"If you don't like cardamom, you're dating the wrong girl..."

I was really craving some Indian food last night. For those who don't know me, my two favorite cuisines are Thai and Indian food (my Thai Green Curry will come eventually, never fear). I am also completely and utterly addicted to cooking shows. Every time I meet someone who watches the Food Network or Cooking Channel, I can't stop myself from becoming almost giddy with excitement. Now, I never actually follow these incredibly talented people's recipes exactly, but I do use them as inspiration for the dishes I make. Yesterday, as usual, I was sitting in front of the television (because I have nothing better to do) and I saw this new-ish show about Indian cooking. She was making what she called "No-Butter Chicken" because traditionally, the dish calls for butter, but she uses yogurt instead to make it a bit healthier. I did follow this recipe almost completely, but I added a few things...

No-Butter Chicken (Bal Arneson, Cooking Channel)
3 tbls olive oil
1 tbls chopped or grated ginger
1 medium red onion, cut in half and sliced
1 bell pepper, sliced
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
3 tbls tomato paste
1 tbls cumin seeds
2 tsps turmeric
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbls garam masala
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbls brown sugar
1 tsp black pepper
1 to 1 1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup fat-free greek yogurt
1 cup water
1 lb green beans, blanched
A few tbls chopped cilantro (fresh coriander)

In a large (12-inch) skillet (or if you dont have one this big, use a large-bottomed, short pot), heat the oil to medium heat. Add the ginger, onion, bell pepper and salt and sautee until the onion is soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, cumin seeds, turmeric, red pepper flakes, garam masala, coriander, brown sugar and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken and coat with the mixture, then allow to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add the greek yogurt, water and green beans, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked, 5-10 minutes (depending upon the size of the chicken), Adding water if necessary. Stir in the cilantro and serve over cardamom-scented rice (start the rice first).

Tip: If youre cooking over medium-high heat, never add the garlic first. With that amount of heat, it is likely to burn and will leave a bitter taste running through the dish, which you don't want.

Cardamom-Scented Rice
2 cups water
1 cup brown basmati rice
8-10 cardamom pods
1/3 cup crasins (dried cranberries)
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds

In a medium sauce-pan, combine the water, rice and cardamom. Bring the pot to a boil, stir, and lower the heat. Allow to simmer, covered, until all the water is absorbed, about 30-40 minutes. Remove the cardamom pods (they should be on top) and stir in the crasins and almonds.

Happy eating!

P.S. The title of this post was what I said to Matt when I told him it was "Cardamom-Scented Rice" and he gave me a quizzical look. Lucky for both of us, he loved it :)