Alavida (Goodbye) Madhur {wrap-up and Spicy Green Beans}

For the past two and half years, I've been cooking with I Heart Cooking Clubs.  If you aren't familiar with this group of bloggers, this is what we do:

For 6 months we cook the recipes of one chef.
Each blogger picks recipes from the featured chef that
he/she feels fits the weekly theme.

Some of the chefs are well-known, such as Giada de Laurentiis.  Some are not so well known, such as Tessa Kiros (my favorite so far).  In the time that I've been a part of IHCC, we've cooked Italian, British, Greek, Mexican, and Indian cuisine.

I've logged a lot of miles around the world my fork.

Often, people comment about the commitment to cooking one chef's recipes--saying it must be a lot of work.  Not really.  I've found that once I get started with a new chef, curiosity takes over.

This is our last week with Madhur Jaffrey, renown Indian chef.

It's always hard for me to narrow down "favorites."  But I've managed to select my TOP FIVE Madhur Jaffrey recipes.  (Plus two honorable mentions.  See...hard to pick.)

Since all of my top fives are main dishes, I have an honorable mention for one side and one dessert.

Honorable Mention 1: Stir Fried Carrots w/ Ginger and Mustard

Honorable Mention 2: Caramelized Cardamom Apples with Pistachio Cream

# 5:  Shrimp Biryani

# 4:  Stir-Fried Green Beans with Beef and Garlic

   

# 3:  Goan Shrimp Curry

# 2:  Hamburger Kebabs (Chappli Kebabs) & Fresh Red Chutney w/ Almonds (Lal Chutney)

# 1:  Chicken Breasts Baked with Green Chilies and Onion

I was able to squeeze in one last recipe from Madhur Jaffrey.
Gujarati-Style Green Beans with red pepper flakes, lots of garlic, and mustard seeds

Everyone commented on the aroma while this cooked.  The method of adding the mustard seeds to the hot oil and listening for them to pop before proceeding made me think about how much senses other than taste are used in cooking.  Looking, listening, smelling. 

Whoa.  Too deep.

This was a great recipe to end on.  Easy enough to prepare--the green beans can be blanched ahead of time even.  Salty, sweet, spicy, garlicky flavors.  A lot going on.

Next week we start getting to know Yotam Ottolenghi.  Stop by I Heart Cooking Clubs to find out more.



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Gujarati-style Green Beans
adapted from Madhur Jaffrey

1 pound green beans
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp mustard seeds (I used yellow)
4 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
scant tsp salt, or to taste (I don't like a lot of salt)
a few pinches of sugar
freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

While the water heats, rinse the beans and cut off the ends.  Gather the beans in bundles and cut into thirds.

Blanch the beans.  Add them to the pot of boiling water and boil for about 4 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  The beans can be made ahead up to this point and stored in the refrigerator.

About 15-20 minutes before you are ready to eat, remove the beans from the refrigerator   Add the olive oil to a large pan and heat over medium.

When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds.  Stir and cook until the seeds start to pop.  Quickly add the garlic and stir.  Cook and stir until the garlic turns golden (but not burnt).

Add the red pepper flakes and heat briefly.  Add the green beans to the pan and season with salt, sugar, and black pepper.  Stir and heat for about 10 minutes.  Serve.

One Pot Wonder {Madhur Jaffrey's Spinach and Ginger Soup}

Have I ever mentioned that spinach is my favorite vegetable?
I like it raw in salad or on a sandwich in place (or butted up against) lettuce.
Briefly sauteed with mouth wash worthy amounts of garlic.
Ribboned through pasta.  Shrimp & pasta.  Chicken & pasta.
Creamed up into a dip.  Or casserole.  Shingled on pizza.  Scattered in soup.

Madhur Jaffrey's Spinach & Ginger Soup Perfumed with Cloves sounded like a great idea since the majority of the soup is spinach.

I came home from work and started on the soup.  It was easy and fast enough that I could have goofed off a little longer before starting to cook.

As I started cooking, I also started to have doubts.  There was a small amount of liquid and a large amount of vegetables in my pot.  I wondered if the carrots and potatoes would cook through.

I missed the clove part of the title and thought I was making spinach soup perfumed with ginger.  The cloves threw me, but I was tired and not in the mood to argue with my supper.

Once the spinach wilted down, things were underway just fine.  And it turned out that the cloves worked well as a perfume for spinach.

Review: This soup is highly flavorful.  While it is packed with vegetables, there really aren't many spices involved besides ginger and cloves.  For any spinach haters out there...first, we just can't be friends.  Second, the spinach does not stand out in the soup.  I can't say that any one flavor stood out; everything simply blends together well.  It's a filling soup, which is a hard thing for me to find.  While I thought it could pass for swamp water in appearance, The Husband liked the color.

This week's I Heart Cooking Clubs theme is "One Pot Wonder."

  

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Spinach & Garlic Soup Perfumed with Cloves
adapted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey

4 c low sodium chicken broth
1 10 oz bag of spinach, washed; reserve about 6 leaves for garnish
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 large Irish potato, peeled and chopped
1 Serrano pepper, chopped
1 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp black peppercorns
Salt, to taste
1/4 c heavy cream, plus about 4 TBSP for garnish
juice of 1/2 a lemon
freshly ground black pepper

Add the chicken broth to a large pot.  Tear the spinach leaves as you add them to the pot.  Add the remaining ingredients except for the cream, lemon juice, and ground black pepper.  Stir to make sure the carrot, onion, and potato fall to the bottom of the pot.  Bring to a boil and stir occasionally to distribute the vegetables as the spinach wilts.  Lower the heat to a simmer and cover.  Simmer for about 20 minutes until the carrots and potatoes are fork tender.  With a stick blender, puree the soup until smooth.  Add the 1/4 cup of cream and lemon juice.  Stir and cook until heated through.

Chiffonade the reserved spinach leaves while the soup heats again.  Taste the soup for salt and add as needed.  Ladle into four bowls.  Drizzle about 1 TBSP cream into each bowl of soup.  Scatter reserved spinach over each serving and top with fresh, coarsely ground black pepper.

Kebab Krazy {Madhur Jaffrey}

Word on the street is that the I Heart Cooking Clubs bloggers are making Madhur Jaffrey's kebab recipes this week.

I chose Madhur Jaffrey's Hamburger Kebabs (Chappli Kebabs) and the word on my street, or at least my part of the street, is "yum."  These kebabs are spicy from hot chili peppers.  Savory from onion, cumin, and coriander, and kept moist by adding chopped tomato to the mixture.

Big hit here.  So big that I'm betting they'll make an appearance in my favorites round up when our time cooking with Madhur Jaffrey comes to an end.

From what I've read, these kebabs are typically served with Fresh Red Chutney.  I went that route.  I'm not going to argue with tradition when it comes to food.  Food traditions rarely let me down.  As I said when I reviewed the chutney last week, this pairing is perfect.  The fresh, crisp tasting chutney balances the spicy, savory kebabs.

If you have a pound of ground beef (or lamb), consider trying this instead of burgers on buns.  I don't think you'll be sorry.

The recipe I used as a guide comes from BBC Food.  There are several versions running around out there.

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Hamburger Kebabs (Chappli Kebabs)
Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey

1 lb lean ground beef
4 tsp flour
1 heaping tsp ground coriander
1 hot green chili pepper, finely chopped (I used jalapeno)
3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 heaping tsp ground cumin
6 Tbsp finely minced onion
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 Roma tomato, chopped
vegetable oil

Put the flour in an 8-9" skillet and set over a medium-high heat. Stir the flour around until it turns a very light golden-brown.  Remove the pan from the heat. Allow to cool for a few seconds.

Place the beef in a mixing bowl.  Add the cooled flour, along with the remaining ingredients except for the oil.  Mix well.

Wipe out the skillet and add oil to depth of 1/4".  Begin heating over medium-high.  While the oil heats, form the beef mixture into six patties about 1/2" thick.

When the oil is hot, put in half of the patties and cook for about two minutes on each side, or until browned.  Lower the heat and cook for another few minutes until the patties are cooked through. Repeat with the second batch.

Serve with a salad of parsley and thinly sliced red onion on naan or lettuce leaves, along with Fresh Red Chutney.


Linking this week with:

March Potluck {Madhur Jaffrey}

While it's potluck week now, next week I Heart Cooking Clubs is hosting Kebab Week.  I picked out a Madhur Jaffrey kebab recipe but didn't want to serve them on naan as suggested.  The Husband has been low carbing it since October.

I needed something besides a plate of kebabs, lettuce, and onion.

Enter Fresh Red Chutney w/ Almonds (Lal Chutney) made with red bell pepper, mint, lemon juice, and almonds (in my case pecans).

This chutney is definitely "fresh" as the title says.  The raw red pepper, mint, and lemon juice all provide fresh as well as refreshing qualities.  At first I thought mint with red bell pepper might be strange, but it worked well.  I can see why the hamburger kebabs (they'll come around next week) are traditionally served with the Fresh Red Chutney.  The bright, crisp components of the chutney balanced out the spicy, heavy beef.

I really liked this whole plate and would make both the chutney and the kebabs again.  The chutney would also work well with grilled steak, chicken, pork, and fish.

Recipe Box Linky @ Bizzy Bakes

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Fresh Red Chutney w/ Almonds (Lal Chutney)
from Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking


1/2 of a red bell pepper, deseeded and coarsely chopped
20 large mint leaves, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt (added to taste, used less)
fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp blanched, slivered almonds (Used pecans)
1 tsp dill, chopped (optional) (I skipped)

 Blend red pepper, mint, lemon juice, garlic, chili powder, salt and
 black pepper. Blend until smooth. Add nuts and blend again. Pour into
 bowl and check seasoning. Add dill if you wish.

IHCC: Meat Free But Flavorful

We're doing meatless at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week.

My pick was a type of dish I like to make on a Sunday afternoon for my lunch during the week.

This rice pilaf, based on Madhur Jaffrey's Rice Pilaf w/ Almonds and Raisins, makes a large amount.  I used some as a bed for for Silken Chicken

and the rest as a meatless lunch for a couple of days.

The recipe starts by sizzling a cinnamon stick oil, setting up a flavorful base for cooking the rice.

One of the reasons I like to cook dishes like this is that they make it easy to use straggler ingredients.  The little chunk of ginger leftover from another Jaffrey recipe.  The lone carrot in the fridge.  Pistachios and dried cranberries from the pantry.  Green onion from the garden.

All cooked along with basmati rice to make a colorful, sweet and savory, healthy dish.




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*The original recipe can be found here.

Rice Pilaf w/ Pistachios and Cranberries
based on Madhur Jaffrey's Rice Pilaf w/ Almonds and Raisins

2 c basmati rice
2 Tbsp olive oil
one 2" cinnamon stick
1 small onion, sliced into thin half rings
1 tsp chopped fresh ginger
1 carrot, sliced
3 Tbsp coarsely chopped pistachios, reserve 1 Tbsp for garnish
3 Tbsp coarsely chopped dried cranberries, reserve 1 Tbsp for garnish
1 tsp salt
2 2/3 c water
2 green onions, chopped (green and white parts)

Add the oil to a pan with a tight fitting lid.  Heat over med-high.  Add the cinnamon stick to the hot oil and let it sizzle for about 10 seconds.  Add the onions, ginger, and carrot.  Stir fry until the onions start to brown a little.  Add the pistachios and cranberries and stir for a few seconds.  Stir in the rice and salt and stir fry until the rice is opaque.  Add the water and bring to a boil.  Cover and lower heat to low.  Cook for about 25 minutes.

Fluff rice with a fork and gently mix in the green onion.  Sprinkle the top with the reserved pistachios and cranberries and serve.

IHCC: February Potluck

It's potluck time again at I Heart Cooking Clubs.

Even though we've been eating a lot of chicken and I just made an Indian chicken dish not long ago, I couldn't pass up a recipe titled "Silken Chicken."

Could you?

The chicken in this dish is marinated in cream and spices like garam masala, cumin, ginger, and garlic.

While the chicken was "ok," we liked the Chicken Breasts Baked w/ Green Chiles and Onions much, much more.  If we hadn't had that one, I think the Silken Chicken would have had scored higher points.  But it was hard not to compare the two.

A printable version of Madhur Jaffrey's Silken Chicken can be found at epicurious.com

Visit I Heart Cooking Clubs for a potluck with Madhur Jaffrey.

IHCC: Give Me Comfort

Cream sauces.  I could drink them out of giant mugs.  That's my kinda cup-o-soup.  My kinda comfort.

Even though the cream sauce in Madhur Jaffrey's Chicken Breasts Baked with Green Chilies and Onion doesn't getting billing in the title, I'd ladle it into the biggest mug I could find.

I'm not saying I licked my plate.  But fingers were swiped across it.  And they were licked.

In private, of course.  I know how to be respectable.

Seriously.  This was insane.  So many flavors coming together in just the right way.  The ingredient list looks long.  There are a lot of spices going into the pan.  But that's what makes it so damn good.

Good enough for company.  Good enough to make it to my top 5 Madhur Jaffrey recipes.

There are several steps and if there was ever a time for mise en place this is exactly that time.  Sounds fussy, but it earns the right to be as fussy as it wants.


Visit I Heart Cooking Clubs for more Comfort Food from Madhur Jaffrey


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Side note:
This recipe calls for 2 Tbsp of tomato paste.  If you don't buy your tomato paste in those squeezy tubes, it's kind of a pain to deal with the rest of a can.  Scoop it out by tablespoons onto a waxed paper lined small cookie sheet (or directly onto a small cookie sheet).  Pop in the freezer until frozen.  Remove from the waxed paper or pan and store in a freezer bag.  No waste and now any time you need some silly amount like 1 Tbsp or 2, you have a stash.

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Chicken Breasts Baked with Green Chilies and Onion
from Quick & Easy Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey

For the sauce
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garam masala
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/8-1/4 cayenne pepper
1 cup cream

For the curry
4 boned, skinned chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
2" piece cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods, cracked open
6 cloves
1 medium onion, cut into fine half-rings
1" piece fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into fine slices, then into fine strips
1-3 hot green chilies, cut at a diagonal into fine strips, do not remove the seeds
½ tsp black or yellow mustard seeds
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
cooked basmati rice, to serve

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Put the tomato paste in a bowl, add one tablespoon of water, and mix.  Add all the remaining sauce ingredients, in the order listed, mixing as you go.

Salt and pepper the chicken pieces generously on both sides.

Put three tablespoons of the oil in a non-stick frying pan and set over a high heat.  When hot, put in the cinnamon, cracked cardamom pods and cloves.  Ten seconds later, put the chicken pieces in a single layer  and brown them lightly on both sides.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place in an ovenproof dish in a single layer.

Add the onions, ginger, and green chilies into the oil that remains in the frying pan.  Stir and fry them until they are light brown in color.  Remove with a slotted spoon and spread evenly over the chicken pieces.

Add the last tablespoon of oil to the pan and let it heat. Put in the mustard seeds. As soon as they pop - just seconds - put in garlic and stir.  As soon as it starts to brown, pour in the sauce.  As soon as the sauce heats up and starts bubbling, pour it over and around the chicken without displacing the onions.  Place the dish in oven, uncovered, and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove and discard the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and whole cloves.  Serve immediately.