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Tuesday 3rd August 2021.

August 3, 2021

 

Join us in the eight o’clock hour as we chat with “J Mon Calderon” about his production “Desaparecer” the Musical”. All the work having been done him and rewarded by an evening at the Teatro Nacional. Also being presented for three nights at another venue.

You can get more details at the instagram @Jmoncalderon

 

Tuesday is Feisty Foodie day, and it just happens to be India month being celebrated by Cool FM.  So Sara says “Mmmm, I love Indian cuisine, so this should be fun!  There are so many delicious recipes, but the first step will be to make sure that our spice pantry is stocked!  Remember, it’s always best to toast the spices that can be toasted, this releases the oils and makes them fragrant.  I also recommend using a spice grinder, if you have one!  If you don’t have one, you can use a mortar and pestle.

What are some of your favourite Indian dishes?  I always like to start with Aloo Gobi.  It’s a delicious vegetarian dish that not to spicy, but just wakes up the palate.  I always find it hard to choose the dishes, because I like so many of them!  I usually also love to have a samosa, some onion bhajis and vegetable pakoras, but we’ll need to save some of those recipes for the coming weeks.  For this weeks entrée, I thought we could start with a simpler curry and do an Easy Chicken Tikka Masala served with basmati rice.  I recommend serving this is naan bread and pappadams. The perfect cocktail with Indian food is a Mango Mojito!  Before we get into the cocktail, we’re doing to start with a mango juice and use it to make the mojito.

Aloo Gobi

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste, (see recipe below)  or 2 teaspoons grated ginger

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 cup water, divided

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 large serrano pepper, split down the middle leaving halves attached

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (similar size to cauliflower)

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons freshly minced cilantro leaves, to garnish

Directions:

  1. Mix the Ginger-Garlic Paste, coriander, turmeric, and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl. This is a simple wet masala (spice mix). Set aside.
  2. In a large pot, warm the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the serrano pepper, wait 30 seconds, and then add the cumin seeds and wait until they’re done spluttering.
  3. Add the wet masala (careful, it will also splutter). Cook until the paste thickens, deepens in color slightly, and oil oozes out of the perimeter of the masala, about 2 minutes.
  4. Add the cauliflower and potatoes, stirring to coat the vegetables with the masala. Season with salt and add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes. Then, remove the lid, stir, and cook until the cauliflower and potatoes are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Ginger-Garlic Paste:

1/2 cup cloves garlic, whole

1/2 cup fresh ginger, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1/4 cup canola oil

Throw the garlic, ginger, and canola oil in a mini-food processor and let it go until it forms a semi-smooth paste. There will still be tiny little pieces in there, but overall, it should resemble a paste.

Save what you don’t use in a small glass jar. It should last in the fridge for 2 to 3 weeks. It’s a delicious addition to marinades, pasta sauces, stir fry sauces, slow-cooker recipes, gravy etc.

Easy Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

  1. In a large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
  2. Heat canola oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Pat chicken dry and season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken and onion to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 4-5 minutes.
  3. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili powder and turmeric until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  4. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken stock; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.
  5. Stir in heavy cream until heated through, about 1 minute.
  6. Serve immediately with rice, garnished with cilantro, if desired.

Mango mojito

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces rum
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 5 mint leaves
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 4 ounces mango nectar
  • Club soda

 Instructions

  1. In a cocktail glass add rum, lime juice, mint leaves, and sugar.
  2. Muddle your mixture together until the mint leaves are bruised and the sugar starts to dissolve.
  3. Fill the glass with ice, top with mango nectar, stir to combine, and top with club soda.
  4. Serve with lime wedge and sprig of mint if desired.

Note:  You can also try with coconut rum.

If you have fresh mangos and no nectar, you can make your own

 

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