Small Town, Big Tastes

Passport & Plate - National Geographic - Chicken Tandoori

India | Saturday, March 7, 2015 | 3 photos

Ingredients
12 pc chicken; rinsed
2 cups onions; chopped
1 clove garlic; chopped
2 green peppers; chopped
2 tomatoes; peeled and chopped
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp curry, coriander, cumin
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups chicken stock
Rice - Optional

 

How to prepare this recipe
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
Add ingredients to shallow baking dish
Bake for two hours
Serve over rice

 

The story behind this recipe
As someone who LOVES food, I struggle to call myself a Foodie. Maybe it's the -ie part that is hard, or maybe because it's always about way more than the food.

My love of food, and desire to reach out, find, and explore new foods came from my mom. I have no idea where she developed her need for new tastes; as a 90 pound women raised in Thunder Bay and living her professional adult life in the very judeao-christan-non-diverase small town of Powassan, options were limited. Salt, pepper, and garlic salt for the courageous were the spices used. I suppose we could add paprika for the garnish on devilled eggs.

My mom was different from the other moms. She made french dishes - all full of creamy wine sauces, and used curry. CURRY? "What is that weird smell", cried the neighbourhood kids. In hindsight, I don't think ground beef with curry powder and cream of mushroom soup over short grain white rice counts as curry, but it was a far cry the tuna casseroles or meat and potatoes of my friends' dinners.

I've included a recipe from National Geographic; February 1980 issue; not many places to find recipes outside of Gramma's Recipe book back then. This Chicken Tandoori recipe is still in regular rotation in my own home. I feel like my mom was a bit of a adventure when it came to food; although she had limited tools to help her. I'd love to follow in her footsteps. That being said - I don't think I'll ever knock on someone's door, at 10 pm at night, because last year he sold me some venison and now that we're driving through I'd like to buy more. My mom was fearless when it came to food. I'll have to ask her if she calls herself a Foodie.