My Indian Kitchen (20 page)

3 Add the chicken pieces with the marinade and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the water and cover. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Stir in the Home-Style Garam Masala and fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

Traditional Lamb Curry

Masala Gosth

I first ate this delicious lamb curry when visiting a friend’s home in northern India. My friend’s mom added a generous amount of green chili peppers to this dish, a taste I will never forget. Of course I have made this version milder, but feel free to increase the number of chili peppers if you prefer food spicy, like I do. Though this curry originated in the Muslim communities of northern India, it has become the centerpiece of celebration meals in many communities throughout India. I love the aromas of chunks of meat being slowly simmered in spices and yogurt until tender. I sometimes like to cook this recipe with beef or goat as a variation. (If using goat, you will need to cook it about 15 to 20 minutes longer than lamb to become tender.) Any way you make it, this curry is a glorious dish—in fact, it’s my “house” curry for parties and for carrying to potluck suppers along with stacks of Whole-Wheat Griddle Breads (page 136).

Serves 6

Prep time: 15 minutes plus 4 hours for marinating

Cook time: 30 minutes

3 red onions (about 1 lb/500 g), coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 tablespoon ground turmeric

11/2 cups (370 g) plain yogurt

2 teaspoons Home-Style Garam Masala (page 35)

3 teaspoons salt

2 lbs (1kg) boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) cubes

3 tablespoons oil

5 green cardamom pods

3 bay leaves

One 1-in (2.5-cm) cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon ground coriander

4 fresh green chili peppers, minced

1 tomato (about 1/3 lb/150 g), chopped

2 cups (500 ml) water

4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

1 Blend together the onions, Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, 1/2 cup (125 g) of the yogurt, Home-Style Garam Masala and salt in a blender or a food processor until a smooth paste forms.

2 Mix together the yogurt-onion mixture and lamb in a large bowl, making sure all the pieces are well coated with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator, at least 4 to 6 hours, preferably overnight.

3 Heat the oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon and cumin—the spices should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the ground coriander and the marinated lamb with the marinade. Stir-fry over high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook until most of the juices are dry, about 15 to 20 minutes. This process is called bhunao, which plays an important role in the taste of the finished dish.

4 Add the green chili peppers, tomato, water and the remaining 1 cup (245 g) of yogurt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lamb is tender and the sauce is thick, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot garnished with the chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Kerala Coconut Beef Eracchi Olathiyathu

While studying at a hotel school in India I worked with a talented Syrian cook from the northern part of Kerala, who shared this recipe with me. This is one of my dishes most requested by guests and friends. And I can understand why— I could sit and eat a pound of this tender flavorful meat with a chilled glass of summer ale. It’s perfect with Whole-Wheat Griddle Breads (page 136) or Baked Garlic Naan (page 134). The beef can be replaced with lamb for an equally delicious dish, but my favorite version is made with bone-in goat meat. If you make this dish with goat, you will need to allow extra time because goat takes about 15 to 20 minutes longer than lamb to cook and become tender.

Serves 4

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

4 tablespoons oil

11/2 cups (400 g) fresh or frozen thinly sliced coconut meat or shredded, unsweetened coconut (frozen, reconstituted dried, or freshly grated) (page 24)

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

One 1-in (2.5-cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic

1 onion (about 1/3 lb/150 g), coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

6 dried red chili peppers

4 whole cloves

11/4 to 1 1/2 lbs (600 g to 750 g) beef round, cubed

One 1-in (2.5-cm) piece cinnamon stick

10 black peppercorns

2 teaspoons salt

15 fresh or dried curry leaves

11/4 cups (300 ml) water

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

2 fresh green chili peppers, slit open lengthwise

1 Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the coconut and turmeric and fry for 1 minute until the coconut is slightly brown and crisp. Set aside.

2 Place the ginger, garlic, onion, coriander, dried red chili peppers and cloves in a food processor or a blender. Process the mixture to a smooth paste. Add a little water if necessary.

3 Mix together the beef with the ground spice paste, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, salt and 5 of the curry leaves in a heavy-bottomed saucepan,. Add the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the beef is tender and cooked.

4 Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and, when they start to pop, add the remaining 10 curry leaves and the fresh green chili peppers. Stir-fry for 1 minute and then add the cooked meat. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the beef mixture is very dry. Garnish with the fried coconut and serve hot.

NOTE ABOUT THE INGREDIENT

The crunch and the texture the sliced coconut meat makes this dish unbelievably delicious. It is worth the effort to get your hands on a fresh coconut and slice the meat into thin slivers because this is the highlight of the dish. Sometimes you get lucky enough to find frozen sliced coconut meat in Asian markets. Alternately, you can simply use grated fresh, frozen or dried coconut.

Spicy Lamb Burgers

These lamb burgers are inspired by the traditional lamb kebabs flavored with spices that I have eaten in Delhi, a capital city in northern India. I love the aromatic smell and complex flavor Indian kebabs and the classic American grilled burger. This is my way of incorporating the two. I often form these burgers into several mini burgers, or “sliders,” and serve them open face on store-bought naan bread or homemade Plain Naan (page 134). Whatever size you make them, they are great topped with Mint Chutney (page 39) or Plum Tomato Chutney with Mustard Seeds (page 38) and served with a chilled glass of your favorite beer.

Makes four 1/3-lb (150-g) burgers or sixteen 1 1/2-oz (40-g) sliders

Prep time: 15 minutes plus 1 hour to rest the patties

Cook time: 15 minutes

11/2 lbs (750 g) ground lamb

3 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and pounded

3 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted and pounded

1 teaspoon Home-Style Garam Masala (page 35)

4 tablespoons minced fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

2 fresh green chili peppers, minced

2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

Oil, for brushing the burgers

For sliders: 2 naan breads, homemade or store-bought, or 16 small buns

For burgers: 2 pita breads, cut in half to form 4 pockets, or 4 hamburger buns

Mint Chutney (page 39) or Plum Tomato Chutney with Mustard Seeds (page 38), for serving

1 Place all of the ingredients, except the oil and bread, in a large mixing bowl. Mix together well. With wet hands, mold the mixture into 4 equal-size patties or, to create sliders, 16 equal-size patties. Refrigerate the patties at least for 1 hour.

2 To cook the lamb patties on the stovetop: Preheat a grill pan over medium heat. Lightly brush the pan with oil or a nonstick pan spray. Cook the lamb patties for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium doneness, brushing with oil to prevent sticking.

3 To grill the lamb patties: Preheat the grill to high. Lightly oil the grate with oil—pour some oil onto a paper towel, then hold the towel with tongs to wipe the oil onto the grate. Place the lamb patties on the grill directly over the heat. Cook about 2 to 3 minutes per side for medium doneness, brushing with the oil to prevent sticking, turning once.

4 While the meat is cooking, prepare the bread. For sliders, cut each of the naan breads into 6 wedges. Toast the naan wedges on the grill. Serve the sliders on top of the naan or between small buns; serve1/4-lb (125-g) burgers stuffed into the pita pockets or sandwiched between hamburger buns.

TIP Do not press down on the patties with a spatula during cooking—this only squeezes out the juices and dries out the lamb.

Marinated Roast Leg of Lamb

Raan Masaledar

This spectacular-looking dish involves some time and planning ahead, so I save it for special occasions. Though this recipe involves a few more steps than most, it is actually very easy to prepare. The leg of lamb is scored to the bone with a sharp knife to allow a creamy, aromatic marinade to penetrate deep into the meat. It is then marinated for at least six to eight hours, and preferably overnight. Then a creamy, nutty and flavorful yogurt paste is applied to the skin to form a nice crusty exterior when roasted. Serve the leg of lamb with a side of potatoes and some green vegetables—my favorite side dish accompaniment is a simple combination of fresh sliced red onions, green peppers and tomato wedges tossed with lime juice and seasoned with salt.

Serves 6

Prep time: 20 minutes plus 6 to 8 hours for marinating

Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes

One 3 to 31/2-lb (1.5 to 1.6-kg) leg of lamb, trimmed of all visible fat

1 cup (100 g) blanched almonds, finely chopped

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

½ cup (125 g) plain yogurt

Marinade

1 cup (230 g) thick, Greek-style plain yogurt or sour cream

1 teaspoon ground green cardamom

1 small onion (about 1/4 lb/125 g), chopped

4 tablespoons minced garlic

One 1-in (2.5-cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

3 fresh green chili peppers, minced

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Salt, to taste

1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice

1 Score the leg of lamb with a sharp knife all around so that the marinade will penetrate.

2 Mix together the ingredients for the Marinade in a large bowl.

3 Using your hands, coat the lamb all over with half of the Marinade. Cover the lamb with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6 to 8 hours, preferably overnight. Cover the remaining Marinade and refrigerate it.

4 Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

5 Mix the reserved Marinade with the chopped almonds, brown sugar and 1/2 cup (125 g) plain yogurt.

6 Using your hands, crust the lamb all over with the almond mixture and transfer the lamb to a shallow roasting pan. Cover loosely with oiled aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the lamb is well cooked and the crust is browned. (When cooked, a thermometer inserted into the meat near to the bone will read 150°F/65°C.) For the best presentation, serve whole on a platter and carve the meat at the table.

Spicy and Fragrant Lamb Curry Aachari Gosht

This spicy lamb curry, served breads such as Fried Puffed Bread (page 138) or Whole-Wheat Griddle Breads (page 136), is perfect for cold winter evenings. It is one of a few Indian curries that I enjoy extra fiery; in fact, I usually double the amount of red chili peppers suggested in this recipe. If you don’t like curries particularly fiery, discard most of the seeds from the chili peppers; if you enjoy chili heat, use the chili peppers as is, seeds and all. After making the curry the first time you may decide you’d like to use more chili peppers, like I do, but for the first time around, I suggest using the suggested amount. You can either use lamb or goat stewing meat for this dish. Goat takes about 15 to 20 minutes longer than lamb to cook and become tender.

Serves 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic

One 1/2-in (1.25-cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled

5 dried red chili peppers

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 teaspoons coriander seeds 2 tablespoons oil

2 onions (about 3/4 lb/350 g), sliced

2 lbs (1 kg) boneless leg or shoulder of lamb, cut into 1-in (2.5-cm) cubes

1 teaspoon Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons ground coriander

2 tablespoons ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon Home-Style Garam Masala (page 35)

2 cups (500 ml) water

2 teaspoons salt

2 tomatoes (about 3/4 lb/350 g), chopped

4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), for garnish

1 Place the garlic, ginger, dried red chili peppers, fennel seeds and coriander seeds in a blender and process to a paste.

2 Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions turn golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Sear the meat in the hot skillet while stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.

3 Stir in the spice paste, Asian chili powder or cayenne pepper, ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, and Home-Style Garam Masala and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat. Pour the water into the mixture, a little at a time, stirring after each addition, until you have a rich, thick sauce. This process is called bhunao, which plays an important role in the taste of the finished dish.