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International Cuisine

Exploring the world through food.

Indian Bhindi Masala Dry Fry (Spicy Fried Okra)

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Indian Bhindi Masala dry fry is a spicy fried okra that we served as the starter to our vegetarian Indian meal.  It was outstanding.  They did not have that gelatinous texture that okra usually has because it is perfectly dry before you start to cook it.

It is the water that brings out that texture in okra that takes some getting used to if you are not familiar with it.  So if you have avoided this delicious vegetable called bhindi in India, this is chance to fall in love.

Indian Bhindi masala

Indian Bhindi Masala Dry Fry (Spicy Fried Okra)
 
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Recipe type: Appetizer
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 1lb okra/bhindi
  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 1 medium onion, sliced thinly or ⅓ cup sliced onions
  • 1 large tomato, chopped or ½ cup chopped tomatoes
  • 2 green chilies, slit
  • 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste or ½ inch ginger along with 3 to 4 medium garlic crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
  • ¼ tsp red chili powder/lal mirch powder
  • ½ tsp coriander powder/dhania powder
  • ½ tsp cumin powder/jeera powder
  • ½ tsp dry mango powder/amchur
  • ¼ tsp garam masala powder
  • ½ tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves, crushed
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves/dhania patta
  • salt as required
Instructions
  1. prepping:
  2. rinse the bhindi/okra in water. then wipe dry them with a kitchen towel or just allow to dry them naturally in a plate. (making sure they are completely dry eliminates the gelatinous texture of okra)
  3. slice off the crown and tip of each bhindi. then slice them vertically.
  4. also slice 1 medium onion. chop 1 large tomato and slit 2 green chilies. crush the ginger and garlic in a mortar-pestle.
  5. preparing bhindi fry:
  6. heat 3 tbsp oil in a thick bottomed shallow frying pan. add the sliced onions.
  7. saute them till they start turning light brown.
  8. now add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste and the green chilies.
  9. saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
  10. now add the chopped tomatoes. stir well.
  11. add ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp cumin and ½ tsp dry mango powder.
  12. mix the spices with the rest of the onion-tomato masala. saute this mixture till the tomatoes become pulpy and you see oil releasing from the sides.
  13. now add the chopped bhindi/okra. season with salt. stir very well.
  14. cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and cook on a low flame or simmer.
  15. check after 4 to 5 minutes a couple of times. cook the bhindi fry on a low flame till the bhindi is done. you will have to check after every 4 to 5 minutes so that the bhindi does not get too browned or burnt. Stir every time when you check it, if the okra is becoming too browned or getting burnt, then sprinkle 1 to 1.5 tbsp water all over. stir, cover and continue to cook.
  16. once the bhindi is done, add ¼ tsp garam masala powder and ½ tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves, crushed. stir very well.
  17. lastly add 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. stir.
  18. serve bhindi fry hot.

 

Indian Paneer (cheese)

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Indian Paneer (cheese) is made with only two ingredients.  This cheese is used in many Indian recipes and is wonderful on the grill as well.  It literally only takes about 45 minutes to make and it is ready to be added your palak, an amazing spinach curry or any other Indian dish.

It is a dense cheese that reminded me a bit of tofu, on it’s own it doesn’t have much flavor but when added to any type of flavoring or curry, boy oh boy does it soak it up.  YUM!

Indian paneer

Indian Paneer (cheese)
 
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Recipe type: Cheese
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 12 ozs
Ingredients
  • Cheesecloth
  • 8 cups whole milk
  • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Line a large colander with a large double layer of cheesecloth, and set it in your sink.
  2. In a large non stick pot, bring the milk to a slow gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom. This will take some time so Be patient!
  3. Add the lemon juice and turn the heat down to low. Stirring gently, you should almost immediately see the curds (white milk solids) and whey (the greenish liquid) separate.
  4. Remove the pot from the heat and pour the contents into the cheesecloth-lined colander. (You can save the whey for another purpose, by the way our chickens love the stuff! Gently rinse with cool water to get rid of the lemon flavor.
  5. Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess whey. Tie the cheesecloth to your kitchen faucet and allow the cheese to drain for about 5 minutes.
  6. Twist the ball to compact the cheese into a block, place it on a plate with the twisted part of the cheesecloth on the side and set another plate on top. Weigh the second plate down with something heavy like a can of beans or a heavy pot, or brick. Move to the refrigerator and let it sit about 20 minutes.
  7. That's it, you can now unwrap your disc of homemade cheese! It is now ready to use in any number of Indian dishes, like Panak paneer.

 

Indian Aloo Gobi (Spiced Potatoes and Cauliflower)

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Indian Aloo Gobi is a spiced potato and cauliflower dish that comes from the Punjab region in India, the northern area of the country.  Potatoes were brought to India by the Portuguese and are a staple ingredient in their cuisine.

Potatoes paired with cauliflower was new to me and made for a wonderful combination especially spiced up!  This is a hearty vegetarian dish made in the dry style that is sure to please.

Indian aloo gobi

Indian Aloo Gobi (Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes)
 
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Recipe type: Side dish
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 5 to 6 medium size potatoes/aloo sliced in wedges
  • 1 medium cauliflower/gobi cut into florets and rinsed
  • 1.5 to 2 inches ginger/adrak, chopped
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • ½ tsp garam masala powder
  • 4 tbsp oil or ghee
  • salt as required
Instructions
  1. in a kadai or thick bottomed pan like a wok, heat oil or ghee.
  2. lower the flame and add the aloo/potato wedges.
  3. stir the potatoes well and saute them on a low flame or sim for 6 to 7 minutes. stir a couple of times when sauteing them.
  4. add the gobi/cauliflower and saute for 3-4 minutes. continue to stir in between.
  5. add chopped ginger. stir again very well.
  6. spice up the gobi and aloo with turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt.
  7. stir again very well, so that the spices are mixed uniformly in the sabzi and coat the veggies also evenly.
  8. cover the pan with its lid tightly.
  9. simmer the aloo gobi 18 to 20 minutes on a low flame. timing will vary with the size, depth and quality of the pan and flame intensity.
  10. in between for a couple of times, remove the lid and stir the aloo gobi well. cover and then again continue to cook. do not add any water.
  11. once the potatoes and cauliflower have cooked, sprinkle garam masala powder and mix it all together
  12. serve aloo gobi with yogurt and/or naan bread.

 

Indian Mango Lassi (Mango Smoothie)

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Indian Mango Lassi is a delicious smoothie that we enjoyed at the end of our Indian meal.  India produces a staggering 1.2 million tons of mangoes annually so it is no wonder that it is their national fruit.

This recipe is easy to make, I made ours with a hint of cardamom and it was excellent.  The thick and smooth lassi was perfect to soothe the palate from the heat of the delicious Indian curries we enjoyed.

Indian Mango Lassi

Indian Mango Lassi (Mango Smoothie)
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 cups of fresh chopped mango pieces, about 3 to 4 medium sized ripe mangoes.
  • 2 cups chilled full fat fresh curd/yogurt,
  • ½ tsp cardamom powder or ½ tbsp rose water or a pinch of saffron strands
  • 4 to 5 tbsp sugar or honey or to taste
  • few mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
  1. Peel the mangoes and chop them.
  2. In a blender or mixer, puree the mangoes with sugar or honey and cardamom powder or saffron or rose water.
  3. Now add the chilled curd/yogurt
  4. Add some ice cubes.
  5. Blend for some seconds till the everything is mixed well and the yogurt has become smooth.
  6. Pour mango lassi in glasses and serve garnished with mint leaves
  7. If you want a slightly thinner consistency, you can add some milk to the mango lassi while blending.

 

Indian Chicken Butter Masala-Murgh Makhani

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Indian chicken butter masala is probably the most well known Indian dish in the world.

It goes by many different names like Butter chicken, butter masala or  murgh makhani.

This delicious chicken curry in a tomato based gravy is a common site at roadside dhabas all over India.

This can be made without chicken and with paneer instead, a super easy to make cheese recipe or you can just enjoy the curry without any cheese or chicken and just some fresh garlic naan bread.  Enjoy!

A picture of Indian chicken butter masala bowls with chunks of grilled chicken in a spicy tomato sauce

5 from 1 vote
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Indian Chicken Butter Masala-Murgh Makhani

This is India's most famous dish for very good reason, it is simply delicious.  I hope you make it! Be sure to plan ahead as it takes some time  marinating the chicken (preferably overnight) to get it right.

Course Main Dish
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 4
Calories 770 kcal
Author International Cuisine

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. chicken washed, patted dry and cut into small pieces – (use breast or thigh meat whichever you prefer or both)
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • salt
  • oil/butter/ghee to baste while grilling
  • For marinade:
  • 3/4 cup plain yogurt strained/hung or use 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 ½ Tablespoon mustard oil or any other cooking oil
  • 1 ½ Tablespoon ginger paste
  • ½ tablespoon garlic paste
  • For the sauce/Makhani Masala:
  • 2 ½ inches fresh ginger made into a paste
  • 8-10 cloves of garlic made into a paste
  • 2-4 fresh green chili pepper slit
  • 4 tablespoon melted butter
  • 4 green cardamoms
  • 2 inch of cinnamon stick
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 1/2 -3/4 teaspoon methi/fenugreek seeds
  • 3-3 ½ cups tomato puree fresh tomatoes or 2 ½ cups canned tomatoes
  • 1 Tablespoon red chili powder/cayenne pepper/paprika or to taste
  • 10 almonds soaked, peeled and made into a paste
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 Tablespoon kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves very lightly toasted on a dry skillet and crushed
  • 1/2 tablespoon sugar or honey adjust this based on how tart the tomatoes are. The dish should not be sweet. The sugar is used to neutralize the acid
  • 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Apply red chili powder, lemon juice and salt to the chicken and set aside for 20 minutes. This is the first marinade.
  2. Combine all ingredients of the second marinade (see ingredient list). Apply this marinade to the chicken and refrigerate for three to four hours; overnight is best.
  3. Put the chicken on skewers and cook on a grill turning once. Cook until done. Do not overcook. Baste it with butter/ghee/oil or marinade if you want, a couple of times while cooking. Set aside once done.
  4. Cooking the Sauce:
  5. Note: This recipe makes more than you need for this recipe which is two cups of the sauce, it freezes well until you are ready to make this recipe again.
  6. Heat butter/ghee or oil in a thick bottomed pan. Add green cardamoms, black cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Sauté for a couple of minutes or till they start to sizzle and get fragrant; add the methi/fenugrek seeds. When the methi seeds sizzle, add ginger paste and garlic paste, and the slit green chillies. Cook in medium heat for five to eight minutes; the water from the paste would have evaporated and the ginger garlic paste reduced in quantity.
  7. Add tomato puree or paste, red chili powder, and salt. Cook (may partially cover during cooking) at medium heat for about 15 – 20 minutes. The puree will reduce to a thick paste and the oil/ghee will separate from the sides of the pan.
  8. After the tomatoes are cooked down, you might want to blend the cooked sauce (along with all the spices) into a smooth puree, if you want a restaurant like smooth texture for the sauce – especially if you are using fresh tomatoes. return it back to the pan after blending and continue with the rest of the process.
  9. Add 2 ½ cups of hot water to the pan (or if you want it less soupy and want the sauce to coat the chicken pieces and have a little bit extra, add less water or simmer for longer time to achieve the consistency as per your taste), add the almond paste and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes; add sugar and crushed kasuri methi.
  10. Add cooked grilled chicken pieces. Stir well to combine – the chicken will be well coated with the sauce. Cover and simmer for eight to ten minutes; Lower the heat and add garam masala and the heavy cream. Stir in the cream and simmer at low heat for about five more minutes.
  11. Garnish with fresh cilantro and add a splash of cream before serving.
  12. Enjoy with some hot garlic naan!
Nutrition Facts
Indian Chicken Butter Masala-Murgh Makhani
Amount Per Serving
Calories 770 Calories from Fat 531
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 59g 91%
Saturated Fat 24g 120%
Cholesterol 246mg 82%
Sodium 376mg 16%
Potassium 597mg 17%
Total Carbohydrates 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 4g
Protein 45g 90%
Vitamin A 26%
Vitamin C 12.9%
Calcium 13.3%
Iron 14.8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

 

Indian Garlic Naan Bread

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Indian Garlic Naan Bread is surprisingly easy to make and it is nothing like the naan you buy in the store.  This homemade version is soft and chewy and super delicious right off the stove.  You can make it with or without garlic and be sure to smother it with some ghee or butter right while it is still hot.  This bread is used as a utensil to scoop up all kinds of curries and Indian cuisine treasures.  Typically this is made in an oven called a tandoor.  There are many ways you can cook it with a great result, the way I used was the back side of a wok over a gas flame at high heat and it bubbled up perfectly.  You can also use a cast iron skillet on the stove with a lid,  or a pizza stone in a hot oven at around 500 degrees.

Indian Garlic Naan bread

Indian Garlic Naan Bread
 
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Recipe type: Bread
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling.
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Melted butter for slathering on the finished naans
  • Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
  1. In a large glass, dissolve the dry yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar with ¾ cup warm water (about 100 degrees F). Let it sit on your counter until it's frothy, about 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, sift the flour, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar and baking powder into a large, deep bowl.
  3. Once the yeast is frothy, add the yogurt and the olive oil into the glass, and stir to combine. Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and add the garlic, if using, and gently mix the ingredients together with a fork.
  4. When the dough is about to come together, use your hands to mix. It will feel like there isn't enough flour at first, but keep going until it transforms into a soft, slightly sticky and pliable dough.
  5. As soon as it comes together, stop kneading.
  6. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it sit in a warm, draft-free place for 2 hours.
  7. When you're ready to roll, make sure you have a bowl handy with flour in it.
  8. The dough will be extremely soft and sticky-this is good!
  9. Separate the dough into 6 equal portions and lightly roll each one in the bowl of extra flour to keep them from sticking to each other.
  10. Shape the naan. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a teardrop shape, narrower at the top than at the bottom.
  11. It should be 8 to 9-inches long, 4-inches wide at its widest point and about ¼-inch thick.
  12. Once you've formed the general shape, you can also pick it up by one end and wiggle it; the dough's own weight will stretch it out a little. Repeat this method with the rest of the dough.
  13. Warm a large wok turned upside down on high heat.
  14. Place one of your rolled out naans on the upside down portion of the wok until it bubbles and gets nice browned spots. Using a spatula flip it over to cook the other side.
  15. Put the hot naan in a towel lined container to keep warm while you cook the rest of them.
  16. Drizzle ghee or butter and enjoy hot!

 

 

Ayurvedic Tea with Ginger, Lemon and Honey

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Ayurvedic Tea with ginger, lemon and honey is loved in India.  The combination of flavors is both refreshing and soothing.  Each one of the ingredients has benefits to keep you healthy especially during cold and flu season.  Enjoy this delicious tea anytime!

Ayurvedic tea

Ayurvedic Tea with Ginger, Lemon and Honey
 
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Recipe type: Drinks
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 1 cup
Ingredients
  • 1 inch ginger peeled, crushed and minced
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ lemon
  • lemon balm or mint to garnish
  • 1 cup water
Instructions
  1. combine the first three ingredients with the cup of water and boil. Allow to steep for about 10 minutes and serve hot with a mint or lemon balm garnish.
  2. Enjoy
Notes
Note this recipe is per one cup serving.

 

 

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