Easy Chicken and Aloo (potatoes)

This easy and delicious recipe is courtesy of my dad from his college days. If he could do it then, anyone can do it now.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2-1 teaspoon red chili powder
1/3 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
3-4 potatoes
pinch of regular salt
a few cups of water

Directions:
Marinate the chicken with the garlic salt, chili powder, turmeric powder, and black pepper for at least 15 minutes. Put 1/2 cup water in a pot, drop the chicken on top, and cook on high until water boils. Then reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and cut the potatoes into thin slices. Add a pinch of salt to the potatoes, mix, and let them sit for 5 minutes, then wash them. When the chicken is done, add the potatoes, tomato sauce, and 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups of water to the pot. Cook until the potatoes are tender and when there is about 1 cup of sauce left.
Easy peasy pumkin breezy.

Mutton Korma

When you're in the mood for goat...

Ingredients:
2 lbs. mutton
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon red chili powder
1/3 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons coriander powder
8-10 cloves
2 inch cinnamon stick
5 cardamom pods
3 bay leaves (optional)
10-15 whole black pepper corns
2 large or 3 medium onions
Couple tablespoons oil (for light frying)
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup water

Directions:
Chop onions and fry them in oil until medium brown. Take out of oil and spread onions out. Cool them then crush them with hands.

In the same oil, fry garlic, then add meat. Fry for 5 minutes. Add all spices and the yogurt. Add 1/2 cup of water. Cook for ~2 hours at medium-low heat.

When meat is completely cooked, add fried onions and cook for ~5 minutes.

Mutton goat ko dekho!

The Shami Kabob

Ingredients List 1:
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup yellow split peas
1 small onion (or 1/2 a large)
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon garam masala*
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chilies
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander powder
salt to taste
4 cups water

List 2:
1 lb. beef stew
1 small onion (or 1/2 a large)
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
salt to taste
4 cups water

List 3:
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
5 green chilies, chopped
~3 eggs
oil for light frying

Directions:
Mix all list 1 ingredients in a big pot and cook on high until the water starts boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking until the split peas are tender. (There should be about 1/2-3/4 cup of water left...it you're running low on water before the peas are done, add a little more). Let the mixture cool, then coarsely grind it in a food processor.

In a separate pot, cook all list 2 ingredients until the water starts boiling. Again, reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the beef is very tender. (There should be little to no water left. If the water is gone before the beef is done thoroughly, add a little more). Once cooled, lightly pulse the mixture in a food processor.

Combine both ground beef and minced beef mixtures together. Add green chilies, cilantro, and 1 egg. Mix well. Make hamburger-like patties from the combined mixture. Dip the patties in egg wash (whisk the other 2 eggs), and lightly fry the patties in oil for a few minutes on each side. Then eat them! I prefer my shami kabobs with ketchup. Btw...this recipe will give you 20-25 kabobs.

*Garam masala is essentially 1/3 teaspoon of the following: ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and black pepper. Just in case you don't have garam masala sitting around, you can make it fresh yourself :)