Tag: Indian
Bengali Cholar Dal
Bengali Cholar Dal
Bengali cholar dal is traditionally eaten during celebrations. Chana dal is used in it’s preparation. Chana dal is actually a yellow split pea. When cooked and mashed, it adds a creaminess to the dal. It is also full of complex flavors from the coconut, golden raisins, cardamom, and chilies. Serve this dal with puris, which are kinda like mini fried pita, or parathas.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Spice grinder
- bean masher
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup chana dal
- 5 cups water
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 green bird’s eye chilies slit length wise
- 1/3 cup coconut grated
- 1 tbsp golden raisins
Spice Mix
- 1 cinnamon stick 1”
- 6 green cardamom seeds
- 2 dried Kashmiri chilies
Garnish
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Pour the water into a pot with the chana dal. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Add in the turmeric, cloves, salt, and sugar. Simmer for 75 minutes, occasionally stirring.
- Turn off the heat. Mash with a bean masher.
- The dal doesn’t have to be completely smooth as a purée. It is good to have a little texture. Set aside.
- In a small skillet over medium heat, lightly dry toast the spice mix spices for 5 minutes.
- Grind in a spice grinder and set aside.
- Heat up cooking oil in a pot over medium heat. Sauté the cumin seeds, bay leaf, and green chilies for 30 seconds.
- Add in the coconut and fry for a minute.
- Pour in the dal. Give it a stir. Bring to a boil. Add in the spice mix and golden raisins. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Chettinad Chicken
Chettinad Chicken
Chettinad chicken is a heavily spiced curry that can be eaten in multiple ways. Typically, cut up bone in skinless chicken thighs are marinated in a strong spice powder of fennel, cumin, coriander, black peppercorns, and Kashmiri chili powder. They are then cooked with onions, ginger, garlic, and curry leaves and simmered until fall off the bone tender. The chicken is served with steamed rice.In this preparation, I’m using boneless skinless chicken thighs. The chicken will be served in paratha with red onions marinated in a mint chutney with a dollop of plain yogurt. It’s more or less a Chettinad Indian version of a gyro.
Equipment
- Spice grinder
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs cubed
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp fennel seeds crushed
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 12 curry leaves
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp ginger grated
- salt to taste
- 1/4 cup water
Spice Powder
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp kashmiri chili powder
Instructions
- Grind the cumin, coriander, fennel, and black peppercorns in a spice grinder. Mix in the Kashmiri chili powder.
- Marinate the chicken thighs with the spice powder for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Heat up cooking oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Fry the fennel seeds and cinnamon stick for 30 seconds.
- Add in the onions. Fry for 15 minutes, occasionally stirring so they brown evenly.
- Once the onions have cooked down, add in the garlic, ginger, and curry leaves. Fry for 1 minute.
- Turn up the heat to high. Sear the marinated chicken pieces for 4 minutes.
- Season with salt. Pour in a 1/4 cup of water to produce a light gravy. Cover. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
Chicken Pulao
Chicken Pulao
Chicken Pulao is a great one pot meal. The basmati rice is very aromatic from the whole spices used in it, while the chicken is fall off the bone tender. It is fairly simple to prepare. There looks like there is too many onions once they’re chopped, but they will cook down to half the amount and be the main flavor component of this dish. Once I ate this, it reminded me of the Indian version of chicken and rice.
Ingredients
- 2-2 1/2 lbs chicken drumsticks skinned
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 6 whole cloves
- 2” cinnamon stick
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 medium white onions thinly sliced
- 2 2 green bird’s eye chilies slit length wise
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- salt to taste
- 3 tbsp cilantro chopped
Garnish
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Heat up cooking oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Toss in the whole spices and fry for 30 seconds.
- Add in the onions and fry on medium low heat for 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Turn the heat up to medium. Add in the ginger garlic paste and the green chilies. Fry for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the coriander powder. Add in the chicken, searing on all sides for 10 minutes. Make sure that the chicken is coated in the onions and seasoning. Season with salt.
- Pour in 1 cup of chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Cover. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Pour in the rest of the chicken stock, rice, and cilantro. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Put on a cover. Let rest for 15-20 minutes before serving.
