Chicken, Chickpea & Kale Curry

I like curries of all stripes, and this one is of the unusual type. I combine canned chickpeas (or garbonzo beans) with sauteed kale and browned chicken, in a broth of India spices. It's a heady mix, but cooked together it makes nutritious and satisfying entree.

My curry broth is just flavored with ground cumin, chopped garlic and ginger. I used water with a chicken bouillon cube, but for a richer broth use a small can of coconut milk.

Unlike spinach, kale holds up well to slow cooking, so you can add it right away and allow it to obsorb flavors. My local Latin market is stocking kale for cheap prices, so I'm learning how to use it, both raw and cooked. And chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are found cheaply almost anywhere.

Like the kale I get cheap chicken now at the same Latin grocery store. This recipe is perfect for cheaper cuts of poultry. Just lightly brown one side and start adding the other ingredients to dislodge the flavorful charred chicken bits.
 

My Chicken, Chickpea & Kale Curry is a one-pot meal that is better reheated the next day. Make sure to cook some rice, pasta or favorite grain to sop up the pungent flavorful curry broth.

Ingredients
4 pieces of chicken - I used thigh and leg meat. You can use any favorite combination.
1 bunch of Kale
15 ounce can of chickpeas - or garbanzo beans, drained.
1 whole onion - yellow or white, chopped.
1 teaspoon garlic - chopped fresh or from jar.
1 teaspoon ginger - optional. Chopped fresh or from jar. Okay to use powdered ginger.
1 tablespoon of ground cumin or curry powder - curry powder is more intense, but ground cumin is close enough and easier to find.
1 1/2 cup water or favorite broth
1 teaspoon cooking oil
Salt and pepper to taste
*For extra richness add a small can of coconut milk or cream. No water is needed.

Directions
Add oil to a medium hot pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken on one side, about 5 - 10 minutes. You don't need to cook the chicken all the way through - you will finish cooking it later. Remove chicken and set aside.

While meat is browning you can chop the onion, garlic and ginger. Wash kale and remove the largest stems - roughly chop kale.

Add chopped onion and saute until it's soft and starting to turn light brown, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle on cumin or curry powder. Saute it with the onions for a minute. Add ginger and garlic. Saute for another minute.

Add a handful of chopped kale at a time to the onions and spices. The kale will cook down quickly. It only takes a couple of minutes. Keep adding handfuls of kale until all of it fits in the pan. Should take about 5-10 minutes total.

Finally add a favorite broth or just plain water (or a can of coconut milk/cream.) Simplest broth is to add a chicken bullion cube to water. It will dissolve in the water as you break it apart. Bring broth with chicken, chickpeas and kale to a boil, reduce heat and low simmer.

Cook uncovered about 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked all the way. Turn the chicken over, half way through the simmering process. To check for doneness, just slice into the thickest part of chicken and make sure there is no red color or pink juices.

Serve it with rice, a favorite cooked grain, or pasta. You want something that will soak up the flavorful sauce.

Veggie Curry with Lentils

Dried lentils cook in half an hour, much quicker than any other dried bean. They tend to get much more mushy than the typical pinto, red or navy bean. I'm not used to cooking with lentils, so it was suprising that my first cooking experience with them turned out so delicious, I hope you will like this recipe, too.

I usually have had them in India restaurants, but I've also tried them in Ethiopian eateries. Since lentils are thought to originate in India, they are typically cooked spiced with curry. For my latest budget entree I'm going India vegetarian: Veggie Curry with Lentils.

You can use almost any vegetable you can find on sale: potatoes, carrots, broccoli, spinach and celery included. For my recipe I cooked with cauliflower and carrots. The other main ingredients are onion, garlic, a can of tomatoes and coconut milk (or plain yogurt.)

While the lentils are cooking just saute some onion and garlic, then toast some ground cumin, and finally, add coconut milk and canned tomato. I like to bake it instead of stove top simmering -- I prefer the flavor of roasted veggies and legumes.

I also use a simple curry mix of ground cumin and powered ginger. Cumin is the main flavor of a typical curry powder. You could also add 1/2 a teaspoon of ground cloves and cinnamon into the curry mix. If you have a favorite curry power, then use it. I like to serve my Veggie Curry with Lentils over brown rice. (I've also included a link to my Coconut Rice recipe at the end of this post.)

Ingredients (about 3 servings)

• 1/2 package uncooked lentils (8 ounces) - follow cooking directions (boil in 3 cups of water for about 20 minutes.)
• 9 ounce package of cauliflower florets - Okay to use frozen, or a whole head of cauliflower (break off florets.)
• 3 whole carrots - discard the knotty top. Chop into about one inch chunks. Okay to use cleaned packaged baby carrots or sliced ones (2-3 cups.)
• 1 onion - chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic - chopped fresh or from jar.
• 1 can tomatoes (about 13 ounces) - chopped, crushed or whole
• 1 can of coconut milk, juice, or cream (about 13 ounces) - optional. Okay to substitute with a small (about 6 ounce) carton of plain yogurt.
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger - optional. Okay to use a tablespoon of fresh chopped.
• 2 tablespoons oil for sauteing onion and garlic.
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper - optional, as you may not like the heat. Can always add hot sauce to individual servings.
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Start the half package of lentils boiling in 3 cups of water for about 20 minutes. Don't worry if they are not cooked all the way through, you will finish the cooking process in the oven, later.

While lentils are cooking, heat oil in a large saute pan, or pot, and add chopped onion. I use a large metal pot with a top that I can put directly into the oven. Saute onions about 5-10 minutes, over medium heat, until soft and just starting to caramelize to a light brown. Add chopped garlic, stir and cook for a minute.

Add a tablespoon of ground cumin and powered ginger. Sprinkle in a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, optional. You can always add it at the end of cooking, a little at a time to desired heat level. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir dry spices into onions and lightly stir for about 3-5 minutes to rehydrate the spice flavors.

Mix in chopped carrots and cauliflower florets. Next add a can of tomatoes with the liquid. If tomatoes are whole then break them up - it should be easy to do. Pour in a can of coconut milk (juice or cream,) or plain yogurt. Mix well.  

Lentils should be done enough by now. Remove lentils with a slotted spoon and reserve the liquid -- you may need the liquid for later, if lentil dish gets too dry in the oven. Add lentils to veggies and curry sauce.

Bring to a boil. Now you can add the ovenproof pan (or pot) to a 350 degree oven. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to one hour, (alternately, you can cover and simmer on the stove to, at a low heat, for the same amount of time.) Check on the dish from time to time to make sure liquid does not cook out. Add 1/4 cup of lentil cooking water when needed. I made it without any extra liquid -- the coconut and tomato sauce thickened into a flavorful sauce as the lentils got softer and began to break apart.

I have a couple of India sides that would go well with my Veggie Curry with Lentils, just click on a name to see the recipes: Coconut Rice and Saag Paneer.

Sauteed Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry

Tofu is boring, but not when The 99 Cent Chef gets his spatula under it! I give mushy tofu cubes some spine by coating, then sauteing in cornstarch. And, I add much needed flavor by mixing ginger into the crispy coating.

I've done a Veggie Stir Fry before (click here), but over time I've improved that older recipe. It's time for version 2.0! Ginger, oyster and soy sauce, with honey, kick up the flavor profile to scrumptious heights.

Tofu is cheap, too, even my local 99c only Store is stocking 12.3 ounce packages of it. And I've seen tofu at our local Trader Joe's for less than two bucks per container. So, since tofu has hit my price point, it's time to do something with it.

And, the last couple of months, I've also found packages of a fresh Vegetable Stir Fry mix that includes snow peas, broccoli, and carrots. It's a perfect mix, and at 9 ounces it's enough to feed two. If you have local budget veggies, almost any will work in my chintzy stir fry.

If you're uninspired by bland tofu, give my flavorful recipe a go. You can serve my Sauteed Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry over rice, or cheap ramen noodles (as I did this time). It's also tasty just by itself.

I've added a new feature, at the end of this post, called Hindsight. Just some notes, changes or additions I would make to any published recipe. Sometimes, while creating and cooking a recipe, I think of improvements, or just a simple recipe tweak. I never make a recipe the same way twice anyway, so look under Hindsight to see any changes, or tasty enhancements, on this, and future recipe posts.

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 1 package of tofu - I used a 12.3 ounce pack. Use firm if you can get it cheap.
• Vegetable Stir Fry package - I found a 9 ounce one. You could use frozen stir fry veggies, too. Or make your own veggie mix from locally grown, and on sale, produce - about 2 to 3 cups worth.
• 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic - fresh or from jar.
• 1/2 cup of Corn Starch - for frying tofu, and thickening stir fry sauce.
• 3 tablespoons Oyster Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey - or favorite sweetener, optional.
• 1 tablespoon powered Ginger - optional. Okay to use fresh chopped ginger.
• 1 cup of water or broth
•  1 tablespoon Corn Starch/Ginger mix - added to stir fry sauce.
• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil - I used sesame oil (2 tbsp. for sauteing tofu, and one more for the veggie stir fry.)

Directions for Sauteing Tofu
If you are serving this dish over rice, then get it going first.

You want to start heating your wok to a medium temperature. Add a tablespoon of oil; I used sesame oil but you could use regular vegetable oil. You want the oil to be hot when you add the tofu.

Drain packaged tofu. Slice into about 2 inch cubes -- not looking for perfectly cut sizes. I got about 10 cubes. Spread out corn starch on a flat plate. Mix in 1 tablespoon of powered ginger (or fresh chopped.)  Carefully lay down tofu onto plate and spoon cornstarch/ginger mix onto top of tofu cubes.

With a spatula or large spoon, carefully move coated tofu into the hot wok. I cooked it in two batches of 5 coated tofu cubes. Make sure the tofu cubes don't touch, or the crispy coating will stick, and pull off, when you separate tofu cubes. Once you place the tofu in the wok you don't need to move it around. After 3-5 minutes, peek under a tofu cube to see if it is lightly brown. Turn over tofu cubes when one side is done, and saute for another 3-5 minutes.

Move lightly browned tofu to a plate -- no need to drain off oil on a paper towel, as very little is used for sauteing. Add another tablespoon of oil if needed for the next batch of tofu. Repeat sauteing on each side for about 5 minutes, then carefully place on plate with the other tofu.

Directions for Stir Fry
If you are serving this entree over ramen noodles, now would be a good time to start cooking it.

Add a tablespoon of oil to medium/high heated wok . Allow oil to heat up for a minute, then add your stir fry veggies. Continuously move the veggies around to cook all sides - for about 5 minutes. Next add garlic, mix well and cook for a minute.

Now, time to blend the stir fry sauce. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce and honey. In a cup of water, or broth, whisk in 1 heaping tablespoon of the leftover cornstarch/ginger mix. Add the slurry to the wok and mix into the veggies. It should quickly thicken after about 3 minutes. Remove stir fry from heat.

Assemble plate with noodles or rice, add veggies, then top with sauteed tofu. Finally drizzle some of the sauce on the sauteed tofu and noodles or rice.

Hindsight
A few additions for mixing into the Tofu Coating include: a tablespoon of sesame seeds, chopped garlic (or garlic powder,) a dash of hot chile powder (or a minced hot pepper), extra ginger, or crushed black pepper corns. Sprinkle tofu with a few drops of liquid smoke. Mix some crushed peanuts (or any nuts) into the corn starch. Scrape off the zest of an orange or lemon for a fruity flavor to mix into the coating.

For the Stir Fry Sauce, try adding a teaspoon of fish sauce. If you have a favorite premixed stir fry sauce, including teriyaki sauce, it's okay to use that instead. Chunks of canned pineapple (or fresh) is a sweet addition.

Salmon Burger

Canned seafood is a 99 Cent Chef budget specialty. Look blog-backward and you will find recipes for "Baby Clams and Spaghetti", a "Salmon Shmear", "Clam and Artichoke Pita Pizzas" and the Left-leaning "Cesar Chavez Salad", all using canned (or foil pouched) seafood. Now you can add Salmon Burgers.

If you are lucky enough to find a 15 oz. large can of salmon in your local dollar store, you can make enough salmon burgers to feed the whole family, with The 99 Cent Chef's salmon burger recipe. Lately, the Chef has run across 3 oz. soft packs and 7 oz. cans of cooked salmon; that's enough for 1-3 patties. Ah, the good old days when large 15 oz. cans were everywhere for around a buck! For these larger cans, just add 3 times my filler ingredients ( about 3 eggs, a whole onion and bell pepper, celery stalk, and 1 cup of bread crumbs). For a burger, make sure to cover salmon patty when cooking, to firm it up; if it is served without bread then cook uncovered for a flaky tender patty.

As a bonus, The Chef has come up with the perfect salmon patty pairing: ginger/lime mayo aioli. Canned salmon in water is ideal, just drain; if canned in oil, then you don't need oil for frying, it has plenty already!

Ingredients ( 2-3 patties)

• 7 oz. can of salmon (or 2 soft foil packs of 3 oz. size salmon)
• 1/2 each - onion, bell pepper and celery, or any combination (this is the kind of recipe you can add anything to, including chopped green olives, capers, carrots, etc.)1/4 cup of bread crumbs - fresh or from a can
• 1 tsp. chopped garlic
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. of oil for frying one salmon patty
• pepper to taste (canned salmon has plenty of salt)
• Hamburger bun, pita or any type of bread for salmon patty
• For your burger add favorite topping including, tomato, greens, and avocado.

Ginger Mayo Aioli
Add 1 tbsp. of powdered ginger, 1tsp. of lime/lemon juice (optional), and mix into 1/4 cup of mayo. The longer it sets the more flavorful.



Directions
Drain canned salmon and remove any bone (sometimes the white backbone is left in). Chop veggies fine and saute in frying pan with 1 tbsp. oil for 5 minutes until soft.

In a bowl add salmon, cooked veggies, one egg, garlic and bread crumbs (or one fresh crumbled, toasted slice of bread), and mix well. Heat one tbsp. oil over medium heat. Form hamburger-sized patties and cook covered for about 5 minutes each side. Patties will firm up when covered; if you are serving them without buns, cook uncovered and they will be more moist and flaky.
Serve with the Chef's Ginger Mayo Aioli on the side or on a bun.

African Spiced Water Buffalo Wings

Chicken legs are always on sale in my local Latin market, and the Chef likes his meat dark. This flavorful exotically spiced dish is a great way to use up those spices that have been sitting in the rack forever. Old spices lose their potency so by using larger amounts it will still make for a flavorful entree.

The Chef lives a couple of miles south of Little Ethiopia on Fairfax Blvd. in Los Angeles, and has had the pleasure of tasting this African cuisine. Some of the dishes are comprised of stewed vegetables, chicken and beans, and served with a 24 inch thin spongy, sour/fermented, bread called Injera, that you use instead of utensils.

Now, the Chef is not an expert on African food by any means, and has never eaten water buffalo, but sometimes the entree idea comes first -- then I have to try and figure out the recipe. "Water buffalo wings" just sounds kind of funny, and you know how I like wordplay. This dish combines the "dry rub" technique of Southern barbeque with spices common to North Africa. In this recipe I use less ground cloves than the other spices because it is so strong. If you like India tandori spiced chicken, you'll like the Chef's African Spiced Water Buffalo Wings.

 
Ingredients

• 6-8 chicken legs
• 2 tbsp. each of ground ginger, paprika and cumin 1 tbsp. of ground cloves
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix spices and rub onto each chicken leg. Roast in oven about 45 minutes or until juices run clear by piercing thickest part of chicken leg.

This winning dish was created for The 99 Cent Chef's 2009 Oscar Special video -- as a Best Actor Entree for the movie "The Visitor".