Home cooking can be approachable & enjoyable
A weekly must have meal prep dish that will for sure become your favorite. This recipe is easy, delicious, nutritious and versatile. These lentils are cooked with some basic spices and finished off with oil that has been infused with whole spices and aromatics. This technique is called tadka with means tempering.
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Friends, you don’t have to be a baker to make this delicious easy brownie cheesecake dessert. I have used my favorite boxed brownie mix. The cheesecake is a 4 ingredient no bake topping. This was a hit at our mothers day celebration….
This is a creamy curry with a little bit of tang from the tamarind. Fish dishes really don’t take much time to put together, so it’s a perfect quick easy meal.
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I never did like the soft texture of eggplants in a curry before. Whenever my mom would make Eggplant and potatoes I would never eat. But now I cut into smaller pieces, roast it and after it’s cooked, it almost becomes a mash. Now this dish has become one of my favorite curries.
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I always stock up on ground beef, because it just makes a quick meal. There are many dishes you can use ground beef in. I would say this ground beef curry is on my weekly menu because it easy, delicious and versatile.
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Rice is one of our favorites to make on a weekly basis, especially for the kids. Having a few different recipes for rice is a great way to add variety to your weekly meals. This recipe is so simple, but full of flavor with just a few whole spices. Also try this rice with a punch of nutrients with the added spinach, my kids love this. Rice/spinach pilaf
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Lentils are a common staple in South Asian cuisine. Lentils are legumes with protein, minerals and fiber. In addition to being packed with nutrition they are an inexpensive pantry must have. Most lentil recipes don’t take long to make, that’s why I usually have lentils on our menu weekly. They can also be paired with veggies or meat. I usually add a bunch of spinach for a nutrient punch for the kids. But the options are endless and these are also vegan and gluten free. This lentil curry can be paired with rice, naan, chapati and paratha.
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The oldest memory I having of cooking is learning how to make chapatis from my mom. Homemade chapatis is one of the first foods that comes to my mind when I think of comfort food.
Typically when we think of making any type of bread, we think of oven, yeast, mixer and a lot of experience needed. But South Asian flatbreads are some of the simplest and delicious breads to make. No use of any fancy kitchen tool, not worrying about dough rising times, but just a little practice is needed. Once you master the skill of chapati making you will truly feel like an artisan bread maker.
Chapatis and rotis are the same can be used interchangeably . Phulka is similar as well, but usually can be finished of on an open flame. All 3 are whole wheat South Asian flatbread. It is traditionally made from atta, which is a wholemeal wheat flour. This can come in varieties of 100% whole wheat, refined options and multigrain. You can try different types of flour to see which flour you prefer.
Chapati is a staple in South Asian households. These thin and soft breads can be eaten with vegetable or meat curries, used as wraps.
To make chapatis you really need 2 ingredients, the wheat flour atta and water. Now some people do add salt and oil but it’s not required. I have noticed depending on the variety of the flour I am using I will add some oil. For instance if I got the 100% whole wheat flour which gives you a little more tougher chapatis, I will use some oil.
Depending on the region and the style, the thickness and size of the chapatis will be varied. If you are new to learning this I would recommend you make them smaller and just a little thicker, they will be much easier to handle. But eventually you want to roll them out thin that usually ensures the chapatis will be soft and fluffy.
RECIPE NOTES
The goal is to make the dough soft, pliable with no lumps. If the dough is hard you will have a hard time rolling it out and the chapati will not be soft and fluffy.
Kneading the dough by hand is the easiest way to controlling the consistency of the dough. If you are new to learning this I highly recommend making/kneading dough by hand. When you have mastered the chapati dough by hand you can use the a stand mixer with the hook attachment.
I prefer to use lukewarm water so the dough will not be to soft, that can be hard to work with. When I use lukewarm water I end up using 1 1/2 cups water. Depending on the temperature of water you may use a little more or less.
Traditionally a concave griddle called a tawa is used to cook the chapatis on. You can find these at international grocery stores. I use a non-stick flat griddle that works perfectly.
With this recipe I can end up making 10-15 chapatis depending on how thick or thin you roll them.
I store the dough covered in the refrigerator and use it within 2-3days.
Enjoy with
chicken curry, meatball curry, eggplant curry
Please watch the full detailed video on you tube.
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Friends, weeknights don’t get any easier than this easy delicious chicken curry. You also don’t have to use a box mix of spices either. I am sharing my go-to chicken curry recipe that is always on our menu. I have two kids, so I know how schedules can get hectic especially during the week. But that does not mean your quick dinner has to boring. Chicken curry is great for meal prepping because it always tastes even better the next days and the chicken stays moist in the sauce.
This style of chicken curry is from Pakistan and Northern India. So there is no coconut milk/cream or yogurt. The delicious thick gravy is made from onions and fresh tomatoes. This dish is also called chicken karahi, which is a word for cooking pot that is similar to a wok. There are many variations of this dish depending on the region. Each family will have their own way of making this dish.
Like I have mentioned before South Asian dishes have so much flavor from the aromatics that are used in most dishes. The base is often started with onions, fresh garlic, ginger and tomatoes.
RECIPE NOTES
Usually I would use bone in chicken but today I used chicken thighs. I have also made this dish with chicken breast and tenders. It really just depends on what I have on hand. I also used 3 small tomatoes and purred them. You don’t have to puree the tomatoes if you don’t care to see tomato skin in the curry. You could also do 2 large tomatoes. Always remember if you add more of onions and tomatoes to make a thick gravy. You always have to make sure you have enough oil for the mixture to cook in. Sometimes that is a common mistake made not enough oil. The technique for South Asian cooking is for onions/tomatoes/spices to really saute in the oil.
As always you can omit the green chili and the chili powder if you don’t want any heat in the curry. There is still so much flavor with the other ingredients/spices. I always add less chili powder and usually omit the fresh chili pepper because of the kids. Spices are very basic and are readily available. I always like to use a neutral oil for South Asian cooking. Today I used light olive oil which is good for high cooking temperatures. You could also use Avacado oil, canola oil, ghee.
We always enjoy this curry with chapatis, rice or naan.
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Hi friends! I am excited to share a simple recipe that has been a favorite of my kids. Ever since the kids were little and I started to introduce South Asian food to them, I wanted to keep it simple. It seemed like it was easier to make one pot dishes. My kids definitely enjoy rice, but it can get boring to make plain rice. Rice is one of those ingredients you can do so much with in any cuisine. This is still my go-to recipe as the kids have gotten older. Sometimes I add broccoli, chickpeas, mix frozen vegetables as different variations. I shouldn’t say it’s just the kids favorite, everyone enjoys it a lot.
PILAF
Pilaf is just a fancy word for flavorful rice. It’s rice that has been cooked with aromatics of different combinations of ingredients/spics. Once you have the base down such as sautéing onions, garlic in oil/butter try different types of spices. You can use powdered spices or whole spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, etc.
RICE
Basmati rice is most commonly used in South Asian cooking. There are many different varieties of basmati rice. It is a long-grained rice, that is very fragrant, tends to cook quickly. This rice also tends to stay fluffy and separate after cooking. Now it can depend on the variety of the basmati rice and cook time will vary. Basmati rice is traditionally grown in the Indian subcontinent.
I make this rice dish often. Kids will have a bowl as a main dish with some cucumbers on the side. It can also be enjoyed as a side dish to any meat or vegetable curry.
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