Meatballs are always a crowd pleaser in our house. Whether they are served as an appetizer or dinner entree, everyone always devours them. Myself included. Most meatballs are made with ground beef or pork, but in an effort to lighten things up just a little bit I use ground turkey in this recipe. And when combined with the onions, cumin and Madras curry powder also in this recipe, you might have trouble believing they are a little better for you.

Some of you may be wondering what Madras curry is. Madras curry is a spicier version of curry powder that comes from South India. It has many of the same spices as regular curry like coriander, turmeric and cumin but Madras curry also has the addition of chili peppers. While I don’t find it too spicy, you could also substitute mild curry powder in this dish and still get the wonderful curry flavor.

Makes 20 meatballs

You will need:

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons madras curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/3 cup dried plain bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine turkey, onion, curry powder, cumin, kosher salt, egg and bread crumbs in a bowl. Use hands to mix until well combined. Roll into approximately 20 meatballs.
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium – high heat. Cook meatballs in batches until browned on all sides. Transfer to a baking dish. Bake meatballs for 15 minutes or until cooked through.
4. Serve.

Put some toothpicks in these and they make a great appetizer or serve them along side some rice for a quick weeknight dinner.

Enjoy!

Despite the brilliant sunshine that graced Seattle with its presence yesterday, the calendar still says we are smack dab in the middle of February. This means that we have at least a few more weeks of cold weather to get through before things start to warm up. The only good part about this I see is that these lingering cold winter days mean that I get to enjoy warm soups for just a wee bit longer. Soups like this tummy warming Mulligatawny soup that is sure to hit the spot on a cold winter’s day.

I was inspired to create this recipe not by a cookbook, not by a restaurant and not by watching a cooking show. No, I was inspired to create this recipe by watching Seinfeld, everyone’s favorite 90s sitcom about nothing. You see, Ryan and I love to watch a couple of episodes of Seinfeld every night before bed. The episode that inspired this recipe was probably one of the most famous, you know the one. The one with the Soup Nazi. The one where scores of people line up around the block to order some soup so good that they follow a strict set of rules in order to be able to order a cup of it.  Now this isn’t the Soup Nazi’s recipe, but with madras curry, garam masala, chicken, rice, veggies and coconut milk I bet you’ll find your self craving it just as Kramer did.

Serves 6

You will need:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped, peeled Granny Smith apple
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup uncooked basmati or other white rice
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1. Heat butter and olive oil in a large dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Once butter has melted stir in onion, celery, carrots and apples. Cook until softened slightly, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in flour, curry, garam masala and turmeric and cook one minute. Slowly stir in chicken stock. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Remove soup from heat and use an immersion blender, to puree the soup until smooth (there may still be a few veggie pieces and that is OK). Note: If you don’t have an immersion blender, allow soup to cool and blend in batches in a blender or food processor.
4. Return soup to burner and heat over medium heat. Stir in rice and cooked chicken. Cook 20 – 25 minutes or until rice is cooked. Stir in 1/4 cup coconut milk. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add remaining coconut milk if desired.
5. Ladle into warm soup bowls and serve.

Enjoy!

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.

Traditional samosas are made with a samosa dough and fried. I however happened to have some puff pastry in the freezer and decided to bake them. The puff pastry turned a lovely golden brown and made a wonderful flaky pocket for the savory filling. If you prefer you could substitute ground chicken for the beef.

Makes 8

You will need:

• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup frozen mixed peas and carrots
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 sheet of puff pastry
• 1 egg, beaten
• non-stick spray

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a pan, brown ground beef over medium heat. While cooking use a spoon to make the pieces of beef as small as possible. Transfer cooked beef to a colander on top of a bowl to strain grease.
3. In the same pan you browned the ground beef, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and frozen peas and carrots. Cook 3 minutes. Return ground beef to the pan. Stir in cumin, kosher salt, turmeric and garam masala. Pour water over the top and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes or until water is absorbed. Stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
4. Roll puff pastry into a 18″ x 12″ rectangle. Cut into 8 even rectangles.  Place 2 tablespoons of mixture in the center of each rectangle. Fold one side over the top of the filling and bring it to the other side. Use a fork to press down edges to seal. Brush each samosa with egg wash. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
5. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. Place filled samosas on the prepared sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Serve hot.

These samosas taste just like those Ryan and I order at our favorite Indian restaurant here in Seattle. For the full effect, dip these in your favorite chutney.

If you feel like really challenging yourself, check out my Daring Baker post on Vols-au-vent and make your own puff pastry too.

Enjoy!

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.

I was talking to my mom recently about fried chicken and she told me about a little trick she had tried where she breaded the chicken in the flour and let it sit for a little while before frying it. She mentioned that the flour seemed to stick a bit better the longer you let it sit. I figured these chicken tenders would be the perfect chance to experiment and decided to give it a try. First, I dipped them in the egg/milk wash, then the curry/flour/bread crumb mixture and let them sit for about 15 minutes. When it came time to fry them I noticed that I didn’t loose nearly as much flour as I usually do.  Thanks for the tip mom!

Serves 2

You will need:

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 pound chicken tenders
• oil for frying

1. In one bowl whisk together egg and milk. In a second bowl combine flour, bread crumbs, curry powder, kosher salt and garam masala.
2. One at a time, dip the chicken tenders in the egg and then dredge into the flour/bread crumb mixture to coat completely. Transfer to plate. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
3. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer, sprinkle a little flour into it, if it sizzles the oil is ready. Place the breaded chicken tenders in the oil being careful not to overcrowd the pan. (Note: Depending on the size of your pan you may need to do this in batches.)  Fry the chicken tenders until golden brown and cooked through, about 3- 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. While still hot, sprinkle with a little more kosher salt.
4. Serve.

As far as a dip goes, I thought these were just fine without it but now that I think about it,  they would also be good with a variety of chutneys.

Enjoy!

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 :)

To be honest, I am not usually a fan of coconut. Seriously, when I have a box of chocolates and bite into one with coconut, I am not a happy camper. With that said, I have to say I really do like coconut milk. It works in a variety of dishes and adds a slightly sweet flavor without being over powering.  So for those of you that are not coconut fans, give this recipe a try, you may be surprised.

Note: You will need to plan ahead when making this recipe because the chicken needs to marinade for at least 8 hours.

Serves 2-4

You will need:

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• juice and zest of 1 lime (to get the zest of the lime, use a zester or the smallest holes on a cheese grater to shave the outer skin of the lime)
• 1.5 to 2 pounds chicken drumsticks
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 (13.5 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon dried cilantro or 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro

1. In a large bowl combine yogurt, olive oil, garlic, turmeric, cayenne pepper (if using), garam masala, salt, cumin, lime and lime zest. Place chicken in marinade and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
2. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Reserve marinade.
3. In a large skillet, cook chicken over medium heat until it browns slightly. About 4 minutes each side.
4. Add onions and cook 2 minutes. Pour coconut milk and marinade over the top, stir. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
5. Stir in cilantro just before serving. Serve.

You can serve this as is, but I like to serve it over rice. Shocking I know ;-)

Enjoy!

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.

This dish was inspired by the rice that Ryan and I order at our favorite Indian restaurant. First, I saute the rice with onions, garlic and spices. Next, I cook the rice mixture in vegetable broth, instead of water, to give it a little more flavor. Finally, the tomatoes are added at the end, so they burst with sweet tomato flavor when you bite them.

The restaurant we order from doesn’t usually add tomatoes, but I had some so I thought why not? It was the perfect addition.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 1/2 cups long grain or basmati rice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved

1. In a large saucepan melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
2. Add turmeric, cumin and rice. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Pour in the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in the tomatoes, cover for 10 more minutes. Fluff with a fork. Serve.

This would make a great side dish for Broiled Chicken Masala.

Enjoy!

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.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs  (chicken breasts won’t really work, they tend to be a little dry)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (more if you like extra spice)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• Red onion, cut into rings for garnish (optional)

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to coat the chicken completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. After the chicken has refrigerated, turn your oven on to the broiler setting. Place chicken in a single layer in a baking dish. Broil about 6 minutes on each side, or until chicken is no longer pink in center.

I like to serve this with Basmati rice and some hot chili peppers on the side. Enjoy!