Reconnecting With My Indian Roots, Through Food

Hey everybody! This week I attempted to make a popular Indian dish that most of you have probably already heard of: Butter Chicken. Unlike the past two dishes I made for this blog, Butter Chicken is something that I've eaten many times; every time I visit India, the first thing I ask my grandmother to make is Butter Chicken. And although she makes, in my opinion, the best Butter Chicken of all time, I wanted to see if I could successfully recreate it.  For context, Butter Chicken, or Murgh Makhani is an Indian dish originating in New Delhi. Simply put, it is a type of curry made from chicken, with a spiced tomato and butter (makhan) sauce. In making this, I began by marinating some cubed chicken breast in a mixture of yogurt, spices, fresh garlic, and ginger.  After ~ 12 hours, I grilled the chicken in a pan with butter. Next, I blended a can of tomatoes with soaked cashews (the cashews serve as a thickener). This serves as the base of the curry. I added the mixture to a pan a...

 Hi everybody, this week I tried my hand at making an Indian dish for the second time! I decided to make Sabudana Khichdi, a popular Indian dish made with tapioca pearls, whole spices, roasted peanuts, potatoes, and fresh curry leaves. Sabudana (tapioca pearls) are high in carbohydrates and have the ability to boost energy quickly. Thus, it has been classified as one of the best fasting foods by the traditional Hindu community and is most commonly eaten during Navrati, Ekadashi, and other Hindu fasting days. It looks a little something like this:  Despite not being Hindu, my parents grew up occasionally eating Sabudana Khichdi for breakfast. My father made it about a month ago, and I thought the overall flavors/textures of the dish were great! Likewise, Sabudana Khichdi, a savory dish made with primarily tapioca pearls, contradicts and challenges my view of ingredients and their uses. I typically associate tapioca with bubble tea or mochi, but to see the ingredient being used ...