Indian Core Recipes

Chicken in Yogurt (Indian name is 'safed maas', literal translation is 'white meat')

Oil (3 tsp)
Bay leaves (3 large)
Cloves (6-8)
Cinnamon stick (1 inch)
Garlic paste (2 T)
Ginger paste (2T)
1.5 lbs chicken (thighs, breasts, whatever you prefer)
2 Cups yogurt.
salt to taste

Heat oil, add spices, fry for a minute, lower heat, add garlic and ginger paste, and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes without browning, add chicken cook for few minutes, add yogurt. Cook until sauce is thickened. *if you use chicken breasts, add yogurt, allow to cook down a bit and then add chicken, otherwise the chicken will be overcookded and dry out before the yogurt thickens.

Chicken kadaii (very simple chicken curry)

3 tsp oil
3 T garlic paste
3 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp chili powder
1.5 lbs chicken
1 large can of diced tomatoes.

Heat oil, add garlic, fry for a minute add spices, throw in chicken and diced tomatoes. Cook until tomatos have cooked down to thick gravy.

Palak Chicken (Chicken cooked with Spinach)

Oil (3 tsp)
Bay leaves (3 large)
Cloves (6-8)
Cinnamon stick (1 inch)
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cumin powder
Garlic paste (2 T)
Ginger paste (2T)
1.5 lbs chicken (thighs, breasts, whatever you prefer)
3 large tomatoes
1/2 of large onion, chopped
Spinach (2 of those frozen boxes, but you can add as much or little as you like).
Salt to taste

Heat oil, add first 6 ingredients, fry for a minute, add onions, fry for a minute, add garlic and ginger, fry for a minute, add chopped tomatoes, cook for a couple of minutes, add chicken and spinach. Cook until done.

lentil dahl

then use:

• 1 onion,
  
• 4 cloves of garlic,
  
• one leek,
  
• 3 carrots,
  
• 1 cup lentils (uncooked),
  
• 1.25 litres of fat-free chicken stock base

cook for 20 minutes.

• add a can of pure pumpkin puree (for all the squashy goodness--serisouly, squash is AWESOMELY good for you),
  
• add another 1/2 litre stock.
  

cook for another 5 mintues, stir, process with a hand blender, add curry powder and voila!