Tandoori Murgh Makhani

The green garnish on top of the dishes isn't green hair; they're dried kasoori methi or fenugreek leaves (see next photo).

Raghavan Iyer, the author of 660 Curries, translates this dish from "Murgh Makhani" to "Grilled Cornish Game Hens with a Tomato-Fenugreek Sauce", but I think it is also Butter Chicken, which is Murgh ('chicken') Makhani ('with butter'). He suggests using Cornish hens instead of chicken because they more closely resemble the size and flavor of the chicken in India. I, unfortunately, went to the only grocery store without Cornish hens, so I bought a package of thigh and drumstick pieces. You could also use packages of leg pieces (thigh and drumstick together). He suggests cutting up the chicken AFTER grilling it to hold in the juices and flavors.

First photo: Dried kasoori methi or fenugreek leaves: a vital ingredient for this dish. It has a strong fragrance you can smell before even opening the box! Second photo: dried leaves soaking in water for 15 minutes.

This chicken dish was worth all of the work. It really was. I ate a few forkfuls and am letting it cool as I type this post. I have learned that this dish is also worth burning your tongue various times haha.

I apologize for the dark photos. I started working on this dish late and the sun was close to setting.

I opted to grill the chicken instead of baking it just to practice my grilling skills, which are um below average. For some reason, I cannot get my charcoal hot enough. So, what did I do? I turned to Youtube for help on how to properly fire up a charcoal grill, and it worked (almost) perfectly. I managed to get the charcoal hot enough to cook three out of five of the chicken pieces. Two of them were 95% cooked (I don't know how I figure out these percentages. Just bear with me.).

TASTE: The marinade on the chicken was very fragrant because of the balti masala and other ingredients. It smelled divine and very new to me. I ate a piece of the chicken before adding the sauce, and it was incredible. It was so great, that I was hesitant to add the sauce to all of the chicken just in case I didn't like the sauce. Fortunately, both the sauce and chicken complement each other perfectly. The sauce smells of tomato, butter, and spices. I can't describe the taste very well. It is a comforting dish, and as I stated already, it was totally worth all of the work. I think I'm going to have to make more sauce because it yielded enough only to coat the chicken.

Lastly, I was so focused on making this dish that I forgot about the side dishes like rice, vegetables, and naan. I wanted to make naan but ran out of time. I quickly put together some turmeric rice (forgot to add peas) before the sun completely went down for photos. If I make naan or some other type of Indian bread tomorrow, I will post it then (I've blogged about naan before, but I want to try another recipe for fluffier bread) to go along with yummy leftovers of this chicken dish.

Now that I have prepared balti masala and ginger-garlic paste, I can throw this together much more quickly in the near future. I really hope you make this dish. Just break down the process. Make the paste, balti masala, and marinade the chicken on one day, and grill or bake the chicken the next day. Don't forget to make rice and naan!

Tandoori Murgh Makhani

adapted from 660 Curries

PRINTABLE VERSION

2 Cornish game hens (about 1 1/2 lbs. each), skin removed, cut in half lengthwise (I used chicken thighs and legs)
1/3 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt for its thicker nature)
1 1/2 Tbsp ginger/garlic paste
2 tsp Balti masala
2 tsp ground Kashmiri chiles; or 1/2/ tsp cayenne (ground red pepper) mixed with 1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1 1/4 tsp coarse kosher or sea salt
Vegetable cooking spray (I never used this)
2 Tbsp Ghee or butter (I bought ghee from the Indian store b/c it was there, but it's not hard to make)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh or frozen kasoori methi or fenugreek leaves (thawed, if frozen); or 2 Tbsp dried fenugreek leaves, soaked in a bowl of water for 15 mins and skimmed off before use
1/2 tsp cayenne (ground red pepper)
1/2 cup half-and-half

Using a sharp knife, make four slits in each hen or chicken pieces: two into the breast meat, one in the outer thigh meat, and one in the inner thigh meat. Place the hens or chickens in a biaking dish, meat side up.

Left to right: fatty chicken (1); marinade (2); marinade brushed on chicken (3); covered for overnight refrigeration (4)

Combine the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, balti masala, Kashmiri chiles, and salt in a small bowl, and whisk to blend. Smear the hen or chicken halves with this orange-red marinade, making sure to stuff some of it into the slits. Refrigerate, covered for at least 1 hour or as long as overnigh, to allow the flavors to permeate the meat.

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to high, or preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.

GRILL: spray the grill grate with cooking spray (I forgot to do this, and it worked out fine). Place the hens or chicken pieces, meat side down, on the grate. (Optional: Reserve any marinade for basting the meat.) Cover, and grill the meat, basting them occasionally with the remaining marinade and turning them over halfway through, until the meat in the thickest parts is no longer pink inside and the juices run clear, 30 to 40 minutes (or 60 minutes for the bigger pieces of meat, if you heat up your grill incorrectly like me hehe). Transfer the meat to a serving platter, and cover them with foil to keep them warm while you quickly make the sauce. (I SUGGEST MAKING THE SAUCE TOWARD THE END OF THE GRILLING TIME INSTEAD OF AFTER)

OVEN: Place a rack in a roasting pan, and spray it with cooking spray. Place the hens or chicken pieces, meat side down, on the rack. (Reserve any marinade for basting the meat) Roast, basting them occasionally with the remaining marinade and turning them over halfway through, until the meat in the thickest parts is no longer pink inside, and the juices run clear, about 45 minutes. Transfer the meat to a serving platter, and cover them with foil to keep them warm while you quickly make the sauce.

Left to right: chicken on the grill (1); sauce before simmer (2); sauce after simmer (3); sauce + half-n-half (4)

SAUCE: To make the sauce, heat the ghee in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the tomato sauce, fenugreek, and cayenne. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to meld, 5 to 10 minutes. Then stir in the half-and-half, and continue to simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, to let it warm, 2 to 4 minutes.

To serve the curry, cut the meat into smaller pieces, and toss them with the sauce. (Cut the meat better than I did hah!).

Turmeric Rice

adapted from the back of the Basmati Rice bag and Pastor Ryan

double this recipe if feeding more than two mouths

1 3/4 cups water
1 cup Basmati rice
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp turmeric
1-2 cups frozen peas (forgot to use)

OPTIONAL ADD-INS OR TOPPINGS:
Frozen peas
Dried kasoori methi/fenugreek leaves (I used this)
Cilantro
Chile peppers

Boil water with salt. Add rice, butter, and turmeric, and cover. Turn heat to med-low, and cook for 20 minutes. Add the frozen peas into the cooked rice; give them a stir. Allow the heat of the rice to cook the peas.

Enjoy!!

Ginger-Garlic Paste and Balti Masala

Click here to see what I made with these ingredients!

A couple of months ago, my mother and I went to Half-Price Bookstore. If you're not familiar with this store, it is a fantastic bookstore that sells various books for half of the original price of less. While at this bookstore, I found a few Indian cookbooks, but settled for a HUGE book called 660 Curries. I chose this book because the photos of the dishes looked much better than those found in the other cookbooks. Also, I chose it because it was huge with all of my favorite Indian dishes and many others I've yet to try along with the history of all the dishes.

For weeks I have been putting off making Tandoori Murgh Makhani, which is similar to Chicken Tikka Masala or Butter Chicken. Not surprisingly, I didn't have most of the ingredients in this recipe, so I had to make a special trip to my favorite Indian grocery store, MGM Indian Foods (if you're in the Central Texas area, I highly recommend this store. The owner is very friendly and will help you find anything you need). I found 100% of the ingredients I needed, but I forgot to pick up cinnamon sticks and coriander seeds, so I had to use the powdered versions of those two instead and accidentally placed them in the skillet with the seeds.

Tomorrow, I will be grilling the chicken, but today I made the balti masala, a vital spice mix for this recipe, and ginger-garlic paste the day before yesterday. I was happy to finally get to use my mortar and pestle. However, if you don't have one, or you want to make things a little easier, you can use a spice or coffee grinder. Come back tomorrow for the rest of this Indian dish!!

Happy Spring Break to all my colleagues and friends!!

Ginger-Garlic Paste

halved and adapted from 660 Curries

15 cloves of garlic
8 ounces of coarsely chopped fresh garlic (no need to peel)

Pour 1/4-1/2 cup of water in a blender (I accidentally put in one cup). Peel the garlic cloves, and throw them into the blender. Chop the ginger root roughly, and throw them in the blender. Purée the cloves, ginger, and water until fairly smooth. If too watery, strain the mixture (I had to do that because I put in too much water.) Store mixture in a closed container for one week in the refrigerator and 2 months in the freezer.

Don't make my mistake of putting powders in the skillet with the seeds!!

Balti Masala

adapted from 660 Curries

2 tsps fennel seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black or yellow mustard seeds
1/2 tsp whole cloves
1/2 tsp cardamom seeds from black pods
1/2 tsp nigella seeds
3 fresh or dried bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches long each), broken into smaller pieces
2 tsp cayenne (ground red pepper) powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg powder

Preheat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add all the whole spices (reserve the powders for later), and toast, shaking the skillet every few seconds, until the fennel, coriander, and cumin turn reddish-brown, and the mustard, cloves, and cardamom turn ash-black, and the cinnamon and bay leaves appear brittle and crinkly, and the mixture is highly fragant (1-2 minutes).

Immediately transfer the nutty-smelling spices to a plate cool because the longer they sit in the hot skillet, the more likely they will burn. Once they are cool to the touch, place them in a mortar, spice, or coffee grinder, and grind until the texture resembles that of finely ground black pepper. Stir in the powders.

Store the mix in a tightly-sealed container, away from excess light, heat, and humidity, for up to 2 months. Do not refrigerate.

Iced Green Tea

In 2008, I decided to stop drinking soda for good. I upheld that promise for over a year and then started drinking soda again. I don't know why really. It may because of the mistake someone made at Wendy's when I ordered a tea and received a Coke instead.

Anyway, even though I've started drinking soda again, I never buy soda for the house. I drink it only if I go out to eat. I haven't purchased cans or bottles of soda for myself in over 3 years. Instead of drinking soda, I rely on water, skim milk, juice, and iced tea as my beverages at home.

Out of those abovementioned drinks, my favorite has got to be this iced greeen tea. I make big quantities of it 1-2 times a week. The recipe is very simple. I'm sure you could use another type of tea, but I love using green tea. You could also use agave syrup, Splenda, or some other sweetener aside from granulated sugar to make it healthier.

Iced Green Tea

8 cups of cold water
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar (or Splenda or about 3/4 c of agave syrup)
6-8 bags of green tea (I use Lipton, but I'm sure there are better brands out there. Any suggestions welcomed!)

In a big pot, pour in cold water and sugar. Turn on the heat, and stir the sugar until the water becomes translucent again. Cover the pot of sugar water, and allow the mixture to boil. Meanwhile, place the green tea bags in a large container (with a lid) that can handle hot water and quick temperature changes. Once the water boils, turn off the heat, and immediately pour the sugar water into the large container. Cover the container (with the lid or foil), and allow the tea to sit or steep and cool for 10 minutes. Then place the container in the refrigerator, or pour yourself a glass with a bunch of ice!

Enjoy!

Named One of Pioneer Woman's Fantastic Food Sites, an Award, and School Update

O-M-G! Today, I found out that Pioneer Woman named me one of her favorite food blog sites. I cannot believe it. With so many FANTASTIC blogs out there, I cannot begin to believe I would be one of her favorites. I cannot believe she has even visited my blog. Wow. I'm so honored. Thank you, Ree!

Also, msmeanie from Chocolate Chip Trips gave me an Honest Scrap Award a while ago, and I kept forgetting to post about it! I looked up the origin of the award and found out that you're supposed to be write down five things about yourself and the readers are supposed to guess which one is true. I thought that sounded like fun, so here goes!

1. I speak 5 languages fluently.
2. I used to be a cosmetologist.
3. I am a member of the mile-high club.
4. I am have some Irish in my blood.
5. I love nuts and alcohol!

I couldn't think of really crazy descriptions. Am I really that boring? haha Good luck guessing! LOL!

UPDATE ON SCHOOL: A couple of you have been asking about school, so I thought I'd provide an update. First of all, I have been done with coursework since last year, so I go to campus primarily to teach, go to occasional meetings, and that's it. I teach only one course three days a week, so I'm left with a lot of free time to work on my dissertation proposal. So, that is why I have time to cook, bake, take photos, and blog because I teach one course and do not have any classes to attend. In between time, I also work on my papers and grade.

I still haven't heard from my committee about my paper, and I'm hoping I pass. If I don't pass, I won't earn my doctorate degree, which has been my goal since I was 9 years old. Yes. NINE years old. If I do pass, however, I can go on and turn in my dissertation proposal. I hope to graduate next Spring in 2011. My mom said that if I graduate next year, we would go back to Europe, and she would pay for everything! How's that for incentive? So, please pray for me or send good karma that I pass. I'm really nervous about the results. I don't know what I would do without my PhD.

Churros con chocolate caliente al estilo español

Let me first tell you that I hesitated on making these churros because of the source of the recipe. My photos cannot even come close to her photos. I don't aspire to get to her level, but the caliber of her photos makes my photos look more like they did when I first started blogging LOL! But you know, I had to get over the intimidation and just make these. In fact, I thought about making these churros for so long that I'd memorized the recipe!

When doing research on different churro recipes, I found many variations. Some did not call for eggs while others did. Also, some Spanish churros do not have a cinnamon/sugar topping because of its dependence on the thick, hot chocolate drink that serves as a sugary accompaniment. Although these doughnut-like pastries originated in Spain, one can find many churros and variations (e.g., filled with dulce de leche) in México, Argentina, Perú, and other places as well. The recipe for the churros is very easy and is like making a pâte à choux.

If you're planning to make this just for yourself and/or one other person, please half this recipe. I had so much dough leftover that I ended up throwing it all away because I am not crazy about a lot of fried foods (except for French Fries!! hehe). However, you could use the rest for éclairs or gourgères, which I forgot to do!

For the chocolate caliente, I had to look for a recipe from another source because I didn't want to make a bisque or an egg custard. I wanted my hot chocolate to be similar to the hot drink found in Spain that normally accompanies and coats the churros. Sadly, my chocolate didn't get as thick as the drinks in Spain, but it was thick enough to coat my churros fairly well. Next time, I will use either another recipe or add more cornstarch. Nevertheless, this drink was so rich and delicious. I absolutely loved it. I'm glad I have another cup's worth left. I think I'll end this post and drink it right now.

Churros

from the honorable Cannelle et Vanille

125 ml (1/2 cup) water
125 ml (1/2 cup) whole milk
110 grams (about 1 stick) of butter
1 Tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
150 grams (about 1 cup + 2 Tbsp) AP flour
3 large eggs, room temperature
canola oil, for frying
cinnamon and sugar, for coating

Instructions:

Pour water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan, and heat just up to boiling point. Turn off heat, and immediately add all of the flour (español: en un golpe). Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until it becomes a moist ball of dough (It will smell sort of like buttery, mashed potatoes YUM!).

Pour the oil in a cast-iron skillet or a deep fryer, and heat it up on medium heat until it reaches 365 degrees Farenheit.

Meanwile, transfer this flour/butter mixture to a stand mixer (or mix by hand), and mix the dough for a few minutes to cool it down.

Add the eggs one at a time. Once the dough is uniform, turn off the mixer, and transfer some of the dough to a pastry bag with a #5 tip (I used #21 b/c I didn't have the other tip) or churrera.

Once the oil is hot, squeeze portions of the dough into the hot oil, and use a knife, scissors, or your finger to break off the pieces. Fry for about 2-3 minutes each side. Remove with a slotted spoon, and place churros on a paper towel. Add cinnamon or sugar to the hot churros, if using.

Chocolate caliente al estilo español

adapted from Spanish.about.com

16 oz (2 cups) whole milk
1/2 tsp cornstarch (I suggest adding more)
pinch of salt
4 oz milk chocolate (I used Callebaut)

Pour in the milk and cornstarch into a small or medium saucepan, and stir well with a whisk. Turn on the heat and heat just to boiling point. Once the milk boils, take it off of the heat, and add the chocolate. Stir well with a whisk or wooden spoon. Once the chocolate has melted, return the mixture to low heat until it thickens. If it doesn't thicken, add more cornstarch to a small amount of cold milk. Stir the cornstarch mixture well and then add it to the chocolate mixture. Continue to heat on low heat until it thickens more.

Enjoy!

Milk Chocolate Ice Cream

I apologize for giving you all another ice cream post right after the CCC dough ice cream, but I made a this a while ago and have been debating on whether I should blog about it since I didn't like it and didn't like the photos of the ice cream due to the low light.
Anyway, I thought that this was going to be so good. It was full of Callebaut milk and semi-sweet chocolate, cream, egg yolks, vanilla, and milk. What could be wrong?
For some reason, the taste was flat. I wouldn't normally blog about a recipe that I didn't like, but I did for two reasons:

1. To show off the new knife I got for my birthday!!! Woot! Thanks, mom!!
   
2. To ask you all what I could do to this recipe to make it taste better.

It yielded only a little, which I'm now happy about. Once I perfect this recipe, I will double it to get a normal amount of ice cream. So, I'm opening the floor to you all for ideas. Help! I want to love this recipe haha. It's full of good chocolate!

*UPDATE* Here are the adaptations I made: I think I used espresso powder b/c I try to use it in all of my chocolate recipes. I also added vanilla extract.

Milk Chocolate Ice Cream
adapted from Ice Cream!

1 cup (250ml) whole milk
2 large egg yolks (I accidentally used 3)
1/4 cup (50g) extra-fine sugar (just grind sugar in a food processor; I reduced the amount of sugar b/c of the semi-sweet chocolate, then I added more sugar (total 1/4) b/c it wasn't sweet enough for me)
3 1/2 oz (100g) good-quality milk chocolate, chopped (I used Callebaut)
1 3/4 oz (50g) bittersweet chocolate (I used semi-sweet b/c I don't like bittersweet)
1-2 Tbsp espresso powder
2/3 cup (150ml) heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place the milk in a medium saucepan, and heat gently to near-boiling point. Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl, using a regular or electric whisk, until thick and pale. Gradually beat the milk into the egg mixture.

Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, and continue stirring until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove the bowl from the heat, and stir in the chocolate pieces, stirring until smooth. Allow the custard to cool completely. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap or waxed paper to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight (I did the latter).

Once cool, stir in the cream, and churn in an ice cream maker, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Serve immediately, or transfer to a freezer container. Cover the surface directly with waxed paper or foil, and put in the freezer.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Thank you for the little bowls, Lydia!!

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. That is my motto for this ice cream flavor. I'm not a fan of cookie dough and cookie dough ice cream, but for some reason, I decided to set aside a block of the Triple Chocolate "Chunp" Cookie dough for this ice cream.
I started with a base vanilla ice cream recipe from Dorie Greenspan. I rolled up the reserved cookie dough into a small thin log and refrigerated the log along with the vanilla ice cream custard base. After churning the custard the next day, I cut up the log of dough into small pieces (you could cut them in bigger pieces, if that is what you prefer), and then added them to the churned ice cream.
I was surprised at how good this ice cream was since I'm not crazy about CCC dough. It was beyond FANTASTIC. The vanilla flavor was very pronounced and meshed well with the chewy pieces of dough and chunky pieces of rich chocolate.
So, reduce your trips to the store for store-bought cookies and ice cream. Reuse your cookie dough in this ice cream. Recycle the container you used for the ice cream for another batch haha. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Chip/Chunp Cookie Dough Ice Cream

found on CafeLynnlu & adapted by Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours

2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 moist, plump vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract)
6 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
Chocolate Chip Cookie dough (I used about 80-100 grams of dough; go based on your preferences, but don't use too much, or it will interfere with the base flavor)

Bring milk and cream to a boil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. If you are using a vanilla bean, put the seeds and pod into the pan, cover and set aside for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, bring the milk and cream back to a boil before continuing (I turn off the heat right before it's about to boil). If you are using vanilla extract, wait until later to add it.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar together until very well blended and just slightly thickened (until it looks pale). Still whisking, drizzle in about one third of the hot liquid-this will temper, or warm the eggs so they won't curdle. Whisking all the while, slowly pour in the remaining liquid (I usually just pour in half the hot liquid, whisk, and pour egg mixture into the pot). Pour the custard back into the pan, and cook over medium heat, stirring without stopping, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. If you run your finger down the bowl of the spoon, the custard should not run into the track (about 5 minutes). The custard should reach at least 170°F, but no more than 180°F, on an instant-read thermometer. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and strain the custard into a 2-quart measuring cup or clean heatproof bowl. Discard the vanilla pod (I left the pod in while it refrigerated to intensify the vanilla flavor); or if you are using vanilla extract, stir it in now.

Refrigerate the custard for 4 hours or overnight before churning it into the ice cream (I always leave my custard in overnight.).

Remove the pod. Scrape the chilled custard in the bowl of an ice cream maker, and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions. Meanwhile, cut up the log of cookie dough into small pieces. Pack the ice cream into a container, and drop pieces of cookie dough into the custard. Stir the mixture well to evenly distribute the dough. Freeze the ice cream for at least 2 hours, until it is firm enough to scoop.