potatoes – Indian Culinary Center, NYC

Simple Chana (chickpeas) Masala

September 5, 2017Leave a comment

Chickpeas are a delicious and nutritious protein to add to your meals.

You can use dried chickpeas which I do often, or use the ones from a can – either is fine really as long as you cook with them.

Last weekend I had the yen for a traditional Indian breakfast which included these chickpeas, potato curry indianculinarycenternyc.wordpress.com/2017/01/18/quick-spicy-potato-curry/ and Kulchas (a bread which I will post the recipe for another time).

For the chickpeas:

2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1/8 tsp. ajwain**seeds (optional)

1/4 tsp. Nigella seeds

2 Tbs. Tamarind Paste or the Juice of 2 lemons/limes

2 green chilies, sliced (or 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper)

Salt to taste

2Tbs. ground coriander powder

1Tbs. cumin powder

Thinly sliced ginger and scallions for garnish

Heat the oil in a pan and add the nigella and ajwain seeds. Cook for about 20 seconds or until you smell their aroma and then add the washed and drained chickpeas. Add salt, cayenne or green chilies, cumin and coriander powder. Stir on high heat. Add the tamarind paste and a splash of water if the chickpeas are sticking.

Stir well and taste for seasoning. Add the lemon/lime juice in the end if not using the tamarind paste.

Garnish with sliced ginger and scallions.

Serve hot.

(Ajwain, ajowan (/ˈædʒəwɒn/) Trachyspermum ammi, also known as Ajwain caraway, bishop’s weed or carom, is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. It originated in India.

Until I cook again!

Quick Spicy Potato Curry

January 18, 2017September 5, 2017Leave a comment

This is my first post using my phone. Good luck to me. Sometimes Indian food gets a bad rap that it takes too long to cook. While that may be true for some dishes, this dish is an example that you can have dinner in 10 minutes. Yes you read me right – 10 minutes.

Last night we had an unexpected guest who stayed longer than I anticipated.

When he left, my choices were order pizza or make this dish.

Granted, I had the potatoes boiled – but you get my point- this is a damn quick cook, yet a wonderfully delicious and healthy recipe.

3 boiled idaho potatoes, diced

1 tbs black mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp ajwain seeds (carom) – optional – maybe hard to find

1/2 tsp nigella seeds (not to be confused with onion or sesame seeds, even though they might be nice here)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 dry chilies

5-6 curry leaves

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup yogurt, whipped

1 tbs vegetable oil

Heat the oil in a pot and add the whole spices and cover. In a couple minutes or less the mustard seeds will pop – hence the cover.
Add the potatoes, salt, turmeric, cayenne and curry leaves.

Stir to mix and to prevent the spices from burning.

Next add the yogurt and 1/2 cup of water.
Stir. Bring to boil and simmer

You have potato curry.
Now wasn’t that quick?

I hope you try it. It is great with rice or any indian breads like naan, roti or poories – recipes for which are on the blog.

I would love to hear from you if you try this or if you have any questions on indian cooking.

Until I cook again!

Spicy Ginger Carrot Soup

December 22, 20165 Comments

This is a very simple recipe that is really not a recipe. Rather a technique

There are not too many pictures here since I wasn’t planning a post on this.

When I put up this picture, I got a huge number of recipe requests on facebook.
I assume people who cook regularly would be able to figure out how to make a dish just by it’s description – apparently I am wrong.

So, here goes. The quantities are to be taken loosely

1 bunch of Carrots, peeled and cut in 1 inch chunks
1 inch piece Fresh ginger, cut into small cubes
1 onion, diced
1 potato, diced, optional
water or chicken/vegetable stock
salt and pepper
Cayenne (optional)
1 tbsp. olive oil
For garnish:
Once I used fresh arugula
Another time I topped the soup with tomato, onion relish and sardines

Heat a pot with the oil and add the onion with salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the ginger, carrots and potatoes. Saute for a few more minutes and add the stock or water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Remove from heat and use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree the soup.

Return to pot and reheat.
Taste for seasoning – add the cayenne if using.

You are free to use some heavy cream if you would like the soup to have a creamier texture.

Serve hot with the garnish of your choice.

You can use this technique to make any vegetable soup.
Saute an onion, the vegetable and a potato for thickness.
Flavor with ginger or garlic and add water or stock.
Cook and puree.

Until I cook again!

Quinoa with Potatoes and Fresh Spinach

December 19, 2016Leave a comment

The addition of quinoa is a relatively new thing in my diet. Now that I have discovered it, I use it often and quite enjoy it. It is akin to rice or pasta for me and it’s healthful benefits are just an added bonus.

This was a quick lunch dish I made a few days ago.

Saute an onion in some olive oil with thyme – you can use rosemary or any other herb. Herbs add a depth of flavor that I enjoy. Season with salt and pepper – I also added a healthy amount of cayenne for a kick – it is optional of course.

When the onions are translucent, I added a diced potato. You can add almost any vegetable of your choice. And obviously most meat options too like chicken or turkey.

Next add 2 cups of quinoa and cook with the vegetables for a couple minutes till it is very incorporated and a little browned.

Next add 4 cups of water or stock, bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cover for about twenty minutes.

When the water has evaporated, add the fresh spinach.

I like to add fresh garlic at this stage because I like the flavor of garlic to be pronounced. If you need it to be more mellow – you can add the garlic earlier.

And yes, I use a garlic press – deal 🙂

Stir well and let the spinach wilt a little.
Next, let the father serve himself and I like to squeeze some fresh lemon over the top which enhances the flavors.

I hope you try this and let me know what you think.

Until I cook again!

Hearty chicken stew with potatoes over Couscous

April 29, 20161 Comment

I love making one pot meals as you may have noticed from my previous posts and also hearty stews are so comforting. They are easy to make and soul satisfying to me.

This is a chicken stew I made in a rich tomato sauce with potatoes

Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper and sear on high heat till the chicken is golden brown. I throw in some fresh thyme while this is happening – you can use rosemary, oregano or almost any herb of your choice.

Because I am lazy or very smart – you decide – I make some room at the side of the pan and add a couple of table spoons of flour. I brown this for a few minutes until the flour is brown and cooked through. You might have to add a little oil to make sure this happens well.

Next, I add a cup or two of wine – red in this case since that’s what I was drinking. You can add white wine and or stock – even water works, I tell ya.

I also like to add tomato paste along with the flour for a deep rich color but I didn’t have any handy. The stew still came out well.

And if you get anything from my recipes – just know that they are suggestions and not the gospel – once you master some techniques, you can experiment. Don’t sweat or worse, not cook just because you don’t have one ingredient.

Sticking with the lazy or genius theme. I throw in a chopped onion or two and they will cook down just like you sauteed them in the beginning. At this time I like to add some more thyme and more salt and pepper.

Now for 6-8-10 cloves of garlic, crushed and a can of whole, peeled tomatoes, smushed up. Yes, that’s a word 🙂

After the garlic and tomatoes, I covered and simmered the chicken for about 30 minutes and then add the potatoes – cooking for another 20 minutes or until the potatoes and chicken is cooked through.

Next, taste the sauce for salt and adjust to taste.

Sometimes, I will add a few tbs. of wine which I don’t cook out – this gives the stew a unique flavor. Also a couple tbs. of vinegar can be nice in rounding out the flavors.

Serve this in one of many ways – as is with crusty bread, or over rice, pasta, couscous.

I like to make enough t so that I can eat it for a few days in different ways.

I hope you try this and other stews – they basically cook themselves and you get to look like the star in your kitchen.

Until I cook again!

A Simple Roast Chicken over Vegetables

April 11, 2016April 11, 20161 Comment

I have blogged about roast chicken before but I suppose some things can stand repetition.

A good roast chicken is a test of a good cook – it’s simplicity can stump some, but if you master roasting a chicken well – then the sky is the limit as far as the flavors of your dish.

Try to get the best chicken you can – free range from a butcher is great.

To truss or not to truss?

I will be honest, if the chicken comes trussed, I will leave it as it or else I won’t bother doing it myself.

There are arguments for both:

a trussed chicken holds its shape and looks good in presentation

but

an untrussed chicken browns more evenly.

I leave the choice up to you.

I like to put my chicken on a bed of vegetables, which allows them to cook at the same time as the chicken, get flavored by the chicken juices and I like to believe the chicken benefits in flavor by sitting on the vegetables too.

In this case I used potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and sweet peppers flavored with salt pepper and thyme.

You can use almost any vegetable you like.

And oh yes, I had asparagus which I put on top around the chicken so I could pull them off soon, so as to not over cook them.

I also had some mushrooms which I sauteed in a pan because I love caramelized mushrooms.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and place the chicken with the vegetables for about 30 minutes.

I like to add a cup of water in the bottom with the vegetables which prevents burning and also creates a nice sauce.

Lower the temperature to 350 and cook another 15 to 20 minutes or more – or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Let the chicken rest, for at least 15 minutes.

Sometimes I removes the chicken and add some mustard and wine to fortify the sauce.

Here is the cooked chicken and an addition of a general tbs. of dijon mustard.

Stir the mustard in and add a cup of wine and cook on open flame to evaporate the alcohol.

Taste for seasoning and season the chicken over the vegetables and drizzle the sauce over it.

Here is the finished dish – I did drizzle it with a little truffle oil.

Until I cook again!

Roast Chicken with Red Wine Sauce

March 22, 20161 Comment

I am going to start a quick dinner series starting today.

Even though most of my recipes and quick and simple, I would like to focus in getting in and out of the kitchen in about 30 minutes – don’t dare compare me to Rachel Ray – cause bad things will happen then.

Here is a one pot dish that was red in just over 30 minutes.

One thing to keep in mind when using simple and few ingredients is to get the best quality you can afford and find.

Here we have organic free range chicken thighs. Salt and pepper generously and sear on high heat in olive oil.

I throw in some thyme to flavor the oil and the chicken.

Brown on both sides.

Now cut the vegetable you want to use – I have potatoes, sweet potatoes, onion and garlic cloves.

Nestle the vegetables between the chicken and add a little more thyme leaves.

Since I wanted to create a sauce and my dad had a yen for coq au vin but he told me too late – I made the following adjustment.

Make a little space in the pan and add a tbs of flour. Cook well in the fat until brown and make sure there are no lumps by smoothing the flour with the back of your spoon.

Now add a cup of white or red wine and a cup of water.

Bring this to a boil and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through.

Taste sauce for season and serve hot.

I started the meal with a simple arugula salad and then the chicken.

One pot to wash and in and out of the kitchen within half an hour. Not a bad deal at all.

I hope you try this dish.

Until I cook again!

Grass Fed Lamb with Yogurt and Turkish Mint ( a fusion of cultures)

March 15, 2016March 15, 20162 Comments

My mom found a fancy store in the East Village that sells grass fed meat and so of course she had to buy some.

I decided to do a fusion of my favorite flavors and I have to say the result was quite superb.

First, I marinated the chops in mustard, green chilies and loads of garlic.

I put it in the refrigerator overnight.

Next day when I was ready to cook, I took out the marinated lamb an hour before to bring it to room temperature.

I seared it on high heat – and then added about a cup of red wine – just because I was drinking some 🙂

You can use stock or even water – any liquid to remove the brown bits in the pan.

Add a chopped onion and some more liquid.

Bring to boil and simmer over low heat about 45 minutes to an hour until the meat is almost tender.

Add the vegetables you like – root vegetables like turnips and rutabaga are great. I just had carrots and potatoes and so that’s what I used.

I simmered this for another 20 minutes.

I tasted the sauce and something was missing.

I added 3/4 of plain yogurt and a little vinegar.

That made the sauce tangy and delicious.

I served this over pearl couscous with a generous sprinkling of Turkish mint.

I try to buy the best meat that I can afford without hormones and grass fed is great too.

It tastes better and is of course better for us.

I hope you try this recipe and let me know what you think.

Until I cook again!

Happy Diwali

November 11, 2015November 11, 2015Leave a comment

What is Diwali?

In short and what it means to me:

Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs and some Buddhists^[14] to mark different historical events, stories or myths but they all symbolise the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, hope over despair.^[5]^[31]^[32]

The Yoga, Vedanta, and Samkhya schools of Hindu philosophy share the belief that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. The celebration of Diwali as the “victory of good over evil” refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one’s true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With this awakening comes compassion and the awareness of the oneness of all things, and knowledge overcomes ignorance. Diwali is the celebration of this inner light over spiritual darkness,^[33]^[34] knowledge over ignorance, right over wrong, good over evil.^[35]^[36]

If you want to know more :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali

My family celebrates with lighting a special candle (diya) after sundown and making an offering to Saraswati, the goddess of wealth and knowledge.

We then all dress up in our finest and enjoy a delicious vegetarian meal.

There might be pooris – fried bread with potatoes and chickpeas and other things like fritters.

https://indianculinarycenternyc.wordpress.com/2015/08/04/the-most-delicious-potatoes-ever-i-guarantee-it-aka-achaari-aloo/

Sweets are exchanged and people celebrate with fireworks.

Most households also buy things for the kitchen which inspires a flourishing family life and gold jewels for prosperity.

Whatever your beliefs, the idea of tradition, family, peace and good food should appeal to all.

Happy Diwali

THE MOST DELICIOUS POTATOES EVER – I guarantee it – AKA achaari aloo

August 4, 2015February 5, 20212 Comments

I learned to make these amazing potatoes over a decade ago from a friend of mine.

I make them at home every chance I get and have been teaching them in my cooking classes forever.

The word Achaar mean Indian pickle.

All the spices used in this dish are those that are added to Indian pickles – hence my name of Achaari Aloo – Aloo is potato.

Let me list the spices:

whole coriander seeds

fennel seeds

black mustard seeds

nigella seeds (kalongi)

fenugreek seeds (use sparingly or don’t use em at all)

cumin seeds

carom seeds (very few or leave out)

whole red chilies

mango powder (aamchoor)

turmeric powder

Heat up some oil and add all the spices except the mango powder and turmeric, and cook for a couple of minutes or until the black mustard seeds pop and you start to smell all the spices.

Get ready for your kitchen to smell yummy.

Next add some beaten yogurt along with the turmeric.

Stir and add water depending on the consistency that you are looking for.

Add salt at any point.

Now add boiled, cubed potatoes and stir well.

Add the mango powder and cook just until the potatoes are brought up to temperature.

Taste for salt. Add some cayenne pepper if the red chilies weren’t spicy enough.

I serve these with pooris (deep fried bread) which I will talk about in another post.

I sometimes mash the potatoes in the pot to create the look you see above. You do what you like.

Serve with rice, pita or anything you like really.

Please try these potatoes – they are amazingly simple and delicious.

Until I cook again!

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