Chapatis

I spent part of my afternoon in a used bookstore, and it occured to me that I needed a journal to record my recipes in for easy reference. After all, I can’t keep searching my e-mail account every time I need to track down a recipe. As I thought of which type of recipe book I wanted, I decided I should buy an Indian-style journal for my Indian recipes. Then I realized that I had already bought a couple of journals in India, not because I needed them, but because they were beautiful! So now I have my recipes in the lovely book below.

Tonight I attempted to make the Silken Chicken Tikka Masala from Madhur Jaffrey’s “From Kebabs to Curries.” I made the sauce first, as instructed, but when I got to the chicken tikka, I stumbled over a minor detail: “Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours. (Longer will not hurt.)” Oops. So now my masala sauce and marinated chicken are sitting in my refrigerator.

The night wasn’t a total wash, though. I made chapatis from my “Indian Cooking” book, which were surprisingly easy and are quite healthy (ingredients: whole wheat flour, salt and water – no oil or butter!). I made a few funny-shaped ones before I hit my stride, but they tasted great.

After that, I reverted back to my tried and true “plan B” – Shan Masala mix. I made keema with ground turkey and peas. Again, can’t take credit for a box mix, but here’s a pretty picture anyway.