Topic: Fine Indian Dining

[Curry King]

Heres a few recipes I found during my latest trawl of the interweb.

Found here: http://www.fineindiandining.com

BHINDI MASALA
Serves four?
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Course salt
2 whole tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder, or more to
taste
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon Garam Masala (recipe
follows)

1. Grind ginger into a paste using a small food processor.

2. Heat oil in large skillet, over medium heat, add onions, and saut? until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and salt; cook, stirring 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes, chili powder, okra, and green peppers. If mixture appears dry, add 1/4 cup water. Add garam masala, and cooked covered, 15 to 20 minutes.

Garam Masala
Makes 7 1/2 teaspoons?
1 teaspoon cardamom pods
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 stick cinnamon
1/2 whole nutmeg Toast all spices for garam masala in
small saut? pan, over medium heat,
about 5 minutes until fragrant. Allow to
cool in the pan. Transfer contents to a
spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.



CHICKEN MALAI KABAB
The preparation of Chicken Malai begins with garam masala, a blend of several aromatic spices essential to most Northern Indian cuisine. The most interesting aspect of garam masala is that no single recipe for this spice combination exists, since each cook has a his or her own blend. Our Executive Chef shares his recipe for a Mughal garam masala, a mellow blend accented with cardamom that originated in the courts and palaces of the Moghul emperors of Northern India. Mughal garam is often used in cream - and yogurt-based dishes, such as this Chicken Malai Kabob.

Yogurt is as important as the spices in Indian cuisine. It's used as a meat tenderizer and flavor enhancer. The yogurt used in India is made with buffalo's milk, which has a fuller fat content and creamier consistency than most commercial cow's-milk yogurts can be used interchangeably in the marinade to give this dish a more authentic consistency and taste.


CHICKEN MALAI KABAB
Serves four?
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic
1 teaspoon Garam Masala (recipe
follows)
1/4 cup cashew paste (recipe follows)
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch saffron, soaked in 2 tablespoons
lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed
lemon juice, from 1 lemon
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream
(optional)
Fresh lemon slices, for garnish
Metal or wooden skewers 1. Grind ginger and garlic into a paste using a small food processor.

2. Combine all ingredients in large bowl, add chicken, and cover with yogurt- spice mixture. Add cream if marinade seems too thick. Marinate, covered in refrigerator for 2 hours. If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 1 hour.

3. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Skewer chicken, leaving space between pieces on each skewer. Place skewers on baking sheet, and bake 20 to 30 minutes. To serve, remove chicken pieces from skewers. Arrange on plate with lemon slices, and top with coriander leaves.

Garam Masala
Makes 7 1/2 teaspoons?
1 teaspoon cardamom pods
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 stick cinnamon
1/2 whole nutmeg Toast all spices for garam masala in
small saut? pan, over medium heat,
about 5 minutes until fragrant. Allow to
cool in the pan. Transfer contents to a
spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.

Cashew Paste
Makes 1/4 cup?
1/3 cup unsalted cashews
Soak cashews in 1/2 cup warm water for 10 minutes. Drain. Grind to a smooth paste in a food processor.


ONION KHULCHA
COOKING: INDIAN BREADS

All of our restaurants bake its delicious breads like onion khulcha in a tandoor, a traditional rounded-top oven made of brick and clay. Foods and breads are baked over the direct heat of a smoky fire inside the tandoor. The chef stretches the dough until it's flat and then sticks it to the sides of the oven with specially designed metal skewers. Since you probably don't have a tandoor oven at home, you can replicate the effect by baking onion khulcha and other Indian breads in a conventional oven on a pizza stone or quarry tiles. Though onion khulcha rises, the dough does not contain yeast. The natural bacteria in the yogurt activates the fermentation process and gives a pleasant tart flavor to the bread.

ONION KHULCHA
Makes four 8-inch breads?
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for
kneading
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1/4 cup milk, warmed
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1/4 cup coriander, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted

1. Mix flour, egg, baking powder, sugar, salt, yogurt, milk, and oil until combined. Gradually add 1/3 cup water,
and knead dough until firm but not too soft. Let dough rest in a bowl covered with damp cloth for at least 2 hours.

2. Place pizza stone in oven, and heat to 350 degrees. Divide dough into four pieces, and knead each piece on a floured surface until smooth, forming into a ball. Let rest 10 minutes.

3. On a lightly floured surface, press each ball into a disc, eight inches in circumference. Cover entire surface with onions, peppers, and coriander. Place on pizza stone in oven, and bake until bread puffs up and brown blisters form on the surface, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and brush w/melted butter