Fab Foodie Mama

As you, my foodie followers know, I absolutely love Indian food.  I have been trying to perfect some of the recipes I have posted here previously since I always seem to modify them each time I make them, either by a changing the spices or varying the cooking technique etc.  It's good to mature and perfect, right? Chicken Tikka Masala is (I think I heard this fact) the most popular Indian dish (outside of India) in the world, and I make it quite a bit, at least once every 2 months.  I've tried several versions of this prolific meal,  but this one from Aarti Sequeira, a Food Network star  - contained in her cookbook Aarti Paarti - is a simple and amazing take.  Other recipes have almost a half page listing of spices, yet this one, only a few.  I must admit, I was very skeptical.  How could all of the flavors come out with only ginger, garlic, paprica and garam masala?  I went for it and prepared Aarti's version, almost to the letter,  and...

There are many recipes for Indian butter chicken.  Along with Tikka Masala, these two are the most popular Indian dishes in the US.  I have made several recipes and this one is a combination of several found on NYT Cooking and Allrecipes.  I used a mish mash of spices and cooking techniques that I think work the best.  This version has a kick; add less cayenne pepper of you prefer a milder sauce.  Serve with naan and basmati rice. Slow Cooker Butter Chicken  (Serves 6) Ingredients: 3 lb boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces 4 t garam masala 4 t curry powder 2 t cumin 1 t cardamom 1 t cayenne pepper 2 t ground ginger salt and pepper to taste 5 T butter 1 yellow onion, minced 2 T lemon juice 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 small can tomato paste (6 oz) 2 C water 1 can (14 oz) unsweetened coconut milk 1 C heavy whipping cream Fresh cilantro for garnish Directions: In a small bowl, mix together the garam masala, ...

Rachel and I like to make Indian food a lot, and we are still high on our voyage to Chennai last summer.  Given there are no Indian restaurants local to the Keweenaw, home cooking is necessary.  Rachel hosted an Indian feast a few weeks ago and she made butter chicken, saag paneer and naan.  I made a pot of lentils (aka Dal Makhani) and some chutneys.  The whole dinner was delicious.  I have blogged about the saag before (Rachel used Foodie Mama's recipe).  When I make dosa, I will blog about the chutneys too.  The next project. There are a lot of spices in this amazing side dish, which is exactly what makes it so amazing; don't skip any if you can avoid it.  I hope you enjoy! - xxoo Foodie Mama Wedding Attire in Chennai - Foodie Mama is 2nd row, 2nd from left ,  Dal Makhani (Indian Lentils) Ingredients: 1 C dry lentils enough water to cover lentils 5 C water salt to taste 2 T vegetable oil 2 1/2 t cumin 1/4 ...

Happy Summer, Foodie Followers!  I hope you are enjoying the fab weather, as I am here in the U.P..  However, no such luck of any resemblance to the 'lazy days of Summer'; we have been booked almost every day, and certainly every weekend since Memorial Day. The most notable thing I did this season, was back in late June/Early July, I traveled to Chennai, India for my brother's wedding.  It was an absolutely amazing experience to meet my new sister in law's family, to be immersed in the culture of South India for a week and of course, enjoying all of the amazing food.* I will be getting some recipes for some of the chutneys I had over there which I will add soon.  These two dishes here are not necessarily representative of Chennai or South Indian cooking, but delicious nonetheless and which I have made recently.  Chicken Biryani, is a drier, rice based dish with origins mainly in North India, but it has spread to all parts of the country.  Korma is also ...

Guess what, foodie followers?!  Foodie Mama is going to southern India; Chennai, to be exact.  My brother John is getting married to Meena and her family lives in Chennai and that is the wedding venue.  The ceremony is on July 4th but I will arrive a few days earlier.  Rachel will be traveling with me.  We had to get our measurements because we will be wearing sarees for the occasion.  I asked for a navy/royal blue and grey/silver and Rachel opted for hot pink and silver.  I'm looking forward to it a lot.  I have some work colleagues and employees I may try to see as well. As my followers already know, I LOVE Indian food.  I try to make it and am slowly getting better.  Mastering the spices and the level of heat is the tricky part.  I made this Chicken Saag recipe last week and it was amazing.  I have blogged a Saag Paneer recipe previously, with delicious paneer cheese; this one is a bit different in that the greens are not ...