Bohri Chicken & Cashew Curry

A carnivorous cousin was visiting us over the weekend. I was meeting him after a decade. I wanted to make food of his choice. I made Shammi Kababs, Prawns Curry and Bohri Style Chicken curry.

This Bohri Chicken Curry was from Suvir Saran's book - Indian Home Cooking. I reduced the amount of cashews.

Bohri Chicken & Cashew Curry
From Suvir Saran's Indian Home Cooking
Ingredients

1/2 cup raw or roasted cashews
 

4 whole, dried red chilies
 

1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
 

6 whole cloves

 

3 tablespoons coriander seeds
 

2 teaspoons cumin seeds
 

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
 

8 garlic cloves
 

2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced

 

1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut,


2 tbsp. canola oil

1 teaspoon ground black pepper
 

 

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste 

 

 

3 potatoes, cut into big chunks

 

 

Marinate

 

2 lb bonelss skinless chicken breasts and thighs, cut

 

2 tbsp. yogurt

 

1 tsp salt

 

1/2 tsp turmeric power

 

1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste

 

 

 

Method

 

top online casinos

1.  Roast chilies, cinnamon stick, cloves, coriander, cumin, onion, garlic, ginger, coconut, and cashews one after the other in a large saucepan or casserole over low heat.  Cook, stirring, until the cashews and coconut have turned a light golden color, about 10 minutes.  Cool and process to a paste in a food processor.

3.  Heat a pressure cooker. Add the oil, the spice paste, and the black pepper and cook, stirring, until the mixture turns a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Keep a cup of water beside the stove as the mixture cooks.  As the spices begins to stick, add water, about 1 teaspoon at a time, and scrape the bottom of the pan with the spoon to pull up the browned bits and keep the spices from burning.

4.  Add the chicken along with marinade, and potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. 

5.  Add the water and the salt. Pressure cook till 2-3 whistles.

 

6.  Open the pressure cooker lid after pressure drops. Simmer and serve with flatbread or rice of your choice.

 

Note -

1. I reduced the amount of cashews and oil from the original recipe.

2. I used pressure cooker to expedite the cooking process.

3. I always marinate chicken.

4. I added potatoes to the curry.

5.  Please refer to the link provided for the original recipe.

 

 

Credits
 Suvir Saran's Book  Indian Home Cooking. 

Chicken Chili Fry

 

I had chicken and some bell peppers. I was not in a mood for making something elaborate. I came up with this quick version.

 

 

 

 

Chicken Chili Fry

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, preferably organic, cut into bite sized pieces

 

Marinade

1/4 cup yogurt

1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste

1 tsp. garam masala

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

salt to taste

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tbsp. coriander-cumin powder

 

Tempering

1 tbsp. oil

2-3 red chilies, halved

1-2 scallions/spring onions

1 cup mixed bell peppers, cut

 

Garnish

A generous pinch of chaat masala

1 tbsp. minced cilantro

 

Method

1. Whisk yogurt with all the ingredients for marinade.

2. Marinade chicken with yogurt mixture for at least 1/2 hour - preferably in the refrigerator.

3. Heat oil in a wok or kadhai. Add red chilies. Stir fry for 1/2 minute, add scallions. Sauté for 1 minute.

4. Add bell peppers. Sauté for 2 minutes.

5. Add chicken along with the marinade.

6. Cook on a high flame, stirring from time to time.

7. Adjust salt.

8. Sprinkle chaat masala and cilantro.

9. Serve with naan.

 

Note -

1. You can also add amchoor powder along with chaat masala.

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Chicken Khada Masala

Many moons ago, when Jiggs Karla used to write a column in Times of India, I used to clip all the recipes diligently. Since this recipe has "whole spices" and does not involve too much grinding and processing, it was very handy during my initial years in the United States (especially when we roommates didn't bother to invest in a blender!)

This recipe has probably evolved since those days.

Khade Masalewali Murgi
Chicken with Whole Spices
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste

1 medium tomato, grated
1 big onion, peeled & grated
salt to taste

1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. mild chili powder like paprika or Kashmiri chili powder

1/2 cup whisked yogurt

Tempering
1/2 tbsp. ghee
1/2 tbsp. oil
3 green cardamoms
3 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. shahjira
5-7 black peppercorn
1" piece of cinnamon

Garnish
2 green chilies, chopped or sliced
A generous pinch of Garam masala

Method
1. Marinate chicken with ginger-garlic paste. Cover and set aside,
2. Heat ghee and oil mixture in a pressure cooker.
3. Add whole spices one after the other.
4. Add marinated chicken. Sear for 5 minutes till it gets golden brown.
5. Add paprika, onions and tomatoes. Sauté for 10 minutes.
6. Add 2 cups water. Bring to boil. Add yogurt.
7. Pressure cook for 3 whistles.
8. Add  green chilies, Garam masala and salt.
9. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Note -
1. Instead of using yogurt, you could also use coconut milk. But in that case, add it after pressure cooking.
2. Adjust consistency of this gravy based on the personal preference. I prefer it on the thicker side.






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Kheema Ghotala

 

 "Ghotala" is a Marathi word for fiasco or mess! But gastronomically speaking, today's kheema ghotala is a hot mess of mince meat with eggs! This is a popular dish from Irani restaurants of Mumbai. It may have originated from the Parsi penchant to add eggs to any dish.

This is my homey version. It was developed at the last minute to stretch 1 cup leftover kheema mutter to feed unexpected guests!  Serve with Laadi Pav or sliced bread to mop this delicious "ghotala". ;-)

Kheema Ghotala
Mutton Mince with Eggs
Ingredients

1 cup kheema mutter
4 eggs
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chili powder


Tempering
 1/2 tbsp. oil
1 spring onion, minced (Use only white part, save some green leaves for garnish)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tomato, chopped

Garnish
1 tbsp. minced cilantro
or
1/2 tbsp. minced green part of spring onion

Suggested Accompaniment
Laadi Paav
or
Sliced bread

Method
1. Heat pan. Add kheema mutter. I am assuming that it's from the refrigerator. So first warm it up and then keep it on the side of the pan.
2. Add oil in the middle of the pan. Add spring onion and turmeric powder. Sauté till it's soft.

3. Add tomato. Add chili powder and garam masala. Sauté till tomato is pulpy.

4. Break eggs, one after the other. Add salt to taste. Whisk till they are semi-soft.

5. Mix in kheema and cook thoroughly.

6. Garnish with bread or paav.

Note -
1. Since I used leftover kheema mutter, I didn't add an ginger-garlic paste.
2. If kheema mutter uses any whole spices, please remove them before adding eggs.
3. You can use regular onion instead of spring onions.
4. Use any mince meat of your choice. Traditionally mutton mince is used in  Mumbai for the above recipe.




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Murg Musallam - Mughlai Chicken Curry

Today's recipe is  adapted from The Hawkins Recipe Booklet.

I generally tweak the recipe to suit to our requirements. My observation is that this excellent booklet uses black cardamoms rather generously for our taste and I go easy on them as this spice can be little overpowering for us.

Murg Musallaum - Mughlai Chicken Curry
Chicken Curry
Ingredients
1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs, cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces

Grind to a smooth paste
3 green chilies
5 cloves garlic
2" ginger, peeled

Marinade
*Above paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt
1/2 tsp Mughlai Garam Masala
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tsp Kashmiri Chili Powder or Paprika

Roast one after other
3-4 cloves
6 black pepper
1" cinnamon
1 Black Caradamom
8-10 Almonds,
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds

Fry till uniformly browned
1 tbsp. oil
1 large onion, peeled & thinly sliced

Grind
Fried Onion
Roasted Spices

Tempering
1 tbsp. oil
1 bay leaf

You will also need
2 roma tomatoes, chopped finely or grated

Garnish
1 tbsp. minced cilantro

Method
1. Rinse and cut boneless chicken into pieces. Marinate with the yogurt mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least till 4 hours.

2. Roast whole spices one after the other. Set aside.
3. Heat oil and fry onion till uniformly browned.

4. Grind fried onion and roasted spices into fine paste, adding 1/4 cup water.
5. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add a bay leaf. Add ground onion-spices paste. Sauté for 15 minutes.
6. Now add chicken with marinade, and tomatoes.
7. Add 1/2 cup water.
8. Pressure cook for 4 whistles. Let it drop naturally.

9. Adjust salt. Simmer till the gravy of desired thickness is ready.

10. Garnish with minced cilantro.

Note -
1. This gravy tastes even better the next day. So if possible, make it ready at least a few hours in advance before serving.
2. The original recipe requires chicken pieces to be lightly fried before adding to the masala. If following that step, shake off the excess marinade and fry each chicken piece. Follow the recipe link below for the original recipe.


Credits
http://www.hawkinscookers.com/8.1.receipe.aspx?rcp_cd=56




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Kheema Macaroni

 

 My friend, Jackie used to bring this dish in her lunchbox. It didn't include cheese. But since my daughter enjoys cheese, I decided to add little cheese on top.

Kheema Macaroni - (Serves 2)
Ingredients
1 cup elbow macaroni
1 cup leftover kheema Matar

1/2 cup shredded cheese

Method
1. Cook elbow macaroni according to the package instructions.
2. Drain. Return to the pan.
3. Remove any whole spices/bay leaves from kheema.
4. Add Kheema to the cooked macaroni. Stir well.

5. When it's nicely heated through, Pour onto a baking dish.
6. Spread some grated cheese generously on top.

7. Bake in the preheated oven or microwave till cheese melts.

Note -
1. Cheese wasn't the part of my friend's recipe but I added it since my daughter loves it.
2. Use more cheese if you like it.


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Kheema Puffs

 

 With readymade puff pastry sheet, making kheema puffs is a breeze.


Kheema Puffs
Mince Meat Mini Pies
Ingredients
1 cup kheema
1 puff pastry sheet

8 baking cups
Oil spray

Whisk
1 egg white
1 tbsp. water

Method
1. Let the kheema be at room temperature. Remove any whole spices.
2. Thaw the puff pastry sheet per package directions.
3.  Punch 8 big and 8 small circles onto the pastry sheet using vati/katories of big and small sizes.
4. Spray some oil onto the baking cups.
5. Place big puff pastry circle.
6. Spoon in some kheema.

7. Cover with the small puff pastry circle.

8. Pinch around the circumference to enclose and seal.
9. Prick 3-4 holes using a fork.
10. Brush with egg white and water mixture.

11. Bake in 350F preheated oven for about 15-17 minutes or till the kheema puffs are uniformly brown.

12. Serve with Tomato Ketchup.

Note -
1. Mumbai bakeries use minced meat (goat meat) for this recipe. You may choose your own filling (chicken/turkey/soy granules)



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Chicken Kerala

 Chicken Kerala Served with Shevai

 

Last day of the Ashadh month -  according to the Hindu calendar - is called "Gatari Amavasya" in the non-vegetarian community of Maharashtra. This is the day when friends and family get together to celebrate "Gatari Party" where non-vegetarian food takes center stage. Vegetarian preparations are limited to the mandatory carbs (rice/chapti/bhakri/vade) and salad. After all, the holy month of Shravan starts next day. Many folks refrain themselves  from eating any non-vegetarian preparations for a month or even up to 4 months (called Chaturmas which means 4 months). Some even shun onion and garlic.

Since Gatari fell over the weekend this year, I decided to celebrate it the traditional way. While flipping my recipe diary, I realized that I haven't blogged the recipe that I learnt from my roommate during my early years in the United States. Since I don't remember its original Malayalam name, I have been calling this as "Chicken Kerala".

Chicken Kerala
Chicken Curry - Kerala Style
Ingredients
1 kg chicken, cleaned and cut

Green Paste Marinade
5-7 green chilies
2" ginger, peeled & roughly chopped
5-6 cloves of garlic, peeled & roughly chopped
salt
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Red Masala Paste
10 Red chilies
2 tbsp. coriander Seeds
10 black pepper corn
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 -3 cloves
1" cinnamon
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp. freshly scraped coconut
1 tsp tamarind pulp
1/2 cup water

Tempering
4 tbsp. coconut oil (Use more or less per preference)
4 springs of curry leaves
1 cup chopped onion

You will also need,
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup coconut milk

Suggested Accompaniment
Appam
Rice

Method
1. Marinate chicken pieces with green paste.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
3. Add curry leaves. As they splutter, add chopped onions. Sauté till it's golden brown.
4. Now, add chicken with marinade. Sauté for 10 minutes.
5. Add red masala paste and water.
6. Place tomatoes and cilantro.
7. Stir once. Close the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook for 3 whistles.
8. Let the pressure drop. Adjust for salt.
9. Add coconut milk.
10. Let it simmer.
11. Serve with Shevai, rice or appam.

Note -
1. Adjust green and red chilies per your preference.
2. The original recipe does not call for roasting spices. You may roast the spices before grinding to add a different flavor.
3. You can use any oil of your choice but coconut oil is the preferred oil.
4. I generally use less oil than the recipe calls.
5. I use a combination of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs.

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Turkey Sandwich

Gudiya's dabba - Turkey Sandwich, homemade baked pita chips and grape tomatoes

I was raised on a non-vegetarian diet. What that meant was, every Sunday, we ate either seafood, chicken or  mutton. We mostly didn't eat it on any other day. Monday was undoubtedly meatless for religious purpose. Sometimes, Wednesday used to be an exception when some leftovers from Sunday were tolerated. Both my maternal and paternal grandmothers ate only seafood per their hardcore GSB beliefs. But they were adventurous enough to have tried making the food that was never part of their culture.

When my maternal grandfather met with an accident, he was advised to take an egg diet. He was a strict vegetarian himself. But he started taking egg as a medicine reluctantly. My maternal grandmother started making raw eggs with milk mixture for him. Seeing that, her kids wanted more adventure with eggs in the kitchen. So she started making omelets. (she called it Andyacha PoLa - egg dosa)

My paternal grandmother went a step further. Her kids tasted mutton curry at friends' house. They loved it so much that they pestered her relentlessly. Finally, she learnt the recipe from the neighbors and started cooking it for her kids.

By the time I was born, chicken and mutton had already become a staple Sunday meal for the family. Although, I never tasted my grandmothers' creations since both of them had stopped making eggs/meat dishes by then, I often get amazed by their openness to embrace the unknown territory.  Both of them never ate the eggs/meat preparations that they made. But the most touching part is that they never judged people who chose to have different choices than their own firm beliefs.

I think that's the reason I don't judge when people choose to eat beef, venison, rabbit, or want to be vegan. The greatest gift I got from my lovely grandmothers is not to be judgmental just because people have different food preferences (or any preferences for that matter!)

Now, why do I wonder about it? My daughter wants me to cook with pork, beef and turkey. This is an unknown territory for me. I just can't cook  beef or pork. Although she longs for that big Thanksgiving Turkey on the dinner table every year, it's something I just can't do. I have made ground Turkey kheema for her, but that just doesn't cut it. I do have to overcome that mental block - may be just like my grandmothers - but for now, I made this Turkey Sandwich for Gudiya's  lunchbox. She gave me 5 stars ratings and called me the best sandwich maker in the world.

Turkey Sandwich - makes 1 Sandwich
Ingredients
2 Whole wheat bread slices
1 slice Mozzarella cheese, cut into halves
2 slices Deli Turkey or chicken - preferably organic
1/2 tsp oven roasted tomatoes
1 tsp mayonnaise
A few drops of mustard
few fresh spinach leaves

Method
1. Spread little mayo over both bread slices.
2. Place half a slice of cheese.
3. Place few spinach leaves.
4. Top with turkey slices
5. Squirt few drops of mustard and spread.
6. Now add oven roasted tomatoes.
7. Place remaining half of the cheese.
8. Enclose with the bread slice.
9. Now, place on a hot griddle or tawa. Toast on a low flame till cheese melts and holds the sandwich together. Flip and toast on both sides.
10. Take out and cut into two halves.

Note -
1. You can use 2 slices of cheese but I like to limit the cheese intake.
2. I really use a tiny amount of mayo but if you like the flavor, please feel free to use more.


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Chicken Pesto Pizza

 

 

Have you ever met those annoying people who wonder & ponder over every bite they put in their mouth at restaurants? They want to know what ingredients may have gone in that morsel? Well, then you have met either me or people just like me. My husband thinks that I eat less and wonder more about the recipe.  Oh well, that's just the way it is! Recently we went to a Pizza place that serve a variety of pizza (potato pizza, anyone?). So it's very natural that you will now see a plethora of Pizza recipes at Enjoy Indian Food!;-)

 

Since most of the ingredients below were store bought, this pizza appeared even on a very hectic week night dinner table.

 

 

Chicken Pesto Pizza (Makes 1 pizza)

Ingredients

1 readymade pizza crust (See note below)

1 tbsp. homemade or readymade basil pesto

2 strips  grilled/baked/roasted boneless, skinless chicken, cut into cubes

1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded

 

Garnish(Optional)

Crushed red pepper

 

Method

1. Preheat oven 400F.

2. Place readymade pizza crust on a baking or pizza tray.

3. Spread basil pesto around the crust leaving about 2" border around the circumference of the crust.

4. Scatter chicken cubes over the pesto.

5. Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over.

6. Bake for about 5-6 minutes or till the cheese is melted.

7. Cut into wedges.

8. Garnish with crushed red pepper if using.

 

Note -

1. I used Whole Foods Brand Whole Wheat Pita for this recipe.

2. In summer, when there is abundant Italian Basil growing in backyard, I use homemade pesto. But here, I used Costco brand Basil Pesto.

3. You can most certainly make homemade pizza crust.

 

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Yakitori Chicken

Gudiya has started loving Japanese flavors these days. I wanted to make Yakitori Chicken for her. But all the recipes that I had come across, had either alcohol or Sake - Japanese wine. Finally, I decided to use Whole Foods brand Teriyaki Sauce. I think it worked out pretty well.

Yakitori Chicken (8 Skewers)

Japanese Grilled Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
1 lb Boneless, skinless chicken - preferably organic
24 Spring onion pieces (Do not use green leaves)

Marinade
1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp chili garlic paste (optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)
1 tbsp. finely grated ginger

Cooking Spray

Garnish
2 tsp white sesame seeds

Method
1. Whisk the marinade. Keep 2 tbsp. aside for basting. Cut chicken into about 24 bite sized pieces. Add chicken pieces to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for about 6 hours.
2. Thread small skewers alternating with marinated chicken cubes and spring onion pieces. Shake off excess marinade before threading the chicken pieces
3. Heat cast iron grill. Spray some oil using cooking spray. Let it be really hot before keeping the chicken skewers.
4. Place skewers carefully. Cook for about 3 minutes per side till grill marks appear on the chicken.

5. Baste with the reserved marinade.
6. Broil in oven for about  3 minutes, making sure that the chicken is cooked perfectly.
7. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top before serving.

Note -
1. Reserve marinade for basting separately. Do not use the same marinade where chicken was marinating for basting as it had raw chicken and it may contaminate cooked food.
2. Obviously, turmeric powder is not a Japanese ingredient. But I like to use it along with chicken and seafood items due to Indian culinary training! Please use your own preference.
3. I used cast iron grill pan which goes in the oven.
4. I used the same recipe for making Yakitori Tofu. I will post it soon.

Yakitori Chicken with Japanese Noodles

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Chicken Caffreal

This is a delicious starter from Goa. You can serve this grilled/baked chicken tenders along with salad for dinner or just serve it with onion rings and lemon wedges as a part of a big meal.

Chicken Caffreal
Baked/Grilled Chicken from Goa
Ingredients
1 lb chicken tenders

Grind to a fine paste
1 cup cilantro
3-4 sprigs of mint
3-4 green chilies (or per desired heat)
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1" ginger, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp clove powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon powder
Freshly crushed black peppercorn
salt to taste
2 tbsp. lemon juice

Method
1. Rinse and cut chicken tenders in a bite sized pieces.
2. Grind cilantro with all the remaining spices to a fine paste.
3. Marinate chicken with green masala paste in a refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
4. Preheat oven 350 F
5. Grease a baking tray with cooking spray like Pam.
6. Arrange the chicken tenders in a single layer.
7. Bake for 30-40 minutes, turning the tenders once - making sure that they are cooked through.
8. Serve with salad or onion rings and lemon wedges.

Note -
1. Do not add water while grinding the green masala paste.
2. Instead of baking, you can also add oil to a tawa/griddle and sauté marinated chicken pieces till they are cooked.

Murgima Kaaju - Cashew Chicken

Murgi ma Kaaju

Gudiya loves mild chicken curries. I had bookmarked this cashew chicken recipe from Hawkins Recipe booklet. If you don't have cashews, raw almonds work well too.

Murgi ma Kaaju
Cashew Chicken Curry
Ingredients
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces

Grind
1 tbsp. paprika
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp. water

Marinate chicken with -
Above red paste
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

Grind
1/3 cup unsalted raw cashew or almonds
1/4 cup water

Tempering
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup minced onion

You will also need
salt to taste
1 tbsp. tomato ketchup

Method
1. Marinate chicken pieces with red paste. Refrigerate for about 1/2 hour.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
3. Add sugar. As it caramelizes, add onions and sauté till they are brown but not burnt.
4. Add marinated chicken along with the marinade. Sauté for 10 minutes.
5. Add cashew paste and 1 cup water. Bring to boil.
6. Close the lid and pressure cook for about 3 whistles.
7. Open the lid after the pressure drops. Add salt and ketchup.
8. Simmer till it has a thick gravy.

Note-
1. Raw almonds can be substituted for cashews.

Recipe credit -
http://www.hawkinscookers.com/8.1.receipe.aspx?rcp_cd=57


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Chicken Mughlai

I made my first "Mughlai Chicken" in my 12th vacation. I had followed a recipe from a magazine. My cousin had happened to come over for lunch. This cousin was known to be a meat connoisseur (actually a rarest species in my family, who could eat chicken and mutton  any time of the day) so I was dying to know his constructive feedback. Though he gave me very positive feedback, I knew that he was hesitant and wasn't telling me the entire truth. I asked him what's the thing that he's holding back to which he replied candidly that though the curry was very good to taste, it was too "deep brown"  to be called chicken mughlai. It should have been creamier and whiter per the standards used in the restaurant kitchens".

Since that day, I am on the mission of lightening this classic dish. So if you see the same title on my blog with a different version number, you would probably understand why.

Chicken Mughlai
Chicken Curry Mughlai style
Ingredients
Marinate
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless organic chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
A pinch of nutmeg powder - preferably fresh

Soak
*20-21 almonds in 1/4 cup milk for 2-3 hours, peeled

Grind to a fine paste
2 cups boiled onion paste (approx 1 or 2 raw onions according to American standards)
*Drained almonds along with milk (discard peels)
1/2 tsp shahjire
2-3 cloves
1" cinnamon
1 tbsp kashmiri chili powder or paprika (only for color)
2 green cardamoms
4-5 black peppercorns
7-8 fresh mint leaves(optional)

Tempering
1 Tbsp ghee/clarified butter
2 bay leaves

Garnish 1
1 tbsp Ghee/clarified butter
1 tbsp raisins

Garnish 2
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp Mughlai Garam Masala

Garnish 3 (optional)
2 tbsp warm milk
few strands of saffron

Method
1. Clean chicken and marinate with yogurt, salt, nutmeg powder and ginger garlic paste. Cover and set it aside in the fridge till ready to use.
2. Pressure cook peeled onion. Grind to paste.
3. Soak almonds in milk for about 3-4 hours. Peel and discard skins.
4. Grind boiled onion paste, soaked almonds with all the other spices using milk for soaking almonds. Use more milk if necessary.
5. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker or a heavy bottomed saucepan. Add bay leaves.
6. As they sizzle, add marinated chicken along with the marinade. Saute for about 10 minutes.
7. Add ground masala paste. Mostly chicken would have enough moisture for pressure cooking. If not, add 1/2 cup water. Pressure cook. If not using pressure cooker, let the chicken cook by covering the saucepan with a lid.
8. Let the pressure drop by its own. Simmer the curry till it is thicker than before. Adjust salt. Make sure that the gas is on low flame.
9. In a small saucepan, melt ghee. Add raisins and saute till they are plump. Add the plump raisins to the simmering curry.
10. Now, add heavy cream  and mughlai garam masala. Continue simmering on a low flame.
11. If using saffron, place saffron threads on a stainless steel spoon. Hold it over a gas flame for few seconds. Dip in a warm milk.
12. When serving the chicken curry, you can drizzle this saffron milk for an additional garnish. But this may make the curry yellower!

Note -
1. Cashews can be substituted for almonds.
2. You can vary the consistency of the curry depending on the type of bread you are serving. e.g. if you are serving this curry along with Rumali Roti, let the consistency be thick. But if you are serving it with pav or French boule, then you could make the curry with thin consistency to soak up the bread.

Orange Chicken

One of Gudiya's favorites!

Orange Chicken
Ingredients

Marinate -
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cut into small bite sized pieces
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp paprika
Few dashes of Soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp Chinese All spice powder

Tempering
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

Whisk
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
salt to taste
1 tbsp sugar (or as needed)
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1/2 tbsp orange marmalade(optional)
1 tbsp corn starch

Garnish
Chopped greens of scallions/spring onions

Suggested Accompaniment
Plain Rice (preferably Jasmine Rice)

Method
1. Marinate chicken with the ingredients.
2. Heat sesame oil in a wok.
3. Fry chicken pieces with marinade. Cook till chicken is soft and the liquid evaporates completely.
4. Add whisked mixture. Stir till a sauce is formed.
5. Garnish with scallions greens.
6. Serve with plain rice.

Note -
1. In order to avoid deep frying, I add chicken pieces with marinade and let it cook till the liquid evaporates. For richer version, you can deep fry these chicken pieces. In that case, shake off the excess marinade and deep fry till crisp.




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Sweet Corn Chicken Soup

Sweet Corn Soup is my all time favorite Indo-Chinese soup. I prefer mine to be a vegetarian soup but I do make Sweet Corn chicken Soup for my family.


Sweet Corn Chicken Soup
Ingredients
2 cans of sweet corn creamed style
1 cup water
1 cup white corn

2 tbsp green beans, 1 tbsp carrots, 1 tbsp red pepper - minced

salt

Whisk
1 tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup water

Garnish
1 egg
Shredded rotisserie chicken 1 tbsp per serving

Suggested Accompaniment
Green Chilies in Vinegar

Method
1. Bring creamed style sweet corn, white corn, water and vegetables to boil.
2. Add salt to taste.
3. Whisk corn starch and water. Pour in the boiling soup to thicken it.
4. Whisk an egg in a bowl. Place a sieve/strainer over the boiling soup. Keep gas low. Pour the egg mixture through the strainer and keep stirring with other hand. This will form the "threads".
5. Serve soup in an individual bowls. Top each bowl with shredded rotisserie chicken.

Note -
1. If desired, use only white part of the egg.
2. Do not use egg and chicken, to make a completely vegetarian/vegan version.

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