chew your cud

I was not interested in cooking growing up.  My mother never taught me, but she did let me do all the mundane stuff such as washing, peeling, chopping vegetables, etc.  It wasn't until I was in my mid 20s, living on my own, and tired of eating out for every meal that my love affair with cooking began.  I am by no means an intuitive cook.  Back then, my thought process goes something like this, "If garlic and chocolate are both good, then they must be great together!"  Yeah.  Scary.  Fortunately my love of eating kept me on my culinary quest for better tasting food, and I have gained much knowledge and amassed a few great recipes from this adventure. 

Not too long ago, I had informed my sister-in-law (SIL) that I want to try and make five good meals from every major country.  I was most comfortable with Italian or Mediterranean types of meals and wanted to spread my culinary wings.  I challenged myself last year to do Indian since it required using exotic spices and cooking techniques that I am not familiar with.  Recently, I also attempted Mexican or South American fares, since I was never a big fan (blasphemous for someone living in Dallas, I know).  So far, my south of the border dishes are coming out quite tasty, but my Indian ones are rather disappointing, especially with a pantry full of Indian spices and herbs at my disposal.  But I continue to chug along on my quest for good eats.  Below are some dishes I made recently.

Last week, Coriander Chicken from the Savoring the Spice Coast of India cookbook was on my menu.  I have made about three recipes from this book and for some reason, they all taste the same to me.  I expect so much more flavor, something akin to this Pakistani Chicken Jalfrezi recipe (will post my version next time I make it).  Although one can typically lay the fault at my door, as I like to bastardize my recipes, I can say with certainty this recipe was not altered.  It was just okay tasting like the Peppery Chicken Curry recipe I also tried from this book.  Don't get me wrong, neither dish was bad, they just needed more flavor. I think it's time to say adieu to this Kerala (South Indian) cookbook and try a couple of others I have waiting in the wings.  Maybe go for a more Northern flair?  We'll see.

Here is the recipe of the Coriander Chicken I've been eating.  It was my first attempt at using fresh curry leaves and I had to hunt these down at a nearby Indian grocer.  It is my understanding that unlike bay leaves, curry leaves are edible.  I didn't eat them because they reminded me too much of bay leaves and therefore could not get myself to hack any down.

Coriander Chicken (Mali Char)
From Savoring the Spice Coast of India
Serves:  6

4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups thinly sliced onion
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced fresh green chili (serrano or Thai)
10-12 fresh curry leaves

Ground masala
6 tsp coriander
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp clove
1/8 tsp cardamom

1 1/2 tsp salt
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus additional leaves for garnishing

1.  In a large deep pan heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the onions until the edges are nicely browned.  Add the garlic, ginger, green chili, and curry leaves and fry for 1 minute.
2.  Stir in the ground masala, salt, and a few teaspoons of water to prevent the spices from sticking.  Fry for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
3.  Put in the chicken pieces and continue stirring over medium-high heat until the pink color disappears.  Add 1/4 cup of the coconut milk and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
4.  Add the remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk and chopped cilantro, bring to a boil and remove from heat.  check the salt.  Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve immediately.

hola, pollo (hey, Spanish is not my first, second, or third language, okay?  LOL!)

I also made a dish from south of the border called Pollo en Pipian.  I actually really like this dish.  It's very different and I would guess it has Spanish origins with the capers and olives in it.  Unfortunately, the color of the finished dish is not all that appetizing.  Beige never is.  I had to doctor it with a few bits of green that one typically does not see in the dish.  The herb loving person in me added cilantro, scallions, and a squeeze of key lime to give it a bit more oomph.  I figured avocados didn't hurt either, especially since I have about 5 sitting around waiting to be used.  I think it brightened the dish and made it even tastier.  Unfortunately, I did not take pictures with the additional ingredients in my dish.

Pollo en Pipian (Chicken in Pipian Sauce)
From Allrecipes.com
Serves: 8

1 (3 pound) chicken, cut into parts
3 cups water
2 stalks celery
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp salt
2 tsp black pepper

Sauce:
1/2 cup blanched almonds
2/3 cup sesame seeds
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp chicken bouillon
3 quero chile peppers, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1/3 cup pitted black olives
2 tsp capers

1.  In a large saucepan, combine chicken, water, celery, bay leaf, onion, and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until chicken is cooked through and tender.  Strain, reserving the broth.  Skin the and bone the chicken set the meat aside.
2.  Toast the sesame seeds lightly in a skillet, stirring constantly, until they are fragrant.  In a food processor or blender, puree the sesame seeds and almonds with 1 cup of the reserved chicken broth.
3.  Heat oil in a skillet over medium low heat.  Add the blended sesame seed and almond mixture, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until thickened.  Stir in 1 to 2 cups reserved chicken broth and chicken bouillon.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir the chopped peppers, olives, capers, and chicken.  Simmer for 10 minutes, and serve hot.

My changes:
Use rotisserie chicken in lieu of purchasing a raw chicken.  Shred the rotisserie chicken for use in step 3.  Use remaining skin and bones to make broth in step 1.  Anymore, when chicken broth or stock is called for, I reach for the carcass of a rotisserie chicken.  It adds a beautiful depth of flavor that you cannot get with just a raw chicken.  Do not choose a flavored rotisserie chicken (i.e. BBQ, Cajun, etc.), as that will affect the outcome.  Finish off the dish with chopped cilantro, chopped scallions, sliced avocados, and a squeeze of lime.

***Sorry the pictures are so blurry.  I am obviously not a photographer and have been rather challenged by getting the right lighting and close-up pictures for my blog.  Never mind setting up the food so it would look more appetizing.  Unfortunately, these challenges have delayed or prevented me from updating my blog more often.  I'll keep trying, though.