Kashmiri Lamb – Rogan Josh

Exotic, delicious, Indian dish with just enough spice to keep it interesting:

Ingredients

• 5 cloves garlic roughly chopped
• 1 0nion roughly chopped
• 1 inch piece ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 lb lamb, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 10 cardamon pods, slightly crushed
• 1 1/4 cups water

Directions

1. Put the garlic, onion, ginger root, ground spices, salt, tomato paste into a blender and pulse until smooth.
2. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish, add the lamb and cardamon pods. Fry over high heat to brown the meat on all sides.
3. Add the blended paste and cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Pour in the water and simmer, covered for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender.
4. Serve over rice with some warmed naan bread.

Indian Style Rice

(from: simplyrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 2 cups long-grain rice
• 8 cups water
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 cloves
• 2 cardamom pods
• One 2-inch piece of cinnamon
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp dark mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp chile flakes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 chopped garlic cloves
• 1/4 tsp turmeric

Directions

1. Place rice in a sieve and run cool water through it to rinse it until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in cool water for 30 minutes. Drain.
2. Bring 8 cups of water and the salt to a boil in a large pot. Add the rice and stir. Add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste the rice, and test if it is done to your taste; rice can take more or less time to cook depending on how old it is. If still too firm, cook a few minutes longer
3. When the rice is cooked to your liking, drain the rice into a colander and rinse with cold water to stop if from cooking. Remove the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and discard. Set the rice aside to drain.
4. In a pan large enough to hold the rice, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds and the chile flakes. Cook until the mustard seeds start popping, then add the onion. Sauté until the onion begins to brown, about 5-7 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and sauté another 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and mix well. Sprinkle the turmeric over the rice and mix well. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring often.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Dakshin – Glatt Kosher Indian Bistro

About 10 days ago, we had the pleasure of dining at Dakshin (1154 First Avenue, between 63rd and 64th; New York, NY; Tel: 212.355.4600).

Partial view of the small, inviting, authentic Indian restaurant

The scent of fresh baked naan and superbly blended Indian spices attracted my olfactory senses as soon as I entered this small treasure of a restaurant; like a coiled streamed white scent leading from the kitchen, it beckoned and did not disappoint.

Dakshin and its owner Sanjay Bhatnagar are the real deal in authentic Indian cuisine. The menu was jam packed with diverse regional offerings; from the traditional vegetarian dishes of the North down to rich southern region’s fish dishes sourced from the Indian Ocean with a broad selection of poultry, beef and lamb to round off the menu.

Aromatic, delicious, Chicken Naan bread

We started the meal with an unusual Chicken Naan. Pieces of chicken are kneaded into the dough and then baked in Dakshin‘s own tandoori (clay) oven. It transported us to another time, to another realm, we loved it!

With over 13 appetizers to choose from, we let Sanjay and his son pick favorites for us. Mine was Hari Bhari Tikki. This consisted of spinach and potato cakes flavored with fresh chillies, coriander leaves and ginger, grilled on a skillet.

CS had Lasoni Mushrooms, fresh mushrooms sauteed with fresh ginger, tomatoes, garlic and coriander. Both appetizers were served on banana leaves, the traditional Hindu way. A great start, for the surprising flavors yet to come.

We then tasted a Lemon Rice…

...cooked in lemon juice, with mustard seeds and curry leaves

…which we left as a superb accompaniment for the mains. While neither CS nor I care much for cauliflower, we both agreed that the Ghobi Aloo (cauliflowers and potato cooked in a mild gravy) was a new experience in taste, one we’ll just have to repeat.

We then shared the Chicken Tikka – breast marinated in ginger, garlic and lime juice, grilled over a slow fire – and Tandoori Chicken…

Tandoori Chicken

…chicken on the bone, marinated in spices and herbs, grilled on a slow fire. Throughout the meal we dipped the pieces in their mint chutney, onion and tamarind relishes, we loved all three! Like being submerged into a bath of jasmine and floating lotus blossoms anointed with hennaed palms and feet.

It was a very different experience for a western palate; it was an unusual but very tasty meal. Now that we are in the final stages of cleaning our homes for Pessach, a time when many start eating out for the next few days, Dakshin makes a perfect place to savor something very different from the usual fare and it’s all reasonably priced too!

They also deliver frozen foods, I’ll have to order immediately after Pessach.

SYR

Indian Hamentashen?

Chef Vijay Jagtiani,  from Shalom Bombay (344 Lexington Avenue – between 39th and 40th – New York, NY 10016 – Tel: 212.922.0224 – Fax: 212.922.0124), shares a delicious Indian recipe:

Vegetable Samosas (the “new” hamentashen)

Yield: 16 Samosas

Filling

Ingredients

• 6 potatoes with skin
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1tsp cumin seeds
• 2 inches peeled fresh ginger
• 2 chopped green chillis
• ½ chopped onion
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• ½ tbsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tbsp coriander powder
• ½ tbsp salt
• ¼ tbsp chile powder

Directions

1. Boil potatoes, Remove Skin and Mash and put aside.
2. In a non-stick pan heat oil, add cumin seeds, ginger, green chillies and onion and brown. Addpeas. Cook 2-3 minutes and add mashed potatoes.
3. Mix cilantro, turmeric, coriander and chile powder together. Mix into the potato mixture and letcool for 15 minutes in fridge

Dough

Ingredients

• ¼ Cup of White Flour
• ¼ Cup of Vegetable Oil
• ½ Tablespoon of Salt

Directions

1. Mix all of the ingredients together until they form a hard dough. Make lemon size balls of
2. dough.
3. Place the balls on a flat surface and press with a rolling pin to get an average thickness. Cut it to make a half circle.
4. Take one of the half circles. Dip your forefinger in water and line the edges of half circle with the wet finger. Then give it a shape of cone.
5. Stuff it with about 1 tbsp ofprepared filling and seal it firmly.
6. Deep Fry, Serve with Sweet Chutney.

Sweet Chutney

Ingredients

• 2 Cups of White Vinegar
• 2 Cups of Tomato Ketchup
• 1 peeled Pear
• 1 lb Red Seedless Grapes
• 2 Bananas
• salt
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• ½ tbsp chile powder
• Pinch of orange/red food color powder

Directions

1. Grind vinegar, ketchup, pear, grapes and bananas together in food processor.
2. Add salt to taste, cumin, chile and food color. Mix and enjoy.

Enjoy, gentle reader, whether on Purim or at any other time.

CS

The Week’s Events

Monday, March 14

Photo by: ArtScroll

11:30 am

Location:

Pomegranate Supermarket (1507 Coney island Avenue – Corner of Avenue L – Tel: 718.951.7112)

Who:

Susie Fishbein

Subject:

Cooking Demonstration: Fish (last part of series)

• Poached Salmon with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
• Tuna Teriyaki with Radish Salad
• Green Tea Poached Cod

Free!

———-)xnOnx(———-

7:00 pm

Location:

210 West 101st Street, Apartment 9L (in Manhattan, between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway)

Who:

Lévana Kirschenbaum

Subject:

Lévana’s Dinner and a Show

THE VEGETARIAN INDIAN FEAST GLUTEN-FREE – Lévana will demonstrate the following dishes:

• Corn hot and sour soup
• Aloo gobi
• Vegetable pancakes in ghee
• Jasmine rice
• Apricot chutney
• Yogurt raita
• Mango lassi
• Carrot nut pudding

The Demo runs from 7:00 to 9:00 followed by dinner, classes cost $45.00 for one session, $120.00 for 3 sessions or $200.00 for 5 sessions and a signed cookbook. Make your reservations at: http://www.levanacooks.com/kosher-cooking-classes/weekly-classes/

CS

For Your Superbowl Party…

If you are hosting a Superbowl Party, you can either have the wife or yourself slave away preparing a meal, or you can save the aggravation and get a great price on delicious Indian fare:

If you are already watching the games and are hosting a party, why not do so with minimum patchke, with delicious Indian cuisine and with maximum enjoyment?

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chef Vijay Jagtiani has been an Executive Chef for over 26 years. He trained in India at the prestigious Bombay Catering College for 3 years and has worked all over the world in the finest Indian restaurants. He came to the United States in 1993 and quickly emerged as a chef known for getting the most out of a vast array of unique spices when developing his succulent sauces as well as a Tandoor oven guru. Chef Jagtiani was the executive chef at Jewel of India in NYC for many years and then took over the kitchen at the prestigious Shaan at Rockefeller Center. After opening up several successful non Kosher Indian restaurants on his own, Chef Jagtiani joined forces with the owners of Shalom Bombay to enter the world of Glatt Kosher Indian Cusine.

Chef Vijay has graciously shared this recipe with us:

Photo by: http://jeenaskitchen.blogspot.com/

Ingredients:

• 5 Tablespoons Oil
• 2 Medium Onions  (chopped)
• 1 Tomato (chopped)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tablespoon Coriander Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Red Chili Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Paprika
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger and Garlic paste (ground into a combined paste)
• 1 Tablespoon of Egg Shade or Orange Color Food coloring
• 3 boneless chicken breasts cubed
• 3 Tablespoons of Non Dairy Creamer
• 1 Cup Water

Directions

1. Heat Oil in Large Skillet
2. Sautee Onions until brown
3. Add Tomato and simmer for 5 minutes
4. Add Salt, coriander powder, red chile powder, paprika and garlic/ginger paste
5. Simmer for 5 minutes
6. Add 1 cup of water and food coloring
7. Add Chicken pieces
8. Cook for 10 minutes
9. Add Non Dairy Creamer and cook for another 2-3 minutes

Serve with Basmati Rice
Yields 4 servings

Shalom Bombay has two locations:

Manhattan
344 Lexington Avenue – between 39th and 40th – New York, NY 10016; Tel: 212.922.0224 – Fax: 212.922.0124

Teaneck
166 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, NJ 07666; Tel: 201.357.8505

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

RELATED POSTS

Shalom Bombay

Chicken Tikka Masala (kosher)

Thank You!!

Photo by: Aquafornia

How time flies! When we started (on November 2nd, 2009) we were not sure if we’d still be blogging a year later. Would we get any regular readers? Would anybody really be interested in our thoughts? Could we say something, could we sound different, from far more established bloggers and existing websites? A 171 posts and a later later, we realize our hopes are slowly materializing. Most of the exhibitors we spoke to, at last week’s Kosherfest, had heard of us; an impressive number of them had actually seen and read these pages here and abroad.

We constantly meet people who follow our musings regularly. As beginning bloggers, who wondered for how long we would be able to post once or occasionally twice a week, we suddenly find a lot of material that interests our readership. We’ve been told our writing styles are refreshing, our photography mouth watering. Even non-Jewish publications and blogs have noticed us. But I must confide in you, IF we are any good at what we do it is only because we love our subject matter… we are foodies!

During this past year, we’ve sampled some of the top kosher eateries, (from Chinese to Middle Eastern cuisine, from Japanese to French, to Italian, to American, to Fusion, we’ve tasted them) met some amazing chefs – people full of creative energy and an uncanny understanding of the nuances of flavor. We’ve learned and continue learning a lot, about food, about wine; above all, as we forge new relationships with chefs, with restaurateurs, with manufacturers of kosher products, with cookbook authors, with winemakers around the world, etc., we are often told personal stories that prove that even those who excel at their craft are just humans like the rest of us. What drives them to succeed? What fuels their drive? Simple, it is their passion for food, their passion to prove that kosher need not be a second class cuisine. Yes, cooking kosher, manufacturing kosher products, may be a bit more challenging… but, it is precisely those challenges that spur them on, that excites their creative juices. Kosher has come a long way!!!

But what SYR and I are most grateful for, gentle reader – what helped us the most – were your suggestions, your words of encouragement.

What lies ahead is exciting, we plan many a contest for this upcoming year and are at this very moment negotiating the prizes. We plan on bringing you guest posts by well known Chefs, as well as outstanding recipes from professionals and from housewives who almost daily improve, create, or adapt delicious new dishes. We will also bring you reviews of amazing new products. And, of course, we will continue to review kosher restaurants and often we will write about our revisits to favorite eateries.

Right now and until November the 18th, we are running a contest based on recipes from any of Susie Fishbein’s Kosher by Design series. Send us your best photo of any of Susie’s 900 plus recipes and you may win her latest cookbook: Kosher by Design Teens and 20 Somethings, meanwhile you can download the complete recipe index at: http://bit.ly/KBDrecipeindex. Email us your best to:

kosherscene@gmail.com

Our first year was productive and we are proud of how we grew, but there is so much more to accomplish. Thank you, gentle reader, we could never have gotten here without you.

CS

Shalom Bombay

Say Namaste as you enter Shalom Bombay (344 Lexington Avenue – between 39th and 40th – New York, NY 10016 – Tel: 212.922.0224 – Fax: 212.922.0124) this exotic Indian adventure.  Above your head flows the Ganges – the life force of a nation. The environment is earthy with touches of scrolled ironwork wall pieces, and the tables are set simply- as all guests are welcomed with an introductory taste of a dish called Papri Chaat, complements of the house.

Papri Chaat

It consists of crispy crackers served with chopped potatoes, onions, parve sour cream and tamarind sauce – served cold. Mildly spicy and flavorful, it set the stage for the rest rest of the meal.

SYR and I washed and sampled their breads. SYR adored the warm, fresh from the oven Tandoori Paratha bread (a multi-layered flat whole wheat bread), while I had their just baked Onion Kulcha. Both were superb!

SYR chose a Chicken Tikka Masala, while I had their Tawa Chicken. Hers was made with barbecued chicken cooked in tomatoes and onion. Very flavorful, a bit spicey, but definitely interesting.

Tawa Chicken

Having grown up in Uruguay, I am more used to spicy food and my Chicken Tawa came with boneless pieces of chicken served with onion, bell peppers and spices. I liked it!!

We then shared their Vegetable Pakoras…

Vegetable Pakoras

…an assortment of deep-fried spinach, eggplant, cauliflower and potatoes. Frankly, cauliflower was never a favorite of mine, yet… fresh deep fried is just so good when it’s done right.

We segued with their Mixed Kabab Tandoori Platter…

Mixed Kebab Tandoori Platter

It comes with an assortment of lamb, beef and chicken kababs marinated and roasted in a clay oven. We both found the various meats flavorful, tender  and wonderfully spiced.

SYR enjoyed a 2009 Herzog Selection, Chateneuf Rouge. A semi sweet, mildly fruity but dry enough wine that amply complimented her dishes. I had the 2007 Galilee Hills Segal Fusion (with 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 20% Sauvignon Blanc), with a somewhat smoky undercurrent and lots of fruitiness, I found it a perfect companion to these spicy foods.

We both finished our meals with their exotic desserts, SYR had the Rice Pudding, served with almonds, pistachios and raisins, which she found unusually tasty. I had the Moong Daal Fudge dessert – mashed lentils cooked with sugar and nuts – it was just sweet enough without being overpowering.  Kind of likea sweet version of kishka- nice and very tasty, I wish it had been a bit creamier though.

It was a great meal, coupled with good wines and great decor. We just have to come back for more, but next time I plan to have some of their Indian beers. I hear the Kingfisher is unusually tasty, spicy… just made for these type of food!

Don’t wait for monsoon season to try this superb gastronomic delight; it’s sure to become a fast favorite when you’re ready to curry favor with family and friends or spice up your evening out.

CS