Chickpea Curry with Lime Pickle

I am key-razy about lime pickle! Spicy, salty and sour- it is a great condiment served simply along side of grilled fish, but incorporated into a dish, like a curry and its affects are transformative. If you like the salty/sour/bitter taste of North African preserved lemon, you will love this. 


This dish takes mere minutes to make and is vegan.

1 tin (400 grams or 14 ounces) chickpeas, drained
1 tin (same size) chopped tomatoes
1 fat inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped fine
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon curry powder (mild or hot, as you like)
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste (I like heat and used about 1/2 teaspoon)
1/4 cup store bought lime pickle (in every UK supermarket, many specialty markets in the US, and all Indian markets world wide)
1/2 tin (400 gram, 14 ounces) light coconut milk
4 green onions (spring onions), chopped and/or a handful of chopped, fresh coriander (cilantro)

1) Throw everything except the coconut milk and chopped green onion into a small soup pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes, then add in the coconut milk and green onions (and coriander, if using), stir and allow to simmer gently for just 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Makes enough curry as a main course for two people, or 4 as a side dish.

Healthy Fish Curry

I have developed a better appreciation for Indian food since moving to the UK. It is a fabulous cuisine! Often though, it is loaded with gee (clarified butter)-- yummy, just not too healthy. Here's one solution for a healthy curry; no gee, no coconut milk-- just bright, vibrant flavours and lovely, fresh fish.

Watch the video here

1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 huge shallot, or 1 medium onion, chopped

2" piece fresh finger root, peeled and chopped

1 heaping tablespoon garam masala

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 tins chopped tomatoes with their juice

2 mild green chillies, seeded and diced

1 red bird's eye chilli (hot!), carefully seeded and diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup natural (plain) yogurt

1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped

1 and 1/2 pounds firm fish cut into large chunks (turbot, cod, haddock, salmon, even shrimp)

1) Have everything chopped and ready to go. Place a large wok or large soup pot over medium high heat and pour the oil into it. Heat the oil up then add in the shallot (onion), garlic and ginger. Stir fry for just a minute then add in all the spices, sitr fry to 'toast' everything, for 1-2 minutes. Now add in the tomatoes, both chillies and salt. Stir, bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 10 minutes.

2) After 10  minutes, add in the yogurt and coriander (cilantro), stir then chuck in the fish- submerge all of the pieces, cover and simmer gently until the fish is just cooked-- at least 10 minutes.

Serve with basmati rice and naan bread. Serves 6

Chicken Curry with Lime Pickle

Are you absolutely craving exotic flavours about now? Man, I am. Anything other than bread, thyme, sausage, potato and turkey. The spicier, the tangier, the better. 
My husband and I went out to an Indian place last week and liked it so much we went back two nights later with our friend, Erin. 
We are completely in the dark when it comes to all foods Indian. Sweet, sour, salty, bitter; there are so many complexities and facets to that country's fabulous cuisine. 
The highlight of our two visits to the restaurant was a dish that used lime pickle. In our ignorance we had never heard of it, but learned that it is a common condiment on Indian tables. The taste is utterly unusual: First it is sour, then salty, finishing off with a distinct lime bitterness. Lovely.
Lime Pickle is found jarred in every major grocery store here in England, quite possibly in America, too. If not, any Indian grocery store would certainly stock it. If you are inspired, there are hundreds of Lime Pickle recipes on the internet.
It is the lime pickle that makes this simple curry sing.


Marinade
2 hefty soup spoons plain yogurt
3 hefty soup spoons lime pickle
Juice of 1 lime

2 pounds chicken breast chunks

Curry
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2" piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped fine
2 teaspoons Garam Masala (or more is desired)
1 teaspoon curry powder (hot or sweet)
1 tin plain, crushed or chopped tomatoes, with juice
Crushed red pepper flakes, if desired

1) Mix the yogurt, lime pickle and lime juice together in a bowl and toss in chicken chunks. Stir to coat all the chicken with the marinade, cover and set in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes but up to 2 hours.

2) Make the curry sauce (can be done a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator): Saute the garlic and ginger in vegetable oil until soft. Add in the Garam Masala and curry powders- saute a few moments more. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, reduce the heat and allow to gently simmer for 10 minutes- crushing the tomatoes with the back of a fork. Hold off on adding any salt or red pepper flakes until after you have added and cooked the marinating chicken.

3) When ready to eat: Steam some basmati rice. While that is cooking, grab a wok and pour in a bit of vegetable oil. Add in the marinating chicken and all of the marinade. Saute at a high temperature for 3-5 minutes, keeping the chicken in constant motion. Now, add in the tomato curry sauce. Stir well, cover and reduce heat. Simmer gently for roughly 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Taste to see if you like the heat and/or salt-- if not, add more of either now.

Serve with hot, steamed Basmati rice, naan bread and 'Almost Palak Paneer'. Serves 4

Indian Summer Rigatoni

This is a lovely, mellow mix of flavours. It is also very healthy, because the sauce is thickened through the pureed chickpeas. A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil adds a lush smoothness. This is a good recipe for busy evenings; it is quick to whip up, but also great reheated.


1 can chickpeas, not drained
½ small red onion, roughly chopped
1 plump clove garlic, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon dry sage leaves or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh
1 cup chicken broth (can substitute veg broth)
Plenty of black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
300 grams (12 ounces) pancetta or bacon, cut into bite size pieces (optional)
60 grams (just a tad over 2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound pasta

1) Place a pot of salted water, covered on to boil.

2) Make the sauce: Dump the chickpeas, onion, garlic, sage and ½ of the chicken broth (save the other half for later) into a food processor and puree. Now pour this into a saucepan and place over medium heat, bring to a gentle simmer and keep it there, lightly bubbling while you cook the pancetta.

3) In a separate skillet, sauté the pancetta or bacon over medium heat until crisp, or to your liking. Drain on paper towels.

4) Dump the pasta in to cook. Now, drizzle a good glug of extra virgin olive oil into the chikpea sauce, stir and taste. Season with salt and black pepper. When the pasta is done, drain, then toss in a large bowl with the remaining ½ cup chicken broth and pour over the sauce. Toss, then add in the cooked pancetta and Parmesan cheese, toss well.

Serve with extra virgin olive oil to drizzle over and/or more Parmesan, if desired. Serves 6

Fresh Herb Chutney

When I think of chutney I think of a thick, sweet and sour condiment, and this is the case quite often, but most of the Indian people I have come to know make this sort of thin, herb chutney. You can use any fresh herbs that you like, but most common for an Indian dish would be mint and/or cilantro (coriander). There is always a little sweet (sugar), a little salt and a little sour (lemon juice). I add cucumber to think it out, too but this is not traditional and chose not to add chilli peppers or onion—I wanted to use the chutney to cool, rather than spice up the accompanying dishes. This is great with Tandoori Chicken.


3 inch piece of English cucumber, peeled and seeded, roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh mint (leaves removed from the stem), roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (a few stems won’t hurt)
1 teaspoon table sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or to taste)

1) Puree everything in a food processor or blender. Store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Makes just about ½ cup

Tandoori Chicken

Called Tandoori because it is traditionally cooked in a Tandoor over (that reaches up to 900 degrees F!), this chicken dish is tasty for kids and adults. And it is incredibly healthy—no skin, virtually no fat in marinating and no fat used in cooking. Best of all—this dish, once reserved for take-away Indian restaurants—is easy to make at home.
I found the basis of this recipe in my Cooks Illustrated magazine. I love reading this very scientific food magazine, and was actually a recipe tester for them when I was just out of cooking school-- but the publications DOES tend to over-complicate recipes. So I simplified their method, keeping the best bits of the recipe itself. It is a keeper.


1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 medium garlic cloves, minced fine
1, 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced fine
1 tablespoon garam masala
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chilli powder
1 cup plain yogurt
Juice from 2 lemons
2 teaspoons sea or kosher salt
3 pounds chicken breasts, drumsticks and thighs (bone-in or boneless), skin removed

1) Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once the oil looks as if it is quivering, dump in the garlic and ginger and sauté for a minute, then add in the spices and cook for 30-60 seconds more. Transfer half of the mixture to a bowl and add the yogurt and juice of one lemon. Mix the rest of the spice mixture with the salt and juice of one lemon.

2) Score the chicken pieces and rub the salt/spice/juice mixture into the chicken (especially the shallow cuts—scores). Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to highest setting about 15 minutes before you are ready to roast the chicken.

3) Line a sided baking tray with parchment paper. Place the chicken pieces into a deep bowl and pour the yogurt mixture over top. Squish around to get all the pieces covered (getting as much pushed into the scores as possible). If you have a flat rack, place this on top of the lined baking tray and arrange the chicken on it. If you do not have a rack, simply lay the pieces onto the lined tray. Roast until a bit charred. For boneless pieces this could be about 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces and the heat of the oven. For bone-in pieces this should take more like 30-40 minutes—just keep a close eye on the chicken, if you are unsure whether it is done or now, cut a piece open—it should be juicy and either white or very, very slightly pink. If the chicken pieces are crowded on to the tray they will steam rather than roast-- still tastes good, but it roasts better when there is plenty of room between the pieces.
Alternatively, grill the chicken on the outside BBQ--- this is the yummiest way!

Serve with lemon or lime wedges and herb chutney. Serves 4-6 (4 bone-in or 6 boneless)

Almost Palak Paneer (Indian Spinach with Cheese)

As I seem to state before every recipe I write that does not include Velveeta or white bread, I am not an authority on ethnic cooking of any sort. But I love tasting different culture’s foods-- and am drawn to foodies from different parts of the world (pestering them until they relent and cook their specialty for me). My bedside table is stacked with cookbooks from all over the world, that I read like novels before I go to sleep.

Palak Paneer is a classic Indian dish that is essentially fresh spinach with Indian seasonings and fresh, Indian cheese. In this case, because I can not get my hands on Paneer (the fresh cheese), I use a cooking cheese that I can find in the grocery store and spices that are readily available. The bottom line is that this is a very tasty dish, indeed. Mine is not completely authentic, but delicious none the less.

1 pound (450 grams) fresh, washed spinach
1/3 cup tomato puree
1 two inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 French (oblong) shallot or two small, round ones, peeled and finely minced
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon butter
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon Graham Masala (found in most super market spice aisle, but definitely in Asian or gourmet stores)
Dash or two of cayenne (optional)
1/3 to 1/2 pound cooking cheese (cheese that will go soft, but not melt, like Halloumi or any grilling cheese), cut into 1 cm cubes

1) Set a large pot over medium-high heat and add in the spinach and about 2 tablespoons of water. Cover for a minute, then uncover and turn the spinach, bringing the spinach from the top down to the bottom. Do this until all the spinach is wilted.

2) Add in all the other ingredients except the cheese cubes. Stir, cover and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring often and making sure that the spinach stays wet-- if it begins to dry out add a bit of water. Up to this point, the dish can be prepared up to one day ahead and held, covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake and serve.

3) Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Butter a small baking dish that fit’s the spinach nicely. Toss the spinach with the cheese cubes (the spinach should be slightly soupy), pour into the baking dish and bake, uncovered for 30 minutes.

Serves 4 and can easily be doubled or tripled.

Indian Herb Chutney

I have not been to India, but adore the food that Indian friends make and share with me. So, while this recipe may not be ‘authentic’ it sure is tasty.
Dinner couldn't be easier-- marinate a few chicken breasts in bottled or powdered tandoori marinade, grill until a bit charred (but still juicy inside) and drizzle with this cooling sauce. Tastes gourmet without the effort.


½ and English or 1 whole garden variety cucumber, peel and seeds removed
20 fresh mint leaves
1 small bunch cilantro (koriander)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons plain (nature) yogurt
¼ to ½ teaspoon salt

1) Roughly chop cucumber into large chunks.

2) Whiz everything together in a food processor or blender until fairly smoothish.

3) Store in the refrigerator until ready to use (up to 2 days). Serve over spicy-hot grilled tandoori chicken or fish.

Stolen Salmon Recipe

My best buddy, Dana has been raving about her ‘Spicy Salmon’ recipe, ever since taking an Indian cooking class from her friend and expert Indian cook, Nina. So I swiped it, tweaked it just a little and here it is. Make it as spicy, or not, as you like.

1 pound (450 grams) skinless, fillet of salmon, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon Garam Masala
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 dash cinnamon
2 dashes or more for heat, cayenne pepper
½ to 1 teaspoon salt
Vegetable oil for sautéing

1) Toss the salmon with all the spices, but not the salt. Place in a bowl in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours.

2) When ready to eat, toss the salt in and gently stir to coat all salmon pieces.

3) Heat a large non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat and pour in enough oil to coat well the bottom of the pan. Allow the pan to heat up until the oil looks as if it is quivering. Add the salmon in one layer, so that all pieces are in contact with the pan. Sauté for about 2 minutes per side, shaking the pan to prevent sticking, cooking for a total of about 7 minutes.

Serve with herby dal (see recipe below) and basmati rice.

Serves 2, but can be doubled-- just use a larger pan.

Herby Dal

Dal is cooked lentils. There is a myriad of ways to prepare a dal; this is very simple and very delicious. Use only fresh herbs and a good olive oil.

1 cup lentils (any color)
Water to cover
2 Chicken or vegetable bullion cubes
1 tomato chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
An ample handful of fresh herbs-- basil, mint and cilantro are best, chopped

1) Place dry lentils into a small soup pot. Cover with water, coming up one inch above the lentils. Add in the bullion cubes and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer then cook, covered over medium heat, so that it is just barely simmering. When water is absorbed, add more just to cover. Place the lid
back on the pot and cook some more until lentils are tender (approximately 30 minutes).

2) Taste for seasoning, add salt if needed or cayenne pepper if you like heat. Stir in a big glug of olive oil and the fresh, chopped herbs.

Great with basmati rice and spicy salmon.
Serves 4

Sweet Pea Blinis with Curried Chicken Salad

Perfect for a baby or wedding shower.

Chicken Salad

1 whole chicken
2 stalks celery, washed, trimmed, chopped
1/2 small red onion, peeled, chopped
Mayo (I prefer Hellmann's or Duke's) to taste
Mild curry powder to taste
Salt to taste

1) Place chicken into a large pot and cover with cold water. Cover the pot and turn heat up to high, until it boils, then turn the heat down so that the chicken is just simmering. Cook until done, 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours.

2) Once chicken is falling from the bone, remove from the cooking water, place on a large plate and allow to cool to room temp (no more than 45 minutes). Allow the cooking water, which is now a beautiful chicken stock, to cool at room temp, too then freeze (for us to 3 months) to use later. Cover the room temp chicken with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool completely. This may be done a day before.

3) Once chicken is cooled to the bone, remove the skin and discard. Pick the meat form the chicken, including the back (there is anough meat back there to warrant your attention). Roughly chop the meat.

4) Place the meat, celery and onion into a food processor and process until the meat is finely chopped. Transfer all to a large bowl and mix in mayo, curry powder and salt to taste. Cover and store in the fridge until ready to use. May be made up to a day before serving.

Sweet Pea Blinis
1 and 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed but not cooked
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup flour, plus more if needed

1) Place all ingredients, except flour into a food processor. Process until fairly smooth (the peas will never be completely smooth). Add flour and process until just incorporated-- do not over-work. Add more flour if necessary-- it should be the consistency of pancake batter.

2)Pre-heat a non-stick pan over medium to medium high heat (depending on your stove). Do not grease the pan. Once pan is hot, place tablespoonfuls of batter into the pan, do not over-crowd. Cook blinis until small bubbles form on the sides (just as in pancakes). Flip and continue to cook other side. Cool on a rack.
Makes 34-36 small blinis.

Assemble by placing a spoonful of chicken salad on each blini (you will have chicken salad left-over). Top each with a fresh pea. Serve cold or at room temp.

Spicy Pork, Lamb, Beef or Chicken Vindaloo

Spicy, savory and slightly tart-- Vindaloos are great to serve for foodie friends.

Sauce


1/3- ½ cup white vinegar
2 cans diced tomatoes
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
1~ 3” piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 small red chili peppers, seeds removed (add more for spicier flavor)
2 tsp. ground cumin
3 tbsp. curry powder
2 tbsp. garham masala
¼ tsp. ground cloves
2 tbsp. mustard seeds (or 1 tbsp. dry mustard powder)

2 small red onions, chopped
1 kilo pork, lamb, beef or chicken, cut into 1”cubes (the cheaper the cut, the better the flavor)

1) Pre-heat oven to 150C/300F.
2) Put all ingredients for sauce into a blender or food processor and puree.
3) Place chopped onion and cubed meat into a lidded, oven-proof pot, add sauce and stir well.
4) Cover pot and place in oven. Bake for 1 ½ hours, taste for seasoning, add salt and more spices (if desired), turn up the heat to 200C/400F and cook an additional 30 minutes.


Serve with Basmati or jasmine rice and a cooling yogurt sauce.