Since I started blogging dining at restaurants has not been the same. I use to order, wait patiently and then enjoy my meal while engaging in whatever conversation was taking place. Now however, when I take my first bite,  I don’t have much time to savor it before I immediately start thinking to myself “How can I make this at home?” It’s like a little challenge for myself to see how close I can actually get to the restaurant version.  My latest at home attempt were these scrumptious beef samosas. It took just one bite of these flaky snacks filled with a mixture of seasoned ground beef, onions and peas and carrots to realize challenging yourself can be a very good thing.

While at the grocery store earlier this week I noticed they were having a sale on chicken tenders so, not really knowing what I was going to do with them but thinking I could figure something out, I picked some up. When it came time to make them, I still wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do so I began scouring my spices and noticed the curry peaking out at me. I knew I didn’t really have the time to make Chicken Curry, but once I got the idea of curry in my head I couldn’t get it out. Finally, I thought that if I seasoned the flour just right I could get the curry flavor but in a crispy chicken finger form. Thus these curried chicken tenders were born.

After raving about our favorite Indian restaurant Ryan and I were able to get one of our friends to go. This friend, mind you, is lactose intolerant. After looking at the menu, I assured her that there were plenty of things that she could order, after all their menu didn’t indicate that there was any dairy in the food.  So imagine my surprise when the first few things she tried the order, the server told her she could not eat because of the dairy. Apparently, a number of the chicken dishes involved a yogurt marinade. While the server was trying to help my friend find something to order, my mind started wandering. A Indian inspired yogurt marinade for chicken? What a wonderful idea. I immediately thought I could add a little turmeric, garam masala and maybe a little garlic and lime to the marinade. Then to finish it off I’d cook the chicken with the marinade and a little coconut milk for a touch of sweetness. I was so excited to try this I went to the grocery store the next day to pick everything up. Oh and don’t worry, my friend was able to order a delicious dish and has since been back to the restaurant because she liked it so much :)

Prior to moving to Seattle, I did not have much experience with Indian cuisine. It just wasn’t that popular in my home town. Sure I had made Chicken Curry a lot but it wasn’t until I moved to Seattle and found a few local Indian restaurants that I was exposed to the other wonderful flavors of Indian cuisine. I have taken a particular liking to the combination of turmeric and cumin, it is a very warm, slightly bitter flavor that kicks up the all too often plain side dish: rice.

For those of you that like Indian food, this is a delicious dish. The key to this recipe is the garam masala. Garam masala is a blend of ground spices that create a “spicy” flavor, so this dish is a little on the spicy side. You can make the blend of spices on your own but you can also find it in the spice aisle of your local grocery store. I simply marinate chicken with olive oil, garlic, garam masala and cumin before broiling.