Cranberries!

DebbieM recently sent me this picture!  She said these DelMonte cranberries are now available in her city, locally produced!  Just in time for Christmas.  They are really affordable at Rs. 160 a bag.  Look for them near you! : )

I've also recently found slightly dried cranberries at my local dry fruits store. It's called Goa Kajuwalla, and I know it's in at least two cities.  Check and see if there's one in your city!

Blessings!

Thai Green Curry

From Mindy B.: 

After our first visit to Thailand, I wanted to try to find a recipe that tasted like something I’d had there and loved! This recipe has done the trick for me. The lemongrass and zucchini are the items that are harder to find in India. You can substitute the zucchini for some other vegetable very easily, but you will have to find a place to get lemongrass. The easiest thing to do is to buy some lemongrass at a nursery and grow it in a pot. It grows like a weed, and you’ll always have it on hand.  When I didn’t grow it, I would order one or two stalks from one of those import groceries and make up a double batch of the green curry paste (and freeze the excess). If you have the paste already made, this is a meal that can be ready in 30 minutes or less!!

Thai Green Coconut Curry

3 T. Green Curry Paste (recipe below)
3 c. coconut milk
8 oz. chicken breast
1 green bell pepper
1 zucchini
1 onion
1 c. frozen peas
1 T. olive oil

Saute chopped up veggies and chicken (cut into bite-sized pieces) in olive oil.  Add coconut milk and curry paste, simmer on medium heat for ten minutes.  Remove from heat.  Serve with brown rice.  Makes 4-6 servings.

Thai Green Curry Paste

1 stalk lemongrass, minced
1-2 green chilies, sliced
4 T. minced purple onion
4-5 cloves garlic
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, thinly sliced
1 c. packed chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems
1/2 t. ground cumin
1//2 t. white pepper
1/2 t. ground coriander
3 T. fish sauce (or soy sauce for vegetarian option)
1 t. shrimp paste (vegetarian sub 1 t. salt)
2 T. lemon juice
1 t. brown sugar
3-4 T. coconut milk (to blend ingredients together)

Place all ingredients in a food processor, chopped, or blender.  Then simply process well to form the fragrant Thai green curry paste.  It is now ready to be used.  You can bottle up any leftovers and keep them in the fridge for up to one week, or freeze.   

Rosemary Chicken

This has become my quick go-to chicken recipe when I want to make a more complicated side dish, like a Sweet Potato Casserole, or Broccoli Rice Casserole.  (To me, a simple side dish is a roasted or sauteed vegetable. I tend to not do a complicated main dish with a complicated side.  Just too lazy, I guess, or maybe everything is just more complicated from scratch!)

Rosemary Chicken
1 whole chicken (this usually just barely feeds the six of us, as the kids grow, we'll need 2!)
2 T. olive oil
1 T. dried rosemary
Salt and Pepper

I normally rinse my chicken off before I get started, get rid of all the bits from butchering.  You know what I'm talking about. : )  Heat the oil in the bottom of a pressure cooker (one large enough for the chicken).  Toss the rosemary into the hot oil, and saute until they smell great!  Add salt and pepper into the oil, then place the chicken, breastside down, into the oil.  Sear the breast side for 1-2 minutes,  then turn a quarter on to the side, sear it, then repeat, searing all four sides of the chicken.  You won't be able to get every part of the skin seared, just get the main parts.  This helps lock in the flavor.

Turn the chicken to be breastside up, back down.  Add about 1 c. of water.  Close the cooker and cook it for 15 minutes or so.  If the chicken was frozen, it takes more like 25 minutes.

You can also add more flavors to this by adding some quartered onions or garlic pieces to the oil before adding the chicken.  Or for a complete meal, add some chopped or wedged potatoes and carrots and more water.  This is also a great started for broth. After you pick the chicken and eat it, leave the water in the cooker from before, throw the bones back in with some onions and fill it up with water and cook it.  Delicious broth for soups, casseroles, and sauces.  

Lamb Stew

One of my husbands most often requested meals. : )  Just in time for fall... The flavor in this is strong and intense. If you like more mild (blander) food, tone down the seasonings and vinegar. 

Lamb Stew
2 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
1/4 c. flour (corn starch or wheat)
1 pound (1/2 kg) lamb stew meat
1 t. salt
1 box tomato puree
4 c. chicken broth
3 T. apple cider vinegar
3 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. plus 1 T. of water
2-3 chopped onions
1 c. sliced carrots
3/4 c. chopped turnips
3/4 c. chopped potatoes
1 T. raisins
1 t. cumin seed
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. cinnamon powder
1 t. dried parsley

You can use either lamb or mutton meat for this, but it needs to be good cuts of boneless, lean meat.  I don't care for the flavor of mutton, and you can ask butcher to provide you with lamb meat.  Some will have it, some will not.  It will be more expensive than chicken, for sure, but just consider this a special treat.  Even for a half kg, here it's only about $4, which is definitely affordable for a great (RED MEAT!) meal for our whole family. : )

1.  Heat oil in a Dutch oven with the butter.  Place flour in a shallow dish.  Sprinkle lamb pieces with black pepper and salt.  Dredge lamb meat in flour to coat.  Place lamb in the hot oil and melted butter.  Cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides.  Remove lamb from pan with a slotted spoon.  

2.  If needed add a bit more olive oil.  Add cumin seed and onions to pan.  Cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Add tomato puree and cook for one minute, stirring frequently.  Stir in broth and apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire and water, scraping down to loosen browned bits.   Return meat to the pan, and add ½ t. salt, raisins, and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cover, cook 1 hour.  

3.  Remove lid and add the vegetables.  Cook on a medium heat for 30-45 minutes. The juice should be reduced and thick.
This serves 6 people (two adults and four kids).  

Appliances for any American kitchen in India

When you first move to a foreign country, the looming task is to fill your home with furniture, appliances, linens, books, beds, mattresses, towels, kitchen utensil and plates. It's overwhelming to make thousands of decisions in a few short days or weeks. Many of us that have gone before you have learned a thing or two along the way (by making mistakes!).  Whenever you're in a hurry to set up a home, it's tempting to make quick decisions, or uninformed decisions.  To help avoid making the same mistakes I did, here's my advice as new families are sorting through the options.

The first thing to know is, you can get more than you might think.  You can buy a dishwasher.  You can buy a clothes dryer.  The dryer is only about $300.  It's highly worth it, especially if you live in a humid climate.  Especially the more kids you have, and even more especially if you are using cloth diapers. :)  If there's something you want, and even if other foreigners in your city say you can't find it, ask stores and google for it anyway.  Maybe they set up their house five years ago and you couldn't find that particular thing then. Things are changing every year in India, and more and more is available. I can think of three things off the top of my head that have come available in the last year that I would never have thought could be found!

Back to the kitchen.

Let's talk about appliances.  The biggest purchase for the kitchen is usually the refrigerator.  My advice: go as big as you possibly can.  I've upgraded twice, because I bought something that looked kind of mid-range in the store we were shopping in.  (Also because our family has grown by two kids since we came!)  Mid-range in the store is TINY by American standards. : )   For we Americans that like to shop once or twice a week, we need a larger refrigerator.  One great place to find larger refrigerators at a better price is at GreenDust.  It's a scratch and dent chain store all over India.  If there's one in your city, you can get a much bigger fridge there for the same price as you'll pay at a retail store for a smaller one.  If you look hard, you can get one with just a few dents around the back side.  We've had several appliances from GreenDust and have been really pleased with it all.

Now for smaller appliances.

There are several different routes to go for ovens.  There are convection ovens (a.k.a. fancy microwave ovens that will bake small cakes and cookies).  There are "normal" gas ranges with four burner tops and an oven underneath that stand on the floor.  And there are counter top ovens, which are called OTG's.  (Oven-Toaster-Grill).

So what I'm about to say is my opinion based on my experience. : )  I chose the OTG for a lot of reasons. It has a more predictable and flexible path to baking anything and everything.  The OTGs are electric and behave very similarly to the ovens I was used to in America. I didn't have to re-learn anything.  Now, you can get 40, 52, and 60 litre capacity OTGs from Morphy Richards.  I have the 52, and I can get two pans of pizza, two trays of cookies, two loaves of bread baking at the same time.  I believe that the counter top ovens are just as big (if not bigger!) than the full range ovens.  And I KNOW they are far cheaper!  The temperature seems easier to control (and keep at a low level for warming, etc.) in an OTG than in a gas oven.  Also, OTGs are more flexible in that not every apartment will have a space for a range.  The reality is, whatever house you move into your first year will most likely not be the only house you live in on this side of the world. : ) The one biggest advantage I see to the gas full ranges is that they can keep baking when the power is out.  If power is a big issue where you are, that may be a heavier factor for you.

My Morphy Richards OTG

We chose to get a simple microwave for heating up leftovers in addition to the OTG.  This is probably not necessary, but it sure was nice when I was heating up baby food! :) 

Speaking of baby food, I think another appliance that is really useful is pictured below:

These are known as food processors here.  I use this just about everyday.  It comes with all kinds of attachments.  In the polycarbonate bowl on the right, there is a chopper blade attachment (like a traditional food processor in the states), a dough kneader (which works great for a single loaf of bread, cake or cookie dough, pizza dough, etc.) a vegetable shredder (great for cabbage, carrots, cheese), a lemon juicer, an egg beater, a centrifugal juicer, and a french fry slicer.  On the left portion, the jar pictured is great for grinding nuts (making peanut butter!), coffee, chicken, or making sauces from tomatoes.  There's also a smaller jar that's a "chutney" jar that is great for pureeing onions, cilantro, making pesto, etc.  Did I say that I use this almost everyday? :)  There's also a blender to put on the left side.  I had a Bajaj brand my first five years, and it was great. Very similar to this, but after five years the motor went out. I've had this Lumix now for almost three years, and I think it's more powerful than the Bajaj.  It has been fantastic!  You can't beat the price of these, they typically are between Rs. 5,000-6000.  

There you have it!  The most important appliances for an American kitchen in India!  Feel free to comment with questions, and especially differing opinions for a balance perspective! 

Baked Applesauce

I apologize for being so absent from this blog the past four months. I have been going through a difficult season with my health.  In July, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and thyroid disfunction.  They are both connected, and in order to heal both, doctors recommended that I avoid eating wheat and gluten, anything processed or refined, all sugar, and as much dairy as possible.  There were other recommendations, but those are the big ones.  It's been a challenging, depressing time for me!  I obviously love food, and always pitied people who had to eat like that.  And now I'm one of those pitiable people! :)  I am feeling better now and usually function well throughout the day.  I'm also on medication to control my thyroid function.

The bad news is, I haven't had too much success with all my experiments of replacing foods I love.  I've tried cauliflower crust pizza.  Will not do that again. I'd just rather not eat pizza. : ) It's taken me some time to figure out how to cook... whether we all eat like this crazy diet I'm on, or if I cook normally for everyone else and make something separate for me once or twice a week and eat it over and over.  It's been a challenge, and taken every spare ounce of concentration I've had.

This week, since we're getting into Autumn, we began to start cooking like it.  One thing I can eat is applesauce. : )  I have tried all kinds of different methods for making applesauce, but this is by far my favorite! So rich, smooth, and delicious!

Baked Applesauce
2 kg apples, halved and cored
2-4 T. butter
6 T. brown sugar (Indian brown sugar works great!
2-4 t. cinnamon

First, cut each apple in half and remove the core.  Preheat the oven to about 175 celsius.  Melt the butter in the bottom of a 9x13 or other large baking dish.  Sprinkle the brown sugar  and cinnamon over the melted butter and place the apples, cut side down on top.  The skin should still be on them, so they look like red domes in the pan.

Bake then until the skin is wrinkly and they are really soft.

After they've cooled, with a spoon, scoop out the apple flesh from the skin.  Scrape it really good to remove as much as you can.  Put the flesh into a mixee/mixer.  Then, scrape all the juice left on the bottom of the pan into the mixer.  Blend until it's the right consistency. You may want to add more cinnamon!

I absolutely love this applesauce. And my kids do too... I can't stop eating it! It should last in the fridge for up to 5 days, but it's hardly ever there the day after I make it! :)

Mango Cobbler with Double Pie Crust

I love mangoes. If you don't know that yet, then you do now.  Last year, I made a mango cobbler with a biscuit type topping.  This year, I've wanted to try a pie crust topping.  When a good friend's birthday happened last week, it was the perfect time. 

Do not attempt this with mangoes from the midwest in America.  You will be disappointed. This must only be made with mangoes fresh off the tree that drip liquid gold when you slice into them.  

Mango Cobbler with Double Pie Crust

 

For Crust: 

2 1/2 c. maida

3 T breakfast/castor sugar

1 t. salt

200 g. butter (keep it cold!)

1 egg

1/4 c. cold water

For the Filling: 

4-5 fresh mangoes, cubed

1 c. Mixed Fruit Juice (Tropicana is what I used)

100 g. butter

2 c. breakfast sugar

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

1 T. cornstarch

1 T. white sugar

First, make the crust.  Measure the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl.  Cut the butter into small 1/4 inch cubes.  Add them to the flour mixture, and cut them in with a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.  Separately, mix the egg and cold water.  Pour it into the flour mixture, and with a fork, stir until it pulls into a ball.  You will need to chill this, preferably for at least 30 minutes, longer is better. It's super hot here right now, so taking it out to work with it on the counter heats it up fast.  The hotter it is, the more difficult it is to work with. I put it in the freezer to get it colder faster.  Just don't forget it's in there... or you won't be having Mango Cobbler tonight. : ) 

Meanwhile, Cut up your mangoes, and place them in a large sauce pan with the juice, the 100 g. butter (because there's just not enough in the crust), and cook until the butter is melted.  In a bowl, stir together two cups sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch.  Add it to the mango mixture.  Remove it from the heat.  

Now, take your pie crust out of the fridge and divide it into two pieces.  Roll out one piece big enough to cover your pan with some hanging over.  You can either make this in a normal pie dish, or a 9x13 pan.  A 9x13 pan will result in a shallower cobbler, and will use all the filling.  A pie dish will have a thicker cobbler, and will use half the filling (meaning you get to eat this again soon!)  I opted to save half the filling and make a pie. 

Line the bottom of your dish with your crust.  Pour in the filling.  (You can opt to bake the crust for a few minutes if you want.  I've done it both ways, and didn't notice much of a difference). 

If you want to make a pretty lattice top, go right ahead.  Start by googling for YouTube videos on how to do that. Because I have not mastered it yet.  : )  

I have just laid strips down one way across, and then another set of strips going the opposite direction.  Not quite as pretty as a lattice, but super tasty. Either way, crimp the edges to the bottom crust if possible, so the filling does not leak out. 

Sprinkle the 1 T. of sugar of the top crust and bake it for 40-50 minutes. 

Grab a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some warm cobbler, and dig in.  So delicious!

Adapted for South Asia from :  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/old-fashioned-peach-cobbler/

Mango Ranch Chicken!

It's that time of year again!  Mangoes are so sweet and tasty right now.  They are the one redeeming feature of "hot season".  And it is a hot one this year!

Load up on mangoes at the market this week and try this for dinner! It's from a new contributor!

Mango Ranch Chicken

2 Tbs oil

1 Package of Ranch dressing mix

3 Tbs mango marmalade

3-4 ripe mangoes, cubed

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 c. uncooked rice

Combine oil, Ranch, and mango marmalade in a sauce pan.  Simmer until marmalade thins.  Add 3-4 ripe Mango's cut into small cubes.  Continue cooking for a few minutes until good and saucy.

Meanwhile, cook your chicken however you want.  In the oven.  Pressure cook it and then shred it.  Pan fry it.  Saute it with salt and pepper.  Blacken it.  Get crazy. 

Also meanwhile,   cook your rice.  If you want to boost the flavor, throw in a buillion cube to the boiling water before adding the rice.  

Serve the mango sauce over cooked chicken and rice. 

I'll be giving this one a try soon!  Thanks, Mica! : ) 

Kitchen-Gadget Must Have: IKEA Milk Frother

So you technically don't HAVE to have this.  But if you're a coffee lover, it's a great thing to get!  We love having a little whipped milk on top of our coffee in the morning to make it feel more coffee shop-ish.  We've had an espresso machine in the past with the frothing wand thing on the side.  But honestly, I just prefer brewed coffee from a pot, not espresso, every morning.  So this is a perfect way to have that little bit of frothed milk on your regular cup of coffee! :)  You can pick one up on amazon, (if you've got a package headed your way soon) or in Bangkok at IKEA next time you're in Thailand!

Pulled Chicken Barbecue

My husband is a barbecue nut.  He loves it.  He says that barbecue sauce is one of his top two favorite foods.  (The other is parmesan cheese... he's really out of luck living in South Asia!) : )

To make up for his lack of barbecue options on this side of the world, I have experimented with several different options.  The one that he asks for most often are these simple pulled chicken sandwiches.  They're a quick go-to meal, especially if you have a place where you can buy burger buns!

Pulled Chicken Barbecue

Rub:

⅓ c. Sugar

2 t.  Paprika (don't use lal mirch!)

2 t. Dry Mustard
1 t. Salt 

4 whole Chicken Breasts

1 can Ginger Ale
1 c. Water

Sauce:

½ c. Apple Cider Vinegar

½ c. Ketchup
⅓ c. Brown Sugar (or white sugar/bhura is fine too!)
½ c. Pan Drippings (Or Broth)
1 T. Dijon Or Yellow Mustard
2 pinches Salt 

Directions:
Mix together in a bowl the sugar, paprika, dry mustard, and a teaspoon of salt.
Mix and rub on the outside of the chicken breasts. 

Heat 1 t. of oil in the bottom of the pressure cooker.  Quickly sear the chicken breasts on both sides in the oil. Don't cook too long, just brown the tops and bottoms.

Pour water and ginger ale into pressure cooker. Seal the lid. Bring to high pressure and cook for 10-15 minutes. 

Remove from pressure cooker, and use two forks to shred the chicken.

Pour off all but ½ cup of the drippings from the pressure cooker. Put pressure cooker on a medium heat (without the lid on) and add ketchup, brown sugar, prepared mustard, and apple cider vinegar. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to incorporate any drippings sticking to the bottom on the pan.
Turn heat down and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning. I have found that this bbq sauce tastes strongly of vinegar at this point. Don’t worry; it will mellow out once you mix it in with the pulled chicken.

Add bbq sauce to the chicken. You may not want or need all of it. It depends on your taste. I use all of mine, but I really love sauce! Great with potato or pasta salad, or just plain chips or McCain Super Wedges for a quick and easy meal! :) 

Chicken with Creamy Mustard Sauce-from PW

I love the Pioneer Woman. I've said it before.  I'll say it many times in the future. Many of her recipes are so easy to adapt to our available food items.  I keep trying to win a KitchenAid mixer or Le Crueset pot from her.  But it's not working for some reason.  : )

I try to attempt at new PW recipe almost at least once a week.  They pretty much never fail. This is one that I will keep in rotation for awhile, because it was very quick, and very tasty, and my whole family loved it.  My kids even said they wanted to give me a reward for making the best chicken ever, what would I like?  I said "Kids who listen and obey all day tomorrow!" : ) 

The original PW recipe is here.  This is how I tweaked it for our South Asian non-alcoholic version: 

Chicken with Creamy Mustard Sauce-PW Style

4 whole chicken breasts

2 T. olive oil

2 T. butter

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 c. chicken broth/ 1 cube buillion in 1 c. water

1 T. Dijon mustard (I used Remia imported brand)

1 T. grainy mustard (I used Fun Foods English Mustard)

1/2 c. heavy cream

Water for thinning

1 t. sugar

1 T. red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise for eight thin pieces.  Salt and pepper both sides.  

Heat oil and butter together in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken on both sides until golden brown.  Remove chicken to a plate. 

Reduce the heat to medium.  Add the garlic to the pan and saute for a minute, make sure it doesn't burn.  Add the chicken broth/bullion, and cook to reduce it to half.  Add both mustards and stir.  Add the red wine vinegar and stir with a whisk to combine.  Add the cream.  If sauce seems thick, add a bit of water.  Add sugar, salt and pepper, adjusting seasonings to your taste.  Place the chicken back in the sauce and cook for just a couple of minutes.  Serve with sauce on top of chicken!

PW suggest serving this with a green salad.  We had this with a fresh green bean salad, and it was a big hit. I'll definitely be making this again! :) 

Make Your Own Rice-A-Roni

Make your Own Rice-A-Roni:

½ c. Vermicelli
¾ c. Uncooked Long Grain Rice
3 c. Water, Plus More As Needed
2 T. Butter Or Oil
⅛ t. Salt 
⅛ t Paprika
⅛ t Pepper
⅛ t Onion Powder
⅛ t Garlic Powder
2 cubes Chicken Bouillon 
1 Medium Onion, Diced

Directions:
In medium skillet sauté onion.  When translucent, add broken pasta pieces and rice in butter, stirring constantly, until the pasta is golden brown. Carefully pour in water, spices and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Croissants?!? Yes Please!!!

My family and I went on a little hiatus from South Asian life this past year.  We were in the US from August to the first of February.  We returned to our South Asian city, only to find it was time to move to a different apartment.  It's been a good move for us, but now, about a month later, we're finally settled in and getting back to a routine.

I've been wanting to try making croissants for a long time, but never really had the courage (or a good reason to muster up the courage).  A friend in my city had received a package with a special ingredient, and wanted to make her grandmother's chicken salad and have us all over for lunch.  Well, if that's not a reason to figure out how to make croissants, I don't know what is. I spent some time looking over lots and lots of recipes, and finally settled on this one. It has really cool .gifs. (If you don't know what those are, it's okay, I didn't either before I saw them here!)  They're moving pictures, not like a movie, but sequenced to show action, that gave me a fantastic idea of what the process was supposed to look like.

I learned a lot through the process. Like, the butter inside melts much faster in north Indian heat. : )  And, if I were to do it again, I would roll (and fold) them out twice each time I took them out, to get more layers, because mine didn't have as many layers as the original recipe did.  But all in all, for a first attempt, they turned out great.

One thing that surprised me is that it was about one hour of active work.  And that was spread out over about 15 hours.  I started in the afternoon, made the dough, let it rest in the fridge, and then took it out ever hour on the hour to roll and fold four times (I think!). I lived by the kitchen timer that day. : )  Then the dough rested overnight, and in the morning, I got up, rolled them out and shaped them, and let them rise 2 hours, then baked them.  It wasn't near as hard as I imagined it being. : )

Here's pictures of how mine turned out, and a link to the original recipe!

Be brave in your kitchen! Tackle something previously scary this week! : )

Croissant Tutorial at Top With Cinnamon . com

This is the dough after it's final roll and fold, when it's cut and ready to rise overnight in the fridge.  I was surprised at how many layers there were, but it's nowhere near what the original poster's dough looks like.  Mine definitely looks hot and tired, thanks to the Rajasthan heat! :)

Finished product!  They were yummy with that chicken salad! :)