Being Latina, I have eaten all kinds of ethnic cusine...?!


Question:

Being Latina, I have eaten all kinds of ethnic cusine...?

I have tried Italian, Caribbean, Irish, Greek, and West Indian foods..I would like to know if anyone have any Indian recipes that I could try for the first time that would be easy to make for family and some close friends.
I have never tried Indian food before. I seen the movie Bend it like Beckman at a friends house, and in one of the special features they were making aloo gobi and it looked really good.

But any indian dish will be welcomed..Thanks!


Answers:
Naan (leavened Indian flatbread)

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 tsps dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsps sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
6 tbsps ghee (clarified butter)
3 tbsps yoghurt
3 teaspoons onion seeds

PREPARATION:
Add the dry yeast and sugar to the warm water and stir till the yeast is dissolved. Cover and leave aside for 10 minutes or until the mixture begins to froth. This indicates the yeast is active. Keep aside.
Mix the flour and salt to taste and sift through a very fine seive. Put it into a large mixing bowl and now add the yeast mixture, 3 tbsps of ghee and all the yogurt.
Use your fingertips to mix all this into a soft dough. Once mixed, flour a clean, flat surface (like your kitchen counter) and knead the dough till it is smooth and stretchy (elastic).
Grease a large bowl with a few drops of cooking oil and put the dough in it. Cover and allow to rest for about 90 minutes or till the dough doubles in volume.
Punch the dough down and knead again for 10 minutes.
Equally divide the dough and roll between your palms to form 8 round balls.
Lightly flour the same surface on which you kneaded the dough and roll out each ball until you have a circle, 7-8 inches in diameter (1/2 "thick). Gently pull on one edge of the circle to form the Naan into a teardrop shape. Do not pull too hard or you may tear the Naan. Instead of rolling the dough out (with a rolling pin) you can also pat it into a circle with your hands.
Preheat your oven 200 C/ 400 F or Gas Mark 6.
Lay a piece of aluminum foil in an oven tray (to cover) and grease it lightly with a few drops of cooking oil.
Place as many Naans as will fit without touching each other, on the tray.
Brush each Naan with some ghee and sprinkle a pinch of onion seeds all over its surface.
Put the tray into the oven and cook till the Naan begins to puff out and get lightly brown. Flip the Naan and repeat.
Remove from oven and serve hot in a foil-lined basket.

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food serve with naan

Bihari Kabab

Enjoy this grilled North-Indian kabab with piping hot Naans (tandoor-cooked Indian flatbread).


INGREDIENTS:
1 kg very tender beef cut into 1" thick strips
2 large onions sliced
2 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
1 cup yoghurt
2 tbsps garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsps coriander powder
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp star anise powder
1/2 tsp mace powder
2 tbsps raw papaya paste
Salt to taste


PREPARATION:
Fry the onions in the oil till soft. Drain on paper towels and grind to a smooth paste.
Mix the onion paste, all the spices with the yoghurt and add the beef strips to this mix. Add salt to taste and set aside for 8-10 hours in the refrigerator.
Add the raw papaya paste to the yoghurt and beef mix about 1 hour before you are ready to cook the kabab.
Thread 8-10 beef strips onto each skewer and grill till cooked.
Serve immediately with piping hot Naans (tandoor-cooked Indian flatbread).

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Chicken Curry

This most basic of chicken recipes is also one of the tastiest! Serve Chicken Curry with hot Chapatis (Indian flatbread) or plain boiled rice.


INGREDIENTS:
1 kg chicken pieces of your choice, skin removed
2 large onions sliced thin
2 large tomatoes diced
2 tbsps garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
2 tsps coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsps garam masala powder
4 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
Chopped coriander to garnish

PREPARATION:
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions till golden brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Turn off fire.
Grind the onions into a smooth paste in a food processor. Remove into a separate container.
Now grind the tomatoes, garlic and ginger pastes together into a smooth paste.
Heat the remaining oil again and add the onion paste. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Now add the tomato paste and all the spices. Mix well.
Fry the masala till the oil begins to separate from it.
Add the chicken to the masala and brown well.
Add 1 1/2 cup of hot water to the chicken, simmer and cover. Cook till the chicken is tender.
Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with hot chapatis (Indian flatbread), Naans (tandoor-baked Indian flatbread) or plain boiled rice.

aloo gobi means potatoes and califlower (in that order).

Do you live in a city? I'm asking because that will determine what you can get to make / eat / try...

Everybody seems to like:
Navratan Korma (9 gems / "vegetables")
If you eat meat: Chicken Tikka Masala
Daal

Start with Tandoori anything, it is Indian BBQ and is heaven on earth. Move to Vindaloo, which is a spinach dish which will feel almost Cuban to you, then move to Curry.

Good luck and try the breads and yogurt sauces to balance the spice.

Great Indian recipe from the film Bend It Like Beckham



8 servings 1 hour 20 min prep

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 bunch fresh coriander, separated into stalks and leaves and roughly chopped
1 small green chilies, chopped into small pieces (or one teaspoon chili powder)
1 large cauliflower, leaves removed and cut evenly into eighths
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into even pieces
2 cans diced tomatoes
fresh ginger, peeled and grated
fresh garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons garam masala


Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan.
Add the chopped onion and one teaspoon of cumin seeds to the oil.
Stir together and cook until onions become creamy, golden, and translucent.
Add chopped coriander stalks, two teaspoons of turmeric, and one teaspoon of salt.
Add chopped chillis (according to taste) Stir tomatoes into onion mixture.
Add ginger and garlic; mix thoroughly.
Add potatoes and cauliflower to the sauce plus a few tablespoons of water (ensuring that the mixture doesn't stick to the saucepan).
Ensure that the potatoes and cauliflower are coated with the curry sauce.
Cover and allow to simmer for twenty minutes (or until potatoes are cooked).
Add two teaspoons of Garam Masala and stir.
Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top of the curry.
Turn off the heat, cover, and leave for as long as possible before serving.

It's best if you can find an indian market to get the real spices.

Otherwise most grocery stores carry the Pataks brand sauces and they are reasonably good, just follow the directions.




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