Recipe: Indian Spiced Lentils And Brown Rice

This hearty one-pot meal brings flavors of the Orient to your dinner table, with lots of pungent spices, brown rice, and lentils, and makes a good "Meatless Monday" recipe, or an excellent side dish for an Indian meal. This one may be adapted to the crockpot, or will cook fine on the stovetop in just about any type of pot.

Indian Spiced Lentils And Brown Rice
(Serves 2-3 as a main dish, or 6-8 as a side dish.)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced small
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup lentils, rinsed
2 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp heavy cream (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, put the butter and olive oil over medium heat, stirring until butter is melted.
2. Add the onion and cook just until softened, stirring often.
3. Add the salt, cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, and bay leaf, stir and cook for 1 minute, then add the brown rice and lentils, stirring to combine. 
4. Add the water, stir, turn heat to low, and cover the pot.
5. Simmer for 45 to 55 minutes or until the lentils and rice are tender and liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream if desired. Serve immediately.

Recipe: Warm Spiced Lamb With Chickpeas And Kale

While Indian food is often vegetarian, chicken and lamb are the two most commonly used meats. Relatively small and easy to raise, and not forbidden by religion, lamb adds rich meaty flavor to many Indian dishes, including this delicious crockpot curry-like stew. Warm spices like turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger make this a great recipe for a cool fall or winter evening!

Warm Spiced Lamb With Chickpeas And Kale
(Serves 4.)

Ingredients: 

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb lamb, diced cut into 2 inch cubes
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium golden potatoes, scrubbed and diced
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger or 1 tsp grated ginger root
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 cans (15 oz size) chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 bunch kale, stem removed and coarse chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lemon, juiced
garnish with fresh chopped mint

Directions:

1. In a large heavy skillet over medium heat, add oil and lamb and brown lamb quickly, then put in crockpot.
2. In same skillet, add the onion and garlic and cook just for a minute or so until onion starts to soften slightly, then put in crockpot.
3. Add remaining ingredients (EXCEPT lemon juice and mint) to crockpot.
4. Cook covered on LOW for 6 to 7 hours.
5. Sprinkle lemon juice and mint over individual servings.
6. Serve hot with warm naan bread to mop up the delicious sauce.

Recipe: Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala

This classic Indian recipe gets a simple new twist with easy crockpot preparation. It may contain a lot of different ingredients (mostly spices), but once you combine most of them in your slow cooker, you can leave it for the day, and have a delicious Indian dinner ready for you when you return. A little initial prep time gives you an amazingly flavorful and delicious result!

Chicken Tikka Masala
(Serves 6-8.)

Chicken Tikka Masala (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp grated ginger root
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 can (28 oz) tomato puree
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp garam masala
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1/2 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
6 chicken breasts, bone and skin removed, then diced
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
garnish with chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, stir together the first 16 ingredients.
2. Add the chicken and stir again to combine and coat the chicken well.  
3. Pour mixture into crockpot, cover, and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours.
4. 30 minutes before ready to serve, put heavy cream and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk together, then add to mixture in crockpot and stir gently; continue cooking for 30 minutes.
5. Serve hot garnished with fresh cilantro.

Find More Simple & Delicious Indian Recipes Here:
   

The Cuisine Of India Comes Alive In Your Kitchen

Think of Indian food and what do you think of?  Curry?  Vegetarian?  Spices brought from India to the New World?  All of these thoughts are correct.  But Indian cuisine has evolved, just like other cuisines around the world.  Let's take a look at what the cuisine of India is really like.

A selection of Indian spices (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Spices Make the Meal

You can't talk about Indian food without talking about spices.  There are people who simply won't consider eating Indian food because they believe they can't handle the hot spices inherent in the dishes.  However, there's more to Indian cuisine than burned tongues.  The proper blend of spices has been learned through the ages to impart just the right balance between hot and sweet.

Like most ancient cuisines, the people used what they had available.  In the case of the cook in India, they used spices.  Through the thousands of years of trade and conquest, Indian cooks found and used many spices we still know today.  Chili peppers, mustard seed, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, turmeric, and of course, ginger, are recognized today.

One popular spice found in just about every kitchen today is Curry.  This is, however, not a spice.  It is a mix of spices.  More accurately called Garam Masala, this mix is a granulated or ground powder that includes a number of spices which include at least these three;  cardamom, cinnamon, and clove.  When we buy the mix we know as Curry or even Garam Masala, we are getting a calculated blend of flavors known as 'Indian Spices."

These spice blends have a wide range of flavors, and hit the taste buds in totally different ways.  A good cook will know which to choose for which dishes.  Of course, this is something learned through trial and error, but it's a fun lesson, and very tasty!

Chicken Tandoori (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dishes We Need to Know

Many who learn about Indian cuisine at first are puzzled by what they find, or don't find, on the menu.  You won't find beef or pork because Hindus don't eat beef and Muslims don't eat pork.  Much of the population eat a vegetarian diet, since Buddhism was a big influence in India.

But don't let that stop you from trying an Indian recipe.  The spices can, and do, work wonders on any recipe!  Cooking methods also create splendid dishes.  For some of the most tender, juicy chicken  you'll ever have, try a Tandoori Chicken.  And after the main course, you will be tempted by another familiar treat - Kheer.  Think 'rice pudding' then take it up a notch way beyond a sprinkle of cinnamon.

All in Your Kitchen

Tender spicy chicken, fresh fruits and vegetables, and rich, fragrant spices are no stranger to the home cook.  We all want to fill our kitchen with these aromas.  Indian cooking is the perfect way to savor so many spices and flavors all at the same time, and your slow cooker is a great place to start.

Get your spice blend together and season up your meal.  No matter what's on the menu, Indian spices will provide a warm and wonderful treat for the taste buds.  Then, calm it all down with a dish of Kheer to complete the experience.  With just a few simple dishes, like we'll be sharing this week, you can enjoy the wonderful world of Indian cuisine right in your own kitchen.

Recipe - Indian Curry Chicken

Diets can sometimes seem tedious. This dish is packed with powerful flavors to keep it interesting and to satisfy your hunger. The coconut milk does contain fat, but for many diets this fat is considered "good" fat.  You may substitute other milk if that is more suited to your diet instructions. In general this recipe should work well for "O" or "B" types if following the blood type diet.


Indian Curry Chicken
(Serves 4.)

Chicken Curry (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp cooking oil
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed or grated
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 can (13.5 oz size) unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup water or broth
1 1/2 lbs. cooked chicken, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat, put the oil and and diced onion, stirring until onion is translucent.
2. Stir in the garlic, curry powder, and ginger, and continue cooking just until the garlic gets fragrant.
3. Add the cauliflower, coconut milk, and water or broth, turn heat down to low, loosely cover the skillet, and simmer until cauliflower is fork-tender.
4. Add the chicken to the skillet, stir, taste for salt and pepper and adjust seasonings to your liking.
5. Simmer, uncovered, for another 5 to 10 minutes or until chicken is hot and the liquid has thickened a little and reduces slightly.
6. Serve hot over rice, if that suits your diet. Otherwise, serve as is in bowls like a thick stew. (Type O might want to omit or limit the rice.)

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Recipe-Indian Butter Chicken Curry

Image by Siepert77 via Flickr
Here is an easy Indian recipe for a new cook wanting to experiment with Indian food. It has a somewhat long list of ingredients, but all should be pretty easy to find even in a regular grocery store with a decent ethnic foods section, and once you've got the ingredients together, it's a pretty simple dish.
Feel free to add your own flavors and touch once you've got the basics down. Indian food is easy to make more or less spicy as desired, and you can also tweak the intensity of spices to your own personal taste.

Enjoy, and feel free to post your own twists on this recipe, or comments, below!

Butter Chicken Curry: An Easy Indian Recipe using Garam Masala
Looking for a new way to cook chicken? Butter chicken is a traditional Indian curry recipe, redolent with spices, and a very warming and satisfying meal.
Publish Date: 03/29/2009 11:44
http://www.suite101.com/content/butter-chicken-curry-a105688


 Other Indian Curry Recipes:

• Recipe: Easy, Tasty Chickpea Curry (thekitchn.com)
• imabonehead: Easy Curry Chicken - Island Style | Big2Beautiful (big2beautiful.com)
• Chicken curry with cardamom recipe (telegraph.co.uk)