Fresh Endeavors…Same Ol’ Blog…All New Flavor
Guest Chef:
Dr. Nathan Williams
Christian. Audiologist. Indian food lover.
Dish:
Chicken Vindaloo
Do you enjoy Indian food but rarely eat it because of the outrageous cost of entrees at Indian restaurants? I do. In my opinion, Indian food is one of the most flavorful on the planet. Unfortunately, many dishes at Indian restaurants easily total in the $15 - $20 range. A few weeks ago I was at Target and stumbled upon the Indian food section – this was a great discovery! Today, I will walk you through preparing one of my favorite dishes.
Two rules to cooking at my apartment:
1) Play your favorite Pandora radio station.
2) Crack the windows to avoid activation of the smoke detector.
Brown Basmati Rice
Boil 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of rice. Return to boil, then lower heat and cover. Simmer for 40 minutes or until all water has been absorbed.
• It’s imperative to turn on the corresponding burner with the bowl of water. Failure to do so may destroy your measuring cup...oops!
Vindaloo Sauce
Instead of buying a plethora of ingredients that you’ll never use, visit your local Target and take a stroll down the Cultural Foods section. There you will find Archer Farms Indian-inspired Vindaloo simmer sauce. In juxtaposition to the rice on your stovetop, pour contents into a saucepan and heat on low while the rice and chicken cook.
Chicken
Cook chicken thoroughly on a skillet. I used frozen chicken breast from a bag I bought at Aldi but I’m sure fresh chicken would suffice. After cooking the chicken, transfer to the saucepan of vindaloo sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. The goal is for the conclusion of this simmering step to occur in conjunction with the completion of your rice. This rarely happens here.
Flour Tortilla
Naan would be a more appropriate bread to eat with this dish; however, I don’t have ‘naan’ (get it? double meaning!). To substitute, I will use Market Pantry flour tortillas. These can be heated in the microwave or on a stovetop skillet. The microwave option seems more convenient today. Warm for 10 – 15 seconds.
Presentation
On a serving dish, apply bed of rice and top with chicken and vindaloo sauce combination. Enjoy with a glass of milk (you’re going to need it)!
Chef’s Suggestions
Instead of rice, use Cous Cous. I’ve had the rice in my cupboard for a long time and am trying to get rid of it.
A cup of flavored yogurt or a smoothie would be a great dessert to this meal.
Your comments and suggestions are welcomed!
Nathan
