Indian 101

I love Indian food!

There...I said it...its out there and I feel better about it.

The more I talk to people that have never tried Indian food the more I'm met with absolute fear or scepticism. Those that have tried it but speak ill of it often speak of weird dishes they have had in their distant past or their aversion to curry.

I must admit that a lot of curry in any dish is bad thing and people from India and that region of the world can go over board with it. When I served as an LDS missionary in Canada I lived in a basement apartment of a couple from Pakistan who had curry blowing through the vents all day. The smell of curry cannot be confused to Axe body spray so I was rather sick of the smell for quite some time.

But curry done right and in measurable amounts is awesome. Plus there are so many Indian dishes that are very tasty and have very low levels of curry.

So you want Indian 101?

As more and more Indian restaurants open up around Utah and the country here are two dishes to get you started. I have recommended both of these to Indian food virgins and Indian despondents for years and they have been the safest bets.

Chicken Tikka Masala

First off, this dish has chicken in it and who doesn't like chicken???? Most places use chicken that is prepared in a tandoori oven which is made from clay and keeps the chicken really tender. The chicken is then cooked with yogurt and spices and then added to a mild-to-burn your eyes out tomato cream sauce. If you can handle tomatoes you can definitely handle this dish. I usually go medium for a little kick but like I say you can get it extremely hot if you want (eater beware). I usually poor it over the long grain Basmati rice that most places serve and then dip my Garlic Naan or Cheesy Naan bread in the sauce. Absolutely awesome. I usually wash it down with a Mountain Dew but water also works if you do not want to disrupt the flavor in your mouth. Savor it...it's worth it.



Chicken Coconut Korma  

This is another very popular dish with a very mild flavor of coconut milk but not to strong if you do not like coconut. People I've talked to that hate coconut have attested to this. I'm also a sucker for cashews that most places use but some also use or substitute with pine nuts. Again curry is only one of many ingredients used in this dish so it does not over power the other flavors. Same thing here. Pour it over the rice and use the Naan to sop up the sauce. I'm getting emotional just thinking about it!



I thought I would add some pictures so you have an idea of the look. When your are ready and know you like them try them with the traditional lamb. It is just as tender and adds a little bit different flavor. Most places will also do these dishes with shrimp or vegetarian style so they can cover a lot of different tastes.

So go giv'em a try and if I've have led you astray with either recommendation let me know and I will reimburse you .01% of your total bill...which isn't bad in these tough economic times!

Enjoy!

Salsa!!!!

Hello again!

One of my favorite lines from Seinfeld is when Jerry is describing that salsa is the new ketchup because people like saying the word "SALSA!". He was right. It is fun to say and more fun to eat. It can come in so many different varieties, flavors and heat indexes. I've noticed a new trend popping up at Mexican restaurants lately to have a salsa bar with at least 10-15 different varieties.

With the Fall temperatures setting in my tomatoes are really starting to ripen before the first freeze sets in so I have been making batch after batch of SALSA! There is nothing like the sweetness of a garden fresh tomato for making homemade salsa so if you cannot grow your own try to find someone you know who does as they are most likely trying to get rid of all of them right now.

I received this recipe years ago and I have decided to share it with you today. Some salsa is very tomato pasty, some are cooked, while others are more of a chunky garden style. This one leans towards the chunky garden style and has a ton of flavor so here you are:

     6           -     Medium red tomatoes
     3           -     Tomatillos   (Little green looking tomatoes with a leafy covering)
     2/3        -     Jalapenos     (Leave the seeds in if you want medium salsa, take out if you want mild)
     1/3        -     Onion          (You can go half an onion if you really like onions but I find 1/3 is perfect)
     10         -     Cilantro     (Cut the tops off of about 10-12 cilantro stalks)
     3/4 tsp  -     Salt
     1/4 tsp  -     Oregano
     1/4 tsp  -     Garlic powder

For less runny salsa I bleed the tomatoes before blending them with the rest of the ingredients. Take the leafy covering off the Tomatillos and cut the tops off. Set the blender for "chop" for more of a pico-de-gallo salsa. Throw it in a bowl and refrigerate.

I really don't know how long it will last because it never makes it past a couple of days in our house but I would imagine it would be good for at least a week or two.

So there you have it. Please share your recipes with me as well as I'm always on the look out for some new SALSA!.....that is so fun to say isn't it!