Indian and English

Steve and I love Indian food!! But it can be kind of expensive to eat out every time we want it. I bought a bottle of sauce at Target once. It wasn't that great. But what I made for dinner last night...Yum!!! Butter Chicken, which is our favorite dish at Bombay, our local Indian restaurant here in downtown Walnut Creek. This didn't taste exactly like it, but it was good. The box is strictly spices. But it has the recipe on the back. I got the box of spices at an Indian grocery store in Pleasanton right by the Papa John's (also a favorite place). Almost all of the measurements on the box are in grams. So I had to convert it all. About 1 lb. of chicken, 1/4 of an onion, 1 can of tomato paste, 10 almonds. How easy does that sound?


Now the odd thing is that you make a past with the onion and an almond paste. Put the onion in a sauce pan with 1/4 c. water and let it simmer for 15 min. The almonds need to be blanched and peeled and then blended with 1/4 c. water to make the paste. I don't have a food processor, but I want one badly. So it was finely ground not a paste and it was fine. Now cut the chicken into pieces and cook over medium/high heat with oil and onion paste until onion paste is translucent (10 min.). Then add tomato paste, almond paste, 1 Tbl (if you like it spicy, or less if you don't) spices and water (how much water? about 1 1/2 c. but you just add it until it looks right). Let it cook for 15 min. then add heavy cream. Ta-da!!! Butter chicken!




Then today I made scones, which I've been wanting to do for awhile. Chocolate chip scones with fake-out clotted cream and lemon curd. So good!! The fake-out clotted cream recipe was so easy. And Kirsten or another reader who lives in GB and knows clotted cream, this is not the same. 1c. heavy cream whisked into stiff peaks, then hand whisk in 1/3 c. sour cream and 1 Tbl. powder sugar. The lemon curd here is store bought, though I have made my own and I think my own is better, but store bought is easier.

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