The Last Supper at Kishmish

A trip to London is never complete without a great Indian meal, so Tatjana and I headed to Kishmish in Fulham Broadway for a spectacular feast my last night in town.

Tatjana Rhodes at Kishmish

Tantalizing spinach and lentil soup tinged with fragrant spices chased off the chill of a windy evening. So comforting, I wished I could take buckets full the rich creamy soup back home to America with me. I’ll definitely be working on reproducing my own version soon!

Spinach and Lentil Soup

Tatjana’s insistence in ordering light, crispy poppadoms served with an array chutney’s brought another welcome dimension of texture, sweet and sour to the meal. Although the mango and coconut chutney was definitely our favorite, the tomato chutney happened to be wonderfully fresh, and the pickled sour apple interesting and unusual.

Chutneys and Pomppadoms

Next, I opted for a Goan starter of spice dusted pan seared scallops on a mound of garlic and chili mash complimented by a tropical accent of coconut and lime leaf jus…

Bhune Rattan

… while Tatjana went for the more traditional Aloo Chat. Crispy new potatoes and chickpeas, laced with sweetened yogurt and tamarind, garnished with sev.

Aloo Chat

A popular topping on dishes, Sev is a prominent snack food in India that can be bought ready-made in Indian stores. The little noodles are made with chickpea flour paste, and seasoned with tumeric, cayenne, and ajwain before being deep fried to create the delightful crunchy texture.

Chicken Chettinad

I have to admit, Tatjana definitely picked the main course winner as far as prentation is concerned. Her Chicken Chettinad which came topped with a dosa cone to hold in the heat of the diced chicken breast cooked in warm south Indian coastal spices.

Lamb Tikka Masala and Lemon Basmati Rice with Cashews

I can never seem to resist Lamb Tikka Masala, and I was thrilled with my tender tandoori grilled lamb in a buttery tomato curry sauce with almonds. We both shared an aromatic Lemon Basmati Rice with Cashews and some warm pillowy Naan which sadly left us with no room for dessert.

Kishmish Dessert Menu

Having said that, I was tempted by the ChocoMosa – a marbled chocolate samosa with caramalized banana, served with a masala tea ice cream (decadent and exotic all rolled in one sinfully seductive desert), and Tatjana raved about their Passion Fruit Sorbet she’d enjoyed on a previous visit.

Candied Fennel Seeds

For this visit, the sweet anise flavor of the candied fennel seeds served to placate our sweet tooth. In India, fennel seeds are often chewed at the end of rich meals to aid in digestion, while serving a duo purpose as herbal mouth freshener.

With my favorite person on the planet

While this recipe is no where near an authentic Indian recipe, it is a favorite in heavy rotation in my household when that exotic craving hits and we are trying to cut back on calories. It was most definitely on Tatjana’s list of meal requests from mum this visit, and it freezes exceptionally well, so I recommend making double batches!

Lite Curried Turkey

Curried turkey is one of my favorite go to weight loss recipes, because as a complete meal, it is bursting with exotic flavor, high in fiber, and low in fat. The cinnamon also helps curb appetite while the savory flavors with a hint of heat (remember you control how much and may omit the heat altogether if you prefer) are balanced nicely by the sweetness of the raisins.

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon curry powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (powdered)

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste

• 2 teaspoons coconut or olive oil divided

• 2 cloves garlic minced

• 1 1/4 pound ground turkey 7% fat or less

• 1 cup 99% fat free chicken broth add 1/4 cup at a time, reserving 1/4 cup for later

• 1/4 cup golden raisins

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the curry powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cumin, and cayenne in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Heat the oil a large saute pan over medium heat, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the spice mixture and cook until fragrant, and additional 30 seconds.

3. Add the turkey breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon as you brown the meat, stirring well to incorporate all the spices, about 8-10 minutes.

4.Add the chicken broth 1/4 cup at a time, stirring well to deglaze the pan (stirring up any gooey brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and reducing for flavor before adding more as needed, cooking until turkey is no longer pink inside, about 5-10 minutes.

5. Add the raisins and cilantro, stir well long enough to heat through, about 2 minutes, and remove from heat. There should be some thick liquid along with the meat - add a little more chicken broth if needed (this will help keep the turkey moist as you store it).

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Serve 1/2 cup ground turkey mixture over 1/2 baked sweet potato with 1 cup steamed or roasted broccoli (or any green vegetable of your choice.

HEAT TO EAT

The turkey sometimes absorbs the excess liquid while stored, so I like to add a little extra chicken broth before heating. Vent lid of container and heat in microwave on 50% power for 3-5 minutes, stirring midway to distribute heat evenly; or heat in a large saute pan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until heated through, about 8-10 minutes.

VARIATIONS

I had some shredded carrot to use up, so I added them once the turkey had browned. Add in any vegetables you like for more texture.

NOTES

Be sure to add 2 large sweet potatoes (I prefer the California golden ones, but the darker orange ones are delicious with this too), and broccoli to your grocery list.