Tikka Masala Sauce

Yum... Tikka Masala Sauce. It's one of the most popular Indian curries. No one knows the exact origin for Chicken Tikka Masala. Some claim that during the British rule of India, an Englishman claimed that his chicken tikka was too dry. The chef got angry and mixed tomato sauce with cream to create a gravy for his chicken. Whatever the origins, this is one of my favorite dishes. The good thing about tikka masala sauce is that it is so versatile. You can make it with chicken, shrimp, or paneer (Indian cheese). Everyone has their own way of making tikka masala. I like to make mine with sour cream instead of cream.

Ingredients:

2 tbs. cooking oil

1 onion (i like to use frozen chopped onions so I don't have to worry about chopping them up)
1/4 cup tomato puree

1 oz chicken tikka masala spice

16 oz sour cream

approx. 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup of whole milk
3-4 tbs butter

Directions:

Heat the oil up in a pot on medium heat. Add the chopped onions. Fry until they start turning brown. Add the tomato puree. Cook for 5 minutes. In a bowl, mix the sour cream with the chicken tikka masala spice. Cook for another 5 minutes. Slowly add the milk till it is the consistency you like. Wait for the gravy to cool. Add to a food processor in small batches until the gravy is smooth. Return to pot. At this point you can add chicken or paneer and cook on medium to low for about 20 minutes. If you are adding shrimp cook for only 5-10 minutes or your shrimp will overcook. Add the butter at the very end. If the gravy is too thick, add some more milk. Serve with rice, naan, or flatbread.

Tom Kha Goong (Coconut Shrimp Soup)

I am a mother of two and am always about easy cooking. One of my favorite quick recipes is Tom Kha Goong. I use a Tom Yum paste or Tom Yum cubes to make the broth. I use shrimp instead of chicken because I find it easier to find peeled and deveined shrimp at my local grocery store. I also use whatever vegetables I have on hand to throw in the soup. Sometimes, I even throw in angel hair pasta to make it a heartier meal. I say anything goes. Now true Tom Kha soup isn't pure white. As you can see in my picture, there are hints of red in it from the spices. Here is my recipe:

Ingredients:
3 tbs of Thai Tom Yum paste (Depending on your paste, you might need to add fish sauce or salt to taste)
3 cups of water
1 can of coconut milk (usually 13.5 oz)
1 cup shrimp, peeled and deveined
4-5 straw mushrooms or button mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, julienned (or any vegetable you would like to add)
2 tbs of lime juice
2 tbs chopped cilantro
Cilantro for garnish


Preparation:
Put water in a pot and boil. Once that has boiled, add Tom Yum paste. Slow Boil for 2 minutes to flavor water. Lower heat and add mushrooms and red bell pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add coconut milk, shrimp and cilantro. Cook for 6 minutes until shrimp are cooked. Add lime juice. Fish sauce or salt if needed. Garnish with cilantro and serve.