Indian Fare

So I cooked up the chicken makhani last night for some friends, and we all loved it! I followed the recipe exactly except for the cornstarch (and adding a few splashes of beer), and it was very flavorful and the perfect consistency. The chicken, which I served over rice, was nice and tender. My friend recommended adding a few cinnamon sticks to the rice in the future, advice given to her by an Indian friend. We had raitha on the side to counteract the spice of the chicken dish (which thankfully was not too spicy for my sensitive pallet) as well as squash skewers. The squash recipe can be found at http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1809101 (I added zucchini & broiled them instead of grilling). I thought they went really well with the chicken dish. And of course, we had some naan too! Can you tell I love Indian food? Thank you for sharing such a fabulous recipe, Rachel!

Chicken Makhani

I found this recipe on allrecipe.com this last spring after having it at an East Indian restaurant in our city. We love it! I make it at least once a month. I strongly suggest you do not make this recipe until you obtain the garam masala, it is essential to Indian cuisine. You can find it at any specialty market (Whole Foods, etc).
A few notes. 1) I use olive oil. 2) I use fresh ginger and garlic as I've never found the paste. 3) I skip the cornstarch step because I am lazy. It's thick enough for our preference. Enjoy!!!

Chicken Makhani

1 T peanut oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
¼ onion, finely chopped
2 T butter
2 t lemon juice
1 T ginger garlic paste
1 t garam masala
1 t chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1 bay leaf
¼ cup plain yogurt
1 cup half and half
1 cup tomato puree
¼ t cayenne pepper, or to taste
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
1 T peanut oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cut into bit sized pieces
1 t garam masala
Pinch cayenne pepper, optional
1 T corn starch
¼ cup water

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Saute shallot and onion until soft and translucent. Stir in butter, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon garam masala, chili powder, cumin and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in half-and-half and yogurt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, and season with 1 teaspoon garam masala and cayenne. Stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce, and simmer until liquid has reduced, and chicken is no longer pink. Stir cooked chicken into sauce.
3. Mix together cornstarch and water, then stir into the sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened. Serve over rice. Serves 4.

What's Cookin' Good Lookin'?

All right Chic Chefs - here we go for another round!

Please notice I have added new dates on the right side of the main page. I felt a sadness taking Alyssa off the site. I have been sad to see Stacy and Alyssa go, both being original Chic Chefs. As I added the dates I realized that one of two things is going to happen, either we will have our last recipe the second week of December (13th) or there will be a recipe post the week of Thanksgiving. Which do you prefer to have happen?

Okay, I think we decided it was best when there was no real theme; each Chic Chef posting a recipe that fit their mood. I like it like that, seems to be more variety! A couple of reminders: recipe posts are due on Sundays and please remember to note how many servings the recipe will provide.

Bon Appetit!

Dropping Out :(

Hi girls. I am going to drop out of Chic Chefs. I will still be following you, but can't be counted on to participate fully. Keep it going, though, because I'd like to join up again sometime in the future. Happy cooking! It's been a pleasure.