I habve probably made more dishes from India in the last few months than I have in the last few years. And it is all Kayte and Leslie’s fault.

And to them I say, “Thanks Ladies!”

We start talking about Indian curry, etc. and the next thing we know we have a recipe and a day picked out and into the kitchen we go. This time Leslie chose

    Bal Anderson’s No-Butter Chicken

Ingredients:

    2 tablespoons grapeseed oil {I used canola.}
    1 small red onion, chopped
    2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
    1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
    2 tablespoons tomato paste
    1 tablespoon brown sugar
    1 tablespoon cumin seeds
    1 tablespoon garam masala
    1 teaspoon red chile flakes
    1 teaspoon turmeric
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 pound chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into cubes
    1/4 cup low-fat yogurt
    1/2 cup water

Put a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. When it starts to get hot, add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook for 4 minutes, or until the onion is golden.
Add the tomato paste, brown sugar, cumin seeds, garam masala, red chile flakes, turmeric, and salt and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the chicken cubes and stir well to coat.
Add the yogurt and water and cook, stirring until the chicken is done, about 8 minutes.
Serve the chicken with roti or rice.

And with Bal’s Chicken we had..



    Madhur Jaffrey’s Corn With Aromatic Seasonings

Ingredients:

    3 tablespoons olive or canola oil
    1 teaspoon whole brown or yellow mustard seeds {I couldn’t find mine so I used ground yellow mustard. Abt 1/8 tsp. Could have used a little more.}4 cardamom pods
    4 whole cloves
    One 1-inch cinnamon stick
    2 bay leaves
    1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
    1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh hot green chiles (do not discard seeds) {I did not use.}
    4 cups corn cut fresh off the cobs, or two 10-ounce packets of frozen corn, defrosted and drained
    1 teaspoon salt
    1/4 cup heavy cream

1. Pour the oil into a frying pan and set over medium heat.
2. Meanwhile, combine the mustard seeds, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves in a small cup.
3. When the oil is hot, put in all the whole spices. As soon as the mustard seeds pop, a matter of seconds, add the ginger and green chiles. Stir once or twice, and then add in the corn. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add the salt and cream. Continue to stir and cook for another minute. Turn heat to low and cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until all the cream is absorbed. You can pick out and discard the cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves if you are serving those unaccustomed to large whole spices in their foods.

I have to tell you, this was a fantastic meal. My kitchen smelled heavenly. Thanks to Leslie I had fresh Bay Leaves (From.Her.Tree) and Cardamom Pods.

The mixed fragrance of those fresh spices and all the garam masala, ginger, garlic was spectacular.
I wonder how soon I can make it again. I know Leslie, Kayte, Peggy who managed tomake the night even more spectacular with a quick run to the ER (she cut herself and needed stitches – in the leg!!), Abby, and Katie (who used tofu) all loved it. Why do I know this – It was a TwitterCook. We chatted, we cooked, and we learned from each other. I cannot think of a better way to spend time in the kitchen.

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