Indian Butter Chicken

adapted from From Away

I love Indian food. It's so spicy and completely exotic. I would love to travel to India someday and go on a food tour - just to try out the range of spices and new flavors. Ahhh... someday! 

This recipe was good and easy to make. If you are into Indian food at all, or are wanting to try something new - give it a whirl! It could easily be made vegetarian as well by substituting the meat with eggplant or another veggie.

Serves 4-6

2 lbs chicken, cubed
8 cloves of garlic
2 tsp fresh ginger
2 Tbsp coriander powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt (to taste)
vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, chopped
2 cups water
1/4 cup cashews
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 fresno chile, seeded and diced (If you like spice!)
1/2 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup or 112 grams)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup cream
1 Tbsp garam masala
1/4 cup parsley, chopped, for a garnish

In a large bowl, toss chicken cubes, half of the garlic, 1 tsp of ginger, 1 Tbsp of coriander, 1 tsp cayenne pepper and a pinch of salt. Toss until well coated and set aside.
Heat a slash of oil in a wok, then add the marinated chicken. Cook for about 5 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
In the same skillet, add the cumin seeds, the onion, remaining garlic and ginger and saute for 20 minutes on low until the onions are soft. Then add water and stir. Add cashews, remaining coriander powder, remaining chili powder, tomatoes, the chile and stir well.
Let the sauce cook slowly over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, until everything has mingled. Transfer the sauce to a blender (CAREFULLY!) and blend until smooth. Pour the sauce back into the wok, add the butter, tomato paste, sugar and stir will.
Finally, add the cream and reserved chicken to the sauce. Cook the chicken for a few more minutes, making sure it is cooked all of the way through. Add the garam masala and stir well. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over rice.

Vegetarian Chickpea Curry

from Allrecipes

It was a warm Sunday afternoon and it was time to make dinner. Everything around here is closed on Sundays, and I had forgotten to pick up groceries. BOO! So I looked at the few ingredients we had around the house and miraculously found everything I needed for this recipe. And wouldn't you know, it was delicious.

I'm feeling more comfortable with curries day by day, and this one is great and so easy. You could add chilies for heat or cool it down with some plain yogurt or sour cream. Anyway, give it a try.

1 Tbsp butter
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
3 tsp curry
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can garbanzo beans
2 potatoes, chopped
1 can coconut milk (reduced fat is fine)
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 vegetable bullion cubes
1-2 Tbsp cornstarch or flour to thicken the sauce (optional)
almonds, for garnish
sour cream, for garnish

Melt the butter in a large wok and saute onions and garlic until the onions are soft and translucent (about 20 minutes on medium low). Add the spices and allow them to toast for 1-2 minutes.

Chop potatoes into chunks, and add the rest of the ingredients to the walk. Simmer on medium-low until the potatoes are cooked through and the flavors have mingled. If the sauce is too runny, add the cornstarch or flour to thicken it up. Serve on a hot bed of rice topped with almond slivers and sour cream.

Chicken Tikka Masala

adapted slightly from Jamie Oliver

I love Indian food but find it so intimidating! I guess I hate the fact that I never really know if I'm doing it right because it is so unfamiliar... So when my friend Janine wanted to try out this Tikki Masala recipe I thought it would be the perfect time to tackle the challenge. By the end of the hour the house smelled like a spice market and our mouths were all watering.

Serves 4-6

1/2 fresh red chili, deseeded (more if you want it hotter)

1 clove garlic,

1/2 oz (15 grams) fresh ginger

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 pinch paprika

1/2 Tbsp garam masala

1 tsp tomato puree

a bunch of fresh cilantro (coriander)

about 14 oz (400 grams) chicken breast, diced into pieces

1 small onion, peeled and sliced

1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped into pieces

1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped into pieces

1 pinch of ground cinnamon

1 pinch of ground coriander

1 pinch of turmeric

14 oz (400 grams) plum tomatoes

3.5 oz (100 ml) plain yogurt

3.5 oz (100 ml) sour cream

The day before: (or at least a few hours before)

Put the chili, garlic, ginger, vegetable oil, paprika, garam masala, tomato puree, and all of the cilantro stalks into the food processor and puree to form a paste. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, coat them with marinade and put them in the fridge over night.

When ready, add a little vegetable oil in a large wok or fry pan on medium heat. Fry the onion, peppers and remaining spices in a large saucepan. Cook gently for about 10 minutes, then add the can of tomatoes and yogurt. Finally, add the chicken pieces and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Just before serving, stir through the double cream and chopped cilantro leaves.

Serve with fluffy rice and a leafy green salad.

Thai Curry Soup

From Timo Lehto

This is such an amazing soup. The flavors are brilliant and my mouth is watering just thinking about it. It is spicy and creamy and feels wonderfully exotic. Extra bonus, it takes about 10 minutes to put together.

Serves 4

2 onions

1 chili (or 1 tsp chili powder)

3 Tbsp curry paste (red or green)

7 dl fish stock

1 cup coconut milk

salmon

2 Tbsp fish sauce

3 limes

linguine noodles

fresh cilantro

Saute onions, chili and curry paste until onions are soft. Add fish stock, coconut milk and boil for 2-3 minutes. Add noodles and fish sauce and just when the noodles are starting to soften, toss in the fish. Simmer until fish is cooked, then remove from heat and serve. Use lime juice and cilantro as a garnish.

Ground Pork Curry

Adapted from Chow Times

I am always nervous about curries. I don't have much of a background in Indian food, and I often question if I am doing things correctly. This was perfect for a beginner like myself, and Ben liked it so much that he ate the whole pot. It was spicy and so easy to make. I would be interested in trying it with chicken, and varying the heat levels, but it was great as is.

1 lb lean ground pork

2 onions, finely chopped

4 medium potatoes, cubed

3 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp minced ginger

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cumin seeds, roughly crushed

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp dried chili flakes

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 1/4 cup vegetable stock

1 large bunch spinach

salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions, garlic, pork, and spices together in a pot. Cook until onions are soft and meat is browned. Then add potatoes and tomatoes, once warm add stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once 20 minutes have passed, add spinach and allow to heat through for a couple of minutes, just enough to wilt it.

Serve immediately with rice.

Thai Cashew Chicken

Adapted from a Mingling of Tastes and Allrecipes

This spicy stir fry was an attempt to start labor after being almost a week overdue. It didn't work, but it was delicious and packed with healthy veggies.

2 cups chicken pieces
1 Tbsp oil
6 Tbsp ketchup

6 Tbsp oyster sauce

2 Tbsp soy sauce

3/4 cup chicken broth

3 tsp white sugar

2 Tbsp Thai chili paste (adjust this to your tastes, it can make it very hot!)

1 Tbsp flour

1 large onion, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

3-4 large carrots, julienned

1 red pepper, chopped

1 head broccoli, chopped

*dried red chilies (optional, for additional heat)

1/2 cup cashews

Steamed rice, for serving

Mix together the ketchup, oyster sauce, soy sauce, chicken broth, sugar and chili paste. Reserve half of the sauce and marinate the chicken in the other half in the fridge for at least 1/2 hour (the longer the better).

While the chicken is in the fridge, prepare all of the vegetables, cook rice and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken plus chopped onion and stir fry for several minutes until meat is cooked through. Lower the heat to medium, add in the reserved sauce plus 1 Tbsp flour to thicken, the rest of the veggies and cook for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are just beginning to become tender, but still have bite. Remove from heat, mix in the cashews and serve immediately over rice.

Baked Tilapia Salad with Thai Peanut Sauce

adapted from Danica's Daily

This salad was so good. The dressing was a snap to put together and the next day Ben was asking if we had any leftover.

Serves 2-3

Salad Ingredients

2-3 tilapia filets (or other white fish)

Lettuce or other leafy greens

2-3 carrots, peeled and julienned

1 red pepper, diced

mushrooms (optional) chopped

tomatoes (optional) chopped

Thai Peanut Sauce (makes 1 cup)

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup canola oil

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 1/2 Tbsp white sugar

4 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

1 Tbsp chili sauce, or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, minced

Heat peanut sauce in a sauce pan on low and stir 5 minutes until peanut butter is smooth and creamy. Let cool.

If using frozen fish; defrost, rinse, and pat dry. Place in a baking dish and marinate in 1/2 cup of the sauce. Make sure all of the fish gets covered. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to several hours. Meanwhile, tear lettuce and prepare and combine vegetables for salad.

Place baking dish in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350, or until flaky and cooked through. You can also wrap filets in foil and grill for 4-5 minutes each side.

Serve salad with peanut sauce on the side. Place fish atop and serve. Great with rice.

Cari Poulet

My sister Kate has lived on a small island off the coast of Madagascar for the past year and a half. The food on her island was a bizarre blend of French food, Creole, Malagasy and Indian cuisine. On her way home to the USA, she visited us here in Finland and we made this traditional creole dish:

Cari poulet is French for curry chicken, but everything sounds prettier in French, so cari poulet it is. The dish was great and it was fun to experiment with the local spices she picked up from the island. What really knocked it out of the park was the hot sauce and beans, so be sure to make the complete meal.

1-2 Tbsp oil

3-4 chicken legs (skinless)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

5-6 tomatoes, diced

1/2 tsp curcuma (Tumeric)

enough water so the chicken is mostly covered in the pot

salt and pepper to taste

Hot Sauce: (combine into a bowl)

1/2 onion, finely minced

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 tsp salt

2-3 finely diced tomatoes

chili paste to taste (we used Pimo from Reunion island, use as much as desired...)

Beans: (Saute oil, onion and garlic in a pan until soft, add beans and cook until heated through)

1 Tbsp oil

1/2 onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup kidney beans, drained but not rinsed

In a large pot, sear the chicken legs in olive oil on high until cooked. Then add minced garlic and diced onion, and stir until fragrant. Then add tomatoes, curcuma, enough water to cover the chicken and salt and pepper. Cook on medium-low for 45 minutes, then serve on rice accompanied with hot sauce and beans.

Polynesian Style Meatballs

adapted from Don't Forget Delicious

Ok, I know this is my third meatball recipe, but for some reason (pregnancy?) I have been really craving meat lately... These meatballs may be my all-time favorite, the flavor was spicy and unique and they were a cinch to put together.

1 lb ground pork

1 egg

3/4 cup bread crumbs (or quick oats)

1-3 tsp chili sauce (depending on how much heat you like)

3/4 tsp fresh ginger root, grated

2 tsp mustard

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

8 oz pineapple chunks, plus juice

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 cup beef stock

2 Tbsp cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix together pork, egg, oats, chili sauce, ginger root, mustard, soy sauce and salt. Roll into balls and brown them in a frying pan on the stove. Once browned, put in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes (or until cooked all the way through)

In the same frying pan, heat the pineapple + juice and onion until just boiling. Add in the bell pepper, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine vinegar, brown sugar, stock and cornstarch and mix together. Add to the pineapple mixture and stir to combine. Boil for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.

Add meatballs back into the pan and toss to coat. Serve over hot rice.

Pineapple Chili Chicken

adapted from My Kitchen

This chicken is hot and sweet. When choosing the chili sauce be sure to pick one that reflects the tastes of your guests, some can be really hot while others are mildly tangy.



3-4 chicken thighs
1 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup chili sauce
1 large can crushed or cubed pineapple (plus the juice)
1 Tbsp sugar
salt
1 Tbsp flour or cornstarch
green onion (garnish)

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Saute garlic and ginger about 1 minute, then add pineapple (plus juice), ketchup, and chili sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Let cool.

2. Once the sauce is cool, pour over the chicken and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Then place the chicken and sauce in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake at 300 F for 2 hours.

3. Take out the chicken, reserving the liquid, pan sear and set aside (keep warm). Take the liquid and put it in a frying pan, skimming the fat off the top. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid, adding flour or cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Pour sauce over the chicken, garnish with green onions and serve.

Filipino Adobo Chicken

adapted from Big, Bold, Beautiful Food

This is the national food of the Philippines! And it was so mouth wateringly good that I can't wait to make it again. The sauce is sweet and tangy and has more flavor than I knew what to do with. As I looked for more detail on how to prepare it, I found that there were many variations on recipes, so feel free to experiment.


4-8 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin on
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice or white vinegar
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 bay leaves
12 peppercorns
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
Ketchup
2 Tbsp olive oil
Chili sauce (optional for dipping and to add heat)

Marinate meat in soy sauce, vinegar and spices for 30 minutes to overnight. Put meat and marinade in a soup pot. Add the chicken broth and coconut milk and try to cover the meat as best you can (you can add a little water if the liquid is too shallow). Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 40 minutes on low heat. You don't really want it to be at a rolling boil, more of a slower cooking method on low heat.

Take out the meat and pat dry with paper towels. Skim the fat, bay leaves and peppercorns, then boil the remaining liquid and reduce by half. As the sauce reduces, the taste will also change so make adjustments as necessary (taste it every so often to make sure it isn't becoming too salty)

While the sauce is reducing, brush the sides of chicken with a little ketchup. Turn on the broiler and broil the chicken on a baking sheet until the skin is browning and crispy. Once it is brown, turn the chicken over the brown on the other side.

Pour reduced sauce over chicken and serve on rice with a side of veggies and pineapple.

Spicy Thai Linguine

adapted from One Hot Stove

Ohhh, how I have learned to love these flavors mixed together.  Spicy and sweet, this pasta dish will satisfy anyone.  

1/2 lb linguine pasta

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic

1 red onion

1 red pepper

1 zucchini

1-2 carrots

4-5 green onions (optional as a garnish)

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

3 tsp red curry powder (or paste)

2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice

salt

Prep the veggies by washing them and dicing them into bite size pieces.  Saute vegetables together until barely tender.  Next, boil a large pot of water for pasta, and cook for 7-9 minutes until al dente.  Drain and set aside.  Add the coconut milk and spices to the vegetable mixture.  Simmer for about 5 minutes, and taste the sauce.  If it needs more flavor, feel free to add more curry or salt.  Pour the vegetable mixture over the sauce and toss together, adding lemon juice and green onions as a garnish.  Serve immediately.     

Mulligatawny Soup

from Michelle Chen

Mulligatawny means "pepper water" and is an invention of English/Indian origin. I always stayed away because it had a funny name. I am glad to have gotten over that prejudice. Just don't let this enormous list of ingredients scare you away.

1 Tbsp Butter or Olive Oil

1 medium Onion

2 cloves Garlic

1 tsp Ginger

1 Green Chili Pepper, chopped

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Cloves

1 tsp ground Coriander

1 1/2 tsp ground Cumin

1 tsp Tumeric

1 tsp Cardamom

1 Tbsp Curry

1-2 Carrots, chopped

1-2 Apples - peeled, cored and chopped

1-2 Potatoes, peeled and diced

1 cup Masoor Dhal (red lentils) - you can also use other beans

4 cups stock

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Cups coconut milk

2 Tbsp Cilantro (garnish)

Heat oil in a large pan on low heat, saute onion, garlic, ginger, chilies, and spices. Do not over brown the onion or it will give the soup a burnt taste. Add broth, carrot, apple, potato and lentils, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes until vegetables are tender. Puree (or mash) soup mixture in batches, then add lemon juice and coconut milk and serve once it is heated though.

Feel free to add chicken if desired and sometimes served with heavy cream.

This soup had so much flavor, it really was amazing. Next time, I would probably add more chilies to pack in more heat, but as is, it was wonderful.

Serves 4