Tandoori Chicken with Carrot & Peas Sabji and Naan

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Being an Indian, one of my favorite cuisines (besides the Italian) is of course, the Indian. My family originates from the northern parts of India. The part of India known for its rich blend of tastes, the lovely mixture of spices harmonizing together and the huge variety of dishes.
I admit I have not been back to India since I was 17 years old (Golly! Has it really been 16 years?!), but thanks to my parents, who live in Dubai, I have been able to stay very close to my culture and tradition. Thanks to my dad (of course under the watchful eye of my mum) I have found easy and new ways of cooking the sometimes elaborate dishes.

Here is a great meal, that has all the fine mixture of spices from the Indian cuisine, but is also easy to prepare.



Ingredients
  • Chicken legs
  • Lime juice
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4-5 cloves of Garlic
  • 3-4 Onions
  • Natural low fat yoghurt
  • Tandoori powder or masala (often available in Asian supermarkets)
  • Frozen diced carrots
  • Frozen peas
  • Tomato paste
  • 2 fresh tomatoes - finely chopped
  • Turmeric powder
  • Garam Masala (Indian mixed spices, also available in Asian supermarkets)
  • Fresh coriander leaves - chopped
  • Naan bread


Method

The chicken legs must be marinated overnight. For the marinade take the onions and garlic cloves and put in a blender to make into a nice smooth paste. In a bowl mix the natural yoghurt, with half of the garlic/onion paste (the other half will be needed for the vegetables) and the tandoori powder/masala. If the chicken legs are not already de-skinned you will have to remove the skin from them. Ladies, if there is a man in the house, then this is always a job you can delegate to them ;-).

Sprinkle a little bit of the lime juice over both sides of the chicken legs and salt and pepper them. Now, pour the yoghurt mixture over the chicken. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.

Pre-heat the oven at approx. 220°C. Lay the chicken legs on a baking tray and slide into the oven for approx. 45-60 minutes. Keep the marinade nearby as you can use this to brush the chicken every now and then. This keeps it juicy and succulent.

For the vegetables, take the rest of the garlic/onion paste and fry in a wok. After approx. 4-5 minutes add about 2-3 teaspoons of tomato paste, a sprinkle (half a teaspoon) of turmeric powder and garam masala. Keep frying this mixture on a low heat, making sure it does not burn to the bottom of the wok. You can always add a few drops of water if the mixture gets too dry. The reason this mixture has to be cooked for a while (as my mum always tells me) is so all the spices, juices and aromas, open and blend together.

Add the finely chopped tomatoes and fry for another few minutes. Now, add the peas and carrots. Mix well so that the vegetables are covered in the mixture. Pour in a little bit of water and cover the wok. Simmer for approx. 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

In the meantime, switch the settings of your oven from bake to grill mode and grill the chicken on both sides for the last 15 minutes. The last 10 minutes you can warm the naans in the oven as well.

Verdict:
Both Tom and me found that I had added a touch too much garlic to the vegies. It slightly dominated the taste over the other spices. So, the next time I'll go easy on the garlic. Soeri loved the chicken, as it was really nice and juicy. He ate all the vegies too and did not seem to mind all that garlic!
After all that garlic today, I hope the people we meet tomorrow won't ban us from coming too near to them!
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Pesto Salmon, New Potatoes, Snow peas & Corn

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Recipes I make up do not generally have measurements as I simply add or concont according to feeling. I have however, tried to give some guideline where I can.
If you all have been reading my other blog, will know I have been on a Pesto trip ever since our trip to Liguria in September 2005. I brought back a few jars of delicious pesto alla genovese from a fantastic organic food market in Imperia. But you can also use the recipe, I also brought back from the Italian mama I dared to ask!



Ingredients
  • Pesto alla Genovese
  • 4 Salmon Steaks
  • Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 lime for lime juice
  • New potatoes
  • Snow peas
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • Frozen sweet corn
  • Olive oil (preferably from Liguria)
  • 300 ml Fish fond (Vegetable fond will also do)
  • Creme Leger (which is low fat cream)
  • Dried basel

Method

Sprinkle sea salt and freshly ground pepper on the salmon steaks. Generously rub them with the pesto on both sides. Refrigerate overnight, not forgetting to cover tightly with cling film.

Wash the new potatoes with salty, warm water. In a steamer bring water to a boil and put the potatoes to steam for 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, add some olive oil to a large pan. When the oil has heated up throw in the steaks and fry quickly on both sides for approx. 3-4 minutes. Add some of the fond and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and gently simmer for a further few minutes. Depending on the thickness of the steaks for approx. 6-8 minutes.

Take the steaks out, wrap in aluminum foil and keep warm. Turn up the heat and add the rest of the fond. Bring to a boil for a minute or so. Now once again reduce the heat and add the creme leger and let simmer until the sauce thickens. Make sure that the sauce does not boil again or else the cream will clot!

In another large pan, add a generous helping of olive oil. Gently fry the onions in the pan. Take the potatoes out of the steamer and add to the pan. Do not reduce the heat from the steamer, as you can put in the frozen corn and let those steam while you get the potatoes ready.
Toss the potatoes until covered in oil. Add salt and the dried basel. Saute until brown.

A minute or two before the corn is ready throw in the snow peas. Let them steam.

Serve on pre-warmed plates!

Verdict:
Yummy! This is definitely something I should make again. Soeri spooned the salmon, potatoes and corn in huge bites.
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Pesto alla Genovese

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From the Liguria region of Italy

In September 2005 we vacationed in Liguria, in a beautiful town called Diano San Pietro. This picturesque town lies between Imperia and Genoa. While visiting an organic food market in Imperia I made acquaintance with a charming Italian mamma who was selling, among other Ligurian delicacies, jars of Pesto alla Genovese.

She seemed to be completely charmed with Soeren and we started talking. I dared to ask her, her recipe for the pesto. She told me the story first.

Pesto was invariably made by hand using a mortar and pestle. The name comes from the act of using the pestle. This is still the classic and preferred method for the Ligurians and probably most Italians, but modern times have even reached certain kitchens in Liguria. It is now a given that much of the pesto made today is made in a blender. She told me that handmade pesto is certainly better because the ingredients have been worked less, but blender pesto is fine as long as you use the finest, freshest ingredients available. This pesto may be tossed with spaghetti, maccheroni, linguine, or the classic Ligurian pastas, trofie or trenette.




Ingredients

1 large bunch of fresh basil leaves
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon pine nuts
5 to 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (preferably Ligurian and if possible from Imperia)
3/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano



Mamma's Method:
Place a few leaves of basil in a mortar. Add a clove of garlic and crush the leaves and garlic in the mortar using the pestle. Add a few more leaves of basil and another garlic clove, and repeat the process. Once you have crushed all of the basil and garlic, add the pine nuts. Crush until the basil, garlic, and pine nuts are well blended. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and combine with the ingredients in the mortar. Then add the Pecorino Romano a little at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon. Then stir in some more oil, a tablespoon at a time. The idea is to have a thick, creamy sauce.

My Method (using blender):
Place all of the ingredients in a blender. Blend at high speed for a minute. Lift the lid carefully, and scrape the sides of the blender cup using a rubber spatula. Check the consistency of the pesto, which should be thick and creamy. Blend for a few more seconds if you think the pesto should be a bit thinner, but don't overdo it.
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Weekend!

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This is the first post!

This weekend I have planned the following:

Saturday
Something Fishy!
Pesto Salmon Steaks, new potatoes and snowpeas

Sunday
Indian Style
Tandoori chicken, carrot and peas sabji and naan.

Stay tuned!
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Blogs I Read and Resourceful Links

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This is a list of a few of the blogs I love to browse through. Each one tells a story in his/her own way and each has a wonderful and brilliant style. Since I have started blogging, many have become good friends. This page is not an endless list of all the food blogs out there, but simply the ones I personally like and read regularly. I hope you enjoy visiting my friends and also discovering new ones.

I have also added all my resources I often use for ideas, motivation and help.

Status - Sept. 2010: I am currently updating this section!


Food Blogs Around The World

101 Cookbooks
80 Breakfasts

A Cat in the Kitchen
A Mad Tea Party
A Slice of Cherry Pie
A Veggie Venture
A Whisk and A Spoon
Aapplemint
All Things Edible
Always Leave Room For Dessert
Andrea's Recipes
Anne's Food
Anne's Kitchen
à la mode*

Bron Marshall

Cannelle et Vanille
Cook Sister
Cook Your Dream
Cream Puffs in Venice
Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Desserts For Breakfast
Dine and Dish Blog
Dirty Kitchen Secrets
Divine Taste

Eggs on the Roof
Everyday Wonders

Food Blogga
Fork Spoon Knife
Fresh New England

Gourmet Worrier

Honey and Jam

Indian Food Rocks

Jaden's Steamy Kitchen
Juls' Kitchen

Kalyn's Kitchen
Kiss My Spatula

La Tartine Gourmande
Life's A Feast
Lucullian Delights

Maison Cupcake
My Diverse Kitchen
My Kugelhopf
My2Penn'orth

Nami Nami
Nordljus

Passionate About Baking

Rambling Tart
Recipe Taster

Saffron and Blueberry
Scandilicious
Simply Recipes
Souvlaki for the Soul
Sparkling Ink
Spoonful
Sunita's World

Taste of Beirut
The Alkaline Sisters
The Catty Life
The Educated Plate
The Perfect Pantry

What Katie Ate
winosandfoodies


Food Resources

Recipes from Delish


Helpful Resources



Photography Resources

 

 


All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2010 Meeta Khurana Wolff unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

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