Yuppie Supper Club #2

After my incredible feed of Indian food last week, I was inspired to challenge my culinary prowess and try to re-create my meal from the Taj Mahal- but do it better! Yuppie Supper Club this weekend was the perfect opportunity to do so. My friend Mel and I picked up some key ingredients at the market, including the Butter Chicken spice mix from Tandoor Blends, as well as some veg for the Saag.

It was a fairly ambitious plan. I was going to make onion badja- deep fried onion fritters...difficult since I don't own a deep fryer. But, I got to thinkin' that all I needed was a big pot and some oil, so I miked up the batter and dropped the little suckers in one by one.

The recipe for this is simps. I made a tempura batter, which is equal ratios flour and beer w/ a pinch of salt + any flavorings you want to use. This batter actually differed from the real thing 'cause authentic badja uses chickpea flour, but really- who buys chickpea flour?

Recipe:

2 large white onions chopped
1 cup flour
1 cup beer - I used the St. Ambrose Apricot beer for a bit of sweetness
1 tsp. curry powder
pinch of S&P

Canola oil- It's hard to say how much you need as it depends upon the size of your pot, but definitely use enough to fill it up about 3 inches deep. In my case...the whole bottle! Don't try to use olive oil here, as it doesn't heat to a high enough temp. to deep fry.

Method:

Mix all ingredients together. Heat oil to high and drop batter by tbsp. gently into the oil. I only did 10 at a time to keep from overcrowding the pot. Fry until golden brown, remove from oil and drain it on a paper towel.

Step 1: Mix

Step 2: Fry

Step 3: Enjoy!

Wow- Was anyone else just taken back to NKOTB's 'Step by Step', circa 1990? The fritters were so tasty- at the same time crispy, yet slightly chewy and with a touch of sweetness from the Apricot beer. I wanted a good dippy for the fritters, so I also made a pot of Mango Chutney.

Mango Chutney

Recipe:

1 mango, chopped
2 apples, peeled, cored & chopped
1 small onion, minced
2 tsp. oil
1/2 c. vinegar- cider would be best, but I just had the 'ol white, so I substituted!
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. hot pepper jelly
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. curry powder
pinch S&P

Method:

Heat oil on Med. heat and soften the onions until translucent. Add the apples, mangos and vinegar. Once mixture softens, add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer on low until the mixture cooks down and thickens.

Then it was on to the main course...

I wanted one traditional meat dish and a good veg-like sauce as well, so we went with Butter Chicken and Chickpea Saag to serve atop our rice. Clearly, you do not need a rice recipe- at least I hope not!

Butter Chicken

Recipe:

1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. oil
5 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. ginger- use fresh if you have it!
1/3 c. chicken stock
4 chicken breasts, cubed
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 c. heavy cream

Method:

Heat 1 tbsp. butter and oil on Med. heat and saute onion. Add garlic and ginger and saute until softened. Add chicken and cook for 1-2 mins. Add tomato, chicken stock and simmer until meat is cooked through. Add butter and cream and simmer until thickned.

Chickpea Saag

Recipe:

1 15 oz. can chickpeas rinsed & drained
1 lg bag spinach rinsed & dried
1 15 oz. can diced tomato
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp hot chili flakes
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
S&P

Method:

Heat oil on Med. and saute onions and garlic until translcent. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas and spinach & cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer until spinach is wilted. Add spices and S&P to taste.

Note- I encountered a little problem w/ this dish in that it was a little too runny. To solve thate problem, I removed a cup of liquid and mixed w/ 2 tbsp. flour and then added it back to the pot, which thickened it right up!

These tasty, sloppy dishes were served w/ Basmati rice and some warm Naan bread. This was one of my favorite Yuppie Supper Clubs to date as my friend Melanie and I cooked, while the boys sat back and drank their beer. In fact, that's all they ever really have to do is bring the booze. The kitchen is my domain and I wouldn't have it any other way!