Indian food

Randal and I both love Indian food, so we make it pretty often.  I never posted before my Chicken Saagwala recipe, so here it is.  I have perfected it since.  The other night we made Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb (we use steak) Vindaloo.  Still searching for the perfect recipe for those, so I won't share them quite yet.
Usually we head to the store and pick up some naan, and that works okay, but I decided to be brave and I made some homemade naan.  Seriously so good and surprisingly easy.

Chicken Saagwala:
2 medium chicken breasts cut into pieces
2 packages of frozen spinach (defrosted) finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
1 tsp ginger powder
3 cloves of freshly pressed garlic (we love garlic so we use a lot, but use as much or as little as you want)
1 small onion (white or yellow) pureed
1/4 c tomato paste (about one small can)
2 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp  cayenne pepper
3/4 c olive oil

Heavy Cream

Heat oil in large pan and add cumin.  Be careful to not let it burn.  When it splutters, add bay leaf, ginger and garlic and saute until a light brown.
Add onions and saute til soft.
Add the chicken over high heat and saute til cooked.
Add tomato puree and stir on medium heat.
Add the salt, garam masala, and cayenne pepper and stir until well mixed.
Add spinach and saute for 2-3 minutes.  I usually add a splash of cream at this point.
Let simmer on low for 5 minutes.

Serve garnished with cream on a bed of basmati rice with a side of naan.

Indian Naan:
1 pkg yeast
1 c warm water
1/4 c sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1 egg-beaten
2 tsp salt
4 1/2 c flour
2 cloves of garlic-minced
1/4 c melted butter

Dissolve yeast in water in a large bowl.  Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt and flour.  Let dough rise for 1 hour (I only waited about 20 minutes on this step).  Pinch off golf ball sized pieces of dough and flatten out.  Place in lightly oiled pan until puffy and brown.  Flip and brush with butter and garlic.

Calling all Cooks

I have been baking and cooking a lot lately, and finding new things to make isn't always easy.  It seems like the best recipes always come from those you know, and not from a cookbook.  So I'm asking for help.  What are some of your favorite recipes that have been tested and tried and found to be the best?  Or maybe something you have been wanting to try, but just haven't for one reason or another.  Let me know!

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