Diwali: the Festival of Lights (aka Indian Halloween)

Even though Diwali doesn't start until Friday, I couldn't contain myself. This week's Crockpot Monday was Indian.

In an effort to learn more about the Hindu holiday, I decided to ask my dear friend, Bindi, a few questions. My first question...

Jen: How long does Diwali last?
Bindi: 10 days
Actual Answer: 5 days

At this point I realized I better seek answers elsewhere. Thanks to my other dinner guests, Rupen, Dolly and Bina, and a helpful synopsis of the holiday I found on facebook, here is a description...

Diwali is the celebration of the day Lord Rama returned to his kingdom after 14 years in exile. In honor of his return, the people of his kingdom lit oil lamps in the palace and throughout the city, thus it is named The Festival of Lights. It signifies the victory of good over the evil.

The festival also marks the end of the harvest season, and often marks the end of the year for businesses. Hindu households often mark this occasion by doing the Lakshmi Puja (religious ceremony). The deity of Lakshmi symbolizes wealth and prosperity, and her blessings are invoked for a good year ahead. The holiday is celebrated with fireworks and exchange of sweet and snacks.

For dinner I made Tandoori Chicken from The Best Cookbook Ever, vegetable biryani and naan. It was a complete flop. With three winners under my belt, I guess it was time for a failure.

The Recipe...
Combine the following in a 1-gallon ziplock bag:
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp freshly grated ginger

Instead of buying all of these spices, which can be expensive (unless you live near the Dekalb Farmers Market and can buy spices for super cheap), you can buy pre-made tandoori seasoning.

Add 3 pounds chicken (thighs and/or breasts) and marinate for 8-24 hours.

This is when everything went wrong. The recipe says to cook the chicken on high for 4 hours. But, having the pesky little obligation of going to work, I knew 4 hours wasn't going to be feasible. So, instead, I opted to cook it on low for 8 hours. Note: do not cook anything with a yogurt sauce for more than 4 hours. When I got home, my apartment smelled great, but the dish looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. The sauce had separated and settled on top of the chicken, leaving the chicken to cook to for hours with no liquid until it was dry.

Fortunately Dolly saved the day by adding pureed tomatoes and chili sauce. Even though the meal was a semi-disaster, the evening was saved by great conversation.

And, I learned a lesson. Perhaps I should leave the Indian food to the Indians. Maybe I should listen to my genes next week and make a lutefisk stew with a glass a Guinness. We'll see if I have any dinner guests after that..