December 20, 2022
GF (using the rice,and not the Roti)
Butter Chicken
serves: 6
This is a family favorite and is mildly spicy, but full of flavor! I generally serve it with (or after) a very simple green salad.
Ingredients
Marinade:
1 1/2 skinless-boneless chicken breasts, after fat has been trimmed
8 oz plain full fat yogurt (I use homemade)
4 tbsp garam masala
kosher salt & pinch of red pepper flakes
juice from 1/2 lemon
Next day:
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions
chicken in marinade (from above)
1/4 cup homemade curry powder-paste: Toast 3 tbsp coriander seeds, 3 tbsp cumin seeds, 2 dried small red chilis, seeds, veins and crown removed), and 1 tsp fennel seeds, in a dry cast-iron pan over medium heat. Remove from heat when fragrant and starting to brown. Grind well using a mortar and pestle. To the spice mix, add 2 tbsp chopped fresh garlic, 1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger, and 1 tbsp turmeric. If I have Sambar powder on hand, I add 2 tbsp, but it's not a necessity. Grind the mixture some more, into a very thick powdery-paste.
1 1/2 - 2 cups cold tomato-tomatillo soup (see recipe below - I usually double the soup recipe and have half with a warm sandwich, and the other half the next day for Butter Chicken.)
8 oz full-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup (4 tbsp) butter
Preparation:
Night Before:
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, place in a large Ziploc bag and add 8 oz of the yogurt, red pepper flakes, lemon, and garam masala. Season with salt, seal and marinade in fridge overnight. There shouldn't be a lot of excess liquid.
Day of:
Heat half the oil in an extra large skillet or dutch oven, over medium high heat. Brown the onions, then add the rest of the oil and brown the chicken, for about 5mn over medium heat. Make the curry paste while the onions and chicken are browning, then add the 1/4 cup of curry. Add 1 1/2 cups of tomato-tomatillo soup, yogurt, cream, and butter. Mix well. Simmer about 5 more mn or until sauce has thickened. Add the rest of the soup if you'd like more dipping sauce. I serve in individual little bowls, set on plates...with a fresh green salad and homemade roti. We scoop up the sauce and chicken with the roti. On occasion, I just serve over rice...as pictured above. Be sure to have some extra napkins on hand!
Tomato-Tomatillo Soup
GF, V, DF
Makes 3-4 cups
This soup is super simple, light, fresh, and incredibly addictive. It's originally from the Lost Kitchen cookbook (Erin French) but I've made some slight changes. I can't stop eating it. It's also a phenomenal addition to a bunch of other recipes, such as butter chicken, meatloaf, etc. Those of us who've had it, love it...even those of us who normally are NOT cold soup people, or tomato people. It's really amazing.
Ingredients
1 lb garden fresh, red-ripe tomatoes
1/2 lb fresh tomatillos (weigh after removing husks)
4 basil leaves
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
4 springs cilantro, ends trimmed just a tiny bit
1 small jalapeno, seeds removed
2 tbsp really good extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
kosher salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
Put all the ingredients in a blender or Bullet, and puree until smooth. Chill for a couple hours, and then pass the soup through a food mill, with smallest holes. This leaves some pulp but removes most of the seeds and skins. This will take 10mn or so. Enjoy with a Croque monsieur sandwich, or use in Butter Chicken or Meatloaf recipes.
Garlic Roti
V/DF option
serves: 8 people
When we lived in Tonga, community cooking was the norm. "Roti night" with friends was our traditional Tuesday night dinner. The adults took turns prepping roti night with eager children assisting. Back then we purchased fresh homemade roti from the market, and prepared various different taco-type fillings ourselves. We veered from the one culture meal, but the kids in the group all loved Roti night! With the recipe below, I generally serve roti for the sole purpose of dipping in sauce...either butter chicken or tika masala.
Ingredients
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tsp salt
2 cups warm water
2 tbsp softened butter
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup butter
6 cloves garlic
Preparation
Combine flour and salt in a stand mixer and stir around with a clean hand. Mix in oil and softened butter to form a breadcrumb like consistency, also with your hand. Then, using paddle attachment, slowly begin to add the warm water and mix for 3-4 minutes. Dough should feel spongy & moist, but not too wet. Add more flour or water a little at a time to adjust. Leave in bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Rest for 40 minutes. Melt 1/3 c. butter in small pan over low heat. Crush and smash 3 cloves of garlic and add to pan. Turn off heat and let sit for 30mn so butter can absorb the garlic flavor.
Remove dough from bowl and flatten into big rectangle, with hands. Roll the dough up lengthwise and cut into 16-24 equal portions, depending on how large you want your roti. For mini rotis, I cut 24 portions. (Do this like you would if making cinnamon rolls.) Warm a flat cast iron skillet over medium heat. Stretch first piece of dough into an oval, using clean hands. You can use a rolling pin if you prefer but be sure you first sprinkle flour on the pin and on your dough, to prevent sticking. Brush skillet lightly with the melted garlic butter. Cook the dough oval, turning often, until there are brownspots on both sides, and it looks fully cooked. Remove from the heat, rub both sides lightly with one of the remaining garlic cloves. Stet on one half of a large sheet of aluminum foil, then fold foil over to keep warm, but don't seal. Repeat with next section of dough. These can be warmed in oven just before meal time.
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