I have a confession to make….I have a weak spot for Indian food. I love spicy food and the flavors are just out of this world. I can’t get enough of it. So recently I decided to check out a restaurant that was recommended to me as being top of the line authentic.
When I went into the restaurant, the authenticity was immediately confirmed as I was the only white person there, a good sign in my book! I placed my order for way too much food: samosas, a dosa, chicken tikka masala, and chicken biryani. Everything was going great until I got to the biryani. When it came out I was so excited, it looked incredible, very colorful! I am still somewhat of an Indian food newbie and I was surprised to see that the biryani had the greenest green beans I’ve ever seen in it. They looked so fresh so I decided they would be my first bite….only they weren’t green beans.
(source)
I ate those. I am convinced they are the spiciest peppers in the world. THE WORLD! And the peppers didn’t have the stems on them (like they’re pictured) so you could see how I would think it would be a green bean, right? RIGHT?! Ugh. Well after a few bites I knew I was very sadly mistaken and had to spit it out. I thought I was okay, but my body said otherwise. Tears started pouring out of my eyes. I couldn’t control it. I was suddenly focused on not dying. I started eating forkful after forkful of yogurt sauce like a mad woman trying to neutralize the inferno that was my mouth. I tried to pull it together, but oh man guys, crying and suddenly downing glasses of water in a frenzy makes it hard to look cool. Not to mention, snot was spilling out of my nose. Everything just flies out the window when you eat one of those suckers. When I felt like I could start breathing again, I paid and left. Then on the way home, I stopped and got a milkshake. I downed it. It just didn’t stand a chance. I have no shame. So where is she going with this? Well, friends, I think I’m sticking to making homemade Indian food for now. You know, so I can control the ingredients, and not slip green bean-like peppers into unsuspecting guest’s dinners. When I get a craving for Indian, now I make this:
Promise You Won’t Cry Chicken Curry:
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion
2 tablespoons garlic
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon grated ginger root
½ teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup plain yogurt
¾ cup coconut milk
½ lemon juiced
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
chopped chicken breast
salt and pepper
Heat the curry, paprika, and cinnamon in a pot over a medium heat without any of the other ingredients for about 3 minutes. I know this sounds a little strange, but you do this first to bring out an extra spicy flavor from your curry. If you prefer a more mild dish, skip this step and just add the spices in later. Sauté your onion in oil and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add chicken, ginger, tomato paste, yogurt, bay leaf, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, add lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 5 more minutes. I served it with yellow Mexican rice, but you could serve it with brown rice or quinoa too. I just used what I had in the pantry.
You don’t have to feel bad about eating this dish either, it’s chicken! Nice lean protein with lots of spices. Also, did you know that capsaicin (the spicy compound in cayenne peppers) acts as an antioxidant and that it may help to lower your cholesterol and blood glucose levels? You can read more about that here! So there’s benefits to eating a spicy dish like this for that reason too!
Thoughts??
What your favorite type of ethnic food?
Have you ever eaten something by mistake before? (Come on someone please share an embarrassing story so I feel better)
What did you do this weekend?
Her Happy Balance 