Moghlai Chicken Curry (Nimbu Masala Murgh)

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The Moghlai dishes, popular across India, but particularly in Delhi and the neighboring Uttar Pradesh, owe their ancestry to sixteenth and seventeenth century Moghul rulers, Akbar and Shehjehan, who were connoisseurs of music, literature, architecture, and food. Unlike their immediate ancestors, who invaded India, and who were too busy consolidating their empire to pay much attention to cuisine, Akbar and Shehjehan recruited the best chefs in northern India, and encouraged them to create dishes that carried the influence of the ingredients of central Asia and India. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 2 large onions, chopped

  • 1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled

  • 10 cloves garlic

  • 2 cups plain yogurt

  • Salt to taste

  • 1 teaspoon cayenne powder

  • 1 tablespoon cumin powder

  • 1 tablespoon coriander powder

  • 1 tablespoon commercial garam masala

  • 1 chicken, cut into serving pieces

  • 1/4 cup ghee or vegetable oil

  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds

  • 4 green chiles, such as serranos, stems removed, finely minced

  • 1/4 cup lime juice

  • 1 lime, cut into small pieces, for garnish

  • 1 large tomato, diced, for garnish

  • ½ cup raw cashew nuts, for garnish

  • 1 large onion, cut into rings, for garnish

  • 1/4 cup cilantro or mint leaves, for garnish

Instructions

In a food processor or blender, grind the chopped onion, ginger, and garlic into a smooth paste. Combine the paste with the yogurt, salt, cayenne powder, and half of the cumin, coriander and garam masala. Add the chicken pieces, mix well, and marinate at room temperature for 6 hours.

Place the chicken in a large skillet, and cook, covered, for about 12 minutes over low heat.

In another skillet, heat the ghee or oil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the mustard seeds, and when they begin to pop, add the chiles. Pour the ghee or oil (along with mustard and chiles) over the chicken, and continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat or until the moisture evaporates.

Place the chicken in a serving dish. Squeeze the lime juice over the meat, and sprinkle the remaining cumin, coriander, and garam masala over the mixture. Garnish with the lime pieces, cashew nuts, tomato and onion rings, and coriander leaves.

Memphis Rib Rub

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This rub is great for smoking any cut of pork–ribs, chops, steaks, or even a roast. It has its origins in one of the barbecue centers of America, Memphis, Tennessee, home of the Memphis in May barbecue cook-off. You can also use rubs on grilled meats, so the next time you grill pork (or lamb) chops, try this rub.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup paprika

  • 2 tablespoons garlic salt

  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon onion powder

  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano

  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard

  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cayenne

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Store any unused rub in a sealed container in the freezer.

Memphis-Style Finishing Sauce

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This finishing sauce is traditionally served over smoked ribs, but can also be converted into a basting sauce by adding more beer and a little more vinegar.

Ingredients

tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, hot sauce, butter, beer

Instructions

Finishing ribs with sauce

Mopped on the job: Finishing ribs with sauce

Photo by Harald Zoschke

This is the sauce that is traditionally served over smoked ribs in Memphis and other parts of Tennessee. Some cooks add prepared yellow mustard to the recipe. It can be converted into a basting sauce by adding more beer and a little more vinegar. Add more hot sauce to taste, or substitute red chile or cayenne powder.

  • 1 cup tomato sauce, preferably freshly made

  • 1 cup red wine vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons Louisiana-style hot sauce

  • 1 tablespoon butter

  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ½ cup light beer

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat, but serve warm over smoked meats.

Yield: 2 ½ cups

Heat Scale: Mild

Shrimp with Chile Paste

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Typically, this fired up but sweet shrimp dish is served over rice with sliced cucumbers on the side. The recipe was provided by Indrapura Restaurant, but there were some language difficulties and I was forced to improvise.

Ingredients

For the Spice Paste:

  • 1 cup water

  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled

  • 4 red chiles, such as jalapeños, seeds and stems removed, chopped

  • 1 small piece ginger, peeled

  • 2 ripe tomatoes, quartered

  • 3 tablespoons sugar

  • Salt to taste

For the  Shrimp:

  • ½ cup vegetable oil

  • 3 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on

Instructions

In a blender or food processor, combine all the Spice Paste ingredients and puree until smooth.

In a wok, heat the oil until hot and fry the shrimp for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove them to a bowl lined with paper towels.

Add the Spice Paste to the wok and fry on high heat for about five minutes, or until it smells very fragrant, stirring constantly. Add the shrimp and stir together for 1 minute. Remove and serve the shrimp in the sauce.

Fish Steaks with Secret Scilly Cay Grilling Sauce

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Gorgeous insists that his sauce is secret, but if he wanted to keep it that way, he should never have told me the ingredients. We experimented in Dave’s and Mary Jane’s kitchen until we got the sauce right. It can also be used on chicken. It is a grill sauce, designed to be brushed on during the grilling process, but it has a lot of sugar in it, so take care that it does not burn. The sauce yield is about 1 cup.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ cup orange marmalade
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon ground dry roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons Scotch bonnet or habanero hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 thick fish steaks, such as shark or tuna

Instructions

In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate if not using it immediately.

Add wood chips (such as pecan or mesquite) to the grill fire. Brush the sauce over the steaks and place them on the grill. Keep brushing the steaks with the sauce until they are done. The time will vary according to the heat of the fire, the thickness of the steaks, and their proximity to the fire. Try not to turn the steaks more than twice.