Chinese whole crab wok-fried with fresh ginger, scallions, and red pepper in a glossy sherry-soy sauce thickened with cornstarch. Messy, hands-on, and absolutely worth it.
Asafetida, mango powder, and black salt distinguish the chat masala from other masalas, giving the blend a sourness that makes it a welcome accompaniment to fresh fruit and other snacks. 'Chat' refers to various snacks and to the North Indian cafes that serve them. Fresh fruit often is sprinkled with lime juice and chat masala. Black salt (which is actually reddish gray), available at Indian food stores, has a distinctive flavor that's quite different from sea salt or table salt. The garam masala is the wild card in this recipe; either one of the (Tamil Nadu Curry Powder or Punjabi-Style Garam Masala) masalas may be used.
Five dahl soup, an Indian vegetarian classic blending mung beans, pigeon peas, chickpeas, and yellow and green split peas with ghee, turmeric, ginger, and a fragrant tarka of cumin, chilies, and asafetida.
Indonesian-style mie goreng with soba noodles, tofu, snow peas, and bean sprouts, tossed in a soy-brown sugar-chili sauce. Vegetarian, low-fat, and on the table in 25 minutes.
Beef and green bean stir-fry with thin-sliced flank steak and a creamy peanut-soy-sesame sauce. Asian-inspired weeknight dinner ready in 30 minutes.
Slow cooking brings out the tantalizing flavor in this dish that will have your family licking their lips.
Simple and tasteful cookies that are perfect for Christmas time.
Layered pumpkin walnut pie hides a buttery brown-sugar walnut praline beneath a creamy, cream-cheese-rich pumpkin custard in a shortbread crust, crowned with baked pastry leaves. A Thanksgiving showpiece.
Bread machine gingerbread loaf scented with molasses, ginger, and cinnamon. A soft yeasted bread (not a quick bread) with spicy holiday warmth and a tender crumb. Just dump and press start.
Crock pot sweet and sour chicken in a homemade sauce of brown sugar, vinegar, soy, and pineapple, thickened glossy and loaded with peppers and onion. A from-scratch slow cooker take on takeout.
Award-winning ginger cookies built on a cooked sugar-and-spice syrup base. Roll, cut, paint, or hand-mold this stiff gingerbread dough into any shape, then bake into crisp golden spice cookies.
Kentucky fried chicken copycat with paprika, ground mustard, thyme, basil, oregano, and Jamaica ginger. Fried golden then finished in foil for that takeout-style crisp crust.
This is a typical restaurant style curry. The basic curry forms the base and the variations show how it can easily be adapted.
Yogurt-marinated chicken thighs cook right on top of basmati rice with curry, cardamom, and cinnamon in this one-pot chicken biriani. Fragrant, hands-off, and endlessly satisfying.
This curry is a delicasy in the Indian state of Goa. It has plenty of coconut and some chilly which go very well with prawns.
Stir-fried chicken breast with snow peas, mushrooms, water chestnuts, and bean sprouts in a sweet-savory pineapple-ginger sauce with a kick of horseradish. Dinner in 30 minutes flat.