Effortless Indian

 
There was a time when I was convinced that Indian food was too hard to make at home.  Or perhaps, too exotic.  I wasn't exposed to it as a kid and it just seemed like the type of cuisine you go out for.  I love Indian food, but I always assumed that attempting it meant spending the day running around to several specialty markets collecting all kinds of esoteric ingredients.  Just the thought is a major buzz kill for me.  Fortunately, it's not true, but it took Nigella Lawson to show me the light.  

A few years ago I was buzzing around the kitchen, her show on in the background.  I was only half paying attention when she mentioned Mughlai Chicken.  That was all it took to land me squarely in the palm of her hand.  I found myself leaning against the counter, suddenly paying complete attention.  As I watched her sear, sauté and coo her way through the recipe, I realized that most of the ingredients were already in my spice drawer and the rest could easily be found at my local market.  I also loved how uncomplicated and effortless it seemed, in spite of my previous thoughts to the contrary.  

The following recipes have become my go-to when I'm craving Indian food.  They come together quickly and the  flavors work beautifully together, each one complimenting the other.  The fragrant Rice Pilaf is the perfect perch for the Mughlai Chicken in all it's golden, saucy glory.  And the cool Pomegranate Raita is a nice counterbalance to the mild warmth of the dish.  To finish it off, I always grab some naan bread from Trader Joe's to serve with.
 
Now see!  That wasn't hard at all.

Mughlai Chicken

(Recipes adapted from Nigella Lawson)

 

Serves 8

 

1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced

4 cloves garlic, peeled

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste

4 tablespoons ground almonds

½ cup water

5 cardamom pods, bruised

1 cinnamon stick, broken in half

2 bay fresh  leaves

4 whole cloves

¼ cup vegetable oil

3 pounds boned chicken thighs, each cut into 2

2 sweet onions, thinly sliced

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 cup chicken stock

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup sultanas (golden raisins)

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Handful of cilantro, chopped, to garnish

3/4 cup flaked almonds, toasted, to garnish

Put the ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, and red pepper flakes into a food processor and blend to a paste. Add the ground almonds and water and then blend again, set aside. 

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the chicken pieces - in batches so they fry rather than stew - and cook them just long enough to seal on both sides, then remove to a dish. 

Add the spices and turn them in the oil. Add the onions and cook them until softened and lightly browned, but keep the heat gentle and stir frequently, to avoid sticking. Pour in the blended paste, and cook everything until it begins to color. Add the yogurt, half a cup at a time stirring it in to make a sauce, then stir in the stock, cream, and sultanas. 

Put the browned chicken back into the pan, along with any juices that have collected under them, and sprinkle over the garam masala, sugar, and salt. Cover and cook on a gentle heat for 20 minutes, testing to make sure the meat is cooked through.

To serve, scatter with cilantro and toasted flaked almonds. 

Indian-Spiced Rice Pilaf

Serves 8

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 whole cloves

3 cardamom pods, bruised

1 cinnamon stick, broken into 3

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

2 1/2 cups basmati rice

4 cups chicken stock

½ cup sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

 

Saute the onion in the oil, in a deep saucepan with the cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds and salt, until the onion is slightly browned and soft. Keep the heat medium to low and stir frequently; this should take about 10 minutes. 

Add the rice and move it about in the oily spiced onion until it is slicked and glossy, then pour in the stock and bring the pan to the boil. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over the lowest heat possible for 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat, take the lid off, cover with a tea towel and clamp the lid back on the saucepan. You can leave the rice to rest like this for at least 10 minutes, and up to about 1 hour. Fork the rice through when you are ready to serve it, scattering the toasted sliced almonds and cilantro on top.

Pomegranate Raita

Serves 8

1½ cups natural Greek yogurt

3 scallions, finely chopped

½ cup pomegranate seeds

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, reserving some pomegranate seeds for garnish. Stir everything together, and serve in a bowl scattering the reserved pomegranate seeds over as a garnish.

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Souped Up!

It’s raining in Los Angeles. This isn’t just a drizzle. Not just a sprinkle. Not even a cat or a dog! I’m talking a full week of non-stop monsoons nearing biblical proportions and it doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.

Like many a SoCal resident I’m not physically or emotionally equipped to deal with “weather.” I’ll be the first to admit we’re spoiled here and maybe more than a little soft when the temperature dips below 65 degrees or more than a drop of water hits our windshields. Personally it makes me want to take refuge under my Slanket until it all goes away. And p.s., I’m not kidding. I really do have a Slanket!

There’s only one thing to do. Make soup! That’s right, if nature is going to hand me lemons in the form of rain, I’m going to make lemonade in the form of soup! I may not be equipped to deal with weather extremes, but I’m always equipped to whip up something warm and comforting in the kitchen. So until the rain decides to let up, you know where to find me…

Tom Kha Gai (Thai Chicken Coconut Soup)

I don’t know if this soup is authentically Thai, but I do know that it is exotically wonderful and deceptively easy to make. It has a kind of restorative, life affirming quality about it and definitely borrows from the Thai palate, perfectly infusing the flavors of coconut, chili, lime and lemongrass. It’s the kind of soup you can make mid-week when you’re stressed out, hating life and the weekend seems nowhere in sight. Think of it as a vacation for your taste buds.

Serves 4

1 quart chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 (2- inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 slices Galangal root*
3 Kaffir lime leaves**, torn
2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, sliced in half lengthwise
1 teaspoon sugar
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 (13 ounce) cans coconut milk
1 to 2 teaspoons sambal oelek (Asian hot chili paste), or to taste
1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc nam)
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 medium carrot, peeled & shredded
8 ounces button mushrooms, halved
Freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes
4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
Fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Place the chicken stock, garlic, ginger, Galangal root, lime leaves, lemongrass and sugar in a large stock pot or Dutch oven and bring to the boil. Add the chicken breasts, reduce heat and simmer gently until chicken is just cooked through, about 12 minutes. Fish the chicken out of the pot and allow it to cool a bit on a cutting board.

Meanwhile, remove the Galangal root, lemon grass, garlic and lime leaves from the broth and discard. Stir in the coconut milk, sambal, fish sauce, turmeric, carrots, mushrooms, and lime juice. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut it into rough and tumble chunks or shred it with your fingers and add it back to the pot. Heat the soup through gently to soften the carrots but don’t bring back to the boil. Add the scallions and ladle into individual bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro.

*Galangal root can be found in Asian markets in most cities. If you can’t find it, feel free to omit it from the recipe.

**Kaffir lime leaves can also be found in Asian markets. If you can’t find it substitute the zest of a lime instead. I buy extra when I’m at the Asian market and store them in a ziplock bag in my freezer. They keep for months!

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