ABCDlady Magazine - for the American Born Confident Desi

Check out the quick desi-licious meals highlighted in our September issue.

Table cream can be found near the whipping cream and heavy cream in a grocery store.

To reduce the fat in this recipe, replace the table cream with 3 teaspoons of fat free plain yogurt. Be sure to whip the yogurt before use. This gives the dish the texture it needs.

Small eggplants are available at Indian grocery stores or Asian markets.

Note for Number 4: Adding water to the pan helps the cooking along and prevents the vegetables from sticking to the pan.

Note for Number 5: You can tell that the dish is done when you can are able to stick a knife into the eggplant and cut into it.

Share Ingredients Between your Recipes

By Neetika Singh

Don’t you hate it when you buy that one ingredient for a recipe and then never use it for any other cooking? This month we’re providing two recipes that contain similar ingredients, so you can make the most out of your pantry storage space.

Butter Chicken

Ingredients

6 chicken drumsticks

1 tsp. ground fresh ginger

1 tsp. ground fresh garlic

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. red chili powder

1 tsp. cilantro

2 tsp. table cream

1 six-ounce can tomato sauce.

½ tablespoon of corn oil

1. Remove the skin from the chicken.

2. In a frying pan, on medium heat, add 1/2 tablespoon of corn oil.

3. Immediately, add the ginger and garlic and fry for 1 minute.

4. Add the chicken drumsticks to the pan. Add salt, pepper, chili powder, turmeric powder and fry on low heat.

5. Add 3-4 tablespoons of water and fry the chicken till done. It takes about 20-25 minutes.

6. Add tomato sauce. Change heat to medium setting and continue cooking and stirring until boiling. This will take 2-3 minutes.

7. When the sauce is hot, add 2 - 3 tsp. of table cream. Heat for 2 minutes and stir. Do not overheat. The table cream can turn into cottage cheese if heated too long.

8. Remove the chicken from heat.

9. Add cilantro and the dish is ready. Serve with hot rice.

Raja Baingan (Eggplant)

Ingredients

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. red chili powder

1/4 tsp. cumin powder

2 green whole chilies

1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 small onion, sliced

2 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro

6 small eggplants

1 tbs. corn oil

1. Wash the eggplants under running water for a couple of minutes . Then dry with a paper towel.

2. Cut small slices of the eggplant (about 4 pieces of each one).

3. In a frying pan put a tablespoon of cooking oil on low heat. Add the eggplant immediately.

4. After 5 minutes, add 2 tablespoons of water to pan.

5. Fry the eggplant in the pan for 20 minutes or until done.

6. Add the salt, pepper, red chili powder, cumin powder, green chili, turmeric powder, chopped tomato, and sliced onions. Fry until all the spices are well mixed.

7. Turn off the heat and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Neetika Singh works as a doctor by day, and has an active cooking life, by night.

Butter Chicken Raja Baingan (Eggplant)

Butter Chicken

Raja Baingan (Eggplant)