DESI COMFORT FOOD
The Meal:
– Makhani Chicken
– Potato Bhujia with Green Beans
– Pulao with Carrots and Beans
Swap did not go according to plan this week. Instead of cooking Monday night, I was home nursing a sick two year old. When he is healthy, Alex’s favorite person in the world is his father; when Alex is sick, no one else but me will do. So, Heather and I swapped our swap from Tuesday to Wednesday this week, which worked out fine. We still ate our own prepared meals on Tuesday night and each others on Wednesday.
Now, for what I cooked: Heather and I usually don’t always exchange emails about what we plan to cook for the swap, but this week we did. Given that it’s back to school week for our kids (our kids attend the same school), we both thought to cook comfort food for them.
For most Indian (or half-Indian) children, comfort food often means chawal (rice), chicken, and aaloo (potatoes)….well for the non-vegetarian ones at least. So, that’s what I’ve made…Desi comfort food. (Loosely translated “desi” means from the homeland…it’s the word that Indians regularly use to refer to all things Indian.)
Makhani Chicken
Indian restaurants usually serve makhani chicken, which (not surprisingly) tastes very different when cooked in an Indian home. This is my rendition…very mild and moist, which usually goes over well with the kids. It’s a modified version of a recipe by Pushpa Bhargava in her cookbook From Mom with Love (awesome collection of authentic Indian recipes). Recipe below serves 8.
Ingredients
– 2.75 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, chopped
– 1 lime
– 2 teaspoons garlic paste
– 2 teaspoons ginger paste
– 2-3 teaspoon garam masala (store-bought is fine, though I use a homemade mix)
– 1 cup yoghurt (I didn’t have any, so I used 3/4 cup of sour cream instead)
– ~4 tablespoons butter (comfort food ingredient #1)
– ~1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder
– 3 cups of tomato puree
– 1/2 pint of heavy cream (comfort food ingredient #2)
– 1/2 pint of whole milk (comfort food ingredient #3)
– 1/4 cup of chopped basil leaves
– Salt to taste (approximately 2-3 teaspoons)
Directions
– Mix yoghurt, ginger & garlic pastes (1 teaspoons each), 1 teaspoon of garam masala, zest from lime and juice from half the lime. Mix in about 2 teaspoons of salt. Add chicken and marinate for ~1 hour.
– Set oven to broil. Put chicken on a greased baking sheet and dab with some more butter. Broil chicken for ~8 minutes. Save juices from broiling for later use.
– Heat 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once melted, add 1 teaspoon each of ginger and garlic paste. Stir and cook for a minute or so.
– Add tomato puree, red chilli powder, and any leftover juices from the broiling. Cook at low heat for about 7-9 minutes.
– Add salt (approximately 1 teaspoon, or to taste).
– Add cooked chicken and cook for another 7-9 minutes at low heat.
– Add heavy cream, milk, and 1-2 teaspoon of garam masala and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
– Garnish with chopped basil leaves.
Potato Bhujia with Green Beans
Bhujia is awesome! It usually refers to potatoes cooked in the style described below. I toss in green beans, because I’m a mom with little kids. Again, the recipe below serves 8.
Ingredients
– A little over 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
– 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
– 5-6 medium red potatoes, skinned, halved and sliced
– Salt, to taste
– 1 cup of green beans chopped
– 3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
– 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder
– 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
Directions
– Heat oil over medium heat and add cumin seeds.
– Once the seeds start to sizzle, add potatoes. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 7-9 minutes, stirring occasionally.
– Once potatoes are 1/2 cooked, add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
– Add garlic and green beans. Cover again and cook for another 5 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until potatoes are completely cooked. Remove from heat.
Pulao with Carrots and Peas
K loves carrots and A loves peas, so this rice dish is meant to make them both happy. The recipe below serves 8.
Ingredients
– 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
– 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
– 2.5 cups of basmati rice
– 1 teaspoon salt
– 3/4 to 1 cup chopped carrots
– 3/4 to 1 cup peas
Directions:
– Wash rice (3-4 times) and place in water for about 1/2 hour and then drain the water.
– Heat oil over medium heat. Add cumin seeds.
– When seeds start to sizzle, add rice and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring.
– Add salt, 5 cups water and carrots. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook till rice is completely cooked.
– Toss in peas, mix and remove from heat.
And we are done! Here’s the full meal:
Reheating Instructions:
– Microwave the rice and potato bhujia.
– Reheat chicken on stove top (I’m not a big fan of microwaved chicken). If you have some fresh basil, please chop and sprinkle on top.
– Serve chicken on rice with side of potato bhujia.
ENJOY!
The Verdict:
Tuesday: I cooked this Desi comfort meal and served it hot off the stove. Thankfully, Alex was feeling better and had an appetite. Both he and his sister ate well. We had frozen yoghurt for dessert (Blue Bunny’s White Chocolate with Raspberry Swirls and Chocolate Chips….a favorite of ours). A nice end to an awesome summer!
Wednesday: Thanks for the great macaroni and cheese, Heather ! It went over really well here too. Alex is pretty picky with his mac-n-cheese and even he liked it! But I have to say the French dressing was probably the biggest hit! Kavya filled up with the veggies so much that she was sad to discover that dinner was macaroni and cheese, which is a favorite of hers. Her reaction: “I wish I didn’t eat so many carrots!” Thanks, Heather!
Yum. I need to try the potatoes and the rice. Thanks for the recipes!
No problem. Hope you enjoy!