Indian Chicken and Spinach Curry

Preparing an Indian dish does not need to be time consuming. Get a head start by chopping your onion, ginger and garlic and by measuring your spices. I was in the mood for Indian food, but didn't want to spend hours in the kitchen preparing it - so I adapted a chicken curry recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's "From Curries to Kebabs".

Ingredients:

3 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
3/4 tsp ground cardamon
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garam masala
1 lb chicken breast cut into small cubes
1/2 cup plain yogurt
16 oz bag frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
1 large tomato, chopped
1 cup water
salt to taste

• Heat oil in a large pan. Add chopped onion and fry until it becomes translucent. Add garlic and ginger and fry for a few seconds. Add cardamon, cinnamon, coriander, cumin and cayenne pepper. Stir for a minute.
• Add chicken pieces and continue to stir for two minutes thoroughly blending chicken with spices. 
• Gradually add yogurt, one tablespoon at a time, and keep stirring until chicken is browned. 
• Add tomatoes and stir for two minutes. Add spinach and stir to combine. 
• Add one cup water and salt to taste. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Before serving remove cinnamon stick and sprinkle curry with garam masala.

Serves 3-4

Laap Gai Chiang Mai and a visit to Little Serow

Green Market in Bangkok 2000

I have no idea why we decided to do this on a cold and windy Saturday evening, but several weeks ago my daughter and I braved the elements and stood in line for an hour to get a table at Little Serow, a popular restaurant serving northern and northeastern Thai cuisine in Washington D.C. Since the restaurant doesn't take reservations and does not own a phone, people will stand in line up to an hour before doors open at 5:30 p.m. I am glad that I wrote down the complete address as there was no sign outside the building indicating where the restaurant was located. Only a line of 10 adults waiting patiently on the sidewalk and on stairs leading down to the basement entrance of a building alerted us that this was probably the entrance to the restaurant. We patiently stood in line, taking turns warming up in the close-by CVS pharmacy. An hour later, at 5:30 p.m. sharp, the doors opened and a hostess invited guests in, one party at a time. When it was finally our turn to walk through those doors I was completely frozen.

The hostess greeted us and ensured that we knew that the dishes served here were spicy (which we did know) and that there couldn't be any substitutions. We were then let to our table for two - a bar-height small table with two stools. Once I had warmed up a bit I looked around to take in first impressions of the restaurant. I was surprised to see how small it was (the restaurant can only accommodate about 30 dinner guests) and how minimalist the design was. It's a very functional place with unadorned mint-green walls and just a few glasses and pitchers on a shelf behind the bar.

Menu for January 18, 2014

nam prik narohk

mackerel/tamarind/khi nu chilies

tom kha pla chorn

snakehead fish/galangal/krachai

som tum o

pomelo/salted prawn/lime leaf

laap gai chiang mai

chicken/offal/lanna spices

tow hu thouk

tofu/cilantro root/peanut

phat pakaukeo

greens/salted fish/egg

si krong muu

pork ribs/mekhong whiskey/dill

The food was very good, some dishes better than others, but make no mistake, this is very spicy food. I have eaten many spicy dishes while living in Southeast and South Asia, but some of the dishes served here are extremely hot. My personal favorites were the snakehead fish soup, the pomelo and salted prawn salad and the laap gai chiang mai, a ground chicken salad.

Wouldn't it be fun to try to recreate a few of these dishes? Going through some of my Thai cookbooks and searching online, I decided to try a slightly less spicy variation of the ground chicken salad. So here is my version of Laap Gai Chiang Mai.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups ground chicken
1/2 cup chopped chicken liver
2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 slices of Thai ginger, chopped
1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp finely minced lemongrass
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
chili powder or flakes to taste - I used 1/2 tsp very hot Tian Shan pepper flakes
1 tbsp chopped coriander stems
1 chopped spring onion, green and white parts
1 tbsp chopped mint leaves
2 tbsp Jasmine rice - roasted and ground (roast the rice, stirring, in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 8 minutes, let it cool down and then grind it in a blender)
mint and coriander leaves for garnish
cabbage, Chinese radish and cucumber slices for garnish

• Prepare roasted ground rice
• Mix the ground chicken, chopped chicken liver, shallots, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and chili powder or flakes thoroughly. Heat a wok over high heat and cook the chicken mixture for a couple of minutes until cooked through. Stir constantly to prevent burning.
• Transfer mixture into a bowl and add the coriander stems, spring onion, mint leaves and the ground rice.
• Mix everything together.
• Arrange sliced radish and cucumber on a platter. Quarter cabbage and use quartered leaves to scoop up chicken salad. The radish and cucumber slices are very refreshing!
• Garnish with mint and coriander leaves. 

Serves 3-4

Turkey Chili

Cooler fall evenings are the perfect setting for this turkey chili. It is easy to prepare ahead of time and also tastes great the following day.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1/2 tsp garlic, finely chopped

1 yellow and 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 and 2 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp chili powder (or to taste)

2 bay leaves

2 dried red chilies, crumbled

1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp brown sugar

1 (28 oz) can chopped tomatoes in juice 

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup water

1 tsp salt

• Heat 2 tbsp canola oil in a heavy medium pot over medium heat. Add ground turkey and stir until turkey is no longer pink. Remove turkey from pot and set aside.
• In same pot heat remaining 2 tbsp of oil and add onions, garlic and peppers. Stir for about 10 minutes until onions are lightly browned.
• Stirring, add spices and brown sugar and cook for 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes in juice and stir.
• Add black beans, water and salt and bring to a simmer. Add ground turkey and any accumulated juices, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with basmati rice and sour cream if desired.

Serves 4-6

Vietnamese-style Udon Noodle and Beef Soup

Who doesn't like Pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, meat, vegetables and herbs. I like mine spicy, so I always serve Chili Garlic Sauce and Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce on the side.

Ingredients:
Udon noodles
1 lb flank steak, sliced into strips
large pot with approximately 8 cups of chicken stock
juice of 2 limes
1-2 tbsp fish sauce
1 cup bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup spring onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup cleaned cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped peanuts, toasted
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
1 cup Thai basil leaves, washed and dried
Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
Chili Garlic Sauce

Prepare Udon noodles according to packet directions, drain and keep warm in a bowl with a splash of sesame oil.
Slice flank steak into strips and parboil for several minutes. Drain and keep warm.
In a large pot bring 8 - 10 cups of chicken stock to a boil. Turn down to simmer. Add lime juice and fish sauce.
Place beef, Udon noodles, vegetables, herbs, nuts and eggs into separate bowls.

To serve, reheat broth until hot and ladle into individual soup bowls. Add noodles, beef and other ingredients per taste.

Serves 4-6

Keema Matar - Ground Meat with Peas and Potatoes

Spice shop at Chelsea Market in NYC

The first Indian dish I ever prepared was Keema Matar, a North Indian ground meat dish. A friend of mine who was married to an Indian introduced me to the world of aromatic spices. Spices like cardamon, cinnamon, and nutmeg made me think of the Indonesian Spice Islands, a group of islands to the north-east of Indonesia. Although these islands are quite small, they were the largest producers of nutmeg, cloves, pepper and mace in the world. I was living in Germany at the time and was worried about finding the necessary spices, but a trip to the Kleinmarkthalle (market hall) in Frankfurt alleviated my worries. Indian spices were easy to find and I went home looking forward to cooking my first Indian meal.

One of the spices used in the recipe is garam masala, an Indian spice blend consisting of cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorns, cumin and coriander. The spice blend is widely available in Indian grocery stores and some specialty shops. (Although ground coriander and ground cumin are already included in the blend, I always add some extra as I very much like their taste. You may want to try this recipe without the additional 1/4 tsp of coriander and cumin the first time.)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp garam masala
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp ground cardamon
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or lamb)
1/2 cup (or more) of plain yogurt
3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped (I chop mine in a food processor to get the desired consistency)
1 cup frozen green peas
10 oz potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (optional)
fresh coriander leaves for garnish

• Heat the oil in a non-stick saucepan and cook the onion until lightly browned. Add the garlic, ginger and all spices (garam masala through bay leaf) and cook for about 3-5 minutes on low heat. Stir regularly to prevent spices from burning.
• Add the meat and stir until it is no longer pink.
• Add the yogurt and potatoes and cook for 10 to 15 minutes stirring regularly.
• Add the tomatoes and peas. Stir, cover the saucepan and simmer for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. If desired, add a little extra yogurt at the end. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves before serving.

I serve Keema Matar with raita and basmati rice. Naan, an Indian bread, also works well instead of the rice.

Serves 6