Saag Paneer

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes + 20 minutes

Ingredients:
16 oz. baby spinach
2 T. ginger
4 cloves garlic
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 c. water
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. ghee or butter
4-6 green cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
fenugreek leaves (if you can find fresh) or 6 fenugreek seeds ground

fenugreek leaves

Ginger, cut into match sticks (a thumb's worth)
1 T. ground coriander
1 t. garam masala
1/4 c. greek yogurt
salt to taste
paneer (can be found at Indian grocery stores, or made fresh), cut into 1-inch cubes 
Tadaka (seasoning):
2 T. butter or ghee
4 dried red chilis
1/4 t. cayenne pepper or paprika (if you don't like the heat)

1. Put spinach, ginger, garlic cloves, onion and water and let wilt in a covered fry pan on low heat for 30 minutes. Purée in a blender or food processor.

2. Put oil and ghee in a fry pan on medium heat. Add cardamom, cinnamon stick, fenugreek leaves or ground fenugreek seeds, ginger matchsticks, coriander, garam masala. Then add the puréed spinach and gradually incorporate the yogurt to avoid curdling. Sauté for 5 to 10 minutes.

3. In a separate pan, sauté and brown both sides of the paneer cubes.

4. For the tadaka (or seasoning), melt butter in a small sauce pan. Add the dried chilis and cayenne pepper or paprika. Add less chilis and add paprika instead of cayenne if you want a milder flavored saag.

5. Put puréed spinach in a serving dish, place paneer on top, then add the tadaka and mix everything together. Garnish with some chopped cilantro, eat with some naan or chapati...yum!!

Chicken Biryani with Vegetables and Raita

Chicken Biryani is a popular rice dish, and served with raita, which is a yogurt dish used to cool the palate.
*** Note: Because this dish has many components, it takes a lot of time. But well worth the effort!

Prep time: 1/2 hour
Cook time: 1 hour + 40 minutes
Total time (with marinade): 5 hours

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken breast chopped
5 medium potatoes
3 carrots
½ red bell pepper
Marinade:
1 c. greek yogurt
4 cloves garlic
2 chili peppers (Serrano)
8 quarter-sized slices of ginger
2-3 T. lime juice
1 onion
¼ t. turmeric
½ t. cayenne pepper
Rice:
3-4 black cardamom pods
3-4 green cardamom pods
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
2 t. cumin powder
1 t. garam masala
1 ½ c. basmati rice
4 c. water
salt to taste
butter or ghee (clarified butter)
Saffron:
½ t. saffron
¼ c. milk
Garnish: 

Fried onions (optional)
Slivered almonds
Cashews
Chopped cilantro and mint
Raita:
1/2 cucumber, chopped, seeded
1/2 c. greek yogurt
Serrano chile, chopped (optional)
1/2 t. cumin seeds, roasted
Cilantro, Mint, chopped
Pinch of sugar
Salt

For making the chicken:

Put ½ of an onion, 2 cloves garlic, yogurt, serrano chilis, ¼ t. turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt into a food processor.  Set aside ¼ cup of the marinade for the vegetables. With the remaining marinade, mix it with the chicken, and marinade for several hours (3-4), even overnight.  Sauté chicken over high heat for a couple minutes then simmer for 10 minutes on low heat.


For the vegetables:

Fry the potatoes and carrots in ¼- inch of oil for a couple of minutes until crispy, for 2-3 minutes, then mix with red peppers and the remaining marinade. Sauté vegetables for 10 minutes on medium heat, then add cilantro and mint. Also add some of the crispy onions and some lime juice.

For the rice:
Put 1 teaspoon of butter, cinnamon stick, black and green cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, rice and water. Bring to a boil. Don’t cover the rice.

Saffron: 

Put saffron in a 1/4 c. of milk in a small bowl. Let sit until ready to assemble dish.

Assembly:

Place one third of rice in a well-greased dutch oven. Put a layer of vegetables and chicken. Add cashews and almonds, and drizzle some of saffron mixture. Sprinkle a little water for moisture. Add another layer of rice, repeat with chicken and vegetables, nuts and saffron. Add one more layer of rice, then drizzle the remaining saffron and sprinkle with nuts and more water. Cover dutch oven with tin foil and then the lid to completely seal.
Put in oven at 300° for 40 minutes.

For Raita:
Peel and seed cucumber, finely dice. Add salt and let sit for 10 minutes. Squeeze excess water with cheese cloth or strainer. Add some chopped chiles (optional). Pinch of sugar, salt. Add greek yogurt, cilantro, mint and cumin seeds.

Stuffed Paratha!

Paratha is an accompaniment to any Indian meal. Many different kinds of bread accompany meals: naan, chapati, roti...and paratha. This paratha is stuffed with a potato-spiced mixture, and can be eaten as a filling snack.


Prep time: 2 hours + 30 min.
Yields: 12 stuffed paratha

Ingredients:

for the dough:
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
pinch of salt
1 c. water
oil

for the filling:
4 russet potatoes, peeled and boiled
2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced
2 t. ginger, blended into a paste
2 t. ground coriander
1 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. garam masala
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
1 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt (or to taste)


1. Mix together the flours, salt, water. Knead for about 5 minutes until soft and supple. Form into a ball, and coat with oil. Cover in a bowl for 2 hours.

2. Boil the potatoes until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain. Mash the potatoes really well. Make a paste from the ginger and chiles by putting them into a blender with lemon juice and sugar and salt. Add ginger-chile paste with spices and cilantro to potato mixture.

3. Take the dough and form into 12 balls of 2-inch diameter. Coat your work surface lightly with flour. Dust the ball lightly with flour. Roll flat into 5-inch circles.

4. Place the filling in the center. Hold the circle in your hand, and gather the edges and pinch it in the center.

Slightly flatten with your hands.

5. Dust again with flour, and then gently roll it out into a 7-inch circle. Cook on medium heat on both sides for about 4 minutes each side. Brush with butter. Serve. Enjoy!

Leela's Spice Train: Sabudana Khichadi (pronounced kit-sue-ree)

Leela's Spice Train: Sabudana Khichadi (pronounced kit-sue-ree): "This is a delicious snack that can be found throughout India. It can be also eaten as a side. It is made from Sabudana or Sago, which is a k..."

Sabudana Khichadi (pronounced kit-sue-ree)

This is a delicious snack that can be found throughout India. It can be also eaten as a side. It is made from Sabudana or Sago, which is a kind of tapioca that comes from the stems of palm fronds. If you don't live in a metropolitan area that has Indian supermarkets, you can find it online here.

Serves: 4
prep time: 2 - 3 hrs.
cook time: 30 min.


Ingredients:
2 c. sabudana
1/2 t. greek yogurt
1 c. peanuts, ground (can substitute cashews)
1 large (or 2 medium) russet potato, peeled and diced thin
2 T. butter or ghee
1 t. cumin seeds
1 T. ginger, minced
1 serrano chili, seeded and minced
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. sugar
fresh cilantro to garnish
fresh coconut, or shredded dry coconut for garnish

1. In a large bowl, cover the sabudana with water, and stir with your hands and dump the water. Repeat until clear, about three times. Cover again with water, at least a couple of inches, and soak for two to three hours, or overnight. After soaking, drain excess water.

2. Mix ground peanuts with sabudana.

3. Heat one tablespoon of ghee or oil in pan over medium-high heat. Sauté cumin seeds for one minute. Add chilis and ginger and potatoes, stir for two minutes. Add the salt. Add the sugar. Add the sabudana. Lower the heat as low as possible. Stir constantly. Cover. Stir after a minute. Cover. Continue this process for about five minutes. If it gets too dry or sticky, add a tablespoon of water. Add remaining ghee or oil. Cook until it is a pinkish brown in color.

4. Garnish with shredded coconut and cilantro. Devour and enjoy!

Upama

Upama (pronounced "Oop-ma") is a spiced cream of wheat dish that comes from Southern India in the Madras region. It's like the comfort food of India. It can work well as a side dish, or as a nice meal by itself.

Serves 4
cook time: 30 min.
prep time: 15 min.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. cream of wheat*
1 med. red onion, chopped
1 c. frozen peas, thawed
1 tomato, diced
1/2 c. cilantro
1/2 c. roasted cashews
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1 T. ginger, minced
3 chiles (de arbol.)
2 bay leaves or curry leaves*
2-3 T. ghee* or butter
2 t. mustard seeds
2 t. salt (or to taste)
pinch of sugar
2 c. water
fresh lemon juice to taste

* cream of wheat: soji (comes in thick or thin), is found in any Indian market, or you can just use American cream of wheat. If you use thick soji, you will need to add more water.
* curry leaves can be found in Indian markets, but if you can't find them, bay leaves are a fine substitute.
* ghee (clarified butter) can be found in Indian markets as well as Whole Foods, and a lot of higher-end markets.

1. Sauté cream of wheat dry in a pan over medium heat, until it browns, about 10 minutes.

2. Remove cream of wheat from pan, and put aside in a plate or bowl.

3. Over medium heat, melt ghee or butter in the same pan that you sautéd the cream of wheat, and add the mustard seeds until they crackle and pop open, about one minute. Add the bay leaves, ginger and chiles, another minute.

4. Add onions and stir until translucent, about five minutes. Add water. Bring to a boil. Add peas, tomatoes and cashews when water begins to boil. Add salt, and pinch of sugar. Bring water back to a boil. Add cream of wheat, stir and lower heat and cover. Simmer for three minutes.

5. Garnish with coconut and cilantro and squeeze lemon juice.

6. Enjoy!