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This is a wonderfully flavorful dish that can be easily prepared in a pinch. If you cannot find the kaffir lime leaf, omit it (although it adds nice flavor). You can also use standard string beans instead of the long beans. Make sure to cook the dish on as high a heat as possible so that the chicken sears quickly and doesn't dribble out all its juices in the pan. I recommend cooking only 1 lb of chicken at a time so you don't overcrowd the pan. My recipe is based off of the one here at Eating Thai Food . 1 lb chicken breast, cut into 3/4" slices 1/2 c. Chinese long beans, cut into 1/4" slices (or string beans) 3 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste 1 Tbsp. fish sauce 1 tsp sugar 4 kaffir lime leaves, chiffonade 2 Tbsp. peanut oil Heat a flat bottomed wok on medium high and then add the oil. Add the curry paste and stir/chop with a wok spoon or spatula so that it sizzles and softens for 30 seconds. Ensure it does not burn. Add the chicken, fish sauce, and sugar an...

This recipe is a perfect one for summer - it uses yellow summer squash which is always in abundance and ends up tasting very light.  It takes very little time to cook, and there's not really very much prep. The hardest part is getting the spices together, but overall there's not that much chopping or cooking. It was meant to be sort of a one-off recipe, but as soon as we tasted how well it turned out, I started writing it down to keep from forgetting it. Ingredients 1 tsp whole fennel 4 cloves 1 tsp whole coriander 4 green cardamom pods, lightly smashed 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you want it spicy) 1 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 onion, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp grated fresh ginger 1 Tbsp cumin seeds 1 heaping tsp black mustard seeds 2 medium yellow squash cut into thin circles or half circles 1 can coconut milk 1/3 c. chicken broth (i.e. one muffin tin cube's worth, optional) 1 chicken breast cut into thin pieces ...

I was looking at all of the beautiful winter squash at the farmer's market but at the same time I had a craving for Indian food. Looking around online, this recipe was the most appealing, since it has both a lot of veggies and some protein sources. I personally like it a bit spicy to clear out the sinuses in winter. I have altered the recipe for this from the one here a little bit. That website calls this a North Indian recipe -I honestly have no idea. If you're feeling ambitious, you could make breads to go along with it, but I personally liked it quite a bit served on basmati rice cooked with a single star anise pod. Ingredients: 1 Tbsp oil, 1 Tbsp butter 1 large onion, in thin slices 1/2 large butternut squash, skinned 3/4 c. red lentils 3-4 c. water or broth 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 3/4 c. greens (spinach/arugala/etc.) Juice of 1 lemon 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro 2 Tsbp. chopped mint Spice mixture (best if you use whole and grind them) 1/...

Let's face it: samosas are delicious but a P.I.T.A. to make. Why bother with the pastry crust? Just eat the filling! These are a great side dish, perfect for potlucks, and if you're really ambitious you can use it as a savory pastry filling. 3 lbs potatoes (can be any kind, peels can stay on small reds or Yukon gold) 2 stalks celery 1/2 small onion 1/2 c. frozen peas 1 jalapeno pepper 3 green onions 1 stick butter 1 Tbsp. black mustard seeds 1 Tbsp. whole cumin seeds 2 tsp. fresh ginger 1 tsp. turmeric 1 tsp. black pepper 1 pinch hing powder OR 1 clove garlic, minced loads of salt Boil the potatoes in well-salted water until tender, then drain. Smash them up a bit with a spoon. Dice celery, onion, and jalapeno very small. Slice green onions into little rings. Heat the butter in a large pan until it is bubbling. Add the pinch of hing--it should sizzle. (If you are using garlic instead, add it later with the ginger instead) the mustard and cumin seeds and s...

Japanese curry is its own food category, different than Thai or Indian curries. It is a revelation in easy home cooking--just don't fight the packaged-food-ness! The "secret" is to follow the directions on the package. Serve with good white rice and Japanese pickles (all these things can be found at United Noodle). The curry comes as solid blocks (like a chocolate bar) that you break into your curry pot. There are many brands, such as "Java", "Vermont", and "Golden Curry"...all seem to be good, and "hot" is not hot at all, so get that one if you want a slight heat. I made the batch in the photo with tonkatsu , but it can be accompanied with any protein or just eaten plain. As you can see, pickles are a large part of the appeal for me, but don't worry if you can't find them. 1/2 package of Japanese curry blocks 3 large potatoes 2 large carrots 1 medium onion 1/2 c. water Something like that...just free-form i...

I'm posting this as an add-on to Alex's Kushari recipe--it's really good on top of kushari, but it's also a great side dish in general. This is for a dry style chickpea with Indian spices. It is also dirt cheap! Chana masala on top of kushari. 1 can of chickpeas 3 Tbsp cooking oil 1 Tbsp black mustard seeds 2 tsp whole cumin seeds 2 tsp minced ginger 2 cloves garlic, minced OR 1/4 tsp hing powder 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground black pepper 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, to taste  Optional: chopped cilantro I recommend doing this in a non-stick pan. Don't allow the spices to burn, or they will taste bitter. Start by draining the chickpeas so that they have time to dry on the outside. You can pat them dry further with paper towels. Heat the oil until very hot. Add the black mustard and cumin seeds until they begin to pop, stirring occasionally. Add in the hot pepper flakes, ginger, and garlic (or hing) and allow them to sizzle, but take care not ...

This was inspired by a dish served at a local Indian restaurant, and then based on techniques from this very different curry. I'm still developing it, but it turned out so well I thought I'd post the version I made tonight. Ingredients 1/2 onion, minced 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds (optional) 3 cloves garlic 1.5" segment of ginger root, peeled 1 tsp. cumin seeds 1/2 tsp. turmeric 1 tsp. ground black pepper 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper 4 cardamom pods 1/4 c. blanched, peeled almonds 1/4 c. roasted, unsalted cashews 1/2 c. water  1 can coconut milk  1 large pinch saffron, soaked in 1/4 c. warm water 1 cauliflower, cut into small flourets 2 chicken breasts, cut into thin pieces Smoosh the garlic and ginger root together - I did this in a mortar and pestle, you could probably achieve a similar effect with enough mincing with a knife. Blend the almonds, cashews and water in a food processor until it makes a smooth liquid. In a mix of 1...

If you want a delicious and comforting curry that will keep you full for hours or perhaps even days, this is the one for you. It uses ingredients that are easy to keep on hand, so it's good in a pinch. It's more sweet than spicy, so it's good for the spice-averse. There are many ways to make it, but this is how I learned. You can make it with chicken or beef, though if you use beef you may want to simmer the meat in the liquid a lot longer. 1 lb. boneless chicken, cut into 1" pieces 14 oz. can of coconut milk 4 oz. can of massaman curry paste 1 large onion, cut into 1" pieces 1 1/2 c. potato or white sweet potato in 1" pieces 1/2 c. carrots, in chunks (optional) 14 oz. water or chicken broth 1/2 c. raw peanuts or cashews 3 Tbsp. palm sugar or brown sugar 3 Tbsp. tamarind sauce (can be substituted with 1 tsp. lime juice) 2 Tbsp. fish sauce Salt to taste Begin by cooking the potato in a separate pan until almost fully cooked. In a deep saute pa...

This combination of dishes makes a nice meal and great leftovers. I like to use paneer when I can get it easily, but the recipe works well with firm tofu or even chicken (though then I guess it's a different dish). These recipes are based around Manjula's Kitchen , though I altered them a little to avoid hard-to-find ingredients. Check out the videos if you want step-by-step instructions or more recipe ideas. My most recent attempt. I didn't have cilantro to add to the aloo gobi, but it's still delicious without it. Palak Paneer 1 1/2-2 c. paneer, cubed (or extra-firm tofu, cubed and patted dry) 1 box frozen spinach, thawed, drained well, and chopped 2-3 plum tomatoes, pureed, or 1/2 can tomato puree 2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 Tbsp. salt 2 tsp. whole cumin seed 1/2 tsp. turmeric 1/4 tsp. cayenne 3 Tbsp. flour 1/4 c. water + more water 1/2 c. heavy cream or half and half 2 Tbsp. butter oil for frying tomato slices for garnish Fry the paneer or ...

An ode to rice noodles! Today I had fun exploring the international grocery stores in Rochester. Rice and Spice, an Indian place, is great and I got excellent service there. The shopkeeper helped me find everything on my list and even gave me some recipes. The Asian Food Store was really seedy and kind of freaked me out a little bit (especially the half-wit working the meat counter), but I found some amazing glazed pork and was inspired to make this meal. I love Singapore noodles, even though they have nothing to do with Singapore, but they are hard to find. I've been meaning to figure out how to make them and today was the perfect chance. The dish is a lot like fried rice in that you use little bits of vegetables and meat, whatever you have on hand, except that it's made with rice noodles and seasoned with curry powder. I used chicken thighs and some glazed pork, and left out the traditional shrimp. Feel free to improvise and conduct Operation Icebox. Update: Check out t...