Fresh Indian cuisine

Indian cuisine is one of my favorite picks when we go out to eat! The last time I went to a local Indian lunch buffet, I found it unique that one of their Dals had been made with yogurt. Any of the lentil curry dishes may also be made with coconut milk or heavy cream.

This morning, I put about ¼ cup fat-free yogurt (at room temperature) in a skillet and combined it with about ½ cup curry sauce, making sure it was completely dissolved before I put the heat on low. For anyone who will attempt this recipe, I will say that it is not error-proof. On my first try, I combined the ingredients at medium heat, and it was too hot for the ingredients to create the desired consistency! The yogurt curded before it had the chance to mix well with the curry sauce, and unfortunately, once yogurt curds it is irreversible. The same philosophy applies with other protein foods if the food is mechanically treated or when heat is applied – the proteins in the food “denature” and the consistency will not revert back to the way that it was before. However, if the temperature is not too hot, and the ingredients are mixed well enough before adding heat, the consistency should remain. I let the heat stay on low for about 10-30 minutes once the ingredients were vigorously mixed together.

I made a vegetarian curry and a chicken curry with this sauce. I kept it low in fat for my husband and added cooked lentils to the paste and created vegetarian dal. For the chicken curry that I prepared for lunch today, I had added 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and mixed that together before combining the curry sauce, and then adding onions, chicken, and peas. At least for me, the heavy cream gave the flavor more definition.

The curry sauce can be one that you choose pre-made or can be made from scratch with a great recipe.

 Enjoy!