Country Captain Chicken

I ran into this dish listening to an interview of two guys running a restaurant in South Carolina.  It turns out that it dates back to the 1700's when ships arriving from the Far East, India, came to the Southern US ports to trade.  The captains brought the recipe with them.  So, I present to you an American version of curry.

To serve four

Indian Pork Vindaloo

A staple on most Indian restaurant menus, pork vindaloo was originally Portuguese “pork marinated in vinegar and garlic.”  For me, it’s a tasty, spicy, vinegar based curry, unlike typical Indian curries. The beauty of making it yourself is that you control the heat!

I have made this with chicken as well.

To serve four.

Brinjal (eggplant) Pickle Relish- A must for your Indian Pantry!

I have been making this relish for years!  It is a favourite with my friends who have added it to pasta (thank you Beryl), to rice and served it with their Indian dinners.

Added bonus- your kitchen will smell wonderful!

This recipe makes 500 ml.  Feel free to double or triple it.

Indian Spice Mango Chutney

My inspiration for this chutney came from Saving the Season- my newest go to book for inspiration.  The recipe calls for tamarind paste, which adds a sour component to the recipe and is delicious.  However, I had problems sourcing it, so had to settle for tamarind sauce.  It worked just fine, but I made sure to taste, taste, taste and adjust the spices.

Mango chutney is a must for your pantry.  Serve it with your favourite Indian curry, include it on a cheese tray, add it to mayonnaise for a flavourful dip...  I love the flavour of tamarind in this chutney.

Sauteed Eggplant and Onions- taste those great Indian Spices!

One of my favourite activities in India was shopping for spices in the markets.  A little challenging for a non-hindi speaker; a great way to explore for a geographically challenged explorer (me!).  I was most successful when accompanied by newfound (and great) Indian friends.  Thank you Mehesh and Nina!

I've added mango to this sautee..

Buying local spices was a wonderful experience.  Some of the spice merchants offered their own blends of spices- masalas- which they made up right in from of you.  " A little bit of this, a little bit of that", ummm smelling good.

This recipe, from Vij's in Vancouver, will incorporate some of my spices and will serve six.

Ingredients
4               black cardamom pods
1/2 cup     grapeseed oil
8               cloves
1/2 tsp      asafoetida
1 tsp         turmeric
2 lbs         eggplant, cut into 1/2" dice
1 1/2 stp   cayenne
2 tsp         salt
1 med.     onion (white or red) sliced lengthwise
2 1/2 tsp  mango powder or 2 tsp tamarind paste
1/2 cup    fresh cilantro, chopped


Directions
Lightly crack the black cardamom pods to extract the seeds.  Crush them with a rolling pin.  Set aside.

Heat oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot on medium-high heat for 45 seconds.  Add the cloves and cardamom seeds and saute for about one minute, until fragrant.  Add the asafoetida, turmeric and stir.  Stir in the eggplant, cayenne and salt and cook for about ten minutes.  Add the onions, stir well and cook until the eggplant is ready.  Stir in the mango powder (or tamarind paste) and cilantro, remove from heat and serve immediately with rice and naan.

Enjoy!

Spicy Cauliflower Steak - Even meat lovers will love it!

This is the Indian version of cauliflower steak- thanks to Vij's in Vancouver...  You can even serve it with a poached egg on top- not so Indian but sooo good!

This recipe serves six to eight.

Jungle Maans- from the House of Diggi in Jaipur India

What better introduction to Indian cuisine than a celebratory dinner at the House of Diggi in Jaipur India!  House of Diggi is a Palace Hotel and that's where our group dined al fresco, enjoying great traditional India entertainment and a delicious buffet dinner.  Magic!

One of the dishes they are known for is the Jungle Maans.  I was honoured to be given the recipe (among many others) so I could make it at home and share it with friends.

I was able to find a masala mixture at a local market with the whole spices, ready to grind and use in this recipe.  Lucky me1

Welcome to the House of Diggi.

To serve four.

Baingan (Eggplant) in a Yogurt Sauce- for A Maharaja's Table

Another amazing state we visited in India in February was Orissa.  This state is located in Eastern India and is the home of traditional arts, crafts and textiles that predate many of the great empires of India.  We visited weavers and dyers in their workshops and homes- amazing!

For three nights, we stayed at the Palace Dhenkanal, home to the Raja of Dhenkanal and his family for generations.  It was a fabulous experience!  I was honoured with an informal cooking class with the palace chef.  This is what we made- so simple and so delicious.  Cooked outside over a small fire...

An amazing cooking class- outside, over a small fire.

We cooked in my favourite style- a little bit of this and a pinch of that... so the quantities are approximate.  Taste and adjust  the seasoning before serving.

Baingan in yogurt sauce

To serve four.

A Gujarati Specialty (and a great dessert)- Fada Lapsi

Where is Gujarati, you might ask?  Well, it is India's westernmost state, famous for its textiles.  I had the absolute pleasure of visiting a few villages near Bhuj, on the edge of the Kutch desert, all providing opportunities to explore the world of textiles- families of weavers, block printers and dyers- fabulous fabrics to see, feel and purchase.

You don't need a fancy kitchen to make this dish!  Cooking outdoors, over a small fire... 

We were invited for lunch at one of the villages.  I had the pleasure of spending time with the ladies as they prepared our food.  One of the dishes on the menu was daliya lapsi, a famous Gujarati dessert usually prepared for festivals and other special occasions.  This recipe combines "broken wheat" (that would be cracked wheat in Canada) with fragrant cardamom and a few other ingredients.  We certainly enjoyed it!  Here is my version of this dish.

Curried Chickpea Rolls- Indian in a puff pastry!

Chickpea Curry- what a great filling for a puff pastry roll!  Another riff on rolls.  These are great portable snacks!  and they make great appies!  No puff pastry? - use fillo.

This recipe isn't an exact science.  I throw in a handful of this and a handful of that... whatever you have on hand to make the best curried chickpea filling ever.

This recipe makes 2 10-inch rolls or 5 filo pastries "ish".

Chicken Jalfrezi- the Stir-Fry

I have posted two versions (actually every Indian cook probably has their own version) of Jalfrezi- the one below is stir fried and thickened slightly with a slurry or tomato paste.  The other finishes the dish in a thick tomato curry sauce (use the Curry Sauce base).

This version of Chicken Jalfrezi is more traditional and can also be found on restaurant menus.  It is more like a stir-fry, without the thick tomato based curry sauce.

This will serve four to six...

Rainbow Vegetable Korma- with Curry Sauce Base

This is an Indian restaurant favourite for lovers of mild curries.  At home, you get to choose the vegetables (and the meat, if you must) - about five cups of vegetables are needed for this dish.  My neighbourhood grocer had amazing purple baby eggplants and Thai eggplants.  They will form the base of my Korma along with red pepper, cauliflower, mushrooms, carrots and peas.  I will admit to about eight cups of vegetables.  I can adjust the sauce if I need to.  A veritable rainbow!  Also, I know that chickpeas are not usually found in this korma.  But, I happen to like chickpeas and they add protein to my vegetarian dish  :-)

The Curry Sauce Base makes quick work of this dish...

This recipe serves 4-6.

Curry Sauce Base - A Must Have for Your Pantry!

Let's face it.  We all like great food but sometimes need a little help getting it to the table- we just don't always have the time to cook.  Your grocery store could supply you with curry simmering sauces, but who needs the additives and other mystery ingredients? I came across this curry sauce base on a website-My Fancy Pantry. That's the starting point... Just the amazing smell wafting through my kitchen makes this recipe worthwhile.  You'll make enough for at least four curry dishes- so freeze the sauce in portions, about three cups each.  By adding spices and vegetables and/or meat you can have a great curry on the table in less than 30 minutes.  No one will ever know you didn't spend the afternoon stirring the pot.  Wonderful!

Remember, because this is a curry base, it should not be spicy- it should have a pretty neutral Indian curry taste. You'll "season" it up when you make a specific curry...

Indian Chicken Tomato Curry- You'll Love It!

Indian Chicken Tomato Curry with vegetarian and chickpea curries.

This curry is an old standby.  Rich, creamy, as spicy as you like and so easy to make.  Perfect as the centerpiece for an Indian dinner or to bring to a potluck.  Your friends will be asking for this recipe!

The thing is, you could use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, dredge them in flour and brown.  But I think that, in exchange for convenience, you miss out on flavour from the bones and the skin.  But, the chicken skin is also fatty.  So, I have added an extra step which is outlined below.

Thank You Madhur! Aloo-ki-tikiya- well almost!

Cooked potato patty on the bottom
Uncooked and ready for the freezer on the top

I love making savoury cakes: fish cakes, crab cakes, veggie burgers- they're great to have in the freezer, portion packed and ready for the oven whenever you are.  The base recipe for these potato patties is provided by Madhur Jaffrey.  I've made it my own and got to use one of my newest toys- a slider maker.  Its really an 8' x 8' pan with a kind of a cutter to make twelve perfectly square patties in one "shot".  Perfect size, everything "clean" and ready in no time.  Here's my recipe:

Chana Masala- my favourite Indian chickpea curry

Chana Masala served with brown rice, cucumber and garlic chutney

Hey! I'm French Canadian so this is the French Canadian version of an Indian chickpea curry - Chana Masala.  It's my comfort food- full of rich tomato coconut sauce, warm spices (yes, there will be heat), coriander and, of course, chickpeas.  And the aroma in the kitchen- hummmm.

Now, you can go ahead and make this on the stove top.  You know, the old fashioned way and it's delicious.  Today, I'll make it in an electric pressure cooker.  It's a wonderful appliance, time saver and I don't worry about watching the pressure gauge, it's all done for me.  Just set it and walk away.

The quantities are approximate because I encourage you to taste, adjust and to make it your own.  Here goes...