A quick and easy version of Chicken Tikka Masala
In the beginning — for today, at least — there is chicken, and there are avocados.
First this from Alys Qualls. “I am looking for a recipe I tried and loved. I lost the recipe and think it was from your column. The ingredients I remember are chicken, tomatoes (I think stewed), black olives, capers, garlic, fennel and I think feta cheese. Hope you can help me. Thanks so much”
Secondly, those luscious avocados. Roseann Strazinsky’s message was this: “I would like to try something using avocados. I wonder if your readers have a recipe using avocados for beginners?”
This is a repeat request, but comes on the heels of a discussion about healthful sandwiches. Starbucks now has a small packet of avocado spread — simply avocados — that may be purchased alongside their ready-made sandwiches. The wisest teacher I know purchases such packets at Costco to assure that she has something green and good for her in every school lunch.
I have recently noted a wildly different spectrum of prices for refrigerated guacamole in local stores. (I speak here not of namebrand guacamoles that are very smooth, but that often come, made in the store, in chunky varieties that look and taste homemade.)
So, then, avocado experts: What to make with avocados? How to make it? Then, how to keep it — in refrigerator and in freezer — without browning?
FLAVORS OF INDIA
Lynn Carroll produced the Chicken Tikka Masala and basmati rice you requested, and then Ms. Carroll added a request of her own. “Perhaps some of your Indian readers will submit recipes. Usually they learned at their mother’s knee by scratch like my wonderful neighbor Uma. But meat does not come into her home. I’ve only been cooking Indian about 15 years. I only use Malabar black pepper that I grind myself as it has a completely different taste than McCormick’s. Milk is always whole milk to add richness to the sauce.”
Fifteen years sounds like expertise, mother’s knee or not. But we would welcome the recipes of Indian cooks, for sure.
Easy Chicken Tikka Masala
Most cooks use Tandoori Chicken to prepare, but that requires cooking chicken twice and is very time-consuming. This is a shortcut recipe.
2 tablespoons ghee or
vegetable oil
1 large clove garlic, finely
chopped
1 fresh red chili, seeded
and chopped 2 teaspoons ground
cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1⁄2 teaspoon salt Black pepper (Malabar) to
taste
1 (14-ounce) can chopped
tomatoes
1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream 2 pounds cooked deboned chicken cut into bitesize pieces (may use canned chicken) Salt and pepper to taste Fresh chopped cilantro to
garnish
Cooked basmati rice to serve
Melt ghee or oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chili, and stirfry for 1 minute. Stir in cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Continue stirring for 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cream. Reduce heat to low, and simmer sauce for 10 minutes, stirring until it reduces and thickens. Add chicken, cover and let simmer for 5 minutes or more to make sure chicken is thoroughly heated. Serve garnished with cilantro and serve with rice.
Note: This can be made into a great vegetarian dish simply by substituting sautéed extra-firm tofu sprinkled with garlic powder in place of chicken.
The next two recipes are for basmati rice, and Ms. Carroll explained, “I prefer plain with Tikka Masala, but the reader requested doctored-up rice.”
Basmati Rice
1 1⁄4 cups basmati rice
2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil 2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
Rinse rice in several changes of cold water until clear. Soak in water for 30 minutes. Drain. Over medium heat, melt ghee or oil in saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Stir in rice to coat grains. Immediately add water and salt, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to as low as possible, and cover saucepan tightly. Simmer without lifting lid for 8 to 10 minutes until grains are tender and liquid is absorbed. Take off heat and serve. You can also use a rice cooker.
Doctored-Up Basmati Rice
(This is from a cookbook, “Perfect Indian,” published by Paragon Publishing. Although this is one of my favorite cookbooks, I have never made this spicy basmati rice.)
1 1⁄4 cups basmati rice 2 tablespoons ghee or
vegetable oil
5 green cardamom pods,
bruised
5 cloves
½ teaspoon black
mustard seeds 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 2 bay leaves
6 curry leaves (optional to
make spicier)
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons chopped
fresh cilantro Black pepper
Rinse rice in several changes of cold water until clear. Let soak in fresh water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Melt ghee or oil in saucepan with tight-fitting lid. Add spices and bay leaves, and stir for 45 seconds. Stir in rice, coating grains. Stir in water and salt, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low as possible, cover tightly and simmer without lifting lid for 8 to 10 minutes until grains are tender and water is absorbed. Turn off heat. Mix in cilantro with a fork. Taste. Adjust seasonings by mixing in more salt and black pepper if necessary to taste. Re-cover and let stand for 5 minutes so spices can do their magic.
Clifford Burdette provided this naan bread, ideal for scooping up the delicious tastes of the recipes above.
Naan Bread
1⁄2 cup warm water 2 teaspoons active dry
yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting and rolling
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 cup olive or canola oil 1⁄3 cup plain yogurt
1 egg, beaten
Oil, for frying
In a large bowl, mix together water, yeast and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes or until foamy. Add flour, salt, oil, yogurt and beaten egg. Stir until you have a dough that’s easy to work with, adding more flour if needed. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about an hour.
On a floured surface, divide the dough into 6-8 pieces. Roll out each piece very thinly and set aside.
Heat oil (not too much; just a little for each piece) in a large skillet or griddle. When hot, add the naan and cook until blistered and golden brown. Flip and cook until golden on the other side. Repeat with remaining naan.
For those who like simpler fare or less spicy, we’ve already got brownies and slaw waiting in the wings for next week. And there will be space for you, in the column and at the newspaper table.