Everyone in our circle seems to like Indian food, so tonight while the in-laws are here, an Indian dinner has been requested. I am putting together the following:
Chicken Tikka Masala from More Best Recipes (2009, by the editors of Cook's Illustrated). Raita (cucumber yogurt salad) from Mangoes and Curry Leaves (2005) by Alford and Duguid, Chana Dal (yellow lentils) from Indian Cooking (1982, US 1995 revised edition) by Madhur Jaffrey, and the ubiquitous white rice.
Each of the recipes is fairly simple, but take a little time to put together. From my limited experience, this is generally true of Indian food - it isn't difficult, but it isn't quick. I don't consider this an issue, as in the hustle and bustle of a busy life, a weekend afternoon spent putting together a more involved meal is a nice change of pace from my day job.
The Tikka Masala is fairly simple Indian spiced chicken recipe, with the chicken dry-rubbed and then marinated in a yogurt and garlic mixture. I grill the chicken separately, then chunk it up and put it into the sauce at the last minute. The sauce is cream, tomato puree and more spices. It's not a difficult recipe at all, it just isn't something you can throw together at the last minute. The end result is creamy, rich and exotic. The raita is a classic cucumber, yogurt and cilantro side dish that is the perfect cool and creamy complement to the layered spice flavors of the primary dishes. I cannot imagine having an Indian dinner and not having this side dish. Dal, or lentils, can be prepared in a whole bunch of different ways. This recipe is a pretty basic "season and simmer" recipe. Lentils, for those not familiar with them, have texture and flavor similar to a split pea. Not something I would have liked in my younger days, but an older more... well travelled (?)... palette can appreciate them now. This is another basic side dish that we seem to make any time we cook Indian now.
Work - Fiddly. Lots of measuring and chopping and things to remember to do well ahead of time.
Time - Low rating. Indian isn't something that happens quickly. There is seasoning, and marinating, and prepping, and measuring lots of spices... It's good but not simple.
Clean Up - Lots of cleanup. I find that a whole Indian meal uses lots of mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, etc.
Rating - Very very good meal. But quality comes at a price in this instance in terms of effort involved and all the little things that need to be done to make a whole Indian meal (at least to those of us who don't truly know what we are doing). I can't recommend the output highly enough, but at my level of experience there is an investment involved in getting to the result. Worth it though... For a relaxing part of an afternoon on a weekend day, leisurely making a menu like this isn't something you could do every day, but every now and then it is well worth it.
