Though I love foods of many cuisines, Indian is among my favorite; It's hard to beat a good Italian meal, even though Indian spices are uniquely delicious.
For some reason, cooking Indian food has always seemed overwhelming to me. I have never really tried making the sauces from scratch, rather buying them packaged from the store or getting fresh at one of several local Indian restaurants.
My go to Indian foods are Chicken Tikka Masala, Dal, Vegetable Saag, and Samosas. However, I decided to try two recipes I found online, both being a different twist on the Indian food that I'm used to.
For a yummy dinner, I made Summer Vegetables in Spiced Yogurt Sauce (top of image) and Coconut Curry Braised Salmon (bottom of image). I would definitely make both again. With sides of rice, naan and dal, this was a perfect dinner with balance and varied textures.
My only critique is on the salmon recipe, as the sauce became a thick and sticky consistency. To liven it up, I added more of the moist ingredients: red curry paste and coconut milk. I think I over cooked the fish and sauce, causing the problem. Unlike most people, I enjoy salmon fully cooked through and not pink; This would explain the thickness. Once the dish was completed and as I believe it was intended to taste, the sauce went great on rice and as a dip for naan.
Summer Vegetables in Spiced Yogurt Sauce:
Stir-fry 1 piece of peeled & grated ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric, 1/8 tsp. ground cayenne and 1 serrano chili in 3 tbsp. olive oil until sizzling.
Add 1 medium diced onion and cook until soft (careful not to over cook/brown). Add a pinch of salt.
Stir in 1/2 tsp. garam masala, 2 diced squash, baby turnips (desired amount), and 1 cup water. Simmer until vegetables are cooked.
Add 2 cups of plain whole-milk yogurt and 1/2 cup almond flower, then desired amount of shelled peas and corn. Simmer until sauce gets thicker.
Stir in 2-3 handfuls of spinach until wilted.
Enjoy :)
View the recipe I followed here: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022441-summer-vegetables-in-spiced-yogurt-sauce
I adjusted amounts of each vegetable to my liking. I also added potatoes and zucchini.
Coconut Curry Braised Salmon:
Sauté onion, garlic, and ginger in coconut oil.
Add Thai red curry paste and curry powder. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Stir in full-fat coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
Add salmon pieces and coat with sauce. Add fish sauce and lime juice, then cover to cook the fish. Stir occasionally to avoid the sauce from sticking.
Enjoy :)
I found this recipe on TikTok and eyeballed the amounts of each ingredient. View the recipe with the creator's exact measurements here: https://cravingcalifornia.com/coconut-curry-braised-salmon/