Monday, September 7, 2009

Time for some curry

So today I was trying to decide what to make this week.  I have several leftover dishes, and we pretty much count on having zattar and feta(1) at least once a week, so I only needed one new meal. Perusing my cookbook shelf, I noticed a book I didn't recognize, pictured to the right (and available from Amazon). I have a few that I picked up at various book fairs, but I remember most of them. It's possible it was abandoned here by one of our former housemates(2); regardless, I'm glad I found it. I thumbed through it and selected a Delhi chicken curry and a sweet rice pullao.

The thing I really love about this cookbook is the organization. Indian cooking often involves spices and ingredients being added with only a couple of minutes of cook time between additions, so mise en place is critical.  This book actually lists the ingredients in the sidebar of the page listed as "Bowl 1", Bowl 2", etc., so that in the recipe itself a step can simply say "Now add bowl 2 and stir for 2 minutes." This lets you not have to think about which things go together when you're in the middle of it, and has the advantage (for me at least) of letting me do the prep, then clean everything while the pan is heating, so that only the bowls and pots have to cleaned afterward.

Delhi Chicken Curry (Delhi Murgh Tarkari)
10-12 pieces of chicken, either all thighs or half thighs, half drumsticks
1 1/4 cup chicken stock

Bowl 1: 1 large onion (sliced), 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
Bowl 2: 4 cloves, 4 cardamom pods, 1 one inch cinnamon stick, 2 two inch pieces of ginger (peeled and sliced)
Bowl 3: 1 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp cumin
Bowl 4: juice of two lemons, 4 tbsp tomato paste
Bowl 5: 1 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper

In a heavy pan, sear the chicken in about 4 tbsp vegetable oil then set aside.  Using the same oil, cook Bowl 1 for 5 minutes or until the onions are nicely carmelized. Add Bowl 2 and cook for 2-4 minutes. Add Bowl 3 and cook for 2 minutes stirring continuously to prevent the spices from burning onto the pan. Add Bowl 4 and stir well to make a sauce, then add the chicken back and stir to coat. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer gently for 35-50 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Stir in Bowl 5 and mix well, and let sit for 1-2 minutes to blend flavors.

Spiced Pullao Rice (Mushallar Pullao)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 1/4 cup rice
1 tsp salt

Bowl 1: 1 clove garlic (thinly sliced), 10 cloves, 10 cardamom pods, 3 one inch cinnamon sticks
Bowl 2: 2/3 cup golden raisins, 1/3 cup slivered almonds

Cook the onion in vegetable oil until soft and starting to turn golden. Add Bowl 1 and cook gently for 1-2 minutes. Add the rice and mix well so that the rice is well coated with oil and spices. Add the salt and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed. In a small pan cook Bowl 2 in 2 tbsp oil for 1-2 minutes, then stir into the rice.


This was the first actual curry I've ever made, and I'm impressed at how well it came out. My only complaint is that I thought it was pretty mild. On the other hand, Dorothy thought it was pretty much perfect, while  (as I expected) Alex found it too spicy for her 12 year old palate. I may up the ginger and maybe the chili just a touch next time. Also, Dorothy doesn't really care for the texture of dark meat, so next time I may try using strips of breast meat instead.

The rice had a lovely sweet and crunchy texture from the raisins and almonds, and the onion was so well combined I actually forgot it was in there. I initially served the rice and the curry separately, worried that the sweetness of the raisins wouldn't go well with the curry.  Turns out it worked really well, and we ended up just combining the rice and curry together into one dish.

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(1) We discovered zattar at a Palestinian restaurant and have since discovered our local arabic restaurant/grocery serves it and sells it. We put it on pita or naan with olive oil and feta or mozzarella and heat it in the toaster oven. Yumm!

(2) And if you happen to be one of those former housemates and wish to lay claim to this book, feel free to contact me to discuss ransom terms.

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