Bringing Bollywood Home

Going out for Indian food is a big treat for me. Not because it's inaccessible (I can virtually see my favorite Indian restaurant from my doorstep) or expensive. No, Indian food is just a treat because I really like it.

You name it, I crave it: chicken jalfrezi, vegetable biryani, saag paneer and stacks of garlic naan. But, my favorite is chicken tikka masala. I pick around the chicken just to spoon the thick, tangy tomato-and-yogurt sauce onto my plate. Mix in some pea-studded jasmine rice? Bam. I'm set for the night.

During our last trip to Crate & Barrel, Chuck brought me a jar: Tikka Masala Sauce. Usually I don't want to mess up a good thing (Why would I make Indian at home when the place down the street does it so well?) but one of the reasons I love Chuck is he's always pushing me to try new things. I like finding what I like and continuing to like it that way. Chuck, on the other hand, is always on the hunt for something new and exciting. (Remind me to tell you about the times - yes, TIMES, as in more than once - he made me swim with sharks. That's not the kind of "new & exciting" thing I like to do, but I haven't died yet...so I'll keep trying new things with him until I do.)



Indian sauce from a home store? Indeed.
One bite and you'll be the star in your own Bollywood feature.


We took the Maya Kaimal Tikka Masala sauce home for a mere $5.95 and, in order to honor it, built an Indian-themed meal to come out of my kitchen instead of a carry out bag from Baba India. What happened next was pretty great.

First, the jarred sauce. VERY tasty. Since making it - and by making it, I mean dumping in the skillet with your choice of meat - I've found the sauce tastes better the longer you simmer it. Let that stuff sit on the stove on medium low heat for an hour and it truly brings out the flavor. We opted for shrimp, although boneless, skinless chicken thighs poached (read: boiled) and then shredded would have done nicely in the sauce.

Next, I found a tasty jasmine rice recipe. I opted for more frozen peas (1/2 cup instead of the directed 1/4 cup). A teaspoon or so of turmeric, an affordable saffron substitute available in the spice aisle at your local grocer, will also kick this up.

JASMINE RICE RECIPE

Besides the sauce, another surprise stand-out was a quick and easy tomato salad. It's cool texture is the perfect complement to a spicy sauce.

Shrimp Tikka Masala over jasmine rice,
Indian tomato salad and one cheat:
store bought naan.

 INDIAN TOMATO SALAD

 2 medium red tomatoes, chopped
 2 medium yellow or orange tomatoes, chopped
 (4 red tomatoes can be subbed)
 1/4 cup of unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
 1/3 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
 1 tablespoon sugar
 2 serrano chili peppers, finely diced
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1 tablespoon of olive oil
 1 teaspoon of whole yellow mustard seeds

1. Put the peanuts in a plastic baggie and lightly crush with a rolling pin or the bottom of a heavy drinking glass.

2. Add all ingredients in a bowl except the oil and mustard.

3. Over medium-high heat, heat the oil and mustard seeds in a small saucepan with the lid on for approximately 1 - 2 minutes. Some of the seeds will pop and burst. When the popping stops, immediately pull the saucepan off the burner.

4. Pour the hot oil over the other ingredients. Stir and serve.

Would I serve this to guests? Absolutely. Throw in some store-bought naan and you've got a meal fit for a padishah.

What Indian food do you crave? Leave your comments here and let's see if I can find a suitable at-home substitute!