Picnic Recipe Exchange - Indian Food
Tuesday June 27, 2006
With summer in full swing, at least in my hemisphere, the Food & Drink Guides have put our heads together and gathered some Picnic Recipes. Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing our Picnic Recipe Exchange with you and suggesting some beer pairing choices for each.
To start with, here are some savory snacks from our Indian Food Guide. This cuisine, with its deep flavors and spicy sauces can create challenges when trying to pair it with beer. Brews with any sort of complexity seem to clash with the flavors of Indian food so this is one of the few times that I actually enjoy the light lager style usually attributed to megabreweries. To create an authentic feel at your table you can seek out an Indian brand like Kingfisher though frankly any light lager will do.
Recipe Exchange- Picnic Recipes
Our Guide to Indian food shares this great picnic recipe with us. Crunchy, tangy, hot and sweet flavors combine to make Papdi Chaat delicious to eat as a snack or a great alternative to a meal. Prepare the papdis in advance and add the toppings before eating. Or try Bhelpuri which is a snack with almost iconic status in India. It is low-fat and vegetarian, made with a few specialty Indian items as well as peanuts, potatoes, onions and tomatoes.
To start with, here are some savory snacks from our Indian Food Guide. This cuisine, with its deep flavors and spicy sauces can create challenges when trying to pair it with beer. Brews with any sort of complexity seem to clash with the flavors of Indian food so this is one of the few times that I actually enjoy the light lager style usually attributed to megabreweries. To create an authentic feel at your table you can seek out an Indian brand like Kingfisher though frankly any light lager will do.
Recipe Exchange- Picnic Recipes
Our Guide to Indian food shares this great picnic recipe with us. Crunchy, tangy, hot and sweet flavors combine to make Papdi Chaat delicious to eat as a snack or a great alternative to a meal. Prepare the papdis in advance and add the toppings before eating. Or try Bhelpuri which is a snack with almost iconic status in India. It is low-fat and vegetarian, made with a few specialty Indian items as well as peanuts, potatoes, onions and tomatoes.
Comments
I love chili, and it’s the perfect food for a picnic, heat it up at home and put
in an insulated container to keep warm and it goes great with beer. Here’s a favorite chili recipe of mine that actually uses beer in the ingredients:
Texas Beef Chili
Ingredients
2 lb Beef chuck or shin,
In 1/2 cubes
8 tb Olive oil
5 tb Med-hot chili powder
1 lb Spanish chorizo sausage,
Sliced 1/4 thick
3 Medium onions, chopped
8 Garlic cloves
1 tb Oregano, preferably Mexican,
Crumbled
2 ts Cumin, ground
2 ts Salt
1 ts Fresh ground pepper
4 lb Canned Italian plum
Tomatoes, drained
And chopped
24 oz Beer, Dos Equis or
Other Mexican beer
6 oz Tomato paste
Method
Toss meat with 3 T. olive oil and 2 T. chili powder in non-aluminum bowl. Let stand in refrigerator overnight. Heat 3 T. oil in large, heavy skillet over med-hi heat. Brown the meat in batches (do not crowd) on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large pot, using slotted spoon. Add chorizo to skillet and brown well. Transfer to pot using slotted spoon. Reduce heat to med-lo. Add more oil to skillet, if necessary. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir 3 minutes then transfer to pot. Stir in tomatoes, beer and tomato paste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Cover and simmer until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 3 hours. Uncover during last hour if necessary to thicken liquid into sauce. Some good accompaniments are pinto beans and salsa as side dishes.
Yield
6 Servings