A while back I had posted a recipe for Indian chicken curry but realized that I was missing a key step in the process. The step thats required before you cook the chicken in the spices is to create a strong concentrate of spices, tomato sauce, onions, garlic and ginger (see the second image above) – almost a paste like consistency. This is a key step in any Indian curry and is a base for a plethora of Indian dishes. The base of this paste could vary, either tomato based, or yogurt based but the process is the same.

Tomato curry base

Heat up some vegetable or canola oil in a large 12″ skillet. Add a 1/2 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds, 3-4 large peppercorns, and 2 bay leaves until just brown. Add a medium minced red onion, with a sprinkle of salt. Cook the onions until they are brown (3-4 minutes). Add in 3-4 crushed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of crushed/chopped ginger, 2 teaspoon of garam masala, 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, and 1 teaspoon of turmeric. Mix the spices well on medium-high heat in the spices and let them cook until they are brown and mushy. Add a 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and continue to cook the onions-garlic-ginger paste until reduced to a pulp (see second picture above). This paste-like concentrate is key to any curry that you make. Put heat on medium-

Potatoes

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and sprinkle in some salt. Add 2 medium sized potatoes to the pot and cook. Remove the potatoes a few minutes before they are done.

Chicken

Pat dry a pound of bone-in chicken breasts and/or legs and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once the curry base is ready, place the chicken in the skillet. Add a 1/2 cup of water to the skillet and cook the chicken until you are unable to see any pink on the top (add more water if curry starts to dry). Add in 2 cups of water along with the potatoes and cover. Let the chicken cook completely (about 20-25 minutes). Garnish with some freshly chopped cilantro.

Serve over rice.

This curry base can be used to cook tofu/paneer, or any other meat (lamb, beef) and vegetables.

I’ve been on a bit of an Indian cooking spree lately (partly to prove to ML that I can indeed cook indian food). Here is another well known north indian dish that you usually see in restaurants served with paneer. I’ve tried this before with extra-firm tofu, but its even better with chicken (and a little light cream).

Serves 2 (Time: 30 minutes):

To cook the chicken first, take a small skillet and add about half a tablespoon of olive oil and place on medium high heat. Generously season 1/3-1/2 lb of chicken breast (boneless & skinless) with Adobo and garam masala. Once the pan is hot, toss the chicken breast in and brown on both sides (about 2-3 minutes per side). Remove from heat – don’t worry if its not completely cooked – and chop up into 1″ pieces and place aside.

To cook the spinach, start by pouring about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet and place on a medium-high heat. Mince a couple cloves of garlic and ginger enough to yield about a tablespoon each and toss into the skillet once the oil has heated. As the garlic starts to brown, bring the heat down to medium and add about 2 tablespoons of garam masala and a tablespoon of red chili powder (more or less depending on your spice preference). Mix in the skillet for a few seconds and then add 3/4 lbs of spinach leaves (chopped before hand into roughly 1″ chunks). Constantly stir the spinach as it starts to wilt. Once the spinach has wilted, add in about 1 cup of plain yogurt along with 1/2 cup of light cream. Add a pinch of salt and let the contents of the skillet continue to cook as the water from the spinach evaporates. After a couple minutes, add in the chicken (with any juices that its collected) and let the entire dish cook for another few minutes until most of the water from the spinach has evaporated and your left with a creamy spinach puree. Adjust seasoning to your preference and serve with rice or naan.

This is one of my favorite dishes growing up that my mom usually reserves for when she is having people over for dinner. Having asked her for the recipe a while back, I finally decided to give it a try and now wonder why I haven’t made this before.

Serves 2:

Preparation time: 40 minutes

In a large bowl, take a 1.5 lbs of skinless chicken breasts and toss them with 1/2 cup of plain yogurt, and a teaspoon of salt. Let the chicken marinade in the yogurt for about 10-15 minutes.

While the chicken is marinading, finely chop one red onion and 3-4 cloves of garlic as well as 2 large russet potatoes into 1/2″ pieces. Heat up a 12″ skillet with a tablespoon of vegetable oil. As the oil begins to smoke, toss in the onions and add a teaspoon of salt, two teaspoons of garam masala, a teaspoon of coriander powder, and a pinch of red pepper (or more depending on your spice preference). Let the onion brown for about 2-3 minutes on medium heat and add in the and garlic along with a tablespoon of minced ginger, 2-3 bay leaves and a couple of cloves (if you have them).

Add the chopped red potatoes and the marinaded chicken breasts into the skillet with the aromatics. Cover and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Once the chicken and potatoes are cooked, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice or naan.

Here’s another great clean-out-the-fridge recipe that’s both nutritious and comforting. Having a lot of various vegetables left over from a recent BBQ, I thought of throwing them all together in a one-pot chicken and rice dish. So without further adieu, here’s the recipe:

Serves 4:

Heat up a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a dutch oven on high heat. While the pot heats, take about 1 lb of boneless and skinless chicken breasts and season them with salt and pepper. Once the pot starts to smoke, toss the chicken breasts in and let cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side. While the chicken cooks, chop up about half of a large red onion, a few cloves of garlic (to taste), a handful of baby portabella mushrooms and some ginger (approx a tablespoon’s worth).

Once the chicken is seared on both sides, remove it from the pot and place on a plate to the side. On a low-medium heat, add another tablespoon of vegetable oil and toss in the chopped aromatics, mushrooms and half a teaspoon of salt. Once the onions become translucent (approx 8-10 minutes) add in a cup and a half of long-grain rice. Also add a tablespoon of cumin and half a teaspoon of ground red pepper to give the dish additional depth. Mix the rice well with the pot and let it absorb the flavor for about 3 minutes. Pour 3 cups of chicken broth  into the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and let the rice cook for about 10-12 minutes on low heat.

Add the chicken back into the pot, along with a can of chickpeas (rinsed), a cup of chopped tomatoes and 2-3 tablespoons of chopped cilantro. Let everything cook for another 5-7 minutes while stirring periodically. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Tired of the usual delivery options, I rummaged around the fridge to find anything I could throw together for a quick and hearty meal.

Noticing some chicken thighs in the freezer and some left over home-made pasta sauce, I thought of throwing the two together. The obvious answer was pasta. But in the mood for something more reminiscent of mom’s cooking, I found a can of red beans and immediately thought of rajma chawal. While the traditional recipe doesn’t call for marinara sauce or chicken, I figured I could make amake something that used all these ingredients and yet came close. The result was something close to the Moroccan tagine recipe I posted a little while back.

Serves 2:

Defrost the chicken thighs (approx 1lb) in a microwave. While the chicken defrosts, heat up a 12″ skillet with some olive oil. Chop up 3 cloves of garlic and half a red onion into medium sized chunks. Add the onions to the hot skillet along with a teaspoon of garam masala, a teaspoon of cumin powder and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Add in the minced garlic and let the aromatics cook for a couple minutes.

Season the chicken with some salt and pepper and another teaspoon of garam masala. Toss it in the skillet and let the chicken brown on medium heat (about 3-4 minutes each side). Toss in the tomato sauce (about a cup and a half) and the can of red beans. Add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of cumin. Turn heat to low and let simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

Remove from heat, chop up a few sprigs of cilantro and serve over rice.

This is a recipe that’s inspired by the crepe trucks at Penn that I used to love! The receipe isn’t exactly the same but its still pretty good and satisfies the craving.

Serves 2 and takes about 30 minutes to make:

Crepe batter: In a large bowl beat a large egg with 1/2 a cup of milk. Slowly stir in 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour until the flour is dissolved and there aren’t any clumps. Add in a teaspoon of salt and sugar and mix. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in the fridge to let the air bubbles escape.

Chicken & Vegetables: While the batter sits, take about a 3/4 lbs. of chicken breasts (boneless & skinless) and pat dry with a paper towel. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat a pan with a teaspoon of olive oil on medium heat. Once the pan starts to smoke, toss the chicken and brown on both sides (about 3-4 minutes each side).

Remove the chicken from the heat and turn heat to low. Toss in a 2 cups of chopped mushrooms, half a cup of chopped asparagus and half a cup of chopped onions. While the vegetables cook, slice the chicken breasts to 1 inch pieces and toss back into pan. Cook for about 7-10 minutes until chicken is no longer red.

Crepe sauce: While the chicken and vegetables cook, take 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, a tablespoon of honey-mustard and a teaspoon of soy sauce and mix well into a bowl. Set aside to add to crepes later.

In a medium skillet (or crepe pan) heat a teaspoon of butter on medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, take a large soup ladle and pour out just enough batter to cover the surface of the skillet. The trick is to pour in the center and gently rotate the pan so the batter spreads evenly. Once the crepe browned on the bottom, smear on some of the sauce and add the chicken mix to one side. Slice up some pieces of brie and gently fold the crepe in half. Let the cheese melt before taking it off the pan. Serve with a side of the crepe sauce made above.

This was my first time trying, let alone cooking, this creamy Louisiana dish. It was surprisingly very good and thought it was worth sharing. It’s a rich corn stew with peppers and chicken and herbs that make it a very hearty meal with a ton of different flavors. Here’s how you make it at home:

Serves 4-6

Start by heating up a a large pot (or dutch oven) with a tablespoon of vegetable oil on high heat. While the pot heats, take 1 lb. of skinless, boneless chicken breasts and season them with salt and pepper. Once the pot is hot, toss the chicken breasts in it and brown on both sides – shouldn’t take more than a couple minutes on each side. [Suggestion: it helps patting dry the chicken breasts with a paper towel to prevent any water/oil from splattering out of the pot].

Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot and toss in 1 minced onion along with some 4-5 finely chopped garlic cloves and a couple stalks of celery. Add in chopped bell paper (green or red) into the pot. Let cook until onions are soft. While the onions cook, take a pound of thawed, frozen corn and in a blender, puree 1/2 lb of the corn with a 2 cups of chicken broth. Add this corn puree to the pot and toss in the chicken breasts as well. Turn the heat to low, and let the stew cook for 15-20 minutes. Once the chicken is cooked, remove them from the stew and shred each them using a couple of forks. Toss the shredded chicken back into the stew and add some salt and pepper to taste.

Chop some parsley and add to the stew. Serve the Maque Choux over rice with a hearty serving of Tabasco.

Tagine (or Tajine) is a traditional Moroccan stew – slow cooked with chicken or lamb and plenty of aromatics and spices. Traditionally, the meat is left to simmer in the stew for a couple of hours in a tagine pot (clay pot with a conical top) with any combination of olives, apricots, grapes, prunes, dates, nuts, tomatoes, etc and spices to give it a very flavorful, moist and soft texture. ML and I tried out a shorter recipe for this dish (courtesy of Cook’s Illustrated Best 30-minute meals) that was extremely satisfying and worth sharing (with some minor modifications as extra-time permitted):

Serves 4:

Take about 2 lbs of boneless chicken thighs and season liberally with salt and pepper. Finely chop a medium sized onion and add it to a large hot skillet with a couple tablespoons of vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons of garam masala (you may also choose to add a teaspoon of coriander powder and cumin for additional flavoring as well) and a pinch of salt. You can also optionally add some ground cayenne pepper to spice it up a bit. Add 2 tablespoons of all-puropse flour once the onions start to brown. Mince about 4 cloves of garlic and add to the skillet.

Now add the chicken to the skillet brown both sides (about 5-8 minutes each side). Once the chicken is browned on both sides (thought not completely cooked), transfer everything into a large pot and add a cup of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add in a can (14.5 oz) of diced tomatoes, a can of garbanzo beans and a 3/4 cup of dried apricots (quartered) and turn heat to low.

Let the stew simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and tender. Sprinkle some freshly cut cilantro and serve over couscous.