about 6 minutes).  Add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds), then stir in the cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, salt, pepper and cloves.  Cook until the spices are fragrant (about 1 minute).

Stir in the tomatoes and sugar.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomato pieces are starting to break down and make a thick sauce (8-10 minutes).   While the tomato mixture simmers, chop the chicken thighs into bite-size pieces.

Stir in the cream, then add and stir in the chicken chunks and cook until heated through (1-2 minutes).  Transfer to a serving bowl, top with the toasted almonds and cilantro and serve with naan and basmati rice.

Spicy Shrimp Curry with Coconut Sauce

I recently wrote about a spice mix typical to Bengali cooking, panch phoron, and the dish I made using that spice mix.   I served that really excellent vegetable dish along with a shrimp curry, and that curry is the topic of today's post.

I designed this recipe to make a somewhat spicier curry, yet at the same time I wanted it to taste of more than the spicy gravy.  Thus, I decided to let the shrimp marinate with some spices and a bit of lemon juice before frying it.   I then fried some onions along with ample amounts of fresh chili peppers, ginger and more spices before adding tomatoes and coconut milk to make a gravy.   I added curry leaves - a distinctly Indian seasoning ingredient - to this gravy to give it another layer of distinctly Indian flavors.

The result was a fragrant, spicy dish with a complex mix of flavors.  The coconut milk didn't so much mellow the spiciness in this one as it served to balance it out.    Still, this one has a fair bit of bite, and the curry leaves provide an exotic flavor that will probably be unfamiliar - though not unpleasant - to those not well-versed in Indian curries. 

Curry leaves can be hard to find, and I really don't know of anything else that might take their place.  Juli's sister wrote us a comment awhile back about encountering a curry plant at a plant market sometime back, but I've never found curry leaves outside Indian (or extremely well-stocked Asian) groceries.   They're worth seeking out, though, as there really isn't anything else with the same flavor.   I buy batches of leaves a couple times a year and freeze most of them for later use.  Curry leaves lose only a tiny bit of flavor when frozen, but frozen ones still do the trick just fine. 

Spicy Shrimp Curry with Coconut Sauce

yield = 4 servings

1 1/2            pounds raw large shrimp, peeled
                      and deveined
1                  teaspoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1                  teaspoon ground cumin
1                  teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2               teaspoon table salt
1/2               teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
3                  tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1                  small white onion, finely chopped
3                  serrano chlis, seeded and minced
2                  tablespoons fresh, peeled and grated ginger
2                  teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2            teaspoon cumin seed
1                  can (14-15 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1                  can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk
5                  curry leaves

Add the shrimp, lemon juice, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Mix thoroughly and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.

Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  When the oil is just starting to smoke, add the shrimp.  Fry the shrimp for 2 minutes, then turn the shrimp and cook another 2 minutes.  Transfer the cooked shrimp to a clean bowl and set aside.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil until shimmering.  Add the chopped onion and minced chilis and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to brown (about 7 minutes). 

Add the ginger, garlic and cumin seed and cook about 1 minute, then stir in the tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have softened (about 5 minutes).  If the mixture in the skillet starts to burn, add a tablespoon or so of water. 

When the tomatoes have softened, add and stir in the coconut milk and curry leaves.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the gravy thickens (about 5 minutes).  Stir in the shrimp, cook to heat through, then transfer to a serving bowl or platter and serve. 

Panch Phoron + Cauliflower and Potatoes with Bengali Spices

I recently read about a spice mix called panch phoron, which translates to "five spices" or "five flavors."  It is a common feature of Bengali cooking, and is sometimes referred to as "Bengali Five-Spice."  This mix of ingredients - equal amounts black mustard seed, cumin seed, fennel seed, fenugreek seed and nigella seed - sounded pretty good, so I decided to read a bit about Bengali dishes and either find a good recipe to make or make up one of my own.   After studying a bunch of Bengali recipes, I decided to toss together some common aspects of Bengali cooking to make a vegetable dish of my own to go along with a shrimp curry I was planning to make for the same dinner.

Based on what I've seen of Bengali cooking, panch phoron appears to be at the core of a lot of Bengali dishes.  Most typically, the first step of a dish using panch phoron is to heat up some oil and cook the spice mix until the various seeds start to pop.   That basic technique - add some spices to hot oil so as to flavor the oil and thus everything subsequently added to the oil - is a common one to several Indian cuisines, and the results are usually pretty good, so I decided to use that as the starting point of my dish as well.   I was sort of torn as to whether to make something with cauliflower or potatoes - both are common to Bengali cooking, and to Indian cuisine in general - so I decided I'd make a dish including both.  Those decisions made, the rest of the recipe was pretty obvious, and it came together quickly. 

The resulting dish was really, really good.  The various spices went well with the vegetables, and the cayenne gave the dish  just the slightest bit of heat.  I think this one ranks high among the best Indian and Indian-inspired vegetable dishes I've made, and Juli also liked it quite a bit.  It's quick and easy to make and quite satisfying, either on its own or along with some other Indian dishes, and I know I'll be making this again in the future. 

If you'd like a fast, easy, flavorful Indian dish, you might want to give this one a try.

Panch Phoron

2             tablespoons black (or brown) mustard seed
2             tablespoons cumin seed
2             tablespoons fennel seed
2             tablespoons fenugreek seed
2             tablespoons nigella (aka charnushka) seed

Combine all five spices in a bowl.  Mix thoroughly and store in a tightly-sealed glass jar.

Note:  Panch phoron is always made with whole seeds, not ground spices.

Cauliflower and Potatoes with Bengali Spices

yield = 4-5 servings

2             tablespoons vegetable oil
2             tablespoons panch phoron
1             teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2       small potatoes, halved or quartered
1             large head broccoli, cut into florets
1             teaspoon minced garlic
1/4          teaspoon table salt
1/8          teaspoon cayenne pepper
1             cup water
               juice from 1/2 fresh lemon
               chopped fresh cilantro to garnish

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add panch phoron and cook unil the seeds are steadily popping (about 1 minute).  Stir in turmeric, then add potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have started to brown, about 5 minutes. 

Add cauliflower florets, stir and cook about 2 minutes.  Push aside vegetables to clear a spot at the bottom of the pan and add garlic.  Cook 45 seconds, then add salt, cayenne and water. 

When the water is boiling, stir then reduce heat to low simmer and cover.  Cook 4 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.  

Transfer to a serving dish, squeeze in lemon juice and top with chopped cilantro.  Serve.

Chicken and Lemongrass Curry

Today's recipe was inspired by a recipe originally presented in Food & Wine in October 2007.  That recipe had a bit more of a Vietnamese spin to it, but I decided to change things up a bit to reflect more of a Thai flavor mix, most notably by using Thai green curry paste.  

Most of the flavor in this dish is derived from a brief marinade of fish sauce, garlic, salt and the aforementioned green curry paste, and from cooking lemon grass and chopped chili peppers in the hot oil before adding the chicken.   A nice, sweet flavor component is provided by caramelizing some sugar and adding it along with the chicken. These potent ingredients impart a delightfully complex mix of flavors - salty, sweet, savory and a bit sour - to the chicken.   The flavor complexity is particularly impressive when you consider how quickly the dish comes together.  The total time from starting prep to putting the dish on the dinner table was less than 1/2 hour. 

All in all, I was pretty pleased with this one.  It was fast, easy, quite flavorful and very memorable.  I think this recipe is destined to earn a spot on my short list of quick and dependably excellent go-to recipes.

Chicken and Lemongrass Curry

yield = 4 servings

2             tablespoons fish sauce
1             tablespoon Thai green curry paste
2             teaspoons minced garlic
2             tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4          teaspoon table salt
1 1/2       pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts and/or
                 thighs, chopped into bite-size pieces
1/4          cup + 3 tablespoons water
2             tablespoons canola oil
2             tablespoons lemongrass paste (or 2 stalks,
                  tender inner white parts only, chopped)
2             serrano chilis, seeded and minced
1             large shallot, thinly-sliced
2             teaspoons fresh peeled and minced ginger
               chopped fresh cilantro leaves as garnish (optional)

Combine fish sauce, green curry paste, garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and salt in a medium bowl.  Add chicken pieces, stir to coat and set aside.

In a small skillet or saucepan, add remaining two tablespoons sugar to 1 tablespoon water and cook over high heat, stirring often, until the sugar is dissolved.   Continue stirring and cook until a deep amber caramel forms.  Remove from heat and stir in the remaining two tablespoons of water.  Transfer to a small bowl.

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the lemongrass, chopped serrano chilis, shallot and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

Add the chicken and stir-fry until the chicken is no longer translucent.  Add 1/4 cup water and caramel and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened (another 3-4 minutes or so).  Serve.

Coriander Chicken with Spinach

Today's featured recipe is a curry of my own invention.  I decided I wanted to make a curry that featured a slightly different mix of typical curry spices, and chose coriander as the dominant flavor.  I also wanted to feature meat and vegegables in the same dish, so I added some spinach.  

A last touch came to me when I realized the heavy cream I had in stock was past expiration date.   In Indian cooking, dairy products such as cream are often added along with lemon juice or another souring agent, but since I had some buttermilk in the refrigerator, I decided to to use it.  It worked like a charm and made for a rich, flavorful gravy.

Coriander Chicken with Spinach

yield = 4 servings

3              tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2           teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2           teaspoon black (or brown) mustard seeds
1              large onion, chopped crosswise into thin rings
1              tablespoon fresh, peeled, grated ginger
2              teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2        teaspoons ground coriander
1/2           teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4           teaspoon turmeric powder
1 1/2        pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, dried with
                  paper towels and chopped into bite-side pieces
2              large, fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2           teaspoon table salt
1/3           cup water
8              ounces baby spinach, chopped
2              tablespoons fresh, chopped cilantro
1/2           cup buttermilk
2              teaspoons garam masala

Heat two tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When the oil is shimmering, add the cumin and mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop.  

Add the onion and cook until it has started to brown.  Add another tablespoon of oil, allow it to heat up for a minute or so, then add the ginger, garlic, coriander, cayenne and turmeric and cook until fragrant (about 45 seconds). 

Add the chicken and cook until it is no longer translucent, then add the tomatoes, salt and water. 

Bring to a simmer, then add the spinach, cilantro and buttermilk.  Heat until bubbling, then remove from heat and sprinkle in garam masala.   Serve with rice and naan or other Indian bread.