Saffron/Almond Curry, Suma's Rajma - Aloo Masala, & Sri's Sambhar

Here is a recipe I adapted from Neelam Batra's 1,000 Indian Recipes... I think this has a very simple flavor, very mild but quite tasty!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• one small red onion, chopped
• 3 green chilies, chopped with seeds
• 1/4 cup ground raw almonds
• 1 teaspoon ground kalonji
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground green cardamam seeds
• salt to taste
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 2 tablespoons milk or cream
• 1 teaspoon dried mint leaves
• black pepper, to taste

Method:

In a large bowl, mix together yogurt, oil, onion, green chilies, almonds, kalongi, garam masala, ginger, cardamom, and salt. Add chicken and mix well. cover and marinate 4 - 24 hours.

When ready to cook, in a small, mix the saffron and milk and set aside 30 minutes. Place the chicken and all the marinade in a non-stick skillet, cover, and cook, over medium heat, about five minutes... Stir this once or twice. Uncover, reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook, stirring every so often, until chicken is tender.

Reduce heat to low, add the saffron-milk and mint leaves. Cover again and cook another five minutes. Sprinkle black pepper on top and serve.


Now, to share another blogger's recipe that my daughter really loved... Suma's Rajma- Aloo Masala was nice and simple and reminded me of something I would have eaten as a kid, with different spices and flavors. It is one of those nice leftover recipes, that you make one day and can eat from for 2 or 3 days happily. Each day, I just made a different bread, and one day with rice and that created enough variation that we never got bored.

And, of course, I had to make my bf's sambhar... and it was so so good! Another nice recipe to have a round for a few days, which never gets boring! He had to keep asking me over and over what I thought and if I liked it... Men are boys forever and need constant reassurance ;)