“Mulliga-what?” That’s the reaction that SoupAddict usually receives when people ask the name of the delicious concoction she’s placed before them. This is asked with an accompanying cringe, as though such a name could only mean roasted grubs or fried ants or poached squid. SoupAddict smiles brightly and answers, “It’s the Kramer Soup,” and more often than not, they nod, relieved, remembering the “Soup Nazi” episode of Seinfeld.

It’s pronounced mull-eh-gah-TAH-nee, by the way, and be prepared to have your chicken soup world rocked.

Mulligatawny’s history is sketchy and ethereal. Literally “pepper water,” mulligatawny is sometimes attributed to Indian cuisine, but more likely comes from the Brits, who love Indian food more than meat pies, bless their little stringy-meat-lovin’ hearts.

Ah, the aromatics. SoupAddict does love her aromatics.

For this soup, SoupAddict recommends shaved carrots. SoupAddict is also fairly lazy, but oddly impatient, so she shaves her carrots the weird way: run a vegetable peeler back and forth in short strokes, rotating the carrot all the while. When down to the core, move to another area of the carrot. Then she runs her chef’s knife through the pile a couple of times to further shorten the shavings.

SoupAddict is always amazed that something so pretty can grow out of a pile of dirt.

SoupAddict grew her own lemongrass this year. Just when she thought she couldn’t love lemongrass anymore than she already does, this comes along, fragrant as all get out. Seriously. She’s thinking about keeping a stalk in her purse and dabbing it on as perfume.

Peel off the dried outer leaves to get to the firm, juicy center.

Lemongrass is not for eating—it’s far too tough—but rather for flavoring. Slice the stalk into matchsticks to expose as much of the interior as possible (don’t chop or dice, as you’ll need to remove all traces of the stalk before serving).

For easy removal, tie the sticks into a bundle, leaving a long trail of string.

A combo of breasts and thighs is absolutely delicious … and economical.

SoupAddict loves to turn up the spices, which is why she browns the chicken coated in flour and her own blend of garam masala. The flour will add a creamy thickness to the soup later (much like flouring the beef does to stew).

Ahhh. Between the scent of the freshly sliced, aromatic veggies and lemongrass, and the spices in this mixture, SoupAddict is in soup prep heaven. She only wishes that smell-o-vision were possible, so that you could share, too.

The chicken is browned; set it aside.

Courteously, the browned chicken left behind fond, which are the ultra-flavorful bits left stuck to the pan. Deglaze the pan with just a splash of white wine—the purpose is to free the bits so they don’t burn to black when the veggies are added, not to add wine flavor. Then add the fat for the veggies. Sauteed veggies taste best when they are cooked in butter. That’s SoupAddict’s philosophy.

Mmmmmmmm. More Indian spices, this time for the soup.

Scootch the veggies aside in the pan, and dump the spice/flour mixture into the cleared area. Add a splash of chicken broth and stir the spices until they form a tender paste. Then mix in with the rest of the veggies, and add the rest of the broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, add the browned chicken, put your left foot in, put your left out, put your left in, and shake it all about.

Tie the string of the lemongrass bundle to the pot handle or to a long spoon that won’t fall into the pot.

While the soup simmers, prep the apple. Pretty, pretty Honey Crisp apple. A more delicious apple was never invented, SoupAddict believes.

SoupAddict is a veteran of many apple pies, young(ish) whipper-snapper though she is (well, young compared to some apple pie veterans), and can peel an apple in one long, curly strip, a la “Sleepless in Seattle.”

Grate the apple right into the soup, so that all of the juicy drippings will land in the pot.

Math alert! Look at the instructions on your rice package to see how long it will take to cook, and calculate backwards from serving time to determine when to add the uncooked rice to the soup. You really can’t add it too soon (as long as the soup is at a good simmer), but you want to make sure there’s enough time for the rice to fully cook. Just before serving, stir in the coconut milk. Shake the can really, really well to ensure the thick coconutty goodness is loosened from the can and mixed into the liquid. SoupAddict loves this brand, and bought the very last two cans on the shelf, even though they were both dented.

(SoupAddict would like you to think that she artfully composed this picture with random grains of rice scattered throughout as a prop, but the truth is that the bag got away from her and dumped rice all over everything, including the floor.)

This soup has forever replaced chicken noodle soup as SoupAddict’s go-to chicken soup, even when SoupAddict is feeling under the weather. (Coconut milk is not dairy, so, no tummy upset.)

SoupAddict loves Indian spices with her whole heart, and does what it takes to stuff as much flavor into this soup as possible, hence the hokey-pokey with the chicken. That being said, this soup can be as easy or as complicated as you want. Slow-roasted rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, pulled into strips, is a fine substitute when time is short. (SoupAddict adores those bags of rotisserie chicken, as they have saved her keister more than once, and she hopes that you, too, have a grocery store that roasts its own chicken.) If you can’t find fresh lemongrass, just skip it. The dried stuff you find in jars is way-ey-ay past its prime—don’t waste your money. If you forget to add the rice early enough, and don’t have 20 minutes to stand around toe-tapping and sighing heavily, just use instant rice, white or brown. It’s all good.

This soup is even better after an overnight stay in the fridge, and freezes well. So, there’s no excuse not to make it.

Heat the canola oil in a large stock pot over medium heat, until shimmering. Meanwhile, combine the flour, garam masala, curry powder, salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the chicken pieces, turning to coat well.

Add the chicken to the pot, and cook until lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine, scraping up the browned bits. Add the butter.

When the butter is mostly melted, add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic, stirring in the browned bits. Saute until soft, about 8 minutes.

Push the vegetables to one side of the pan. Add the flour, garam masala and curry powder to the cleared area. Stir briefly to cook the flour. Add a splash of chicken broth and stir until a paste forms, then mix in with the vegetables. Add the remaining chicken broth. Bring soup to a boil, and then reduce heat to maintain a good simmer.

Tie the lemongrass bundle to the handle of the pot, or to a long spoon laid across the top of the pot. Make sure the bundle is completely submerged in the soup. Continue simmering for 15 minutes.

Add the apple and rice, stir, and continue simmering for at least as long as the rice requires to fully cook.

Just before serving, remove the lemongrass bundle and discard. Stir in the coconut milk. Taste, and adjust salt and pepper, as necessary.

Recently John Abraham went to an orphanage. He has thrilled the children with his performance on stage and also with his words. He has explained the importance of the education to them. He has given answers to all the questions form the young fans.

Every one asked about his muscles, simply he has replied by working hard. Later on children request he has danced for the super hit songs in his previous movie Dostana (2008 film). All the boys and girls are replied Dhoom and Garam Masala as their favorite movies in John Abraham’s films.

Present he is busy with the movies like Hook Ya Crook and Aashayein. In this busy schedule joining with orphans voluntarily to entertain them is really great.

I know everyone enjoys those canapés and savoury starters like samosas at a holiday party. I like them too, however as a hostess they can be labour-intensive to prepare, especially when guests are arriving on short notice.

Frustrated and frazzled party-throwers often run to their frozen food aisle for the many boxed-up savoury hors d’oeuvres available, which can be expensive and often contain additives too.

When I’m in a bind, my favourite party tip to feed a crowd is to make a soup, served up in a shot glass or espresso cup with a cool garnishing.

It’s a low-fuss preparation, something you can make in one big batch and you know your guests can fill up on something flavourful (and healthy too!).

For your next gathering, try Arvinda’s Curried Lentil Carrot Soup served in an espresso cup garnished with a pappadum wafers.

Soup makes a perfect presentation for a party

Method of Preparation:
In a bowl, wash lentils in 4-5 changes of water, or until water runs clear. Drain.

In a medium pot, add carrot cubes and cover with water. Add drained lentils and salt, and bring to a gentle boil for 15-20 minutes or until softened and cooked.

In a separate pot, fry onions in ghee until softened. Add Arvinda’s Curry Masala and mix. Add cooked lentils (with liquid) and carrots. Puree using a hand blender. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add extra water to thin out soup if necessary. Add extra sea salt to taste, if required.

Serve in espresso cups garnished with cilantro, a sprinkle of Arvinda’s Garam Masala and pappadum wafers. Serves: 4-6 regular servings, 16 smaller servings.

Note: Pappadums are lentil crackers or wafers, typically deep-fried or grilled. You can purchase them from an Indian store and fry them at home.

Listening to: A crowd-pleasing song, More Than This by Damhnait Doyle.

If you have a great party suggestion, favourite food, or a fun song for a crowd, please let me know!

Dum Pukht cuisine is one of the oldest and very popular cuisine which started off in India some 200 years ago. Dum Pukht literally means choking off the steam. It allows the meat to cook on low heat so the meat cooks in its own juices. This is especially useful in cooking a biryani where the meat juices and the resulting steam cook the rice, allowing the rice to absorb the flavour and aroma of the meat. The end result is a flavourful and fragrant biryani which is incomparable to any other biryani.

Ingredients :

Chicken : 1 Kg.

Curd : 250 gm.

Chilli Powder : 1 tsp.

Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp.

Garam Masala Powder : 1 tsp.

Ginger Garlic Paste : 1 1/2 Tbsp.

Shahi Jeera (Black/Royal Cumin Seeds) :  1 tsp.

Onions : 5 medium-sized

Chopped Coriander Leaves : 2 Tbsp.

Long-grained Rice : 750 gm. (preferably Basmati)

Cinnamon : two 1 inch pieces

Cloves : 4 no.

Black Peppercorns : 5 nos.

Black Cardamon (Masala Ilaichi) : 1 no.

Green Cardamom : 4 nos.

Bay Leaf : 1 no.

Chopped Green Chillies : 1/2 tsp.

Lime Juice : 1 tsp.

Salt : to taste

Milk : 2 Tsp.

Saffron :  A few strands

Ghee ( Indian Clarified Butter) :  2-3 Tbsp.

Refined Flour (Maida) : 200gm

Method :

Finely slice the onions and they fry them in ghee till browned. The sliced fried  browned onions  are known as Barista which is an essential part of any Indian biryani.

Soak the rice in plenty of water. This is very important as the Basmati rice tastes better when you have soaked it for at least half an hour.

Warm the milk and add the saffron to it to infuse it with the saffron flavour.

Make a dough of the refined flour and water.

Clean, remove skin and cut the chicken into 12-14 pieces. To the chicken add the curd, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, half of the barista, half of the chopped coriander, shahi jeera and salt to taste.  Keep aside for 1/2 hour.

Meanwhile heat plenty of water at least a 4 times the amount of rice. When it starts to boil, add the cinnamon (one 1 inch piece), cloves (2 ), peppercorns (5 ), black (1/2) and green cardamom (2) and salt to taste to the water. Drain the rice.  Then add the rice to the boiling water and let it cook till half done.Then drain the rice and spread it on a plate to cool it done and stop the cooking process.

Heat the ghee in a heavy(thick) bottomed pan (Handi) and add the remaining cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and the bay leaf. Then add the marinated chicken and saute for a few minutes. Then layer it at the bottom of the pan. Then layer the rice on top of the chicken and sprinkle the remaining barista, chopped green chillies and the chopped coriander on the rice. Pour the saffron infused milk and lime juice on the rice.

Cover the mouth of the pan with the dough and press down the lid on top so it completely seals the mouth of the handi. Let it cook on low heat for about 45 minutes.

Using a knife separate the lid from the handi and remove the dough. Then mix the rice lightly with the chicken and serve with cucumber raita.

Jim and I interviewed the brothers behind the lovely Saffron restaurant in Minneapolis about their new spice blends for sale. First off, if you have never had a true, fresh garam masala, go right now and buy some for yourself and everyone you know for the holidays. The blends are amazingly flavorful and rich, without having a lot of heat and with absolutely no salt. In short – mmmmmmmmm.

Summer before last I lucked into the trip of a lifetime.  My friend Rubai was going back to India to see her family, and I jokingly invited myself along, then the joke tumbled into reality (this seems to happen a lot, and I love it).   We ended up staying with various family  members or friends and visited Delhi, Mumbai, Amritsar, Khandala (by accident), Rishikesh, and other cities.  I met a ton of great people, learned a few words of Hindi, saw a million beautiful (and some scary) temples, got my picture taken by strangers, almost fell out of an auto rickshaw in a monsoon, sweated buckets, and generally had an unreal time. And of course, I ate lots, and lots, and lots of good food.

India Gate, in New Delhi.

I could easily write a book on the things I loved eating, and post pictures of some of them.  Unfortunately my vanity is going to prevent most of that, because it was summer in India and I was a beautiful, sticky shade of red for most of it.  I ate chicken tikka wrapped in the most tender flatbread I have ever witnessed; I would go back to India just to eat it once more.  They are called roomali roti, which captures some of the poetry that I love about Hindi.  Roomali is a handkerchief (a lady’s handkerchief) and this roti was like the embodiment of a fine square of silk that tears gently open at the touch of your teeth, except tastier.  Or the cold coffee in recycled glass bottles for fifty cents that chases the sweat from your brow for just a moment and allows you to breathe deep and plunge back into the market, amidst the samosa sellers and bunnies for sale.  Oh, and Indian goat.  You can’t find it here, so I won’t go into it, for fear of sending myself back into a funk.

We ate ear upon ear of corn, roasted. Then you rub it with a half lemon dipped in spicy salt. Oh man, so good.

But the best food in India came from no stall, no restaurant..  It came from the little, busy kitchen of Leela aunty, Rubai’s aunt we stayed with in Noida, a suburb of Delhi.  I could write three books about the wonder of her cooking.  She thought it was no big deal, but her cast off leftovers put to shame anything I spend a week planning and executing.  I could gain a hundred pounds if I were to live with her for a few months, but I would be an ecstatic blob.  Everything she touches has such savor…now I’m her-homesick.  Anyways.  Back to the point.

I got a few recipes off of Leela aunty, which was difficult, as she has cooked so well for so long that her recipes are all internalized.  So she handed over the cookbook that came with her pressure cooker – where she started many years ago.  Following please find the recipe for rajma, or kidney beans.  It’s a basic staple that I like to eat like I did so often: with chaval (rice) and Coke in a steel glass.  Unfortunately I have no steel glasses, so I often beg Meenakshi’s mother to make it for me at their house and then we watch a Bollywood and I pretend that I’m not a white girl from Washington, and that John Abraham will come save me from an arranged marriage.   Again, back to the point.

Rajma chaval!

Leela aunty’s rajma chaval

Again, these measurements are in metric.  Handy calculator here.

250 grams of red kidney beans (a little over half a standard bag)

100 grams onion (about half of a large onion)

100 grams tomato (1 rather large tomato or 2 small)

2 large Kashmiri red chillies (I used crushed red pepper flakes because I had them on hand)

1 teaspoon of garam masala powder (scroll to bottom)

1 inch piece of ginger (or a good pinch of ginger powder)

4 flakes of garlic (I no longer remember what that meant, but I do know that you can use 1 hearty teaspoon of garlic paste)

100 grams of oil (this may be a little much…Just use enough to get the onions good and golden)

Salt to taste (lots)

4 1/3 c water

After about an hour of soaking, the beans got all wrinkly and awesome. After 12 hours they threatened to swell on up and over the edge of the bowl. Leave room and add lots of water.

Soak beans overnight.  Then, grate the onions – I chopped them finely after I started bawling like my man had left me for my sister… and I had only grated about 1/6 of my onion – cut the tomatoes, and make the ginger and garlic into a paste.

All ready to begin the marathon!

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and brown the grated onion.  Add tomatoes, ginger, garlic paste, and keep frying till tomatoes are mashed.

Mashed, check.

Add soaked beans, whole chillies, salt, and water.  Bring to full cooking pressure.  Reduce to medium heat and cook for 20 minutes.  Allow cooker to cool gradually and open.

Garnish with garam masala powder and serve.

All ready to boil for a loooooong time

What I actually did:

I don’t have my pressure cooker with me at my apartment, so I was relegated to boiling the the life out of the beans with a big ole pot. Also, I left my garam masala mix with  my pressure cooker, so I faked it up by adding some ground nutmeg, ground allspice, ground cardamom to the mix when I added the beans, along with a half cinnamon stick and three big black cardamoms I bought at the Indian store on the cheap for just this dish a while ago.  Again, I also didn’t have the chillies, so I just used crushed red pepper, which worked well for me.  Finally, I brought the whole mess to a roiling boil then boiled it on medium for about an hour and a half until the beans finally started getting tender.  Meenakshi’s mom puts her in the slow cooker all day and they get delicious and tender that way. So there.

All thick and tasty and perfect to chase away the icy chill of our unheated living room.

Serve with rice.  The Indian way to do it is the same way we measured water for daal, and I find it easier than measuring with a cup and having to remember the ratio.

Garam Masala

There are as many recipes for garam masala as there are cooks and cookbooks.  Here’s the one I happen to have at hand.  Don’t worry about what you do or don’t have – it won’t be the end of the world.  Up the flavors you like, toss out the ones you don’t.  I find the most important flavor to me is cinnamon, because I’m an addict, and because it brings a nice round heat to the dishes.  That and the coriander I think are absolutely necessary.  But I’m no expert, and my tongue and yours are most likely very different.  Experiment.  Have fun.

2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cardamom seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 (3-inch) stick cinnamon, broken up
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Toast the spices for about 10 minutes in a dry skillet or in a warm but not hot oven.  Grind them in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.

Or just go to the store.  That too.

Priyadarshan has started his career with Malayalam films. Later he has directed films in all languages of South India. Later entered into Bollywood. He delivered many super duper hits here like Hera Pheri, Garam Masala and Bhagam Bhag.

Now he settled in Bollywood only. In very rare cases he is concentrating on south Indian movies. Last year he has directed the national award winner Kanchivaram. From last 5 years he hasn’t made any movie in Malayalam.

Recently he has expressed his desire to make a movie in Malayalam. now the time came, he is going to start a movie with Mohanlal. On the other hand he is busy with Akshay Kumar’s Khatta Meetha.

Kashmiri Mutton Biryani Recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 kg mutton-cubed
1/2 kg cooked rice
1/2 cup curd
2 bayleaf
2 black cardamom
2 green cardamom
2 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
2 tsp shahi jeera
1 tbsp cashew nuts
2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 nutmeg-ground
1/2 tsp saffron mixed with 1 tbsp milk
4 tbsp pure ghee
salt to taste
1 cup chopped mint and coriander leaves

Method:
Mix meat with curd, chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt and allow to marinate for one hour.

Cook basmati rice in more than enough water with little salt, till just half done. Drain and keep aside.

Heat ghee in a pan, add cloves, black cardamoms, green cardamoms, cinnamon, bay leaf, shahi jeera, coriander powder, ground nutmeg and garam masala.

Add marinated meat stir and fry well till browned and the curd is absorbed.

Add enough water to cook meat, cook till the meat is tender. Keep aside.

Divide the rice into two portions. To one portion add saffron milk, half meat, half coriander and mint leaves, mix.

Cover with white rice and remaining meat. Sprinkle the remaining coriander and mint leaves and cashew nuts.

Shut the pot tightly. Cook on a low fire for a 30-45 minutes.

Note: For semi boiled rice, bring water to boil, add rice cook till rice is almost done. Drain and use.

When my hubby and I have a chance to eat out sans kids, we almost always choose an Indian restaurant.  I hadn’t really attempted cooking Indian fare in my own kitchen until my Sept. 2007 issue of Cooks Illustrated arrived in the mail.  Their recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala is delicious and takes the intimidation out of cooking ethnic food.   The sauce can be made ahead, refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container, and gently reheated before adding the hot chicken. Serve it over basmati rice and accompanied by naan and a mango lassi.  You won’t be disappointed.

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.
2. FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.
3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.
4. Let chicken rest 5 minutes, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

*Note: If you don’t have garam masala on hand, you can substitute 2 teaspoons ground coriander, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.

Welcome December, which also means welcome in the sweets and treats, and cookies galore! The last few days I’ve been in the grocery and specialty stores to stock up on baking supplies, all which have ‘end caps’ brimming with flour, sugar and candied cherries waiting to be turned into fruitcakes, sugar cookies, shortbread and more. Are you inspired yet!?

If you’re looking for a ‘sweet’ change of pace to this year’s cookie bake-off, try using Arvinda’s Indian spice blends paired with your traditional festive ingredients.

Arvinda’s Chai Masala is great in sugar cookies, shortbread, fruit-based desserts like a roasted apple or pear cake. Also makes a rich, steamy authentic cup of Masala Chai too!

Arvinda’s Garam Masala is the perfect spice mix in your fruitcakes – the richness of fruit, nuts and brandy can handle this spice blend’s intensely intoxicating aroma and flavour. Pairs nicely in savoury cheese biscuits and crackers too, ideal for a cheese plate. Or try an unconventional savoury and sweet Garam Masala Crème Brulee.

All those who attended Arvinda’s Merry Masala Cookie Exchange this week had a chance to experience our spicy creations first-hand (and were good at it too…delicious!). Thank you for coming and take a peek at our cookie mayhem!

It's merry masala time!

The low down on Arvinda's Citrus Chai Spice Cookies

Elizabeth Baird, Canada's very own baking guru was there too - what an honour!

Busy, busy baking

Finishing station

Before

After!

Simply festive Garam Masala Gingerbread Squares

The fan's favourite

Time to eat!

Thank you also to Food Network Canada and Spotlight Toronto for the tweets that night!

All last week I was absolutely hell bent on making a recipe I found for Aloo Gobi – curried cauliflower and potatoes.

I’ve never had it before.

As a matter of fact, I’ve never had Indian curry before at all.

Lately, though, I’ve wanted nothing more than to prepare a great big pot of it. I blame this in part on that fact that I’ve been  looking at pictures of curries on foodgawker and they were all so pretty . I guess my brain just associates pretty with tasty. Who knows?

Regardless,the other night I finally had time to prepare dinner. Aloo Gobi? But but but… I also found a Chicken Curry recipe that sounded equally delicious and easy to prepare.

I hate making decisions.

Why doooooo I have to chooose?!?!

Oh wait! I don’t! Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

As per usual, I am incapable of following a recipe and must, somehow, find a way to make a recipe (or two) my own. So that’s what I did. The result was a beautiful, creamy, spicy curry that I served with coconut cilantro rice.

Chicken, Cauliflower, and Chickpea Curry

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasted, cubed
• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1 serrano chili, diced fine
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger serrano. Cook until they begin to soften, about two minutes.
2. Add the dried spices to the pot ,stirring rapidly, to form a thick paste.
3. Add chicken and cauliflower. Stir and cook about two minutes more.
4. Add tomato paste, coconut milk, chickpeas and yogurt. Stir well.
5. Add lemon juice and bring mixture to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer 40 minutes, or until the cauliflower is soft and the chicken is cooked through.
7. Serve with coconut cilantro rice!

*nom nom nom nom nom*

It’s official: I’m back on the couscous bandwagon.  Thankfully, I’m not quite as obsessed as before.  Unlike my earlier college days, I do vary my diet a little; I also eat pumpkin pies, apple crumb cakes and cranberry sauce.  I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again: couscous salads are so flexible, you can add whatever you have lurking in your fridge drawers and it’ll probably make a good meal if you spice it up enough.  That said, I’ve been making several grain & veggie salads of late and this one really stood out and, despite the fact that it provided a huge Tupperware of leftovers, two days later there wasn’t a semolina granule to be found.  What made this salad different was the spicing.  I didn’t skimp with salt (3/4  teaspoon for the entire salad), chili powder, coriander, cumin, garam masala and cinnamon.  I took a riff from my previous Moroccan Couscous dish with the sweet-tastes (I even added a splash of orange juice at the end).  But I also wanted it to have a bit of a kick, like a chocolate mole sauce, so I included chile peppers, chile powder and a smidgen of cumin for warmth.

The best and most unusual part of this salad was the fact that the couscous played a minor role.  Instead of eating COUSCOUS flaked with a few specks of parsley and a lentil or two, the couscous was the medium to eat nuts, dried fruit and savory, spiced veggies.  Each spoonfull had chew and crunch.

I tried this salad hot, room-temperature and cold.  My favorite was room-temperature.  Conversely, my dad’s favorite was piping hot and my mom loved it cold.  As my cousin Emily said, we’re like the Three Bears.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup pecans, chopped

1 cup whole-wheat couscous
1 cup chopped dates and dried apricots

1 large onion, white or yellow
5 sweet chile peppers (or 1 large bell pepper), thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
generous amount of ground pepper
1/2  cup dried beans (I boiled a 12-bean mix from a market bulk bin)
olive oil
1 tablespoon orange juice, optional

Methods:

1.  If using dried beans, measure 1/2 cup and boil according to cooking time.  Skim off any white foam that rises to the top during cooking.

2.  In an ungreased sauce pan, toast pine nuts and pecans on medium-high, approximately 5-7 minutes.  Pinenuts burn easily, so keep close watch.

3.  Boil amount of water according to couscous instructions.  Remove from heat.  Stir in whole-wheat couscous and chopped, dried fruit.  Cover for five minutes, then fluff.  Set aside.

4.  In a skillet, heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil.  Add chopped onion and cook until wilted and slightly browned, about 5 minutes.   Add peppers, cook another 3-4 minutes.  Add generous pinch of sea salt and spices.   (Don’t skimp here; remember that these ingredients will flavor the entire salad.)  When cooked, remove from heat.  Toss with couscous salad.  Add more olive oil to taste, pepper, salt if necessary and smidgen of OJ, if using.

5.  When beans are cooked, drain and add to salad.  Toss.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Om du inte har tillgång till alla svarta spiskumminar eller kardemummor, är det här ett superalternativ till tråkiga livsmedelsaffärsburkar. Kan användas till allt.

Och med “vanligt svenskt kök” menar jag kök i Sverige vars kryddor nästan enbart inhandlas på COOP/Vi/ICA (Nigella? Fått i present?).

EDIT: Har för övrigt gjort garam masala förut, men utan bilder och som Jessica så klokt förklarar nedan, det finns en miljard recpet och det ska alltså vara kryddor som gör kroppen “varm” (betyder det kåt?), jag tror garam masala betyder typ het kryddblandning, men om man bara har “kalla ” kryddor går det också bra och så vidare och så vidare.

Garam masala ungefär:

1 msk kardemummafrön

1 tsk svartpeppar

1 tsk kryddnejlikor

drygt ½ tsk nigella

drygt ½ tsk spiskummin

en bit kanel

en tredjedels muskotnöt

ett lagerblad

Krossa kryddorna lätt i en mortel (inte nödvändigt)

mal dem i kaffekvarnen (förslagsvis rengjord)

sådär ja!

Can you name the national dish of Britain?

Fish and chips? Hmm, no.

Shepherd’s pie, or some other sort of meat pie? No. (And can I just say, Ew. Sorry, meat pie lovers, it’s just not SoupAddict’s thang.)

Plum pudding? No (and turn off Christmas Carol already and join SoupAddict in the 21st Century).

No, no, my pretties, the national dish of Britain is Chicken Tikka Masala. Delicious, beautiful and fragrant, this curry is loaded with Indian spices and cooked to perfection. While SoupAddict’s national dish is, of course, Soup, this curry comes in a close second.

SoupAddict does not exaggerate when she says she prepares this dish about once a month. It’s just that addictive. SoupAddict makes extra to take to work, so that those interminable “working lunches” are at least tolerable for a few minutes while she hovers over a steaming bowl of spicy goodness.

I adapted this recipe from CooksIllustrated.com (subscription required to view their recipe online). The folks at Cook’s Illustrated can do no wrong, in my eyes, but I have an instinctive need to stick my thumb in other people’s pies. I gotta be me: it’s a tough job, being me, but somebody has to do it. The changes mostly involve the order of preparation, and an escalation of spices (I love me some curry).

Aren’t they pretty? These are the recipe spices for seasoning the chicken. I usually also add some kind of curry powder – hot, mild, yellow, red. Whatever I have on hand. And maybe a few sprinkles of garam masala. Oh, and there’s also white pepper in this photo (white, because I was too lazy to grind black, and white was all I had in jar-form)

SoupAddict’s left hand is extremely uncoordinated, as you can see from the two big piles of missprinkled spices on the chicken, taken while snapping spice-sprinkling action photos with her right hand.

Mmmmm, the aromatics. Excuse me for a second while I dreamily sniff the aroma of onions, garlic and ginger.

Despite the fact that I’m a bonafide gadget freak, I still stubbornly insist on doing prep by hand. I don’t even own a regular-sized food processor. I can peel and dice an onion in under a minute, so it hardly seems worth the effort of dragging out even my mini food processor. I finally caved on a garlic press, though. I don’t mind mincing with my trusty Shun knife, but, sometimes you want the garlic to be, you know, juicy, and nothing does that as well as a press. This is the press I own: Prepara Garlic Press. It vexed me for a while, as it seemed to jam every. single. time. But, once I found the secret (pull out on the handle while pushing down on the grate to release all of the cogs and wheels and click-thingy mechanisms. That’s a technical term, “thingy”), garlic press life has been ever so much better. I still peel the cloves first, though. Those suckers are so thick and stiff, I don’t trust mere thingies to do the job.

Fresh cilantro and garlic, pulled right of out my garden. I [heart] my garden.

Indian cuisine often calls for yogurt. Once I discovered Greek yogurt, I use it in place of regular yogurt for most everything. It’s thick and delicious with none of that runny ickiness present when you first take the lid off of regular yogurt. You see, SoupAddict’s stomach does a little flippity-flop when she sees that runny ickiness separated from the creamy goodness. It’s just one of those things. Like the texture of flaked coconut, which makes SoupAddict’s stomach go beyond flippity-flops. Don’t serve SoupAddict flaked coconut. Not pretty.

Mmmm. Ginger-scented yogurt, with a little garlic and oil. It’s hard not to eat this stuff out of the bowl, although I have a sinking feeling it looks and smells better than it actually tastes. Someday I’ll try it and let you know.

SoupAddict loves getting her hands messy, so this is always a favorite part. Drrrreeeedge the spicy chicken pieces through the creamy goodness. Then flip it over and do it again. Nice.

Yogurt-coated chicken, ready for the broiler.

Meanwhile, grab your favorite dutch oven or stock pot. This is my brand new Le Creuset Stock Pot. Ain’t she adorable? The high walls are particularly suited for this dish, as the bubbling sauce tends to bubble, bubble, toil and trouble all over my stove in maddening little red spatters.

Oh, garam masala, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. (I’ll count to myself. That way I won’t feel self-conscious about using my fingers.)

When the chicken starts to get black spots (like the piece in the foreground), flip all the pieces over and shove the pan back in. SoupAddict was messing with her camera and let the chicken go a little long, so many of the pieces look like the craggly surface of volcanos. Never you mind, though. The chicken was still moist and delicious, thanks to the protective yogurt coating. Really, it’s hard to screw up this dish.

While the chicken finishes up under the broiler, start the sauce by sauteeing the aromatics. See those burned bits on the left? No, SoupAddict didn’t screw up again. That’s fond – the brown, caramelized bits formed from the sugars naturally present in the onions. (Enameled pans, like my sassy, Dijon Le Creuset, are particularly adept at creating fond.) The crushed tomatoes will deglaze the pan with those lovely brown bits, adding a little sumthin’-sumthin’ to the flavor of the sauce. Trust SoupAddict on this one. This is a Martha-Stewart-worthy Good Thing.

A little cream rounds out the sauce. Once the chicken has cooled, slice into 1″ cubes. Or get your hands messy again and pull apart with your fingers. Stir chicken into the sauce and top it all off with chopped cilantro.

Serve over rice. Here, I used healthy brown rice, but Jasmine is my favorite.

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. Use that time to prep the other ingredients. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger; set aside.

2. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through cooking. While the chicken cooks, make the sauce

2. FOR THE SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

3. While sauce simmers, cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks. After you remove the sauce pan from the head, stir the chicken into warm sauce (you don’t want the chicken to simmer in the sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

You might not guess from the general contents of this blog, but I do a fair amount of Indian cooking. I’m about as Anglo-Saxon-Germanic as you can get (blonde hair [check] ; blue eyes [cheeyeck] ; pasty-white skin that were it not for the rosacea I would look perpetually sick [hmph, check] ), so I grew up with potatoes and pot roast and apple streusel, not the richly perfumed bouquets of coriander and cloves and cinnamon and cumin. My education in the spicy wiles of Indian curries has been a recent but decadent adventure. There’s a reason Chicken Tikka Masala is the National Food of Britain: it’s glorious. I don’t know any other way to say it.

Although the base spices, like coriander and cumin, are readily available everywhere ’round these parts, there’s one blend that’s really hard to find: garam masala. I’m lucky in that one of the rare stores to carry it is only about a mile away from my house, but unlucky in that it’s $5.69 for a little 1.8 oz jar. And I go through a lot of garam masala: one dish can easily use 1 to 2 tablespoons. There had to be a cheaper way.

One little fact I came to learn was that there are as many ways to make garam masala as there are curries. Families have cherished recipes and secret ingredients, each as different and alluring as the next, that are passed from generation to generation. I don’t know what gall possessed me to create my own blend, given my amateur Indian cooking status, but the result has been so enjoyable and satisfying (and cheap! hey, I gotta be me…), that I wouldn’t have it any other way.

They key to “delicious” is finding quality ingredients. The key to “cheap” is buying them in bulk. There’s the internet, of course, so if all other avenues fail, turn to Amazon. In Cincinnati, however, we are lucky to have a bulk supplier in the form of Herbs & Spice and Everything Nice, based out of Findlay Market. For less than two retail jars’ worth of garam masala, I can come home with a bag brimming over with enough herbs and spices to last months … and many, many jars of garam masala. Truly awesome.

Whole herbs and spices are first gently toasted to bring out the very best of their flavors.

Then they’re left to cool completely. Don’t rush it – grinding warm spices more often than not produces a paste instead of a powder.

This Stone Mortar and Pestle is awfully fun. Got a little frustration building up? Work it all out with this thing. It’s particularly suited for grinding large amounts of black pepper – much faster than a mill (call me wimpy, but I find it sigh-inspiring, trying to twist out a 1/2 teaspoon of pepper). I also use an electric coffee grinder devoted to spices (once you grind cloves in it, don’t use it again for coffee – you’ll never get all the clove residue out). Just take it slow. The friction of the blades can actually burn the spices. Grind the big pieces first (like the cinnamon sticks), and work your way down to the smallest. Bay leaves go last.

Fresh, fragrant garam masala. Someday, I’ll share a Chicken Tikka Masala recipe. Chicken heaven, I do believe.

1. Place all ingredients in a small pan over medium heat. Stir more frequently as pan begins to heat up. When the whole spices begin to turn color, remove from heat and transfer to a plate.

2. Allow to cool completely.

3. Place ingredients in a mortar or spice/coffee grinder. Grind to a fine powder. Tip: it’s easier if you start with the largest pieces, such as the cinnamon sticks and cloves, and then add the remaining seeds, ending with the bay leaves.

4. Transfer to an airtight container. Blend will keep for a couple of months.

Last night I got home and walked into the kitchen. I was getting myself a snack, when I heard Andrew at the door. When I opened it, Andrew and Corelyn walked in with bags of presents for Christmas, and a six-pack of beer.

“Are you guys coming over?” I asked

“Yes, we are,” said Corelyn

“Did I know you were coming over?” I returned

“Well…no.” Corelyn and I proceeded to eat our snack while Andrew and Jeff got settled in front of the TV to watch the Patriots v. Colts game.

Then Corelyn and I decided that we should make Indian food for dinner.

And that’s where the trouble began. Corelyn wanted to attempt aloo gobi. I wanted to attempt chicken tikki masala. And I had a puff pastry that absolutely needed to be used. Immediately. (Slash I had it for six months and was SO SICK of it being in my fridge.)

Corelyn wanted to make Aloo Gobi. So we attempted this recipe.  It involved us making our own garam masala.

Meanwhile, I wanted Tikka Masala. We didn’t have any cream, so I used yogurt and milk. It was fine.

These were the spices we used for garam masala. Pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, garlic pepper, and nutmeg. It was a bit spicy.

I wanted to make samosas with the puff pastry. We had extra potatoes, and Corelyn told me she had a can of peas. More garam masala, and squished it all together.

Delicious. Kind of like this.

Garam masala here.

More Aloo Gobi.

Cooking Tikka Masala after 40 minutes in the fridge!

Fried samosas. Delicious.

These were the boys watching football. It was very funny.

This is the mint sauce that Corelyn made. Without which I would not been to eat ANYTHING we made. It was VERY VERY spicy. But so good. A long, epic cooking night, four recipes, and three days of leftovers.

]]> http://freshfoodie.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/garam-masala-spice-blend/ Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:18:30 +0000 freshfoodie http://freshfoodie.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/garam-masala-spice-blend/

This spice blend is called for in many Indian food recipes.  This is a pretty close substitute for the “real thing”.  You can throw a spoonful into soups, sauces, or rice for a great ethnic flavor.

I have also been known to substitute allspice for garam masala in a pinch.

Samosas are one of India’s most loved appetizers and is probably the most known out of the immense variety of Indian snack foods available in the world.

Always a triangular shape, samosa filling ingredients and pastry type can vary greatly depending on which part of India you are in. With that in mind, the recipe below is not your typical samosa. Baked not fried, this recipe uses a simple and easy phyllo so you don’t have to fuss too much with the pastry — making it easy yet impressive for holiday entertaining season!

If you want to learn how to make the ‘real deal’ be sure to visit Arvinda’s Savoury Samosa Workshop in Oakville on Monday, March 1, 2010. Back by popular demand! Register early as this class is limited to 10 people only.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. phyllo pastry
2-3 medium potatoes, finely cubed
1 onion, finely chopped
½ zucchini, finely cubed
5-6 broccoli florets, finely chopped
2 tsp. oil
2 tsp. Arvinda’s Curry Masala
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ cup goat cheese
¼ cup cranberries
¼ cup cilantro
Arvinda’s Garam Masala, to garnish
oil

Method of Preparation:
In a pot, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add potatoes, onion, zucchini, and broccoli. Fold in Arvinda’s Curry Masala and sea salt. Cook with lid on for 10-12 minutes, until potatoes are cooked and tender. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Arrange four layers of 8 ½” x 11″ phyllo pastry onto work surface. Brush oil in between each layer. Cut phyllo into three equal columns.

Add filling mixture. Crumble goat cheese on top and add a few cranberries. Sprinkle cilantro and a pinch of Arvinda’s Garam Masala.

Fold phyllo to make a triangle. Continue with remaining mixture.

Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until phyllo pastry is golden in colour. Yield = 10-12 pieces.

Serve with chutney of your choice or tomato ketchup with a dash of Arvinda’s Garam Masala.

Fortunately November has turned out to be a sun shining glorious month (not a typical November in Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe and I’m not complaining!). Nonetheless, even though the snow has not yet hit the ground, the holiday season is right before us which gets me planning for my festive Indian inspired menus and ideas. Recipes coming soon!

There’s no better way to kick off the holiday season to gain some inspiration from the Season’s Christmas Show in Mississauga, Ontario. This coming weekend, November 20-22 drop by Arvinda’s booth to sample some of our festive Indian treats that can be the star of your upcoming holiday party using Arvinda’s masalas. Arvinda’s Chai Masala is a favourite of mine to add to holiday drinks and beverages and holiday baked goodies.

At Season’s I’ll be sure to catch Elizabeth Baird on stage Friday and Saturday at 5pm. I’ll be trying Elizabeth’s Baked Apples with Cider Butter Sauce and Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Cake at home indefinitely…with a dash of masala of course!

Skonis: 9/10. Susigundžiau ir aš sudalyvauti Indiškų patiekalų savaitėje – o rezultatas prieš akis. Nežinau, kiek labai labai indiškas iš tiesų yra šis patiekalas, tačiau… pirma, jam naudojau atkakliai ieškotą garam masalą; antra, jis aštrus; trečia, indai juk mėgsta ryžius, ar ne? Ir ryžius su vištiena, taip? Galų gale, knygoje “Pure India” rastas receptas tiesiog turi būti indiškas, kad ir su minimaliais pakoregavimais Apie skonį – labai skanu! Tik tikrai aštru, įspėju

Sudėtingumas: nieko labai sudėtingo.

Porcijų skaičius: 3 porcijos

Energetinė vertė: 540 kcal/porcija

Ar gaminčiau dar kartą? Taip.

Kur radau? Kayotic Kitchen

450 g vištienos krūtinėlės (aš naudojau kalakutieną)
2 arb.š. juodųjų pipirų
1 arb.š. imbiero
½ arb.š. druskos
1 arb.š. garam masalos
1/3 citrinos sulčių
2 valg.š. aliejaus
3 vidutinio dydžio svogūnai
3 skiltelės česnako
1 puodelis vandens
Druska

200 g ryžių, virtų

1. Vištieną supjaustyti vidutinio dydžio kubeliais.
2. Sutarkuoti ar išspausti 3 vidutinio dydžio česnako skilteles ir sudėti jas į dubenį.
3. Ant česnakų užberti arbatinį šaukštelį imbiero (pagal orginalų receptą – nulupti ir sutarkuoti nykščio dydžio gabaliuką imbiero).
4. Suberti druską, garam masalą ir arbatinį šaukštelį juodųjų pipirų. Išspausti trečdalio citrinos sultis ir įpilti vieną šaukštą aliejaus.
5. Visą masę gerai išmaišyti – tai vištienos marinatas.
6. Vištienos gabalėlius sudėti į indą ir supilti marinatą, gerai išmaišyti, kad visi vištienos gabalėliai juo apsiveltų.
7. Uždengti taip paruoštą vištieną maistine plėvele ir leisti pasimarinuoti mažiausiai 2 valandas.
8. Du iš svogūnų supjaustyti ketvirčiais, sudėti į smulkintuvą ir susmulkinti iki vientisos masės.
9. Likusį vieną svogūną supjaustyti kubeliais.
10. Įkaitinti šaukštą aliejaus ir suberti arbatinį šaukštelį juodųjų pipirų. Maišant pakepinti pipirus apie 30 sekundžių, sudėti svogūną, pjaustytą kubeliais, ir kepinti, kol svogūnas taps minkštas.
11. Sudėti svogūnų piurė ir kepinti ant vidutinio dydžio ugnies apie 5 minutes.
12. Suberti marinuotus vištienos kubelius, viską sumaišyti ir kepinti dar 5 minutes, vis pamaišant.
13. Supilti puodelį vandens, išmaišyti ir leisti viskam užvirti. Sumažinti ugnį ir leisti vištienai troškintis apie 20 minučių. Pagal skonį pagardinti druska.
14. Patiekti – ant ryžių supilti vištieną su padažu. Skanaus!