All I want when it’s cold outside is creamy, hearty, warm meals! I got sick of eating soup variations so I tried a recipe for Butter Chicken. It’s a little spicy, really creamy, packed with flavor, and I can have it with cauliflower rice which has been my new thing. Here’s my take!
Time: 30 mins plus time for the chicken to marinate
Ingredients:
1 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons freshly sliced ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
4 skinless chicken thighs, chopped into bite-sized cubes
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped chili pepper, I used jalapeño
2 teaspoons hot paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup tomato sauce, unseasoned
1 cup half & half (can use heavy cream)
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons corn starch (optional)
cilantro for garnish (optional)
Recipe:
Cut the chicken into cubes, removing any fat or skin, then add it to a large freezer / zip loc bag.
Add the yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of the cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, fresh ginger and salt.
Close the bag removing any air, and use your hands outside of the bag to move the chicken around the mixture so it coats evenly. Refrigerate overnight.
When you’re ready to cook the chicken, take it out of the bag with as little of the marinade as possible. Put it in a bowl & set it aside.
In a pressure cooker, add the butter, garlic and jalapeno. Let it sauté for a bit so the butter melts & the garlic cooks.
In a small bowl, add 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, salt, tomato sauce and heavy cream. Stir to combine.
Pour the sauce over the chicken in the pressure cooker and cook for 5 mins. Let it release steam naturally for another 10 minutes before removing the lid. Hint: if you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can slow cook the mixture for 4 hours.
If using cornstarch to thicken the sauce, stir it into one tablespoon of water and add the mixture to the pressure cooker.
Theplas became one of my favorite Gujarati snacks when I started college & met my BFF. She is Guju & her mom would make her these divine, paper thin, loaded with flavor, incredibly complex tasting snacks. I learned that they are called theplas & they are not so complex to make! The cooler thing is that they are pretty healthy because of the fenugreek (methi) leaves. Fenugreek is known to help lower blood sugar, so it's great for diabetics.
Heres my take, don't be afraid to try it at home!
Time: 1.5 hours, yields 30 theplas
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup besan (gram flour)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh methi (fenugreek) without the stems
2 green chilis, sliced
1.5 teaspoons ground jeera (cumin)
1.5 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander
1.5 teaspoons haldi (turmeric)
ghee or butter for cooking
1 cup half & half (can use dahi / plain yogurt, or simply water)
water for kneading
Recipe:
In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients & the methi leaves, mix to combine.
Add in the half & half slowly, kneading a bit at a time.
Add in the yogurt & knead until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated into the dough.
Wrap in plastic wrap & refrigerate for 15 mins.
Form golf ball sized pieces out of the dough, this mixture should give you about 30.
Roll out each piece with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle whole wheat flour down first to ensure the dough doesn't stick.
On a shallow pan or taawa, heat 1 teaspoon of butter or ghee. Use medium-low heat.
Place the round, flat thepla on the pan or taawa & butter the top side.
When you see a bunch of bubbles forming, flip the thepla over using tongs or a spatula. Let it brown slightly on the other side.
Put the cooked thepla in a container lined with paper towel to soak up the excess butter.
Crispy, fluffy, garlicky goodness! Naan seemed so untouchable before - the Indian bread that you can never replicate at home. But today I tried making it & I was pleasantly surprised! Really easy and really delicious!
Time: 1.5 hours total
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour (plus additional for rolling out the naan)
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek)
1/2 cup warm water
1 packet yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1.5 tablespoons granulated garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons salted butter (melted)
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
Recipe:
Put the warm water in a measuring cup with the packet of yeast & the sugar. Stir to combine, then set aside for the yeast to activate.
Use a small bowl to melt the butter & combine with the minced garlic. Add parsley flakes also.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, granulated garlic & some parsley flakes & mix to combine.
Once the yeast is bubbly (~10 minutes), add the olive oil & yogurt to it. Stir until the yogurt dissolves.
Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl with the flour & start kneading. Take more dry flour if you need to.
Once the dough is formed, cover the bowl with a paper towel & set it aside to rise. I put mine in a microwave (leave it off though). Leave it to rise for about an hour.
Take the dough out & break pieces off a little larger than golf balls.
Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium-high heat.
Roll out the naan using a rolling pin.
Pour a little vegetable oil in the skillet, then place the naan in the middle. Let it bubble up for about 30 seconds then flip.
Once you flip the naan, brush on the garlic butter mixture. Use tongs to remove the naan once it's cooked on the other side.
Someone was feeling a little ambitious today! I took a stab at creating a recipe for my most favorite Indian dish: paneer makhani. Paneer Makhani is made with an incredible, creamy, spicy tomato sauce surround cubes of cottage cheese. It's amazing with basmati rice or with naan! There are a lot of ingredients in the sauce, but it doesn't take a long time to make & it is sooo worth it.
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1/2 pack paneer, diced (or how much you prefer)
1 can tomato sauce (no flavor, just plain puréed tomatoes)
2-3 whole chili peppers if you like it extra spicy
Salt to taste
Recipe:
Use a large pan, wok, or pot to heat the the onion, garlic, chili peppers & all of the spices just until lightly cooked (about 30 seconds). Mix to combine.
Pour the tomato sauce or purée & the methi leaves into the pot. Let simmer for about 5-7 minutes.
Add the heavy cream (room temperate). Mix well to combine.
Add salt as desired then taste & add more spices if needed.
Important: turn off the heat! Then add the paneer & toss until it is well coated. Leave the stove on for just a few minutes so the paneer heats up.
