ChickenShicken – The Secret Ingredient

Dinner

Keema Bharwan Chichinda | Stuffed Snake Gourd with Minced Chicken | Stuffed Padwal

By anshu October 31, 2016

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Every household has its unique eating habits. One vegetable or dish may be a regular affair for some however, unheard for many others. This depends on the culture, place and availability of resources. When I was in Mexico I explored so many local produce and included them in my daily menu and when destiny brought me to Almora, my small hilly town things were different. The Himalayas not only bring serene beauty to the place but also bestows on us bounty of nature. I love to try them out and rather I feel privileged. Some time back I made Angel Hair Pasta with Garlicky Lingda, which is Fiddlehead Fern found in the hills. I also made Sherbet with Kaafal or Bay Berries found in this particular Himalayan region.

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And when I saw this serpent looking vegetable in the market I was drawn to its beauty. It looked ecstatic. Its called as Chichinda or Padwal in Hindi and Snake Gourd or Serpent Gourd in English. Most of the people make it like any other gourd sabzi however, I tried to make it differently. I stuffed it with cooked Chicken Keema and then cooked the outer body with the stuffing. It took this humble vegetable to a whole new level. You can always stuff it with mashed potatoes or paneer.

Directions:
1. Wash the snake gourd thoroughly and cut them into 2 inch long pieces. Scoop out the pulpy portion by running a knife in the centre. Reserve the pulp.

2. Repeat the same with rest of the pieces and set aside.

3. Chop Onions, Tomatoes, Ginger, garlic and green chillies finely and set aside.

4. In a pan pour some oil and add cumin seeds. They will crackle in a few seconds.

5. Add ginger garlic and green chillies and saute them till the raw smell of garlic fades away. At this stage add chopped onions and continue to cook till they are transparent and soft.

6. Add tomato sand continue to cook till they are gooey and soft.

7. Season it with salt, red chilli powder and Turmeric powder. Combine everything.

8. Add minced chicken keema and reserved pulp of gourd and toss it with the spices in the pan. Saute for a couple of minutes till chicken is cooked half way through.

9. Add water and cover with a lid abd continue to cook further.

10. Add tandoori masala and combine.

11. Add Garam masala and turn the flame off.

12. Fill the stuffing inside the hollow snake gourd pieces we had reserved.

13. Now in a pan add some more oil and place all the stuffed snake gourd pieces.

14. Cover with a lid and keep cooking it. Do not forget to change sides for even cooking after every five minutes.

15. When the gourds have acquired a golden colour all over and are softer they are done. Turn the flame off and serve hot with Roti.

Other dishes with Chicken you can try are: Butter Chicken, Chettinad Pepper Chicken Masala, Hyderabadi Murg Korma, Cheesy Chicken Lasagna, Ginger-Sesame Chicken with Bok Choy and Mushrooms, Italian Chicken Meatballs with Spaghetti.

stuffedchachinda_featured3 [whohit[ChichindaWithChicken[/whohit]

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Dinner

Hyderabadi Murg Korma | Chicken Korma

By anshu July 9, 2016

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I have started eating Non vegetarian food very late in my life and which also means I started cooking it also very late. But I never panic because my father cooks excellent chicken and by the grace of God I have friends who always come forward to share their recipes and tips to make everything fabulous. The other night I wanted to try out a new recipe of Chicken and I resorted to my bestie Shaheen’s blog Spoon Fork and Food. It has some amazing recipes from lip smacking non vegetarian dishes to delicious, divine vegetarian food.

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The recipe was self explanatory and came out just amazing. Its a regular at our place now. Whenever we have chicken my husband insists that we must make this again. The addition of nuts and coconut enhances the texture of the chicken and makes it from ordinary to extraordinary. If you are looking for a recipe to win your heart and stomach you must continue to read the recipe.

Directions:

1. In a pan add Almonds and cashew nuts.

2. Add Poppy Seeds and desiccated Coconut. Toast them on low flame till they have become crisp.

3. Let the mixture cool down a bit. Transfer it to a dry grinder and pulse together to make a coarse powder. Set aside.

4. Chop some onions and dry roast them in a pan till they have become brown in colour.

5. Grind them in a paste and set aside.

6. In order to marinate Chicken add yogurt in a bowl along with fresh pieces of chicken. Also add ginger garlic paste and red chili powder.

7. Add turmeric powder, some strands of saffron and salt

8. Add lemon juice combine and refrigerate at least for an hour do that the spices marinate the chicken well.

9. After marinating the chicken, add Ghee or clarified butter in a wok. Add Bay leaf and green cardamom to the ghee.

10. Also add Black Cardamom, Cloves and Peppercorns.

11. Once the ghee is infused with whole spices add the marinated chicken along with the liquid. Add slit green chillies and let the chicken cook and juices run out. Also add coriander powder and keep cooking.

12. When the entire liquid has evaporated and ghee is separated add onion paste and roasted nuts mixture and combine well. Keep stirring and let the chicken cook on low flame till done. You shouldn’t need any water as there is enough curd. But if you feel the spice is getting stuck to the bottom, add little water and keep cooking till the chicken is done. It should take 20-25 minutes for the chicken to cook. You can add more Ghee to the chicken if you feel its dry. The korma tastes better with more ghee oozing out.. as a matter of fast all dishes do 😉 But a little butter or ghee never hurts anyone 😛

13. Garnish with Garam Masala, Coriander and Mint Leaves.

14. Serve hot with Naan, Kulcha and even roti.

Other Chicken dishes you can try are: Butter Chicken, Chettinad Pepper Chicken Masala, Ginger-Sesame Chicken with Bok Choy and Mushrooms, Italian Chicken Meatballs with Spaghetti, Chicken Soup with Rice, Grilled Chicken Salad, Cheesy Chicken Lasagna.

You can also try Baigan Ka Salan from Hyderabad.

ChicikenKorma_Featured5 [whohit]ChickenKorma[/whohit]

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Dinner

Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta | Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes

By anshu May 2, 2016

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When it comes to Pastas, my heart skips a beat. I can eat pasta in any form, any sauce and even boiled 😛 But when you see an authentic Italian pasta on a platter that love transforms into madness. I made Italian Basil Pesto the other day and me and my husband were going gaga over it. We finished more than half the jar by simply smearing it on our breads and eating it. Then I gave an ultimatum to my husband that we are not eating it like this any more and that I needed to make something with this.

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I had some chicken breast and a jar of sun dried tomatoes. Believe it or not the pasta came together in fifteen minutes. By the time I finished boiling the spaghetti, the chicken was ready. I arranged everything together and served. What an amazing dinner it was. So refreshing, light and still filling. In my unconscious mind I took a small trip to Italy <3

Directions:

1. Boil the pasta of your choice till al dente and set aside. (Learn how to Boil Pasta perfectly). Take out the sundried tomatoes from the jar. And cut them into small bite size pieces. Set aside.

2. Cube the chicken breast. Also mince some garlic and set aside. You can always substitute Chicken with Mushrooms for the vegetarian twist.

3. In a pan add some Olive oil and add minced garlic to the pan and give it a toss.

4. Add Chicken and cook till it has turned white from pink.

5. Season with Salt and Black pepper. Turn the flame off when it’s cooked.

6. Add the Basil Pesto to the Boiled pasta and also add the chopped sundried tomatoes.

7. Toss them together using a set of forks.

8. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle some Lemon juice on it. Serve it hot or at room temperature.

Other Pasta recipes you can try here are: Avocado Parsley Pasta, Healthy Broccoli Pasta, Italian Chicken Meatballs with Spaghetti, Pasta Alla Vodka, Sautéed Red Bell Pepper and Olive Pasta Salad, Sautéed Red Bell Pepper and Olive Pasta Salad, Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad, Vegetarian Hakka Noodles.

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Appetiser

Chettinad Pepper Chicken Masala | South Indian Style Spicy Pepper Chicken | Dry Spicy Chicken

By anshu August 31, 2015

I always thought I can handle spices and chillies very well. I also thought Punjabis make the most fiery curries and other recipes. But this chettinad Pepper Chicken won hands down and proved me wrong. I was surprised how amazingly hot can be those red dried chillies be if you put one extra than called for in the recipe. Nevertheless it was an awesome recipe. You can limit the chilies as per your taste buds.

The way the Curry leaves, mustard and other spices marry with the chicken creates an unforgettable harmony of flavours. This is a welcome change to your regular way of making chicken. I am sure this will leave a lasting impact on your mind and on your tongue 😛

Directions:
1. Take boneless chicken and cut it into cubes or bite size pieces.

2. For the dry spice mix add cumin seeds, whole coriander seeds and green cardamoms in a small pan for toasting.

3. Also add whole pepper corns, Cinnamon Stick and dry Red Chillies. You can remove the seeds from the red chilies to make it less fiery.

4. Toss these spices on a medium low flame until they become fragrant and on cooling down ground them in a coffee grinder or spice grinder. Set aside.

5. In a wok or kadhai add ghee. Add mustard seeds and let them crackle for 10 seconds or so. You could even add fennel seeds, I did not add as I am allergic to it.

6. Once the seeds begin to sputter add the dry spice mix. Saute everything on low flame for a couple of seconds.

7. Add Sliced onions, Ginger Garlic paste* and Kaddhi Patta. Saute the onions till they become soft.

8. Add chopped onions and continue to cook them till they become soft and gooey.

9. Add chicken pieces to the wok and combine together.

10. Add turmeric powder and season with salt.

11. Mix together and let it saute for a minute or so.

12. Add water, bring it to a boil and put the lid on, simmer on low flame till the chicken is well cooked. It should take 15 minutes or so.

13. Dont forget to open the lid in between and stir and see if anything is sticking to bottom. The spice should have coated well with the chicken.

14. Serve hot as an appetizer or even as a main course with a roti or tawa naan.

You can try other Chicken Recipes here: Butter Chicken, Grilled Chicken Salad. Mexican Chicken Soup with Rice.

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Baking

Butter Chicken | Murg Makhani

By anshu June 5, 2015

Butter Chicken or Murg Makhani Needs no introduction. It is one of the most popular dishes world over. When I was in Mexico and I was introduced to someone as an Indian, they would say Oh I love India! Taj Mahal, Butter Chicken and Mahatma Gandhi are the three key things they know about India 🙂 Whenever I would invite my Mexican friends home for dinner, they insisted I would cook for them butter chicken.

That time I was naive to non veg cooking so never tried cooking it. After coming to India I gathered the courage and decided to choose a no fail recipe of Mr. Narula, a renowned and respected member of Chef at Large on FB. The Chicken was out of the world. Even the restaurants would fail in front of this. I know I should be modest but I am not because it was truly sinful and finger licking and I am proud of it 🙂

As the name suggests its laden with butter so if you are looking for a low calorie chicken recipe you need to make Pan Grilled Chicken Salad. This butter chicken recipe is intricate but totally worth it! The results will amaze you.

Directions:

1. Take boneless chicken*(See Notes) and wash it thoroughly and remove if any skin on top. Cut it into cubes or bite size pieces.

2. Place the chicken in a bowl and marinate by adding ginger garlic paste. Also add Salt and fresh lemon juice.

3. Mix everything thoroughly and let it sit for fifteen minutes. In the meanwhile soak some dry red chilies in some hot water for ten minutes. I deseeded the dry chilies as they were very hot. Grind the chilies into a paste. Set aside.

4. After first marination, add curd to the marinade along with Coriander powder, Cumin powder.

5. Also add red chili powder or degi mirch for amazing colour. Add Chicken Masala and Vegetable oil.

6. Lastly add red chili paste we made before. Mix thoroughly and let it marinate well in refrigerator for minimum 4 hours. I marinated it for almost 24 hours because I wanted to make it the next day for some guests.

7. After marination transfer the marinated chicken to a broad baking dish. Spread it evenly without overlapping chicken pieces. Baste it with vegetable oil so that the chicken roasts well and remains moist.

8.Bake it in a preheated oven on 200 degree C for 30 minutes or until partially cooked. (Learn more about Oven temperatures and Conversions). In the meanwhile Soak some cashews in water for a few hours and grind them to paste.