Marinades for Chicken & Fish - Tikka or Tandoori or Kabob

Marinade for Chicken - Tikka or Tandoori or Kabob

(for 6 drumsticks or thighs OR for 1 lb of chopped pieces for kabob )

Mix ingredients

1.5 tsp Tandoori spice mix

1 tsp chilli powder optional

pinch of food coloring

1.5 tbsp - ginger garlic paste

1.5 tbsp – yogurt

1 lemon juice

1tsp oil

salt to taste.

One can go liberal with yogurt & lemon juice.  This recipe works well for chicken

Marinade for Fish

(For 6 fillets)

Mix ingredients

1 tsp chilli powder

pinch of food coloring (optional)

1.5 tbsp - ginger garlic paste

1-2 lemon juice

1 tsp oil

salt to taste.

Lemon juice can be used liberally

1. Leftover marinades can always be used in curries.

2. Marinade overnight or 2-3 hrs earlier OR marinade well ahead for upto 3 days OR marinade, pack in Ziploc bags & save in freezer

3. Certain brand names to trust are Rajah, Shan and Bakers are really good. Do stay away from MDH Tandoori masala.

Keema - Goat or Lamb

Ingredients
sprig of curry leaves
1/2 bunch of mint
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 Medium Onions - chopped
3-4 green chillies (thai)
2 medium carrots
1/2 cup peas
1 lb ground lamb or goat.
coriander to garnish
Salt to taste.

Preparation
1. Add 2-3 tsp oil to the pan, when the oil is hot, add plenty of curry leaves & mint. Mint goes well with lamb or goat. Immediately follow by chopped onions and green chillies. When onions are translucent add ginger garlic paste.

2. When the ginger garlic paste smell is gone, then add meat & mix well.

3. When meat is half way done, add carrots & peas. plus if no chillies are available, use 1 tsp chilli powder & 2 tsp coriander powder (1:2 is the ratio) now.

4. When the meat is completely done & the raw spice smell is gone, add coriander leaves & serve.

Same recipe can be used for soy version. Soy patties can be chopped in food chopper or the ground soy version can be used instead of meat

Chana Masala

Ingredients
One Can of Garbanzo Beans
2 medium sized ripe tomato
3 Green chilies (Thai Chilies) or 1/2 tsp of chilli powder
1 tsp Garam Masala (opt)
2 tsp of Patak's 'Madras Curry Paste' (available @ safeway/vons or Indian stores)
1 med onion ~ chopped finely into small pieces
1/4 cup of Cream or Coconut Milk
Salt to Taste

Preparation:
Puree the raw Tomatoes
Rinse n Clean the Garbanzo Beans

Curry Prep:
1. Add 2 tsps of oil to a pan (more like a sauce pan, preferably a one w/ lid). When it is hot, fry the onions* & Green Chillies, till onions are translucent. Add 'Tomato Puree', Garam Masala, salt and Madras Curry Paste

2. Heat for 4-5 mins till the raw smell of the paste is gone, then add rinsed Garbanzo Beans. If interested this is where you can add cubed potatoes.

3. Cook** it covered on med-low flame for about 10 to 15 minutes. Half way in the cooking process add the cream or coconut milk. after turning of the heat, garnish with chopped coriandar leaves

* - Bay leaf or Anistar or Cinnamon stick can be used at this stage. But the Garam Masala has all these 3, so it is totally Optional

** - taste the curry, if u think it is spicy, then add some cream OR half n half OR beaten yogurt OR coconut milk. Or if you can add cumin or coriander powder if you have any. If you think it is less spicy, then add some Chili Powder. On adding coriander or chilli powder, always allow a boil for the powder to cook. You can smell the rawness gone in few minutes. 
 

Tips:
1. if interested, add potatoes (yukon or red) with the recipe to stretch
2. This recipe yield restaurant style 'Chana masala'. for more home taste or in the absence of Patak's 'Madras Curry Paste' try MDH brand 'Chana masala powder'.
3. The same recipe can be used with kidney beans & pinto beans instead of garbanzo beans

This is a north Indian style recipe, can be paired with rice, poori, chapati or naan.

Ghee Preparation

Ghee is given with food to all the babies right from the time they start solids. Historic evidence is Lord Krishna grew on ghee & butter. Some of my friends do use it as eckzema cream for their newborns. Adding to daily food consumed is a good healthy way to add fat to toddlers & babies.

Ghee, Paneer & Yogurt are pretty simple to make, the nice part is – you already have the ingredients in your fridge. All of them can be made with stove top time in under 20 mins & setting time of 6-24 hrs (under 30 min setting time for Paneer). I prefer to make ghee at home cos mine tastes better over the store ones & its fresh & can go organic.

Making of Ghee

1. Switch on the stove with unsalted butter (1lb) in a clean, dry stainless steel or aluminum pot. Use a thin bottom pot rather than heavy bottom pot which can hold in the heat for a longer time. The idea is to evaporate the moisture in the butter.

2. Butter melts & foams up to a creamy froth. Get ready with a pot holder ready to lift the pot if necessary. Use a spoon to gently stir the creamy froth till the froth subsidizes.

3. This butter is heated for more time till the froth becomes a crispy froth with bits of brown protein particles settling down. Always use a med-hi cooking setting & not letting the butter brown. The brown particles start out as white particles. the white ones turning brown is the que to stop the heat. Remove the pot from the stove.

4. Leave the pot undisturbed for 10-15 mins till the protein settles down. This protein is brownish in color & can be consumed within 2-3 days.

5. Pour the clear contents of the pot into a clean bottle & let it cool on the kitchen counter. Ghee cools down or sets in 8-12 hrs & can be stored in the kitchen counter for more than 3 months.

6. Cover with the lid only after the ghee is cooled to avoid any moisture development in the ghee. Always use a clean, dry spoon to get the ghee.

Ghee can be added a spoonful to any prepped food to reduce the spiciness of the food or can be used to cook or can be brushed to naan or chapatti. Tip - add ghee when the food is hot for even spreading 

. 

Stage by stage on the stove top

Above - Clarified Ghee when poured hot in the bottle
Below - Ghee when setted

Spinach Curry (aka Palak Paneer curry)

Ingredients

1 - 8oz spinach or a bunch of spinach

1 - medium sized ripe tomato

5 - Green chilies (Thai Chilies)

Paneer ~20 cubes (low fat alternatives - Tofu or Garbanzo Beans)

1 medium onion ~ chopped

3/4 inch cube of ginger ~ finely chopped

7 cloves of garlic  ~ finely chopped

1 tsp Garam Masala

Salt to Taste

1/3 cup of Milk

Cream or half & half (unsweetened)- optional

Preparation:

1.       'Onion, Ginger and Garlic' paste = Heat a tsp of oil in a small pan, add half of the chopped onion, all the Ginger and Garlic. Heat till the onions are translucent, turn off the heat, add the contents to blender & blend it to a very smooth paste.

2.       'Spinach, Tomato and Green Chilies’ puree = Heat 1/3 cup of milk, chilies, spinach and tomato. Turn off the heat when the leaves are just wilted. Blend to semi-smooth paste (hand blender can be used or pulsate in the blender).

3.       Paneer- Lightly sauté paneer cubes in one tsp of oil till they are golden brown on all sides.

Curry Preparation :

Add 2 tsps of oil to a pan (more like a sauce pan, preferably a one w/ lid). When the oil is hot, fry the onions* till translucent. Add 'Onion, Ginger and Garlic' paste, add Garam Masala and Salt, heat for few mins, then add 'Spinach, Tomato and Green Chilies’ puree.

Cook** it covered on medium flame for about 5 to 10 minutes. Just before turning off the heat, add the paneer cubes. Mix them with the spinach. Let simmer for 2 or 3 minutes and then turn off the heat.

During the blending processes, try to limit the usage of water to minimum level, else the curry tend to splatter all over the stove top.

* - A mix of Bay leaf or Anistar or Cinnamon stick or clove can be used @ this stage. But the Garam Masala has all these, so it is totally Optional

** - taste the curry, if u think it is spicy, then add some cream OR half n half OR yogurt. If u think it is less spicy add some Chili Powder and allow it to simmer till the chilli powder is cooked (the raw smell of chilli powder is gone).

This is a North Indian recipe, as available in restaurants. 

Whole Wheat Naan

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup water

1 tbsp yeast

salt to taste

optional  ingredients (any one) - crushed garlic, ajwine (carom seeds), kasuri methi (fresh or dried), finely chopped coriander

For decoration - finely chopped coriander & butter

Preparation

1. heat the water to lukewarm warmth, add the yeast, let it dissolve & work

2. now mix up your wheat flour, salt, optional ingredient & this yeast mixture to make the soft dough

3. give the dough mixture a oil coating & leave it in a bowl & wrap it without air or leave the dough mixture in an ziploc bag (remove the excess air from the bag & seal it)

4. when the dough has doubled, knead it, roll into balls ~3inch dia, and set aside.

5. preheat grill or flat pan to med-high heat. With a rolling pin or hands make ~1/8-1/4 inch thick flat tortilla shaped naans.

6. Place these 'tortillas' on grill/pan. Brush uncooked side with butter or oil, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes.

Spinach Dal (aka Lentil w/ Spinach curry)

Ingredients

For sataying 

2 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp urid dal split

1 tsp Jeera (cumin)

Few curry leaves

1-4 red chillis 

pinch of aeasofotida 

pinch of tumeric

2 cups Spinach

1 small tomato chopped

1/2 onion chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup of Toor Dal or Moong Dal.

Prepartion 

1. Pressure cook the Dal with garlic & tomato till tender, set aside.
2. Use a sauce pan, add oil, then add the sataying items. wait for the mustard to burst. 

3. Now add onions, when onions are translucent & add spinach. 

4. when Spinach is cooked, add the dal to it

5. Add salt to taste.

One or two items in the ingredients can be skipped. But usage of asafoetida (hing) & garlic with lentils are a good way to reduce the bloating caused by lentil consumption. Toor Dal & Moong dal are easily digestible by all esp kids, so it is an easy comfort food for all. It is a south Indian recipe.

Back in US

As of Aug, 2011 end we are back in San Diego, US, the same location which has been the home for us for the last 10+ yrs. Love coming back Little one has been excited & the wonderful thing about him is he has started drinking milk. For some reason he has stopped milk consumption after moving to India & now he is back on track. And we are expecting baby #2, a little girl this Oct.