Your favorite ETHNIC recipe

Kelowna · October 18, 2010, 2:05pm

Recently I have cooked an indian dish that my family was simply blown away with.
It was simple enough but gave us a feeling of going to an ethnic restaurant.
I am looking for more ideas for bringing “far away” tastes to my table.
If you know any good ones, please share.
Here is mine. It comes from Eating Well magazine.

Quick Chicken Tikka Masala

4 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 lb. chicken tenders
4 tsp. canola oil (I used olive), divided
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet onion, diced
4 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 28 oz. can plum tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

<ol>
<li>Stir together garam masala, salt and turmeric in a small dish. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 tsp. of the spice mixture and dredge in the flour (reserve the remaining spice mix and 1 tbs. of flour.)</li>
<li>Heat 2 tsp. of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned, 1-2 min. per side. Transfer to a plate.</li>
<li>Heat the remaining 2 tsp. of oil in the pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic, onion and ginger and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, 5-7 minutes. Add the reserved spice mix and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 sec. to 1 min. Sprinkle with the reserved 1 tbs. of flour and stir until coated. Add tomatoes and their juice, bring to a simmer, stirring and breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring often, until thickened and the onion is tender, 3 to 5 minutes.</li>
<li>Stir in cream. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.</li>
</ol>

I served it over rice. It was delicious :)

interesteddad · October 18, 2010, 2:39pm

Oohh, thank you. You just inspired me to make a batch of my lamb vindaloo. Haven’t had it in a long time.

mathmom · October 18, 2010, 4:34pm

I’ve gone on a North Africa jag recently. Lamb tangine is great. This one is good: <a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/magazine/11food-t-002.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/magazine/11food-t-002.html</a> though I also cook one with apricots (probably in Bittman’s Best Recipes book.)

This salad is delicious and so simple: <a href=“Recipe Redux: Spicy Orange Salad, Moroccan Style, 1980 - The New York Times”>Recipe Redux: Spicy Orange Salad, Moroccan Style, 1980 - The New York Times;

Moroccan Salad
The ingredient list:
3 large seedless oranges
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red-wine or sherry vinegar
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup chopped parsley
12 pitted black olives, preferably imported Greek or Italian.

And all you have to do is peel the oranges, cut the wedges in half and mix the ingredients. The longer it sits the better it is.

momofthreeboys · October 18, 2010, 8:01pm

Wowser…that one has just been committed to memory. My husband will love that orange salad!!

BunsenBurner · October 19, 2010, 2:15am

Ukrainian borscht is my favorite “ethnic” food. However, the way I prepare it does not count as a real “ethnic recipe”, because the real borscht calls for “shkvarki”. You do not want to know how disgusing this thing is. I use olive oil and lean meats to make my borscht :)

[yummy</a> shkvarki! - NOT!!](<a href=“http://www.featurepics.com/online/Fat-Sputtering-Frying-Pan-1620217.aspx]yummy”>http://www.featurepics.com/online/Fat-Sputtering-Frying-Pan-1620217.aspx)

:) Makes me wonder what percentage of the so-called “ethnic” recipes we use in the US have been americanized to accomodate our tastes and availability of ingredients.

cupcake · October 19, 2010, 4:11am

Happens everywhere. Anyone who has been to Italy knows that Italian pizza is very different to American pizza (and fast food companies in Europe sell “American style” pizza and “Italian Style” - that is thinner and more crispy - on the same menu).

But the first post is actually a classic example of this. Chicken Tikka isn’t very common in India (apart from inrestaurants catering exclusively to tourists, usually hotels in my limited experience). It’s not even certain that it was invented there. But it’s very popular in the UK, and in Indian restaurants around the world outside India.

[Chicken</a> tikka masala - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tikka_masala]Chicken”>Chicken tikka masala - Wikipedia)

interesteddad · October 19, 2010, 11:08am

Same thing with General Tsao’s Chicken. There’s no such dish in China.

It works both ways. Pork Tonkatsu is served in nearly all casual-dining restaurants in Japan and bottle Tonkatsu Sauce is as common as ketchup here. This is not, however, a traditional Japanese dish whatsoever. It was brought to Japan by US military troops after WWII as the familiar midwestern specialty – fried breaded pork cutlet with catsup. Japanese cooks used local ingredients and the dish evolved to a pork (“ton”) cutlet (“katsu”) coated in egg wash and panko bread crumbs and deep fried. Tonkatsu Sauce was a japanese interpretation of ketchup.

worknprogress2 · October 19, 2010, 11:26am

This is probably not authentic - but it is always a big hit when I serve it to others

Indian Lentil Soup
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tab. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. tumeric
¼ tsp cayenne
2 cups red lentils, picked over & rinsed (don’t rinse until you are ready to use)
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
8 cups water
35 oz. can chopped tomatoes (I use two smaller cans no-salt Delmonte)
1 cup chopped carrots
1 ½ cups chopped potatoes

Cook onions and garlic in very small amount of canola oil until they are soft (about 15 minutes). Stir in spices and allow to release oils.
Add lentils and water and bring to a boil
Reduce heat, simmer – partially covered 15 minutes
Add potatoes, tomatoes and carrots.
Simmer until vegetables are tender – about 20 minutes
Garnish with parsley or coriander

1moremom · October 19, 2010, 11:45am

Does anyone have a biryani recipe that’s especially good?

northeastmom · October 19, 2010, 11:53am

worknprogress, that sounds so good! Yumm!

anon94785555 · October 19, 2010, 12:10pm

The above lentil soup is just as authentic as any other. Recipes I am familiar with would do twice as much coriander as cumin or equal amounts of both.

I married a North Indian and have been cooking some Indian foods for 25 years. Of course I have modified recipes found in books- all cooks do. Basic flavoring ingredients used in Gujarati cooking include salt, red (cayenne) pepper, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, garam masala (a mix of hot spices- different brands vary), hing (asafoetida), fennel, cinnamon, cloves and cilantro (I dislike it and substitute parsley), also onions. So many dishes use the same basic half dozen spices. Root vegetables are not used by strict Jains but by other vegetarians. Carrots not as common.

My favorite vegetable dish (and usually more than one vegetable used at a time, potatoes used as a vegetable, not a starch) is cauliflower with potatoes and tomatoes. I modify recipes to make them easiest to prepare- cookbooks tend to ignore microwave ovens.

Lentils are just one of many dals- beans. Others I cooked often (empty nesters now and far less cooking done) include mung (green) dal, split mung dal, toor dal and chana dal (chick peas).

Another favorite ethnic dish- I can no longer have- is my aunt’s homemade fresh kielbasa. Most of the stuff in stores is horrible. Unfortunately both of my parents came from bland food cultures so salt and pepper plus garlic were the basic seasonings growing up.

I really like fusion cooking- taking combinations from different cultures. Using Indian spices as a fish coating, for example.

Here’s a sweet recipe- SRIKAND (also shrikhand)- I lost my copy so this is from memory.

1 32 oz container plain yougurt (I use fat free)
1 cup sugar- or 1/2?
1 tsp ground cardamom (?- more or less)
a few threads of saffron for color

Drain the yogurt in cheesecloth (or a thin dishtowel/paper towel) in a strainer set over a bowl overnight in the refrigerator- you want as much liquid out as possible.

Stir in sugar and cardamom to taste. Stir in the saffron for color. Adding the sugar thins out the mixture so the drier the yogurt the better. Keep refrigerated, serve cold.

This is served with the main meal, or by itself. It is rich. This recipe is from my inlaws. A book recipe calls for 8 cups of yogurt, one cup of sugar, whole cardamom seeds, pistachio nuts and nutmeg plus optional rose water.

musicamusica · October 19, 2010, 12:26pm

I like making B’stilla with turkey rather than the traditional squab.

<pre><code>* 1/8 cup blanched almonds

1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
</code></pre>

For filling

<pre><code>* 4 garlic cloves

1 cup packed fresh cilantro sprigs
1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves
1 large onion
1 3/4 cups chicken broth (14 fluid ounces)
1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1 pound lean ground turkey
5 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ras el hanout
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh gingerroot
3/4 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
four 17- by 12-inch phyllo sheets
3 tablespoons fine dry bread crumbs
</code></pre>

Make filling:
Mince garlic. Chop cilantro and mint. Chop enough onion to measure 1 1/2 cups.

In a large saucepan bring broth to a boil and remove pan from heat. Stir in saffron and steep 10 minutes. Add turkey and simmer mixture, stirring and breaking up lumps, 2 minutes, or until meat is just cooked through. In a large sieve set over a bowl drain turkey mixture and return drained cooking liquid to pan. Transfer turkey mixture to a large bowl. Boil cooking liquid until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Transfer 1/4 cup liquid to a small bowl and reserve. Reduce heat to moderate and add whites in a stream to liquid remaining in pan, whisking. Cook mixture, whisking, until whites are opaque, about 2 minutes. Add egg mixture to turkey mixture and stir until combined. In a non-stick skillet heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook onion, stirring, until golden. Add ras el hanout, flour, gingerroot, and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add reserved cooking liquid and boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Add mixture to turkey with raisins, lemon juice, cilantro, and mint, stirring until combined well. Cool filling completely. Filling may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Stack phyllo sheets on a work surface and cover stack with overlapping sheets of plastic wrap and then a dampened kitchen towel. Working quickly (phyllo dries out easily), arrange 1 phyllo sheet in a 9-inch glass pie plate, letting edges hang over. Sprinkle bottom with 2 teaspoons almond sugar and 1 tablespoon bread crumbs. Repeat layering 2 more times, arranging each phyllo sheet in a different position to create an even overhang all around. Top with remaining phyllo sheet and spoon filling evenly into shell. Sprinkle filling with 2 teaspoons almond sugar and carefully fold overhanging phyllo over top of filling to enclose it completely (phyllo will be very brittle; don’t worry if it breaks). Sprinkle remaining almond sugar over top. Bake pie in lower third of oven 25 minutes (top will be golden brown in places). Dust with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

worknprogress2 · October 19, 2010, 2:55pm

Wis75 - Do cooks from North India use ghee? We have an Indian restaurant where I live and I think they use a lot of clarified butter in their recipes. I use no butter in my cooking and so their entrees taste too rich to me. Recently, however, while visiting my daughter at school, we went to an Indian restaurant and the dishes were wonderful. So I am wondering if the cooking differs by region?

As for the recipe I posted - those amounts were provided in Vegetarian Times. I rarely use measuring spoons - so it is highly doubtful that what I put in from time to time stays constant or matches the recipe

It is why I rarely bake.

Piggle · October 19, 2010, 2:57pm

Basmati rice 2 cups
Chicken 3 lbs (1 1/2 kg)
Chilly powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder 1 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon( 10 pieces
Cloves 10 
Cardamom- 8
Ginger 1" piece
Garlic pods - 8
Mint leaves 2-3 stems
Coriander leaves - 2-3 stems
Cashews - 20
Raisins - 15
Oil/Butter - As reqd
Curd 3 tsp
Rose essence 1 tsp ( not essential )

Onion(big) 3
Tomato - 3
Green chilies - 2-3 nos
Oil for frying

For marinating:-
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - A little
Black pepper - A little
Garlic-ginger paste - 1/2 tsp ( grind the garlic , ginger together )
Masala powder - A little for taste (not essential .Cinnamon-Cardamom-Cloves powder or Biriyani masala powder from Indian stores)
Lemon juice - 5-6 drops

) Soak rice in water and keep for an hour. Drain water from rice and keep it aside.

2) Cut the chicken into big pieces (2 inches piece).
Dont need to cut chicken if you are using Chicken leg pieces. Just make some slits on the piece, so that masala will go in.

3) Mix together all the ingredients for marinating the chicken.

4) Marinate the chicken with the above paste for approximately an hour. (You can do/prep this previous day and refrigerate it)

5) Fry this in oil.
Dont fry the chicken pieces for long time. Otherwise, it will become very dry and hard. 6)

6)Heat 2 - 3 tsp of oil in a thick bottom vessel.

7) Add 3 - 4 pieces of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and stir for a while.

8) Add the drained rice into it and fry for about 10 minutes.

9) Add water.For 1 cup of rice, add 1 3/4 cups of water.
10) Turn the flame to high and cover with a lid.

11) After a while, when water is not visible on top of the rice, open the lid and mix the rice since the rice at the bottom can get burnt.

12) After all the water has evapoated. When the rice is cooked, switch off the stove and keep it closed for about 30 minutes. It is okay to switch off the stove even before the rice is completely cooked. Because it will get some cook time while baking.

14) Heat little oil or butter or both together in a pan.

15) add 1/2 tsp of ginger-garlic paste and cut green chilies and sauté` for sometime.

16) Add onions and sauté` well.

17) When it is done, add chilly powder, coriander powder, a little turmeric powder, a little black pepper, a little masala powder (if using) and salt and sauté again.

18) Add curd and mix it well.

19) Add fried chicken pieces to it.

20) Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

21) Add big pieces of tomatoes cover and cook.
Stir in between. The gravy will become like a paste. It should not be dry or watery.Check salt and add more, if needed.

22) Fry raisins, cashews, coriander and mint leaves etc in oil and keep aside.
If you want to reduce amount of oil used, dont do this step. Instead, add cashews, raisins and leaves for baking as given in the next step, without frying in ghee.

23) For baking biriyani: -
:-

Take a big flat dish.
(You can use Aluminum foil pan too)
Coat it with butter or oil

3) Put the chicken with gravy as a layer followed by a layer of rice (use half portion of cooked rice).

4) Mix rose essence and sprinkle on top of the rice with a spoon carefully.

5) Put 1 tsp of butter or oil on top of it.

6) Sprinkle the fried mint leaves &the fried cashews and raisins on top of it and cover with aluminum foil.

8) Bake this in the oven at 375F for about 35- 40 minutes.

Use the same quantity of meat / lamb instead of chicken to make meat/ lamb Biriyani with the same recipe.
This is the traditional south Indian ( Kerala style ) receipe - from my grandma

1moremom · October 19, 2010, 3:21pm

Thanks, Piggle! What is “curd”?

Piggle · October 19, 2010, 3:28pm

Oh, I forgot to translate that ( My gran wrote this down for my mother who was a novice cook when she moved to US. she used Indian terms ). Curd is plain yougurt

1moremom · October 19, 2010, 3:36pm

That’s easier than I expected!

Treetopleaf · October 19, 2010, 8:08pm

wis75, have you ever tried the Indian spice blends from Penzy’s? Just wondering how they rate in your husband’s eyes.

Treetopleaf · October 19, 2010, 8:15pm

Here is my ethnic offering - a Hungarian pork stew recipe that we just love. I’ve enriched it a bit by increasing the sour cream and paprika I probably use even more sour cream than specified below, tasting as I go, and I usually skip the buttermilk, or substitute kefir - so if you want something less rich, feel free to make that change.

Pork Sauerkraut Goulash (Szekely Gulyas)

3 lbs. sauerkraut, preferably fresh or in a plastic package
3 Tb. buttermilk
1 cup sour cream
2 lbs. pork shoulder, pork roast or pork tenderloin
2 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, crushed (= 1 tea.), or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
3 Tb. oil
1 1/2 tea salt
1 Tb. imported Hungarian paprika (no substitute!)
1/2 tea caraway seed, crushed with the back of a spoon

Rinse the sauerkraut. If it still tastes briny, rinse a second time. Set aside in a strainer.
Blend the buttermilk into the sour cream and set aside.
Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes. In a 3 quart flameproof casserole, brown the meat lightly (medium heat) on all sides. Remove the meat to a side dish. Pour off rendered pork fat if desired.
Add oil to flameproof casserole and saute the onions until they turn translucent. Add garlic and saute for another minute. Pour 1/2 cup of water into the pan and scrape up the juices, then when water is evaporated, return the meat to the pan and stir in the paprika and caraway seeds. Saute together, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes aromatic, about 2 minutes. Stir to remove sticky bits from pan bottom. *
Spread the strained sauerkraut over the meat mixture. Pour in enough water to barely cover the kraut, put the lid on, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until the meat and kraut are tender. Add more water during the cooking period to keep the gulyas barely covered with sauce. When done, remove from heat and let cool. Mix 2 Tb. of sauce into the sour cream, then slowly stir the mixture back into the pot. Taste and correct the seasoning. Add salt to taste. Bring back to the summer. Gulyas may be served directly from the pot or from a deep bowl. Serve with crusty bread or boiled potatoes.

<ul>
<li>Note: You can saute onions and garlic in a separate pan to speed up preparation. When meat is browned, add onions and then spices and saute together.</li>
</ul>

Adapted from The Hungarian Cookbook by Susan Dereczkey

Piggle · October 19, 2010, 8:24pm

Piggle’s mom replying-
In north India indian cooking , they use lots of ghee( clarified butter) -.
In south India we mainly use coconut oil, sesame oil or sunflower oil. After coming to US, I make most of south indian dishes with canola oil.For some of the dishes , the sesame oil ( you can try peanut oil too ) give a special flavor.We use lots of coconut milk to thicken south indian dishes .

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