Chicken Korma (Murgh Korma)

I love Indian food. Vegetarian, non-vegetarian...I love it. I love kebabs and I wish I had a tandoori oven. Alton Brown had a suggestion for making a tandoori oven - must find that crazy episode. I digress - on to the fabulous recipe.

Bold italics = my notes/suggestions

Courtesy of Laxmi Hiremath.

Ingredients

• 1-½ inch piece fresh ginger
  
• 5 large garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
• 1-½ cups thinly sliced onion
  
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
• 2 inch cinnamon stick
  
• 10 whole cloves
  
• 8 green cardamom pods
  
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  
• 1 scant teaspoon ground fennel
  
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
  
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
  
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  
• 2 cups finely chopped tomatoes
  
• ¼ cup roasted unsalted cashews
  
• 1 cup plain yogurt
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  Sprigs of cilantro, for garnish

SHOPPING LIST

CONDIMENTS & OIL
Vegetable oil, 1 fl oz.

DAIRY
Unsalted butter, 1.01 oz.
Plain yogurt, 8.75 oz.

POULTRY
Chicken breast (skinless, boneless), 32 oz.

SPICES & SEASONINGS
Salt, 0.22 oz.
Cardamom, 8 pods
Cinnamon, 2 inch stick
Cloves, 10 whole
Coriander seeds, 0.12 oz.
Paprika (sweet), 0.08 oz.
Turmeric, 0.04 oz.

VEGETABLES
Fennel (ground), 0.06 oz.
Garlic, 5 large cloves
Ginger root, 1.5 inch piece
Onion, 8.57 oz.
Tomato, 12.86 oz.

MISCELLANEOUS
Cayenne, 0.5 tsp.
Roasted unsalted cashews, 0.25 cup
Sprigs of cilantro, for garnish


 METHOD

1. Combine the ginger and garlic with 3 to 4 tablespoons water in a blender. Blend to a smooth paste, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times. Set aside.
   
   
2. Heat the oil in a heavy large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until deep golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
   
   
3. Transfer to a plate. Add the butter to the pan and, when hot add the ginger-garlic paste. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is fragrant and light brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom pods and stir for a few seconds.
   
   
4. Add the coriander, paprika, fennel, cayenne, turmeric and cook stirring until the masala takes on a beautiful orange-red color and becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds.
   
   
5. Add the chicken and sear until light golden and no longer pink, about 3 minutes per side. Add the tomato with juices and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato is very soft, 6 to 8 minutes.
   
   
6. While the tomatoes are cooking, combine the cashews with 2 tablespoons water in the blender and blend to a smooth paste. Add to the chicken.
   
   
7. Whisk the yogurt and stir into the pan. Add the reserved onion and salt and mix well. Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and simmer until the chicken is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a warm serving dish, then ladle the sauce over it, decorate with cilantro sprigs, and serve.
   
   
8. Serve this classic north Indian dish with crusty French bread or freshly cooked basmati rice. 

Warm Spinach and Bacon Salad

I'm not a fan of spinach. I know, I know. But hubby is. One of the very few ways I can tolerate spinach is if it's warm. Here is my way of tolerating spinach - I throw in some bacon.

Bacon makes everything good and in some cases, bacon makes it better - just check out my peanut butter bacon cookies!

Ingredients
2-3 TBSP Olive Oil
4 slices of thick cut bacon (you can use pancetta if you like)
3 shallots sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar OR 3 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar with a tsp of sugar thrown in
2 lbs of prewashed spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste (you can leave this out)
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for topping

Method

Pan fry the bacon in the olive oil. When the bacon is crispy, remove from pan. Crumble bacon and set aside. DO NOT REMOVE THE OLIVE OIL AND BACON DRIPPINGS FROM THE PAN. You will be using them in the next step.

Add shallots and garlic to pan, cooking for about 3 or 4 minutes. Drop in your 3 TBSP of whichever vinegar you've used - remember to step back when doing this because man...that vinegar stings if you inhale it.

Place spinach in the pan, but do not cook it through, just warm it through and wilt it. Just turn it a few times

Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg (if you choose).

Serve.