Easy Tandoori Chicken

We have such good weather here in the State we presently reside in. It's grilling season all year long,  but for a few months of extreme heat where I could actually grill on a sidewalk. So, yesterday that's what we did, no, not the sidewalk part, the grill part : tandoori chicken on a grill.

This spice- cloaked chicken is one of the most popular foods in the world. Inherently Indian, it has some impressionable Pakistani and Afghani roots. And with global fame, this South Asian original became a  universally appealing delight. Not only is it a feast for the eyes, beautiful- orange/ red, charred skin, but it is probably one of the most taste- filled chicken preparations your palate will ever know.

Tandoori, the Eastern version of the barbecue, is a method of open fire cooking traditionally done in a  tandoor or clay oven. Tandoori chicken is marinaded chicken cooked over this high flame tandoor. Since the majority of us have not in our possession clay domes as home cooking appliances, you can get similar high temperature results using either a grill or your kitchen oven.
The marinade is key in getting the spices to permeate throughout the meat, so every bite ensures good and even flavor. Tandoori masala is the master ingredient in making that marinade. Balanced with yogurt and combined with a few other ingredients, the masala is the ideal combination of spice powders for flavor coating. It can range heat-wise from mildly moderate to fire breathing intensity, depending on  the audience you're cooking for or the tastes of the person cooking it. 
Many good, pre-made tandoori masalas can be bought at Indian specialty grocers or even local groceries now, but nothing beats a good homemade mix. 

If you have never tried your hand at tandoori chicken, I urge you to just do it. And if you're already familiar with a recipe, try this one, you might find you like it better.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 3- 4 (depending on your level of spice) tbsp tandoori masala (recipe below)
• 1 cup thick plain yogurt (drain or blot out excess moisture using doubled paper towels)
• juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp chopped  ginger
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 lbs bone- in skinless chicken legs( mix of drumstick and/or thighs), scored lightly on each side with a few 1 inch shallow cuts 

Method:

• Blend or process all the ingredients from oil to salt, till smooth.
• Combine marinade mixture in a large bowl with chicken. 
• Cover and refrigerate marinaded pieces for at least 2 hours upto to 12.

Tandoor masala:

• 3 tbsp coriander powder
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 1-2 tbsp red chili powder or cayenne ( adjust this for heat)
• 1  tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• *1/2 tsp methi powder 
• *1 tsp garam masala

Sift together or shake in a closed container. Excess masala can be stored and reused.

Directions:
Grill Option:

• Using  cooking spray, lightly coat the grill grates or brush with oil.
• Heat your grill, having the flames/ more heat on one side and less on the other.
• Remove the chicken out of marinade (shaking off excess marinade).
• Cook pieces on high heat side, 8-10 minutes per side or until charred.
• Put pieces onto less heated side and cover, cook for 25-45 minutes, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced.

 Oven Option:

• Preheat oven to 370°F 
• Place marinaded chicken pieces on lined baking tray, coated with cooking spray or oil.
• Bake for 20- 25 minutes, or until until juices are clear when meat is pierced.
• Turn oven to broil.
• Turn chicken pieces over so the unexposed side is now facing upwards.
• Broil till lightly charred, 5- 10 minutes (be careful not to overdo. Charred does not mean burnt)

Notes:

Methi powder is dried fenugreek powder.

McCormick's gourmet collection carries garam masala.

Random fact -Tandoori chicken was served to both Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy during State visits to New Delhi.

The pictures were taken after dinner, bad choice, since I didn't have as many pretty pieces to shoot.

" But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. 
 They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." Is. 40:31

      

Pizza Pizza!

My favorite food after my obsession with AFSI (all foods S. Indian, Indian, etc.) is pizza. And I can  honestly say the best I've had, on several occasions is at the extremely laid back, high quality Piece Pizzeria, in the Wicker Park area of Chicago. It is as good as pizza gets. I lived closer to that pizza joint once upon a time. Saddeningly, these days I must fly over a 1400 mile stretch to sink a bite into a piece of Piece. Distance can never diminish that strong love I possess, I confess Piece Pizza will always be my sunshine of pies.

Keeping that in mind, pizza as America and the world know it stems into quite a different path, unalike it's very traditional and original Neapolitan counterpart. These days, we have oozy cheesed up buttered-crusted options that overfloweth with unbearable goodness. Further decorated with more than a gazillion toppings. Agreed, pizza is everywhere, familiar ingredients making it undoubtedly fine, yes, but a little too run-of-the-mill so.

Bringing me back on track to my adoration of savoury pie and my immutable, rather fierce love of  Indian ingredients led me one day to the realization that bringing two of the most potent food species together could result in a super phenomenal eat of high intense ranking.

Entirely a can do, right? Something I should do, I know. Though the nagging head talk diligently reminded me of my irksome Fear of Pizza Dough. Don't get me wrong, numerous times went by where according to recipe instruction I'd come up with fantismo dough making results. On the other hand, an equal number of occasions led to epic dough making fail, doomed from the onset with a no rise, super sticky demeanor that no one could put straight. Pathetic it was, the days relying heavily on my hope in the Hut (Pizza, that is) and of course readymade pizza crusts.

But let me tell you, my sweeties, miracles do happen. Mine came, in the form of a larger-than-half-my-kitchen counter breadmaking machine. So yes, with my brilliant breadmaker churning out dough, I was liberated to dream up topping after topping, thus bringing me to my India meets Italy mighty wonder. Oh, how good it is to see these two in union, not in a long time has this  merging looked so fabulous and chic.

Shredded chicken tandoori carried with a flavor packed white sauce styles the top of this stretched, baked- crust dough.

Dear people, this is seriously good, it is beyond swoon.

So, stop order that ridiculously cheesy( yes, pun) takeout, and give Tandoori Chicken pie a try.

Surely, you will consider yourself fortunate if ever a slice makes it for leftover following morning.

What shall it be then, shukriya or arrivederci - I accept and you are most welcome, si!

Ingredients :

• pizza dough ( enough for two medium pizzas)
• 1 tbsp olive oil or canola
• shredded tandoori chicken from 4 breasts
• 1 ½ c chili white sauce
• ½ c feta cheese 
• chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions :

• Preheat oven oven to 400° F.
• Working with one piece of dough at a time (keep second covered), shape with hands or roll with pin dough into either a rectangular shape or round ( 7- 9 ",to fit  2 baking trays) of 1/2- 1/4 inch thickness. 
• Brush olive oil over both sheets of prepared dough. Divide and pour sauce over both stretched doughs. Top both with shredded chicken and sprinkle  the feta over that.
• Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until dough is done.
• Take out and top with cilantro leaves.

 Tandoori chicken topping:

• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp red chili powder or cayenne (adjust this for heat)
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• *1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1-2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Method:

• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• Mix the ingredients from the coriander powder to to oil together and combine to paste- like form
• Evenly coat the chicken breasts with the mixture.
• Place chicken onto a lined baking tray.
• Bake for 25 minutes .
• When cool, pull apart pieces and shred with fingers

  Chili white sauce:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 ½ c warm milk
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ 10 oz. can lime and chili blend diced canned tomatoes

Method:

• In a small heavy saucepan over medium- low heat, melt the butter.
• Blend flour into the melted butter using a wooden spoon. Cook and stir over low heat for 4 - 5 minutes.
• At this point, use a whisk and slowly stream in milk, whisking at intervals.
• Continue to stir and cook until mixture is smooth, thick and free of lumps.
• Stir in salt.
• Take off heat.
• Let cool. Pour in canned tomatoes and combine with the sauce.

For the pizza dough I used the recipe that came with my breadmaker's manual, which gives me steady results each time, not to mention the ease of it - throw in the ingredients- it mixes, it kneads, dough rises. For those of you wanting to make dough with a processor which can also be done by hand, I've adapted an awesome one from  Bobby Flay. Believe me I've tried and the Iron Chef duly delivers a very good dough.

Junior bunch don't like leaves on pizza, so I omit the cilantro, altogether.

Pizza Dough:

( adapted from Bobby Flay's Bar Americain cookbook)

• 1 c water, you may not need the whole amount
• 1 ½ tsp yeast
• 2 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil or canola 
• 2 c bread flour or all purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt

Method:

• Measure ½ c of the water into a cup. Sprinkle in yeast and let stand until yeast dissolves and mixture foams, 5-7 minutes.
• In a food processor, pulse  flour and salt until mixed well.
• Add in yeast mixture and pulse 4- times to combine.
• Stream in olive oil and slowly add in water. Pulse with each addition, all the water may not be used for dough to pull together.
• Process until dough is smooth and pliable.
• Take out and turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. 
• Form into a smooth ball, keep covered in a well oiled bowl, until doubled in size, about 2- 4 hours.

We like our crusts thick, but if you prefer a thinner dough, roll out thin.
******

Never doubt ~ God will finish His work in your life in its entirety. Trust His faithfulness.

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

Tandoori chicken salad with mint garlic buttermilk dressing

Just sitting here wasting hours on end wondering what the 2017 pilot feature of my here space(which is 5 years old, btw!) should look like had me delay it by more than a week. As you can see, I did decide to jump on the overtold, overused healthy resolution theme, much  similar to what I did same time, last year.  And we saw that to be a success. Right?

Taking that very reason into consideration, a quintessential January post should never run into February, where the internet will soon be flooded with pink, chocolate and edible hearts that obliterate any decent recipe demanding attention. So, it is important I rush this out the door. Today. Because the pictures taken two weeks ago are getting old. Even still, these first paragraphs I can't seem to end anytime soon.  It might be a record break, but I'm going to attempt the next ten sentences in less than an hour...maybe two..or even three. Really, who's keeping count?

I do not like resolutioning. Why do you need to tidy up eating habits, when it took all your time on earth to create the food lifestyle everyone desires to have? As many of you know, I can sometimes be that health/fitness/nutritive heathen, especially when it comes to committing my life solely to moderate and slim eating which, by the way, is truly counter intuitive to my very being. I believe healthful consumption (don't quote me on this) can also and not only be limited to slathers of butter and dashes of cream, well endowed bread, ghee laden casseroles and gloriously decked cakes. Much more than I have time to pen.

Really, though the whole spectrum of what I eat can never ever be an ending tale. It goes on. Just as the pages of this online recipe portfolio expand. Food experiences and their preparation can always be made and kept interesting. For the tastebuds. The tummy. The mind. Your existence. Hence, my theorem and guide to wellness and sanity, which I really can write an entire book on, but, then, that's a track for later, because you so need to hear this recipe.

Here is that invitation... to a salad which intrigues far more than any other food group has ever attempted. Moreover, it carries a cool factor that makes it unbelievably healthy in such a way. And by such a way, I mean the number of fusion flavors that commingle and produce a mad stunning plate of green. It is the canvas of garden contrasted with lean protein flavored better than your skinny thinking mind could ever imagine.

Tandoori chicken will just about up any salad ante. And while I've recorded here in detailed elaborateness, I did tailor this ingredient list to aid in speedy assembly, yet, still maintain pieces that scream loud enough mise en scene. Crunchy bites of bright red mini tomatoes and mellow from the avocado add adequate lift into a brilliant, right flavor direction.

The yogurt dressing is not an afterthought. It adds sufficient drama to have you actually believe you are eating at a grand Indian table as opposed to, maybe, a blah package of mixed greens(which, for sure, you shouldn't be doing). Moreover, you could enhance the same dressing with a sprinkle of Madras curry powder, a pinch of cayenne, maybe bring in a naan or two, evening out the whole show to a well rounded dinner setting.

This take on Magnificence will own your tastebuds. Not solely because it can go into a pure eating guru's recipe file. It is one of those things you should experience and will most surely benefit from. Further, you need to hear the tried testimony of a few good people, in particular, the teenager who shuns edible grass and slams any sort of vegetable that lands in her plate. It's with this almost-adult where I saw the impossible happen, all twenty times. With not a sigh of hesitation, not even an eye roll, and second servings taken , she was fascinated enough to lick the plate clean. But, we shall keep that between us. Since maintaining adolescent integrity is topmost on my list of priorities these days.

There you go. The meal that mimics a fine Indian dhaba. And a salad you'll want to spend the rest of your life with. Happy healthful 2017.

Ingredients:

For the salad~

• ½ cup yogurt
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp ground garlic
• 1 serrano pepper, minced finely
• 1-2 tsp cayenne pepper or Indian red chili powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• salt
• pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 1 english cucumber sliced thin
• 2-3 avocado diced
• juice of half lemon
• salt, as required 

For the dressing~

• 2-3 sprigs mint 
• ½ tsp ground garlic
• juice of half lemon 
• 1 cup fat free plain yogurt
• 2-3 tbsp mayonnaise(optional)
• salt
• pepper
• ½ tsp sesame seeds(optional)

Directions:
For the salad~

• Combine yogurt ginger, garlic, serrano, cayanne, garam masala, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
• Add chicken and coat with the above ingredients. 
• Cover and chill. Keep for 30 minutes upto one hour.
• Make dressing(below)
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Take chicken out of refrigerator. Bake for 20 minutes.
• Turn chicken over and bake for another 20-25 minutes until juices run clear.
• Keep chicken aside. 
• In a large bowl, combine spinach, tomatoes, cucumber.
• When chicken is cooled, slice and place over or toss with vegetables.
• Stir together avocado and lemon juice. Sprinkle salt if required. Add to salad.

For the dressing~

• Throw in the all ingredients from mint to pepper, leaving out sesame seeds, into a food processor or blender and blend till combined. Add upto 1/4 water to create the desired consistency for dressing.
• Mix in sesame seeds.
• Add to salad when serving.

Notes~
Grind ginger and garlic in an electric mixer/ mini food processor or even with a mortar and pestle. You can also sub in powdered to timesave.

Adjust any or all spice to your liking for the chicken marinade. We inherently like to breathe heat, so have twice the amount of some of those beautifully colored powders:-)

 

Yay!! BKMK is 5 years old. Thinking it through, I find no logical explanation for how a slacker, such as myself, could keep it going this long. Thank you for your page visits, your likings or just coming by to pay me a visit. Hopefully 2017 will show me greater ways to surprise you (why, just being here does that, right?:)) and  lay more epic recipes at your doorsteps.

Where tandoori has also starred~

Pizza

******

"God never wastes a hurt." Christine Caine

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Instant Pot butter chicken

Last year, I gave you an adequately easy recipe for butter chicken. Today, I want to expand on that:  same ingredients, in an exceptionally...surprising...wait for it....effortless way. I'm excited about  today's story- not a better version of the former- just an alternate road to bring the same meal to your tables at faster, greater frequency.  

Curtains rise. Cue the Instant Pot. Say hello to Present Hero of My Kitchen, my 10 month new appliance I wax poetic about to any person I have on the phone for more than five minutes. The auto timed, multi cooking piece of magnificence is my new companion, a ten in one use grand machine. It is relentless in its pursuit to produce happiness, predominantly mine. The semi adult/ mid teen child look at you like you're a rockstar, your dining room transforms to Moti Mahal in a matter of minutes-  ALL because of what I'm about to share with you. Yes, people, material goods really can lead one to nirvana.

Of course, the next few hundred words are not to persuade you to buy anything, in any way. Except maybe the stuff needed to produce what's made within the six quart pot. Because, seriously,  friends, you'd know, that any time I open script, it should be, only will be, solely about the food. 

Most layfolk, who know not left or right of the spice spectrum, consider butter chicken and it's British-Indian counterpart chicken tikka masala natural starting places on the Indian menu. Both are hugely popular and closely akin. Though it's butter chicken that sings in less spice and more butter, is as desi as it gets and is one of my absolute favorite dishes, just falling short of the regional cuisine I inherited.

There is not really a huge margin of error here since the cooker does most of the work. A simple saute of non-marinade ingredients pressure cook into a beautiful mess, which after going through a hand blender (yahhh- it never leaves the pot !!) mashes into the silkiest, smooth spiced, onion-tomato-ey broth you'll  ever experience.

It is a clean step process. The only executive decision you'd need to make is how to brown the chicken pieces, because it's just better that way. You could brown them in the Instant Pot, take out for gravy making purposes and return to simmer after. Or oven bake for tandoori-like, slightly charred flesh. In either situation, allowing the chicken to commingle and settle into it's upcoming murgh makhani role is what you're really aiming for.

Lastly, I feel obligated to impart some advice, perhaps heathen, from all that I've learned, through years of cooking/recipes/kitchens/habitats. Never think an iconic plate of food, or kitchen technique is unattainable, non doable, or as elaborate as the world and their mother make it out to be. Do use ingredients and methods that deem authenticity, not altering blueprints in such a way that have people wonder what it is. Yet, strive to keep the flow easy, classy, economical, friendlier to busy lifestyles, evolving palates, limited budgets. 

So that we all become fearless champions of not only the kitchen, but even our homes. 
Bring on the capes.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 tbsp red (Indian)chili powder or cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• ½ tsp black pepper
• salt
• ½ cup plain yoghurt
• juice of one lemon
• 5 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 large red onion, cut into medium chunks
• 2 tomatoes, roughly cut into chunks
• 2 tsp thinly sliced ginger
• 6-7 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 1 small-ish cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 1 cardamom pod, 
• 2 sprigs cilantro
• 1 -1 ½ cups water
• 2 tbs sugar
• ¼ tsp powdered fenugreek leaves- kasoori methi (optional)
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2-3 tbs of butter
• 1-2 sprigs cilantro, chopped
• 1 sprig mint(optional)

Directions:

• Make a paste of cayenne, coriander, cumin, turmeric, garlic powder, ginger powder, black pepper, salt, yoghurt, lemon juice, 3 tbsp oil.
• Add the chicken pieces and coat each in the spice mixture thoroughly.
• Set aside marinaded chicken for 30 minutes to an hour.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Using the Instant Pot's saute setting, add 2 tbs. oil and cook onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and stir on high 3 minutes. You don't need to brown them.
• Stir in cinnamon, cloves, cardamom.
• Add cilantro and salt.
• Pour in the water. Stir to combine. 
• Secure the lid and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes. Allow the natural release option to release for 15 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure. Ingredients should be soft cooked and fork tender. 
• In the meantime, place chicken pieces onto a foil lined baking tray. Bake at 400° F  for 20-25 minutes. It's ok if they're slightly undercooked, pieces will finish cooking when later simmered in the IP.
• Open the Pot. Remove, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom.
• Use an immersion stick blender to puree cooked ingredients into a smooth, thick liquid.
• Take the chicken out of oven and put pieces into the pureed onion/tomato sauce.
• Once more, turn on Instant Pot's saute function, simmer the ingredients for an additional 5-7 minutes, more if chicken needs to cook through.
• Taste and add salt, if needed. Add additional water if you desire a more liquid gravy 
• If chicken has not fully cooked through, leave on saute to simmer until cooked.
• Turn off Pot.
• Stir in the sugar. 
• Add powdered fenugreek leaves.
• Add cream, and butter.
• Garnish with cilantro and mint.

Notes:

To kasoori methi or not? I leave out the powder on most occasions. So, I'd say test with a pinch of it and see if it's what you'd like to eat for the next 5 servings.

Curry leaves nod to a much needed South Indian dimension, one which I'm familiar with and oftentimes longing for. I admit, even if I don't have much love for it, fenugreek leaves lend authenticity in fragrance and flavor. An overgenerous serving of butter doesn't hurt either. 

Indian chili powder is just pure ground red chilies. American chili powder is not. It is a combination of several spices, including cumin. I cannot vouch for the Mexican kind either, or those from other parts of the world.  An appropriate substitute would be cayenne pepper, which is about the same thing.

Honestly, I had not planned this at all, but almost exactly one year ago on this date~

June 2018:butter chicken

******
"Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment." Matthew 9:22 (NIV)

Chili roasted cauliflower

If you had told me the next upcoming script would have a giant flower headshot looming over the page, I would probably have given you a questionable look. I mean before I googled upon this  Purewow hopeful, I had no real obsession with the cruciferous root, mainly because I knew not that it could be consumed so efficiently, served so impressively, sans labor, other than taking it out of the fridge. A wholeness that made the call to my better side, you know the one that dons the halo.

And lets' face it, write-ups dedicated to vegetables sometimes elicit certain amounts of unexcitement, (bear with me, vegan stalwarts, I shall redeem myself towards conclusion) that too when a significant amount of time goes into prepping the subject of choice. What with fragmenting florets from stalk and cauliflower shrapnel invading every square inch of corner kitchen, is it a fallacy that not a single BFMK page is dedicated to the head sized flower food?

Not that I'm averse to cauliflower recipes. I actually enjoy them. But when it involves a tailoring process longer than the actual cooking time, it seems illogical to me in spending the half day I'd take to watch a few movies  for something that could, just might, possibly have a more swifter, approachable coda.

As a result of additional websearching it was no surprise to find a treasure trove of The Uncut, whole cauliflower heads roasted in varied flavor composites, each in their own way good, doable and just so laborsavingly commendable. This broad spectacle had me realize that some things, including food groups, are so much better, and way prettier when they are not tampered with as much as they are existingly set out to be.

The quick brushing of oil, savory pastes and powders assist in awakening our c. heart roast, making you a believer of how grand this veggie can be. Oven heat, combined with marinade render for outer crispiness and sears in the fantastic taste that weaves its way into the very core. Unbroken, bronzed cauliflower is quite the Beautiful One, and has my heart stop for more than a few beats. At this point, I smile. And smell the flower.

Not only is this a stunningly fierce dish, it is great advancement for a stealtheshowpresentation. Something that could impress the socks off all those vegetarian dinner guests who now have a good excuse to invite themselves over.

And go ahead, have it sing to your own tune. Feel like tandoori? Mixup pre made masala, seasonings and yogurt, spread/ smother onto the crown and make it an ode to your favorite Indian restaurant. Some thyme/sage, and it swaps in for this year's Thanksgiving roast (turkey lovers, kindly disregard the blasphemy). Perhaps cancel the night's takeout with a Chinese-esque soy/ginger/sesame glaze. There's ample room to transform and mold today's blueprint, astounding yourself with each new discovery.

Finally, I tried it soon after with an accompanying almost-gravy, a sidecar of sautéed onions, garlic, chili and a few tomatoes. That, combined with a dip of cilantro yogurt transcended the remarkable to unbearably fantastic.

Chili cauliflower is of the uberspectacular genre, one that has you reconsider each and every misconception of working with this veg's floretfilled head. 

There you have it, the true confession of a recovering sloth fragmenter and c. flower phobe. 

(Inspired By Purewow- thanks for showing me how to use my head;-)

Ingredients:

• cooking spray
• 1 whole cauliflower, cleaned and trimmed of leaves and thick stem
• 4 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
• 2-3 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375° F. Oil a foil lined baking sheet with cooking spray/ or cooking oil.
• Combine ingredients from 3 tbsp oil to salt in a small bowl.
• Using your brush or hands smear the head of cauliflower with this mixture.
• Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, until slightly browned on surface.
• At this point, take large foil and lightly tent the cauliflower for the remaining 20-30 minutes or until soft when pressed with fork and top is well browned and crusted.
• Allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve as wedges with cilantro yogurt and/or white rice. 

Notes~

You may wish not to foil- tent if you like the cauliflower well browned with darkened crust.

Cilantro yogurt is nothing but 1 cup yogurt, 2 tbsp finely minced cilantro leaves, salt pepper. Whip together these and serve alongside your roast. Recipe is also found at the end of this post.

I've been neglecting these glances to the past.

But we''ll overlook this misstep on my part and take it from here.

This time, last year  ~

Dulce de leche cookies

******

Romans 8:18

Source: Duo Paradigms
"The sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the great glory that will be shown to us."(NCV)

Vegetable Curry Bun

The Curry Bun. A clever invention made popular to meet a region's need for curry and starch. It satisfies the Indian's fierce appetite for spicy along with a fair share of grain. With more than half the population of India favoring rice as their number one staple, a good many would very well claim bread as a well standing second. Carbs are delicious, no doubt and when they're dished up with a pool of curry, it becomes a desirable meal. Served on occasion, in Kerala households, it is the lazy man's solution for quick, semi-traditional and oft-sustaining fare.

So, here we have a bun or roll, kneaded and shaped more like an edible cave making room for lightly seasoned ingredients. Rolling dry curry into dough bun seems a technique too complex for layman, but not so . This recipe requires no Master Chef skill, nor much fanfare. Curried vegetables come together in all of 10 minutes and breadmaker meticulously churns out a blooming good dough. Assembly is effortless, and bundles rest a bit before their entrance into the oven. 


A base of of black eyed peas, a throw- in of mushrooms, the usual mix of onions, garlic and ginger give in to a beautiful bun stuffer. But only after being the side to our dinner plates the night before (hence, we experience leftover magic). With the background elements of fragrant masala and tangy lemon doing their thing, black eyed pea/ mushroom curry becomes the exceptional end product to dressing a superior and satisfying bun. 

The breadmaker's dinner roll dough turned out to be fantastically sturdy, with just enough pull to envelope an oversized tablespoon of vegetable curry. Not to mention it's so round and cute, an impressive dough giftwrap packaging a blissful and savory surprise. 

Curry buns can pretty much be served any time of day.  It makes for a great breakfast shortcut when heading out the door in the morning, a meal held in the palm of your hand and possibly one stuffed between both cheeks.

For the Bun ~

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 ¾ c bread flour
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• ¼ c water
• 1 egg
• ⅞ c milk, 
• ¼ c butter

Directions:

• Measure all ingredients into bread pan.
• Select dough setting
• Press start
• When finished and unit signals 0:00, take dough and turn out on counter.
• Punch down and divide dough into 12-16 equal sized balls.

Notes:

All ingredients should be at room temperature when preparing dough in a breadmaker.

Don't have breadmaker?  I'd try the dinner recipe roll here, it provides a yield close to the one above.

For the Curry Stuffing~

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs cooking oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• ½ medium onion
• 1-2 jalapenos, chopped fine (deseed, if preferred)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• ¼" piece ginger, minced or grated
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1-2 dried, crushed red  chili(optional)
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ c sliced button mushrooms
• 1 c softened and cooked black eyed peas or ¾ of 15 oz. can of black eyed peas, strained and rinsed
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tsp salt or more, according to taste
• few sprigs of cilantro, chopped

Directions:

• Heat oil in a medium skillet  and temper mustard seeds until they pop.
• Add onions and fry until soft and translucent.
• Add jalapeno(s), garlic, ginger and saute for a minute until cooked.
• Stir in the spices from coriander to cumin, cook an additional minute or so, until oil lightly separates from the ingredients, (when you get a good whiff of the spices).
• Put in the mushrooms, fry until brown and cooked.
• Stir in the black eyed peas. Combine.
• Pour in lemon juice, stir an additional minute until all moisture is absorbed. 
• Add in salt, stir. 
• Sprinkle with cilantro.
• Take off heat and set aside to cool.

Assembly~

Ingredient needed: 1 egg, beaten

• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Flatten or roll out each ball with rolling pin into a 5 -6 inch disc.
• Place 1 generous tablespoon of filling onto center of the round.
• Take up the sides up and over the filling, closing dough and pinching ends together smoothing seam. Repeat with remaining.
• Place seam side down on lined baking tray(s) and leave to proof 10 minutes.
• Brush top and sides of buns with the egg wash. 
• Place in oven on middle rack and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Meat and seafood make for perfect bun fillers. Use rotisserie for easy Tandoori chicken buns/ chili chicken buns.

I had my first bite of curry bun at Hot Breads after moving straight out of college and to the city where I got my first job, when plentiful rolls and croissants were becoming a common item on menus throughout  Kerala. My best friend and I would frequent the famous bakeshop and gully away stuffed flatbreads, curry buns and taco rolls. Because back in the day, metabolism was on my side.

Sidenote~ No, it's not your eyes. The font has a mind of it's own today. I'm sorry for the crazy appearance of script on the page. Blogger has been acting up and for some reason has decided not to straighten out, hopefully it stops with just this post. 

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“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

Let it sparkle, let it glow, Let It Shine!

Almond,lemon,ginger biscotti

Neglect is never a good thing. Whether it's cleaning house, personal upkeep, people, and/or your your second child's birthday. Do I need to acknowledge fact that more than a few times I say aye to those incidences which may have deemed myself border-neglectful? I digress, when typing hands tend to wander, follow a mind that's always running out the door, bringing on deficits to the tiny nook of web I occupy and consider a part of me. Forget those pictures of a subject intended to appear much earlier than now, all of what I've just said disallows that to happen. And is it my imagination or has March zoomed by without taking me along? Clearly I need to bring an end to the anomaly, of planting megapixels and preworked ingredient lists onto neutral drafts, meantime, crunching my way through last two batches of what should be on display.

Biscotti. One of the many things I am grateful to the streets of Tuscany for. As I was tasting, testing, pottering through various biscotti possibilities, it occurred that not a single specimen claimed occupancy in BFMK archives. I beg you don't ask. Just know, it changes today and I'm busting out perfection in order to wane that gap.

This particular bulletin may be a life-alterer in terms of how both you and I bake the beauteous Italian biscoot. It's when Giada, in all her gorgeousness, convinces you that production of the Italian classic is noncomplex and mostly foolproof, thus having you in full hopes that your own finished product will end up identical to her 5starred one.

Atypical of the crunchy, no-chew cookie, biscotti is how it sounds, almost biscuity and I truly believe it should come with a clause... pair it with a hot beverage of dunk-and-saturate standard. A flavorbank of almonds, following a twice bake method is finished off with white chocolate smears. Sturdy, yet yielding in its crisp, airy enough to munch on in succession, thereon, there's a definable reverence that comes in stride with each sequential bite.  For sure it emphasizes a deliciousness recollective of vintage tinned goods, ushering accompaniment from 6 ounces of Earl Grey or masala tea, depending on which part of the world you're from.

Deconstructing the whole into key power components that, in fact, provide noteworthy leverage, will aid in understanding the only result that should be tolerated, that of an Amazing Oblong Cookie. Cornmeal imparts sandy-soft texture, lemon zest the fresh burst of Spring, which some of you living in tundra parts of the country might greatly appreciate and ginger sources adequate dimension and bite, thus yielding a proven winner for anytime- alltime snack coverage.

Finally, due to my innate flair for impeccable timing, I'm dispatching this out before April fools'...just so you know, a batch of these and the hand that brought them forth do the endorsement seriously. No jokes.

We'll save that for tomorrow.

(Adapted from Food Network- almond, lemon biscotti dipped in white chocolate: Giada De Laurentiis)
Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp grated lemon zest
• ¾ cup slivered almonds
• 18 oz white chocolate chips
• ⅓ cup chopped crystallized ginger

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Line baking tray with parchment or nonstick silicone baking mat.
• Sift flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt.
• In another large bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs till pale yellow. Mix in vanilla extract and zest.
• Add flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until just blended. Stir in the almonds.
• Let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes.
• With floured hands divide dough in half. Shape each half into approximately 9 inch long, 3 inch wide log. Transfer both logs onto prepared baking sheet, equally spacing apart.
• Bake logs for 30-35 minutes until pale golden.
• Take out and cool for 5 minutes. 
• Transfer logs to cutting board or counter. Using serrated knife, cut logs on the diagonal into 3/4 inch slices.
• Arrange biscotti cut side down not same baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes.
• Turn biscotti over and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes or until color changes to light toasted brown. Turn over on wire rack and cool completely
• Meanwhile, place chocolate chips in a microwave safe plastic bowl, and place in microwave at 50% power,  heating at 30 second intervals, mixing well with rubber spatula after each interval until it slowly begins to melt. Once most of the chips are melted, stir and allow the remaining chips to melt in the residual heat. Stir well until mixture is completely smooth.
• Dip the end of each biscotti in chocolate and set over wire rack. ( I don't like too much on mine so a smear or two is most appreciated) Sprinkle a few pieces of ginger on dipped ends.  Allow chocolate to harden.
• Can be stored in airtight container for upto a week.

March 2015~ like Hostess chocolate cream cupcakes, Indian sloppy joe sliders

March 2014~ dressing it up-three salads, banana chikoo shake

March 2013~birds in nest cupcakes, paneer butter masala, homemade paneer (cheese), sambar(Indian lentil stew), flatbread

March 2012~ fish stew, pavlova, easy tandoori chicken, aval vilayichathu (sweetened flat rice), chilli chicken/vegetable noodles, appam and beef mappas

******

"Lead my longing heart To the high ground, to the clear view And in awe I'll be there Beholding You"

Transfiguration, Hillsong Worship

 Hallelujah, My King. 

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..." 1Peter 1:3