Murg Kadhai

After attending four Indian cooking classes, I finally decided that one of the recipes we learned was actually within my narrow skill level, so last night I cooked my first Indian meal. I confess that part of my inspiration arose from my desire to use the cute cooking implements I've acquired over the course of the class: tiny pan for roasting spices, tiny rolling pin for making bread (not used yet) and tiny lemon/lime squeezer (also not used yet).
The meal consisted of Murg Kadhai (chicken flavored with fenugreek and coriander), pita bread, rice and pineapple. The pineapple was an afterthought, but turned out to be a good side dish, as it helped buffer the spiciness of the main course. I was really pleased with the results. It tasted about how it did in class last week. Ella was totally uninterested (she has a cold) and Andrew was kind of sort of impressed, but after a few bites he asked when we were going to learn to make chicken tikka masala, his all-time favorite Indian dish. I tried to invite our friend Anthony over for some guaranteed praise (though his presence cuts down considerably on our leftovers) but he was apparently not confident enough in my abilities to risk a new dish.

Here's the recipe in case any of you are feeling (like I am) like you're in a cooking rut and are interested in some easy (an admittedly relative term) Indian cooking:

Murg Kadhai (chicken flavored with fenugreek and coriander)-- Anita

1 ½ t whole coriander seeds—roasted, then lightly and coarsely crushed
6 T oil
½ t fenugreek seeds (methi)
3 whole dry red chilies
2 large onions cut into slices
2-8 garlic cloves-crushed and chopped
4 medium tomatoes chopped or ¼ can peeled tomatoes
1 T tomato paste (optional)
1 t red chili powder
1 t turmeric
2 t salt
½ lb boneless chicken cut into medium pieces.
1 T chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 green bell pepper cubed
2-3 T half and half
2” piece of ginger cut into matchsticks

Dry roast the whole coriander seeds in a pan lightly. Do not make them brown. Pound them on a flat base with the rolling pin to split the seeds. Set aside. Pour oil into a round base pot. Add the fenugreek seeds and whole red chilies. Stir for a few seconds until the seeds turn golden. Add onion and cook on medium high flame until light brown. Add the garlic and stir for a minute. Add the blended tomatoes. Cook and stir for 5-7 minutes. Add tomato paste if desired. Add the crushed coriander seeds, red chili powder, turmeric and salt. Stir for a minute and then add the chicken and mix and stir for 5 minutes on high flame, making sure that everything is mixing well (mush with spoon). Reduce heat, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally until chicken is tender. Add the chopped coriander and bell pepper. Cook covered for two minutes. Add the cream. Mix well and simmer for 3-5 minutes on low flame. Finally, pour into serving bowl and garnish with ginger matchsticks. Serve hot with any kind of Indian bread, pita or steamed rice. Serves 6.