Maya Kaimal Chicken Chaat

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You may think you know a lot about Indian food, but how much do you know about chaat?

I haven’t tried every type of chaat, but what I do know is that it’s a savory Indian street food that’s typically considered a snack or appetizer. The word chaat is likely derived from the Hindi word “chatna,” which means to lick. This proposed etymology makes a whole lot of sense to me because I’m bound to lick my fingers clean whenever chaat is in front of me!

Maya Kaimal’s incredibly edible Tandoori Chicken Bites are perfect for an easy, homemade chicken chaat. They’re quick to cook up and become so chaat-like when you add aromatics like garlic and ginger with Indian spices, chilies, and freshly chopped vegetables!

If that description just made your mouth water, we’re on a similar foodie level.

There are actually many variations of chaat with main ingredients ranging from chicken, potatoes, chickpeas, to paneer. But they all have similar ways of being prepared.

Many chaat variations have an element of fried bread, which makes for great texture, but honestly, it’s the sweet, tangy, and salty flavor profile of chaat that really gets me. And it’s all due to the spice mix – chaat masala powder!*

 If you haven’t played around with chaat masala, you’re going to want to. The mango, citric acid, ginger, and mint make up the sweet and tangy flavors while the coriander, cumin, black rock salt, and pepper make up the salty and savory.

 For those in the Bay Area, Maya Kaimal’s Tandoori Chicken Bites can be purchased at several locations including Danville, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Livermore, Sunnyvale, San Jose, Tracy, Fremont, San Jose, and Hayward.

Aside from chaat, these bites also great for a wide number of chicken dishes, including curries, wraps, salads, grain bowls, and pasta! How creative you want to get is up to you!

* Note: Chaat masala powder can be easily ordered online or purchased at many Indian/international markets.

Maya Kaimal Chicken Chaat

Time: 30 Minutes
Serves: 4-6

 Ingredients
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1-2 serrano peppers, seeded, chopped
3 birdseye chilies, seeded, roughly chopped (optional)
1 ½ tsp garlic, minced
1 ½ tsp ginger, minced
24 oz Maya Kaimal Tandoori Chicken Bites
1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained
1 ½ tbsp tomato paste
1 ½ tbsp garam masala
1 tsp chaat masala
1 cup seedless cucumber, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup cilantro leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To Serve
Yogurt of choice
½ cup pomegranate seeds
Sliced birdseye chilies (optional)
1 cup sliced green onions
Lemon wedges
Naan or brown rice

Directions

Heat oil over medium heat. Add red onion, serranos, birdseye chilies, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Toss in chicken bites, chickpeas, tomato paste, garam masala, chaat masala, and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add cucumbers and fresh tomatoes and cook until the chicken is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper if desired.

Serve chaat on plates and spoon over yogurt. Top with pomegranate seeds, birdseye chilies, and green onions. Serve with lemon wedges and roti on the side.

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Anne Assassi


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Salmon Tikka with Everyday Dal Red Lentils

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You might have guessed this by now, but discovering fresh and flavorful ways to cook at home is by far my #1 hobby!

One of my favorite brands to cook with for years has Maya Kaimal, so I couldn’t be more excited to see their products carried at Whole Foods Market 365 in Concord, CA. My local 365 carries Maya Kaimal’s most delicious (and vegan!) Everyday Dal pouches along with some seriously amazing Indian simmer sauces.

To celebrate, I made salmon with Maya Kaimal’s Tikka Masala sauce over Everyday Dal Red Lentils. The result: easy AND tasty! In the blink of an eye, you will have scrumptious dinner at your table with this recipe.

What’s even neater is that for the entire month of February, both of their product lines are on sale when you buy two!

Salmon Tikka with Everyday Dal Red Lentils

Time: 35 Minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients
2 (4 oz) Atlantic salmon fillets
1/3 cup Maya Kaimal Tikka Masala Indian Simmer Sauce
8 oz Greek yogurt
2 tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (10 oz) pouches Maya Kaimal Everyday Dal Red Lentils

To Garnish
Cilantro leaves
Lime wedges

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine salmon and simmer sauce. Allow to marinate for 20 minutes.

Preheat broiler.

In a small bowl, add yogurt, cilantro, coriander, cumin, garlic, lime juice, and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer salmon to a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145F. Remove from heat.

Squeeze lentils into a small pan and heat over low heat until warmed through, about 3-5 minutes.

Divide lentils between plates. Top with salmon and garnish with yogurt, cilantro, and lime wedges.

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Anne Assassi


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Everyday Dal Tamarind & Kidney Bean Pizza

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[Sponsored]

You probably haven't considered beans on pizza or even Indian flavored pizza for that matter. Let me tell you, both work and they work together deliciously!

I was recently sent Maya Kaimal's Everyday Dal pouches to sample and to experiment with for my own recipe. The Kidney Bean + Carrots + Tamarind pouch caught my attention and making a pizza came to mind.

Having never tried beans on pizza, I realized it would be worth a try! On their own, Maya Kaimal's Everyday Dal pouches are super healthy, organic, vegan, and gluten-free. Each pouch is flavor-packed too, so it just made sense that fusing Everyday Dal with pizza would be a healthful and delicious choice.

To balance the authenticity of making a pizza with these fusion flavors, I still used a little marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. But mixing the tamarind sauce with the marinara and topping the pizza with rounds of paneer, dal, serrano peppers, and tomatoes made for the perfect fusion! Yum, yum.

Want to buy Everyday Dal? Check out Maya Kaimal's Store Locator. The pouches are super convenient and microwave-friendly. Feel free to enjoy them on their own and/or on the pizza below. Your choice!

Everyday Dal Tamarind & Kidney Bean Pizza

Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 lb pizza dough
1 (10 oz) pouch Maya Kaimal Everyday Dal Kidney Beans + Carrots + Tamarind
¾ tsp red pepper flakes, divided
½ tsp garlic, minced, divided
1 tsp light brown sugar, divided
4 oz marinara sauce, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
All-purpose flour for dredging
1 cup low-moisture mozzarella cheese
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 serrano peppers, sliced into thin rounds
¼ lb paneer, cut into eight ¼-inch thick rounds
¼ tsp garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 sprigs fresh cilantro, to garnish
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
Set a pizza stone on a rack about 4-5 inches away from the broiler. Preheat broiler.

Open dal pouch and separate beans from the sauce by dividing them between two medium-sized bowls. 

Add 1 tbsp of the dal to the sauce bowl and mash the dal to the side of a bowl with a spoon to thicken. To each bowl, add ½ tsp red pepper flakes, ¼ tsp minced garlic, ½ tsp light brown sugar, and 2 oz marinara sauce. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Stir to combine.

On a lightly floured surface, lightly dredge one pound of dough in flour. Stretch the dough out a bit at a time, waiting 10-15 seconds between stretches. Then stretch a little more, being gentle, until you’ve stretched the dough into a very thin round. Build a small rim around the edges to form a crust. 

Place the dough on a lightly floured pizza peel and slide it around to make sure it’s not sticking. Spread the sauce over the dough with a spoon but add less to the center so the sauce doesn’t pool. 

Quickly add toppings for pizza by adding the shredded mozzarella followed by the beans, cherry tomatoes, and serrano rounds. Top with paneer rounds. Finish with chopped garlic and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. 

Transfer the pizza to a pizza peel lightly coated with flour. Quickly transfer the pizza to the stone and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 6-8 minutes.

Transfer pizza to a grill rack. Garnish with cilantro and drizzle lightly with extra-virgin olive oil.

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Anne Assassi


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Chicken Tikka Masala Enchiladas

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[Sponsored]

These chicken tikka masala enchiladas are outrageously delicious! I bet you can almost taste them from where you’re sitting.

I’ve been such a big fan of Maya Kaimal Foods since I was a youngster in college, so when they reached out to me for a recipe post, I was over the moon! Maya Kaimal’s simmer sauces are to die for and are truly incredible because you can make the tastiest Indian dishes in minutes. 

My college recipe list with Maya Kaimal simply consisted of a protein (usually chicken), a few hot peppers to simmer with the sauce, plus some cilantro and lime wedges to top it all off. Simple, right? 

Now that I have some more cooking skills under my belt and basically work part-time in my kitchen (!), I decided to come up with a dish that is still simple and easy enough for a novice chef, but just complicated enough in flavor for those of us who love to cook! 

The flavors of Maya Kaimal’s simmer sauce truly came out beautifully with this enchilada concept and so wonderfully paired with the cilantro chutney. Fusion at its best. I dare you to give it a go!

Chicken Tikka Masala Enchiladas

Time: 50 Minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 medium jalapenos, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5 lb chicken thighs, chopped into ½-inch pieces
2 fresh tomatoes, finely chopped
1 (12 oz) jar Maya Kaimal Tiikka Masala Sauce
¼ cup heavy cream
Juice of ½ lime
16 (6-inch) tortillas
3/4 cup cotija cheese, divided
1 small white onion, sliced into rings

Chutney
3/4 cup green onions, roughly chopped
2 serrano peppers, roughly chopped
2 tbsp ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 small bunch cilantro leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

To Finish
Cilantro
Lime wedges

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapenos and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion and chilies have softened, about 4 minutes. Add chicken, and brown for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes longer. Stir in 3 tbsp Tikka Masala sauce, heavy cream, and lime juice. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes, until thickened.

Line the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish with 1/3 cup tikka masala sauce. 

Heat tortillas in microwave for 30 seconds each. Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken mixture and sprinkle with a little cheese. Roll up the tortillas and place seam side down in the baking dish. Top with remaining tikka masala sauce, remaining cheese, and white onions. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted slightly.

Meanwhile, add all of the chutney ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Serve enchiladas on plates garnished with cilantro. Spoon over chutney and squeeze over lime wedges.

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Anne Assassi


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