Eid Recipe

Butter Chicken - Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:

8-10 pieces of Tandoori Chicken
3 cups canned tomatoes in tomato puree
4 green chilies, seeded and chopped fine,
[or ½ teaspoon ground red chili
pepper to taste]
2 tablespoons ginger root, peeled and
chopped fine
10 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 ½ cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons garam masala
¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions follow below....

If you like, you may de-bone the chicken pieces for easier handling in this recipe.

Combine the tomatoes, chilies and ginger and set aside.

Please 8 tablespoons of the butter in a large heavy fry pan or cooking pot on medium
heat. Coat the pan with melted butter and sear all the chicken pieces a few at a time until they are slightly browned. Set them aside in a bowl as you finish each batch until all are done.
Add the cumin and paprika to the buttery pan along with any chicken juices that have
accumulated and cook while stirring constantly for 5-15 seconds just to let the flavors come out.

Add the tomato, chili and ginger combination and cook uncovered until the sauce thickens a little. Then add the cream and salt and combine. Then add the seared chicken pieces along with any juices that have accumulated in the reserved bowl. Gently stir to combine, and reduce to medium-low heat and simmer uncovered until a sheen develops on top of the sauce to show that the fat in the cream is starting to separate. You must check and stir the sauce often to make sure that the cream does not scald or burn and give a bad taste to the dish.
When done, stir in the last 2 tablespoons of butter, remove from heat and let this dish stand for 10-20 minutes, then fold in the cilantro leaves and serve with rice. This dish keeps well in the fridge or freezer for reheating later.


Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients:

The Chicken:
3-4 pounds (approx) chicken pieces, bone-in. Alternatively, use boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed for kabobs

For the marinade:
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 large fresh garlic cloves, peeled and chopped fine
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped fine
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground red chili pepper
1 teaspoon tandoori coloring, or substitute paprika
1/3 cup plain yogurt

Combine well all the ingredients for the marinade and let stand for a few minutes for the
flavors to combine. Be careful with the food coloring since it can stain your fingers.
Remove the skin from the chicken pieces. For a traditional Indian look, slash each piece 24 times with a knife to create just ¼ to ½ inch deep slashes. This will give a traditional look plus allow the marinade to contact more of the chicken.
Add the chicken to the marinade and coat all the pieces. You need to let the chicken marinate for at least a couple of hours in the refrigerator. It’s ok to let it marinate all day or overnight. Be sure to stir the chicken a couple of times during this time.

After just a couple of hours, the chicken is ready to cook. You can use a regular oven to roast the chicken in a 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until it is just cooked through. It is very important not to overcook chicken because it gets dry and tough very soon after it is cooked through. Alternatively, you can grill this chicken on a barbeque grill, basting once or twice with a light cooking oil like canola oil.
All cooking times are estimations because your oven and barbeque may be much hotter or
colder than mine. Please take care to cook the chicken thoroughly, but not so much as to dry it out.
If by chance (not likely!) you do not finish all your Tandoori Chicken you can use the
leftovers in a Butter Chicken recipe.


Mattar Paneer - Cheese and Peas

Making the cheese is a challenge but there is no reason not to try making this at home. I’ve heard that you can buy ready made paneer cheese in an Indian grocery store but I have not tried any. Most of the time I actually substitute cauliflower or some other vegetables for the cheese anyway. That cuts out a lot of work on this dish! This dish has a wonderful tomato base and can be used for cooking any sort of vegetable.

Ingredients and directions follow....

The coolest part about making the cheese is when you stir in the yogurt and the lemon
juice into the boiling milk. That’s when the acid in the juice and the cultures in the yogurt quickly separate the milk into cheese curds and whey. For me the first time I made the cheese it was a real education.
Ghee is basically clarified butter and it is available in Indian grocery stores and online. An acceptable substitute is your favorite vegetable oil. The same goes for the Garam Masala, for which you can substitute a little cinnamon, crushed cloves and nutmeg.
Ingredients for the cheese:

2 quarts whole milk
½ cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
cheesecloth for straining

Ingredients for the peas:

5 tablespoons ghee or cooking oil (I use peanut oil)
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and chopped fine
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, peeled and chopped fine
1 cup chopped onion (1 large onion)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric for color
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper for heat
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons Garam Masala
2 cups tomatoes, chopped so fine they are almost pureed (you can use a drained large
can of whole or chopped tomatoes)
1 10 ounce package of frozen peas
2 teaspoons sugar
2-3 tablespoons fresh coriander for garnish – optional
1 cup whey (reserved from making the cheese) – may substitute water
1 non-aluminum skillet

To make the cheese:

Boil the milk on high heat, stirring constantly in a heavy pot. You must stir constantly because otherwise the milk will scald or burn and impart a burned taste to the cheese. It will also be very difficult to clean burned milk from the bottom of the pot! When foam rises from the pot, stir in the yogurt and the lemon juice and watch the solid curds separate from the liquid whey. When the curds are finished separating, strain the whole mixture through a sieve lined with 4-5 layers of cheesecloth. Reserve 1 cup of whey aside. Let the curds cool undisturbed until the cheesecloth is cool enough to handle. Wrap up the curds with the cheesecloth and try to wring out as much liquid as you can. Form the cheesecloth and the curds into a ball and press them onto a flat surface with an extra cutting board or other flat item and put about 15 lbs of weight on top of it all for 6-8 hours. More liquid will separate and the cheese will continue to form. After 6-8 hours, cut the cheese into bite sized pieces and save them for use in any recipe.

You can skip the previous part entirely if you buy pre-made paneer or if you substitute
cauliflower (my favorite) or other vegetables.
To make the peas:

Be sure not to use an aluminum skillet when cooking tomatoes. The natural acids in
tomatoes will chemically react with the aluminum skillet (and utensils) and may produce a nasty bitter taste to your dish. Use only a stainless steel or iron skillet, for example.
Heat the ghee or oil in a heavy skillet. Flour the cheese cubes lightly and brown them in the oil for 4-5 minutes until they are golden. Reserve them in a separate bowl.
If needed, add a little more oil or ghee to take the next steps. Add the ginger and garlic to the hot pan and fry for 30-45 seconds just to get their flavors infused. Add the onion and salt and fry for about 10 minutes until the onion softens and starts to brown. Stir in ¼ cup of the whey and the turmeric, red pepper, coriander and garam masala. Blend everything together.
Stir in the remaining ¾ cup of whey and the tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil then
reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sugar and taste for excess tomato acidity, which is a sharp biting taste that you may not like. If you find an acid taste to this dish try adding a bit more sugar or try a dash more of salt or some baking soda.
Finally, add the cheese cubes (or cauliflower or other veggies if you are substituting) and the peas and simmer to heat everything through in 5-7 minutes, and place in a serving dish with the fresh coriander sprinkled on top!


Basmati Rice

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups Basmati rice
1 ½ tablespoons ghee, butter or light
cooking oil
1 stick cinnamon
3 whole cardamom pods
3 whole cloves
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
2 ½ cups water

Directions follow below....

Carefully pick through the rice, removing any debris or small stones. Use a sieve or
colander to wash the rice by running cold water through them and agitating them until the water runs through clear, not cloudy. Drain the rice very well so that you get the right amount of measured water when ready to cook the rice.
In a sturdy cooking pot big enough to cook the rice, heat the ghee/butter/oil until a drop of water flicked into the pot sputters on contact. Sauté the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and cloves for a few minutes until the pods start to expand with the heat. Add just the rice and sauté for just a minute or two to let the fragrance develop. Then add the water, salt and sugar and bring all to a boil.
Reduce heat to the lowest possible heat, cover and cook for 18 minutes then remove from
heat. This pot of rice will keep warm for 20-30 minutes while you prepare other dishes.