Friday food

Today's Friday Food comes with a value-added component. You'll just have to read on to find out what it is.

Remember when I took my first baby steps into Indian cooking? Well, I'm getting closer and closer to advancing from baby steps into, I dunno, Olympic gymnastics. Or at least walking without falling over. Almost ready to ride a bicycle.

Wow, there are just endless ways to run that metaphor into the ground.

Anyway. There's a lovely lady out on the east coast by the name of Monica Bhide. Monica and I have both belonged to the same freelance writer's online forum for years. As I've gotten to know her, I find she completely annoys me. She's pretty, smart, a great writer, passionate foodie--and she's *nice.* Fer cryin' out loud, Monica, get a flaw, would you? Geez. Well. As far as I know, she doesn't knit, so I guess she does have a flaw after all.

Another thing about Monica: she recently published this cookbook.

 

Monica was kind enough to send me two copies (yes, two, and if lightbulbs are going on in your head as to what the added-value component of this post is, you're probably on the right track) of this wonderful book. It's not just recipes--although of course there are lots of tasty and tempting possibilities--but it's also full of essays and anecdotes, stories about food Monica's tried on her international travels, the history of alcoholic drinks in India, teaching her young son the language of Hindi, and the universal role of food as comfort.

Well! Obviously there was nothing for it but to try a recipe, asap.

 

I decided to make The Legendary Chicken 65. (By the way, did you notice how artistically I arranged my ingredients, in honor of Monica's book? Pretty spiffy, yes? Also once again proving I am completely lacking in any presentation skills, but at least I tried.) Besides sounding really yummy, Chicken 65 comes with its own legend, or several. Monica found many explanations for the name: the chicken used is 65 days old; it uses 65 spices; the chef who created it was 65 years old; it was first served at a truckers' stop near the 65th milestone outside Hyderabad. I just love those kinds of stories.

 

Plus it gave me an excuse to pull this bad boy out of storage. I know it may appear otherwise, but we don't live on fried foods here, so I don't get to use the deep fryer all that often.

I wasn't sure what exactly to serve with Chicken 65. Rice? Veggies? So I asked Monica. Here was her response:

 

Chicken 65 is bar food. Like buffalo wings. Another reason to feel happy about this whole endeavor.

It's a very simple, quick recipe. You mix together some plain yogurt, cornstarch, ginger-garlic paste, red chile flakes, fresh lemon juice, salt--and red food coloring. Yup. Red food coloring. Which in the white yogurt, turns pink. Then you add a bunch of chicken tenders.

At this point, the menfolk were quite dubious. "It's PINK!" they cried in horror.

 

"Hush," I told them gently and lovingly. Well...or maybe I growled at them to not be so frakkin' judgmental and get a life. Or something.

Now it's time to fry the chicken. While that's going on (and do I even have to mention how good the kitchen smelled at that point?), it's time for a little saute action. Heat some oil, add some black mustard seeds, then chopped serrano chiles.

 

Now, here's where it might have been good to plan ahead. The recipe called for two ingredients not easily found at my regular grocers: black mustard seeds and fresh curry leaves. However, I recently discovered a local Indian grocer, and when I called them a few days earlier, they had both in stock. Of course I didn't run right over to buy them, and of course when I got there, no fresh curry leaves. The kind woman at the counter said I could easily substitute curry leaf powder--and they were out of that too. Apparently there'd been a run on it, since the fresh curry leaves ran out (due, she said, to a problem with the "food department"). She asked me what I was making, and when I said Chicken 65, she smiled and waved her hand in dismissal. "You'll be fine," she said. She then explained that curry leaves don't have much flavor themselves, but act as a flavor enhancer when added to other foods, usually through oil. But with Chicken 65, it would be OK to not use them.

Again, I love these stories, and it was so fun to have the woman at the store know the food I was talking about and how the curry leaves operated.

The recipe calls for the mustard seed/serrano mix to be poured over the chicken, but I served it on the side instead, well aware of the spice tolerance--or lack thereof--of certain members of the household.

The chicken, in the meantime, went from pink to red in the fryer.

 

Verdict? Two thumbs way up. Everyone had seconds, and there were no leftovers. I loved it with the mustard/serrano mix, the others loved it without. Even Teen 1, who upon learning we were having chicken had rolled his eyes as only a 16-year-old can and said, "Didn't we have chicken, like, last week?" conceded that it was tasty.

So. I'm looking forward to trying more fine things from this book, and as I have two copies, I can offer the chance for someone else to try them too. To win a signed copy of the book--and perhaps some shelf-stable goodies from the local Indian grocer--leave a comment on this post, and talk about Indian food. Have you had any? What do you like? Never tried it? Why not? I'll take comments through next Thursday, June 11, and announce a winner at next week's Friday Food.

In the meantime, I give you: The Legendary Chicken 65.

copyright 2009 Monica Bhide

 

1 cup plain yogurt (such as Dannon)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon store-bought ginger-garlic paste

1 teaspoon red chile powder or red chile flakes (or more)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 drops red food coloring

¼ teaspoon table salt to start

1 ¼ pounds chicken tenders, cut into 2-inch cubes

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

4 small green Serrano chiles, finely chopped

20 fresh curry leaves

 

1.       In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, cornstarch, ginger-garlic paste, chile powder, lemon juice, food coloring, and salt. Mix well. Do not worry if the marinade looks pink! When you deep-fry the chicken it will turn a luscious reddish-brown. Add the chicken chunks and mix to combine.

2.       Heat 2 cups of the oil in a deep fryer. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add a small piece of bread; if the bread floats to the top, the oil is ready. Add a few pieces of chicken at a time and fry until the chicken is crisp on the outside and cooked on the inside, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the chicken using a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Continue until you have fried all the pieces. Be sure to allow time between frying for the oil to reheat to the right temperature. Discard any remaining marinade.

3.       Place the chicken on a serving platter.

4.       In a small skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to sizzle, add the green chiles and curry leaves. Fry for about 30 seconds, until the curry leaves begin to crisp. If you have handle the spice, add another ¼ teaspoon of chile powder to the oil just before removing it from the heat.

5.       Pour over the chicken and serve.

Comments

[Kathy B]

I would frame the picture on the cover of the book. What a beautiful picture!

[ikkinlala]

I'm in rural Canada, so I don't get to eat Indian food that's anywhere close to authentic on a regular basis, but it's one of the things I seek out every time I go to a big city. At home, I often make a beef curry, but I suspect that's more of a British thing.

[thursday]

Oh yum, I LOVE Indian food! I've never gotten a chance to try my hand at anything that even seemed authentic, though (and my husband really wants to get a cookbook one of these days). Love spicy food. LOVE curry. First indian food was Chicken Tikka Masala at a local restaurant... (ok, I'm sure I had some at a friend's house in high school, but who knows what that was?). I might have to check that book out even if I don't win it! :)

[Erin @ Sprouted In the Kitchen]

Ah, the business of hotkeys: I wrote a lengthy comment to see it disappear.

Long story now short, I am a big fan of Indian food. When I moved to Minnesota a few years ago, I was delighted to find a plethora of Indian restaurants, just as good and authentic as my favorites at home. Meanwhile, I go to a restaurant about four times a year, if that, so most of what I want, I make at home. Which leads me to my second point.

Also when I moved here, I found my own candy land in the aisles of my humble neighborhood Cub. So many authentic (imported) ingredients, bottles of things with words I'd never read. And I wanted it all. Even now, I wander down the "ethnic" aisles just to dream about potential creations with so many wondersome jars of curries, pastes, sauces, and bags of legumes and rices.

My favorite at-home dish is Chicken Tandoori, which--get this--I make in a slow cooker. Which, yes, defeats the "tandoori" bit, but I'm not in the business of having a backyard tandoor anytime soon. It's excellent and I have yet to hear a complaint from even the most mainstream of eaters. I've vowed that the next time it appears in my kitchen, Slow-Cooked Chicken Tandoori shall make an appearance, photo, recipe, and all, on my food blog.

I recently was inspired by Monica's Chile Pea Puffs at 101 Cookbooks and made my own pea-filled, puffy creation. I'm glad Monica is making Indian cooking more accessible to more people.

[turtle]

wow!!! I have always loved indian food. A few weeks back a friend told me about a lil hole in the wall place so we met for dinner... you know how people talk about americanized chinese places? Well, switch that with indian fare....eh, ok.... was my impression of it. My husband is convinced all indian food means curry, which he does not care for. This chicken looks like something he would love, and makes me think there would be other treasures i could change his opinion with (and then i could be happy and content, and satisfy my indian itch!!, smile)

[Sydney]

Oh I love Indian food! For one brief moment we had an Indian restaurant in town. Now we have to travel about an hour to find one. I used to work with an Indian guy who would bring these vegetable fritter-like things made with garbanzo bean flour. I've long since forgotten the name. I also like Naan and the other flat breads. But really I haven't met any Indian food I didn't like. I should try cooking it more often. The Chicken 65 recipe looks like something that would go over well at our house.

[cindy]

I adore (!) Indian food. Until recently, I have had a hard time convincing DH to accompany me to Indian resterants.

When we were in school many years ago, one of our friends was an international student from India. He offered to make dinner for us, and it was wonderful, but high on the heat scale. Mr S does not have much tolerance for chilies. He politely kept eating as first his forhead broke out in beads of sweat and then tears started running from his eyes. It took years before he was willing to try Indian again; and then he learned that not all of it is hot, and that resteraunts, in WI anyway, often save the real heat for the chutney and sauces on the side, which he can easily avoid.

[Brenda]

My husband and I love Indian food, and he, being an excellent cook, has worked on a few dishes. He makes a delicious lamb saag, perfect for when our gardening friend brings us a gallon bag of fresh spinach. I have no idea how to cook Indian, but I can bake fresh naan.

Congratulations to Monica on the publication of her cookbook!

[Marsha]

Oh, I LURVE Indian food--just adore it. As a vegetarian, I love a cuisine that is super-friendly to my diet (I know that if I ever go to an Indian buffet, for example, I can eat anywhere from half to three-fourths of the items on the table without having to interrogate the staff about what's in them). My favorites: pakora (the "Deep-Fried Food Group" is one of my favorites, and I'm still shocked that the FDA hasn't put it on the food pyramid) and pretty much anything with paneer.

[Paula]

I can't say that we have ever had Indian food. Our good friends(the husband is Indian) think it's a hoot that we are so limited in our culinary choices. I'd love to shock them and cook a recipe from Monica's book.

[Caroline]

You're recipes always look so good, and I've made a few of them this year, but I'm finally on summer vacation so I'm going to go back and just make myself a list of all of your delicious ideas and get to work!

[Guinifer]

I've never been exposed to Indian food, though we've Indian Palace just down the road. However, I am in love with the Bollywood movies, so if I could get anyone in my house to try a spice beyond, umm pepper? I'd be lucky.

On the second hand - that chicken looks right up my Jake's loving husband's alley!

[Linda Miller]

I have not cooked Indian food because my DH thinks he would have a full blowen migraine. Imagine that... But, back before DH, I was a nanny for an Indian family in Ames, IA. (long time agao...) But I can remember the wonderful smells of their cooking and I miss that. One day Mr. Gupta asked me to cook an American roast beef for them!

[Carole]

There's an Indian restaurant not far from the library and we've had take out a few times. I love the bread, of course, and the chicken curry. The spicier the better! Yummm.

[deanzacove]

I love spices and Indian faire has always been at the TOP of my "food chain" for a variety of reasons. Years ago a friend of mine traded professional skills with an owner of an Indian Restaurant and as a result we enjoyed gratis meals there for a long time. What a treat!! I also hope to visit India someday for a month.

Thank you for your photo journalism documenting your experience with the book. Lovely!

[Kitt]

It's funny; some Indian food I adore, and the rest I'm just eh about. But I think I haven't had really GOOD Indian food, except at my friend Manisha's house.

Your chicken looks pretty tasty! I like what you serve it with, too. ;-)

[Cheryl S.]

That recipe looks great!
I love Indian food, but for some reason, just don't have it all that often. And we actually have some pretty good Indian restaurants here. I even suggested that last night, but we ended up having Chinese/Vietnamese instead.

My husband dislikes anything spicy, but for some reason, he can handle the spices in Indian food much better than in most foods, especially Mexican.

When I make any kind of Indian food at home, I just make it very mild, and he's happy. I don't really care whether it's hot or mild, it's the flavors I love.

I've found there's really no substitute for curry leaves, so if the local Indian grocer doesn't have any, I just omit them.

[Shiyam]

Another Interesting story about Chicken 65 is that the bird can be cut into 65 pieces. As Monica has defined it is a bar food every local bar you go in South India will have this on their snack selection.

You could also add a whole egg into the batter so it coats evenly and gives a fluffy texture.

Happy Cooking!!!

[November]

Even if I don't win the book, I may just go out & buy it (or see if the library has a copy)! My mom married an Indian man when I was in my teens who claims not to be a very good cook. But through his friends here & my mom's attempts at learning the culture & food, Indian is one of my favorites.

[Chris]

No need to enter me, either - I will rarely go eat Indian food, but I will NOT cook it.

[Carrie K]

She doesn't knit. A serious flaw. You may remain friends.:)

Wow, that looks tasty. I like Indian food but I don't seem to have had it recently!

[bezzie]

Have I had Indian food? Hm, I don't think so. Such a travesty--esp. considering they actually say that NJ has BETTER Indian food than NYC (ha ha, suck it NY!).

I will say if I had to pick a favorite dish it would be chicken vindaloo because it's so fun to say.

[rudee]

I'm starving now. This looks amazing.

[kate]

I love Indian curry, although I can't eat it spicy. My mum is South African and I have walked through the Indian Market in Durban - a profound experience for a 16-year-old who had only shopped in a grocery store up to then!! My mum makes curry from scratch, using ingredients her brother brings from South Africa, but I cheat and use Patak's pastes, which I love. I also love all the finger foods .... oh man I need to go eat breakfast!

[Amy]

My first experience with Indian food was in middle school - our family had "adopted" a college student @ church who was from India (via United Arab Emirates). One summer he had to stay stateside to have surgery & so he recuperated at our house. To say thank you he took us to a local Indian restaurant & "walked us through" everything we had.

Since then I've had Indian food on occasion & have always enjoyed it. I live not too far from Devon Ave. here in Chicago which is filled with numerous wonderful Indian restaurants - I definitely need to check them out.

I haven't done any Indian cooking at home but I continue to see more recipes that may change that.

On an Indian beverage note, when my company acquired a Bangalore presence several years ago here at HQ we would have a Tuesday afternoon tea break where the building cafe would prepare chai for us to partake in the tea break ritual that our India office did daily.