Really Easy Indian Part 2

So for dinner on Friday Sean and I made Indian using the new bag of curry powder that came in someone xmas stocking. After staring at the Indian cookbook for a while we decided to fake it. The results were so good I don't even have a picture for it.

Menu:
Cardamon Rice
Chicken Curry
Sag Aloo (Spinach and Potatoes)


Cardamon Rice

Follow the "Simple Rice" directions from the beginning of the blog but skip the butter or oil and add 3 or 4 whole green cardamon pods and a while bay leaf. Be sure to leave plenty of time for this rice to rest and become fragrant before serving.
I start the rice as asoon as I decide to make Indian since anything I make with go well with it. I also make at least a double batch even for just the two of us since spicy food needs lots of rice and any extra can be turned into rice pudding (that's another post for later).

I serve it with the spice intact and invoke the family rule that the person with the bay leaf in their serving has to kiss the cook. The cardamon pods are a standard hazard and people should enjoy chewing on the seeds but not swallow the green pod leaves.

Chicken Curry

4 Chicken breasts
1 onion
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2-3 tbs curry powder
(I buy mine pre-made and ground *gasp* at Indian grocery stores of places that sell world foods like World Market, expensive but worth every penny to get the good stuff)
Gram Masala (see my last post)
Tumeric
Cumin
Salt
3-4 tbs Sour Cream
2-3 tbs Plain (not vanilla) Yougurt (Low Fat is okay but not non-fat)

Cut the chicken into bit sized pieces and brown lightly in the oil over medium heat. They should be brown on the outside but not cooked through. Add onions and cook stirring frequently until the onions are soft.

Add the spices, first the curry, then the others to taste, don't worry if you over spice it, the dairy at the end will soften the flavor a lot. Stir until the onions and chicken are covered with the spicy glop and then a little longer to give the spices time to 'toast'.

When everything is on the edge of burning, pour in the chicken broth and let simmer together covered for 5-10 minutes while you get other stuff done. Towards the end take the lid off and let reduce a bit. Just before serving stir in the sour cream and yogurt. Serve over rice with extra sour cream and/or yogurt. People should add dairy to taste to tone down the spices to their liking. Also offer mango chutney.

Note about chutney: Chutney is a savory spicy jelly. The most popular by far is mango but it can be made from almost any fruit. I'm a sucker for Major Grey's available in the jelly isle of most mega marts but it's a little spicy for some. Your local Indian grocery store has a wide selection. There are also lots of recipes available on the web, but it should be made before

Sag Aloo (Spicy Spinach and Potatoes)

1 package frozen chopped spinach (no e-coli risk from this stuff, it's pre-cooked)
2-3 medium sized Yukon Gold or other firm medium-starch potato
2 tbs curry powder
salt
1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
3 tbs vegetable oil
3 tbs Plain Yogurt
Gram Masla

Dump the block of spinach into a sieve and run hot water over it until thawed.

Wash the potatoes well and then chop into 1/2 -3/4 inch cubes and put into a pot with a pinch of salt. Cover with cold water and a lid. Put the pot over high heat until it boils then back off the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are no longer raw but still firm with distinct corners. This should only take about 5 minutes. Dump the spinach into a bowl and use the same colander to drain the potatoes. Then dump the potatoes onto a clean kitchen towel and let dry for a sec.

In a tupperware (or gladware or rubbermaid, or whatever) container mix the flour, curry powder and a hefty pinch of salt (use two if you buy small grain table salt). Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan over medium-hi heat until a pinch of the flour mixture sizzles when dropped in. Dredge the potato cubes a handfull at a time, then let the excess cleating fall off and toss into the pan. When all the cubes are done toss the potatoes in the oil until coated, turn the heat down to medium and WALK AWAY for 3 minutes. Come back, toss a few times to get new non-crispy side down and leave it alone again for another 2-3 minutes until the other side is crispy.

Taste a cube (carefully since they are HOT) to be sure the potato is cooked through and then pour the contents of the pan on top of the spinach and toss. Now add more salt to taste and keep tossing for another minute. When the mixture is eating temperature add the yogurt to hold it all together (You shouldn't really be able to see the yogurt but it will all be stickier now.) and serve with a sprinkle of gram masala over the top.