This Indian curry dish is without doubt the best butter chicken I have ever had.

Butter Chicken

Ingredients

• 
  
• 500 g chicken thighs cubed
• 100 g natural yoghurt
• 10 g garlic chopped
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 300 g chickpeas mashed
• 500 mls tomato juice
• 20 g honey
• 1 tsp ground fenugreek seeds
• 125 g butter
• 250 mls cream

• Equipment

  • 1 frying pan

  • Method

    • STEP 1Mix together yoghurt, garlic, garam masala and chick peas.
    • STEP 2Pour over chicken and marinate for several hours or overnight.
    • STEP 3Cook chicken and marinade in a frying pan until chicken turns white.
    • STEP 4Add remaining ingredients and cook, uncovered for 1 hour.
    • STEP 5Cover during cooking if chicken dries out too much.

    Notes

    You can use 250 g of butter but I feel 125g is healthier and the flavour is the same. Chicken breast can also be used. Cut into 4cm cubes.

A great beef vindaloo curry. This is a very hot dish but it's worth it.

Brian's Beef Vindaloo

Ingredients

• 
  
• 1 1/2 kgs chuck steak (beef) diced
• 3 onion large diced
• 6 garlic clove crushed
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 300 mls beef stock (liquid)
• 4 tbs tomato sauce
• 4 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp whole cloves
• 2 tsp chilli fresh crushed
• 6 bay leaf
• 3 tsp cornflour
• 3 tsp water

• Method

  • STEP 1Fry onions and garlic in half of oil until golden and soft.
  • STEP 2Mix spices in a bowl and fry gently with onions for ten minutes.
  • STEP 3Add vinegar and tomato sauce and stir in well.
  • STEP 4In a separate pan, fry steak in the other half of oil until just cooked.
  • STEP 5Add beef stock and onion mix, bring to boil and cook until steak is tender.
  • STEP 6Reduce heat and simmer stirring every few minutes until mixture thickens.
  • STEP 7 Serve with  basmati rice.

  Notes

  To thicken, mix 2-3 teaspoons of cornflour with enough water to form a paste, and add while simmering. Rump steak can also be used.

Butter Chicken

Just like you would find in an Indian restaurant.

Ingredients

• 
  
• 1 tbs peanut oil
• 1 shallots finely chopped
• 1/4 white onion chopped
• 2 tbs butter
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tbs ginger minced
• 1/2 tbs garlic minced
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup plain yoghurt
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper *to taste
• 1 pinch salt and pepper

Chicken

• 1 tbs peanut oil
• 500 g chicken thighs deboned skinless cubed
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground fenugreek seeds
• 1/4 cup cashews ground
• 1/4 cup water

• Method

  • STEP 1 Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.
  • STEP 2 Saute shallot and onion until softened.
  • STEP 3 Stir in butter, lemon juice, ginger and garlic, garam masala, chilli powder, cumin and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
  • STEP 4 Add tomato puree, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • STEP 5 Stir in cream, milk and yogurt.
  • STEP 6 Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • STEP 7 Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and set aside.
  • STEP 8 Chicken: Heat oil in a large heavy frypan over medium heat.
  • STEP 9 Cook chicken until lightly browned. Reduce heat, and season with garam masala and cayenne.
  • STEP 10 Stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce, and simmer until liquid has reduced, and chicken is no longer pink.
  • STEP 11 Stir cooked chicken into sauce.
  • STEP 12 Mix together ground cashew and water, then stir into the sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.

  Notes

  This dish is mild so you may want to adjust the spices if desired. It is the fenugreek and the cashews which give this curry its authentic taste. You may need a mortar and pestle to grind.

Indian tandoori chicken

Hindustani Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients

• 
  
• 3 whole chicken skin off cut into pieces scored
• 1 ghee melted
• 150 g cooking oil spray
• 4 lime cut into wedges *to serve
• 1 cup rice boiled *to serve

Marinade

• 1 tsp ground fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp chili powder optional
• 1 1/2 tbs garlic paste
• 2 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp mint flakes
• 1 tbs smoked paprika
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 lemon juiced
• 5 lime juiced
• 1 tbs tandoori coloring optional
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 onion grated medium
• 500 g natural  yogurt

• Method

  • STEP 1 Combine all marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Add chicken. Cover with cling wrap and marinate overnight or for at least 2 hours.
  • STEP 2 Grease baking tray. Place chicken in tray in a single layer. Cover with aluminium foil and bake at 200 C for approximately 50 minutes or until just about cooked.
  • STEP 3 Baste occasionally with left over marinade while cooking. Remove chicken from oven.
  • STEP 4 Turn oven up to its highest setting. Remove foil covering chicken and baste with ghee. Return to the oven, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes to char the edges of the chicken.
  • STEP 5 Serve beside plain boiled rice with a couple of lime wedges.

  Notes

  This marinade is also beautiful on lamb. Cooking time may vary depending on your type of oven, but the overall goal is to get the charred edges on the chicken while still keeping the chicken juicy inside. Marinade or marinaded chicken may be frozen. Use red chilli powder or red chili paste. Mint flakes or fresh mint. You can also add 1 tablespoon of tandoori colouring to the marinade. Onion grated or paste.
• 
  

A yummy chicken curry

Brazilian Chicken Curry

Ingredients

• 
  
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 3 garlic clove crushed
• 4 slices fresh ginger chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 onion medium sliced
• 2 capsicum
• 340 g potato cut into chunks
• 4 tsp curry powder
• 8 chicken drumstick skin off
• 1 cup chicken stock (liquid)
• 3 tbs fresh coriander chopped

Method

• STEP 1 Cut the capsicums into 2.5 cm strips and halve crosswise. Cut the potatoes into 2.5 cm pieces.
• STEP 2 Lightly fry onions and garlic.
• STEP 3 Add curry powder, chicken, potatoes, coconut milk and stock.
• STEP 4 Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• STEP 5 Add capsicum and remaining ingredients.
• STEP 6 Simmer for a further 10 minutes.
• STEP 7 Remove from heat and serve on a bed of rice.

Notes

If you don't have chicken drumsticks you can use a sliced up 1 kg chicken breast.

A delicious Bombay Beef

Ingredients

• 1 kg chuck steak (beef) cut into pieces large
• 2 tbs ghee
• 2 onion chopped
• 1 garlic clove crushed
• 2 green chilli chopped
• 1 tbs ginger grated
• 1 tbs ground cumin
• 1 tbs ground coriander
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder optional *to taste
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 black pepper
• 400 g canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup coconut milk

• Method

  • STEP 1Heat ghee or oil in a large saucepan and sauté onions until translucent.
  • STEP 2 Add garlic,  chilies, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli powder, if using.
  • STEP 3 Stir for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
  • STEP 4 Add beef and cook, stirring over high heat, until well coated with spice mixture.
  • STEP 5 Add salt, pepper and tomatoes.
  • STEP 6 Simmer, covered, for 1½-2 hours or until beef is tender.
  • STEP 7Stir in coconut milk and simmer, uncovered for a further 5-10 minutes.
  • STEP 8 Garnish with freshly chopped coriander.

  Notes

  You can use oil instead of ghee.

How the Information Revolution Will Drive the Future of Public Health

For over 40 years, WIC — the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children — has served as a premier public health program in the United States. And with WIC, informatics is everywhere: whether transitioning the paper voucher system to electronic benefits transfer (EBT), using apps to promote and support breastfeeding moms, or reminding WIC participants of appointments via text messaging.

Applying best practices and reaching new standards of nutrition communications through technology in the public health and community nutrition setting is more than my job — is it is my passion.

From teaching and training dietetic interns to consulting in the area of social media, I have had the opportunity to work with dietitians and other public health professionals to address the question of not just whether to use social media and IT tools, but how to use them and to what benefit.

RDNs Can Navigate for the Public

Registered dietitian nutritionists today have the exciting opportunity to be the hub of the communication network that connects the public to nutrition and health services. In order to do that, time must be spent researching, understanding and practicing with apps, gadgets, widgets and websites. A search of the Internet for health information produces an overwhelming number of results (not all of it accurate or evidence-based); RDNs can help clients navigate this sea of information. Or, even better, RDNs can become technology content developers and curators so that nutrition experts have a stronger voice in the media landscape.

So, where to begin? Besides keeping up on The Feed, spend time reviewing the social media best practices tools from the Mayo Clinic or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Search out registered dietitian nutritionists on social media channels, podcasts and blogs. Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' site, eatrightPRO. Listen to the conversation and decide where and when you want to join in. Just like other aspects of our personal and professional lives, it starts with small steps.