Didi's Fish Curry (Salmon Recipe)

This recipe comes from my awesome Didi! 

For best results, this dish should be cooked on low.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup canola oil

1 black cardamom

3 green cardamom

4 cloves

1 large fist sized red onion, chopped

1/4 tsp turmeric

19 turns of the black pepper mill or approx 1/2 tsp

2 tblsp garlic paste

1 tblsp ginger paste

3 individually wrapped portions of Salmon, cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces

1 tsp coriander powder

2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp red chili powder

salt to taste

1/4 tsp garam masala

1/2 cup water

Step 1; Add the oil to the pan and heat for a couple of minutes on medium. Add the whole spices (cardamoms and cloves) and allow to heat until sizzling. 

Step 2: Add the chopped red onion and stir well. Cover with a lid and allow to cook. Stir occasionally to prevent burning

Step 3: When onion is starting to slightly brown add the garlic and ginger paste. Stir well and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cut up Salmon to the mix. Add the turmeric and black pepper. Stir gently to prevent the salmon from falling apart.

Step 4: Lower the heat to a medium-low so that the Salmon can cook for a bit. (It will taste better this way!). Cook about 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 5: Add the spice powders (coriander, cumin, red chili, and salt but not garam masala yet!) Stir well but very gently. Cover again and let cook another 5 to six minutes.

Step 6: Add the garam masala and stir gently. Cover and allow to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. 

Step 7: Add 1/2 cup of water and stir gently. Cover and let cook another 4 to 5 minutes until the gravy thickens, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Step 8: When gravy looks nice, remove from heat and serve with rice.

My Chicken Curry

I have made this recipe by combining Mom's Chicken Curry, Didi's Chicken Curry, and by adding my own little tweaks. You will see that this recipe uses a lot of whole spices. They really do make a difference in the taste, so if you don't have the whole spice on hand you can use the ground version but it really won't come out the same. This dish takes about 2 1/2 hours to cook and usually serves about 5 people.


What you need:

1/3 cup of canola oil
3 large bay leaves
2 black cardamoms
15 green cardamoms
3 anise seeds
7 whole cloves
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 large red onions, chopped

7 to 9 chilies, put in the grinder
12 cloves of garlic, put in the grinder
2 inches of ginger, put in the grinder
(you can grind the garlic and ginger together but do not grind all three together. Didi says it will mess up the taste and I'm too afraid to see what it would taste like)

25 chicken wings (or three pounds of chicken chopped into 2 to 3 inch pieces)
19 rounds of the black pepper mill (probably about tsp regular ground black pepper)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp MDH Tandoori Chicken from box (my secret ingredient!)
2 tsp MDH Chicken Curry powder from box

7 to 9 stems of cilantro, washed and destemed
3 tbsp lemon juice concentrate (probably about 1 whole lemon squeezed)
1 tsp fenugreek leaves
3 tbsp plain yogurt
1 cup water

Step 1: Heat the oil and bay leaves until the bay leaves start to brown. Add the other whole spices and let them sizzle for a minute. They will start to puff up. Watch for popping seeds! Add the chopped onions and stir well. Cook the onions for 5 to 10 minutes on medium heat, until the onion starts to get brown around the edges.

Step 2: Add the grinded chilies to the onion mix, stir well and cook for 1 minute. Add the ginger and garlic to the mix, stir well and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken, turmeric, and black pepper, stir well and cover with a lid. Allow to cook for 10 to 15 minutes making sure to stir frequently to prevent burning. The onion will turn to water. You want to cook until the water from the onion is about half way gone.

Step 3: Add the ground spices to the chicken, stir well and cover with a lid. Allow to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes making sure to stir frequently to prevent burning.

Step 4: By now the chicken should look rather brown and the gravy should appear very thick. Add the cilantro and lemon juice to the chicken, stirring well. Add the fenugreek and stir well. Add the yogurt and stir well. Cover with a lid and let cook for 5 to 10 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Step 5: Add the water and allow to cook for 10 to 15 minutes covered. Make sure to stir occasionally to prevent burning. Turn off the heat once the gravy has reached your desired thickness.

Serve with naan (we found some awesome Stonefire mini naan at Costco!), rice, or whatever you desire!

Chana Masala

This is another recipe that I recently learned from Didi. I have added a couple of my own little tweaks and changes but it's mostly hers!

You Need:

1/4 cup canola oil
1 large bay leaf
1 tsp jeera seeds (cumin seeds)


1 large fist sized onion, 1/2 chopped (set the other half aside)
1 large tomato or 2 small, 1/2 minced (set the other half aside)
7 to 9 stems of leaves (take the leaves off)
2 16oz cans of chick peas
1/4 tsp haldi (turmeric)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chole seasoning (boxed seasoning common in Indian grocery stores)
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup of water

2 small green chilies (with slits down the side but not cut)
1/2 inch cinnamon stick (or 1/8 tsp ground)
3 whole cloves (or 1/8 tsp ground)
1/2 tbsp ghee (or butter, shhh!)
juice from 1/2 lemon or 1 tbsp lemon concentrate

Step 1: Put 1/2 onion, 1/2 tomato, and cilantro in the grinder and grind until smooth. Set aside. Put 1 16oz can of chickpeas in the grinder and grind until smooth (you might need to add a tbsp of water to make it easier to grind). Set aside.

Step 2: Add oil to the pan and heat over medium. Add bay leaf to oil and allow that to cook until it starts to brown. Add the cumin seeds and let them heat until they sizzle. Add the 1/2 chopped onion and allow it to cook until it starts to get just a little brown around the edges. Stir frequently to prevent burning.

Step 3: Add the 1/2 minced tomato to the onion mix. Add the haldi, garam masala, chole seasoning, garlic powder, and salt to the mix. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground onion, tomato, and cilantro mix. Allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the ground chickpeas and allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes. You should be stirring frequently as you add things to prevent burning and to ensure things are cooking nicely.

Step 4: Add the water to the pan, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let this simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally (not as often as frequently!) to prevent burning.

Step 5: If you are using whole cinnamon and cloves, either use and mortar and pestal to grind them or do as I do and put them in a ziplock and crush with a rolling pin. Take a small pan or skillet and add the ghee or butter and allow to melt over medium heat. Add the melted chilies and let them cook until they sizzle, then add the ground spices. Stir a little and then add the lemon juice.

Step 6: Add the ingredients from the small pan to the Chana Masala pan. Stir well and remove from heat. Serve with naan, rice, or whatever your heart desires!

My Didi's Chicken Curry

We went to visit Didi and her family a few weeks back. While we were visiting she taught me this fantastic way to make chicken curry. This is a new favorite in our house. 

My Didi’s Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

2 lbs of chicken cut into 2 in pieces (I use wings)

1 ½ red onions, chopped (about three cups)

3 tbl cooking oil

1 black cardamom

2 green cardamoms

3 cloves

½ tsp sajeera (similar to jeera only finer)

½ tsp turmeric

½ crushed black pepper

7 green chillis (grinded in the food processor)

Ginger garlic paste (2 tbs, more garlic than ginger)

Chicken curry masala (boxed mix)

·         if you don’t have you can substitute with 1 tsp jeera powder, and ½ tsp garam masala powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp salt

5 strands of cilantro, chopped

½ lemon, juice of (or 2 tbl concentrated lemon juice)

2 tbl yogurt, beaten

½ tsp kasoori methi (fenugreek leaves)

Step 1: Add oil in the pan and heat on medium to medium-high (depending on your stovetop).

Step 2: Add the cardamom seeds, cloves, and sajeera seeds. Allow to sizzle for a minute. You will see the seeds start to puff up a bit.

Step 3: Add the onions and cook until they start to brown around the edges, stirring frequently.

Step 4: Add the green chillies that have been grinded. Cook for one minute, stirring.

Step 5: Add the ginger garlic paste. Stir well and allow to cook for about two minutes.

Step 6: Add the chicken and stir well.  Add the turmeric, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and cover. Stir frequently to avoid burning.

Step 7: Once the water from the chicken and onions has reduced to 1/3 add the coriander powder and the chicken curry masala. Stir well and then cover again. Continue to stir frequently to avoid burning.

Step 8: When the liquid is gone 1/3 less than it was in step 7, add the cilantro. Stir well and allow to cook for one minute. Then add the lemon juice and stir well. Cover and lower the heat.

Step 9: Add the kasoori methi and stir well. Add the yogurt and stir well. Then cover the pan once more. Allow the dish to cook for 3 minutes on low and then remove from heat.

Step 10: Serve with rice or your choice of flat bread including roti, chappati, paratha, or puri.

Chole Paneer Masala

What you will need:
Paneer (recipe in previous post), cubed and fried

2 tablespoons canola oil or other cooking oil
1 tsp of jeera seeds
1 small green chili, chopped
1 cup of chopped red onion
1 16oz can of chickpeas
1 vine ripe tomato, chopped or two roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tbl jeera powder
1/2 tbl coriander powder
1/4 tbl garlic powder
1/4 tbl turmeric powder
1/4 tbl salt or salt to taste
1 cup of water

Step 1: Cube paneer in one inch pieces and fry in oil until golden brown, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Set aside on plate with paper towel to cool.

Step 2: You can use the same oil from the paneer or you can start with fresh oil. Heat the oil. Add jeera seeds and heat until they sizzle. Add the chili and cook it for about a minute.

Step 3: Add the chopped onion and fry until about half done, it will be tender and starting to brown on edges.

Step 4: Add the chickpeas to the onions and stir well. Cover and allow to cook for 5 about five minutes, stirring  occasionally to prevent burning. The food will be about halfway done at this point.

Step 5: Add the dry spices and let it cook for 2 minutes, stirring to prevent burning.

Step 6: Add the chopped tomato and stir well. Cook until tomato is mushy, about five minutes.

Step 7: Add one cup of water and the fried paneer. Stir gently, and cover. Allow to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 8: Serve with rice or roti depending on your preference.

Tomato Paneer Curry

Tomato Paneer Curry

Ingredients:

2 tbl  canola oil
1 tsp cumin seed
1 large onion finely sliced
½  tbl ginger paste
½  tbl garlic paste
½  tsp turmeric powder
½  tsp chili powder
½  tsp coriander powder
salt to taste
1 medium green bell pepper,  deseeded and chopped into ½ in pieces

2 Roma tomatoes or 1 large hot house tomato, chopped
1 cup paneer, cubed and fried

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a skillet and fry cumin seeds until they start to sizzle.
2. Add onion and fry on medium heat until soft.
3. Add ginger and garlic paste and fry for a minute or so, until blended nicely.
4. Add the spices and cook on low heat until the oil starts to separate from the spices. This should take about 3-5 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.
5. Add the sliced pepper pieces and simmer for about 5 minutes or so. You can cook longer but they may start to get mushy.
6. Add the tomatoes and paneer and let it simmer for about 2 more minutes.

7. I served this with basmati rice but it would also go well with roti, chapatti, or any other Indian flat bread.

Egg Curry

You will need:

Six boiled eggs
2 tbl canola oil
1-2 green chilies
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 large red onion, chopped
1 large tomato, minced
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
salt to taste
2 cups water

Step 1: Heat oil in large stir-fry pan. Add cumin seeds and heat until they start to sizzle. Add the green chili and heat for a minute. Add the red onion and stir well. Cover and let cook until slightly brown, stirring occasionally.

Step 2: Add tomato and seasonings and stir well. Cover and let cook until tomato is nicely blended.  Add 2 cups of water and let cook until boiling.

Step 3: Slice the eggs in half and then add to the gravy. Cover and reduce heat. Allow to simmer until desired consistency. This should take about 5-10 minutes. Serve with basmati rice.