Otterkitch

  Chicken Makhani, made either with tikkas -- derived from the Hindi word tukra  and meaning pieces -- or quarters of chicken, is the most popular dish in Indian restaurants both in India and overseas. It is essentially a restaurant and not a homestyle dish, because there are no tandoors in Indian domestic kitchen, and this dish consists of tandoor-cooked chicken in a sauce. However, since the dish is so popular, many would like tor recreate it at home, and I give a simplified way to do so here, cooking the chicken in a skillet. Alternatively, it is possible to roast a whole small chicken, marinating it first, then quartering and adding the juices from the roasting pan into the makhani  sauce. Butter chicken originated in the 1950s at the Moti Mahal restaurant in Delhi where they made the sauce by adding butter and tomato to the leftover chicken juices in the marinade trays from which they used to sell hundreds of portions of Tandoori Chicken every day. Notes If butter is...

Punjab is home to an earthy cuisine. The fields are full of wheat, rice, corn, mustard, tomatoes and other wonderful vegetables which the people cook well and almost always douse with homemade butter. And they love their chicken and mutton too! This is a homestyle dish, also often found in restaurants, and is best eaten with parathas or rotis.  1 1/2 lb lamb 1 large onion, chopped 2 medium tomatoes, chopped 1 tbsp tomato paste 1 inch piece of fresh ginger 2 cloves garlic 1-2 green chiles 1/2 cup plain yoghurt 1/4 tsp cumin powder 7oz spinach leaves or frozen pureed spinach 1/4 cup oil 1 cinnamon or bay leaf 1 black cardamom 1 tsp coriander powder 1/2 tsp cumin powder 2 cloves Pinch of nutmeg powder 1 tsp salt 1. Soak the lamb in warm water for 15 minutes. 2. Puree the ginger, garlic, and green chile in a blender or food processor. Whisk the yoghurt and add to the puree along with the cumin powder. 3. Marinate the lamb in the puree for at least 1 hour, longer if possible. In the mea...

1lb 2oz cauliflower 3/4 tsp cumin seeds 3 tbsp oil 1-2 tbsp grated ginger Pinch of red chile powder 1/4 tsp cumin Pinch of garam masala Salt 1. Cut the cauliflower into florets. Grind the cumin seeds. 2. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the ginger for 30 seconds, then add the cumin seeds, chile, cumin, fry for 10 seconds more. Add the cauliflower and salt. 3. Add the garam masala and stir well. Cover with a lid and cook over low heat until the cauliflower is tender to taste. Serve immediately.

1 lb potatoes, sliced 1/2" thick 2 medium onions 2oz fresh grated coconut (optional) 3-4 green chiles (optional) 2 cloves garlic 1/2" piece fresh ginger 1 1/2 tsp coriander 1 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp turmeric 1 tsp red chile powder 2 tbsp plain yoghurt 2 tbsp oil 1/8 tsp mustard seeds Several curry leaves or 1 tbsp cilantro leaves Salt 1. Puree the onions, coconut, chiles, garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, half the turmeric, and red chile powder with 2 tablespoons of water in a blender or food processor. 2. Boil the potatoes with the remaining turmeric powder and salt to taste. When the potatoes are 75% done, drain and cool. 3. Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the curry or cilantro leaves, followed by the pureed spices. Fry for 5-10 minutes, stirring periodically. 4. Whisk the yoghurt and add to the pan, mix well. Season with salt and add 1/2 cup water (or a little less as desired). Add the potato slices and cook over low heat until done (about 15 ...