Friday Night Dinner Project: Indian Dinner

In our house this menu is all about the fish cakes and the rice.  Two very simple recipes that we keep making over and over again.  There is lots of robust flavour to this menu - and I particularly like it because it is not too hot (spicy) for someone like myself who is very wary of hot food.

Fish Cakes with Cilantro Mint Chutney
I made this recipe using tilapia.  These fish cakes are delicious - I served them to my son without the Cilantro Mint Chutney and he ate them right up.  These fried up very quickly in the oil - be careful not to burn them! They need an attentive cook.

Topped with some plain yogurt and mint for my son (the pop in the background is for mommy!)

Tamarind and Coconut-glazed Chicken Thighs with Cumin flavoured Basmati Rice

Tamarind and Coconut-glazed Chicken Thighs
This recipe calls for coconut milk or plain yogurt.   I used plain yogurt and it turned out beautifully.  I also did not have tamarind paste, so I substituted some brown sugar and lime juice.  This chicken is moist and delicious and has a bit of bite to it.

Cumin-flavoured Basmati Rice
This rice!!!  So easy to make and so delicious.  We have made it over and over again.  Seriously, you need to buy this cookbook if you do not own it already.

Wheat Berry, Lentil and Chickpea Salad
First - the most important part of this recipe is in the notes.  I did not know that you could freeze cooked wheat berries as well as cooked lentils.  Did you?  Anyway, I definitely followed the advice at the beginning of the recipe and cooked up large batches of each to freeze for future use.  Thank you Bonnie Stern.
Now, for the recipe itself - the book says this salad can be made ahead.  Personally, I enjoyed it fresh but no so much once it entered into the "made ahead stage".  I think this is just a personal preference (although my husband felt the same way).  I suggest making this salad fresh and serving it immediately.

Carrots and Green Bean with Onions and Mustard Seeds
You can see these beauties in the photo above.  This recipe is simple and good.

Grilled Pineapple with Chai Spices
Pineapple.  Chai Spices.  A grill.  Ice cream.  Yes.  Yes.  Yes.  Yes.  The great thing about cooking pineapple is that it makes it taste like candy.  Really wonderful candy.  I cut the pineapple in wedges instead of rings and grilled it on my Cuisinart Griddler.  We served it with vanilla ice cream, sprinkled with brown sugar.  Delicious!!