Cult of Yex - Second Cataclysm

On a totally related note, here is my first published novel!

http://www.amazon.com/Cult-Yex-Saga-Second-Cataclysm-ebook/dp/B00QMIH5UC

Jason's Enchiladas

Jason's Enchiladas

Tonight (November 23rd, 2014) I decided to try my hand at Enchilada's without any recipe.  Really wing it.  Turns out my winging it was fantastic, and far better than I anticipated.  So here is the recipe which I will use again.

INGREDIENTS

Meat

2-4 lbs of cheap chuck roast (Cheaper the better really)

Spice Mixture #1 (Mix to your tastes)
Spice Island Chili Powder
New Mexico Dried Chili Powder
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Fajita Season Mix I had
Ground Cumin

Sauce

2-3 Tablespoons of Saffron Oil
1/2 stick of Butter
2 Tablespoons of Chopped Garlic
2 onions

Spice Mixture #2 (Mix to your tastes)
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Oregano (lighly)
Spice Islands Chili Powder
New Mexico Dried Chili Powder

1 Can of Crushed Tomatoes (28 oz).
Water

1 Package of New Mexico Dried Chilis
Water

Enchiladas

Canola or Vegetable Oil
Corn Tortillas
4 Cheese Mexican Shredded Cheese
Fresh chopped Cilantro
Limes (cut in wedges)
Sour Cream


INSTRUCTIONS

Meat

Liberally cover both sides of the meat in Spice Mixture #1.  Then heat  2-4 tablespoons of Safflower oil in the bottom of a pressure cooker until very hot.  Brown the meat on both sides, maybe 2-3 minutes a side. Add 6 cups of hot water, not quite covering the meat, then seal it and set it to 1 pressure bare and cook for 3 hours.  Just let it cook slowly and soften up that meat.

When done remove from the heat, open pressure cooker with lukewarm tap water, remove meat and put onto a cutting board.  Liberally sprinkle meat with more Spice Island Chili Powder.  Reserve broth for the sauce below.  Chop meat up with a knife or fork.

Sauce

In a large pot heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil and then put in half a stick of butter.  When melted add the garlic and stir and then add the onions.  Add spice mixture #2. Cook until the onions are soft, and then add can of crushed tomatoes.  Swirl in some water (maybe half a can).  Bring to a boil and simmer
for 1-2 hours.

At the same time put the entire package of dried New Mexico Chili Pods (whole) into a big pot of boiling water and boiled them for a good 2 hours. I probably over did this, but it didn't really matter.  Drain them, and remove the stems and most of the seeds and throw the pods into the pot of tomato sauce.  

The sauce cooks for probably a total of 3 hours, 2 by itself, then another hour with the pods.  Keep it at a simmer and stir it often.  It will get really thick.

Take 1 ladle of sauce and 2 ladles of broth and put into a blender. Liquefy for a while, then pour into a strainer over a bowl, using a spoon to press the juice through and keep out any pulpy stuff.  Keep doing this process until all the tomato sauce is blended.  Pour the blended and strained tomato sauce (which is a good orange color looking like either Enchilada Sauce or Tomato Soup depending on the way you see things) back into the big pan, and added the rest of the broth and then taste it.  It might be SPICY HOT but don't worry.  Add some flour, bring to a boil, and simmer for a while.

Enchiladas

Set your oven for 400 degrees (maybe 375 if you are lower altitude, I am 1 mile high).

Get a flat bottom pan, fill it with Canola oil, heat it till very hot, and then cook the corn tortillas about 20 seconds a side.  Dry on paper towels.

Put a little sauce in a big glass casserole dish, spreading it around on the bottom.  Take some of the meat and tear it apart if necessary put it into the cooked enchilada, and roll it up.  Put the rolled enchilada in the casserole dish on the sauce.  Keep doing this until you are out of meat (you might need 2 casserole dishes).

Then liberally cover with cheese.  I like a LOT of cheese, you probably would want less, but I used a lot.  

Bake for 10 minutes or until top of enchiladas with cheese is golden brown.

Garnish with cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and sour cream!  

Indian Spaghetti Sauce

Indian Spaghetti Sauce

This is a recipe I use for spaghetti that is based on my traditional version, but has a few 'Indian' influences.  for what it's worth, this is considered my families favorite version.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb of ground hamburger
Olive Oil & Butter
1 Onion
Mushrooms (Optional Addition)
2 Packages of Johnsonville Hot Italian Sausage (or another hot Italian sausage brand)

SPICE MIXTURE

Vary the size of your handful (by handful I mean palmful) as you see fit.

• 1 Handful of Onion Powder
• 1 Handful of Garlic Powder
• 1 Handful of Black Pepper
• 1 Handful of White Pepper
• 1 Handful of Salt
• 1 Handful of Thyme
• 1 Handful of Oregano
• 1 Handful of Garam Masala
• 1 Handful of Chili Powder
• 1 Handful of Cumin
• 1 Handful of Ground Coriander

2 large 28 oz cans of Crushed Tomatoes SW Premium

2 large 28 oz cans of Hunts Tomato Sauce

1 Cup of Heavy Cream
1 Handful of Kasoori Methi (dried Fenugreek Leaves)


DIRECTIONS

1. Get a pound or pound and a half of hamburger.  Brown it, and drain it to get off all the fat.
2. Add 3-4 tablespoons of Olive Oil and 2-3 tablespoons of butter into the pot and heat till hot.
3. Add 1 onion chopped and a huge spoon of chopped garlic.  I like a lot of garlic.  Cook for five minutes. You can optionally add a lot of mushrooms at this point.  Fresh, or canned, either way.  I like a lot of them myself. 
4. Add drained hamburger back into the pot.
5. Add two packages of Johnsonville Hot Italian Sausage cut up.  There are a lot of different Hot Italian Sausages out there.  You can try different ones if you like, but this is the one I always return to.  I encourage you to find the one that works the best for you, because it's vitally important to have the right one for your specific tastes.  
6. Now add the spice mixture. 
7. Stir this all up and very well and mix and cook for 10-15 minutes till the sausage is cooked all the way through.
8. Then add 2 large 28 oz cans of Crushed Tomatoes SW Premium
9. Then add 2 large 28 oz cans of Hunts Tomato Sauce - *Again, the types of sauce you use is up to you.  Experiment.
10. Then cook it... as long as you can.  I have done it as short as 45 minutes, but 2-3 hours is great and 4-5 is even better.  If you cook it longer, you might want to add some water or broth.
11. At the end, add 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of heavy cream. This just smooths the whole thing out a bit, and turns it a bit orange.  You can add even more, say up to 1 cup if you want to make it creamier.  
12. Finally, add a small handful of Kasoori Methi leaves (dried fenugreek leaves)  Still, and it's ready to eat over pasta!!!

Hamburgers Indian Style

Hamburgers - Indian Style

I've made these hamburgers many times and they are worthy of joy and enlightenment.  I really hope you enjoy them.  They are really special.  Instead of using ketchup we make a special Red Pepper Chutney Sauce.  Do NOT skip the Chutney. It's what really makes it take off!  You'll use it for all sorts of different meals, not just the hamburgers.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons of chickpea flour (also called gram flour or besan)*
• 3 lbs of ground beef or ground lamb
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
• 3 teaspoons of cumin powder
• 3 teaspoons of ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons of black pepper
• 2 teaspoons of sea salt
• 2 lightly beaten eggs

*If you don't have chickpea flour, just add 1 cup of bread crumbs.

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Roast the chickpea flour in a small frying pan over high heat till it turns brown. Stir often.

2. Put the chickpea flour into a bowl and add the spices: cayenne, cumin, coriander, pepper, and salt.  Mix well.

3.  Chop the Cilantro

4.  Crack open and lightly beat the 2 eggs.

5.  Add the cilantro and the mixed chickpea flour and spices and the eggs into the ground beef, mixing well with your hands.  

6.  Form the hamburger into 1/2 pound patties.  Grill them on the grill to medium rare.  Take them off and cut them in half.  Add them to pita pockets, adding Feta Cheese and a LOT of Red Pepper Chutney.  

They will utterly amaze you.  Unlike any hamburgers you've ever had before, and I'm convinced you'll think you had died and gone to heaven.

Red Pepper Chutney

Red Pepper Chutney

This amazing sauce is easy to make and can be added primarily to Hamburgers Indian Style.  Having said that, I think you'll find this amazing sauce useful on almost everything else you can eat.  It is THAT good!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 30-40 large fresh mint leaves or 30 smaller ones, chopped up.
• 2 lemons or 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of chopped slivered almonds
• 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped dill or dill paste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Chop the peppers

2. Chop the Mint Leaves

3. Slice the Lemon in half, and remove the seeds

Or use lemon juice

4. Mince the Garlic

5. Put all the ingredients, pepper, mint, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne, salt, black pepper, almonds, and dill into a blender.

6. Blend till smooth - you may have to use a spatula and push the chutney down the sides of the blender.

7.  And now you have magical Chutney for your Hamburgers Indian Style!

Teriyaki Sauce

Teriyaki Sauce

I made this home made Teriyaki sauce last night (March 22nd, 2014)  which we used to marinate chicken and beef, cook stir fry vegetables and spinach in, and used as a dipping sauce.  Everyone RAVED about it.  I'll show you what I did so you can do it yourself, and then I'll include some researched variations so you can effectively experiment and finally come up with a sauce that you can put in your tool box and always know how to make.

The basic sauce can just be made with the first five ingredients/

INGREDIENTS
Basic Sauce

• 1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup of Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon of minced ginger
• 1 Tablespoon of Mirin Wine, Dry Sherry, Saki, Rice Wine, or Shaoxing Cooking Wine (which is what I use).

Additions (optional)

• 1 teaspoon of corn starch
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon of Rice Vinegar (Marukan)
• 1/2 teaspoon of Mongolian Fire Oil (House of Tsang)
• 1 teaspoon of Sesame Oil (La Tourangelle)
• 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon of Gochujang Hot Pepper Paste*

*This is an amazing sweet pepper sauce, that is very good.  You usually can only find it at a specialized Korean Market.

DIRECTIONS
Put it all in a bowl and mix well.  Pretty simple. Use for marinading meat, cooking stir fry vegetables, and as a dipping sauce.

Variations

The Core ingredients of Teriyaki sauce, when you start researching it, are Soy Sauce, Sugar, and Mirin.  Here are some variations:

Use brown sugar, some use white sugar.  I use brown.
Add a little honey with the sugar
Some variations mix water into it.
You always want to add a little ginger and garlic, fresh and minced, or even powdered in spice form.  
Some people omit the red pepper flakes it's up to you
Add some black pepper
The Mirin can be dry white whine, rice wine, Saki, sherry, etc.

Corn Beef and Cabbage

Corn Beef and Cabbage

Corn Beef and Cabbage is a tradition in my family, and not just for St. Patrick's Day.  We eat it all year round.  My Mother had a classic recipe for it, but this year I tried something a little different and damn if it didn't get some rave reviews.  Everyone at the dinner table last night (we had it for Sunday dinner, instead of today) said to keep the recipe, this was the version they wanted again.

The version was inspired by some of the thinking done at America's Test Kitchen, where they use their spice mixture instead of the one included with the corn beef brisket, and they bake it instead of boil it.

INGREDIENTS
1 corned beef brisket, rinsed (4-5 pounds).  (Can can also trim the fat).
4 cups of chicken broth
4 cups of water
5 carrots, pealed and chopped
2 celery stalks
1 onion (pealed and quartered)
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon of black peppercorns
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 teaspoon of ground allspice (this is an interesting addition, and ended up working out very well).
3 tablespoons of butter
2 lbs of small red potatoes
7 onions, pealed (I keep them whole)
5 carrots, pealed
1 head of green cabbage cut into 8 parts
salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a dutch oven add the beef, broth, water, carrots, celery, 1 onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme and allspice.  Cover it and bake it at 300 degrees for 5 hours.  (Yes... 5 hours!)
2. Remove the beef and place it into a 13x9 serving dish.  Strain and discard the solids.  Put a little bit of the juice over the beef, and seal it tight with foil.  You'll let it sit for about 30 minutes.
3. In the pot add the potatoes and whole onions, and boil for 15 minutes covered.
4. Then add the carrots and cabbage and cook for 15 more minutes.
5. Take the meat out and slice it against the grain.  Serve with the vegetables and the juice.

VARIATIONS

My usual version of this meal was to boil the meat in water the whole time. Baking it this way makes it more tender and more flavorful.  You could experiment with the spice mixture, and you can always add extra onions (my family LOVES boiled onions) carrots and potatoes.  

Lamb Curry in a Pressure Cooker

Lamb Curry in a Pressure Cooker

It's funny, the absurdity of calling anything Lamb Curry.  The word curry refers to such a large swath of food as to be almost unusable.  Still, what else do I call this?  Interestingly enough, I'll be posting ANOTHER lamb curry recipe soon.  But for now, a very simple Indian Style curry with lamb made very quickly.

This recipe was inspired by

Madur Jaffery's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking

The book can be found here:  Amazon

Now the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs of defatted lamb cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 small onions
• 2 Tablespoons of ginger paste
• 2 Tablespoons of minced garlic
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon of chili powder (You could substitute cayenne pepper if you want some heat!)
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon of ground roasted cumin (or just regular ground cumin).
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces)
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 8 Tablespoons of heavy cream
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon of garam masala
• 1 Teaspoon of dried kasoori methi (fenugreek leaves) crushed in your hand
• 1 Tablespoon of butter
• salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Put everything except the garam masala, kasoori methi, and butter into the pressure cooker.  Seal it up and cook for 30 minutes on 1 bar of pressure.
2. Take it off the heat, cool it down with tepid tap water, and take off the lid.  Put it on the stove on medium heat, add the garam masala, kasoori methi, and butter.  Stir in salt to taste.  Cook over medium heat till it thickens.  This should take from 10-20 minutes.
3. Serve on rice!

VARIATIONS
Such an easy recipe and you can really play with this technique.  You can cook chicken and beef in the same way, and you can mix up the spices entirely, trying different proportions.   You can also throw in bell peppers for an easy addition.  You can try some chili peppers to make it hotter, and there are a ton of Indian Spices that you can add in different quantities to get different tastes.  This technique is so easy that it really lends itself to learning about Indian Food and experimentation.

Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking

Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking

Learning how to cook Indian food properly is an extensive journey.  I started three times, giving up repeatedly after using shitty cookbooks that just confused me.  It took a truly concerted effort to really get into it and figure it out.  Having said that, if you are a beginner in the Indian Cooking realm, THIS IS THE BOOK TO START WITH.  I can't say it plainer than that.  THIS IS IS.  Buy this, devour it, and I promise you will A) learn a great deal of foundation techniques for good basic Indian Food, and B) have a huge list of family favorite recipes that you will go back to over and over again.  This book is solid gold.

Greek Chicken*****

Years ago I found a recipe for Greek Chicken in the following cookbook:

The Good Housekeeping Step by Step Cookbook - 1997 Edition

The title above is linked to what I BELIEVE is the same book on Amazon.  The picture Amazon shows is not the same as the one above, but both are dated in 1997.

My experience with the book can be found here:  The Good Housekeeping Cookbook.

As for my version Greek Chicken, first a little background.  The first time I made this dish it was a stunning success.  I made it often, and I had friends asking for the recipe.  And yet, I haven't made it in four years.  It just slipped under the radar because I cook so many different types of meals not.  So last night, I fixed that, and my family sat to dinner with Greek Chicken again.  VERY WELL RECEIVED.   Very much worth the 5 star rating:  Now that we had it again, everyone is excited to have it repeatedly.  So here is the recipe, as I cook it, which is similar to but still different from the recipe in The Good Housekeeping Step by Step Cookbook.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces of Feta Cheese Crumbled - Really you can use more if you want, you can't have too much Feta!
• 2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
• 6 Skinless boneless chicken breast halves* (about 2 lbs)
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper
• 2 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour or a can of Wondra
• 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 Cups of Chicken Stock
• 1 Can of Diced Tomatoes (14.5 ounces)
• 1 Bunch of Fresh Spinach (washed and trimmed of stems)

*If you buy those huge plump hormone filled breasts you'll want to half them.  The better what to do this is by weight, which is why I included it right there: 2 lbs!  And hell if you have been paying attention you already know I'm going to say try this with Chicken Thighs instead.  I will be better! 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Take the Feta Cheese and put it into a bowl and mash it up with a fork if it's not crumbled already.  Add the lemon juice and oregano and mix and mash. Set aside.
2. Get out your chopping block and a heavy mallet.  Beat the chicken thin. About 1/2 inch is what you want.  Tenderizing like this doesn't work as well as it does with beef, the chicken tends to break apart.  If you got the thighs you won't need to pound them at all, they are already thin enough.
3. Now spread the good feta cheese mixture on the chicken and fold the pieces in half. You are essential making a feta cheese sandwich out of chicken!  You can pin them together with a toothpick.  Sprinkle both sides with flour, salt and pepper. I give quantities above but when I cook I don't use quantities. I just crack fresh pepper and crack fresh salt on them and dust them with flour.  Sometimes I add some oregano, or I'll use a Greek Seasoning from Spice Islands.  
4. Now heat your oil to just smoking in a fairly large skillet and then put in the chicken. You want to brown them, about 5 minutes to a side, get a good golden brown crust.
5. Then add the Chicken Stock, can of Diced Tomatoes, and the cleaned spinach.  Bring to a boil...and simmer for 20 minutes or so, till the chicken is all the way done.
6. Serve it hot!  

As I said before, this has become a family classic.  Very simple, and always very good.  

The Good Housekeeping Step by Step Cookbook - 1997 Edition

The Good Housekeeping Step by Step Cookbook - 1997 Edition - My Mom gave me this book in 1997.  And, believe it or not, I've only cooked one recipe from it.  Really,  I imagine there are many good ones in it, and I am encouraged to revisit it and find some other goods recipes to try.  But right now, the only one I've tried is Greek Chicken, though I must say, that's become a 5 star family favorite.

Red Wine Sauce

I made this red wine sauce to go with my Sous Vide Braised Short Ribs.  It's holy crap good!

INGREDIENTS
1 package of lean ground beef (1 pound 1.5 pounds)
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
3 Onions Sliced
4 Carrots Diced
3 Leeks (White Parts Chopped)
1/3 cup of minced Garlic
6 Tablespoons of Tomato Sauce
1 Bottle of Red Wine
2 Big Beef Soup Bones
4 Cups of Water
1 Tsp Dried Parsley
1 Teaspoon of Dried Thyme
3 Bay Leaves
12 Black Peppercorns
Balsamic Vinegar (dash to taste)
Soy Sauce (dash to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Brown the ground beef in the vegetable oil at the bottom of a Pressure Cooker.
2. Drain the meat, but leave the oil.
3. Add the onions, carrots, leeks, and garlic and cooked for 15-20 minutes, stirring often.
4. Then add the tomato sauce cook 10 more minutes
5. Add the wine, cook 10 more minutes
6. Stir in the reserved beef, soup bones, herbs and pepper.
7. Pressure-cook at gauge 1 bar for 2 hours
8. Let the cooker cool, or run cool water on it to depressurize it.
9. Pour broth through a strainer and discard the solids
10. Cook the broth in a pan on the stove over high heat, for about 1 hour, until the sauce is reduced to a nice syrup.
11. Throw in a dash of Basalmic Vinegar and a dash of Soy Sauce to taste.
12. Spoon over whatever meat you cooked tonight!

Keeps a week in the refrigerator or for 6 months if frozen.

Sous Vide Braised Ribs

I was promised that cooking these braised ribs for three full days, 72 hours, was the way to create the most succulent dish possible.  And... it was. Here is the recipe.  I have no pictures as the time of this writing, but plan on doing the dish again some day and will add it then.

INGREDIENTS
8 Beef short ribs, bone in

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your sous vide water bath to 62 degrees C / 144 degress F.
2. Vacuum seal the ribs, put them in the water.  If you are cooking for Sunday night, they go in Thursday night.
3. When they are done, take them out, and slice the meat from the bone.

It's that easy.  I used a red wine sauce to go with it, and I put them on top of fluffy mashed potatoes.  

Tandoori Chicken Legs - Cayenne Cilantro *****

I just posted my recipe for Tandoori Chicken (another 5 star recipe) that I use the most often.  Here I'm going to offer a somewhat similar recipe, but it's different enough that I think it warrents a very separate consideration.  First of all, years ago, probably 15 or more, the Bombay House in Provo Utah used to offer a tandoori chicken appetizer.  They were legs and wings, and arrived on a bed of onions with a few lemon wedges.  It wasn't a main course, but I ordered it every single time I went there.

One day, they just didn't offer it anymore.  I can't remember the explanation.  So... after 15 or so years of remembering the magic of that little appetizer, I've completely recreated it here for your enjoyment.  And once again, as I mentioned with Tandoori Chicken, this is one of the most emotional and powerful meals you'll ever cook. It just leaves people speechless.  

(Feeds 5 people)

INGREDIENTS

• 14  Whole Chicken Legs
• 3  Tablespoons of Coriander Seeds
• 2 Tablespoons of Whole Black Peppercorns
• 1 Tablespoon of Cumin Seeds
• 1 Tablespoon of Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon of Salt
• 6 Tablespoons of Minced Garlic
• 3 Tablespoons of Minced Ginger
• 9 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil
• 3/4 Cup of Water or as needed.
• 6 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
• 1 1/2 Cup of fresh Cilantro (packed)
• Onion Slices
• Lemon Wedges

1. Most Indians take the skin off the chicken.  I leave it on, but it's just a matter of taste.  Wash and dry your chicken pieces.
2. Heat a skillet, and toast the Coriander Seeds, Whole Black Peppercorns, and Cumin Seeds, 1-3 minutes until fragrant.  Be careful not to burn them.  Set them aside to cool.
3. When they are cool, put them in a spice blender and blend them until they are a fine powder.   At this they should smell just amazing.  
4. In a blender combined all the other ingredients (cayenne, garlic, ginger, oil, water, lemon juice) with the powder and blend until pureed.  Then add the Cilantrro and Pulse to Blend.
5. Marinate your chicken for from 1 hour to over night.
6. Heat your Grill on High.  Oil your Grate.
7. Place the chicken on the highest grate you can, and cook from 10 to 20 minutes.  You can baste the chicken with reserve marinade as well.  When it's nearly done, put the chicken on the lower grate for a minute on each side.
8. Serve on a bed of thinly sliced onions and garnish with Lemon Wedges.  Squeeze the lemon on the chicken and eat. 

The real trick to this meal is the lemon squeezed on the meat.   Once again, I expect you'll have a group of very happy, satisfied people who can't stop talking about how good this meal is!

Tandoori Chicken *****

I'm probably going to eventually include a number of different Tandoori Chicken recipes here.  Bar none it's one of my favorites and one of the favorites of my family.  This one is very simple and I've cooked it many times.  It's a 5 star recipe and it's my guess that you'll use it over and over again until it becomes second nature.

For a variation that is just a good (heck, might even be better!) see my Tandoori Chicken Legs with Chile & Cilantro.

Tandoori Chicken is THE single most popular Indian barbecue dish - it is so powerful and so emotional. Very few foods create the emotional reaction that this food does.  I find sitting at the table afterwards with those who come to my table to be a quite moment of reflection. It is truly a Chef of Enlightenment kind of moment, where you sit back and just be present with the feeling of satisfaction.

INGREDIENTS

For the Marinade

• 1 1/2 cup of plain whole milk yogurt
• 3 Tablespoons of Minced of Garlic
• 3 Tablespoons of Minced Ginger 
• 1  Teaspoon of Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
• 1/2 Cup of Heavy Cream
• 1 Teaspoon of Garam Masala
• OR
• 1 Tablespoon of Patak's Milk Curry Paste
• OR
• 1 Teaspoon of any Tandoori Chicken Dry Rub or Spice Mixture
• 2 drops of Red Food Coloring (Optional)
• 1 to 3 teaspoons of cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you want it).
• 1/2 cup of lemon juice

Chicken

• 2-3 pounds of boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast meat or chicken tenders.  It really doesn't matter what you use.  I most often use Chicken Thighs because they have such a better flavor, but I've used chicken breasts or chicken tenders as well.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a bowl mix all of the ingredients together to make the marinade.  Add the chicken and coat well.  Refrigerate for as long as you can.  I've left it overnight for optimal flavor, but you'll get a good result even after 1-2 hours.
2. Preheat your grill to high.
3. If you have a double grate (a higher grate) use the highest grate.  Lay the chicken on it and back it, turning it once or twice. You can also baste it with butter if you like.  Watch it carefully, to make sure you don't over do it.  Some suggest you cook on the lower grill, but I find that tends to risk burning the meat and making it too dry.    Some people will suggest you use skewers which works fine if you have some nice metal skewers and keep the food off the grill.  

When the meat is done, I take it right off the grill and onto a plate.  No garnishments are needed, though lemon is used on some recipes and can be really nice.  Just gather your family and friends around, cut up the meet, give everyone a fork, and start eating.  That might sound barbaric, but there is something about gathering around a platter of barbecue, everyone forking pieces into their mouth that is magical, especially on warm summer evening after the sun has gone down. But we've had just as much fun with a foot of snow outside, bringing the meat into the kitchen where everyone gathers around the counter to eat.

I guarantee you'll be impressed with this recipe.  

Butter Chicken Chicken Makhani Murgh Makhani

Butter Chicken Chicken Makhani Murgh Makhani

There are probably an endless variation of this recipe out there, but this is one I've pieced together myself.  With my penchant for studying Indian Food, I wouldn't be surprised if some time in the future you see another version of this recipe.  

This turned out very creamy and rich.  Everyone loved it, and my  kids thought it was the best ever. I was a little more critical because it was so RICH.  Something to consider.

One thing I'm doing for the first time here is to use Patak's Curry Paste as an additive in a recipe.  I was scouting Youtube for Indian Food videos and I saw someone put a couple tablespoons of a Patak paste into their sauce, and I thought: Wow... that's how you use that.  So... for the first time I'm using it this way, in the Marinade.  It replaces the 'curry powder' that is often used in this recipe.

MARINADE

INGREDIENTS
4-5 Tablespoon so Yogurt - I used full fat thick cream yogurt
Salt
Red Chili Powder
Paprika
Ground Cumin
Ground Coriander
Lemon lemon juice
2-3 Tablespoons of Patak';s Original Concentrated Curry Paste Mild
2 small packages (about 2-3 lbs) of chicken thighs or chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces.

INSTRUCTIONS
1.  Put the yogurt in a metal blow and add spices as you see fit.   A lot of people measure here, but I don't. I just throw in there. If I had to guess, I would say it's about a teaspoon of everything. 

2. Pour in some lemon juice, the Patak's Paste (2-3 tablespoons), and mix real well. 

3.  Then add the chicken, mix real well with your hands, cover and refrigerate!  (This picture does not show the pieces cut into bite sized pieces... we forgot on the picture run).  

SAUCE

INGREDIENTS
Ghee (You can use vegetable oil or regular butter if you prefer)
1 Onion (chopped)
1 Tablespoon garlic chopped
1 Tablespoon of ginger
1 Teaspoon of Cumin Seeds
1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Cardamom
1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Cloves
1/4 Teaspoon of Turmeric
1 Teaspoon of Chili Powder
1/2 Teaspoon of Amchoor Powder (dried mango)
1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1/2 Teaspoon of Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1/2 cup of Heavy Cream 
2 Bay Leaves
4 Whole Cloves
2 Green Cardamom Pods
1 Tablespoon of Kasoori Methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves)

Get yourself some Ghee, which is clarified butter.  I got some from an Indian Grocer once and it was amazing and nutty. This version (SWAD) I got from my local market here in Heber and... I'm not as impressed.  Not at all.  It doesn't have the nutty flavor I really like from the other stuff.  Once I'm done using this I'm not going to ever buy it again.  Just my opinion though. It seems more like regular butter than Ghee to me.

Heat the Ghee in a pot!

Add the chopped onion.

Get yourself some garlic and ginger.

Add to the pot! 

Add in some Cumin Seeds, and cook it all for 4-6 minutes.

Get yourself a can of Hunts Tomato Sauce. You can also use a can of petite cut tomatoes instead, it doesn't matter.

Add it to the pot!  

Add some spices.  I added 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom, 1/4 a teaspoon of ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, a dash of chili powder, a dash of amchoor powder (dried mango), 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

Cook for 20 minutes on low.  Remove from the heat.  Let cool.  

When it is cool, put it into a blender.

Now blend it up!  Reserve to the side.

Put some more ghee in the pot.  Heat up and add your two bay leaves, 4 whole cloves, and 2 green cardamom pods.  Stir for 10-15 seconds.

Looks fantastic. Might have too much butter in there however.  Be careful.

Now add your chicken and marinade.  Cook it up until the chicken is well cooked on the outside, 5 minutes.

Add the reserved sauce.

Cover and cook on medium low for 20 minutes.

Get yourself some cream.  Remember what I told you above?  My version was REALLY rich.  My kids thought it was the best ever... but I thought it was too rich.  So be careful how much cream you add.  1/2 a cup seems like it would be a fairly good amount. I used 1 full cup and it was too much  (in my opinion).

Add the cream. Stir.  Cook 5 minutes.

Add dried fenugreek leaves, stir, cook 2-3 minutes more.  Remove bay leaves, cardamom pods, and whole cloves (you don't want to bite into them).

Chop some Cilantro.

Serve with basmati rice and sprinkle fresh cilantro on top!  We ate it with chips, sour cream, fresh fruit (apples, oranges, kiwi, and mango).