Tag: main course
Chili Tamarind Pork Chops
Chili Tamarind Pork Chops
When you think of Indian cuisine, you don’t think of pork. A 1/3 of India is vegetarian, a 1/3 isn’t, and the other 1/3 falls somewhere in between, usually eating eggs and fish. Obviously, the Muslim population doesn’t eat pork. But the Hindu and Christian communities do. This chili tamarind pork chop recipe is a great example of how pork is used. You can either broil or grill the pork chops. They will take less than 10 minutes to cook. This marinade is also great on chicken and fish.
Equipment
- Food processor or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 3-4 bone in pork chops 1” thick
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 medium white onion roughly chopped
- 2 roma tomatoes quartered
- 6 garlic cloves
- 5 dried Kashmiri chilies
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak the dried chilies in warm water for 15 minutes.
- Heat up 1 tbsp of cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add in the tomatoes, onions, and garlic.
- Sauté for 7 minutes until everything has a slight char. Let cool.
- Add the dried chilies, tomatoes, onion, and garlic to a good processor. Purée until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the cumin powder, tamarind paste, and cayenne pepper along with 2 tbsp of liquid the chilies soaked in. Mix that with the chili/tomato purée. Save a half cup of the marinade for basting.
- Marinate the pork chops for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Turn on your oven’s broiler. Place the pork chops on a rack on a baking sheet lined in foil.
- Broil for 2 minutes a side. Brush each side with a layer of the marinade.
- Broil for another 2 minutes a side. Let rest before serving.
Mumbai Chili Cheese Sandwich
Mumbai Chili Cheese Sandwich
Chili cheese sandwiches are one of the most popular street foods in Mumbai. While there are many versions, this one is the most popular in preparation. If you don’t want to make your own mint chutney, there are a few store bought ones that are quite good that you can find at just about any grocery store in the ethnic aisle. Other then that, this sandwich is really easy to make and is seriously one of the best grilled cheeses I’ve ever had.
Servings: 2
Equipment
- Food processor or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 4 slices bread
- 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese or 2 slices
- 1/2 small red or white onion
- 1 small tomato thinly sliced
- 3 green chilies finely chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
Spice Mix
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
Mint Chutney
- 2 cups mint leaves
- 1 cup cilantro
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1 green chili
- 1 tbsp ginger chopped
- 1/2 small red onion chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Purée all of the mint chutney ingredients in a food processor or immersion blender. Set aside.
- Combine all of the spice mix together. Set aside.
- Spread a fairly heavy layer of the mint chutney across 2 slices of bread.
- Place the slices of onion on top of the bread. Season with a pinch of the spice mix.
- Place the slices of tomato on top the onions. Season the tomatoes with the spice mix.
- Place the cheese on top of the tomatoes. Place the other slices of bread on top.
- Melt 1 tbsp of the butter on a griddle or in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the sandwiches in the pan. Cook for 4 minutes.
- Melt the other tbsp of butter off to the side of the pan. Flip both sandwiches. Cook for another 4 minutes.
Masala Omelette
Masala Omelette
Masala omelettes are fast and easy to make if you’re in a hurry for a quick breakfast but have 10 minutes and don’t want to eat crap. You can make either 1 thick omelette or 3 thin ones with this recipe. Serve rolled up in paratha. Greek yogurt, lemon juice, or mint chutney are all great accompaniments to the omelette.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 1 small white onion finely chopped
- 1 small tomato finely chopped
- 2 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
- 1 bird’s eye green chili finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp ghee
Instructions
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. At this point, you can make 1 thick omelette or divide the egg mixture into 3 equal amounts to make really thin omelettes.
- For a thick omelette, cook for 3 minutes a side until lightly browned. For thin omelettes, cook for 1 minute a side.
- Serve and roll up in paratha. Squeeze the lemon juice over the omelette. I put a dollop of plain yogurt and more cilantro on mine.
