Recipe(tried): Butter Chicken (Indian Chicken in Tomato Cream Sauce), using rotisserie chicken, and Dhal

These two Indian recipes are both very good. The first is a pretty quick and easy version of a classic Indian dish. The second recipe for Dhal is the one previously posted by Carolyn, Vancouver, although by the time I got my act together, I had to cook it on the stove top rather than in a crock pot as Carolyn had done. It is really so, so good! If you like Indian food, it is a must try. I also made sauteed spinach, and Basmati rice. One of our stores here carries Naan (one of several types of Indian bread). It is imported from Canada. We had that, also. It, too, was really good. This will be a do-again dinner here:-)

BUTTER CHICKEN
(INDIAN CHICKEN IN TOMATO CREAM SAUCE)
Source: Rotisserie Chickens to the Rescue! by Carla Fitzgerald Williams, Hyperion Books, 2003

A rotisserie chicken stands in quite well for the original tandoori chicken in this version of the simple north Indian dish. In just a few simple steps with a handful of spices, an ordinary chicken become an exotic, family-pleasing meal with a richly spiced sauce that melds right into the chicken. The dish is done when the meat is, as Indian cookbook author Julie Sahni describes it ,"meltingly tender." Serve with spinach, quickly cooked in oil and garlic to complete the meal.

FOR THE SPICE BLEND:
1 tablespoon garam masala seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
FOR THE SAUCE:
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 skinless rotisserie chicken, boned out and pulled into 1 1/2 by 1/2-inch chunks (I had left over, oven roasted chicken which I used.)
1 (10-ounce) box frozen peas, placed in a colander and run under hot water to thaw
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
FOR SERVING:
Hot basmati rice
Pita bread, warmed according to package directions (If you can find Naan, serve it instead since it's more suthentic.)

TO MAKE THE SPICE BLEND:
Stir the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

TO MAKE THE SAUCE:
Melt the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the pieces just begin to turn gold, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and spice blend, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning. The spices will be fragrant. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and stir will. Add the chicken pieces, spoon the sauce over the top and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and cook, uncovered, until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce is flavorful, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Remove the chicken to a serving dish and cover to keep warm.

Shake any excess water from the peas. Add the peas and cream to the sauce in the pan, stir well and heat through. Do not boil. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. Serve with rice and warmed pita bread.

Variation: If you prefer shreds of chicken to whole pieces, remove the skin from the chicken and pull the meat into large chunks by hand. Add to the pan along with the garlic, tomato paste and spice blend. Cook for 3 minutes and then add the tomato sauce and continue with the recipe. Serve over basmati rice.

DAHL
(From Carolyn, Vancouver, BC)

1 1/2 onions, finely chopped
oil
1 inch of ginger, peeled and grated
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 small red chile, finely chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp turmeric
seeds of 1 cardamom pod
1 cup of red lentils, picked over and rinsed
14 oz diced tomato (I use canned)
1 1/4 cup vegetable stock (I used chicken stock because that's what I had.)
squeeze of lemon or lime juice

Dice and soften the onions in a little oil, in the microwave, right in the slow cooker insert. Grind together, then add the spices, cook another minute or so. (I did this on the stove in a small frying pan, over medium heat.) Add all the other ingredients, and cook on low for 5 or 6 hours. (I cooked it, at a gentle simmer, on top of the stove, for about 25 minutes, stirring from time to time.)