Arabian Nights Grilled Herbed Chicken

This is the main course to the middle eastern feast, Arabian Nights Grilled Herbed Chicken. When I found it on my search I thought it was a good recipe to experience Arabian herbs and cooking style. I found this recipe on http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Arabian_Nights_Grilled_Herbed_Chicken. I was very exited to begin.

Assembled Ingredients 

The ingredients were fairly basic and in small quantity. I was pleased when I found that I wouldn't have to go to twenty stores to find the right spices.

Butterflied Chicken 

I have never butterflied a chicken before and it was not an experience that I found entertaining. Using sharp kitchen scissors, I cut the spine and breast bone out of the chicken. It was a very messy and strange process.

Rub 

The rub was very simple, consisting of plain yogurt, fennel, flat leaf parsley, and black pepper. It did not have much of a smell but it tasted rather fresh.

Prepared Chicken

The rub was spread through out the chicken and in the skin as well. I have experimented with rubbing butter in spices and massaging it inside the skin, this allowed the butter to carry the spices through the chicken. I think a similar concept is happening here.

Cooked Chicken 

The recipe did not specify actually cooking the chicken so I put it in at 350 for 30 minuets and then checked it and raised it to 375 for another 30 minuets.

Dinner is Served 

The chicken was cooked well and it had a good moisture. My only criticism is that it had very little taste from the rub. It felt like it was missing something. I would've added salt and paprika, just something to give it an extra kick. I do think that the yogurt and herbs added great moisture to the chicken. I still think that this is a great recipe, just taste the rub and add your preference.

Tabbouleh

I have had tabbouleh a few times before and loved it. The flavors in it come together quite well, I thought it a perfect dish to display classic Middle Eastern cuisine. I served this dish as a side to Arabian Nights Grilled Herbed Chicken. The recipe I used can be found at this address: http://www.food.com/recipe/tabbouleh-91403

Ingredients 

All of the ingredients were very common, the only slightly uncommon ingredient was the bulgar wheat, but it can be found at any local market.

Bugler Wheat Cooking

Cooking bulgar wheat is much like cooking rice. I put it in about 2 cups of water with about 1 cup of bulgar until the water was completely absorbed.

Minced Vegetables (parsley and tomato)

All of the vegetables in the recipe were minced which made it very different from all of the other salads I've made.

Mixed Vegetables 

Along with the minced tomatoes and parsley, I also added minced red onion. The mixture smelled very fragrant and fresh.

Finished project 

In the last step I added a dressing comprised of lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. I also added the  finished bulgar wheat. The overall taste was very satisfying and light;  exactly what I was expecting. This dish is very easy make and can be served on pita bread, tortilla chips, or just eaten plain.

The Middle East

Instead of focusing on the individual countries of the Middle East, I decided to focus on the region as a whole. Although I do plan on exploring the cuisine of countries such as Turkey before I move on to European cooking. I could not find a good Middle eastern cookbook at the library so I had to look up some on the internet. This is a very broad topic for an entry I know but I just wanted to get a broad idea for the taste before moving on to specific countries in the region of asia.

Gobhi Hari Matar Samosa (Cauliflower and Green Pea Samosa)

I found this recipe in a book that I borrowed from my mom's friend Becky (The art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Yamuna Devi). I had mostly been cooking dishes containing meat so this was a nice change. I picked samosas because they have been a favorite of mine at the Afghani restaurant Ariana's (located on West Main Street). I was excited to try an Indian samosa for a change. 

Cookbook

Ingredients assembled 

I started out by setting up my ingredients which were rather basic other than some spices. (Luckily we already had them from previous indian cooking). I did not expect yogurt to be in the dough but it offers a nice addition. 

Dough: step 1

The first step for the dough was to mix the butter, flour, and salt in a bowl and crumbling it by hand until it resembles bread crumbs.

Dough: step 2

After the dough resembled bread crumbs I added the yogurt and cold water, then kneaded by hand until it could be formed into a firm but pliable ball. After that I let it sit for about half an hour. 

Spices and Seeds 

While the dough was resting I dry roasted the spices and seeds. They were as followed: cumin, coriander, and fennel (seeds), 4 whole cloves, and a ground cinnamon stick. They had a very pleasing and unexpected smell. 

Filling 

The filling consisted of the spice mixture, steamed cauliflower (diced), green peas, turmeric, salt, and vegetable oil (for frying). The filling was very fragrant and in some ways resembled curry. 

Crafting: step 1

I formed a twelve inch log out of the dough.

Crafting: step 2 

Crafting: step 3

crafting: step 4

I rolled out one of the dough balls into a patty as thin as I could make it. 

Crafting: step 5

Crafting: step 6

I folded the half moon shaped bit of dough by its edges, using water as an adhesive. This left me with an open cone shape. 

Crafting: step 7 

I then filled the cone with the filling, witch I then sealed using a fork. Once all of the samosas were filled and sealed all the way round, they were ready to fry. 

Frying 

It did not take long to fry them, only until the outside brought on a golden brown color. The frying process was much faster than that of meat dishes, so they were much easier to deal with (although they had to be constantly watched). 

Final Product 

The finished product was delicious, very light and fresh! Alone they had a very subtle yet affective flavor, but I served with my mom's homemade, canned peach chutney. The peach chutney worked with the samosa's subtle flavor wonderfully! The chutney was just what the samosas needed. The flavor was so much different than that of the recipes I have already done (mainly with meat). Before this I had not tried many vegetarian meals, but this has really broadened my taste buds to a whole new world of vegetarian cuisine! I would defiantly recommend this recipe to anyone in the mood for a delicious vegetarian meal (mind that it does take a lot of work).

Panch Phodoner Kaddu (squash with five spices)

This recipe seemed appealing when I first saw it in the cook book. I have always associated India with exotic spices and curry, so I thought that this recipe would give me a chance to explore some new spices. This recipe looked easy and affordable, it was just what I was looking for as a side to the simple egg curry.

Ingredients 

Most of  the ingredients were basic except for the spices. I had to go to Foods of All Nations (on Ivy road) for most of them. 

I lost the picture of the squash cooking with the spices, but I will give a detailed description of what I did. I added 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan, next I added cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, black mustard seeds, and black onion seeds. After they popped and darkened I added the diced squash (with the skin on). I then allowed it to cook until softened.

final product

The squash was very delicious, it had many new flavors to it that I had never tasted. It was very different to what I am used to but I did enjoy experimenting with the new spices. 

Dinner is Served 

Badia Curry (Simple Egg Curry)

First let me start off by apologizing for not posting in over a month. I have been caught up in midterms, christmas, and procrastination. The recipe that I am writing about today is a simple egg curry. While flipping through Monisha Bharadwaj's Gourmet Indian in Minutes I saw a picture of the simple egg curry and instantly I felt a very strong Indian vive. Many of the recipes in the book were very expensive and the ingredients were hard to find. I was looking for something that I could find the ingredients in the local super market. This recipe fit the criteria perfectly.

Ingredients Assembled 

The ingredients for this recipe were pretty standard and simple. Most of them I already owned.

step 1

I started out by frying the cumin seeds in the pan, as they darkened I added the onion slices until everything took on a slight golden brown color. 

step 2

After the onions took on a slight brown I added the ginger-garlic paste and tomato paste. Once they were incorporated I added turmeric, chili powder, garam masala, and salt until everything was mushy.

Step 3

Gently I placed the hard boiled eggs (sliced in half) into the curry mixture. I had to be carful to make sure that the eggs didn't collapse. 

Final product 

The egg curry was delicious, I hadn't really tried egg curry before this but I was very impressed by the outcome. It's flavors were expressed very lightly yet powerfully and it left me feeling fulfilled but not stuffed. I definitely recommend this recipe!