Recipes

Indian Entrees


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Butter Chicken

Indian cuisine is one of our favorites. These are a few of the classics. The preparation is a bit time consuming but it’s easy. Try these dishes with a side serving of warm naan, Indian bread available in most Super markets. You’ll love them and so will your guests.

Butter Chicken

This is almost like a creamy, chicken stew, Indian style. It's amazing.

butter chicken

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 c Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp ground turmeric
  • 2 Tbsp Garam masala
  • 3 lbs bone in, chicken thighs
  • 1/2 lb unsalted butter
  • 4 tsp canola oil
  • 2 med onions, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 Tbsp cumin seeds
  • 1 Cinnamon stick
  • 2 med tomatoes, diced
  • 2 red chilies, seeded and diced
  • 2/3 c chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 c cream
  • 1 1/2 tsp tomato paste
  • 3 Tbsp ground almonds
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves only

Preparation

  1. Whisk yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala, and cumin in a large bowl
  2. Add chicken, toss to cover and refrigerate to marinate up to 24 hrs
  3. Melt the butter in the oil and sauté onions till translucent
  4. Add garlic, ginger and cumin seeds
  5. Sauté until the onions are golden
  6. Add cinnamon stick, tomatoes and chilies and sauté until the chilies are soft
  7. Add the chicken with the marinade and sauté 5 min
  8. Add stock and bring it to a boil
  9. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 45 min
  10. Stir in cream and tomato paste and simmer for 15 min
  11. Stir in almonds and simmer 5 more min
  12. Garnish with cilantro and serve over basmati rice

Lamb Biryani

Think Indian paella. This is a fabulous casserole.

Lamb Biryani

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless leg of lamb, cubed
  • Marinade
  • 5 Tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
  • 3 Tbsp fresh chopped garlic
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • Pinch of black pepper
  • 2 c basmati rice

The Sauce

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 med onions, sliced
  • 2 15 oz cans puréed tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 1 Tbsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp garam masala

For the rice

  • 2 Tbsp ghee ( clarified butter)
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 1/2 tsp saffron threads
  • 2 tsp kosher salt

Cucumber riata

  • 2 c plain yogurt
  • 1 cucumber peeled, seeded and grated
  • 1/2 c chopped mint leaves
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Preparation

  1. Combine the marinade ingredients in a food processor and pulse into a paste, adding 3-4 Tbsp of water
  2. Toss lamb in marinade
  3. Cover and refrigerate for  1 hr
  4. Rinse the rice and soak it, covered in cold water 1 hr
  5. Drain it
  6. While the lamb is marinating and rice is soaking, start the sauce caramelize the onions in a lg skillet with 3 Tbsp oil
  7. Remove onions and set aside
  8. Do not rinse the skillet
  9. Mix tomato purée, cayenne, paprika, salt, turmeric and garam masala
  10. Brown the lamb in the skillet with 2 Tbsp oil
  11. Return the onions and add sauce
  12. Cover and simmer 30 min
  13. While the lamb is cooking, prepare the rice
  14. Heat the ghee and add the spices except saffron
  15. Sauté 30 seconds
  16. Add the onion and sauté until it starts to turn golden
  17. Add the saffron and sauté 30 seconds
  18. Add the drained rice and toss to coat
  19. Add 2 c cold water and 2 tsp salt
  20. Stir and bring to a boil
  21. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered until the water has evaporated , about 6 min
  22. Remove from heat
  23. Preheat oven to 350
  24. Spread 1/2 of the lamb in a casserole dish
  25. Cover with 1/2 of the rice and repeat
  26. Cover the dish and bake for 40 min
  27. Combine the ingredients for the raita, cover and chill
  28. Serve the biryani with raita on the side

Chicken Tikka Masala

This is one of the most popular Indian dishes. It's spicy yet a bit sweet. The flavors meld together beautifully for a taste sensation.

Tikka Masala

Ingredients

  • Marinade
  • 1 c plain yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, pierce with a fork and cut into bite sized pieces
  • Sauce
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
  • 2 Serrano peppers, seeds removed and minced( the peppers not the seeds)
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 8 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1-2 c water
  • Oil to grill
  • 1 Tbsp ground fenugreek
  • 1/2 c heavy cream
  • Minced cilantro for garnish

Preparation

  1. Whisk the marinade ingredients together
  2. Toss with the chicken
  3. Cover and refrigerate 2 hrs to overnight
  4. Make the sauce
  5. Heat the oil and butter in a lg skillet
  6. Add garlic, ginger and Serrano peppers
  7. Sauté until soft and lightly golden
  8. Add tomato paste and stir for 3 min
  9. Add garam masala and paprika and sauté for 1 min
  10. Add tomatoes, salt and 1 c water
  11. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer
  12. Heat until thickened, about 20 min
  13. Grill or broil the chicken about 2 min per side
  14. Purée the sauce in a food processor until smooth
  15. Pour it back into the skillet and bring it to a boil
  16. Reduce heat to simmer
  17. Add chicken and fenugreek
  18. Heat for about 20 min
  19. Stir in cream
  20. Garnish with cilantro
  21. Serve with basmati rice or naan

Malai Kofta

Every Indian restaurant offers a vegetarian entree. We generally tend to avoid any section of the menu designated vegetarian, as a matter of principle, but we ordered a feast for a party one night and included this dish. It's now one of our favorite items. Who knew? It's basically dumplings in a delicious yellow gravy. Yum!

Malai Kofta

Ingredients

The Dumplings

  • 1 c boiled and shredded potatoes
  • 1 c shredded paneer, Indian cheese
  • 1 c boiled and mashed mixed vegetables. Mixed frozen works just fine
  • 2- 4 green chilies minced into a paste
  • 1 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
  • Corn starch to coat
  • Canola oil to fry

The Sauce

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 1/4 c chopped red onion
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp ginger paste
  • 1 Tbsp garlic paste
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 3/4 c half and half
  • 2 Tbsp finely ground cashews
  • 1-2 c water
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • Minced cilantro to garnish

Preparation

  1. Combine potatoes, cheese and vegetables in a bowl. Squeeze the water out of the vegetables before you add them
  2. Add the spices
  3. Mix it by hand and form tight balls
  4. Roll the balls individually in corn starch
  5. Fry the balls in oil until golden
  6. Remove and set aside on paper towels

The Sauce

  1. Heat the oil in a deep pot
  2. Sauté onions with a pinch of salt until they are golden
  3. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and turmeric
  4. Stir for 2 min
  5. Add tomatoes, chili powder, coriander and cumin
  6. Stir to combine for 2 min
  7. Add 1 c water and bring it to a boil
  8. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10-15 min
  9. Remove from heat and blend until smooth
  10. Heat the cumin seeds in a little oil until they sizzle them add the blended sauce back into the pot
  11. Stir in half and half, cashews, water and sugar
  12. Bring it to a boil
  13. Taste and adjust salt as needed
  14. Just before serving, add the dumplings
  15. Garnish with cilantro
  16. Serve with naan and basmati rice

Enjoy your Indian entrees

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