When thinking about India one of the first things that comes to our mind is food. After fieldwork, people always ask us about our meals. Some consider it amazing, some not so much, but Indian food leaves no one indifferent. It is commonly described as exotic and different, but in message 3 (11/11/2011) we discovered that the difference between our and their food is not so great.

Actually, we are so convinced of this that here we give you the recipes of some of our favourite Indian dishes. You’ll be surprised at how a good Indian meal can be cooked using only ingredients easily found in our part of the world (but of course originally coming from Asia). Enjoy it!

Lassi

This refreshing drink is made of yogurt and water (or crushed ice). Sweet or salty, lassi is usually combined with spices or fruit, and it is perfect either as an appetiser or for dessert.

Basic ingredients (for 4 cups):

- 2 natural yogurts (ideally Greek style, since it is denser)
- 1 tbsp cold water
- a dozen ice cubes
-  ¼ tsp cumin and/or ginger, cardamom and cinnamon

Extra ingredients:

-  salt or sugar to taste

-  peeled fruit: mango, peach, banana…

-  a touch of mint… or whatever you feel could suit!

Preparation:

It is very easy to prepare lassi, just mix the ingredients and shake until it is smooth but without lumps. You can always taste it and add more ingredients to taste.

We recommend adding crushed ice just a few moments before serving to have a very cold lassi. It can be presented with a little bit of fruit or spices on the top. It’s not very different form our milk shakes, isn’t it?

Vegetable curry

Curry is a mixture of spices traditional of Asian cuisine. The main spices are turmeric, coriander and cumin, but many others can be added depending on the type of food being cooked. Here we show you an easy-to-make meal suitable for vegetarians.

Ingredients (serves for 4):

- 1/2 medium-sized (100g) aubergine cut into sticks

- 2 small carrots (100g), peeled and cut into sticks

- 100g peas

- 100g French beans, cut into pieces

- 1 medium-sized potato (100g), peeled and cut into sticks

- 50g grated coconut

- 4 fresh hot green chillies

-  1 1/4 tsp salt

-  3 medium-sized tomatoes, roughly chopped

-  1 tbsp natural plain yogurt

-  1 tsp garam masala (a mixture of spices that can be bought made in supermarkets or specialised shops)

-  2 tbsp chopped, fresh green coriander

How to make vegetarian curry:

-  Place the aubergine, carrots, peas, French beans and potato in a medium-sized saucepan. Add 250ml water. Bring to the boil. Cover, turn the heat to medium and cook for 4 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender.

- Meanwhile put the coconut, chillies and salt in the container of an electric blender. Add 150ml water and grind to a fine paste. Set aside.

- When the vegetables are cooked, add the spice paste and another 150ml water. Stir and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Now add the tomatoes, the yogurt and the garam masala. Stir gently to mix well. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes. Turn into a serving dish and garnish the vegetable curry with the fresh coriander.

Chicken Tikka Masala

This meal is a fusion between South Asian food and British taste. Its origin is not clear, but undoubtedly it is one of the most renowned dishes worldwide. It is usually served with plain rice (ideally basmati type) and naan (Indian bread that can be bought ready-made).

Ingredients (serves for 4):

Part A:                                                           Part B:

- 1kg boneless chicken breast                    - 400-500g tomato sauce

- 1/4 cup yogurt                                           - 1kg tomatoes, chopped

- 3 tsp minced ginger                                   - 2 tsp ginger paste 

- 3 tsp crushed garlic                                   - 2 tsp garlic paste

- 1/4 tsp white pepper                                  - 2 tsp green chillies

- 1/4 tsp cumin powder                                - 1 tbsp red chilli powder

- 1/4 tsp nutmeg                                          - 2 tsp cloves

- 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder              - 8 green cardamoms

- 1/4 tsp chilli powder                                  - salt to taste

- 1/4 tsp turmeric                                         - 3 tbsp butter

- 3 tbsp lemon juice                                      - 200ml cream

- 4 tbsp vegetable oil                                    - honey to taste        

- melted butter (for basting)                                 

Preparation:

- Whisk all of the ingredients in Part A together in a large bowl. Add the chicken breast, cut into cubes.

- Marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 180º. Bake the chicken for 8 minutes, basting with butter twice. Drain excess marinade and bake for another 2 minutes.

- While doing this, make the sauce in Part B. Deseed and chop green chillies. Put tomatoes and tomato sauce in a pot and add approximately 4-1/4 cups of water.

- Add ginger and garlic paste, green chillies, red chilli powder, cloves, cardamoms and salt. Cook over low heat until reduced to a thick sauce. Strain through a strainer and bring to a boil. Add butter and cream. Stir.

- If the sauce tastes sour, add honey to taste. Stir and serve with the chicken tikka masala.

We found these recipes in http://www.indianfoodforever.com. There you can find  much more and choose your favourites. Try them and share your opinion!