Delicious Lamb Biryani

On August 15, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Product Reviews, Recipes6 Comments

This is a sponsored post on behalf of The Spice House. The recipe and all opinions are our own.

Our favorite meal when we visited India was Lamb Biryani. It isn’t a particularly difficult dish to create, but it does take a bit of time and preparation. One of the reasons that it is so flavorful is that it uses a variety of spices, some of which can be difficult to find. We used several spices from The Spice House and created our own take on Lamb Biryani. It turned out to be quite delicious and very fragrant. Depending on how spicy you like your food, you can control some of the heat by changing the amount of cayenne pepper or type of green chili that you use. We served ours over Basmati rice, but regular rice would be just as good.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Lamb Shoulder Chops – cut into 1 inch cubes
8 Whole Cloves
4 Black Cardamom Pods
4 Cinnamon Sticks
1 Large White Onion – sliced thinly
1 tbsp Minced Garlic
1 tbsp Minced Ginger
3 tbsp Fresh Mint Leaves – chopped
3 Tomatoes – chopped
3 Serrano Peppers – chopped (and deseeded for less heat)
2 tbsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tbsp Harissa Spread
4 tbsp Plain Yogurt
2 tbsp Lemon Juice – fresh squeezed
1/2 tsp Saffron
2 tbsp Warm Milk
1 cup Basmati Rice – cooked to package directions
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat and, once the oil is heated, add the cloves, cardamom pods, and cinnamon sticks for about 1 minute until they are fragrant. Add the onion and cook until lightly brown stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Stir in the mint and cook for 1 minute more. Add the lamb to the onion and spice mixture and cook until the meat begins to brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, serrano peppers, and cayenne pepper and cook for about 10 minutes. Finally, stir in the yogurt, milk, saffron, harissa spread, and lemon juice and cook for about 15 minutes. Serve over the rice.

Government Museum in Chennai, India

On July 9, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn India9 Comments

History museums are a wonderful way to learn about the history and culture of the country that you are visiting. The Government Museum in Chennai is no exception and was interesting for a variety of reasons. It is the second oldest museum in India and also contains the largest collection of Roman antiquities outside of Europe. The main building of the museum complex is architecturally interesting and is a remnant of British rule. The museum can be quite busy, so you will need to have patience as you wait in lines to view some of the exhibits.

One of the Buildings in the Museum Complex

Main Building with Beautiful Architecture

There are many ancient statues on the grounds of the museum that are displayed on stone pedestals, which are truly fascinating. Inside the museum there are many different displays with everything from zoological, archeological, cultural, historical, and artistic exhibits. The museum is very popular with the local schools and the students were by far the majority of the visitors while we were in the museum. Also, there didn’t appear to be many, if any, foreigners in the museum other than ourselves, which made for a unique experience as we felt as much on display as the exhibits themselves.

More Statues with Students in the Background

The information on the exhibits is provided in both the native Tamil as well as English, making it easy for us to understand what it was that we were seeing. Like many things in India, the variety of what is found within the museum can be somewhat overwhelming, but fascinating all the same. It is definitely a bit of a different experience than visiting museums in other places, but well worth taking the time to see while in Chennai.

Chicken Curry

On June 13, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn India, Recipes8 Comments

Indian food is something that can be found in countries throughout the world. It is interesting that we can find curry powder in stores, but true curry dishes are based upon a variety of spices, of which the proportions can be adjusted to change the flavor profile. This was our own personal creation and it is a little spicy, but quite delicious. We enjoyed eating a variety of dishes when we were in India and one of our favorite memories is of visiting a friend who lived in Chennai and eating fish curry at her home. Typically, this would be served with white rice or bread, but we decided to pair it with long grain rice instead.

INGREDIENTS

2 Large Chicken Breasts – cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 cup Flour
2 tbsp Medium-Hot Chili Powder
2 tbsp Cumin
1 tsp Paprika
2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 tsp Turmeric
1 cup Chicken Stock
1/4 cup Whipping Cream
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash the cubed chicken and keep moist. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, the paprika, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 tsp turmeric. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and add to the oil, cooking until the chicken is a nice golden brown, approximate 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set on a paper towel to drain any excess oil. Add the chicken broth and whipping cream to the same skillet that the chicken was cooked in. Add the remaining chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, and turmeric and bring the liquid to a low simmer. Add the chicken back to the skillet and heat together until the liquid becomes creamy. Cook rice according to the package directions and serve the chicken curry over the rice.