Classic Chicken Curry

Well, I finally learned how to make my Dad's beloved chicken curry.  A typical dish that my family would make, I've been enjoying this dish since as long as I can remember.  This is the real deal, no yucky "curry powder" (curry powder as most Americans and Brits know it has absolutely nothing to do with chicken curry by the way) and no shortcuts.  My Dad claims that the key to this recipe is browning the onions - if they are not browned properly, over a low heat and in plenty of oil for about 30 or 40 minutes, the dish won't have the same flavor depth.

So I take you back to my childhood... enjoy!

Chicken Curry
4 Dinner Servings

Ingredients
1 chicken, cut into ten pieces, and skin removed
4 medium onions, or 3 large onions
3 peeled and diced plum tomatoes, or one 14.5oz can of petite diced tomatoes, rinsed and squeezed dry
3 whole cloves
3 whole cardamon, broken open
1 inch of cinnamon stick
2 tbsp crushed/grated ginger
2 tbsp crushed garlic
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Salt to taste
Canola or vegetable oil
Boiling water
1-2 Peeled and quartered medium potatoes

Directions
1.  Heat canola oil in a non-stick pan.
2.  Add cloves, cardamon and cinnamon stick.  Allow to sizzle in the oil until the cloves double in size (about 1 minute).
3.  Add the onions.  Cook for low for approximately 30 minutes, stirring often.  If it seems like the onions are sticking and burning, add more canola oil.  Onions are ready when they are golden brown and separated from oil.

4.  Add the tomatoes.  Cook until the oil separates from the tomato and onion mixture.

5.  Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin and cayenne powders.  Stir well.

 

6.  Turn the heat up.  Add the chicken, allow the meat to seal on all sides (until no pink is showing).

 
7.  Add enough boiling water to just cover the chicken.  Bring to a boil and turn down to a low simmer.  Cover with lid. 
8.  Cook on low using one of two methods - cook the chicken breast until just cooked, removing from the pan and adding back when the legs are cooked - about 1.5hrs, or, cook all the chicken on low for 2-3hrs until the meat is falling off the bone.  Add the potatoes approximately 45 minutes before cooking time is completed. 

9.  Serve with basmati rice. 

Giada's Savory Tomato Pasta Sauce

I've found that in Europe you can often find jarred pasta sauce that resembles something you would get in Italy.  But in the US, I've found that almost everything is full of sugar and has a very different taste than the authentic stuff.  Maybe what one gets in the USA is from some regional part of Italy, however, from the places I have been there, I have never tasted anything similar.  Or maybe Americans just love things that are full of sugar (take a look at the bread aisle for example... everything is so much sweeter than what you would get anywhere else in the world!).  Who knows exactly what the deal is.

Regardless of how much I don't like the run of the mill sauces in the US, I for some reason have been on an eternal quest to find something that will be a good enough substitute for homemade sauce.  I finally think I may have found it.  

Target does all those designer exclusives, and apparently, they also do chef exclusives.  Giada De Laurentiis - who has the Food Network show and is on the Today Show quite often - has an exclusive line of Italian sauces at Target.

I was in Target and noticed them on a random evening as I roamed the grocery section.  As I looked them over with a dubious eye, I saw that one was called SAVORY tomato sauce.  So, I decided to give it a go.  The fact that it said savory really gave me hope, since so many of the US tomato sauces are so sweet.

I cooked it up one night recently when I was tired and didn't feel like making something from scratch.  I was so delighted when I found myself, my mom and my husband all gobbling it down!  It was pretty darn tasty and I was quite pleased.

If you are in a Target with grocery sometime soon, I encourage you to give the sauce a try.  I'm not sure what Giada's other sauces are like, but I am going to give another type a try the next time I shop at Target.  Kudos to Giada for sticking to her roots and creating something pretty authentic and very yummy. 

Bombay Palace London - The World's Best Chicken Tikka

I've eaten chicken tikka all over the world (yes, including famous establishments in Mumbai and Delhi too).  Of all of the different kinds I have tried, Bombay Palace in LONDON (not in New York or any other branch) is the clear winner.  Marinated and cooked to absolute perfection, these delicious morsels of chicken take the cake.  Even when I have gotten take out from Bombay Palace, the chicken is still incredibly tender even after it's been carted around by me for 20 minutes en route to where I am staying.

Enjoy this chicken with some red onions and lemon, and some naan.  It's not cheap, but it's definitely worth the splurge.

Bombay Palace is located in central London on Connaught Street.

Brunswick Stew - A Hearty, One-Pot Chicken Stew

From 2009-2011 I lived in Virginia. During my two years in one of the oldest states, I was introduced to a one pot meal that I had never heard of previously; brunswick stew. Upon eating and enjoying brunswick stew once or twice with a few of my native Virginia friends, I consulted my mother to ask if she had ever heard of this dish. Surprisingly she said, "Sure, that's something they ate in old colonial Williamsburg. I've got the Williamsburg cook book which I am pretty sure includes a recipe for brunswick stew."

It wasn't until I graduated and moved away from Virginia that I found myself craving brunswick stew. So I decided to do some googling and found a few recipes that sounded familiar to what I had eaten. Searching around the house, I found variations of most of the ingredients required, and after a quick trip to the grocery store I was ready to begin the process of making my first brunswick stew. I was a little skeptical of how it would turn out, after all, the ingredients seemed too simple to create the same tasty flavor which I had experienced during my first few encounters with brunswick stew in Virginia. To my delight and surprise, the stew came out so well that I wouldn't even tweek the recipe for the next time I make it!

Brunswick Stew
Makes approximately 6 main servings

Ingredients
1 split chicken breast, skin on
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
2 cups of frozen baby lima beans
2 cups of frozen corn
3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
Salt and pepper to taste
Water or chicken stock
1-2 cups frozen chopped okra (optional)

Directions
1. Place chicken in a pot and just cover with water (or stock)
2. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer; cook chicken on a low heat for 2-3 hours until tender and falling off bone
3.  Remove chicken and set aside to cool
4.  Add onion and chopped tomatoes to broth, bring to a boil and start reducing broth if necessary
5.  When onions are soft, add potatoes
6.  When potatoes are tender, add tomato sauce, baby lima beans, corn, and pepper, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer
7.  Remove chicken skin and bones, shred chicken breast, and add back to stew (you can adjust the amount of chicken you add back to the pan; try to balance the amount of chicken with the amount of vegetables)
8.  The stew should be pretty thick, but if it's not, it can be simmered for a little while longer until it reduces

02 Sushi in Pasadena, Los Angeles County, California

I'm by no means an authority on Japanese food, but if you are passing through the Los Angeles area and are in the mood for some tasty sushi at an incredibly reasonable price, try out 02 in Pasadena. They have all the usual fare, but what makes 02 really unique is their appetizers. I honestly don't think I'd call them appetizers as each item is a delicious plate of food that goes way beyond appetizer status (aside from the usual edamame, miso soup and seaweed salad of course), so, if you go to 02, order lots of these yummy and creative dishes! The gently seared albacore with crispy onions, wilted spinach and sauteed mushrooms is my personal favorite. Other recommendations are the sea bass and eggplant, the yellowtail with jalepeno in a citrus soy sauce, and the tempura shrimp in sweet chili sauce.

The sushi chefs are very friendly, and I've never had a piece of "fishy" fish. Everything always tastes fresh and as if it's been made with care.

02's address is: 245 East Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91101

10 Minute Spicy Indian Peas

This is a simple, quick and tasty accompaniment to any meal. Adjust this recipe to be less spicy - just reduce the amount of red chili flakes.

10 Minute Indian Spicy Peas
Makes 4 Side Servings

Ingredients
1lb bag frozen petit pois
1 large yellow onion chopped
1 tbsp canola/vegetable oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 tsp salt (more to taste if required)

Directions
1. Heat canola oil in a non-stick pan
2. Add mustard seeds and wait until they start to pop; when they start to pop, add onions, and salt

3. Cook onions, stirring occasionally until onions are slightly brown
4. Add chili flakes and cook for an additional minute or two (do not let onions burn)

5. Add peas, and stir until completely warmed through

Indian Style Sauteed Shrimp - A Typical CKP Recipe

I was visiting my Aunt and Uncle this weekend, and my Aunt showed me this very quick, and extremely tasty shrimp dish. It's a typical dish from the caste which my family is a part of, CKP, aka Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu.

Indian Style Sauteed Shrimp
Serves three to four people as a main dish

Ingredients
2lb bag of shrimp, peeled, deveined and tail off
3 large onions, finely chopped
2-3 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 large handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
4 teaspoons of canola oil
3 teaspoons crush garlic
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon tamarind
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cloves
1/2 cinnamon stick
salt to taste

Directions
1. Combine shrimp, garlic, turmeric, cayenne pepper, tamarind and one teaspoon of salt and allow the shrimp to marinade for 15-30 minutes
2. In a large, shallow bottomed non-stick pan, heat the canola oil. Once hot, add cloves and cinnamon stick, and wait for about a minute, until they become fragrant.
3. Next, add the onions, and saute for about 5-7 minutes, or until the onions become transluscent. Stir frequently to stop the onions from browning or burning.
4. At this point, add the shrimp, and stir until they all lose their grey color.
5. Add tomatoes, stir, and allow to simmer for approximately 5 minutes, or until the shrimp start to shrink, and the oil starts to visibly separate from the sauce.
5. Add cilantro, taste and add salt if necessary, and cook for a further minute.
6. Serve hot, and enjoy over rice or with a chapathi.