Cooking Adventure: India-inspired
I have to state from the beginning, I adore Indian food. The spice combinations are just amazing. Curry powder. Garam Masala. The sauces some foods are cooked and served in, Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Vindaloo, Rogan Josh (which is from Kashmir). And then, there is naan. What can I say about naan? It’s warm, soft, pillowy, buttery, garlicky (sometimes), and ALWAYS tasty!
Last night i decided to try my hand at Chicken Vindaloo and Garlic Naan. I have to admit, I’d never had the entree before, so I’m not entirely sure that it tasted as it should. But it was pretty damn good. And the best part? I got to use my slow-cooker! so I was cooking the entire time i watched the dishes soak in the sink and listened to an unending stream of podcasts. Those things (slow-cookers) are such miracles.
Anyway, back to our main point. I set the chicken vindaloo to cooking, and decided to try to tackle this naan. I have to admit, I was shocked that it used yeast. I had absolutely no idea.
But I made the dough, and let it rise, and then punched it down and separated it and then let it rise again. And then came the fun part! I rolled it out and threw it onto a hot (read: warm) cast iron skillet. Nothing happened. I had expected it to puff up or something. it browned and got a little puffy, but not like at the restaurants. So, my cousin cranked that fire and we tried it again, only this time we added a little more oil. And, BABY, that naan puffed and sizzled, and was just delicious looking.
So after we cooked all eight of them, it was time for dinner. Now, I don’t know how you feel about it, but I love a good sop! I mean, a real good sauce, and some soft, absorbent bread. I was overjoyed.
I love making India-inspired dishes. (I don’t call them Indian dishes, because I’m not always sure it’s actually an Indian dish. It could be some American bastardization that I’ve fallen in love with.) I’ve made curry lentil soup, curry sweet potato lentil soup, and chicken tikka masala. And now, I’ll have naan every time I make one of those dishes.
What countries or regions of the world inspire your culinary adventures?
