Chicken pot pie

Ingredients (Serves 2-3 people)
1/2 cup of butter
3 drumsticks of chicken (along with the skin)
1 small finely chopped red onion
1 cup of potatoes cut in cubes
2 pods of finely chopped garlic
1 cup of chopped carrots
1 stalk of celery
1 cup of finely chopped brocolli
2 cups of chicken broth
2 layers of uncooked Pie crusts
Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1: Heat a pan with butter. Add chopped onion and garlic in the pan. Add the remaining veggies and saute until the onions have turned golden brown.

Step 2: Add the chicken drumsticks and let it cook in 2 cups of chicken broth and 1/2 cup of milk for 30-35 minutes.

Step 3: Add salt and pepper to suit your taste. Separate the bones and the chicken skin from the chicken meat if there are any.

Step 4: Set the pie crust on a round pan. Pour the prepared mixture.

Step 5: Add the second pie crust on top. Make a few slits of the crust to let the steam out.

Step 6: Bake it for about 40 minutes until the crust has turned brown. Serve hot.

All Indian flavors

Rasika
633 D Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004

Rasika is one of the finest Indian dining restaurants in Washington DC. Its dishes feature a subtle blend of Indian spices to ensure they appeal to both western and Indian palates.  

Fish in a banana leaf at Rasika

The dishes are characterized by exotic fusions of Indian and western flavors. For appetizers, we tried the kathi roll (a roll stuffed with goat meat) and patra ni macchi (fish cooked in a banana leaf with a side of potato cooked with cumin). Entrees included duck gucchi korma (duck cooked in a mild green curry) and lobster peri-peri (lobster with a vinegar-based red sauce on a bed on quinoa). We capped our meal with a chocolate and coffee bonet for dessert. 

Each dish was sumptuous and flavorful. The portions were just adequate. 

Lobster Peri-peri at Rasika

In terms of price, Rasika is comparable with most fine-dining restaurants. You can expect to spend between $100-150 for a dinner of two with drinks (including tip). However,  there is also a pre-fixed tasting menu that likely offers similar variety for prices similar to the ala carte menu.

Jewel of India, 
10151 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD, 20903. 

Located just outside the capital beltway, Jewel of India offered a very authentic yet diverse  menu of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes in their weekend buffet for around $15 per person. Their multi-ethnic clientele was a testimony to the widespread appeal of the buffet selection, which included Indo-chinese dishes. 

 I would give a 4.5 out of 5 stars to their goat biryani, chicken curry, fish chilli and chicken manchurian. 

The ambience was spacious but cozy, while the staff provided excellent service. Specifically, our glasses were never empty, which, given the spicy nature of the food, is critical to ensuring an enjoyable dining experience for many customers. 

My friend Debasree contributed to this post. 

Chicken soup

Ingredients (Serves 1-2 people)
1 pound chicken
3 tablespoons of butter
Finely chopped 1/2 onion
1 pound of split chicken breast and skin (cut into small pieces)
1/2 cup of chopped carrots
2 small red potatoes cut into cubes
3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon of crushed ginger
3 cups of chicken broth
1 cube of chicken bouilon
2 cups of water
2 finely chopped thai chili peppers (green chillies)
1 cup of milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Italian parsley, oregano to taste
Stalks of brocolli ground into a thin paste (You can use chopped cauliflower instead)- Optional

Step 1: Heat a large pan. Once hot, add butter, garlic, ginger, chillies and chopped onions.

Step 2: Grind the brocolli stalks (with some chicken stock) and add them into the pan.

Step 3: Add the remaining vegetables, along with a cup of water and a cup of chicken stock.

 

 Step 4: Add the chicken and let it cook for about 30 minutes.  Add one cube of chicken bouilon. 

Step 5: Let the soup simmer until the chicken falls off the bones. Add the remaining chicken stock and milk. Add salt, pepper, and the remaining herbs to your taste.

Step 6: Separate the bones after the soup thickens a bit. You can also get rid of the chicken skin if you would like.

Step 7: Enjoy the soup with some bread.