Indian Food

Chicken Tandoori

Ingredients

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 3/4 teaspoons hot paprika
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Directions

Preheat the broiler. Make shallow cuts in the chicken thighs with a sharp knife. Toss the chicken with the lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl.

Pulse 2 tablespoons yogurt, the vegetable oil, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, coriander, cumin, 11/2 teaspoons paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor to make a paste. Toss the chicken in the mixture and let marinate 15 minutes.

Place the chicken on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil, turning once, until slightly charred and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees F, 5 to 6 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/4 teaspoon paprika, the cilantro and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Top the chicken with the yogurt sauce and serve with rice, if desired.

Per serving: Calories 237; Fat 9 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 115 mg; Sodium 1,266 mg; Carbohydrate 8 g; Fiber 2 g; Protein 30 g

Indian-Spiced Kale and Chickpeas

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1 1/2 pounds kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped (see Tip)
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala (see Ingredient note)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

Directions

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add kale and cook, tossing with two large spoons, until bright green, about 1 minute. Add broth, coriander, cumin, garam masala and salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in chickpeas; cover and cook until the chickpeas are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.

A 1- to 1 1/2-pound bunch of kale yields 16 to 24 cups of chopped leaves. When preparing kale for these recipes, remove the tough ribs, chop or tear the kale as directed, then wash it--allowing some water to cling to the leaves. The moisture helps steam the kale during the first stages of cooking.Ingredient note: Garam masala, a ground spice mixture traditionally including coriander, cumin, cinnamon, peppercorns, cardamom and cloves, is commonly used in Indian cooking. Find it in the specialty-spice section of large supermarkets.

Chicken and Spinach Samosas

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 tablespoons warm water

For the Filling:

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground red chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 cup of canned cooked chickpeas, washed and drained
• 1 cup frozen spinach
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Raita, see below for a link to the recipe

Directions

Begin by preparing the dough. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, salt and oil and mix with your fingers until it resembles coarse bread crumbs. Add water and mix with both hands until fully combined and mixture holds as a ball. Turn out onto a clean flat surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth. Flatten into a disc shape and set back in bowl and cover with plastic wrap to rest for 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Set a large, heavy-based pot over medium-high heat and add vegetable oil. Add spices and stir until just fragrant - this lightly toasts the spices and forms the spicy base of the filling mixture. Add ground chicken and saute until slightly coloured. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and sweat. Add chickpeas and spinach then simmer for 10 minutes until liquid has evaporated and all the flavours have come together. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and allow to cool (you can pour it out onto a flat platter to speed up the cooling process.

Return to the dough and divide it up into 4 equal parts. Working with one piece at a time roll into a nice ball then using a rolling pin roll out into discs. Cut in half down the middle to form two half-circles. Working with one half at a time, rub a little water around the edges using your finger. Form a cone by folding along the straight edge overlapping the seam. Gently pinch at the fold to secure. Holding the cone in your hand fill with 2 tablespoons of filling. Seal the top by bringing the edges together and crimping with your fingers or a fork. Do this with the rest to make 8 samosas. (note: you can freeze them at this point if you wish).

Heat vegetable oil to 360 degrees F in a large heavy-based pot. Fry the samosas in batches (so as to not to over-crowd the pot) until puffy and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and serve with Raita.

Cucumber Raita

Ingredients

• 2 cups of plain unsweetened natural yogurt
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 English cucumber, roughly chopped
• 1/2 red chile, deseeded and roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 turns freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Combine ingredients in a food processor and pulse 3 times to just chop up the cucumber. The raita should be nice and creamy from the yogurt but still have texture from the cucumber.

Southern Indian Lamb Curry

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cloves
• 1 1/2 tablespoon cumin seed
• 11/2 tablespoon fennel seed
• 1 1/2 tablespoon coriander seed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons turmeric
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 10 fresh curry leaves
• 3 pounds boned shoulder lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 fresh red chili
• 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 large fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 cup plain unsweetened natural yogurt
• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 scallion, cut into strips
• 6 cups steamed basmati rice

Directions

Begin by setting a large, heavy-based pot over medium heat. Grind the cloves, fennel, cumin, coriander, and turmeric in a spice grinder. Add oil to the hot pot and pour in the spices. Throw in cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, curry leaves, and chilli. Toast for 2-3 minutes until golden and aromatic - be careful, the leaves will splatter a little. While they are toasting, add onion, garlic and ginger to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

Season cubed lamb with salt and pepper then add to the pot of oil and spices. Brown all over, about 5-7 minutes.Add onion puree and sweat a little to remove some of the moisture - about 8 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon as you go. Now add fresh tomatoes and cover slightly with lid. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes until the lamb is tender. Remove the lid and skim fat off the surface. Fold in the yogurt and simmer for a further 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and scallions serve with steamed basmati rice and raita.

Source: Food Network