1,000 Indian Recipes (246 page)

1 teaspoon ground black cumin seeds

1 teaspoon garam masala

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teaspoon ground ginger

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teaspoon ground green cardamom seeds

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1
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pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1
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-inch pieces

1 teaspoon saffron threads

2 tablespoons lowfat milk

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves

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teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste

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cup
dry-roasted
sliced almonds

1.
Prepare the yogurt cheese. Then, in a large bowl, mix together the cheese, yogurt, oil, onion, green chile pepper, raw almonds, cumin, garam masala, ginger, cardamom, and salt. Add the chicken and mix well, making sure all the pieces are well-coated with the marinade. Cover and marinate at least 4 and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

2.
When ready to cook, in a small bowl, mix the saffron and milk and set aside about 30 minutes. Place the chicken and all the marinade in a medium nonstick skillet or saucepan, cover, and cook, stirring once or twice, over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes. Uncover the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and continue to cook, stirring as needed, until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the almonds.

3.
Reduce the heat to low, add the saffron-milk and the mint leaves. Cover the pan again and cook another 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Remove to a serving dish, sprinkle the black pepper on top, garnish with the roasted almonds, and serve.

Cashew and Poppy Seed Chicken Curry

Kaaju aur Khus-Khus ka Murgh

Makes 4 to 6 servings

A rich and highly flavorful curry (especially if you add the cream), this preparation is made on special occasions, when its aroma makes a statement. Good on its own, it is also outstanding with
naans
(leavened oven-baked breads), to soak up the luscious sauce.

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cup coarsely chopped raw cashews

2 teaspoons white poppy seeds

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cup hot water

Seeds from 10 green cardamom pods

2 large cloves garlic

6 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

3 scallions, coarsely chopped

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1 to 2 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

2 tablespoons olive oil

1
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teaspoons cumin seeds

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teaspoon coarsely ground fenugreek seeds

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teaspoon coarsely ground black peppers

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1
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pounds chicken tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces

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cup heavy cream or water

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cup
dry-roasted
cashew halves

1.
Soak the cashews and poppy seeds in hot water, about 1 hour. Transfer to a blender, add the cardamom seeds, garlic, ginger, scallions, cilantro, green chile peppers, and yogurt, and blend to make as smooth as possible, about 1 minute.

2.
Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the cumin, fenugreek, and black pepper; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the coriander, garam masala, salt, and chicken. Cook, stirring, until the chicken is golden, about 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl and keep warm.

3.
To the same pan, add the cashew-yogurt mixture and cook over high heat, stirring as needed, until most of the juices evaporate and the mixture becomes highly fragrant, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, roast the cashew halves.

4.
Add the chicken to the pan, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook about 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Adjust salt, if you wish. Add the cream (or water) and boil a few minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the roasted cashew halves, and serve.

South Indian Coconut Chicken Curry

South ka Nariyal Murgh

Makes 4 to 6 servings

With a mild and delicate sauce, this basic coconut chicken curry from southern India is served with simple steamed
basmati
rice.

1 cup
Coconut Milk
(or store-bought)

2 tablespoons peanut oil

4 whole dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol

1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced

10 to 12 fresh curry leaves, minced

2 tablespoons peeled minced fresh ginger

2 large cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, minced with seeds

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cup grated fresh or 2 tablespoons dried shredded unsweetened coconut

1
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to 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces

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teaspoon ground turmeric

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teaspoon ground asafoetida

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Chopped cilantro

Freshly ground black pepper

1.
Prepare the coconut milk. Then, heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook the red chile peppers and onion, stirring, until well-browned, about 5 minutes.

2.
Add the curry leaves, ginger, garlic, green chile peppers, and coconut and stir about 1 minute. Add the chicken, turmeric, asafoetida, and salt and cook, stirring and turning the pieces, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

3.
Add the coconut milk, cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken absorbs all the flavors and is tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, top with cilantro and black pepper, and serve.

Almond Chicken in Coconut Milk Sauce

Badaam-Nariyal Doodh ka Murgh

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Here is a recipe from my cousin Sunita Chopra's southern California kitchen. Sunita does something very interesting: She mixes chickpea flour, almonds, and coconut milk—a very unusual marinade combination, but certainly one that makes delicious chicken. Try it with
chapatis
(whole-wheat griddle breads) or over a
basmati
rice
pullao
(pilaf).

1 cup
Coconut Milk
(or store-bought)

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon chickpea flour

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teaspoon ground cinnamon

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teaspoon ground cloves

6 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

2 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

20 to 25 shelled raw almonds, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 (2
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- to 3-pound) chicken, skinned and cut into serving pieces (discard the back and wings)

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cup sliced raw almonds

2 tablespoons small raisins

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves

1.
Prepare the coconut milk. Then, in a small food processor, process together the onion, chickpea flour, cinnamon, and cloves until smooth. Remove to a bowl, then process together the ginger, garlic, green chile peppers, chopped almonds, 1 tablespoon oil, and salt to make a smooth paste.

2.
Place the chicken in a large non-reactive bowl. Add the ginger-garlic-almond paste and mix well, making sure all the pieces are well-coated with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate at least 4 and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.

3.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium heat and cook the sliced almonds and raisins, stirring, until the almonds are golden, about 1 minute. Drain well and remove to a bowl.

4.
To the same oil, add the marinated chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the onion paste, then add the yogurt, a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent it from curdling. Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and cook, stirring once or twice, until the yogurt is absorbed, about 15 minutes.