Kichiri

Kichiri is one of the ultimate Indian comfort foods. When I was growing up, Bibi would make kichiri and khaghina (tomato and egg scramble) for Sunday brunch. It was one of the best meals. So, of course, I wanted to make it. I made the kichiri, but didn’t make the khagina – for some reason my mom won’t give me that recipe. I’ll have to bug her about it. Anyways, I ended up eating the kichiri with Bibi’s tomato chutney. It tasted like home.

Kichiri

Serves 3-4

1 cup basmati rice
½ cup masoor daal (red lentils) – washed and set aside
½ cup chopped onions
¼ tsp. turmeric
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
3 cardamom pods
2 T olive oil
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic


In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until they become soft and translucent. Add cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, ginger, garlic, and turmeric. Saute seasonings. Add rice and lentils. Add 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring to boil, turn heat to low, cover and allow rice to cook for 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Tikka Masala

Grilled Chicken Tikka Masala
Serves 4

1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 T olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cayenne
4 metal skewers or 10 to 12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes

Cut chicken breasts into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Combine with lemon juice, olive oil and salt in a bowl. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

In a separate bowl combine yogurt, garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Mix well and add to chicken. Toss, cover and refrigerate for about 3 hours. Preheat grill. Tread chicken onto skewers. Grill for about 6-8 minutes. Turn frequently while grilling.

Fish Stew

This fish stew from Simply Recipes has become a staple in my home. It is fantastic and easy. It can even be made with frozen fish. The only alteration I've made is the addition of fresh mushrooms, which really gives the stew some more heartiness.

Fish Stew
Serves 4

6 T olive oil
1 cup of chopped onions
2 large garlic cloves, chopped (I used jarred minced garlic)
2/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup of fresh chopped tomato
1 cup of slice mushrooms
8 oz. of clam juice
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 lbs. of fish fillet (tilapia and halibut are my favorites)
1/2 tsp. of dry oregano, thyme and pepper
2 tsp. tomato paste
Tabasco
Salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and saute 4 minutes. Add parsley and stir 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, tomato paste and cook 2 minutes longer.

Add clam juice, dry white wine, and fish and simmer until fish is cooked through, less than 10 minutes. Add seasoning.

Enjoy!

Grilled Corn on the Cob

This, for me, is a summer time grilling staple. It's easy and delicious.

Grilled Corn on the Cob
Serves 4

4 cobs of corn

Shuck the heavy layers of the corn, leaving 2 or 3 thin layers. Also, be sure to remove the corn silk. Place on a hot grill. Grill for 25-30 minutes, rotating the cobs every few minutes. If the kernels start to become brown/black, don't worry, it's just the natural sugars in the corn caramelizing.

Enjoy!

Beef Satay - Indian Style

It is an absolutely beautiful day in Washington, D.C.! It's a spring/summer day, the kind that makes you want to just sit outside and read a good book. It's also the first day that I fired up the grill. FINALLY! To inaugurate this event, I decided to grill something Indian - after all, this blog is called "Garam Masala." So, tah dah - here it is...

Beef Satay - Indian Style

1 lb. flank steak, cut into strips
¾ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. turmeric powder
2 T chopped cilantro
1 tsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. minced garlic
½ tsp. cumin powder
2 T olive oil
Bamboo skewers - soaked in water for at least 15 minutes

Mix everything in a bowl and marinate for at least 2 hours. Thread the beef strips onto the skewers. Place on grill. Takes about 3 minutes on each side.

Enjoy!

Lacy Hash Browns

Lacy Hash Browns

Serves 2

2 large russet potatoes, about 1 lb, peeled, rinsed, and patted dry

2 T unsalted butter

1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

Step 1: Using the largest holes of a box grater-shredder, shred the potatoes into a mound in the center of a kitchen towel. Fold the short ends of the towel together, overlapping them, to fully enclose the potatoes. Twist the towel insward from both ends and squeeze as hard as possible to remove as much water as you can.

Step 2: In a large cast-iron frying pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 T of the the butter. When the butter has foamed and the foam has subsided, add the potatoes and spread them quickly into an even layer. Season with 1/2 tsp. seasoning, salt, and pepper, and use a wide, flat spatula to press down on the potatoes firmly. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, pressing down with the spatula occasionally, until the bottom is golden brown and crisp, 6-7 minutes.

Step 3: Place a large plate over the top of the frying pan and hold it very securely with one hand. Using an ovent mitt and a very firm grip on the handle of the frying pan with the other hand, quickly invert the potatoes onto the plate.

Step 4. Add the remaining 1 T butter to the pan and return to medium-high heat. When the foam has subsided, slide the potato cake back into the pan, cooked side up. Season with 1/2 tsp. seasoning, salt, and pepper, and use a wide, flat spatula to press down on the potatoes firmly. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, pressing down with the spatula occasionally, until the bottom is golden brown and crisp, 5-6 minutes.

Step 5: Transfer the hash browns to a cutting board or a platter and cut in half. Serve at once.

Enjoy!

Happy Mother's Day!

Since I have been so delinquent in posting new recipes lately, I thought that at least a Mother's Day recipe was in order. So, for all of those mothers out there, here's some chicken piccata for you!

Chicken Piccata

Serves 4

4 chicken breasts - beaten thin with a mallet

1 T flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. paprika

2 T olive oil

1 large thinly sliced lemon, half-juiced

2 T butter

1 medium shallot, diced

1/3 cup white wine

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 T capers

Mix flour, paprika, and salt, and dredge the chicken breasts through the flour mixture. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the lemon slices to the skillet and cook 1 minute on each side, then set aside. Add chicken to the pan, and cook until golden brown, then set aside. Melt 1 T butter in the pan, add shallots, and cook until softened. Pour in wine and broth and bring to a boil. Stir in lemon juice, butter, and capers. Pour over chicken, and garnish with lemon slices.

Enjoy!

Coconut Curry Tofu

I'm sticking with the Asian theme.

Coconut Curry Tofu

Serves 3

1 bunch green onions

8 oz. light coconut milk

2 T soy sauce

1/4 tsp. brown sugar

3/4 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger

1 tsp. red curry paste

1/2 lb. firm tofu, cut into cubes

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 cup white button mushrooms, sliced

2 T chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil

Salt to taste

Handful of chopped cilantro

Remove white parts of green onions, and finely chop. Chop greens into 2 inch pieces. In a large pot over medium heat, mix coconut milk, 1 1/2 T soy sauce, brown sugar, curry powder, ginger, and curry paste. Bring to a boil.

Stir in tofu, tomatoes, green pepper, mushrooms, and the finely chopped green onion. Cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix in basil. Season with salt and remaining soy sauce. Add chopped cilantro. Continue cooking 5 minutes. Garnish with remaining green onion.

Enjoy!

(Recipe adapted from All Recipes)