I absolutely love Indian food. One dish in particular, tandoori chicken, is a must-order every time. I had some spare buttermilk after I made chocolate cupcakes and decided that what better way to use up the leftovers than to make tandoori chicken? Technically, you're suppose to use yogurt, but if buttermilk is good enough for fried chicken, it should be a suitable substitute! In this frigid weather, nothing like a mouthful of spiciness to ward off the chills.
Recipe
2 pounds chicken breast
1 lemon
1 red onion
1 green pepper
2 inch segment of ginger
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons cayenne powder (optional)
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons turmeric
2 tablespoons garam masala
salt and pepper to taste
I love hot and spicy food, but sometimes, even my taste buds need some respite from the relentless attack fiery heat. When I need relief, I turn to raita, a delicious blend of yogurt and cucumber. Raita is super versatile -- you can eat this stuff straight up as a salad, add a few spoonfuls to hot Indian fare, or even use it on baked salmon to add a bit of tang and moisture to the fish. Without further ado, I present raita...
Recipe
4-5 cups of thick yogurt
6 sprigs of mint
1 lemon
1 English cucumber
quarter of an onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
I'm one of those people that love veggies that people generally dislike -- brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage... basically, any ingredient that is sure to put a deep wrinkle on a child's brow, I probably love. Well, now that we're adults, our taste buds probably (hopefully?) learned to appreciate the things that aren't cookies or buttered noodles. I had aloo gobi and instantly fell in love with the aggressive spices and the subtle sweetness of the cauliflower. For those of you that still stick up your nose at cauliflower, find someone that likes it so you can cherry-pick the the creamy chunks of potatoes guilt-free. Over a plate of basmati rice, there's nothing more satisfying during the winter.
Recipe
1 head of cauliflower
6 medium sized red potatoes
1 jalapeño
2 inch segment ginger
1 medium onion
1 bunch cilantro
4 cloves of garlic
2 cans of diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 tablespoon turmeric
oil for sauteing
salt and pepper to taste
