A visit to India

Jacques Pepin once said:

“You cant escape the taste of the food you had as a child. In times of stress, what do you dream about? Your mothers clam chowder. It is security and comfort. It brings you home.”

Katie Hillhouse’s inspiration to cook began, as a child. She assisted her mother and grandmother in the kitchen. This is where her passion began. Not only to cook herself, but to travel to watch and learn from other professional cooks.

Preparing food is very therapeutic and calming for Katie. (This is a rare trait considering the stress of a professional kitchen. ~A) She has an appreciation for good food with intense flavors and enjoys the preparation and process of creating delicious and satisfying foods.

I have a friend, Ronita, who describes the people of her country, India, in this way.

(The people are) ready to work, always kind, down to earth and easy to get along with.

This certainly applies to Katie. She embodies all these traits.

Katie was born in India and moved to the United States when she was five. Although she left at such a young age Katie states her mother “Always seemed to keep a little slice of India in her home. It was such a treat to come home to a kitchen full of spicy aromas”

Spicy aromas indeed, that is the best way to describe this recipe. One of her favorite dishes Chicken Curry.

Chicken Curry

3 tbsp. oil (more if needed)

2 large onions chopped

1 tbsp. ginger paste

1 tbsp. garlic paste

1 large chopped tomato

1 tsp. coriander powder

1 tsp. cumin powder

1 tsp. turmeric powder

1 tbsp. chicken masala (or garam masala)

1 tbsp. red chili powder (cayenne)

green chilies sliced lengthwise

(your choice! If you like it hot go with Jalapeno or serano. If you don’t care for too much heat use poblano or anahiem chilies. If you are a complete wimp, stick with bell peppers. ~T)

fresh coriander (cilantro)

1 kg (about 2 lb) skinless chicken or mutton in small pieces. (Katie prefers the chicken still on the bone)

salt to taste

4 c. water (as needed)

Garam Masala is like a crab boil or a BBQ rub here in the states. There are commercial versions that will be similar to each other but the true masters will always make their own mixture. Here is what April used. ~T

1 Tbsp. Ground Cumin

1.5 tsp. Ground Coriander

1.5 tsp. Ground Cardamom

1.5 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon

0.5 tsp. Ground Clove

0.5 tsp. Ground Nutmeg

If you have read our book you will see this recipe does not follow what we preach. If you wanted, you could use whole spices toasted in a heavy skillet and ground up in a spice grinder. This will work for all but the cinnamon and nutmeg. High quality cinnamon comes in ground form and the nutmeg can be grated into the mixture. ~T

Heat oil in a heavy deep pan. Add chopped onions and fry until golden brown.

Add garlic and ginger pastes continue to fry and stir frequently for another minute.

Add green chilies. Add spices and salt.

Continue to fry at high temperature while you add chicken pieces. Let this mixture sauté for a few minutes so the flavors can meld with the meat. Add water to cover. You can adjust the water as you see fit. You want it to be somewhat of a thick sauce, not watery. Simmer the chicken until fully cooked and the sauce has thickened.

Garnish with coriander (cilantro).

You can also try marinating the meat before cooking.

Other spices that work well in this recipe are bay leaves, peppercorns, whole cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon sticks. Fry these spices in the oil before adding the onions.

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Love ~ April