Post your best Chicken or Fish recipe! Come on, I need dinner ideas!?!
Post your best Chicken or Fish recipe! Come on, I need dinner ideas!?
I am making Salmon tonight particularly, but am looking for new recipes in any area. I love Bold, Spicy and Bright flavors (Thai, Vietnamese, Indian) but am willing to try anything that smells and looks good. (Um, not a big fan of things that come out of a can like soup mixtures, but will do canned coconut cream etc.)
Answers:
Badami Murgh (Chicken with Almonds)
Mughlai cuisine is very rich in both taste and ingredients. It is predominant in the northern part of India and is characterized by its unique cooking styles and methods. Their most famous contribution being the “tandoor” (a clay oven capable of withstanding very high temperatures and fueled by coal). Mughlai food is laden with delicious nuts and dried fruits (dates, apricots, sultanas…). Their sauces are creamy and buttery. Mughlai cuisine is definitely a feast for all of one’s senses.
Famous Mughlai dishes include Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Biryanis, Kebabs and Naans. I have provided a delicious chicken recipe that is a perfect example of what Mughlai cooking has to offer; serve with hot buttery naans and saffron pulao.
BADAMI CHICKEN (Chicken with Almonds)
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients:
1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken pieces cut into 2 inch pieces
4 medium onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
? tbsp finely minced ginger
3 small tomatoes, finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick
4 black cardamom pods, gently crushed
4 cloves
1 tsp ground cumin powder
2 tsp ground coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chili powder
12 almonds, toasted and ground into a fine powder
? cup of oil (vegetable or canola)
salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp of slivered almonds (garnish)
1 cup of cream (light is fine)
Juice of 1 lime
Freshly chopped cilantro leaves
Method:
Marinate the chicken pieces in the lime juice, salt and pepper. It is easiest to do this in a plastic zip bag; it allows the chicken to be thoroughly and evenly coated in the marinade. For best results, refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.
In a large dry skillet on medium heat, gently toast the slivered almonds until fragrant. Stir continuously so as not to burn. Once they are lightly toasted, remove quickly from the heat and set aside for garnish.
Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in the same skillet on medium high heat, add the onions and fry until golden brown. Then add the ginger and garlic, stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Next add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and cloves. Stir fry for an additional 2-3 minutes and then add the ground almonds and the rest of the spices (ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric and chili powder). Add the chicken pieces and fry for 5-6 minutes, add the tomatoes and the cream. Combine well and bring to a gentle boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 30 minutes. Garnish with the toasted almonds and cilantro.
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Tangy Shrimp in Coconut Curry
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 tbsp of canola or vegetable oil
? tsp of chili powder (add to taste)
? tsp of turmeric
? tsp of cumin powder (seeds should be lightly toasted & finely ground)
1 tsp of coriander powder (seeds should be lightly toasted & finely ground)
1 tbsp of fresh ginger (finely minced)
1 tbsp of garlic (finely minced)
1 tbsp of green chilies (finely minced)
12 fresh curry leaves
1 cup of shallots (finely sliced)
1 cup of coconut milk (light variety may be used)
Juice of 1medium lime
1? pound of large shrimps (tail on, peeled and de-veined)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves (finely chopped for garnish)
Method:
Heat the oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the shallots and saute for 2-3 minutes until slightly golden in color. Then add the ginger, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves; continue to saute for an additional 2-3 minutes. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until they lose their pink color. Stir in the coconut milk and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the sauce is heated through and turn off the heat. Season with lime juice, salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with fragrant jeera rice or saffron pulao.
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The cuisine of Kerala is influenced by its wealth of aromatic spices and year round availability of fresh coconuts. Malabar Fish Curry (Kerala Meen Molee) is a wonderful example of traditional Kerala cuisine at its finest; succulent fresh fish gently simmered in a spicy coconut curry and served with fragrant rice is a simple yet wonderfully delicious meal.
MALABAR FISH CURRY
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1-1.5 lbs of firm white fish fillets (cod, tilapia, swordfish, bass, haddock, snapper or halibut)
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 small green thai chilies
10-12 fresh curry leaves
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masla
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 can coconut milk (can use the light variety)
4 tbsp oil (veg or canola)
1 cup water, as needed
fresh chopped cilantro leaves for garnish
METHOD:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground cumin, garam masala, red chili powder, tumeric, ground coriander, salt and pepper. Cut the fish into 2 inch pieces and marinate with the dry spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours.
In a large skillet, heat 3 tbsp of the oil on medium heat and add the onions. Cook for 5 minutes until they soften and slightly brown, add the ginger and garlic. Stir fry for an additional few minutes and then add the marinated fish pieces. Let the fish lightly brown on all sides and add the water. Add any remaining spices from the dry marinade and the coconut milk, cover and gently simmer on low heat for 5-6 minutes. Stir gently so as to not break the fish into smaller pieces.
In a separate sauce pan on medium high heat, add the oil. When it is just barely smoking, very carefully add the black mustard seeds. These tend to splatter, so be careful. Reduce the heat to low and add the green chilies and curry powder. After 30 seconds, remove from the heat and pour over your fish curry. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve with fragrant Basmati rice or hot chapathis.
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Indian Parsis are an extremely close knit community, they are the direct descendants of Persian Zoroastrians who fled Iran thousands of years ago to escape religious persecution. They have since settled in India and made it their home. Parsi cuisine is a wonderful and rich blend of both Persian and Indian cuisines, cooking styles and methods. Parsi dishes are famous for their unique combinations of bold flavors.
Parsi Fish Curry
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 lb of firm white fish fillets (cod, tilapia, swordfish, bass, haddock, snapper or halibut)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
2 small green thai chilies
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp oil (veg or canola)
1 tbsp tamarind pulp (or 1 tsp tam powder)
juice of 1 lime (fresh)
water as needed
freshly grated coconut and freshly chopped cilantro leaves for garnish
METHOD:
Cut the fish into 2 inch pieces and marinate with salt, pepper, turmeric and the juice of 1/2 a lime. Set aside and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
In a large skillet on medium high heat, add the onions and stir fry until golden brown. Add the garlic, ginger and green chillies. Stir fry for an additional 2-3 minutes and add the spices (ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cardamom, and ground cinnamon). Stir fry for 1-2 minutes and the add the tomatoes and tamarind. Add the water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the fish pieces and simmer gently uncovered on low heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the rest of the lime juice, garnish and serve with fragrant Basmati rice and fresh rotis.