Three Bean Curry

I don't know how many curry recipes I have on this website but I think it's a lot. I keep finding better ones. Plus, I like making a big pot of curry on a Sunday to pop on the stove later in the week when I don't feel like cooking. Pluuus, Jack loooooves curry and I can get at least three lunches out of it for him before he asks for something else. Homerun. I didn't think this was going to be anything special but we agreed that this one, adapted from Food52, was one of the best yet. You could sub the beans for chicken but I actually like it with the beans. You can also use whatever beans you want. The original recipe called for five types, I don't go that crazy. Note - it also calls for one triangle of Laughing Cow cheese - totally random but I welcome the chance to buy a box of these since I lived off of them in Senegal and it brings back memories. You could use cream cheese instead.

Onion/garlic/ginger paste: chop 1/2 an onion and equal parts garlic and ginger so that together they equal the amount of onion you have. Pulse in a processor until you have a paste.

Can of kidney beans (or you could use the same beans for all or different kinds than I have here)
Can of garbanzos
Can of black eyed peas - drain and rinse all beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 chili pepper, minced (jalapeno or serrano if you like it spicy, otherwise omit)
1 tsp cumin
1 cup tomatoes, chopped (or diced canned)
1 triangle of Laughing Cow or 1 tbsp cream cheese
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp fenugreek
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sugar
1/3 cup coconut milk (optional)
Couple handfuls of baby spinach (optional, I like to add some greens/veggies to this to balance it out)

1. Heat the butter and oil over medium high in a large saucepan. Add the onion/garlic/ginger paste (and chili pepper if you're using one) and saute for about five minutes or until softened or golden brown.

2. Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cheese and cook until melted.

3. Add spices through cinnamon and 1/4 cup of water. Let cook a few minutes. Add sugar and beans and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes or so. Add the spinach if using and cook until totally wilted. Add the coconut milk and heat through. Serve over rice.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

I've tried dozens of Tikka Masala recipes and this one's my current favorite. It has just the right amount of creaminess and thickness and uses coconut milk instead of cream, which I prefer.

1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 28 can of crushed or diced tomatoes
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp flour
1 tbsp garam masala
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp crushed red pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup coconut milk
Basmati rice, cilantro, plain yogurt for serving

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add onion, ginger, and garlic to pan. Cook until starting to brown. Stir in tomato paste and tomatoes and bring to a simmer.

2. Combine flour and water in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture and spices to tomatoes. Stir well and bring to a boil.

3. Spray slow cooker pot with cooking spray and place thighs in cooker. Add tomato mixture.

4. Cook on low for 7-8 hrs. When ready to eat, turn heat to high and add coconut milk. Stir to combine. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Indian Chicken Curry

My old friend Dane first got me started with Indian cooking. In my first few years in Boston, she'd have a bunch of us from work over to her house for 'real Indian food.' Dane's from Bangalore and would whip up curries for us from her mother's and grandmother's recipes. Heaven. And knowing I like to cook, Dane recruited me as sous-chef for these large gatherings, giving me the important job of chopping onions. I mean, LOTS of onions. I'd ask her how many and she'd throw a few bags in front of me with a knife saying she'd let me know when I could stop. But oh how delicious the curry would be. This recipe from Bon Appetit is very reminiscent of dinners at Dane's. If you've ever made anything Indian - you'll have most of the spices in your cabinet. If you haven't, don't be afraid, this is an easy one pot meal that just has a lot of ingredients.

Heads up though - this is a Sunday dinner. It takes 2 hours (only 15 minutes of actual work time) so make sure you have a little time! Also - this recipe originally called for cream, which I substituted for plain yogurt.

3 tbsp canola oil
4ish chicken legs (drumsticks with thighs - as many as will fit snugly together in your pot)
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, grated or minced
2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp tumeric
1 1/2 tsp coriander
3/4 tsp cayenne
4/4 tsp cardamom
8 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup crushed tomato (~half of a 14 oz can)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, 1/4 inch cubes
Cilantro

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot, skin side down, cooking until golden brown (8-10 mins). Transfer to plate (don't flip in pan).

2. Add onion, garlic and ginger and stir until onion is soft. Add tomato paste and the rest of the spices through the cardamom, stirring often until paste begins to darken.

3. Add the chicken back to the pot, skin side up, the broth, and crushed tomato. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer, partially covered, for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

4. Add potatoes and cook another 30-45 minutes, partially covered. When potatoes are fork tender and chicken is falling off the bone - it's done. The sauce should have thickened as well.

5. Remove the skin and bones from chicken add the yogurt. Stir and simmer for another 10 mins or so. Serve over basmati rice and a bunch of cilantro.

Rajmah - Sara's Indian Chili

So I guess I'm on a bit of a bean kick here. We were over at our friends Sara and Kiran's house not too long ago celebrating Sara's (a different Sara) birthday. Kiran's family is Indian so we were pretty sure that we'd be treated to some Indian deliciousness. Ironically, the Saras made this, not Kiran. Paddy and I were blown away at the flavor...I was even more surprised when Sara sent me the recipe and I realized how EASY it is!!

1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green chili, chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (double if you don't use green chili)
8 oz can of tomato sauce

1 cup chicken broth
3 cups boiled red kidney beans or 30 oz can of red kidney beans, undrained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a deep saucepan. Add ginger, garlic, onion, green chili and let sizzle for one minute. 

2. Add the tomato sauce, salt and remaining spices and cook for an additional five minutes, stirring frequently. 

3. Add the kidney beans with water or canned red kidney beans (undrained) plus 1 cup of water, and tomatoes. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and let cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Garnish with cilantro.

4. Serve over rice or with naan. A dollop of plain yogurt on top is heavenly.

Chicken Biryani

Let me start by saying that when I started searching for a good biryani recipe, I quickly realized how serious this stuff is. You take so much for granted when you eat out - especially Indian food. I love it but I don't make it that often. You gotta have a stocked spice collection for this and if you don't, it's a good excuse to go out and buy some spices that you should  have. This takes a while but sometimes a good long cook is what the soul needs. Just make sure to open your windows...

PS - don't be alarmed by the number of ingredients - this serves about 4-5 people and is great for leftovers.

7-8 onions (very thinly sliced and deep fried until light brown - DON'T skip this step)
10 cashews, fried in a little clarified butter (recipe for clarified butter below)
4 - 6 skinless chicken thighs, quartered
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp garlic paste
2 cups basmati rice (washed and soaked in salted water for at least 30 mins)
4 tbsp oil and oil for frying the onions
2 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
4 cardamom pods
3 bay leaves
1/4 tsp caraway seeds
4 large tomatoes (finely chopped)
1/4 tsp mace powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp tumeric
2-3 chopped green chilis (or you can use sambal for heat)
1 tbsp ginger, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
1/2 cup milk
pinch of saffron
4 tbsp clarified butter
2 cups cilantro, chopped

1. Marinate the chicken in the yogurt, garlic paste and a pinch of salt for about 8 hours.

2. Heat oil in a dutch oven and fry the onions, separating with your fingers as you put them in. Keep stirring the onions as they fry so that they get evenly browned. Be careful not to have oil too hot - you don't want to burn them on the outside. Remove onions and set aside on a paper towel. They will crisp up once they cool. Drain most of the oil from the pot.

3. Boil the rice in a large pot - it's a lot of rice so use a big one! Put lots of water in the pot - you'll cook the rice like pasta. Also put in 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 2 cardamom pods, 1/4 tsp caraway seeds and salt. Boil for about 5-7 minutes or until rice is al dente. Be careful not to over cook - it'll cook more later. Drain rice and spread it on a cookie sheet to let cool.

4. In the dutch oven, add the bay leaves, and remaining cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. When they crackle, add the ginger, garlic and chiles. Saute for a minute and add the chicken and marinade. Cook until the liquids dry up.

5. Add the tomatoes, 1/3 of the fried onions, all of the powdered spices, salt and cook until the juices from the tomatoes evaporates. The chicken should be just cooked and most/all of the juices gone. Turn off the heat and set aside.

6. Warm the milk and add the saffron so it turns yellow.

7. In a deep, heavy-bottom pot (important to avoid burning) with a lid, spread some clarified butter. Then put a layer of rice, and a layer of chicken. Sprinkle a generous handful of cilantro and fried onions.  Repeat the layers and have rice be the top layer. Sprinkle remaining onions and all of the cashews over the top.

8. Pour the saffron milk on top using a spoon, evenly covering the whole area.

9. Cover the pot with foil and put the lid over it. Cook on very low heat for 45 minutes.

Clarified Butter
Heat 1 stick of butter over medium low. When melted, take off the heat and let sit until the butter settles and a translucent layer forms on top. Carefully spoon out the translucent layer and discard the rest.

Beef Curry

I don't usually like beef in my curry but we tried this last week from Food & Wine and it was delicious. It was very quick to make although it could be a while before the smell of the house is curry free. Occupational hazard I suppose...

1.5 lbs lean ground sirloin
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely diced
handful of cauliflower florets if you have some
2 TB minced ginger
2 garlic cloves minced
1.5 TB curry powder
2 TB flour
1 large yukon gold potato, cut in 1/2 inch dice
1.5 cups chicken broth
14 oz can of coconut milk
14 oz can of diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup frozen peas

1. In a large dutch oven, heat a bit of canola oil and then add the sirloin. Break it up as it cooks so that you don't have any lumps.

2. Add the onion and ginger, potatoes, carrots and cauliflower if you have them. Cook until soft. Add plenty of salt and pepper.

3. Add the curry powder and cook for a minute or two. Then add the flour and stir until all veggies are coated.

4. Increase the heat to high and add the chicken broth and tomatoes and stir well. Stir up any bits from the bottom of the pot.

5. Bring to a boil and then and then lower the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add some broth. If it's too runny, leave the lid off for a bit and let it boil away.

Serve with basmati rice and/or toasted naan with butter.

Halibut with Spicy Mint-Cilantro Chutney

This is a nice light dish that's full of flavor and takes minutes to make. It's great with basmati rice and peas.

1 serrano pepper, halved (jalapeno would work too)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup Greek plain yogurt
4. teaspoons of cream cheese
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp minced ginger
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp cumin
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 TB chopped fresh mint
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp salt
4 halibut filets
1 TB butter
1TB canola oil

1. Remove seeds from half of the pepper and leave the seeds in the other half. Place both halves in a food processor and mince. Add cilantro and next 9 ingredients (through garlic) and process until smooth. Stir in mint.

2. Heat a large pan to medium high heat. Combine garam masala and 1/4 tsp salt. Sprinkle evenly over fish.

3. Add oil and butter to pan and melt. Add fish to pan and cook 3 minutes per side or until done. Serve with chutney.

Chicken & Vegetable Curry

I've gone through a lot of Indian curry recipes but this one is my favorite so far. Cooking Indian food is a bit intimidating, not only because of the many spices you need but also because if you haven't had a lot of it, it's tough to know what you're aiming for. My good friend Dane introduced me to Indian cuisine and the art of making a delicious Indian meal. Although most times in her kitchen I was responsible for chopping the onions, lots of them, it was always worth it in the end. I like this one, and it's actually very easy - don't be afraid!

Best served with Basmati rice and/or naan (butter and toast very lightly on a cookie sheet)

2/3 cup Greek-style yogurt
1/4 cup tomato paste (1/2 small can)
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp minced ginger
1/4 tsp ground red pepper or red chili flakes
2 chicken breasts, cut into small, bite sized pieces
1 large onion
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 small zucchini (halved or quartered, then chopped)
2 cups cauliflower, chopped
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup peas
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. Whisk the first 8 ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Add the chopped chicken and mix well together. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

2. In a large Dutch oven, add enough vegetable to coat the bottom, the onion, zucchini, mushrooms, cauliflower, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Cover and sautee over medium high heat until the onion is soft and golden. Stir often!

3. Add the chicken mixture to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the broth, paprika, and salt and stir well to incorporate all of the ingredients and to get the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

4. Cook for about 30-45 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken.

5. Add the coconut milk, peas and cilantro and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve over rice.