REALLY easy Indian dishes??

[annasmom]

I am at a loss. My dh is Indian-American and so far we have had no food issues. However, as I try to cook more and more, I realize that the only quick and easy dishes I know how to make are pretty bland. I was brought up in an Irish-American household and so wihtout using recipes the only things I know how to make are in his opinion extremely bland. He definitely doesn't ONLY eat Indian food, but he likes zestier food, and honestly *I* would too. He doesn't complain, but this situation leads to me not cooking very much, us spending a ton of money on takeout, and leftovers going to waste when I do cook.

SO, I am looking for some really quick and easy Indian recipes that I can add to my menu. I have asked his mom for help (she is an INCREDIBLE cook), but, she says she doesn't follow recipes and is otherwise pretty vague about teaching me how to cook Indian dishes. I have a small Indian grocery nearby, so getting ingredients shouldn't be a problem. THANKS!!! Sorry for the novel.

[annex]

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_32182,00.html

Here's one I enjoy, though my DH isn't as much of fan (I think he doesn't like having to pick out the cardamom pod shells?) Definitely try to the buy the ingredients at an Indian market, you'll save so much money on the spices vs a grocery store.

Indian-spiced Chicken
Recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman


Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
User Rating: 4 Stars


1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup whole milk plain yogurt
3 large cloves garlic, pressed
1-inch piece ginger, grated
8 cardamom pods, cracked with the back of a chef's knife
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
20 grinds black pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, cut into medium dice
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups half-and-half
Basmati rice, for serving

Cut the chicken breasts roughly into 2 by 2-inch pieces. Mix together the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cardamom, curry powder, chili flakes, coriander, paprika, honey, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined. Add chicken pieces to yogurt mixture, cover, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or as long as overnight. Bring to room temperature before cooking.

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Stir in tomato paste until evenly distributed and then add the half-and-half. Slide in the chicken and marinade, stir well, and bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat so that the liquid remains at a low simmer. Cook about 15 minutes until chicken is no longer pink in the middle but still tender and moist. Serve immediately over basmati rice.

[mik8]

I and my DH have been lately turning our palate more to Indian cuisine in addition to Thai. Fortunately, we have a great authentic Indian restaurant nearby, however I'd really love to cook some of the common and popular basic Indian curry-based dishes. We've read more about the health benefits of one of its prime ingredient which is the Turmeric spice. Any Indian descent mommies out here who can tell me where to get/buy it? TIA!

[californiagirl]

Look for cookbooks by Julie Sahni.

[dhano923]

I'm Indian-American, and I cook indian food 2-3 times a week. Your mother in law is right when she says she doesn't follow recipes -- I don't know any Indian cooks who do! LOL It's all about adjusting the taste to your own preference.

What kind of dishes do you like? North Indian food and South Indian are very different. North India is tandoori chicken, naan, etc and South Indian is things like dosa, sambhar, idli, etc. Each region of India has its own unique cooking techniques and ingredients. Two of my favorite indian recipe sites are www.bawarchi.com and www.daawat.com. Just keep in mind that the salt in India is not as strong as the salt here so they use more -- if a recipe says 2 tsp salt, try adding 1/2 tsp first and then adjust.

Some very easy dishes to make are aloo gobi (Cauliflower with Potato), bhindi (okra) and dal (lentils). These are just approximate measurements -- just fiddle with them until you get the taste you like).

For the Aloo Gobi, cut up cauliflower into florets, about 4-5 cups worth. Peel and cut a large potato into 1" cubes. In a food processor, grind up a baseball sized onion, a couple cloves of garlic, and a 1" piece of fresh ginger. You might need to add some water to make it puree easier. Heat some oil in a pan and add a teaspoon of cumin seed. When it splutters, add the onion puree and cook until the onion is golden brown. It takes about 10-15 minutes, and you need to mix it every couple minuted to keep it from burning. When the onion mix is fried and brown, add about 1/2-3/4 tsp. ground turmeric, some red chilli powder (indian chilli powder, not chili powder for making chili!), and some salt. Mix in your cauliflower and potato, add a little water, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower and potato are both soft.

For the bhindi, I use frozen cut okra, but you can use fresh too. Dice a small onion. In a pan, heat 2-3 tbsp oil. Add the onion and saute for a couple minutes. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric, some salt, and 1-2 green chillis sliced lengthwise. Add in about 3 cups cut okra (if using frozen, no need to thaw first). Keep the heat medium-high, and cook/fry for 15-20 minutes until the okra and onion are nicely caramelized. Add salt to taste. You can also add amchoor (dried mango powder) if you want to add a slight sourness.

[SJ mom]

This is cheating but there is a very good brand of Indian sauces by Maya Kaimal esp the chicken tikka masala. I Just cut up chicken, sautee it in a ton of garlic (the way we like it), onion, and frozen peas withe the sauce and whala!....

You can ge the suaces at William sonoma or for much cheaper at Kings supermarket. Google it to find out where they are sold. HTH.
Diane

[annasmom]

Thank you so much!! *We* are South Indian, but we love both North and South Indian food. My dh's parents are strict vegetarians, but he is not. I cannot wait to try out your recipes!

[annasmom]

Oh wow thanks, that is right up my alley ;)! I will have to see if they are sold around me. I have tried some sauces I found at Whole Foods but I didn't really like them.

[o_mom]

I LOVE the Trader Joe's Indian sauces. If you have one around, you might try those.

[annasmom]

Unfortunately, no such luck! Where I used to live we had a TJ and I loved it!

[anamika]

Okay, I generally never recommend canned sauces for Indian food ............However, Jyothi is my new best friend!
Check out www.jyothifoods.com. I found them at a local coop store and now these are my backup sauces/dishes for when we're in a rush. I'm actually eating her chole right now. The recipes on the label are great too.
I like the sauces as well as the prepared dishes. These seem the most "authentic" of the ones I've tried.
PS - Let me know if you would like recipes for any particular South Indian dish.