To India, with Love

I am obsessed with Indian food lately. What's not to love?  Fragrant, exotic, spicy foods prepared with long marinades and slow cooking.  It's all so flavorful and gorgeous and delicious, I can't get enough.  We're lucky  to live close to Devon Ave., Chicago's amazing ten block stretch of mostly Indian restaurants and shops.  We took our kids there for the first time years ago and they were all positively wide eyed. It was like stepping into another world. And they loved the food. So when we go out as a family, Devon is a regular stop.

Recently, Doug and I saw the movie The Lunchbox.  Have you seen it?  Lovely, lovely little  film that takes place in Mumbai, in which the food plays a central role.  (And Tasneem, this season's gorgeous villain in Homeland, is the star!)  Then, the next night, we watched The One Hundred Foot Journey, another fantastic film, and another in which Indian food plays a central role.  Perhaps that's what started this kick, trying to make yummy Indian food that doesn't require too much time or expertise.

Last week I made a crock pot version of chicken tikka masala.  It might horrify a legit Indian food connoisseur, but my people and me? We loved it.  Garam masala is the key to it all and it can be found at any decent grocery store (and definitely at Village Market.) It smells like heaven.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

15-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 medium onion, chopped

2cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons garam masala (Indian spice blend)

kosher salt and black pepper

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8) (I used chicken breasts)

1/2 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup basmati or some other long-grain white rice

1/2 cup heavy cream 

In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, garam masala, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours (this will shorten total recipe time).

In a small bowl, toss the cucumber and cilantro with the lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Twenty minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package directions.Just before serving, stir the cream into the chicken tikka masala. Serve over the rice with the cucumber relish.

THEN, as luck would have it, we had dinner at our friends George and Sarah's house Saturday night.  George and Sarah were both born in India. Theirs was an arranged marriage!  Seriously!  And they love eachother!  And both have PhDs!  And three lovely and brilliant daughters!   We have had many dinners at George and Sarah's over the years, and every so often they serve full on Indian, and this weekend was one of those lucky nights.  It was SPECTACULAR.

they served:

Butter Chicken Masala
Saag Aloo
Ghee Rice
Papads ( wafers made from Chick pea flour)

Pickle (insanely flavorful and spicy topping) 

(per Sarah:  the one thing found in common across all of the subcontinent, though the taste and materials can vary wildly)

To wrap up the Indian food experiment, I made Mark Bittman's "Chicken Curry in a hurry". 

It was very easy and quick and tasty.  I'll definitely make it again, but next time I'll pound out the chicken or cut it into cutlets to infuse it with more flavor and cook it faster.

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, or to taste
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 cup sour cream
• Minced fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish

• Put the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion, sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, sprinkle with about half the curry powder and continue to cook for a minute or two.
  
  
  
  2. Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle it with the remaining curry powder. Move the onion to one side of the skillet and add the chicken in one layer. Cook for about 2 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.
  
  
  
  
  3. Add the sour cream and stir constantly over mdeium-low heat until the mixture is nice and thick. Beturn the chicken to the skillet and cook for 2 more minutes, turning once.
  
  
  
  
  Garnish and serve with plenty of white rice.
  
  
  
  To India, with love.