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Makes
2 cups marinade for approx. 3-1/2 lbs. meat
Author Notes
I have an Indian cookbook that I picked up for $5 years ago in the bargain section of the LAST REAL BOOKSTORE in my neighborhood. I bought the book because it has beautiful photos and hoped the recipes were just as tantalizing - and they are. It was put together by a group of people who traveled all over India for great recipes and every recipe I have made from this book is terrific. The tikka recipe is wonderful and has a lot of ingredients, so I have whittled it down and made substitutions over the years. The following recipe is a kind of minimalist recipe that could be enhanced by garam masala or curry powder mix, or even tamarind or other directions.
I throw whole cloves of garlic with 1/2" cubes of ginger into the food proceesor and pulse before adding the cilantro, but this could made by hand by just mincing everything. —Sadassa_Ulna
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Ingredients
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1-1/2 cups
buttermilk, full-fat yogurt, or full-fat coconut milk
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1
head garlic (or 1/4 cup minced)
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1
1" x 1" x 4" piece of ginger (or 1/4 c. minced)
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1-1/2 cups
cilantro,including stems,loosely packed
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1-1/2 tablespoons
paprika
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1 tablespoon
salt
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1/4 cup
lemon juice
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1-2 teaspoons
hot sauce or sriracha or other hotness
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3-4 pounds
chicken or lamb or other*
Directions
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* Cut meat into roughly 2" cubes (to thread on skewers later) OR, cut meat into "tenders" that are 2" wide and 4-6" long. Place in a shallow dish large enough to accommodate a big soupy marinade to be added. Even hearty fish, like monkfish, halibut, haddock or cod could be used.
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Peel garlic cloves and place in bowl of food processor; peel and cut ginger into 1/2" chunks and add to garlic. Pulse a few times then process into rough chopped mix, and stop to scrape sides of bowl as needed.
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Add cilantro to chopped mixture and process a few more seconds until green stems are small. Add remaining ingredients and pulse few times to incorporate thoroughly.
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Pour over chicken/meat making sure all pieces are coated. Marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or even overnight.
WARNING: cover the dish tightly, then wrap in several plastic grocery bags if you want to prevent the refrigerator from smelling strongly of garlic and ginger!
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Before grilling pour off any excess marinade but do not wipe off meat/chicken. Thread chunks onto skewers, alternating with thin chunks of sweet onion and squares of bell pepper or other desired veggies, if making kebabs. When grilling do a test run to determine correct amount of time on grill as it will vary.
Growing up I was the world's pickiest eater, that is, until my children were born. Karma. Neither of my parents were much into cooking; it was the height of eating fat-free or anything with oat bran added. I taught myself some basics, mostly baking, following the guidelines of a well-worn copy of Joy of Cooking. I was a ballet dancer and a teacher suggested I lose weight. As I began reading about diet and nutrition I became interested in natural foods, which led to a job at a macrobiotic natural foods market in Center City Philadelphia; this was way before Whole Foods came to the area. I learned a lot about food in general. I ate strictly vegan for a while, although I don't now, but I still like it when a recipe can taste great without butter or bacon! In short, my approach to cooking is idiosyncratic, and I don't know very much about cooking meat or proper technique. I love to bake and I am still working on expanding my palate and my repertoire. The hardest part is getting the whole family to try new things!
So aside from my food status, I am an architect who likes to garden and play music. I'm married with two kids, and I hope to get a dog someday.
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