Curried Chicken Salad

All the tasty ingredients!

This chicken salad is the bomb. I was inspired by a curried chicken salad I had years ago in Chicago at a restaurant/non-profit called First Slice. They have a small restaurant that also serves food to homeless people and others who are experiencing hard times.

The chicken salad there was delicious, but it took me this long to get around to recreating it. The addition of yogurt helps keep the salad from being to sweet and also harkens back to cooked curries, where yogurt is a frequent ingredient. This is really a simple salad to through together and is great to take on picnics, make sandwiches with, or just to snack on plain. I made it a few weeks ago when my partner's folks were in town - we went to the everglades and picnicked - and they really loved it.

Enjoy!

Curried Chicken Salad
3 cooked Chicken Breasts chopped
4 Carrots grated
3 Celery Sticks chopped
4-5 teaspoons Curry Powder
1/2 - 3/4 cup dried Cranberries
3/4 cup Greek Yogurt
3/4 cup Miracle Whip
Salt
Pepper

Sprinkle raw chicken breasts with salt and pepper and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until chicken is done. Once chicken is done, chill the chicken breasts and then chop them up.

Ingredients assembled

Mix together the chopped up chicken with the carrots, celery, curry powder, cranberries, yogurt, and miracle whip.

Finished product on a sandwich

Store the chicken salad in the fridge and spread on your sandwiches at will. Makes about 8-10 sandwiches.

Sweet Potato Curry with Spinach

This is my first go at a sweet potato curry. I am having a dinner party this weekend and decided that a sweet potato curry sounded good, but never having made one or had one I thought a trial run was in order. The time was right tonight and I was very pleased with the results. I do think I will be tweaking this recipe a little but the basics will stay the same.

This curry was very savory and also sweet (due to the sweet potatoes) and not at all spicy. The cinnamon and cardamoms came through powerfully; providing a unique balance of flavors with the curry mix I used.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Curry with Spinach
3 Sweet Potatoes cubed
1 Onion finely chopped
1 package Fresh Spinach
2/3 cup Coconut Milk
Broth (approx 1 cup)
2 teaspoons Madras Curry Powder
2 Brown Cardamoms
1 stick Cinnamon
4 Cloves
2 teaspoons Garlic
1 teaspoon grated Ginger
Salt to taste
1-2 tablespoons Butter
In a large skillet over medium heat melt butter and then add in the cardamoms, cinnamon stick, and cloves.

this is what they look like while frying

Fry for about two minutes to release the flavors of the spices (the fat in the butter helps to fully release the spices) and then add in the onions and saute for about four minutes before adding in the garlic and ginger.

Once the garlic and ginger are in the pan saute for another two minutes then transfer to a larger pot and sprinkle with the curry powder and salt. Put sweet potatoes in the large pot with just enough broth to cover the bottom of the pan and about half the coconut milk as well; cook, covered, over medium low heat for about 15 minutes then check and add in more broth if needed and the rest of the coconut milk. Continue to cook for about 10 more minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft and some have started breaking down, making a sort of soupy puree with the broth and coconut milk.

Add in the fresh spinach once the potatoes are fully cooked and stir for about one minute, then pull off of heat (the spinach just needs to wilt slightly).

Let cool for a few minutes then serve over rice, with naan bread or by itself.

Serves about 3-4 people

Balti Mixed Vegetables

Tasty healthiness!

These mixed vegetables are based on a recipe from my trusty Indian cookbook, Complete Indian Cooking, and they are the best. If you add in a can of chick peas this could easily be made into a main dish. This is not a spicy recipe, the flavors are actually pretty mild, more on the savory and slightly sour side from the lemon.

I like to make these when I have some veggies I need to use up and am short on time. Also, if I am running low on cash this is a pretty cheap meal and works quite well using frozen vegetables or fresh ones. And this is a very healthy recipe, that, with the addition of chick peas, is filling as well.

Spices all blended together

Enjoy!

Balti Mixed Vegetables
1 Onion diced
1 tablespoon minced Garlic
1 1/2 inch long piece Ginger chopped fine
1 1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder
2 teaspoons Coriander
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
2 teaspoons Curry Powder
1 1/2 lb (approx) Vegetables (I used Zucchini, Squash, Potatoes, Carrots, and Green Peas) chopped in small pieces 
2-3 Tomatoes diced
4 tablespoons Lemon Juice
Oil
Heat large frying pan with a little oil on medium heat; once pan has heated put in onions and saute for a few minutes then add in the garlic, ginger, spices, and chopped up vegetables; saute for about 2 minutes then add in the tomatoes and lemon juice and cook covered on medium-low for about 15 more minutes until vegetables are tender but not mushy. (I had to transfer everything into a pot once I had sauteed it for a few minutes because my skillet wasn't big enough). Serves 4-6 depending on whether you make it a main dish or not.

Creamed Broccoli Curry Casserole

Just Out of the Oven

I had a lot of broccoli I needed to use up last night and, fortuitously, I remembered having a really delicious casserole at a party a couple of days ago that contained said ingredient. I called the woman who made it and got the recipe: this casserole is based on that recipe, with modifications based on what I had available. I substituted potatoes for cauliflower, sour cream for mayo, and cream of chicken soup for mushroom. My point being that you can generally substitute or leave out quite a few things, if you put a little thought into it, without sacrificing flavor.

The casserole turned out great! Very rich and creamy. Enjoy.

Creamed Broccoli Curry Casserole
2-3 Bunches Fresh Broccoli (or one 12 oz. Frozen Broccoli) chopped
4-6 Carrots cut into sticks
2-3 Potatoes cubed
1 10 oz can Cream of Mushroom Soup (or other cream soup)
4-6 oz. Parmesan Cheese (or italian cheese blend)
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons Sour Cream (Mayonnaise)
2 tablespoons Curry Powder
Salt
Pepper
Croutons
Briefly steam broccoli, carrots, and potatoes (for about 5 minutes); drain any excess water. Put vegetables and potatoes in a baking dish and mix in the soup, cheese, butter, sour cream, curry powder, salt, and pepper. Bake for about 40 minutes at 350 then put croutons on top and sprinkle with more cheese if desired and bake for another 15 minutes.

Curried Turkey, Peas and Garbanzo Beans

So Good!

This is one of the first curries I ever made and I love it. Very healthy and satisfying. The sweetness of the coconut milk pairs so well with the turkey and the green peas. This is pretty quick to throw together since the only thing you need to chop are the onions.

Also, if you wanted to make this without meat I would recommend adding in another can of garbanzo beans and another onion. Adding in some potatoes might be good too. Experiment! Have fun!

Curried Turkey, Peas, and Garbanzo Beans
1.2 lb ground Turkey or chicken (can use beef)
1 Onion chopped
2 tablespoons Madras Curry Powder
4 whole Cloves
4 whole Cardamom
10 oz. bag (approx.) Frozen peas (can use more if you wish)
15 oz can Garbanzo beans (don't drain)
1 15 oz. can Coconut milk (can use half a can if you wish, the sauce will just be thicker)
Salt to taste (no more than a 1 tea)
2-3 cups Cooked Rice
Sauté chopped onion in a skillet until onions are almost clear and onion is slightly caramelized; as the onion is finishing sautéing add in cardamom and cloves and cook for one minute before adding ground turkey and curry to the pan. Cook until turkey is done. Add garbanzo beans, peas, and coconut milk to pan. Salt to taste. Simmer until all ingredients are hot and the sauce has thickened (approximately 20 minutes). Serve over rice if desired. Serves about 4-6.

Curried Carrot Raisin Cuscus

I originally made this with chicken but realized it wasn't really necessary to have the extra protein for this meal to come out just fine. This is a great meal to throw together when you are short on time or tired, it only takes about 15 or 20 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to bake. Made it tonight since I was feeling under the weather and wanted something quick and wholesome on the table. 

This is not a spicy curry (provided you don't use a spicy curry powder), it is very much a savory dish with a pleasant sweetness from the coconut milk and raisins. As far a curry powders go, there a huge variety, especially if you go to an indian-american store that specializes in those products. Your basic curry spice that you get at an american grocery is going to be not spicy most likely, because it is marketed to please more sensitive palettes. If you can get to a store that sells a variety of curries and masala spices I would recommend it because there is a lot of variation in the spice composition of these spice blends. All curries are not the same! The curry powder I am using right now is called Madras curry powder and the brand name is Parivar. 

The Curry I use

Curried Carrot Raisin Cuscus

Cuscus

1/2-2/3 cup Raisins

1 box Cuscus

2 cups Chicken or vegetable broth

Boil raisins in broth and add Cuscus. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes as per package direction.

Other filling

1 15 oz can Chickpeas

4 carrots grated

1 onion chopped roughly

1 cup Coconut milk

1 1/2 teaspoon Ginger

4 teaspoons Curry

salt

pepper

Saute onion and carrots with a little olive oil and sprinkle spices on. Grease a 13x9 inch pan with olive oil and toss cuscus mixture, sautéed onions and carrots, chickpeas, and coconut milk together. Add in more spice to taste if necessary. Cook at 350 for 20 minutes or until heated through. Makes about 4-6 servings depending on how hungry people are.

Bangalore Chicken Curry

I realize this kind of looks questionable but I assure you it tastes amazing

So I have finally found some part-time work, about three weeks ago actually, which is awesome but also means I don't have as much time to cook things. Luckily, today is one of my days off so I am free to cook to my heart's content. Currently there is a meat pie !!! in the oven, which I am far too excited about because I've never made one before and it looks so yummy! I will definitely post the recipe if it turns out to taste as good as I think it will.

Right now I want to share a chicken curry recipe that I modified from one of my favorite cookbooks, "Complete Indian Cooking." If you want a cookbook that will teach you all of the basic dishes in Indian cooking, accompanied by beautiful photos of every dish than this is the book for you. I seriously recommend it! I bought mine a few years ago because my boyfriend really loves Indian food and I wanted to learn how to make it; after using this cookbook for a couple of years I am now confident enough to try my hand at inventing Indian recipes on my own as well as making additions/alterations to existing recipes. All a sign of a good teaching tool.

Anyhow back to the recipe. This curry is so good. The coconut gives the curry such a rich finish. It is a perfect curry for someone who isn't really into spicy food because it is very mellow but still full of flavor. 

Enjoy making this!

Bangalore Chicken Curry

3 tabl. Olive Oil

2 Onions - Sliced

1-2 tabl. Minced Garlic

2 teas. Curry Powder

1 1/2 teas. Dhana Jeera (3/4 teas coriander and cumin)

3-4 Serrano Peppers (seeded and chopped fine)

2 lb (approx.) Chicken Breasts cut into large pieces

3/4 cup Chicken broth

1 1/4 cup Coconut Milk (unsweetened)

1 teas. Salt

Fry onions and peppers in oil over medium high heat for about 5 minutes then add in the garlic and other spices (including salt) and fry for another 5-10 minutes or so (until onions start to soften and caramelize). Put the chicken in the frying pan and turn to coat with the juices/spice mixture in the pan then add in the chicken broth and coconut milk. Continue to cook on low to medium heat, gently simmering the chicken in the sauce for about 30-40 minutes or until chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened. Serve over rice or with bread. 

Fresh Green Bean Tomato Curry

I was at the grocery store the other day and green beans, squash, and zucchini were all on sale. I took that as a sign that I should combine all of those delicious veggies into a dish and came up with this simple curry which you could serve as a side dish or as a meal if you made some rice or naan bread. I based this off of a tamatar aloo recipe I remembered making years ago that called for lemon juice because I thought that the citrus of the lemon would compliment the green beans. I was right, this turned out pleasantly spicy with a hint of citrus for an extra bite. 

This is also a vegan recipe so it is great to serve is you are trying out meatless cooking or if you have been vegan/vegetarian for a while. 

Enjoy cooking! 

Fresh Green Bean Tomato Curry

1 ½ -2 cups Fresh Green Beans

1 15 oz. can Diced Tomatoes

2 medium Zucchini diced

2-3 medium Summer Squash sliced

1 Onion cut into strips

2 tabl. Pav Bhaji Masala (spice blended for vegetables. You can substitute another curry/masala if you wish)

1 ½ teas. Turmeric

This is what the spice blend I used looked like

2-3 tabl. Lemon Juice

Salt to taste

Olive Oil

Saute the zucchini and squash together on high heat with some of the masala spice until they are just starting to brown and soften, then set aside (about 5-7 minutes). Saute onions and green beans together with the rest of the masala and the turmeric until onions start to turn transparent, then add in the tomatoes and the zucchini/squash with the lemon juice and continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes or until the vegetables are as soft as you would like them to be. Serve with bread or rice as an accompaniment. 

Mango Paneer Curry

Some of the fresh ingredients used

It looks odd close-up but it tastes so good!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of cooking for a group of people, as I had company for dinner and so I decided to make this curry. Normally I use chicken but I have been wanting to experiment with paneer (a type of cheese used in Indian cooking) and one of my guests was vegetarian so I went ahead and stopped by this adorable Indian Grocery and picked some up.

While I was there the lady running the store recommended a spice mix for the paneer curry that did not disappoint, it was spicy, a little sweet, and savory all at the same time and worked great paired with the mango and other ingredients. I absolutely love this meal! Have fun making this!

Mango Paneer Curry

14 oz. Paneer (fresh cheese) diced

1 Green Pepper diced fine

1 Red Pepper diced fine

1 Onion diced fine

3 Tomatoes diced fine

2-3 Mangoes diced fine

5 Thai or Serrano Peppers – seeded and finely chopped

1 15oz. can Coconut Milk

1 package (1.76 oz) Paneer Tika Mix (Rasoi Magic Brand is the one I used)*

2-4 tsp. Garam Masala powder

4-5 whole Cardamom

4-5 whole Cloves

Basmati Rice

Heat frying pan to medium high and brown paneer on both sides (you don't have to use oil to brown but I spritzed on the pan). Meanwhile chop up onions, mangoes, tomatoes, bell peppers, and Serrano peppers. Remove paneer from pan and put in onions, bell peppers, and Serrano peppers. Sauté until browned and sticking to bottom of skillet and then put in tomatoes and mangoes. Sauté for a while until tomatoes start to break down (about 10-15 minutes). Meanwhile mix together coconut milk and paneer tika mix and pour into skillet. Add in paneer and cook on low until the flavors are blended together. Serve over Basmati rice. 

This also tastes good with a sweet Riesling wine as an accompaniment.  

*This is what the packaging looks like: http://www.rasoimagic.com/paneer_tikka.html