Donut Army

  These are surprisingly good, and quite easy to assemble and bake. I am a fan of leaving unbaked balls of dough in the fridge (covered) for days, so that you can bake breads like this -- breads that don't store well or re-heat well -- on demand.  Garlic Naan Food and Wine 1 tsp yeast 2 T sugar 1/4 c water, room temperature 4 c flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking power 3/4 c whole milk, room temperature 1/2 c plain yogurt, full fat 3 T garlic, minced 1 stick unsalted butter, melted In a glass measuring cup, combine the yeast, sugar, and water and let sit for 10 minutes. In the meantime, mix the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk together the yeast mixture, yogurt, and milk, and stir into the dry ingredients. Knead with your hands until the dough forms a smooth, soft ball, about 2 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Remove the dough from the bowl and tur...

          As you would expect with Milk Street as the source, this is very good. The finished dish has a deep, complex flavor and not at all hot. It doesn't make much sauce, but just a coating is all you need -- it makes enough to even increase the amount of chicken by at least another 8 ounces.    Chicken Vindaloo Milk Street 1/4 c + 2 T white vinegar, divided 12 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled 1 1" piece ginger, peeled, roughly chopped 2 T sweet paprika 2 T brown sugar 4 cloves 2 1/2 tsp turmeric 2 tsp cumin seed 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp cinnamon 2 lb chicken thigh (boneless, skinless), trimmed and in chunks 2 T grapeseed oil cilantro, for garnish   In a blender, combine 1/4 cup vinegar, garlic, ginger, paprika, sugar, cloves, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, 1¼ teaspoons each salt and pepper, and 3 tablespoons water. Puree until smooth, scraping the blender as needed. Pour into a medium bowl, add the chicken and toss to coat. Let stand ...

I've been making this recipe since it was first published in Bon Appetit in 2013 and it still knocks my socks off. They suggest serving the chicken as breasts, but I prefer to go ahead and cube it before starting prep. Chicken Tikka Masala Bon Appetit 6 cloves garlic, grated 4 tsp ginger, grated 4 tsp turmeric 2 tsp garam masala 2 tsp coriander 2 tsp cumin 1 1/2 c yogurt (not Greek) 1 T coarse salt 2 lb chicken breast (boneless, skinless, cut into chunks) 3 T ghee 1 onion, thinly sliced 1/4 c tomato paste 6 pods cardamom, crushed 2 dried chiles de arbol, or, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 1 28 oz can tomatoes 2 c heavy cream 3/4 c cilantro, chopped Combine garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and cumin in a small bowl. Whisk yogurt, salt, and half of spice mixture in a medium bowl; add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and chill 4-6 hours. Cover and chill remaining spice mixture. Heat ghee in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, tomato paste, cardamom, and chiles ...

Early in the pandemic, I embarked on a few taste tests and cooking challenges for myself. One was to try recipes featuring each of the yellow beans I had in the house -- dal, split peas, lentils. Here is what I did with the yellow split peas. Toor Dal (Split Yellow Pigeon Peas) NY Times Dal: 1 c toor dal 2 roma tomato , roughly chopped 1/4 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp coarse salt 1/4 c peanuts , whole, raw Tempering: 1/4 c ghee 1 sprig curry leave 1 stick cinnamon 3 dried chiles de arbol 3 cloves 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds   To prepare dal, soak pigeon peas in a large bowl of warm water for about 1 hour. Rinse, drain and tip into a pot. Add tomatoes, turmeric, salt and 5 c water. Bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until tender, 25-30 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree some of the dal, leaving some chunky. Stir in peanuts and simmer until dal is very tender, 3- minutes. Taste and adjust with salt. Heat a small pan with ghee. ...

You're going to dirty some dishes with this one. But every step of the process is going to smell enticing and the finished product is delicious. This one is in my regular rotation of recipes. Chole (Chana Masala) Manjula's Kitchen 1 15-oz can chickpeas 3 T oil pinch asafetida 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 T gram flour (Besan) 1 tomato 1 tsp ginger paste 1 tsp green chilies , chopped 2 tsps coriander 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp red chili powder 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp garam masala 1 tsp cilantro , chopped Drain and rinse ch ickpeas. Slip them out of their jackets. Blend the tomatoes, green chilies and ginger to make a puree. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil if seed crack right away oil is ready. Add the asafetida and cumin seeds. After the cumin seeds crack, add the gram flour and stir-fry for a minute. Add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, chili powder and cook for about 4 minutes on medium heat. T...

Aromatic Yellow Rice (Peelay Chaaval) Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking 2 c basmati rice 2 2/3 c water 1 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 tsp turmeric 3-4 whole cloves 1" stick cinnamon 3 bay leaves 3 T unsalted butter, cut into small pieces Put rice in bowl and wash in several changes of water. Drain. Pour 5 c water over rice and let soak 30 minutes. Drain. Combine drained rice, water, salt, turmeric, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat very low, and cook 25 minutes. Let pot rest, covered and undisturbed, for 10 minutes. Add small pats of butter to the rice and mix gently with fork. Remove whole spices before serving.

I know many people are afraid of cooking Indian food at home -- largely because they think it involves too many ingredients and will be too time consuming. If this sounds like you, consider trying this recipe. Relatively foolproof, not too involved, and quite, quite delicious. It also doesn't require any seasoning that you wouldn't regularly stock in a Western kitchen. Chole Palak Manjula's Kitchen 1 15-oz can chickpeas 3 c spinach, chopped 2 tomatoes 1/2" piece ginger 1 jalapeno 3 T oil 1/4 tsp asafetida (optional) 1 tsp cumin seed 1 T coriander 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp cayenne 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp garam masala Drain the liquid out of the chickpeas and rinse well. Blend tomatoes, chiles and ginger to make a puree. Heat oil in a suacepan. Add asafetida and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds start to pop, add tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, and cayenne. Cook for 4 minutes on medium heat. Tomato mixture will start leaving the oil and will...

I admit that I am partial to Indian cuisine. If you find that you are a bit afraid of it -- afraid of the heat, or intimidated by the ingredient list -- there are many dishes out there that work very well with Western palates and pantries. This is one of them! Zucchini Rice Manjula's Kitchen 1 c rice 2 c water 1 c zucchini, shredded (with skin on) 1 T oil 1 tsp butter 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp black mustard seeds 4 dried red peppers, whole 2 bay leaves 1/2 tsp salt 1/2" piece cinnamon stick 1 tsp lemon juice Heat oil and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds to the oil. After seeds crack, add red pepper and bay leaves. Add rice and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Add water, zucchini, salt and lemon juice. Stir and bring to a boil. After rice comes to a boil, turn heat down to low and cover the pan. Cook rice for about 15 minutes, or until tender and the water has evaporated.

This was a pretty easy dish . . . up until the point where you manipulate fire in your home kitchen. For me, the smoking part turned out to be more of an interesting experiment than a good addition to the dish. Were I to do it again:      a) I would smoke the eggplant out of doors, and,       b) I may just make the dish, sans smoking. Either way, it is very delicious! One way is just easier. And safer for your home, especially in this drought. Smoked Eggplant Curry Veggie Belly dot com 3 tomatoes 6 whole cashews 1 T ghee (or butter, or vegetable oil) 1/2 lb eggplant 1/2 tsp ginger paste 1/2 tsp garlic paste 1/4 tsp garam masala 1/4 tsp chili powder 1 tsp lemon juice For smoking the eggplant: 1 lump charcoal, about the size of a lemon (not treated with accelerant!) 1 tsp vegetable oil Boil a medium pot of water, and drop the tomatoes in whole. When the tomato skins start to blister, drain them and let the...

This is an easy protein-rich dish that has a lot of flavor! A great way to have some beans in your summer kitchen, without needing to keep the stove top on for hours at a time. Green Lentils with Ginger Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking 1 c green lentil (sabud mung) 4 c water 1/4 tsp turmeric 1 T ghee or butter 1 tsp mustard seeds, black or yellow 1/4 tsp asafetida or galic powder 1 T ginger, chopped 1 medium tomato, chopped 2 fresh serrano chilies, cut lengthwise in half 1 tsp salt Place lentils, water and turmeric in a saucepan. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat. Partially cover and simmer 30-35 minutes, or until lentils are tender. While lentils are simmering, heat ghee and mustard seed in 10" skillet over medium heat. Once seeds begin to pop, cover skillet and wait until popping stops. Add asafetida (or garlic powder) and ginger to the mustard seeds and stir-fry 30 seconds, until ginger begins to brown. Add tomato and chi...

I have been searching for the perfect mulligatawny soup recipe, ever since I had a life-changing experience with a version served in Salem, Oregon. I have written a few times for the recipe, to no avail. Meanwhile, I continue my pursuit and am getting closer every time. True Mulligatawny Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking 1/4 c split yellow peas, or toovar dal, or channa dal 7 c water, divided 1 tsp tamarind concentrate paste, or, 1/4 c lemon juice 1 tomato, chopped 1/4 c cilantro, chopped 1 T ginger, chopped 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sambar powder 1/2 tsp garlic powder 12 fresh curry leaves 2 hot peppers (Thai or serrano), cut lengthwise in half 1 T ghee or butter 1 tsp mustard seeds, black or yellow 1 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp pepper Heat split peas and 3 c water to boiling in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium. Partially cover and simmer 30-35 minutes, until tender. Place split peas and any remaining liquid in a blender. When cool enou...

Just when you think you have your favorite version of a staple, there will be a recipe in there that surprises you. Like this one! I have my favorite versions of Indian-influenced rice. But then I made this one, and it may change everything. Very very tasty!  It does require some somewhat specialty ingredients that do not have easy substitutes. If you like cooking Indian food, however, these ingredients will be staples and you should go ahead and get them. Do take note of the rice preparation steps. You can skip these steps, but, it will make the rice stickier and less "Indian." If you haven't soaked your rice before, I recommend you try it at least once to notice the difference in texture that this step creates. Coconut Rice Pilaf Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking 1 c basmati rice 1 1/2 c cold water 1 T vegetable oil 1 tsp mustard seeds (yellow or black) 1/4 c split black lentils (urad dal) or yellow split peas (chana dal) 1/4 c...

This is one of my favorite foods to eat -- a great potato mixture combined with a warm dosa. Before today, I had never tried making the filling before (and I have yet to try making a dosa). I thought this was good, but not exactly what I was looking for. I will keep looking for my perfect aloo masala! Aloo Masala for Dosa Manjula's Kitchen 2 potatoes 1 T oil pinch asafetida (opt) 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 1/2 tsp turmeric 1 jalapeno, chopped 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp lemon juice 1 T cilantro, chopped Boil the potatoes until they are soft. Let cool and then peel and chop. Heat oil in a large skillet. When hot, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and asafetida. Once the seeds begin to pop, add turmeric, potatoes, jalapeno, and salt. Stir-fry for a few minutes. Add lemon juice and cilantro. The potatoes should be slightly moist and not very dry.

As you probably noticed, I've been on quite a run with making Indian food in my own kitchen. Here is my first attempt at the mashed eggplant dish known as Baingan Bharta - just delicious! Sorry that there is no "after" picture - I can't even imagine a way to take an attractive picture of a mashed eggplant. Baingan Bharta Manjula's Kitchen 1 large eggplant 2 medium tomatoes 1/2 c red bell pepper, chopped 1 jalapeno 1/4" piece ginger 3 T oil pinch asafetida, opt 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp coriander 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp garam masala 2 T cilantro, chopped   Roast the while eggplant in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes, rotating every 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, let cool, and then peel and chop. Blend the tomatoes, ginger and jalapeno in a food processor. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Stir fry the bell pepper for about one minute. Remove the bell pepper and set aside.  In the same pan, re-heat oil and add c...

One evening, I found myself starting at an extra bunch of mustard greens I had in the fridge. I had bought a few bunches to help ring in the new year and now found myself maxed out on sauteed greens. What else could I do with the greens that would show them off, but also bring something different into my day? How about Indian-style greens!   Punjabi-Style Mustard Greens Atlanta Journal-Constitution 2 T clarified butter or vegetable oil 1/2 small yellow onion, chopped 1 tsp garam masala 1/8 tsp crushed or ground fennel seed 1 T ginger, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 sp turmeric 1 1/2 lbs fresh mustard greens, chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped 2 juice of 1 lime or lemon salt to taste In a large pan over medium heat, add the ghee or oil. Add onion, garam masala and fennel and cook until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add ginger, garlic and turmeric and cook for 2 minutes more. Add mustard greens. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the mois...

I appear to be on an Indian food kick, so bear with me. This was my first attempt at Aloo Mattar. For the most part, this was very successful - it certainly tasted delicious! In the future, I may take more care in mashing the potatoes a bit in order to release their starches and thicken the gravy a bit more. Aloo Mattar (Potatoes and Green Peas) Manjula's Kitchen 3 medium potatoes, boiled 3/4 c forzen green peas 2 T oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 1/8 tsp asafetida (opt) 1 tsp ginger paste 1 green chili, minced 2 T coriander 1 tsp fennel seed powder 1/4 tsp turmeric 1 tsp aprika 1 tsp salt 1 tsp mano powder 1/2 tsp garam masala 2 medium tomatoes, sliced 2 T cilantro, chopped Peel potatoes and cut them in bite-sized pieces. In a small bowl, mix ginger, green chili, coriander, fennel seed, turmeric and paprika with 1/4 c water. heat the oil in a saucepan. Add cumin seeds and asafetida. After cumin seeds begin to pop, add the spice mix and cook until spices start lea...

Seriously, seriously delicious. I am currently of the belief that I could eat this every day and never tire. Plus, it only gets better as a leftover. Highly recommended. Chole Palak (Chickpeas with Spinach) Manjula's Kitchen 1 15-oz can chickpeas 3 c spinach, chopped 2 medium tomatoes 1/2" piece ginger 1 green chili 3 T oil 1/4 tsp asafetida (opt) 1 tsp cumin seed 1 T coriander 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp cayenne 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp garam masala Drain the liquid out of the chickpeas and rinse well. Blend tomatoes, chiles and ginger to make a puree. Heat oil in a suacepan. Add asafetida and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds start to pop, add tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, and cayenne. Cook for 4 minutes on medium heat. Tomato mixture will start leaving the oil and will reduce to about half in quantity. Add spinach, salt and 1/2 c of water. Let it cook covered for 4-5 minutes on medium heat, covered. Add chickpeas and mash lightly with a s...

Learning to make this dish has increased my confidence in preparing Indian food one hundred fold. Why? You know why -- there is something special about getting the rice at an Indian restaurant. It's just different from what you do at home. Right? Well, no more! Follow this recipe and you'll be serving Indian-style rice like the pros. Trust me - it is significantly better tasting than simply boiling basmati rice in water. Black Cardamom Basmati Rice San Francisco Herb Company 1 c basmati rice 5 pods black cardamom 2 T ghee (or butter, or oil) 1 1/2 c water salt, to taste Put rice in a saucepan and cover with hot tap water. Drain off water and fill again. Stir to release starches. Drain off and add cold water. Drain off and fill with cold water again. Let rice soak in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain. In a heavy bottomed pot, heat clarified butter. Add cardamom pods and stir a 1-2 minutes, enough for the cardamom to release its flavor. Add rice and stir to coat wi...

Another dish that is full of flavor, but ultimately not that hard to assemble. Holds well, and smells up the whole house in a good way! Chicken Curry with Yogurt A World of Curries 1 tomato, chopped 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp cardamom 4 whole cloves, crushed 4 whole peppercorns, crushed 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, crushed 4 small hot green chiles (serranos, seeded, stemmed and chopped) 1/4 tsp turmeric 1 tsp cayenne 1 1" piece ginger, peeled and grated 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1 c yogurt 1 3-lb chicken, cut up 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes 1/4 c vegetable oil 2 onions, sliced fine 1/2 c water cilantro for garnish Combine tomato, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, cumin seeds, chiles, turmeric, cayenne, ginger, garlic, and yogurt to make a marinade. Toss the chicken pieces in the marinade to coat and allow to marinate, covered, for at least 2 hours in the fridge. Place potatoes in a pan and cover with...

I know many of you are probably scared of making breads. I know I used to be. But there isn't much scary about it, really. Especially the categories of quick breads, and (what will be discussed here) unleavened breads. Unleavened breads have had a presence in most cultures for centuries. Chapatis are one Indian form of unleavened bread. It is quite similar to a tortilla, only slightly thicker and, in my opinion, easier to make. Chapati Indian Vegetarian Cooking at Your Home 2 c flour 1 tsp salt 1 T vegetable oil about 3/4 c warm water -- enough for a kneadable dough Combine all ingredients in a bowl and knead by hand, or (like me), combine in the bowl of a mixer and knead with the dough hook, adding water as necessary. Cover bowl and set aside to rest for 1/2 - 2 hours (the longer, the better). After 1 hour of rest, punch dough down and knead again, this time, without adding any water. Pinch off chunks of dough and roll into 1 1/2" balls; you should be able to get...