Fatima's Fabulous Kitchen

I don't eat to live. I live to eat.

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Kadhai Chicken

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I strongly believe that every  brown guy and every brown girl should have a good Indian chicken curry recipe on hand. Whether it’s to give your mom a break from the kitchen, get through an excruciating finals week, or impress a crush who just happens to also be a major foodie – a recipe like this one always comes in handy.

A good chicken kadhai is all about balance.

It should have just the right amount of oil – too little and it’s on the bland side; too much and you’re giving your guests a heart attack.

It should have the right amount of spice. Add too much garam masala and it’s unbearably overpowering. Too little …well you might as well have said that a white person made it.

It should have the right amount of sweet and sour. Too much yogurt and your lips are puckering, too little onion and the curry is bitter.

But when you do strike that balance, you get absolute magic.

What makes my version of this specific curry different than other chicken curry recipes is that I don’t use any garlic – just ginger.  Secondly, I sear off the chicken first rather than merely adding it to the gravy. The browning of the chicken adds extra flavor.

I start off by flavoring my oil with some bay leaves and cardamom. After searing down my chicken, I remove the pieces from the pan (I don’t worry about fully cooking it just yet, for now I simply want it to develop some color)  and caramelize my onions and add in pureed tomatoes, chilies,  and the following spices – turmeric, garam masala, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili powder, cumin, coriander.

I then softly stir in some yogurt, add my chicken back in along with some water, and allow it to simmer and cook down. Once the curry thickens, I add in a generous helping of kashuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves.

And that is as simple as it gets. Garnish with some cilantro and julienned ginger. Serve with some hot naan and basmati rice and your in for a real treat!

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Kadhai Chicken

A classic Indian chicken curry recipe consisting of onions, tomatoes, chicken, chilies, yogurt. 

Servings 3 people

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs chicken (bone-in)
  • 4 tbsp oil
  • 2-3 cardamom pods
  • 1-2 bay leaves
  • 1 2/3 cups diced onion (about 1 1/2 medium onions)
  • 1-2 green chilies
  • 1 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
  • 2 tomatoes (pureed)
  • 4 tbsp yogurt
  • 2 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 2 cups water

Powdered Spices

  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 3/4 tsp sichuan peppercorn optional - if you don't have it, you can leave it out
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tbsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

Instructions

  1. Make deep slits into your cleaned and washed chicken pieces. (This desi cooking tip will help the flavors of the curry penetrate the inside of the chicken.) Set aside. 

  2. Add your oil to a wide pan with a heavy bottom on medium-high heat. Toss in your bay leaves and cardamom pods. And cook for about thirty seconds. This will allow it to flavor the oil.

  3. Now add in your chicken and about a 1 tsp of the salt. Let the chicken brown for a few minutes on each side. Once it develops color, remove the pieces from the pan. 

  4. Now add in your onions. Allow them to caramelize (turn dark brown). 

  5. Once your onions have caramelized, add in your ginger. Allow it to cook down until it is no longer raw. 

  6. Then add in all your powdered spices (except the methi, we will add this at the end). Stir for about a minute or so.

  7. Now add in your tomatoes and remaining salt. Make sure they are pureed before you add them in as this will give a smooth texture to your curry. Mix well.

  8. Slowly stir in the yogurt. 

  9. Now add your chicken back into the pan along with your water. Allow the mixture to cook down and the curry to thicken. 

  10. Once the curry has thickened to your desired consistency, crush the kasuri methi in your hand and add it to the curry. Mix well. Taste and adjust for seasonings. 

  11. Garnish with fresh cilantro and ginger. Serve with naan or basmati rice. 

Spiced Butternut Squash and Orzo Soup

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Alright I’ve got a wonderful recipe for all your soup-lovers! Hearty and healthy, sweet and warm, thick and smooth – this spiced butternut squash and orzo soup is the perfect concoction for a cloudy October day, especially if you’re watching your calories.

To start this soup off, I chop and cube up a butternut squash. With its sweetness and versatility it’s one of my absolutely favorite seasonal vegetables and its vibrant orange color certainly a show-stopper in this soup.

I also use leeks, carrots, and kale. All autumn vibes. All good stuff that’s nutritious and guilt-free.  

For starch, I add in a nice serving of orzo. Now, orzo looks like rice but is actually made of semolina flour – and dare I say it, orzo in a soup tastes even better than rice in a soup. I used a brown whole wheat version which makes me feel even better about eating it from a health-wise perspective, cause you know complex carbs are better than simple carbs and all. But you can use whatever you like!

As for stock, I use concentrated vegetable stock that comes in the jar – I prefer this  product because I think it tastes a lot better than boillion cubes and the stock that comes in big boxes. Plus with this method, you can control how much flavor and salt goes into your soup – not to mention, it will last in your fridge for several months!

Many people complain that vegetable soups are bland – but this soup has a secret ingredient which elevates it into another realm – a heaping tablespoon of garam masala. The warmth of cinnamon, cloves, cumin, nutmeg, and all the other spices in your mix brings out tremendous depth and works amazingly with fall vegetables.

And there you have it! A healthy and comforting vegetable soup spiced with Indian flavors. Save your run to Panera and make this soup at home instead. You won’t regret it.

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Spiced Butternut Squash and Orzo Soup

A hearty fall soup consisting of butternut squash, leeks, carrots, kale, orzo, and seasoned with garam masala - a warm Indian blend of spices. 

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  • 6 cups butternut squash cubed equivalent to 1 squash
  • 1 cup leek about 1/2 a leek
  • 1 cup carrot
  • 1 1/2 cup kale
  • 2/3 cup orzo
  • 3 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp concentrated vegetable stock paste (will be added to water to make stock) can substitute with 4-5 cups vegetable stock
  • 7 cups water (or to taste, depending on how thick you want your soup to be)
  • salt or to taste
  • 2 Tbsp garam masala
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  1. Chop up your vegetables - butternut squash, leeks, carrots, and kale. Set aside.

  2. In a large soup pot on medium-high heat, add in your olive oil.

  3. Now add in your vegetables. Stir and cook for a few minutes. Add in the salt and bay leaf. (Do not cook all the way through.)

  4. Add in your orzo. Stir. Now add in your vegetable stock paste along with the water. 

  5. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-low heat. 

  6. Stir in your garam masala, black pepper. Taste and adjust for salt. Your soup is ready! Serve with crusty bread. 

Ghosht Achaar

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Every South Asian household will have a jar of achaar sitting at the table – it’s an essential condiment that can transform even the plainest meals into something vibrant and tasty.

Achaar can come in all different varieties – lemon, mango, tomato, fish, and even as showcased here –  ghosht (mutton).

Achaar is basically a pickle – every culture has its own way of preserving and the Indian version is filled with yep you guessed it – lots and lots of spices.

To make this particular achaar, I start off by combining boneless lamb (you can use beef if you’d like) with lots of chopped garlic, salt, and turmeric. I tenderize it in a pressure cooker and then fry it in some oil afterwards until nice and caramelized.

 

Afterwards, I do the baghaar,  tempering of aromatics in oil. I take mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, fenugreek seeds, dried chilies, nigella seeds, and sliced garlic and toast them in oil until they are nice and toasty. This step creates a wonderful aroma and brings about tremendous flavor to the achaar that you can’t get solely from mixing in spices.

I then let the mixture cool (a pro-tip from my mom who says that if you add in spices in hot oil, they will darken and your achaar will not have a lovely red color) and then add in my remaining spices – powdered ajwan, fennel, coriander, and chili powder.

To balance out the heat, I add in lots of freshly squeezed lime juice.

And that’s literally it. You can store this in an air-tight jar and keep it at room temperature for about a week or in the fridge for a month. The salt, acidity, and spices prevent the achaar from spoiling.

 

Achaar is traditionally served with the main meal on the side with roti or rice. If you want to do something more fun, you can use it as a spice paste and toss some in noodles or make a killer fried rice!

 

 

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Ghosht Achaar

A spicy Indian condiment made out of lamb pieces pickled in several spices and aromatics

Servings 1 medium jar

Ingredients

  • 1 lb lamb or beef (boneless, cut into small pieces)
  • 1/4 cup garlic (chopped)
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tbsp salt (yes, you do need a lot salt for achaar!)
  • 5 tsp oil
  • 4-5 limes (or to taste)

Baghaar (Tempering)

  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 5-6 dried red chilies
  • 4 cloves garlic (sliced)
  • 1 pinch asoefitida (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp methi (fenugreek seeds)
  • 1/2 tsp nigella (kalonji seeds)

More Spices

  • 1 tsp fennel powder
  • 1 tsp ajwan powder
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder

Instructions

  1. Combine your lamb, garlic, turmeric, and salt. Add to a pressure cooker with a few tablespoons of water.

  2. Fit the lid on the pressure cooker and allow the lamb to cook until tenderized (should take about 6-8 whistles). 

  3. Remove the pressure cooker off the heat and allow it to cool. Once at room temperature, remove the lid. (Do not attempt to open it while still piping hot!)

  4. Add the meat to a hot frying pan (along with your 5 tsp of oil) and allow meat to cook until brown.

  5. Add in the juice of about 4-5 limes to your lamb, depending on how acidic you want your achaar to be. 

  6. Now work on the baghaar (tempering). Add the 1/3 cup of oil to a small hot pan. First add in your cumin seeds and mustard seeds.

  7. Once they start to pop, add in your methi (fenugreek seeds), garlic, curry leaves, nigella seeds, and dried chilies. Keep an eye on everything and make sure nothing burns! The whole process should take only a few minutes. Once everything is browned (but not black!), remove from heat immediately and transfer to the lamb. Combine.

  8. Now allow the mixture to cool. Then add in the remaining spices - ajwan, fennel, coriander. (The reason why you must let it cool is because if you add the spices to hot oil, they will turn black and your achaar will not have a lovely red color). Taste and adjust for seasoning. Remember achaar is supposed to be eaten in small increments so it's supposed to be super salty, spicy, and sour!

  9. Transfer to a clean, dry jar with a tight-fitting lid. You may store your achaar at room temperature for a week or in the fridge for 1 month.