Chettinad Chicken Curry

There are many curry bases for chicken, seafood, and mutton in Indian cuisine. Every region has its own unique twist based on the local spices and technique. Some have evolved over time while others have been influenced by travelers and culture shift.
Chettinad chicken curry is a fiery and vibrant Tamil delicacy and very true to its roots. This culinary delight gets high marks for spiciness and is not for the faint-hearted.

Chettinad Cuisine hails from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu, India and is renowned for its spicy vibrant curries with complex yet perfectly balanced flavor. The fiery gravy that forms the base for these curries is made with a combination of a few fresh ingredients and freshly ground local spices.
Chettinad masala is a fiery delicious blend of spices and a key ingredient in many dishes from the Chettinad Cuisine. It is loaded with red chilies and coconut and earthy spices like cumin, coriander, fennel, cinnamon along with some local spices like star anise and kalpasi. The distinct aroma of freshly ground spices that engulfs the air while making this blend is enough to make me drool.

I usually serve this chicken curry with plain steamed rice or roti, a side of cabbage and carrot stir-fry dish and a cup of buttermilk to tone down the heat. The mild taste of the accompaniments compliments the fierceness of this curry.

I keep the spice level high in my curries. If your spice threshold is different then use a few less dry red chilies. Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days or refrigerate. Use this masala to make chicken, fish, shrimp or lamb curry. Vegetarians and vegans can use it for vegetable stir-fries or veggie curry using tofu or potato or eggplant etc.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
2 lbs chicken thighs (boneless skinless)
3 tbsp oil
¼ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp mustard seeds
2-3 bay leaves
2 medium onions, chopped fine
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
3 medium tomatoes, crushed
1 tbsp tomato paste
5 tbsp Chettinad masala (recipe here)
Salt to taste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Fresh coriander to serve

1. Clean and dry the chicken and cut them into 2X2 inch pieces. 
2. Prepare Chettinad masala according to the recipe.
3. Season the chicken with some salt and about 5 tbsp of Chettinad masala. Refrigerate till ready to cook. You can marinate the chicken for about 4-8 hours. 
4. Heat oil in a pan on medium high. Add cumin and mustard seeds and let them roast for a few seconds. 
5. Add the bay leaves and chopped onions. Saute for a few minutes till pink. Add the ginger garlic paste and continue cooking till onions turn golden brown. 
6. Now add the tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for a few minutes. Add the marinated chicken, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Remember chicken is already seasoned so use salt accordingly. 
7. Continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes on medium high stirring often. Add a ¼ to ⅓ cup of water and mix well. Cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes till chicken is cooked through. Adjust the amount of gravy as desired (by either adding more water or boiling off excess liquid).
8. Serve hot garnished with chopped fresh coriander and plain rice or roti. 

Cabbage carrot stir-fry
Ingredients:
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
2 large carrots, grated
1-inch ginger, grated
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp each cumin and mustard seeds
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
Red chili pepper to taste
Fresh coriander, chopped

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin and mustard seeds. Let them crackle for a few seconds.
2. Add cabbage, carrots, and ginger. Mix.
3. Add all the dry spices and mix well. Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of water and mix well again.
4. Simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes till a little tender. Sprinkle some freshly chopped coriander and serve hot. 

Chicken Avocado salad

LUNCH OPTIONS

A multi-colored rainbow salad that is as beautiful as its delicious. It has fruit, some crunchy nuts and it has the whole rainbow of colorful veggies. To top it off there is the perfect sweet and tangy homemade honey mustard dressing.

Here is a standard formula for assembling a main course salad.
Always start a salad with mixed greens. Top it with several different ingredients both crisp and smooth. Think red, orange, yellow and green veggies. Put in some fresh fruit, citrus or sweet. Add some crunch with nuts (walnuts, almonds, seeds) and dried fruit (apricots, cranberries, raisins, figs). To make it filling throw in some grilled protein - chicken, fish, tofu or even beans taste wonderful. I use the salad dressing as a marinade for the chicken. Drizzle with a dressing of your choice and serve. You can customize almost anything here. Whatever you have at hand usually works well.

Superdelicious. Works for both lunch or dinner.

Chicken avocado salad 
Grilled chicken
Roasted corn
Avocado
Cucumber
Red pepper
Kiwi
Red onion
Mixed lettuce greens
Walnuts and cranberries
Honey mustard poppyseed dressing 
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 tsp poppy seeds

Root vegetable soup with chicken

Chunky root vegetables, slow cooked in flavorful broth and served with grilled chicken chunks on top. This simple cold weather soup is nutritious, filling and packed with flavor. Earthy red potatoes, sweet yams and sweet potatoes, carrots, leeks and parsnips all go in the broth. I also like to add eddos (although they are not technically root veggies). Eddos cook faster than the other vegetables, so add them midway in the cooking process. You can add parsnips, turnips, rutabaga and any other root vegetables you like. The robust flavor comes from garlic, onion, thyme and ginger. Make it vegetarian by omitting chicken. I love to serve this for Sunday brunch.

Root veggie soup (serves 5-6)
Ingredients: 

3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red onion, chopped
1/2 inch ginger grated (optional)
6 cups chicken/vegetable broth
3 red potatoes
3-4 eddos
2 sweet potatoes
2 yams
1 parsnip
2-3 large carrots
1 stalk leek
2 tsp dry thyme
Freshly cracked black pepper
Salt to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
Fresh coriander to serve

1. Peel yams, sweet potatoes, parsnips and carrots. 
2. Dice all the veggies into large chunks. Chop leeks fine. 
3. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot at medium heat. Add minced garlic, onion and ginger. Saute for a few seconds till onion turns pink. 
4. Add all other veggies (except eddos if using) and mix well. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. 
5. Add stock and turn up the heat to high. Bring the soup to a rolling boil. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. 
6. Stir the contents and add eddos. bring to a boil again and then simmer covered for 10-15 minutes till everything is cooked through. 
7. Serve hot with/or without grilled chicken garnished with fresh coriander.

Grilled chicken
Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dry thyme
Freshly cracked black pepper
Salt to taste
Olive oil

1. Mix garlic, thyme, pepper and salt together and use it to season the chicken. 
2. Drizzle with olive oil and grill at 350 F for 20 minutes till cooked through. 
3. Remove from oven and let rest covered for a few minutes before slicing into small chunks. 
4. Serve over the soup.

Spaghetti squash lasagna

Its pumpkin and squash season and so I had to make these awesome tasting boats. This recipe uses spaghetti squash and has all of your favorite lasagna flavors without all of the carbs.

These lasagna style boats takes the basic components of lasagna - the spaghetti sauce and cheese and stuffs them into the squash, which essentially replaces the spaghetti pasta. Once roasted the spaghetti squash can be fluffed up to long strands, just like the spaghetti pasta. Replacing the pasta with the squash helps cut carbs in half, boost the fiber content, and packs lots of vegetables into each serving.

For stuffing, make your choice of pasta sauce - choose from vegetable, chicken, turkey. I made these using ground chicken. You can also use your choice of cheese. I used feta, as that is our family fave. Choose from Parmesan, mozzarella, sharp cheddar, ricotta or Romano.
If you can find small sized squash then each half will be a good portion size per person. Otherwise 2 squashes can serve 4-6 persons generously.

Ingredients:

For the roasted squash

2 small spaghetti squash, cut in half and seeded

1 tbsp oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Feta cheese 

Fresh basil, chopped

For the tomato sauce/meat sauce (recipe here)

Choose your option of spaghetti sauce from the basic tomato, meat or vegetable sauce. 

1. Roasting the squash:  Preheat oven to 400 F. Brush the inner flesh of the spaghetti squash with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place, cut side down, on lightly greased baking sheet. Roast for about 30 - 40 min until flesh is easily pierced. 
2. Make the spaghetti sauce: While the squash is roasting, prepare your choice of spaghetti sauce. (recipe here)
3. Cooking the lasagna boats: Using a fork, gently scrape and fluff up some of the inside of each spaghetti squash half. Divide the sauce between them and top with cheese. Bake at 400 F for 10-15 minutes till flavors blend. Then broil until the cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes. 
4. Serve hot garnished with fresh basil.

Variations: 

1. Use ground beef, Italian sausage, ground chicken or ground turkey in your meat sauce.
2. Use your choice of cheese (Parmesan, mozzarella, sharp cheddar or Romano) instead of feta cheese. 
3. Instead of making the sauce from scratch, use your favorite marinara or other tomato sauce.
4. Instead of stuffing the squash shells, bake it casserole-style in a baking dish. Layer cooked spaghetti squash strands with the pasta sauce and cheese. Continue building the layers, ending with cheese. Bake until bubbly.

Bacon maple burger

We have been indulging in a series of delicious burgers inspired by the flavors of different cuisines. The lamb burgers inspired by Greek flavors, Thai chicken burger, meatball sub with Italian roots, Harissa chicken burgers (Moroccan condiments), Mexican burger complete with all the fix ins and many more. Last week my daughter asked me, why haven't we had a Canadian burger yet? as in you live in Canada so ??? Hmmm...So here is an ode to a few ingredients that are unique to Canada, in a burger.
This unique and awesome burger recipe is easy and eh! so Canadian - a subtle hint of maple in the chicken patty, crisp Canadian back bacon, few shavings of Quebec's treasured Oka cheese and a drizzle of super delish maple Dijon sauce.

Maple bacon chicken burger
To serve:
4 burger buns
4 Chicken patties (recipe below)
4 Canadian back bacon slices
Few shavings of Oka
Maple Dijon sauce (recipe below)
Tomato slices and onion rings
Lettuce leaves
Pickled jalapeno rings(optional)
Fries on the side

1. Chicken patty-Mix all the following ingredients together and shape into 4 patties.1 lb mince chicken, 2-3 cloves garlic finely minced, 1 bunch green onion finely chopped , 1 tsp real maple syrup, 1/4 tsp dry rosemary, salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 15 minutes and then grill till cooked through.
2. Cook bacon till crisp. I have used regular bacon instead of back bacon as I had this one at hand. But I highly recommend using the Canadian back bacon if you can find it in your grocery store. 
3. Maple-Dijon Sauce-Whisk together 1 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 tbsp Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp mustard (old fashioned grainy), 1 tbsp real maple syrup, 1 tsp hot sauce (Tabasco, Sriracha). Keep aside (refrigerate) till ready to serve.
4. Place the grilled chicken patty on the bun and top with lettuce, tomato and onion rings.
5. Place a crisply cooked strip of bacon and top it with shavings of Oka cheese.
6. Drizzle maple Dijon sauce on top and close the burger with the top bun. 
7. Serve with hot crisp fries and your favorite Canadian beer (Labatt blue, Molson Canadian, Alexander Keith's, Budweiser to name a few).

Tequila lime chicken tacos

It is always great fun to cook with alcohol and this tequila lime marinade is super flavorful and super quick to make. You can play around with the ingredients to change the flavor profile as per your taste. The fresh ingredients in the marinade - jalapeños and coriander, give the green summer feel. Tequila lime chicken is a very versatile ingredient to have at hand. You can use it in tacos, burritos, sandwiches and it goes great as a topping for those lunch salads or light meals.
Olive and tomato salsa gets a briny boost from the olives and the red cabbage slaw gives a color boost to the tacos. All together wrapped inside a crisp corn tortilla - a quick and easy delish taco meal.

Tequila lime chicken Tacos
Ingredients: (serves 4)
8 small corn tortillas
Tequila lime chicken, sliced
Red cabbage slaw (Recipe below)
Tomato olive salsa (Recipe below)
Shredded cheese (optional)
Jalapeno pepper rings

1. Warm the tortillas till lightly crisp
2.  Pile on chicken strips, slaw and salsa on the tortilla
3.  Top with cheese and jalapeno pepper rings. Serve hot.

Tequila lime chicken
Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast
Juice and zest of 1 lime
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp tequila
1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 jalapeno pepper chopped
3 cloves garlic, grated
4-5 stalks of fresh coriander

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend to form a smooth marinade.
2. Pound the chicken breasts to an even 1/2-inch thickness. You can do this in a zip-lock bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap. This helps tenderizes the meat and ensures it cooks evenly.
3. Marinate the chicken breasts in the prepared marinade for a minimum of 4 hours.
4. Grill on medium high till cooked through.
5. Rest covered for 10 minutes. Slice and keep aside till ready to serve.

 Red Cabbage slaw
Ingredients: 
1/4 medium red cabbage
2 small carrots
1/2 medium red Onion
Handful fresh coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large clove of garlic, grated fine
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1-2 tbsp olive oil

1. Core and shred the cabbage fine and chop coriander. Grate carrots and thinly julienne red onions. Toss together.
2. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, lime juice and zest, garlic, salt and pepper.
3. Add the dressing to the veggies and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

Fresh tomato and olive salsa
Ingredients: 

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped coriander
1 small jalapeno pepper, chopped fine
1 garlic minced
5-6 green pitted olives, chopped
Salt and pepper
Juice and zest of 1 lime

1. In a large bowl, toss together all ingredients. 
2. Let sit for 30 minutes to blend flavors. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Jerk chicken skewers

Tonight's Menu

Jerk chicken skewers
Grilled pineapple slices

Veggie kebabs

Cilantro lime rice

Jerk style of cooking means Jamaican BBQ. Traditionally chicken and pork are cooked with the jerk seasoning which gets its distinctive taste from allspice and scotch bonnet peppers. Jerk seasoning could be made as a dry rub or a wet marinade and uses several spices as listed below. Traditionally Jerk meat was cooked in smoked pit fires imparting a distinctive smokey taste. Over time this technique evolved and oil barrels were used as smokers to save time.

You can use jerk seasoning to marinate any kind of meat. The longer the meat sits in the marinade the better it tastes. If using fish marinate only for 15-20 minutes. For chicken I recommend a minimum of 4 hours.
Serve the jerk chicken kebabs on lime cilantro rice. The addition of fresh herbs and lime zest really makes the rice aromatic and taste awesome. Add some seasonal grilled veggies flavored with mint and some grilled pineapple for that tropical feel. 

Jerk chicken skewers

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)

Marinade

1 small onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic

2 scotch bonnet peppers (or less as per your spice quotient)

1 stalk green onion, chopped

1 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp allspice

1 tsp dry thyme

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp sugar

salt and black pepper to taste

1. Take all the ingredients for marinade in a food processor and blend to form a smooth paste. Add a splash of rum (optional) and mix well.
2. Cut the chicken thighs into small bite sized pieces and pour the marinade over them. Mix well and cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. 
3. If you are using wooden skewers then soak them for an hour before threading the marinated chicken into them. 
4. Grill on medium high till all cooked through. Serve hot over rice alongside grilled veggies and pineapple. 

Grilled Vegetables and pineapple

Ingredients:

Veggies of your choice. I used
Yellow zucchini
Mushrooms
Peppers
Cherry tomatoes

1. Cut the veggies into chunky pieces. 
2. Marinate them in a concoction of olive oil, lemon juice, pinch salt and pepper, dry mint and dry oregano. 
3. Thread these on to the skewers and grill on high till tender crisp. 
4. Grill chunky pineapple slices on the hot grill and serve alongside the vegetables. 

Cilantro lime rice

Ingredients:

2 cup white rice
4 cups water
Salt to taste
Handful cilantro, finely chopped
1 tbsp lime zest
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp olive oil

1. Wash and drain the rice.
2. Place in a saucepan and add all the other ingredients. Stir to mix well.
3. Cook till water comes to a rolling boil. Simmer and the cook covered for 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff up with a fork. Keep covered till ready to serve.
4. Microwave method - Put all the ingredients in a large microwave safe dish. Make sure the dish is large enough so that the starchy liquid  does not to boil over. Cook on high uncovered for 16-18 minutes. (These guidelines are for a 1000 watt Microwave, so cooking time can vary). Remove from heat and fluff up with a fork. Keep covered till ready to serve.

Peri Peri chicken

Tonight's Menu

Piri Piri Chicken

Portuguese Rice

Piri piri is an African bird's eye chili that has been growing wild in Africa for centuries and is now cultivated commercially in Zambia, Uganda, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. Way back in the 15th century, the Portuguese explorers were introduced to the Bird’s Eye Chili growing under the warm sun in the rich soils of Africa. This was a spice so nice, it had to be named twice. Piri piri is the Swahili word for 'pepper pepper'. These hot and sweet peppers are the inspiration for this spice mix. 

Piri piri chicken is a smoky spicy dish with a multitude of flavor. Its complex spiciness is a result of using, sweet, hot and smoked peppers all in one. Serve it alongside the Portuguese rice and a green salad to complete the meal.

Piri Piri Chicken

Ingredients: (serves 4-5)

4 chicken breasts

Peri peri spice mix (recipe)

1 T olive oil

1 T lime juice

1. Clean and pat dry the chicken breasts. Season well with salt.
2. Preheat grill or oven to 400 F.
3. Make a paste of peri-peri spice mix (quantity as desired) with olive oil and lime juice. Use this as a rub for the chicken breasts. You can add additional olive oil if you are using a lot of the spice mix.
4. Place the marinated chicken breasts on a greased baking sheet.
5. Grill for about 20 minutes, flipping side midway till an internal temperature of 165 - 170 F is achieved. 
6. Remove from heat and let rest covered for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. 

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Portuguese Rice

Ingredients: (serves 4-5)

1 1/2 cup rice

3 cups water

1 1/2 cups tomato

1 small red onion

2-3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

1. Chop onion, garlic and tomato. 
2. Wash and drain the rice. 
3. Heat oil in a pan and add onion and garlic. Cook for a few minutes till translucent.
4. Add the tomatoes and salt and stir well. Let cook on medium for 2-3 minutes till tomatoes start to break down. 
5. Add the rice and stir to combine all the flavors of the pan into the rice grains. 
6. Add water and bring to boil. Simmer covered for 15-20 minutes till all the water is absorbed and rice is cooked through. Serve hot.

Chicken Roganjosh

Kokur Rogan josh (chicken curry) is an aromatic dish from the beautiful valley of Kashmir in India. This recipe comes from the Hindu Brahmin community or pundits of Kashmir though there is a definite Mughal influence in the Kashmiri cuisine.
The color and a gentle heat in this dish is contributed by the addition of Kashmiri chili powder and sweet paprika. This curry is different from all others as it has none of the herbs and spices you associate with Indian curries-- onion, fresh ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric. Chicken is braised in yogurt and loads of aromatic spices. The bold flavors and aroma are imparted by fennel, ginger powder, black cardamom and asafoetida.
You will enjoy this one for its subtlety and complexity of flavor and undoubtedly aroma. Serve with naan or saffron rice and a green vegetable.

Ingredients:(serves 4)
2 lbs chicken thighs
1 1/2 cup yogurt
4-5 cloves
2 inch stick cinnamon
3 black cardamoms
2-3 bay leaves
1/4 cup oil
salt to taste
pinch Asefoetida
2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 cup water
2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp whole fennel ground to powder in a spice mill or mortar and pestle
few strands saffron mixed in 2 tsp warm milk
1/2 tsp garam masala

1. Season the chicken with salt and keep aside while you get the other ingredients ready.
2. In a pan heat oil and add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves. Roast for 30 seconds and add the asafoetida and seasoned chicken. Cook on high for a minute or two till the chicken pieces have acquired some flavor from the whole spices.
3. Add the chili powders and mix well so that the chicken gets a distinct red color.
4. Add yogurt and cook for about 7-10 minutes on medium high heat. Stir frequently to prevent the contents from burning. As most of the liquid evaporates and you see the oil separating from the side of the chicken. 
5. At this point add the ginger and fennel powder.
6. Mix well and add water. Adjust seasoning. 
7. Bring to boil, simmer covered for about 10 minutes till chicken is cooked through. Adjust    consistency by boiling off excess liquid (if required).
8. Add the saffron and garam masala and make sure the sauce is thick and silky. Serve hot, garnished with chopped fresh coriander.   

Chicken parmesan

Breaded chicken breasts, moist and juicy on the inside and crisp on the outside, baked with thick luscious flavorful tomato sauce bubbling underneath, topped with mozzarella and parmigiano-reggiano.
Created in America, this mouth watering dish has Italian roots and is a derivation of its cousin Melanzana alla Parmigiana, or Eggplant Parmesan. It is usually served over a bed of spaghetti with a side of greens. I sometimes serve it on a rustic toasted kaiser for a delectable sandwich.

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large eggs
1 cups panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 tsp dry thyme
Vegetable oil
Olive oil
4 cups basic tomato sauce (recipe)
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (optional)
Spaghetti pasta to serve
Fresh Parsely to garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying it lightly with oil. 
2. Slice the chicken breast horizontally to get two thinner cutlets. Season these with salt and pepper. Dust with flour to coat evenly on both sides. Tap off any excess flour.
3. In a large bowl combine panko, Parmigiano-Reggiano and thyme. In a separate bowl crack open the egg, add 2-3 tbsp milk and beat till yolk and white are combined. 
4. Dip the coated chicken cutlets in egg mixture and then dredge them in the panko mixture. Press down to ensure even coating. 
5. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan to a smoking high heat. Add the chicken breasts and sear both sides for a minute each till lightly golden. Do not over crowd the pan. Do this in batches. 
6. Place the seared chicken on the baking sheet, drizzle with some olive oil and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, till it reaches an internal temperature of 160 F. Remove from the oven.
7. Pour half the tomato sauce evenly in a casserole dish. Place the cooked chicken breasts carefully on the sauce. Spoon the rest of the sauce on the chicken, sprinkle with mozzerella cheese and top with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano if you want. 
8. Bake again till the sauce is bubbly and cheese has melted and turned lightly golden brown. this may take another 15 minutes.  
9. Serve over a bed of spaghetti sprinkled with fresh parsley OR inside a toasted kaiser bun sprinkled with red pepper flakes. 

Punjabi non veg thali

Tonight's Menu

Lassi

Lamb Korma 

Butter Chicken

Fish Amritsari 

Kachumber Raita

Roomali Roti 

Jeera Rice 

Laccha pyaz with mint chutney 

Red Chili Pickle

Gulab Jamun

Punjab - the land of five rivers, the land of endless fields of lush greens tipped with golden yellow flowers, the land which nurtured sufi poets like Baba Farid, Bulhe Shah, and Waris Shah, the land that houses the undiscovered secrets of Indus Valley civilizations.

Punjab - the home of tandoor and a remarkably robust cuisine that is richly influenced by its many invaders from Alexander (Greek) to Nadir Shah (Persian) to Sher Shah (Afghan) to Babar (Mughals).
Punjabi cuisine reflects an abundance of fruits and vegetables, milk and butter, wheat and a multitude of spices. A simple thali will have a combination of vegetables and lentils served with ghee or butter spread over plain roti accompanied by raita and onions split open by smashing with a fist.

Traditionally meat dishes were prepared by men, specially on holidays or special occasions. This here is a collection of a variety of non - veg dishes that can be served together as a delightful meal complete with starter and dessert.

Lamb Korma
Korma is usually made by marinating the meat in yogurt flavored with garlic and other dry spices. This softens the meat and incorporates the flavor deep within. The marinated meat is then cooked with lots of onions, tomato and whole dry spices. Korma can be mild or hot depending on the desired heat level,achieved by addition of green chilies and/or red chili powder.
For recipe click here.



Butter Chicken
Butter chicken or makhani murg is a rich creamy Chicken curry from northern India. Among the best known Indian dishes all over the world butter chicken has its roots in the Punjabi cuisine. The rich rose colored gravy can be made hot or mild to suit every palate.
For recipe click here.





Amritsari Fish
Named after its city of origin, fish Amritsari is a popular street food always served with a sprinkle of lime juice. This dish calls for frying the fish but you can grill it as well. Use any firm fish for this recipe which does not fall apart while grilling. Cook small pieces as starters or a full fillet as the main dish.
For recipe click here.

Kachumbar raita
Mixed salad chopped to small bite sized chunks in creamy plain yogurt, flavored with salt and dry roasted crushed cumin. An excellent accompaniment to any spicy main dish as a cooling agent. Serve this with biryani, curried chicken and lamb, with any grilled meat and veggies, with stuffed paratha's and poori.
For recipe click here.

Jeera (cumin) Rice 
This preparation is simple and complements all intense flavored curry dishes. Take one cup of basmati rice and two cups of water. Heat a 2 teaspoons of oil in a saucepan and add 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds. Sizzle for 10 seconds and add the rice and water. Season with salt if desired (I usually omit the salt) and bring to a rolling boil. Simmer and cook covered for 7-10 minutes till all water is absorbed and rice is fully cooked. emove from heat and fluff with fork. Serve hot.


Onions in mint sauce
Sliced, thin onion rings  with mint coriander chutney is an appetizing accompaniment to any grilled and BBQ meats. Adds texture and flavor with a burst of freshness from the fresh herbs in the chutney.
For mint chutney recipe go here.







Red chili pickle
Rings of hot Thai red chilies immersed in olive oil and a concoction of spices that are lightly toasted and coarsely pounded gives this beautiful pickle flavors that explode in the mouth like fireworks. For the recipe click here.










References:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Punjab---The-Land-Of-Five-Rivers&id=403626

Prashad cooking with Indian masters

Methi chicken

Tender pieces of chicken are cooked in a creamy earthy sauce, flavored with fresh methi (fenugreek) leaves to create this wonderful dish. The creamy consistency is obtained purely with plain yogurt and its tangy sourness balances beautifully with the slight bitterness of methi. In an attempt to make a healthy version, I have used very little oil for frying the masala (details in the recipe below).

Methi is available in many forms - fresh, dried herb, seeds, etc. This delicious green leafy vegetable is a rich reservoir of medicinal properties. Read more about its health benefits here.

I use both dry methi and fresh methi in this recipe. Both add their own flavor. If you cannot find fresh methi then substitute 1 cup fresh methi for 1/4 -1/3 cup kasoori methi. Re-hydrate by soaking in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain, squeeze and proceed with the recipe. You can also use frozen methi. Make sure to defrost and drain the water away before adding it to the dish. Either way this recipe is a keeper. Serve with roti and a heap of kachumber salad (bite sized pieces of onion, cucumber, tomato, grated carrot, radish squeezed with lime juice.)

Ingredients: (serves 4)
8 chicken thighs, whole or quartered
Marinate chicken for 4 hours in
1 cup plain yogurt, lightly beaten
1 tbsp Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves), lightly dry roasted and palm crushed
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
Grind together to a smooth paste
1 onion
4-5 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
3-5 green chilies
For the gravy
2 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 inch cinnamon
2-3 cloves
2-3 green cardamoms
2 tsp coriander powder
1 cup fresh methi, rinsed and roughly chopped
1/2 - 3/4 cup water (depending on desired consistency)
Fresh coriander leaves for garnish

1. You can use either boneless or bone-in chicken for this recipe. Marinate the chicken in the ingredients listed under marinade, for a minimum of 4 hours.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cumin, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Let these roast in oil for 15 seconds till cumin turns golden. Add the ground onion paste. 
3. Cook stirring constantly till paste turns light brown. If the concoction starts to burn you have two options - one, add more oil and reduce heat a bit and continue cooking; two, sprinkle a little water and reduce heat a bit and continue cooking. The water method works really well and since we don't want the onion to brown too much, I opted for this reduced fat option. 
4. After the onion paste is roasted, add fresh methi and cook till all the leaves wilt. Add the marinated chicken along with the yogurt and mix well. Add coriander powder and water and bring to boil.
5. Simmer and cook covered for 10-15 minutes till chicken is cooked through. Check for salt and consistency. If its too dry then add a bit of water, if too runny then boil off some.
6. Sprinkle with fresh chopped coriander and serve hot with tava roti and salad.

Chicken Bites

Spicy chicken bites served in a big platter for a crowd

Spicy chicken bites are perfect little bite sized morsels, fit for a cocktail party or as a starter. These tender juicy bites are marinated in a concoction of spices and fried till crisp. Then coated with a spicy, sweet and sour sauce to give it the shiny gloss. A great dish to make ahead. Just pop it in the oven when ready to serve and heat till the bites sizzle a bit. Serve with onion rings and green chilies or accompanied by mint sauce. I prefer to use boneless chicken thighs for this recipe.

Spicy chicken bites served in small individual appetizer plates. 

Ingredients:
10 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)
Oil for frying
Grind to a coarse paste
1 inch piece fresh ginger
5-6 large cloves of garlic
2-3 green chilies
Palm full fresh coriander
Marinade
1 tbsp thick plain yogurt
3 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp rice flour
1 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp sambal
1/4 tsp cumin powder
salt to taste
Sweet and sour sauce
1 tsp oil
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp Chili garlic sauce (I used Sriracha sauce)
1 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate

1. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.
2. Coarsely grind all the ingredients listed under 'Grind to a coarse paste' using very little water. 
3. Add all the ingredients under marinade to the above paste to form a smooth red marinade. You can add a few drops of red color if you like, but I find that using the Kashmiri chili powder does the trick.  
4. Marinate the chicken pieces in this mixture and keep aside for 5-10 minutes. 
5. Shallow fry the marinated chicken on medium high for 3-4 minutes per side, till cooked through and crisp from outside. Do not over crowd the pan. Fry in batches. Remove and keep aside.
6. Now use the ingredients listed under sauce. Using the same pan, remove all but a tsp oil. Saute ginger garlic paste for 30-40 seconds until fragrant, then add all the other ingredients and bring to a rolling boil. 
7. Boil for a few seconds to allow everything to combine well and the sauce to become slightly syrupy. Add the fried chicken bites and toss well to coat. Check the seasoning here adjust as per your taste. 
8. Serve hot with onion rings and mint chutney.

Waldorf salad

Tonight's menu

Waldorf salad

Grilled Cajun-spiced chicken breast

Biscuits

Waldorf Salad with Cajun chicken and warm garlic biscuits

The first Waldorf Salad was created by Oscar Tschirky, the maitre d'hotel of the New York's legendary Waldorf Astoria in 1893. It may be more than a century old, but it is still the most requested dish in their menu. This timeless American classic dish consists of apples, celery, and grapes dressed in a creamy dressing and topped with candied walnuts. It was originally dressed in mayonnaise but has since undergone some transformation to make it more modern, light and refreshing. Be sure to add it to your menu, you will be delighted with the combination of textures and flavors. Here is how I make this salad.

Waldorf Salad

Waldorf Salad
Ingredients: 

1 medium red apple

1 small green apple
1/2 cup grapes
1 stalk celery
Handful toasted walnuts or pecans

Dressing
1 tbsp mayonnaise or sour cream
3 tbsp plain yogurt

Freshly grated pepper
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt to taste (optional)

1. Whisk together all the ingredients for dressing. Keep aside.
2. Lightly toast the nuts in a skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until lightly browned and aromatic (2-3 minutes), keep aside.
3. Dice or julienne the apples, dice the celery and cut the grapes in half. Put these in a large bowl along with half the toasted walnuts. 
4. Add the dressing and stir to coat. Serve topped with the remaining nuts.

Cheddar garlic biscuits
A type of quick bread, these savory biscuits are easy and quick to make. Just scoop the batter onto a baking sheet and bake them till they are crispy and golden on the outside and soft inside. Cheese and herbs add a whole lot of flavor making then delicious and addicting. 
Find this recipe here. 

Variations:

1. Add cooked chicken to make it a chicken Waldorf salad.
2. Serve on a warm tortilla as a lunch wrap.  

Chicken lettuce wraps

Biting into a lettuce wrap for the first time is a treat for the taste buds. Cool crisp lettuce gives way to hot chicken filling that is bursting with flavors of ginger and garlic and crunchiness of chestnuts. Ready in 20 minutes, these wraps can be served for lunch or as appetizers. Wrap the filling inside tortillas to make chicken wraps or serve them over hot steamed rice. Super healthy and a treat for your palate.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 lb ground chicken
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 can water chestnuts, drained and diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp soy sauce

1-2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp hot sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 carrot, grated
Bunch of green onions, thinly sliced
Boston lettuce leaves to serve

1. Heat sesame oil in a large frying pan over medium-high. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a few seconds. Add minced chicken. 
2. Cook stirring often with a fork to keep meat crumbly, cooking until meat is no longer pink, about 2-3 min. 
3. Add mushrooms and water chestnuts. Cook for 2 min. Add grated carrots and green onion. Cook stirring often for a minute.
4. In a small bowl whisk together broth with soy sauce, vinegar, hot sauce, honey and cornstarch in a medium bowl until cornstarch dissolves. Add to chicken mixture. Cook on high until sauce is slightly thickened, about 1-2 min. Remove from heat. 
5. Feel free to adjust the flavor here by adding more hot sauce and or honey to get the desired result. 
6. Scoop a heaping chunk of the filling onto each lettuce leaf and serve. Can also serve this over steamed rice or as a filling for a wrap.

Teriyaki Chicken skewers

Tonight's menu

Teriyaki chicken skewers

Rice noodle and veggie stir fry
Wine pairing: Sauvignon Blanc OR Riesling

Teriyaki chicken skewers on a bed of veggie rice noodles

The teriyaki technique of cooking involves grilling food with a glaze of soy sauce, mirin and sugar. The meat is dipped in and brushed with the teriyaki sauce several times during cooking. Doing so gives an intense flavor to the food and a shiny lustrous coating of the caramelized sugar.

The fresh flavors of ginger-garlic  and the sweet acidity of mirin combine in the teriyaki sauce to perfectly flavor any grilled meat or fish. Mirin is a Japanese sweet rice wine that lends mild acidity and sweetness to a dish. If you cannot find mirin then increase the quantity of sugar and rice vinegar to 1/4 cup each.

Teriyaki sauce / marinade
Ingredients: (1 cup yield)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup white or brown sugar
1/8 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup mirin (or 1/8 cup each sugar and rice vinegar)
1/2 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger root, minced
1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1-2 tbsp water

1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan except corn starch. Stir the mixture over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and sauce starts to reach a simmer.
2. Add the corn starch mixture while stirring to avoid any lumps.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until slightly thickened.
4. If the sauce becomes too thick, add some boiling water.
5. Cool.

Teriyaki chicken skewers on a bed of veggie rice noodles

Teriyaki chicken
Ingredients: (serves 4)
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Salt and pepper (Salt is Optional)
6-8 tbsp Teriyaki marinade (Recipe above)

1. If you are using wooden skewers, soak them for 30 minutes before threading in the chicken.
2. Clean and dry the chicken thighs. Cut each into 4 pieces.
3. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Remember that the marinade is also salty.
4. Marinate these in the teriyaki marinade for 2 hours. 
5. Preheat the BBQ. 
6. Skewer the marinated chicken and reserve the leftover marinade for basting. 
7. Spray the chicken with some oil. Grill them on medium heat turning occasionally. Baste the chicken with the reserved marinade once or twice while cooking.
8. Grill for 12-15 minutes, till cooked through and evenly charred on all sides. Since the marinade has sugar, avoid cooking on high as the outside will char too much before the chicken cooks through.
9. Serve hot over veggies and rice noodles stir fry. 

Teriyaki chicken skewers on a bed of veggie rice noodles

Vegetable and rice noodles stir fry
Ingredients: (serves 6)
1 lb thick rice noodles
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp Canola oil
2-3 cloves garlic crushed
2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 red pepper cut in thin strips
1 large carrot julienne
1/2 small head green cabbage, finely shredded
1 bunch green onion, chopped fine
1/2 red onion thinly sliced
Soy sauce
Rice wine vinegar
Sriracha hot sauce

1. Cook noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain and wash with cold water, drain again and toss in a tbsp of canola oil to ensure that the noodles do't stick together. Keep aside.
2. In a large wok take 1 tbsp Canola oil and add ginger, garlic and chilies  Fry for a minute till pink and add all the vegetables. Stir fry at high heat till render crisp. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Stir in the cooked noodles and toss to coat evenly with the sauteed veggies. Put back to heat and cook for a minute to heat through. Flavor with say sauce, rice vinegar and any hot sauce of your choice. 
4. Serve hot topped with teriyaki chicken skewers.

Thanksgiving Feast 2

Tonight's Menu

Roasted chicken breast

Stuffed tomatoes

Roasted spaghetti squash

Grilled asparagus

Orange spiked cranberry sauce

Hot apple cider

Apple cake

Wine pairing: Pinot Noir, Chianti or Zinfandel 

Roast chicken breast with spaghetti squash, stuffed tomatoes, grilled asparagus and cranberry sauce

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night.

For health and food,

For love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

For flowers that bloom about our feet,

For tender grass, so fresh so sweet,

For song of birds and hum of bees,

For all things fair we hear or see,

Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thanksgiving, an opportunity to give thanks for everything good in our lives, celebrate nature’s bounty, and enjoy a big meal with family and friends. Here's what we had for thanksgiving this year.

Stuffed tomatoes and grilled asparagus

Stuffed Tomatoes
The soft creaminess of ricotta and crispness of Italian breadcrumbs combine to give a unique texture.You get more than just great flavor and juiciness when tomatoes are at their peak of ripeness, you get a huge helping of vitamin A and vitamin C.
Ingredients: (serves 4)

4 medium tomatoes on the vine

salt to taste

4 tbsp of ricotta cheese

cracked black pepper

2 tbsp Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp chopped fresh parsley

olive oil to brush

1. Cut tomatoes in half. Gently squeeze out the tomato pulp without damaging the shell.
2. Season the tomato shell with salt and pepper.
3. In a bowl combine ricotta cheese and some of the tomato pulp along with salt and pepper. Remember the tomatoes are already seasoned. Fill up the tomato shells with this mixture.
4. In another bowl combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley and pepper, sprinkle evenly over the stuffed tomatoes.
5. Brush the tomatoes carefully with some olive oil and place them on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
6. Grill on high for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Serve hot.  

Roasted spaghetti squash 

Roasted spaghetti squash

Ingredients: 

1 medium sized spaghetti squash
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Herb butter (recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 
2. Half and seed squash. Place, cut side down, on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for about 45 min to an hour or until flesh is easily pierced. 
3. (Alternatively, microwave, flesh side up and covered with plastic wrap, at High for 15 minutes or until easily pierced.) 
4. Using a fork, gently scrape cooked strands from squash and transfer to a large bowl.
5. Pour the prepared herb butter over squash, add grated cheese and toss. Serve hot.

Herb Butter 
3 tbsp butter
1-2 large cloves of garlic, minced
Salt to taste
2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (sage, basil or thyme)
Freshly grated black pepper
In small saucepan, over medium-low heat melt butter and add garlic and salt. Cook for a few minutes till garlic starts to turn golden. Remove from heat; stir in herbs and pepper.

Roast Chicken breast
Ingredients:
4 medium sized chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
3-4 tsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking dish with foil.
2. Brush both sides of each chicken breast with olive oil, and sprinkle with the seasonings.
3. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Turn and lightly brush again and bake for 10-15 more minutes, or until juices run clear when pierced with a fork. 
4. Make a small slit in the thickest part to see if it's done (white and opaque, not pink.). The best way to make sure they are done is to insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part. It should read 165 F.
5. Adjust your time if the chicken breasts are smaller or larger. 
6. Transfer the baked chicken breasts to a platter. Loosely cover with foil and allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Orange spiked cranberry sauce

Orange spiked cranberry sauce

Ingredients: 

3 cups fresh cranberries

¾ cup sugar 

½ inch ginger grated 

Zest and juice of 1 orange 

pinch salt 

1. Put the juice of one orange in a measuring cup and top with water until you have 3/4 cup liquid in total. 
2. Place sugar and orange - water mixture in a pan. 
3. Add the cranberries, ginger and salt and bring to boil. 
4. Cook stirring occasionally on medium heat till thickened and most of the cranberries have popped, about 7-10 minutes. 
5. Cool completely before serving. 
6. Keeps well covered, refrigerated for a week. 

Apple cake
This one is a lot of fruit and a little bit of cake batter. Makes for a very light dish. Its a quick recipe and can be made anytime. A perfect dish for when apples are in abundance.

Apples and cranberries

Ingredients: 
6 granny smith apples peeled cored and sliced
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup oil
5 Tbs apple juice
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbs ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 F 
2. Arrange apples in a greased baking dish. 
3. Sprinkle over them evenly half the spice mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon. 
4. Meanwhile in a mixing bowl beat till thick and fluffy eggs and sugar. 
5. Add oil, apple juice and vanilla extract and mix. 
6. To this batter add in batches mixture of flour, baking powder and salt to make a smooth batter. 
7. Pour this batter evenly over the apples and sprinkle with remaining spice mixture. 
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes till done, ie. when the cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. 
9. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Apple cake