Orange Chicken

I can never get tired with chicken & there are so many ways to cook them. They are so versatile & tastes good even with just some salt & pepper. My freezer always has some chicken in stock. I probably cook chicken at least 3 to 4 times a week. Yes you heard me right... we are big time chicken eaters:) I cant think of a week without having them. The only time I hated it was when I was pregnant. I just couldn't stand the name, smell nor picture of a chicken dish. I don't know what that pregnancy harmone had done to me, that I hated to eat non veg & specially chicken. Well now coming back to today's post, this is a very simple chicken recipe which is very similar to many Indian Chinese chicken recipes. This is how I made it.

Serves: 4 people
Making time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

• 300 gms Boneless Chicken (Thigh)
• 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. Corn flour
• 1 egg slightly beaten
• 1.5 Tsp. Chilli Powder
• 3 Tbsp. Light Soya Sauce
• 2 tbspn chili sauce
• 1 Tsp. black Pepper
• 2 Green Chili Chopped
• 2 Tbsp Garlic minced
• 1 Tbsp minced Ginger
• Juice of 1 orange (1/4 cup)
• zest of two orange (4 Tbspn)
• Salt as per taste
• Less than 1/4 cup water
• hand full of chopped spring onions to garnish
• Cooking Oil for Frying

Method:

1. Make a semi thick batter with all-purpose flour, corn flour, eggs, salt & water. 
2. Dip the boneless chicken in this batter & fry it in hot oil for 3-5 mins. Remove them when they are cooked & set aside.
3. In a wok/ Pan add 2 tbspn of oil, fry ginger, garlic, green chili for a 30 seconds
4. Now add in all the sauces, Chili powder, pepper powder & fry for 1/2 a minute. 
5. Add orange juice,  the chicken toss well & fry this till all the sauces are blended well to the chicken.
6. Finally add in the grated orange zest &  chopped spring onions give it a good mix.
7. Serve this hot as appetisers or along with Fried Rice, steamed rice or anything that you wish to have:)

Chicken Kosha

The Singapore Haze has become bad to worse now. Its been 4 days now & my poor little fella is in house arrest. My cutie pie is very understanding & is self entertaining himself with all the toys around. In spite of keeping all the doors & windows closed our home has a burnt smell. The air is totally contaminated & we just hope that it reduces soon. Our only worry is our child's health. Hubby says lets go back to India for a week & come. We are still deciding on that & hope things get better here soon.

Yesterday Hubby was working from home. Since he was home, I thought of making some curry as he LOVES curry. I have been thinking of making this famous Bengali Kosha from a long time. Finally that day was yesterday:) I made it & it was finger licking good. Kosha means slow cooked in Bengali. Traditional no liquid is added in this recipe & also no tomatoes. While doing some research on the net, I saw a lot of people have different version of Kosha. I finally went a ahead with making one that I liked on You tube by Kalyan in India food Network. His was made with Mutton & I altered my recipe according to chicken. I have not used any water other than some yogurt. The flavours in it was amazing & it definitely tasted yumm. This is a must try for all curry lovers. Since I have a very demanding taste bud, I try & venture out on making different curries. This is how I made it

Ingredients:

• 1 Kg Chicken cleanes & cut into medium pieces
• 3 Onions chopped & pureed (Paste)
• 3 Tbsp thick yogurt
• 1 Inch cinnamon stick
• 4 cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic paste
• 2 Tbsp Minced Ginger paste
• 1.5 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbspn coriander powder
• 1 Tbspn Cumin powder
• 1/4 Tspn turmeric powder
• Salt as per taste
• 3 Tbsp Oil
• 2 large Potatoes sliced &  Pan fried
• 1 tspn Sugar
• Coriander leaves to garnish

Directions:

1. Make a paste of yogurt, Chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder & marinate the chicken with this paste. Let it sit in the fridge for at least 2 to 4 hours. The longer the better.
2. In a Pan add 3 Tbsp of oil, 1 tspn sugar & keep sitting it until the sugar has browned (caramelised)
3. Add in the Cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, Onion paste to this & keep sauteing for about 3 to 5 mins.
4. When the Onions turns pink, add the marinated chicken, salt & give it a good mix.
5. Now cook this on low flame for about 20- 25 mins. Keep sauteing in between & do not add any water.
6. When the chicken is almost done, combine the Pan fried Potatoes & give it a good mix. Close lid & cook for another 2 mins. Turn off the flame & garnish the dish with coriander leaves. The dish is ready.

Note:

• The sugar is caramelised to give a nice golden colour to the curry.
• If you want more gravy then you can add tomatoes.
• Traditionally mustard oil is used. Since we don't consume Mustard oil, I used the regular sunflower oil.

  
 

Kadai Mushroom Mutter

I had picked up some white button Mushrooms in my weekly grocery shopping. Today thought of trying out Kadai Mutter Mushroom. I followed the same process like I make Kadai Paneer but just a couple of new Ingredients. I loved it & enjoyed my lunch with Rotis. I have made some Lachha Paratas for dinner & will be having this yummy curry with it. This is a must try recipe. Happy cooking & enjoy this recipe.

Serves: 4 people
Making time 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Button Mushrooms chopped
• 1/2 cup Green Peas (Mutter)
• 2 large tomatoes chopped
• 1 Large onion chopped
• 1/2  Medium green capsicum
• 2 green chili deseeded & slit
• 1 Tspn ginger & garlic chopped into small pieces
• 2 Tbsp Oil
• 1 Tbspn crushed whole coriander seeds
• 1 tspn Kasuri Methi
• 1/4 Tspn Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Heavy Cream
• Salt as per taste
• Coriander leaves to garnish
• 1/4 cup of water

Masala powder

• 1 Tbsp Coriander powder
• 1/4 tspn turmeric powder
• 1 Tspn Kashmiri chili powder
• 1/2 Tsp Garam Masala powder

Method:

1. In a Kadai/ Pan/ Wok add 2 tbsp of oil. Once the oil is heated add in crushed coriander seeds, ginger garlic pieces, onion & fry them till they are translucent. 
2. Now add in chopped tomatoes, green chilis, all the masalas mentioned in the above list & fry them till you see fat separation. which will take around 3 to 4 mins. 
3. Add in Green Peas, Mushrooms, kasuri Methi, salt, sugar give it a good mix. Cook this on low flame for about 5-8 mins. Once this is cooked add in 1/4 cup of water & cream. 
4. Finally add in the capsicum give it a good stir. Turn off the flame & close the lid.
5.  Garnish the dish with fresh coriander leaves just before serving. Kadai Mutter Mushroom is ready!

Chicken Curry

Mostly I plan my menu according to my hubby's taste. This morning as usual I gave him some options & asked him to choose on what he wants for lunch. He said, I want a simple plain chicken curry. He & curry are like best friends. He is a curry lover & cant do without it. I was too bored to make the boring chicken curry. My taste buds always craves for something new & different. I had some fresh plums that I had picked up from the market, so thought of adding that in the curry. I made it in a very different style than the regular chicken curry. This curry turned out super super tasty. My hubby was all praises about this dish & was licking the plate:) Lol. Before I forget that recipe, I decided to jot down in the blog today itself. This goes well with Rice, Roti, dosa hmmmm.... arey! everything I say...This is how I made it & you must definitely try this one.

Ingredients

• 1 Kg chicken
• 2 onions thinly sliced
• 2 plums chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 star aniz
• 1 Tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 1/4 Tspn Turmeric powder
• 1 Tbspn coriander powder
• 1/2 Tspn Cumin powder
• 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• Salt as per taste
• coriander leaves to garnish
• To grind:
• 1 Tbsp ginger & garlic pieces
• 1 medium tomatoes
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 3 Cardamom
• 4 Cloves
• 1 Tbspn Souf seeds
• 1 Tspn cumin seeds
• (Note: Dry roast cinnamon, cloves, souf & cumin before grinding)

Method:

1. Fry onions till they are translucent in a Pan/ Kadai
2. Add in bay leaf, star Aniz, tomatoes, plums & the ground paste.
3. Once the tomatoes are soft add in all the masalas & salt as per taste. Cook this for about 3 to 5 mins or until fat separation
4. Into this add in the washed chicken & give it a good stir. Now cook this on low flame for about 10 mins. The curry is ready, garnish this with coriander leaves. If you want you can add some water which I dint.

Note:

• You need to grind the items mentioned in the to grind list to a very smooth paste.
• The Plums have a little sour taste in it & it balances the curry flavour very well. Just in case you have very sweet plums, than may be you can add some lemon juice.
• Mine was a semi thick gravy as I dint want to add any extra water.
• Some information on plums http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum

 

Dal Tadka

Dal tadka is a regular feature for most of us at home. However many of you think that you do not get that resturant type taste at home. Made with split red lentils this creamy, rich and smooth dal is tempered with spices and ghee. It makes the perfect accompaniment to rice or Rotis. A very simple one & a every day recipe. However there are many versions of Dal tadka & this is one of it I make more often.

Ingredients:
1 Cup Masoor dal (split red lentils)
1/4 cup yellow moong dal
2 Green chilis slit
1 Tbspn grated ginger & garlic
1/4 Tspn turmeric
Salt as per taste
For tempering:
1 Tbsp Ghee/ clarified butter
1/2 Tspn cumin seeds
3 dried red chilis
1 Medium onions thinly sliced
1 Medium tomatoes chopped
1/4 Tspn Garam Masala Powder
Corinder leaves to garnish
1 Tbsp heavy cream to garnish or decorate

Method

Clean, wash & soak both the dals for 20 mins in water, Drain the water add green chilis, ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, salt & 3 cups of water in the pressure cooker & cook for the dal untill tender. Untill 2 whistle. Once cooled, remove the green chilis from it & whish or mash the dal with a spoon.  Now for tempering, add 2 tbsp of ghee in the pan. Add in cumin seeds. red chilis. onion & saute until translucent. now add in the tomatoes & cook until they are soft. Now add in the cooked dal into this mixture & boil for 2 mins. Turn off the flame, garnish this with coriander leaves & garam Masala. Take a tbspn of heavy cream & draw a pattern on topof the dal before serving. Dal tadka is ready.

Prawn Pickle

I love going to the wet market.There are so many choices of vegetables, fish meat.... I just wait to go there once a week to do my grocery shopping. Since I go along with my maid & son. My lill Zu boy gets to see live fish, crab & vegetables. This is like a small picnic for him & he thoroughly enjoys it. Today was one of those lucky days I got to buy fresh shrimps. These are not available always & whenever they are, I pick like 3 to 4 kgs at once. I love shrimps more than prawns. 

Well Shrimps are smaller prawns & they taste better than prawns. In India Shrimps are quite common especially in the coastal area. Today I picked up 3 kgs & cleaning them is a big big task. My maid took about 2 hours to clean 2 kgs.  I joined her too to get it cleaned fast. I love Shrimp Pickle, curry & masala. I made a kilo of shrimp Pickle & the rest 2 kilo is sitting in my freezer. So the following days I will be making curries too:) Here is a very easy & tasty recipe.

Making time: 30 mins
If eaten everyday, lasts for 1 to 2 weeks.

Ingredients:

• 1 Kg Cleaned Shrimps
• 1 Tbsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 Tspn Coriander Powder
• 1/2 Tspn Cumin Powder
• 1/2 Cup Coarsely ground Ginger Garlic paste (Around 5 Tbsp)
• 3 tablespoon chopped ginger & garlic
• 1/4 Tspn Fenugreek seeds
• 1.5 Cup cooking oil
• 1.5 cup white vinegar
• 1 Tspn sugar
• Handful of curry leaves
• 1 tspn mustard seeds

Method:

1. Clean the prawns well & dry them with kitchen paper towel so the water is drained off completely.
2.  In a Kadai/ Pan heat the oil & fry the prawns in 2 batches for about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them & set aside. 
3. Now in the same pan to the same oil, add mustard's seeds, fenugreek seeds & allow them to crackle. 
4. Add in chopped ginger, garlic, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves & fry them for about 3 to 4 mins. 
5. Now add in all the masalas & fry for another 2 mins on low flame. At this stage you might also notice that the mixture in the pan sticking to the bottom. (Do not worry as the vinegar will help remove them)  
6. Add in the vinegar, sugar & stir well. Once you add in the vinegar mix well.
7.  Finally add in the prawns & simmer for another 2 mins. 
8. The Shrimp pickle is ready. Once cooled store it in a sterilized bottle & close the lid tightly. This can be kept outside in room temperature for a month or in the fridge for more than a month, Mine always gets over in a weeks time:)

Chicken Kebabs

 

 

 

If you have visited or lived in Bangalore then you definitely would have tasted the Empire Chicken Kebab. This particular dish is fried in Dalda  and that’s why it’s got a very unique taste.  If you are an expert in analysing food, then you will know that there is not much of ingredient that has gone into making these Kebabs. But still there is an addiction towards this Kebab. When we go to empire, we just order Ghee Rice & full plate Chicken Kebab. Well my recipe does not taste same as Empire Kebabs, but better than that with good blend of spices. These Kebabs are very juicy & crispy.  The secret to making it juicy is in marinating at least for 3 to 4 hrs in the fridge & frying it slow to medium in oil.

 

Let’s get frying this juicy Chicken…

Serves: 5
Making time: 3 hours
Cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 Kg Chicken Medium Pieces
• 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup Corn Flour
• 2 Tbsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Cumin Powder
• 1/2 Coriander Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Chaat Masala Powder
• Pinch of Carrom seeds (Ajwain)
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2 Eggs beaten
• 1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• Salt as per taste
• Oil for Deep frying

Red Food Colour Optional (I dint use it. Kashmiri Chili gives good natural red Colour)

Method:

1. Beat an egg & add all the above ingredients mentioned. If required add in a little water to make it a thick paste.
2. Massage the Chicken pieces well with this paste & keep it in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 hours.
3. Heat around 200 - 300ml Oil in a Pan & turn the gas to low flame. Now fry the chicken for 5 minutes in low flame turning them once in between. Fry for another 3 minutes on medium flame & finally on high flame for a minute. 
4.  Juicy crunchy Fried Chicken Kebabs are ready.

 

Happy cooking & eating:)

Chicken Vindaloo

Vindaloo is an Indian curry dish popular in the region of Goa. However, it is known globally in its Anglo-Indian form as a staple of curry house menus, often renowned as a particularly spicy dish, though it is not necessarily always the hottest available. The name Vindaloo is derived from the Portuguese dish "Carne de Vinha d' Alhos", which is a dish of meat, usually pork, with wine and garlic. The Portuguese dish was modified by the substitution of vinegar (usually palm vinegar) for the red wine and the addition of red Kashmiri chillies with additional spices to evolve into Vindaloo. Alternative terms are vindalho or vindallo.

I have been looking for the traditional recipe however non of them available on the net fancied me. So finally with few spices from here &there. My own version of ingredients made this beautiful tasty, tangy, spicy Vindaloo Curry. My husband & I just couldn't stop licking our fingers. This is a unique curry &has a good blend of Indian & international ingredients. The flavors are awesome & its so different from our regular indian curried. This is a must try. So lets get cooking this...

Ingredients:

6 Chicken legs with Thighs (You can use any pieces) Apx 750 gms

2 Tbsp Kashmiri Chili Powder (Everest Brand is the best)

1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder

1/4 Tsp Cumin Powder

1/4 Tsp Coriander Powder

1 Inch Cinnamon

3 Cloves

1 Tsp Cumin Seeds

3 Black Pepper corns

2 Tbsp Garlic Pods chopped

2 Tbsp Ginger chopped

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

1 Large Onion sliced

3 Tbsp Oil 

Salt as per taste

Method: In a heavy bottom Pan/ Kadai fry the Onions till golden brown, remove them from pan. In the same pan now fry garlic, ginger, Cinnamon, cloves, cumin seeds, pepper corns, tomato paste on medium heat for 5 mins. In a Blender/ Mixer put all the fried ingredients, all masalas mentioned above & vinegar. Make this into a smooth paste. 

Now marinade the chicken in this paste & set aside for 2 hrs. (If you marinade, the masalas will blend well into the chicken. I dint marinade as I dint have so much time:( ) Now in the same Kadai add in the chicken fry this for 5 mins,  add 1 big cup of water & slow cook this on low flame for 15 to 20 mins. Garnish this with coriander leaves. I didn't so as I did not have the stock.

Note: 

• You can use regular distilled Vinegar
• You can add more Chili Powder if you want is very hot &Spicy
• Add more water if you want more gravy. Mine was semi thick gravy