Coconut Shrimp Curry

 Chungdi Malai

Korma Sauce

 Saute 1 diced onion in oil

with garlic (2 cloves, minced) and ginger about a tsp minced)

1/4 cup water

1 small can diced tomatoes

1 Tbsp curry powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground red chili

salt

2-3 Tbsp nut butter - I think cashew would be best because that's what's in Indian Korma but all I could get was almond butter

simmer for 5 minutes before adding the main ingredient - chicken, chick peas and spinach, shrimp or a veg mix

Stir in 3-4 Tbsp coconut cream, heavy cream or yogurt

Curried chick peas - originally posted Jan 3/16

Happy New Year!
Post Christmas season and early in the new year, like so many others, leaves me feeling full of heavy foods and lean in the wallet.  Also, on the last day off before getting back into the swing of things again meant that I wasn't in the mood to go out.  What's in the pantry? 

Masala Chicken

Inspiration

For the Masala Paste:

• 2 onions (I used one yellow, one purple)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, crushed
• 3 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1½ teaspoons ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• a small pile of of cilantro stems
• a fistful of almonds
• juice of one lemon

Pulse all the ingredients for the Masala Paste in a food processor until smooth.

For the Masala Sauce:

• 1½ cups tomato puree + ½ cup water or broth
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk
• ½ teaspoon salt (taste and adjust)

Masala Sauce: Heat a drizzle of oil in a skillet. Add 1/4 cup masala paste to the skillet, stir around in the pan until fragrant (3-5 minutes). If you're making this with chicken or another protein, this is a good time to add your protein to the pan. Add the tomato sauce and water and simmer until t's a rusty-deep-red color - about 5-10 minutes. Add the coconut milk; simmer for 10 minutes or so until thick and creamy. Longer simmer = thicker and better flavor.

Serve with rice!  Enjoy!

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NOTE;

Store the paste in a jar in the fridge for about a week or store in the freezer for, well, for probably forever.

Butter Turkey - originally posted May 16, 2010

Butter Turkey doesn't sound right. It sounds like turkey and butter. Everyone knows the famous Indian dish; Butter Chicken and they know it's not just butter and chicken, but...well. So I had a turkey breast and I wanted to try this recipe. Of course if you want to use chicken, go ahead.

Butter Chicken Naan pockets - originally posted July 30, 2013

File this under "why didn't I think of that?".  I love butter chicken with a side of naan.  Tuck some butter chicken inside a naan and you have a meal you can eat with your hands.  Wouldn't it be great for a picnic?  Or on the road?  What about the days when you have to run off somewhere after work with no time for dinner.  Avoid the drive through this one time.  Can you imagine making them bite sized for an appetizer platter? Inspired by this, I used thisrecipe for butter chicken, but as the inspiring posts says, you could totally use your favourite sauce from a jar.  I made the butter chicken yesterday and only used about half of the recipe.  When I assembled them today, I made 8 pockets just because it made sense to me.   If you make the filling the day before, the mixture will be cold and easier to work with.
Also, I under baked them slightly because my plan is to freeze them.  Since they're under baked, they won't get too dark when I re heat them.

Enjoy!

Butter Chicken - re-written Feb 8/20 - original post April 23, 2013

My friend gave me this recipe months ago.  In fact, it's been sitting on my kitchen counter so long that I fear it will be unreadable soon.  Also, I had a whole chicken in my freezer that has been speaking butter chicken to me.  It's a grey, grim day outside, yesterday was grey and grim and my mood is grey and grim.  When grey and grim is the prevailing spirit, something that simmers for a long time and fills my home with a warm, soothing fragrance is in order. Of course, I didn't follow the recipe exactly.  I didn't have all the ingredients, so I made do.

Indian Lentils

My friend gave me this recipe and I have never once followed it precisely, but it tastes great every time.
1/2 c. lentils
3 c. water
1-2 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
dash ajama seeds
2 cloves
1-2 hot peppers, slit
1 onion
1 small tomato, blended
1/4 tsp ginger
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed hot peppers
1 1/2 tsp sugar

Wash lentils then cook in the water and salt until tender and soft. You could a can of lentils instead if you want.
Heat oil, add the ingredients in the order listed, stirring as you go. You'll want to let the onions cook before you add the rest of the ingredients. Add the lentils and cook for about 7 or 10 minutes

Garnish with;
1 tbsp cilantro leaves
2 tbsp lemon juice

Serve hot with rice.

What I had for supper tonight

Indian Stir-Fried Shrimp in Cream Sauce (Bhagari Jhinga)