There are three tricks to making delicious Indian food: Don't use canned beans or lentils thinking they will taste as good as fresh Don't use pre-ground spices they will taste as good as freshly toasted and ground whole spices Follow the freaking recipe! At least the first … [Read more...] about Chana Masala from “My Indian Kitchen”
hari nayak
Indian Lamb Curry from Hari Nayak’s Easy Indian Cooking
Nayak has a new Indian cookbook out. I'm slowly working through the recipes. It's not as big or beautiful as his last one, but if the recipes work I'm all for it. So far it seems the recipes are easier (blend things up all together rather than multi-step processes). This recipe … [Read more...] about Indian Lamb Curry from Hari Nayak’s Easy Indian Cooking
Chicken Curry in a Hurry from “My Indian Kitchen”
When I see a cutely named chicken curry recipe I get scared. It usually means commercial "curry powder" (NOT powder curry leaves...) made of a mix of ground spices ground who knows how long ago. It takes a little more effort to make your own, but you can't argue with results. So … [Read more...] about Chicken Curry in a Hurry from “My Indian Kitchen”
Chana Masala: Northern Chickpea Curry
I usually stay away from the recipes in Indian cookbooks that you find on every restaurant menu. I'd rather try something different - different spices, different textures. But sometimes you want a classic. You want to know what the homemade version is really supposed to taste … [Read more...] about Chana Masala: Northern Chickpea Curry
Lemon Rice with Peanuts from Hari Nayak’s “My Indian Kitchen”
I like the idea of lemony rice. So often rice is a foil - for a curry sauce, for a meat dish, for dinner's protagonist, etc. But if you add some protein to a rice dish it almost becomes a meal on its own, and then it needs some flavour. Most often in Indian cuisine that means … [Read more...] about Lemon Rice with Peanuts from Hari Nayak’s “My Indian Kitchen”
Best Roasted Eggplant Dip (Baingan Ki Chutney)
Another winner from "My Indian Kitchen". The recipe is here, so I feel okay about reprinting it loosely below. For more precise instructions see author Hari Nayak's website. So I mentioned I'm obsessed with eggplant in my last restaurant review of Bombay Choupati just outside … [Read more...] about Best Roasted Eggplant Dip (Baingan Ki Chutney)
The Other Dal: Yellow Mung Beans with Spinach from “My Indian Kitchen”
I guess I wasn't settled in yet because I had to make another dal. That, and/or I didn't want to spend any money and this is a ridiculously inexpensive dish. Or maybe I just wanted to review yet another cookbook, and that only happens one recipe at a time. "My Indian Kitchen" by … [Read more...] about The Other Dal: Yellow Mung Beans with Spinach from “My Indian Kitchen”