Tandoori Chicken

Here’s a variation on a classic:

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 8 Skinless Chicken Thighs
• ¾ Cup of Yoghurt
• 1 Tablespoon Garlic & Ginger Paste
• 1 Tablespoon Tandoori Spice Mix
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon
• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• Salt to Taste
• Few Drops of Red Food Coloring (Optional)
• Chaat Spice Mix for Garnish

Directions

Combine yoghurt, garlic & ginger paste, tandoori spice mix, salt, lemon juice, food coloring and vegetable oil. Add chicken and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place chicken in a roasting pan. Roast for about 20 to 30 minutes. Baste as needed with melted butter. Brown under the broiler for 6 or 7 minutes, turning once. Garnish with chaat spice mix and serve hot with a yoghurt/coriander/mint chutney.

Tandoori Fish

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 4 Whitefish Filets (Cod, Tilapia etc.)
• 4 Tablespoons of Yoghurt
• 3 Teaspoons Garlic & Ginger Paste
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Tandoori Spice Mix
• 1 Egg
• 2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
• Salt to Taste
• Oil for Basting

Directions 

Combine yoghurt, garlic & ginger paste, tandoori spice mix, cumin powder, red chili powder, salt, lemon juice and egg, and mix well. Pour marinade over fish filets, turning them to ensure that they are well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 7 minutes on each side, basting once with oil. Serve with hot roti and a yoghurt/coriander/mint chutney.

Spicy Beef with Spring Onions

Adapted this from a popular Asian recipe:

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 0.75lb beef tenderloin, filet or ribeye
• 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
• 1 Teaspoon Chopped Garlic & Ginger
• 1 Green Chili (Habenero)
• 4 Spring/Green Onions
• 2 Medium Tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoon Cilantro
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 0.5 cup Vegetable Stock
• 1 Teaspoon Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Sweet Soy Sauce

Directions

Slice beef as thinly as possible and then combine with soy sauce and fish sauce. Heat oil in a pan/wok and stir fry beef for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add chopped green onions and chili to the pan and saute for 1 minute. Stir in garlic, ginger and chopped tomatoes. Add stock, sugar and sweet soy sauce. Return meat to the pan, heat thoroughly and add salt to taste. Garnish with cilantro and serve on a bowl of steamed basmati rice.

Masala Cod Steaks with Tomato

Here’s one of my cooking experiments that turned out rather well. I got the idea talking to Niema on the phone when I was wondering around the supermarket. She had a similar recipe (which involved broling instead of pan frying) and she’d scanned and emailed it to me by the time I got home. As always, I took the idea as inspiration and then made up my own recipe. Sometimes that approach is disasterous, but today it was spot on.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 2 Cod Steaks 
• 1 Large Tomato
• 3 Small Spring Onions
• 1 Green Chili
• 2 Tablespoon Cilantro
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Curry Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin Power
• 1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Paprika
• 2 Tablespoons Virgin Olive Oil

Directions

Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Add chopped chili, spring onions, salt, curry powder, ground cumin powder, coriander powder and paprika until slightly brown. Add chopped tomato and cod steaks in chunky pieces. Cook cod steaks for a couple of minutes on both sides. Then add a few tablespoons of water, cover the pan and simmer for another few minutes. Then remove lid, stir carefully (cod pieces will start to break into smaller pieces). Simmer for a few more minutes if there is too much water. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve on a bowl of steamed basmati rice.

Chicken Tikka

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 1lb Boneless Chicken Breasts (Cubed)
• ¾ Cup of Yoghurt
• 1 Tablespoon Garlic & Ginger Paste
• 1 Teaspoon Tandoori Spice Mix
• 1 Teaspoon Lemon
• 1 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Tandoori Spice Mix
• 1 Teaspoon Garam Masala
• 1 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• Salt to Taste
• Lemon Wedges for Garnish

Directions

Combine yoghurt, garlic & ginger paste, lemon juice, oil, red chili, salt and spice mixes. Add chicken and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours. Thread chicken onto metal skewers and baste with melted butter. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and roast chicken for about 5 min. Turn once and baste with remaining butter. Roast for another 10 minutes or until the juices run clear. Serve hot with lemon wedges.