The ABCD Girl

Indian Spiced Goat Chops

noreply@blogger.com (Shiela Not Sheila) — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 21:13:00 +0000

When I was pregnant with my first child, I couldn't get enough MEAT. All I wanted was some red meat with a side of meat. Funny thing was that I hated red meat before getting pregnant. I used to be a chicken girl. My sister came to visit me while I was pregnant and brought us Indian spiced goat chops. Being pregnant and wanting any meat in site, I ate it up like I had never eaten food before. I ate the whole thing and was so sad when it was finished. Of course I had to ask her the recipe.After that I was hooked. The chops are marinated in heavy cream and roasted with whole spices. They are great served with some Indian mashed potatoes and gravy. Here is her recipe:

Ingredients:

1 tsp. black peppercorns
8-10 green cardamom pods
4-5 black cardamoms (can be found in Indian Grocery stores or on Amazon.)
1 tsp. cloves
2 bay leaves
1-2 sticks of cinnamon
1 tbs. garlic paste (can substitute 5-6 garlic cloves chopped)
1/2 tbs. ginger paste (can substitute 1/2 in ginger root chopped)
1/4 dry onion
1 qt. heavy cream
3 lbs. goat chops (or lamb chops. Any chop will do)
3 tsp. coriander powder
3 tsp. meat masala or curry powder
salt to taste

Directions:
Take the dry spices and roast them in a pan. This is called dry roasting which brings out the essential oils. This should take about a 1 minute or 2. You should get a nice aroma once the spices start releasing the oils.

Heat your Pan

Add your spices and dry roast

Now add garlic paste and ginger paste to a bowl.

Add your roasted spices to the bowl

Add your dried onions

Add your chops

Mix together

Now add your heavy cream

Look at that yumminess. Smell the spices!

Now cover and refrigerate overnight. Let the chops soak up all those spices!

It's the next day. Let's heat up our wok.

Add your chops to the wok with as little marinade as possible.

Now sear your chops.

They are nice and brown. I am going to transfer to a pressure cooker. If you are using lamb and like it rare, I would just bake it until you get the desired doneness. I am also using goat. Goat is a lean meat and needs to be cooked longer in order for it to be tender.

I am adding to seared chops to the pressure cooker along with the rest of the marinade.

I am now putting the weight on my pressure cooker. Turn on the heat and let it "whistle" once. Now wait until all the pressure is out. Please follow the directions for your pressure cooker before you open. If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can use a pot and cook for a couple of hours until the goat is tender.

Now return your chops back to the wok. Put the heat on medium high. Add coriander powder, meat masala and salt to taste. Mix it up until it turns brown.

Now serve and enjoy! You can serve it with Indian Mashed Potatoes.

Kulfi Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Shiela Not Sheila) — Sat, 16 Nov 2013 20:39:00 +0000

Kulfi is an eggless Indian ice cream usually flavored with nuts and cardamom. My problem is that I do not like ice cream. Just don't like the texture. Give me some cake with my ice cream and I am a happy girl. Recently, I was at Costco and they were giving out samples of kulfi. I had the cardamom flavored sample and thought, "I wish I had some cake to go with my kulfi". I decided to come up with a way to enjoy kulfi and cake together. I came up with Kulfi Cake! It's an almond cardamom sponge cake soaked in kulfi mixture. Sort of like Tres Leches Cake having a baby with Kulfi. Yummy! It was a big hit with my lactose intolerant husband and kids. My poor husband paid the price (or rather I paid the price) that night! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
FOR THE SPONGE CAKE

1 cup All-purpose Flour

1-1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Ground Cardamom (You can usually find it in the spice aisle. If not, try your local Indian Grocery Store. It will be cheaper if you purchase it from an Indian Grocery Store.)

1/4 cup Blanched Almonds, chopped

5 whole Eggs, separated

1 cup Sugar, divided

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1/3 cup Milk

FOR THE KULFI

1 can Evaporated Milk

1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk

1/4 cup Heavy Cream

Cardamom is usually added to the Kulfi mixture but I found it easier to add ground cardamom to the cake instead.

FOR THE TOPPING:

1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping

3 Tablespoons Sugar

1/4 cup Pistachios, chopped or any fruit of your choice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 x 2 pan with Pam or any vegetable spray until coated.

Add the flour, salt, cardamom and baking powder to a bowl and using a whisk, mix. Now add the almonds and mix with a spoon.

Separate the eggs. To the yolks, add 3/4 cup sugar and beat until it is light in color. Add milk, vanilla and mix. Now add that to the flour and mix it all together. The cardamom smell should be hitting your senses about now.

Take the egg whites and beat until soft peaks form. Add the remainder of sugar and beat until peaks are stiff but not dry. Fold the egg whites into the flour mixture until there are no streaks of white. Do not over mix.

Pour cake mixture into your prepared pan. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until a toothpick or fork inserted in the middle comes out clean.

While your cake is baking combine all milks from the Kulfi ingredients.

After the cake has cooled, pierce the top of the cake with a fork or a knife. Do this across the cake. This will help the cake absorb the yummy kulfi mixture we made. Now pour the kulfi milk mixture across the cake. Make sure you get every part of the cake. The cake will soak up the milk as you are pouring. Let it sit for 30 minutes.

Now take 1 pint of heavy cream and add 3 tbs sugar. Whip it until it is nice and thick. Be carefull not to overwhip otherwise you will have butter and not whipped cream. That has happened to me. Spread across cake. Decorate with crushed pistachios or any fruit of your choice. I added pistachios.

Variation:
For a twist, you can use mango pulp instead of the condensed milk. Make sure to strain.

Chicken Kebabs

noreply@blogger.com (Shiela Not Sheila) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:17:00 +0000

These kebabs have become a staple in our family. They are so easy to make and taste so yummy. They don't last more than a day in our house.I tend to use ground chicken breast but you can use any minced meat. To keep the ground chicken breast moist and to help bind the meat, I use butter. The butter helps to keep the meat from drying out and it also keeps the meat from falling apart. Traditionally, seekh kebabs are made on skewers but since I don't have the time or patience for that, I just shape them into logs. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs ground meat (I use chicken breast) bring to room temperature
2 tbs butter, softened
1 medium sized onion, chopped
3 tbs chopped cilantro
1 tbs garlic paste (If you don't have, make paste out of 2 cloves garlic, little water, and a little vinegar)
1 tsp ginger paste (If you don't have, make paste out of 1/2 ginger, little water, and a little vinegar)
1 tsp dried mint (optional)
1 tsp red chili powder ( i prefer Kashmiri. It is less spicy and adds a better flavor.)
1 tsp garam masala
1-2 green chili, minced (optional)
salt to taste (I like to use smoked sea salt. Gives it a nice smokey flavor. If you do not have, you can use regular table salt of kosher salt)
Preparation :
Place ground meat in a bowl. Make sure you dry any excess water from meat with a paper towel. This will keep your seekh kebabs from falling apart. Add all ingredients and mix. Once all ingredients have been incorporated, take a little bit of meat mixture and pan fry.

Make sure salt and spices are to your liking. Once you have your seasonings set, shape into logs.

Heat up grill on high for 5 -10 minutes or use a grill pan. Lower heat to medium high and place seekh kebabs on grill/pan. Cook for approx. 10 minutes.

Samosa Pinwheels

noreply@blogger.com (Shiela Not Sheila) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 20:32:00 +0000

Sorry neglected blog. I am trying very hard to remember to take pictures of food I make. I finally remembered to take a picture of my samosa pinwheels! Yeah! These are easy appetizers if you have the ingredients on hand. I like to take shortcuts and buy frozen cooked potatoes in a bag and puff pastry. Makes life easier when you have company coming over. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 package puff pastry sheets (contains 2 sheets), thaw according to instructions
1 egg and 1 tbs water, mixed

3-4 potatoes (peeled, cubed, and cooked) I like to use frozen cooked and cubed potatoes.
2 tbs oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup green peas (if using frozen, thaw before using)
1 green chili (optional), chopped
3 tbs chopped cilantro leaves
4-5 tbs water
1.5 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground roasted cumin seeds*
1/2 tsp dried mint
2 tbs lemon juice

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or grease.

Heat pan with oil. Add onions until brown around edges. Add peas, cilantro and chili. Add water so that the peas cook. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until peas are cooked through. There should be no water left in pan. If the water dries out and more water. Add potatoes to pan and all spices. Mix together. Add lemon juice and stir. Taste and adjust spices accordingly. Once mixture has cooled, roll out puff pastry. Spread mixture on puff pastry. Roll puff pastry from shortest end to top making sure to roll tight. You should have enough potato mixture for both rolls of puff pastry. Repeat with second sheet of puff pastry. Cut rolls into slices and place on cookie sheets. Brush pinwheel tops with egg wash. Bake in oven for 20 -25 minutes until golden brown.

I like to serve the pinwheels with Cheesecake Factory's tamarind cashew chutney. They sell it in a bottle and it is yum!

*To make roasted cumin seeds, heat a small pan and add 2 tsp cumin seeds. Roast seeds until they become dark and fragrant. Once cooled, grind in a coffee grinder. Store leftovers in a container.

Reshmi Kebab

noreply@blogger.com (Shiela Not Sheila) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 00:49:00 +0000

Wow... this blog stuff is hard work. Unfortunately, I make so many things and I forget to post pictures and recipes. Today, I actually remembered to take a picture of what I made!

Today's recipe was inspired by an Indian buffet that my family and I went to yesterday for lunch. They had reshmi kebabs in their buffet and fortunately for me, my 4 year old gobbled it up. I was able to get him to eat lunch without begging him to eat. The stars, the sun, and moon must have been aligned right because he even ate salad with it! For those of you who don't know what reshmi kebab is, it is a milder, tender kebab than tandoori chicken tikka kebab. Because of the special marinade, the kebab is so soft and tender that the name literally means silky.

I used chicken but this recipe also works great with lamb, steak or shrimp. The following is the recipe:

Ingredients:
8 blanched almonds
8 cloves of garlic
1/2 inch of ginger root, peeled
1 cup of cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 tsp kosher salt
2 pounds of chicken breast, cubed

Directions:
Add first 4 ingredients (if using jalapeno, add that as well) into a food processor and blend until smooth. Empty into a non-reactive bowl. Add lemon juice and incorporate. Add cream, salt and incorporate. Add chicken and mix until chicken is covered with marinade. Cover with plastic wrap. For best results, marinate in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

Preheat a grill pan or your grill on high heat. Lightly grease and place chicken on top. Cook chicken until cooked through.

***Note: I didn't use skewers but placed the chicken directly on a grill pan. I sprayed the grill pan with Pam and preheated the grill pan on high heat. I covered the pan and cooked the chicken for 3 - 5 minutes on each side. Don't overcook! It doesn't take long to cook the chicken so be careful not to overcook otherwise your chicken will be dry.

Serve with lemon wedges and naan.

Indian Mashed Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Shiela Not Sheila) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 00:20:00 +0000

This is a great recipe to pare up with the lamb chops. Now I really don't like potatoes but for some reason, give them to me mashed and I LOVE THEM. And I love this recipe because it is really simple.

Here is what you will need:

About 5-6 potatoes, peeled and cubed (I like butter gold potatoes)
4 tbs. butter
1 tsp black mustard seeds (if you don't have this spice, I sell them in my spicekit at http://www.spicekits.net/
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
2 tbs. heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Boil the potatoes until cooked through. I usually take a fork and make sure that it pierces the potato easily.
2. Drain the water. Add potatoes to a bowl and mash them. Add cream to make it creamy.
3. Add butter to a saute pan and melt. Once it has melted, add the black mustard seeds, garlic, and tomato. Cook until the garlic become fragrant approx 2 minutes. Don't overcook or your tomato will turn into tomato sauce.
4. Fold into mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Caramelized Onions in Basmati Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Shiela Not Sheila) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 21:33:00 +0000

Here is a simple and tasty rice dish. Great to serve as a side dish with other Indian dishes. This is my husbands favorite rice dish. He can eat this all day and all night. My picky 3 year old also loves this dish because the caramelized onions give a sweetness to the rice.

Ingredients:

6-7 small - medium onions (if you have large onions, use 3-4)

1/4 cup cooking oil

5 cups water

2 1/2 cups Basmati rice (soak rice for 1/2 hour) ***

2 tsp salt

Instructions:
Chop onions into thick slices. Heat oil in a pan and add onions. Brown onions until they caramelize.

Once they are caramelized, add the water and bring to a boil. It will almost look like French Onion Soup.

Once the water comes to a boil, add rice and salt. Cover and bring heat to low. Once the water has evaporated, the rice should be done. The result will be a brown rice with caramelized onions.

**Please look at How to Make Basmati Rice for more information on soaking rice.

Indian Vegetable Fried Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Shiela Not Sheila) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 17:26:00 +0000

Another simple recipe... Vegetable Fried Rice. My son loves this and eats it all the time. For variation, you could add some chicken or meat.

Ingredients:

1 cup of rice cooked
1 bag of frozen vegetables (I prefer peas, carrots, and corn)
1 tbs. seasoned salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
2 tbs of any pualo or biriyani masala (I like to use Shaan Pulao Biriyani Masala)
2 - 3 tbs of soy sauce (try 2 at first to make sure that the rice isn't too salty)

Heat oil in a wok. Add the frozen vegetables and stir fry until lightly tender. Beat eggs and add to vegetables, scrambling the eggs. Add additional oil if needed. Add cooked rice, seasonings and soy sauce. Stir fry until golden brown. That's all it takes to make Indian Vegetable Fried Rice.

(Easier) Chicken Biryani

noreply@blogger.com (Shiela Not Sheila) — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 12:12:00 +0000

This is a recipe that a friend of mine shared with me. Now, normally good chicken biryani takes a very long time to make. This recipe still takes a little time but not as long as it would if you were making this from scratch. This recipe is also spicy. It is not for the weak of heart. This is what you will need:

2 onions, chopped

2 tomatoes, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

Shan Sindhi Biryani Mix

2 cups plain yogurt

1 pound chicken breast, sliced

2 cups rice

Cilantro to garnish

Mint leaves to garnish

Directions:
In a bowl, add garlic to chicken and set aside.
Add oil to a pan and fry onions until reddish brown. Add tomatoes. Cook about 5 minutes.
Add chicken to onion mixture. Cook/Stir for 10 minutes.
In separate bowl, mix Shan masala and yogurt.
Add Shan mixture to chicken. Cook for 25 minutes on medium heat. Keep on stirring chicken. Add water if chicken looks dry.
Lower heat and cover chicken for 10 minutes. If it looks dry, add water.
Half cook (parboil) 2 cups rice (approx. 7 minutes in boiling water)
When chicken is done, in a casserole dish, layer rice and chicken. Garnish it with Cilantro and Mint.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake in oven at 250 for 25 minutes. Mix rice and chicken. Serve with raita and Indian pickle if you like.

Indian Fused Tuna Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Shiela Not Sheila) — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 23:36:00 +0000

This is one of my favorite recipes that my mom makes. It is easy and tasty! This is what you will need:

Can of tuna, packed in water

1/2 English cucumber, diced (no need to peel off the skin)

1/2 vidalia onion, chopped

1/4 c. chopped cilantro leaves

1/4 cup - 1/2 cup mayo

2 tsp yellow deli mustard

fresh ground black pepper.

Drain the water out of the tuna. Put tuna in a bowl and add veggies. Mix with the mayo and mustard. Stir in the cilantro. Finish off with the black pepper. Serve on toasted bread or over a salad.

Easy Chicken Makhani

noreply@blogger.com (Shiela Not Sheila) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:12:00 +0000

Here is an easy recipe for Chicken Makhani or Butter Chicken. What you will need:

1 packet Shan Butter Chicken Spice Mix - you can find this at an Indian grocery store or shop online.

16 oz container of sour cream

1 onion (i like to use frozen chopped onions so I don't have to worry about chopping them up)

2 tbs. cooking oil

1/4 cup tomato puree

5 cloves garlic

1 lb. boneless chicken - cubed

approx. 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup of whole milk

optional - 2 tsp. kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves). Again this can be found at the Indian grocery store or shop online.

3-4 tbs butter

Mince the garlic and add to the cubed chicken. Set aside. Heat the oil up in a pot on medium heat. Add the chopped onions. Fry until they start turning brown. Add the tomato puree. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes. In another bowl, mix the sour cream with the Butter Chicken spice mix and the Chicken Tikka spice mix. Add to the chicken mixture. Cook for 5 minutes. Slowly add the milk till it is the consistency you like. Add the methi at this time if you like. Lower the heat to low. Cook for about 20 minutes. Add the butter at the very end to give it the "makhani" taste. If the gravy is too thick, add some more milk.