Saving Time in the Kitchen

When I started working after graduating from college, I decided that it was a good time to learn how to cook. Although I loved South Asian food, I very rarely attempted to make it. I thought it took too long and was too complicated. My mom gave me some simple recipes and I tried them out. It took some practice, but I eventually started to get consistently good results. Making things simple and taking shortcuts when possible were important to me. I didn’t want to spend hours in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up. Over the years, I have come up with several tips and shortcuts to make life easier, and cooking still a pleasure!

Keep Store-bought Masala Handy
A shortcut on which I regularly rely is using store-bought masalas (spice blends). The traditional method of preparing masalas involves dry-roasting individual spices over a low flame, cooling them and grinding them into a powder. Of course, it would be ideal to always make spice blends this way, but we don't always have the time or the spices in our cupboards. These days, South Asian markets seem to have popped up all over the place, and the availability and quality of various spices and spice blends is amazing. Keep these masalas fresh by storing them in resealable bags in the freezer after opening, and just take them out when you are ready to use them.

Freeze Meat in Serving Size Portions
Another great timesaving and moneysaving tip is buying boneless, skinless chicken breasts in bulk when they're on sale. When you bring them home, divide them into serving sizes (individual or family) and freeze them in freezer-safe sealable bags. Thawing them so they're ready to use is easy! Before you leave for work in the morning, just take a bag out of the freezer and put it in a bowl in the refrigerator to thaw. The chicken breasts will be thawed and ready to use by the time you get home in the evening. However, some mornings we don't always know what to make for dinner that night. For those last-minute situations, when you get home from work, take a bag out of the freezer and put it in a bowl of cold water for 20-30 minutes.

Store Curry Base in an Ice Cube Tray
Several South Asian curries have a common base of onions, garlic, ginger, green chilies and cilantro. Chopping all these items can take a long time, especially if you're in a hurry. When you have some extra time on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, blend these ingredients together to make a paste. Pour the paste into ice cube trays and freeze. The next time you're making a curry, just pop out as many cubes as you need and put them in. No thawing necessary!

Test the Tips Above!
This month, try preparing my quick and easy chicken curry. The chicken is cooked until tender in a gorgeous and delectable tomato-based sauce. People will think you slaved for hours in the kitchen making this curry because of all the complex flavors. However, thanks to the availability of several spice blends at South Asian markets, you can prepare this curry fairly quickly.

Quick & Easy Chicken Curry
Serves two

Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1 inch cubes
1 ½ teaspoons tandoori chicken masala (available at most South Asian markets)
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 green chili, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
2 teaspoons tomato paste
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon Kitchen King masala (available at most South Asian markets; can be substituted with garam masala)
1 teaspoon coriander-cumin powder (available at most South Asian markets)
½ cup water
1 tablespoon light sour cream
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped finely

Instructions
1. Marinate chicken by placing chicken pieces in a bowl, adding tandoori chicken masala and buttermilk. Mix well and marinate for 20 minutes.

2. While the chicken marinates, chop the vegetables and grate the ginger. This is also a good time to get the other ingredients out and ready to use.

3. Heat oil in a pan over a medium-low flame for about three minutes.

4. Add cumin seeds and sauté until lightly golden-brown (about 30-45 seconds).

5. Add onion and sauté for two minutes until it begins to soften.

6. Add garlic, ginger and green chili. Stir and sauté for three to four minutes until the ingredients are soft and lightly golden-brown.

7. Add turmeric. Stir and cook for 30 seconds.

8. Add tomato paste and cook for a minute, making sure all ingredients are combined well.

9. Add chicken and cook for four to five minutes until the chicken starts to brown.

10. Add tomatoes, Kitchen King masala, coriander-cumin powder, water, a little salt and sugar. Stir well. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.

11. Uncover and cook for another two minutes.

12. Taste and add salt if necessary.

13. Add sour cream and garnish with cilantro. Mix well to combine. Serve with white or brown rice or chapatti (flat, unleavened bread made with wheat flour). Enjoy!

Tips:
- This recipe would require two ice cubes made from onions, garlic, ginger, green chilies and cilantro if you use the shortcut mentioned above. This is a great way to save time and energy!

- Be careful how much salt you add. The tandoori chicken masala in the marinade contains some salt. Taste the curry first before adding additional salt.

- Sugar balances the acidity from the tomatoes.

- Kitchen King masala is a blend of several spices. If it isn't readily available, you can replace it with garam masala, a more popular spice blend.

Priya Sastry calls Chicago her home. Inspired by her grandmother, she feels that cooking is a great way to connect to her rich Indian heritage. When not out experiencing the great flavors the Windy City has to offer, she enjoys concocting her own recipes in the kitchen. Fortunately, her husband doesn't mind being her taste-tester! Priya can be contacted at priyasastry@yahoo.com.