Tag: Year-Round

Ground Chicken Curry

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What if I told you this extremely unprofessionally plated curry is incredibly delicious and deserved some proper lighting and staging before I dove straight into it? Redolent with curry leaves and loads of earthy spices, this comforting ground chicken curry is perfect with basmati rice. You can serve it with yogurt and chutney too, or do like I do and serve it with tahdig and torshi for an Iranian-South Asian fusion situation.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pinch asafetida powder
  • 2 serrano chiles
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 to 10 curry leaves
  • 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 tablespoons minced ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 2 pounds ground chicken
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the asafetida, serrano chiles, bay leaf, curry leaves, fenugreek, 1 teaspoon of the turmeric, and the onion. Saute until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot. Saute about 5 minutes, until they begin to brown, then add the tomatoes and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  3. Transfer the onion and spice mixture to a food processor, reserving the pot. Add the yogurt to the food processor and pulse until a paste is formed, about 30 seconds. Set aside.
  4. Place the peas in the reserved pot over medium heat. Cook until they are thawed, about 1 minute. Add the ground chicken and 1 cup of water, stirring, then add the butter and cook until it is melted, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the remaining teaspoon of turmeric, the Kashmiri chili powder, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, adding more salt to taste if needed. Stir in the yogurt paste. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes.
  6. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the garam masala and cilantro, and serve with rice.

Sri Lankan Yellow Rice

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This super easy yellow rice goes well with almost anything but my favorite way to serve it is alongside vegetable or legume curries, especially roasted squash curry. Or simply top with with a fried egg, some sambol and a spoonful of yogurt, and you have yourself an easy and satisfying rice bowl.

Ingredients:
  • 1 heaping cup basmati rice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 cardamom pods, lightly smashed in a mortar and pestle
  • 4 cloves
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 2-inch piece pandan leaf
  • 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  1. Rinse and drain the rice and set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and fry for 5-7 minutes, until it is lightly golden brown. Add all the spices, the curry leaves, the pandan leaf, and the rice. Fry for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
  2. Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 12 minutes, until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat, remove the whole spices from the rice, and serve.

Bulgogi Japchae

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What’s better than bulgogi or japchae? Bulgogi and japchae at the same time, of course. I’ve published a similar japchae recipe here before, but this one is different in that the seasonings are more like bulgogi and there’s the addition of spinach. Try both versions out and see which one your prefer.

Ingredients:

For the japchae:

  • Scant 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 bunch spinach
  • 8 ounces Korean sweet potato noodles
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 carrot, cut into 2-inch matchsticks
  • 1/2 to 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 3 green onions (green parts only), chopped into 3-inch pieces
  • 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
  • 4 to 6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

For the bulgogi:

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound ribeye or sirloin steak, very thinly sliced
  • 1/2 yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil
  1. Make the bulgogi: in a large bowl, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, honey, and garlic. Add the beef, onion, and sesame seeds and stir until all the beef is coated. Cover the bowl and marinate, refrigerated, 1 to 5 hours.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add 2 tablespoons of the oil, then add half of the meat and onion mixture and cook, stirring occassionally, until the meat is cooked through and the onion has softened, about 3 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl and repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and meat and onion mixture. Set aside.
  3. Make the japchae: in a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil to blend. Set aside.
  4. Fill a medium bowl with an ice bath. Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add the spinach to the boiling water, let cook for 15 seconds, then transfer the spinach to the ice water. (Keep the boiling water in the pot.) Let the spinach cool, then drain. Squeeze the excess water out of the spinach, roughly chop the spinach, and set aside.
  5. Add the sweet potato noodles to the boiling water and cook until soft, about 5 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
  6. Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the avocado oil, then the carrot, bell pepper, green onion, yellow onion, mushrooms, and garlic, and stir to mix. Stir-fry until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and noodles and stir for about a minute, then add the soy sauce mixture and toss with tongs to coat all the ingredients. Add the bulgogi and mix again until the meat is distributed. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Japchae can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated.)

Thai-Style “Sausage” Lettuce Wraps

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This dish is very (emphasis on very) loosely based on the herby, spicy sausages that are ubiquitous in northern Thailand. These were everywhere when I visited Chiang Mai years ago: in the markets, at our hotel, and street vendors. And they were delicious.

This lighter, humbler version is adapted for a weeknight meal at home but it nevertheless satiates my craving for northern Thai food. Sometimes a piece of lettuce, some rice, and a bit of meat is all you need.

Ingredients:

For the chili dip:

  • 2 shallots, unpeeled
  • 1 head of garlic, unpeeled
  • 4 Anaheim chiles
  • 1 serrano or Thai chile
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt, to taste

For the “sausages”:

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 2 makrut lime leaves, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons red curry paste
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1/4 cup avocado oil
  • Butter lettuce or similar, thinly sliced daikon, and cooked sticky or jasmine rice, for serving
  1. Make the chili dip: heat the broiler. Broil shallots, garlic, and Anaheim and serrano chiles on a rimmed baking sheet, turning halfway through, until charred in most spots, 5-8 minutes.
  2. Peel shallots, garlic, and chile, then coarsely chop. Transfer to a food processor and pulse to a coarse paste. Mix in lime juice, cilantro, fish sauce, and sugar; season with salt.
  3. Make the “sausage”: Combine chicken, shallot, lime leaves, curry paste, fish sauce, coconut milk, sugar, and cilantro in a medium bowl; season with salt. Using your hands, mix well until chicken is sticking to itself and mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes. Using wet hands, form about 2 tablespoon-sized scoops of chicken mixture into 1-inch thick patties.
  4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook patties until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
  5. Serve patties with chile dip, lettuce, daikon, and rice.

Marinated Portobello Mushroom and Pesto Sandwich

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I’m not a huge sandwich person, and I rarely seek them out, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this flavor bomb of a sandwich I made recently. Garlicy pesto, meaty mushrooms, tangy sourdough, vinegary peppers, creamy mozzarella — this sandwich has it all.

Maybe I’m a sandwich person after all.

Ingredients:
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons prepared pesto
  • 1 pound portobello mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons avocado oil
  • Salt
  • 1 12-inch wide sourdough baguette or boule, halved lengthwise, toasted
  • 1 garlic clove, halved crosswise
  • 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup sliced pickled cherry peppers
  • 1/4 cup basil leaves
  1. Place pesto in a large bowl. Remove stems and gills from portobello mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium heavy skillet over medium-high. Arrange half of mushrooms in a single layer in skilled and cook until they start to sizzle, then wrap the bottom of a second heavy skillet that is small enough to nestle into the first with foil and use it to press down on mushrooms evenly. Cook, pressing down, until mushrooms shrink and are deeply browned underneath, about 3 minutes. Remove top skillet; season mushrooms with salt. Turn mushrooms over, add 1 teaspoon oil to pan, and re-cover with foil-lined skillet. Cook, pressing, until second sides of mushrooms are well-browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to bowl with pesto. Repeat process with remaining mushrooms and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oil. Toss mushrooms in pesto to coat.
  2. Rub cut sides of baguette with garlic. Arrange mushrooms on bottom half of bread, then layer mozzarella on top. Top with cherry peppers and basil. Close and cut in quarters to make 4 sandwiches.