Serves 4 people.

Ingredients

• 6-cups of water
• 2 cups of chana dal (split chickpeas)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1½ tsp salt
• ghee/oil of choice
• 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• large handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Method

1. Place the dal in the Speedi pot without the crisper tray. Add the water, turmeric powder, and salt. Set to “steam” mode for 60 minutes.  When this step is done, it should still be slightly soupy.
2. Add 3 tbsp of ghee/oil to hot a pan. Add the cumin seeds and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes or until golden.
3. Add the chilli powder and coriander. Stir through and then add to the dal. Cook for 2 minutes on sear/saute Hi5

This pilaf is a light and quick dinner from “Chetna's 30 Minute Indian: Quick and Easy Everyday Meals” by Chetna Makan. It doesn’t need a major side with it just some pickles and yoghurt, or perhaps some dhal or potato sabji.

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 2-3 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 4-5 cloves
• 4-5 black peppercorns
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 200g fresh spinach, chopped (~7 oz)
• 250g basmati rice, washed (~1 cup)
• 450ml boiling water (~2 cups)

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan and cook onions for 5 minutes until lightly golden.
2. In another pan, lightly toast the spices until they are aromatic and the color has changed slightly just a few seconds.
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Use a pestle and mortar to blend the spices into a coarse powder.
5. Add to the onion pan with salt and chilli powder and mix through.
6. Add spinach and mix.
7. Add rice and mix through to coat in the flavours.
8. Mix the boiling water into the pan and cover and cook for exactly 15 minutes.
9. Once it is cooked, turn the heat off and leave to sit for 12-15 minutes to let the steam fluff up the rice.

This recipe flows much more smoothly if you actually do the mise en place.  No, don’t ask me what that is.  You are a grown-up.  You know how to use the internet.

Ingredients

Cumin rice

• ½ tsp black cardamom seeds (or 2 pods)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 cup of long-grained rice
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp of ghee or oil of choice
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 ½ cups of water

Curry-roasted potatoes

• 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
• ¼ teaspoons ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon course ground pepper
• Juice of 1 small lime

Method

1. Place cardamom and cumin seeds in a tiny bowl.
2. In a separate small bowl place the rice’s ground spices.
3. In a medium-size bowl put the potatoes and olive oil.  Sprinkle in the potatoes’ ground spices.  Toss together.
4. Place the ghee in the Speedi pot on “sear/saute” level Hi5.  
5. When the ghee seems hot, pour the cumin and cardamom in.  Cook them until the cardamom or cumin becomes fragrant, or the cumin starts to brown just a bit, whichever comes first.  I usually keep my eyes open for where the ghee puddles to place the spices, not on the most ghee-less spots.  That way the flavors meld into the ghee.
6. Place the rice’s ground spices into the pot.  Mix and cook for a minute.
7. Pour in the rice and stir until all the rice is covered with ghee.  
8. Add the bay leaves and water.
9. Add the crisper tray try to the upper level.  Pour the potatoes onto the tray in an even layer.
10. Lower the lid and continue to cook at the same setting for 13 minutes.
11. Turn off the Speedi.  Turn it on again.  Set it to “bake/roast” at 390°F for 11 minutes.
12. Turn off and and put in serving dishes.  Squeeze the juice of the lime over the potatoes.

Note

Next time add 1 cup of raisins to the rice while it’s cooking, and use 1 tbsp of curry powder with the potatoes.  Consider also adding half a cup of shredded carrots to the rice.

Source: video

Ingredients for the chicken

• 300 gms chicken breast boneless
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• Oil to pan fry

Ingredients for gravy

• 500 gms roughly slit tomatoes
• 100 gms roughly cut onions
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 50 gms cashew
• 1 tsp kasoori methi
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder
• 5 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp cream
• 2 tbsp malt vinegar / 1.5 tbsp White Vinegar
• Salt to taste

Method

• Marinate the chicken with ginger paste, garlic paste, red chilli powder. Salt and keep it aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a pan heat some oil, then fry the marinated chicken pieces in it. Once done place it into a bowl.
• In the same pan add onion, oil, a spoonful of butter. Once the onions are cooked, add tomatoes and cashews.
• Add some water and garlic paste, salt, malt vinegar, sugar, garam masala, and chilli powder. Evenly mix it and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes
• Churn the mixture into fine puree with a hand blender.
• Strain it back into the same pan. Make sure there is minimal wastage.
• Add butter, cream, chicken and kasoori meethi. Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes.
• Garnish it with cream and kasoori meethi.

2019-01-18: I tried the recipe for the first time, but didn't have all the ingredients. Here are my comments.

• I substitute Szeged paprika instead of Kashmiri chili.
• I used rice wine vinegar instead of malt vinegar.
• I didn't have garlic/ginger paste, so I substituted chopped garlic from a jar and ginger paste from a plastic container.
• I used curry powder instead of garam masala.
• Make sure to cut the chicken into thin chunks.

I like the result. It was rather more savory than the butter chicken I had the other day at Curry Corner.

I purchased this garam masala and tried it in a cabbage dish. Too much sweet spice, either anise or star anise. Skip it in the future.