Creamy Butternut Squash and Cashew Curry

This definitely needed a bit of added salt, but the spice level and general flavor are lovely. I used butternut squash rather than pumpkin because that's what I could find. And I couldn't find curry leaves or coconut cream, so I just left the leaves out and used a full can of full-fat coconut milk.

Creamy Butternut Squash and Cashew Curry
A variation on this recipe from Bon Appétit



2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 1/2 cups 3/4-inch cubes peeled seeded sugar pumpkin or butternut squash (from about one 1 3/4-pound whole pumpkin)
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 small red onions, cut into 1/3-inch wedges
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
3 dried chiles de árbol, chopped
3/4 cup unsalted roasted cashews
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro plus additional for garnish
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Steamed basmati rice

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add squash and cook until golden, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to same skillet. Add mustard seeds; cook until seeds pop and leaves sizzle, 30 seconds. Add onions, garlic, and ginger. Sauté until onions are golden, 4 minutes. Add chiles, cashews, turmeric, and cumin; stir-fry 1 minute. Add coconut milk. Increase heat to medium-high. Boil until thickened, 2 minutes. Return squash to pan; reduce heat to medium. Simmer until squash is tender, 4 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cilantro and lime juice. Spoon over rice; garnish with additional cilantro.

Tandoori Chicken and Indian Potato Salad

I saw Aarti Sequeira make a version of this tandoori chicken on The Best Thing I Ever Made, and I had to try it. I tweaked things a bit since I couldn't find all of the ingredients in the grocery store. And I'm going to tweak how much tandoori spice I use next time since the dish could have used a bit more spice. I made a ton of tandoori spice, so I have plenty with which to experiment. I will also be using chicken breasts instead of thighs next time. I usually really only like using chopped chicken thighs in a dish. Otherwise, there's a lot of extra fat with which to deal.

On the show, she served the chicken with potato salad, but she didn't supply a recipe. So I found this one. Which I wasn't crazy about. But oh well. There are plenty of other ones out there to try.

Tandoori Chicken
A variation on this recipe from Aarti Sequeira



1 bottle dried pickling spice
1 dried chile de arbol
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 cup whole fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup peanut or canola oil
2 tablespoons malt vinegar or lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Pinch cayenne pepper
8 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch thumb ginger, peeled and minced
1 packet boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 1/2 pounds usually)
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Couple of extra limes, for garnish

To make the marinade, toast the pickling spices, whole chiles and fennel seeds in a skillet until fragrant, 3 minutes or so, shaking the pan. Then, pour the spices into a spice grinder and grind them until you get a fine powder. Store in an airtight container.

In large bowl, whisk together 2-3 teaspoons (more or less, depending on your taste) spice mixture you just made with the yogurt, oil, malt vinegar, salt, ground cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper, garlic and ginger until well combined. Taste and adjust with more salt if it needs it.

Reserve 1/3 cup of the marinade and set aside; you're going to make a sauce out of this reserved marinade.

Prick the chicken with a fork. Add the chicken to the rest of the marinade, and toss to coat. Marinate at least 1 hour in the fridge, and at most overnight.

When you're ready to cook, line a baking sheet with foil, and turn your broiler on. Place each chicken breast on the baking sheet, making sure each one is coated with the marinade, but isn't swimming in it. Cook the chicken breasts under the broiler until starting to blacken, about 5 minutes. Then turn the oven to 350°F, and cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the meatiest part of the thigh registers 165°F, another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.

While the chicken is cooking, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan, along with 1/2 cup water and the honey. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-low heat, whisking all the time. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and pour into a small bowl or gravy boat for serving.

Serve the chicken breasts on a platter with a fresh squeeze of lime and a drizzle of the sauce.

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Indian Potato Salad
Courtesy of Bon Appétit



3 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
1 cup chopped shallots (about 3)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups (packed) chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, divided

Bring large pot of salted water to boil; add potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with knife, about 25 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Puree shallots, mayonnaise, ginger, and lemon juice in processor. Transfer to small bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Peel potatoes; cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Place in large bowl, add dressing, and toss to coat. Refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with remaining cilantro and serve.

Indian-Spiced Roasted Squash Soup

Delish. And I just love love love how roasting vegetable smell. And it goes especially well with the garam masala biscuits I decided to make.

Indian-Spiced Roasted Squash
A variation on this recipe from Cooking Light



1 cup chopped yellow onion
8 ounces carrot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 (1-pound) butternut squash, peeled and cut into (1/2-inch) cubes
1 (8-ounce) acorn squash, quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and black pepper
2 cups water
1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
6 tablespoons Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 500°F.

Arrange the first 5 ingredients on a jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss. Roast for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender, turning once. Cool for 10 minutes. Peel acorn squash; discard skin.

Combine vegetable mixture, 2 cups water, curry powder, garam masala, and red pepper in a food processor or blender; pulse to desired consistency. Scrape mixture into a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.

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Garam Masala Biscuits
A variation on this recipe from Alton Brown



2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup buttermilk, chilled
Heavy cream

Preheat oven to 450°F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and garam masala. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.

Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting. (Biscuits from the second pass will not be quite as light as those from the first, but hey, that's life.)

Brush with heavy cream and bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

Fall Vegetable Curry

This is so easy and SO tasty. I added some almonds because I thought it could use a little variation in the texture. And I'm really glad I did. It added some great flavor as well as some crunch. Perfect weeknight dish!

Fall Vegetable Curry
A variation on this recipe from Cooking Light



1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup diced peeled sweet potato
1 cup small cauliflower florets
1/4 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
1/2 cup organic vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup almonds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Cooked rice

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Decrease heat to medium. Add cauliflower, onion, and curry powder; cook 1 minute, stirring mixture constantly. Add broth and next 3 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add yogurt and almonds, and simmer for another couple minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle with cilantro; serve over rice.

Skinny Chicken Tikka Masala

I'm not sure exactly what's in "non-skinny" chicken tikka masala, but this seemed like a decent version of this dish. Any time I can find homemade versions of Indian (and other varied ethnic) dishes that I can introduce to my 6-year-old and that he ends up liking, the more excited I get about being able to go out to Indian (and other varied ethnic) restaurants as a family. Then again, if I keep finding such good recipes for these dishes, we'll probably just end up eating more often at Mom's Diner. A little more work for me, but a lot cheaper and healthier, no?

Skinny Chicken Tikka Masala
Courtesy of Gina's Skinny Recipes



2 tsp canola oil or you could use butter
1 small onion, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
4 ounces (1/2 cup) fat free yogurt
1/2 cup 1% milk
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
Salt to taste
16 ounces (2 boneless) chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
4 tablespoon fresh cilantro (or to taste)

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until golden. Add the crushed ginger, stir for a few minutes then add the garlic and cook another minute. Add cumin, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and salt; mix well until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, yogurt and milk. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Add chicken and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes or until cooked through. Add a generous amount of chopped cilantro and serve with basmati rice or naan.

Vegetable Korma

Not bad. Jonathan liked it, but I definitely thought it needed some salt. I don't think I'll be adding it to my normal rotation, but it's worth a try if you like Indian food.

Vegetable Korma
Courtesy of Cooking Light

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1 (12-ounce) baking potato, peeled and diced
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
3 cups cauliflower florets
2 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon ginger and garlic; sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in tomato paste and next 4 ingredients (through cinnamon); sauté for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in edamame and potato. Combine chicken broth, flour, and milk, stirring until smooth. Add broth mixture to pan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 3 cups cauliflower, and simmer for 9 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Serve over white rice.

Garam Masala-Chocolate Gingerbread

Oh. My. Goodness. These are phenomenal. I was a little curious about how the garam masala would blend with the other flavors. So, of course, I had to try making them. We had also watched the last season of The Next Food Network Star when Aarti Sequeira won, so I was excited to try out one of her recipes. If you like Indian food, these are absolutely for you. Even if you've never had Indian food, these are a delicious twist on tradition gingerbread.

I would definitely suggest waiting to have them until they've sat for a few hours. The ones I had straight out of the oven were good, but the ones I've had today are seriously awesome. The flavors have had time to blend, and it's worth the wait.

Garam Masala-Chocolate Gingerbread
Courtesy of Aarti Sequeira



3 cups all purpose flour, plus for dusting
2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala (Indian spice blend)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup molasses
Chocolate Glaze, recipe follows
Royal Icing, recipe follows
Toasted fennel seed, dried rose petals and gold or silver dragees, for garnish

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and garam masala in a large bowl. Set aside.

Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Beat on medium-high speed until the butter is smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and ginger; continue to beat over medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the egg until fully incorporated. Add the molasses and continue to beat until fully incorporated. Add the flour in 2 batches and mix on low until combined and forms a sticky dough. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap, and pat into 2 (1/2-inch thick) rectangles. Chill for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and adjust racks to the bottom and top half of the oven. Line 3 to 4 baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour.

Roll each portion of the dough into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle (if the dough becomes soft, chill for a bit in the refrigerator). Cut the dough with 3-inch cookie cutters, lay on the prepared baking sheets about 1-inch apart, and chill for 10 minutes. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Decorate, as desired, with Chocolate Glaze or Royal Icing. Garnish with toasted fennel seeds, dried rose petals, or silver dragees.

Chocolate Glaze:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons corn syrup
3 tablespoons water

Combine all the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and cook until the chocolate melts, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir to smooth out and combine.

Royal Icing:
1 1/2 tablespoons egg white powder
3 cups confectioners' sugar
4 tablespoons water

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer over medium-high speed until it forms thick and glossy peaks, about 6 minutes.

Chicken Biryani

This isn't as good as the chicken biryani I've had at Indian restaurants, but it's a good alternative if you can't get Indian food where you live or are watching your budget.

Chicken Biryani
Courtesy of Cooking Light



2 teaspoons canola oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped plum tomato (about 2 tomatoes)
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup sliced almonds
4 lime wedges

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add onion and jalapeño; sauté 3 minutes. Add ginger, garam masala, cumin, salt, and garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add tomato, rice, raisins, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in cilantro. Sprinkle with almonds; serve with lime wedges.

Indian-Style Tofu and Cauliflower with Chutney

This was very tasty. I especially liked the addition of the cool yogurt on top. The only thing I did differently was that I used yellow mustard seeds because I couldn't find brown ones. I'm not sure there was much of a difference.

Edited to add: I decided to sauté the tofu first to give it a little more texture, and even though it softened a bit during the simmering process, it held on to enough texture to make a difference. I liked it.

Indian-Style Tofu and Cauliflower with Chutney
A variation on this recipe from Cooking Light



Basmati rice
1 package firm tofu, drained
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons curry powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
4 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
Plain yogurt
Chopped fresh cilantro

Cook rice according to package instructions.

Place tofu on several layers of paper towels. Cover tofu with several more layers of paper towels; top with a cast-iron or other heavy skillet. Let stand 30 minutes. Discard paper towels. Cut tofu into 1/2-inch cubes.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add tofu and sauté until lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

Lower heat to medium and add mustard seeds and cumin; cook until mustard seeds begin to pop. Add onion and curry powder; cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 2 minutes or until onion is golden, stirring constantly.

Stir garlic and ginger into onion mixture; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in tofu, cauliflower, water, salt, and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 15 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium, and simmer 10 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.

Spoon rice onto plates; stop each serving with tofu mixture. Spoon yogurt over each serving; sprinkle with cilantro.

Chicken Enchiladas and Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)

It was Super Bowl Sunday a little over a week ago, and what was I cooking? I think kind of unusual things for that particular day, and we didn't actually eat any of it before or during game time. I just thought I should cook since it was a Sunday (my usual cooking day) and Super Bowl Sunday. I feel like if I'm not going to really care about the game (once the Eagles were out, I lost interest altogether), I should at least make the house smell good. And I did.

Chicken Enchiladas
A variation on this recipe by Tyler Florence

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast, each breast cut in half
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Cajun spice
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped (I used these but think fresh jalapeños could have worked well too)
1-2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder (or more, depending on your spice preference)
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
16 corn tortillas (I used these but think I may have liked flour tortillas better. Or maybe I just needed better-quality corn ones?)
3 cups enchilada sauce, canned
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream

Coat large sauté pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7-8 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Cajun spice before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.

Sauté onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn, chiles, and chipotle chili powder. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, sauté 1 minute.

Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to sauté pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350ºF oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, and sour cream before serving.

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Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)
A variation on this recipe from 365crockpot.blogspot.com

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon cardamom
2 teaspoons curry
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 can coconut milk
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup frozen peas

Use a 5 quart or larger crockpot. Put chicken in crockpot, and add onion, garlic, and all of the dry spices. Plop in the butter and tomato paste. Add lemon juice and coconut milk. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. The chicken should shred easily with 2 forks when fully cooked.

Stir in plain yogurt and peas 15 minutes before serving. Salt to taste, serve with white or brown basmati rice.