Tofu tikka masala

There is a place near me that makes this incredible paneer tikka masala and I've been hoping to try to recreate it at home. This actually a pretty close version using tofu instead of paneer. You could easily use paneer if you wanted and the process wouldn't change. Serve this with rice and naan.

Ingredients:

1/2 block tofu, drained and pressed and cut in cubes
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 green pepper, sliced
1/4 red pepper, sliced
1/2 an onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, made into a paste
1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
3/4 cup crushed tomato
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 cardamom pod, cracked open and seeds crushed
1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup plain yogurt

Directions:

In a saute pan, heat oil over medium heat and cook tofu for 3-5 minutes, or until lightly browned on the sides. Remove from pan. Add the bell pepper strips and onion to the pan, adding more oil if necessary and saute for 3-5 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat. In a medium sauce pot, combine garlic, ginger, tomato, water, cumin, garam masala, cardamom, cumin, coriander, cayenne, paprika, salt, and butter. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes or until it has thickened up a bit. Add tofu and sauteed veggies and cook about 2-4 minutes more, or until the veggies are very soft and the tofu is evenly coated. Turn off heat and stir in yogurt. Serve with rice and naan.

Naan

I've been cooking a lot of Indian food recently, and every time I make it I make naan to go with it so I can soak up the sauce. I found frozen naan at Trader Joes. It was $3 for two pieces. I bought it because it seemed convenient but it was no where near as good as the home made stuff, plus the home made stuff is pretty easy as long as you have enough time to let it rise. I used my cast iron to cook these and I prefer them to get a little charred and smokey, but if you don't like that flavor just take them off the pan before they darken.

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon yeast

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine water, sugar. and yeast and mix until the yeast dissolves into the water and turns a bit foamy. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, oil, and yogurt. When yeast has dissolved, mix it into the flour bowl and stir to combine. Turn out onto a well floured surface and knead for 5 minutes or so, or until it forms a nice, smooth ball that isn't sticky. Place this back into your mixing bowl and cover with a cloth. Let it rise for about an hour. After an hour, take the dough and cut it into 4-6 pieces. If you want fat, puffy naan do 4. If you want thin, pillow-y naan do 6. (I always do 6). Roll out each piece until it is 6-7 inches in diameter. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat for several minutes. When the pan is hot, brush each piece of naan with water. Take one piece at a time and place the watered side onto the cast iron. Cover with a lid for 30 seconds, take the lid off, flip it over and cook uncovered for 30 more seconds. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Chana Masala

The spice list on this recipe is long, I'll admit that, but it is so easy to make that just about anyone could do it. Mango powder is somewhat of an odd ingredient, but don't let it scare you off, if you don't have it just use lemon juice.

Ingredients:

1 can chick peas, drained
1/2 onion, diced
1 tablespoon oil
1 large (2 smaller) clove(s) garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you want it spicier)
1/2 teaspoon tumeric powder
2-3 teaspoons mango powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 lemon, juiced
cilantro leaves

Directions:

Place chickpeas in a small pot and cover with water. Boil for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside. While they are boiling, cook onion in oil over medium-low heat until it is soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, and jalapeno and cook for one more minute. Add cumin, coriander, cayenne, tumeric, mango powder, paprika and garam masala and cook one more minute until everything is fragrant and browning just a bit. Add salt, water, and tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Add your drained chickpeas and continue to simmer for 10-15 minutes, checking to make sure it isn't drying out (if it is just add more water). When chickpeas are tender remove from heat and add lemon juice, stir to combine. Top with cilantro leaves and serve with rice and naan.

Cilantro mint dipping sauce

 

This sauce is really delicious. It is bright and fresh and slightly spicy. This sauce is sort of like the one you get as an appetizer at Indian restaurants. I served this with naan but it would be great with pita bread or pita chips or along side a spicy curry dish. Feel free to adjust the spice according to your preference.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup mint leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon lemon juice (I used half a lemon)
2 tablespoons water
salt, to taste

Directions:

Combine everything in a food processor and pulse a few times, then turn on until everything is smooth and well combined. Season with salt as necessary and add more water if you would like to change the consistency. Serve with naan.

Matar Paneer

Matar paneer is an Indian dish with peas and and fresh cheese cubes in a creamy tomato sauce. It is really delicious and relatively easy to make at home. For me, tofu is a perfectly acceptable replacement for the paneer in this dish. The texture is similar and it is much easier to find. When it is covered in the sauce and all the spices it really doesn't taste much different. The ingredient list looks long but most of the ingredients are spices, and most of the spices are pretty commonly used ones (except garam masala but it is pretty easy to find).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cubed paneer (or extra firm tofu)
1 teaspoon oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon oil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more depending on your preferences)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
3/4 cup veggie stock
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/8 teaspoon coriander, crushed
cilantro
salt

Directions:

Toss paneer (or tofu) with 1 teaspoon oil, garlic powder, and ginger powder. Saute or broil until lightly browned on each side. Remove from heat and save for later. In a large soup pot, combine oil and onion and cook over medium-low heat until onions are soft but before they brown. Add cayenne, cumin, garlic, turmeric, and garam masala and cook for about a minute or until things get smelling really good. Add garlic, ginger, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste and stir to combine. Add veggie stock and puree it all with an immersion blender to create a smooth sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer and allow it to cook and reduce for about 10 minutes or until it is starting to thicken. Add the paneer (or tofu) back in and allow things to come back up to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 more minutes, then add the peas and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Turn off the heat and allow things to cool a bit, then add the yogurt and the coriander. Season with salt as necessary and top with cilantro. Serve with rice or naan.

Dal Nirvana (creamy spiced lentils)

I have always been a little intimidated by trying to make Indian food at home, but it turns out that it is actually really easy and super cheap. This recipe is made almost exclusively with things I keep on hand, which makes it a pretty good meal to throw together even if I haven't been to the grocery store in a while. This dish is surprisingly good. The yogurt at the end really makes it delicious.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup brown lentils (the cheap ones)
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more depending on your preference)
1/2 rounded teaspoon cumin
1/2 rounded teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup veggie stock
1/4 rounded cup plain yogurt
1/8 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
cilantro
salt
pepper

Directions:

Place lentils in a large soup pot and cover with 2-3 inches of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15 mintues, then drain water off. Place lentils back on stove and add garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper, cumin, and butter. Stir to combine and allow butter to melt. Add tomatoes and veggie stock and cover the pot. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check the lentils a few times to make sure they aren't getting too dry, if they are then just add a little water back in. Lentils are done when they are tender and thick but not dry. Turn off heat when lentils are tender and stir in yogurt and coriander seeds. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with naan and rice and top with cilantro.

Red lentils and rice

I really like indian spiced dhal but I lived with a friend who hated the smell of curry and any indian spices, so I decided to change up the spices in traditional dhal (and made it less labor intensive) so that I could eat them without making the house smell like indian food. I used red lentils here because they don't have the same earthy flavor that brown lentils do and they cook much more quickly.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of rice
1/4 cup red lentils
3/4 cup veggie stock
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 dash crushed red pepper
salt
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 handful cilantro
diced tomato
minced onion

Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions (I used a rice cooker). While the rice is cooking, combine lentils and veggie stock in a small sauce pot and heat over medium heat. Add garlic, cumin, and crushed red pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer about 15 minutes, or until the lentils have broken down and are extremely tender. Check on them a few times to give a stir and to add a little more stock if they are getting dry. Remove from heat and taste. Season with salt if necessary, Add cooked rice to serving bowl and top with a scoop of lentils. Squeeze the lemon juice on top (I usually do about a quarter of a lemon per bowl). Top with a generous amount of cilantro, some diced tomato, and minced onion,