Not only is being part of the SRC fun but I have discovered many new blogs I never knew existed. With time a small wishlist of bloggers has taken form in my mind: blogs I hoped I would be matched with. Finally one of them was assigned to me this time. I got The Novice Housewife, a great blog written by Shamaila. She explains the title of her blog as she is newly wed so novice at being a wife, she now lives in a foreign land where she has to take on the role of being a full time housewife, and she is a novice in Indian cooking.

I adore Indian food and her blog is filled with them, although she has many other kinds of recipes. But she has a themed category: Garam Masala Tuesdays. Being a fan of exotic tastes and spices I have experimented for quite some time with Indian recipes, trying to find more traditional ones. But I never tried one of the basics: Butter Chicken. Her butter chicken recipe is very different from what you get in a restaurant: it is more flavorful, has a stronger tomato base and has a nice spice to it. It was a big hit at the dinner table.

I have to say settling on a recipe was tough. I actually made another recipe from her, a Cherry Clafouti, a French dessert that I served during my raclette dinner party. Blog on that coming soon! But on to the Butter Chicken now!

Ξ Butter Chicken / Murgh Makhani Ξ
adapted from The Novice Housewife

STEP 1: Wash

• 8 medium pieces of chicken, with bones

STEP 2: First marination:

• 1 tsp ginger paste (freshly ground)
• 1 tsp garlic paste (freshly ground)
• Juice of a lime
• salt, to taste

Marinate the chicken with salt to taste, lime juice, ginger and garlic paste for 3-4hrs.

STEP 3: Second marination:

• 2 cups plain yogurt
• 1 tsp fenugreek powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• Red chilli powder, to taste
• 2 tsp vegetable oil

Mix together the second marination ingredients and add to the chicken. Keep it for 4-5 hrs and then bake it in the oven for about 25 min at 375F.

STEP 4: Preparing the makhani sauce:

• 4 medium sized tomatoes
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• 3-4 green chillies, slit lengthwise
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2-3 tbsp peanut butter (optional)
• 3-4 drops liquid smoke (optional, gives the gravy a smoked flavor)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander or to taste

In the mean time cook the tomatoes in a small pan with the ginger and garlic. Then process in a blender. Heat butter in the pan and saute the green chillies in it. Add the tomato puree and peanut butter. Add sauce to the chicken dish along with the marinade and bake another 25 minutes or till chicken done.

You can add some butter and cream once the gravy is cooked to give it a richer taste. Serve the chicken garnished with chopped cilantro with either Naan or rice.

I made quite a few minor changes to the recipe, one of them adding liquid smoke. decribes how to give an authentic smokey flavor on her blog but I was not equipped to do so. But I really wanted to include the smoky flavor. There is this 24 hour bagel shop near where I live that is run by Indians and they also sell Indian dishes to go. All the sauced dishes have this unique smoky taste I never really tasted in restaurants before. It really makes a big difference and after a bit of research I thought a couple of drops of liquid smoke would do the trick. It did so give it a shot.

I found this Baked Almond Feta  recipe on the vegan blog Maple Spice, a new find for me. This is a great addition to a vegan recipe roster. To me almonds excite my sweet taste buds since I mostly use almonds in desserts. But this a savory recipe, a nice change. Spread it on bread slices and if you like drizzle with a flavored oil. This baked almond feta makes for a lovely and different kind of  snack.

Ξ Baked Almond Feta Ξ

1 1/2 cup ground almonds (I used whole almonds and processed, it was a coarser texture )
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Place everything in a food processor or blender and process until very smooth. It may take a few minutes.

Line a small bowl with 3 layers of cheesecloth and spoon the mixture into the cheesecloth. Bring all the sides of the cheesecloth together and tie into a ball with kitchen rope or a rubber band. Place the ball in a strainer over a bowl. Leave to drain in the fridge for about 12 hours. Discard liquid, I had very little.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Lightly grease a small baking dish. Unwrap the cheese from the cloth and transfer to the baking dish. You can free form it, I decided to pat mine down in the dish. Bake for about 40 minutes or until slightly golden and cracked on top and firm to the touch.

Ah Italy, it is one of those countries that influenced me the most in my travels. If I could just pick up and go I would be looking for the best holiday deals right now and fly off to to this enchanting country.

Ξ  Tomato and Meat sauce Ξ

7gr tomato based pasta sauces
1 tbsp olive oil
1 17oz can of tomatoes, whole
1 pd ground beef

In a skillet heat olive oil and spices together for a minute until fragrant. Add ground beef and brown meat well until there is no more pink. Add canned tomatoes, bring to a boil, lower heat and let simmer 20 min. Serve over pasta and sprinkle some freshly shaved Parmesan.

The flavor of the sauce was simple but good. I modified the suggested recipe of 1/4 pd of beef because I like my sauce meaty, and oh boy it was. Happy carnivore.

There are several mixes of the Italian seasoning spices to choose from. I tested the following:

• Seasoning for tomato based pasta sauces: salt, garlic, basil, onion, carrot, parsley, leek, laurel, mint, caper.
• Seasoning for roasted and fried potatoes: Salt, garlic, rosemary, sage, juniper, basil, marjoram, oregano, laurel, coriander, parsley.
• Seasoning for roasted meats grilled chicken: Salt, rosemary, garlic, sage, juniper, laurel, oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil.
• Also available seasoning for oven cooked or Barbequed Fish, Garlic and dry chilli, and for stewed Meat.

The potato seasoning was really excellent and flavorful. I par boiled the potatoes and fried them in a pan with lots of butter. The meat mix I used with a mild sausage that I removed from the casing and browned in a skillet with tons of sliced leeks. I found the sausage mix over salted but I may have used to much seasoning.

I came across this Cardamom flavored pudding on a site that associated it with Indian cuisine. Actually this particular recipe is referred to as an Afghan recipe, called Firnee, but you will find very similar versions in the Indian cuisine (called Phirni or Kheer, made with added rice), Pakistani, Persian or the various Arab cuisines.

Traditionally Firnee is topped wit pistachios but let’s throw caution to the wind and top it with fruit, in this case strawberries.

Ξ Firnee – Cardamom Pudding Ξ
adapted from Sunset

Ingredients:

5 cardamom pods
4 1/4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
10 strawberries
lemon juice and a bit of sugar

Directions:

Crack cardamom pods gently with a rolling pin. Combine with 4 cups milk in a pan; stir occasionally over medium-high heat until milk is boiling, 9 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix sugar, the cornstarch, and the ground cardamom. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup milk. When the milk in pan is boiling, remove from heat and gradually whisk in cornstarch mixture. Return to medium-low heat and stir just until mixture comes to a boil, 3 to 7 minutes.

Pour through a fine strainer set over a bowl; discard residue. Ladle pudding into 6 small bowls or ramekins. Let cool about 10 minutes, then cover and chill until cold and set, at least 1 1/2 hours.

Chop strawberries into small pieces. Place strawberries in a bowl and add a bit of lemon and sugar to them. Mix, cover and chill. Drain the strawberries  if there is liquid. Just before serving, spoon strawberries evenly over puddings.

—————————————

And see how the strawberries match my new couch slipcover? I know very weird segway! But I was asked by the fabulous people at Wayfair to pick an item for review. And they sell everything…and I mean EVERYTHING, yes they even sell kitchen sinks.

So usually I would pick something kitchen related like a small appliance or something but I opted for a sofa slipcover because my 14 year old couch is in a pathetic state. Well the cushions are as I would need to replace the seating foam and have them upholstered in a different material since the current material is ripped.

Partial view of my couch with a young Sati - pic is 3-4 years old

A new couch is not in the financial cards right now and this couch has a lot of significance for me: it is the first big piece of furniture I ever bought as I was planing to move out of my parent’s house. This couch represents my independence. Yeah yeah I am being to sentimental. Anyways I decided to get the  Sure Fit Stretch Sullivan Sofa Slipcover T-Cushion to give my sofa a revamped look for the next little bit it still has to live out.

The product advert pic but same shape as my couch

Now I knew this was going to be a bit of a challenge because I have what is called a T-cushion couch and the back support is pillows which I move all the time. I thought this model would mold well enough to my couch and I could stuff away the extra back material easy enough. It was a bit of a puzzle to put on but eventually I got it. I really like the claret color and the pattern, a real instant decor makeover for the living room. It’s like a stretch velour.

Now that I have been using the slip cover for a while I have mixed feeling about it. This is really not a big deal but every so often you do have to readjust the seems and bit. Overall I am really happy with the functionality. My big problem – and this is not the product’s fault – is that the cover is a cat hair magnet and the hairs gets really tangled up in the weave of the cover making hard to keep fur free. So if you have been on the fence about getting a sofa slipcover I say go for it with the Sure Fit collection…unless you have a furry pet that goes on your furniture.

Moussaka was actually something I discovered first in a Greek restaurant in Montreal, not in Greece. I still remember the first time I ate it and immediately associated as extreme comfort food. Of course I would choose an ethnic dish as comfort food and not something closer to home! Now when I go to a Greek restaurant, if moussaka is on the menu chances are that is what I will order. Warning: moussaka is not the most photogenic food but it is amazing.

One day I came across a recipe for Greek Moussaka. Remember the days when gas stations gave out free stuff like glasses and plastic containers? It was pretty lame stuff usually but at one point one company (can’t remember which one) was giving away a series of little cookbooks. My parents had that whole collection. One of the books was fancy recipes for dinner parties and in it was this recipe below. I first made it about 15 years ago and I keep going back to it because it is the best moussaka I ever ate, hands down. I don’t have a source as I wrote down the recipe in a personal book a decade ago and my mom no longer has the cookbook.

Contrary to popular belief, moussaka is not solely a Greek dish but a dish of the Balkans, Eastern Mediterranean, and the Middle East. Each country and/or region has a different spin on it, with a common base of sauteed eggplant, tomato and usually minced meat. But the one we are the most familiar with is the Greek one, which is characterized by lamb meat spiced with cinnamon and a top layer of Bechamel sauce with nutmeg.

The Greek moussaka is believed to be invented by Nikolaos Tselementes, a Greek chef considered one of the most influential chefs of the early 1900s who modernized Greek cuisine and published many influential Greek cookbooks.

Ξ Greek Moussaka Ξ

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants
salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 lbs. ground lamb (or beef)
2 large onions, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cups plain breadcrumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan

Bechamel Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
4 cups milk
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups cottage cheese
1 tsp. nutmeg

Directions:

Slice the eggplants in to 1/2 inch slices. Lay the slices of eggplant on paper towels, sprinkle lightly with salt, and set aside for 30 minutes to draw out the bitterness. In a skillet over med-high heat, heat 1 tsp. approx of olive oil per batch. Quickly fry the eggplant until browned. Set aside.

In a skillet heat the remaining olive oil, add onion and saute until semi-translucent. Add the ground lamb (or beef) and brown until the pink color disappears. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add wine, tomato paste, cinnamon, salt and pepper, bring to a boil and allow to simmer for approx 15 minutes. Add the parsley.

In a 9×13 inch baking pan, sprinkle evenly half the breadcrumbs, layer half the eggplant slices, spread half the meat sauce and sprinkle half the grated Parmesan. Repeat. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

To make the Bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and allow the flour to cook for a minute. Gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly until it thickens. Remove from heat and whisk in the eggs, then the cottage cheese and nutmeg.  Return to heat and stir until sauce thickens.

Pour the Bechamel sauce on top of the layers, smooth the sauce evenly with a spatula and allow the sauce to fill the sides and corners of the pan. Bake for 1 hour or until the sauce has a golden color. Allow to cool for 15 – 20 minutes before serving.