Calcutta Chicken Curry

This was such a lovely curry dish...and pretty easy to make too. We realized that the dish would be kind of flat by itself, you really do need the garnishes to make it come alive with the many great flavors combined. We didn't use all the listed garnishes, but it was perfect with the few I chose...mango chutney, dried currants, cashew pieces, and toasted coconut. We served it over white rice, along with some nan bread to scoop up the yummy sauce.

Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients:
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup flour
2 pounds chicken breasts (boneless & skinless), cut into 1/2-inch strips
4 tbsp. butter (1/2 stick)
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onion
1 1/2 cups peeled and finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
3 tbsp. hot Madras curry powder
1 tsp. ground turmeric
One 14.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
Garnishes:
Mango Chutney
1 red apple, diced
Dried currants
Sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup chopped salted cashews mixed with 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger
Lime wedges

Directions:
Mix the salt, pepper, and flour together in a bowl and add the chicken with pieces to coat.

Heat 2 tbsp. of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the chicken in two batches, sauteing each batch until lightly browned; remove the chicken to a plate. Add the remaining butter and oil to the warm pot, and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the curry powder and turmeric and cook for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, and tomatoes and stir. Turn the heat down, partially cover the pot, and cook for 20 minutes. Add the chicken, keeping the lid off, gently cook for 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. Serve with steamed rice and garnishes.

Recipe courtesy The Dutch Oven Cookbook.

Spicy Chickpea Samosas

These little samosas turned out great, though I had my worries and complications. First, I went to 3 different stores looking for hara masala or coriander sauce, and found nothing remotely similar. I decided to search online for recipes to make my own sauce and ultimately settled on a coriander sauce that sounded good and was easy to make. I'm glad I found it though, it worked out great. My 2nd problem arose when I was trying to role up the filo. I'd never worked with filo pastry before and at first wasn't sure why it was flaking as I folded and wasn't rolling up right. I figured out though that the one sheet had dried up too quickly before I was able to roll it. So I used two sheets at a time and it helped it to not dry out as fast. Another note, I didn't have chili and garlic oil, so I just added some ground cayenne pepper and garlic powder to some vegetable oil...worked out just fine!

Makes 18

Ingredients:
2 - 14 oz. cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup hara masala or coriander sauce (recipe follows)
10 oz. filo pastry
4 tbsp. chili and garlic oil
salt & black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Process half the chickpeas to a paste in a food processor. Tip the paste into a bowl and add the whole chickpeas, the hara masala or coriander sauce, and a little salt. Mix until well combined.

2. Lay a sheet of filo pastry on a work surface and cut into three strips. Brush the strips with a little of the oil. Place a dessertspoon of the filling at one end of a strip. Turn one corner diagonally over the filling to meet the long edge. Continue folding the filling and the pastry along the length of the strip, keeping the triangular shape. Transfer to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining filling and pastry.

3. Brush the pastries with any remaining oil and bake for 15 minutes, until the pastry is golden. Cool before serving.

These samosas look pretty garnished with fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves and finely sliced red onion and are delicious served with a simple dip made from plain Greek yogurt and chopped fresh mint leaves.

Coriander Sauce

1 bunch fresh cilantro, stemmed (about 1 cup loosely packed leaves)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 jalapeno or other hot chile, seeded (for a spicier chutney, leave the seeds in)
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice or distilled white vinegar, or more to taste
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
2 to 4 tablespoons water, or as needed

Combine the cilantro, garlic, chile and walnuts in a blender or food processor. Add lemon juice, salt, pepper and cumin (if using) and process to a smooth paste. Add enough water to obtain a pourable sauce.

Taste for seasoning, adding salt and lemon juice as necessary; the sauce should be very highly seasoned. Serve immediately, or at least within 4 hours of making; serve at room temperature. Makes about 1 cup.