Chettinad pepper chicken (dry)

Recipe adapted from Rick Stein's India

To lightly roast and grind
Fennel seeds- 1 1/2 tsp
Whole peppercorn- 1 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds- 1 1/2 tsp

Chicken with bone- 700gms, cut into small pieces
Oil- 2 tbsp
Fennel seeds- 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon stick- 1, 2 inch piece
Onion/shallots- 1 1/2 cups, roughly chopped
Curry leaves- 2 sprigs
Ginger garlic paste- 2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves- 1/4 cup, finely chopped
Salt- to taste

Lightly roast all the whole spices and once cool, grind to a powder. Keep aside.

In a large pan , heat the oil and throw in fennel seeds and cinnamon. 

Let it sizzle for a couple of seconds at which point throw in the onions and one sprig of curry leaves.

Cook till the onions turn a light brown. Make sure you take time and do this step or else your curry may end up being sweet.

Once the onions turn light brown, add the ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw smell disappears.

In goes the turmeric powder and chilli powder. and salt Saute for about 2 minutes.

Add the cleaned chicken pieces and mix well so its coated in the masala.

Stir in 1/4 cup water and cover and cook for about 20 minutes, or till the chicken is done.

Open lid and mix in the ground masala powder. Saute well to coat the chicken.

Cook till almost all the water has been evaporated, and you see oil along the sides.

Add the remaining sprig of curry leaves and coriander leaves and give one final mix.

Serve warm with rice.

Notes: The dish has a nice level of spice, but next time ill probably increase the peppercorns to about 2 tsp. The pepper didnt stand out enough i though.
Shallots definitely make a difference so try and use that if possible.
Rick Stein's India is one of my absolute favourite books. I can just sit and look at the pictures, if not anything else :)

Naadan chicken chilli roast

Recipe adapted from here

Chicken (with bone)- 650gms
Coconut oil- 2 tbsp
Curry leaves- 3 to 4 sprigs
Small onions (shallots)- 3/4th to 1 cup, crushed (refer notes)
Red chilli flakes- 3 tbsp (refer notes)
Soy sauce- 1/2 tbsp (optional)
Salt- to taste

Heat coconut oil in a frying pan and throw in the curry leaves.

Fry till slightly crisp and then add the crushed small onions.

Saute for about 4 to 5 minutes and then add the red chilli flakes.

Cook on low to medium heat until the mix turns a dark brown in colour. 

Make sure you don't burn the flakes, and keep mixing in between. This step is important as it determines the final colour of the dish.

The mix should be a dry one, as opposed to a wet masala.

Tip in the chicken, add enough salt, mix well with the masala, close and cook for about 10 minutes.

By now water would have released from the chicken, stir well, cover and cook till the chicken is almost done.

Then open lid and on high heat, saute the chicken till all the water has evaporated and the masala sort of clings on to the meat.

Reduce heat a bit and add the soy sauce. Roast the chicken till all the masala coats the chicken and the colour turns a dark brown. This can take a while, about 10 to 15 minutes. Don't skip this step though.

Add a few torn curry leaves, give a final mix and transfer to serving plate.

Notes: I've used chicken wings here, but you can use any part really. If using a whole chicken, make sure you cut them into small pieces. I've also tried this with boneless chicken thighs and it works great when you want to serve as an appetiser with drinks.

Using small onions (cheria ulli/shallots) make all the difference. Using a pestle and mortar gently crush them. If you don't have one, then roughly slice each small onion into two or so.

That said, I've made this using normal onions and it tastes fine as well. I've sliced them to the size of a small onion and used that. Haven't bothered crushing them.

Use dried Kashmiri chilli flakes for this, as you need about 3 tbsp and you don't want it to be unbearably spicy. I get ready made chilli flakes here and I've used that, but you can just dry roast whole Kashmiri chilli till crisp and roughly grind it to get flakes.

Soy sauce is my personal addition and i love the flavour, but it tastes perfectly fine without the soy as well.

I sometimes add a handful of coriander leaves at the end instead of the curry leaves.

Pepper chicken

Recipe adapted from here

Chicken with bone- 700gms, skinless, cleaned and cut into medium pieces

Coconut oil- 3 tbsp

Coconut cuts/pieces- a handful

Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Ginger garlic paste- 1 1/2 tbsp

Onions- 2 medium, finely chopped

Salt- to taste

Green chilly- 1, slit

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Meat masala- 1 1/2 tsp (any meat masala of choice)

Freshly ground pepper powder- 2 tsp

Tomato- 1 medium, roughly chopped + 1 tsp tomato paste

Coconut milk- 1/4 cup (thick)

Garam masala- 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves- a handful, finely chopped

Heat oil in a wok and add the coconut cuts and curry leaves.

Saute till the coconut turns light brown. Dont burn them.

Add the ginger garlic paste and cook on medium heat till the raw smell disappears.

Throw in the chopped onions, salt and green chilly and cook till they turn light brown. Keep stirring in between.

Stir in turmeric powder and meat masala, followed by freshly ground pepper. Add a splash of water if you feel the pan is too hot and the masalas will burn. I did add a splash of water here.

Add the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste along with a generous splash of water. Mix it all together and cover and cook till the tomatoes break down and turn mushy and oil starts resurfacing.

In goes the chicken, mix it into the masala, trying to coat the pieces as much possible.

Cover and cook, making sure to keep stirring in between. 

You do not need to add any water as the chicken would give out enough water. 

Add the coconut milk and keep cooking without the lid, till the gravy almost gets coated on the chicken pieces

Do a taste test for salt and add if needed.

Finally, sprinkle the garam masala and give a final mix.

Stir in half the coriander leaves, transfer to a serving dish and garnish with remaining coriander leaves.

Notes: We found that it was very spicy in spite of reducing the pepper powder. So reduce further if you cant handle the heat.

I have also made a curry version of this, by adding 1 1/2 cups of water once the chicken is partially cooked, as in after all the water from the chicken has already come out. Bring the curry to a boil and then add the coconut milk at the end.

Easter special: Masala roast poussin (Murgh Musallam)

I'm back after a fabulous weekend in Jersey Island with the husband, and the week before, a couple of us girls had taken off to the beautiful Cotswolds. The girls weekend away was so totally worth it, and we had some serious amounts of adventure, to say the least. From non stop gossip sessions, to happy hours at the tiny village we stayed in, to acting silly in the middle of the night, to having a flippin swan torture the daylights out of me, this trip shall never be forgotten. Without having time to get over the Cotswold trip, I packed my bags and joined the husband in the tiny, but gorgeous island of Jersey, 14 miles off the coast of France. We wined and dined in some amazing restaurants, explored the pristine beaches, spa-ed, got tanned and got back last night exhausted. Considering the fact that I had a hectic weekend, this post would not have happened any time now. But I promised a few I'd post this before Easter so they could try it out and I had to keep my word.

So- Murgh Musallam- from what I read up is a Mughlai dish, pretty rich in flavour and absolutely tasty. When Kulsum posted the recipe on her blog, I knew I had to try it. Each time I scouted for a chicken recipe, I'd land on this one, but I somehow thought it was a time-consuming one and left it for a day I was actually enthu to cook. Sadly, that day never came. But now that Easter is just a week away, I thought I should do a roast with an Indian twist and studied Kulsum's recipe again. Me being the lazy bum, went ahead and followed her recipe, but with the obvious short cuts. I just marinated everything together, added some potatoes and cooked it half on the stove top, and finished it off in the oven. The Gressingham poussins just made it even more easier, and somehow, roasting a whole bird gives it that fancy edge. They are absolutely easy to handle, and since they are small, the masala works its way into the thick breast bits, and takes much lesser time to cook. Gressingham also does duck, turkey, guinea fowl, quail etc, so if you're up to some experimenting this Easter, you know where to shop.

Add some baby carrots, parsnip, cauliflower etc and it can be an Indo-Western dish for sure. Its seriously tasty, especially the gravy, and the next day I had it with rice, and it was even better. I think traditionally its served on a bed of pulao and stuffed with eggs or something like that, but for me, this totally hit the spot.

Recipe adapted from here

 

Poussins- 2, approx 450gms each, skinned and cleaned (I used Gressingham poussins)

Baby potatoes- 6 to 8, quartered or halved depending on size

To grind

Fried onions- 4 tbsp* (refer notes)

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Coriander seeds- 1 tsp

Cloves- 2

Cardamom pod- 1

Poppy seeds- 1 tbsp

Chilli powder- 1 1/2 tsp

Black peppercorns- 1 tsp

Garam masala- 1 tsp

Powdered almonds- 1 tbsp

Ginger paste- 1 tbsp

Garlic paste- 1 tbsp

Green chillies- 2, small, finely chopped

Tomato paste- 1 tsp

Yoghurt- 4 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Ghee- 1 tbsp

Oil- 1 tbsp

Grind together all the ingredients under the 'to grind' section. Transfer to a bowl.

To this, add the ginger and garlic paste, green chillies, tomato paste, yoghurt and salt and mix well to get a thick paste. 

Add a few tea spoons of water if you think the mixture is too thick.

Place the poussin's on a plate and make long insertions on the flesh (for the marinade to seep in).

Generously apply the marinade on to the birds, and also stuff some into the cavity, reserving about 2 tbsp of it for later use.

Cover with cling film and marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour. I had time, so i kept it in there for about 2 to 3 hours. Best left over night I believe, but who has that sort of time and patience ;)

When ready to cook, heat a deep pot/pan, large enough to fit the 2 birds and pour in the oil and ghee.

When really hot, add the poussins one after the other, and sear on all sides.

You don't need to cook the chicken here, just need it to be lightly browned all around. Its a bit difficult to move them around, so I used my big kitchen tongs to flip it and such. 

Once the chicken is nicely seared on all sides, take them out and drain on paper towels.

Into the oil (add a bit more, if there isn't much remaining in the pan), add all the remaining marinade. Scrape the bowl clean.

Sauté for a couple of minutes, till the raw smell disappears.

Into the masala add the baby potatoes and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes, making sure the potatoes are well coated in the masala.

Return the poussins back into the pan, adjust the potatoes around them, add about 1/4 cup of water and cover and cook on medium heat.

Keep checking in between to make sure it doesn't burn and if you feel its getting too dry, then just add more water. I did add a 1/4 cup more.

Keep pouring the gravy on top of the poussins to keep them moist, and also try and stir the potatoes without breaking them.

Once both the potatoes and poussins are cooked (check by inserting a knife into the most thickest part of the bird and if juices run clear, you are good to go), transfer them into a baking dish along with all the gravy/

Grill under the broiler for about 10 minutes, just to crisp the tops. Of course, this step is purely optional.

Once done, take the dish out and let it rest for about 5 minutes, before you attack.

Serve with crusty bread and salad, or even with rice and roti.

Notes: *The fried onions I used were store bought. If you don't have that option, then deep fry 2 small red onions till brown and crisp and use that instead. Make sure you don't burn them, or else they would taste bitter.

Use 2 tbsp vegetable/ olive oil instead of ghee.

You can of course use one chicken instead of two small poussins.

Pastille (Israeli pastry) with chicken and caramelised onions

Israeli cuisine is something completely new to me. I've been told that the flavours and dishes are mostly fusion in nature with Arab, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influences, and from the very few dishes I've tried from Ottolenghi, I kind of understand the classification. So when i was invited to the Taste of Israel hosted at Restaurant 1701, in the grounds of Britain's oldest synagogue, I really couldn't say no. I was completely intrigued by the food that was going to be served and even more the Israeli wines that were going to be paired with the food. 

The event was designed to raise awareness of Israeli food in the UK and to break down cultural barriers with the power of food and cooking. WIZO, a charitable initiative brought down 3 renowned chefs who put together the Israeli feast for us. They trained at different WIZO supported institutions and I must say they did a fabulous job. 

We were served dishes like pickled mullet with tomato nectar, gourmet lamb kebabs, sea fish medley with za'atar and pickled lemon etc., and they were paired with a selection of really good Israeli wines chosen by expert sommelier John Wriss of Kedem Europe, importer and distributor of kosher wine in the UK. My favourite dish, however ,was the halva cream with strawberries, rose water pistachio and kediff which I cant event begin to explain how amazing it was. In fact my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I did get hold of the recipe, but most of the ingredients were really difficult to source and so I thought of giving the Pastille recipe a go.

The traditional pastille is a sweet and savoury fusion dish, more or less like a puff pastry pie. But it was served like spring rolls at the event and I decided to make them like samosas just for kicks. It tasted great with duck, but I was a bit wary about cooking duck at home and so used chicken instead. It was not the best substitute but not too bad either. The ras-el-hanout spice lends a distinct flavour so try not to avoid it. I was about to buy it from the store when my generous boss offered me a small pack of the spice which her mum had brought down from Tunisia. Now it cant get more authentic like that I'm sure. Ive linked to a recipe which you can try, or most of the supermarkets do stock them. I know Sainsburys does.

Pastille with some hot mint tea is what you need to eat on a cold and windy Winter afternoon.

Recipe adapted from the Wizo UK Dinner menu (makes around 20 to 22 small pastille pockets)

 

Chicken- 500 gms, boneless and finely diced (1 to 2 inch cubes)

Onions- 2, finely chopped

Ras-el-hanout- 1/2 tbsp (follow this recipe to whip up your own)

Chicken stock- 125ml

Coriander leaves- 1/2 cup

Eggs- 3, small

Almonds- 125 gms, blanched and sliced

Tahini- 3 tbsp

Oil- 2 tbsp + enough to fry the pastille

Brik pastry or filo pastry sheets- around 10 to 12 (I used filo pastry)

Flour mixed with water to stick the edges if its brik pastry and melted butter if its filo pastry

Preheat the oven to 170C and roast the almond slices in a baking tray for about 7 to 8 minutes or till they turn a slight shade of brown. You can do this on a skillet as well. Once done remove from tray and keep aside.

While that's sorted, heat oil in a frying pan and saute the onions till they become golden brown.

Add the chicken, season with salt, Ras-el-hanout and fry till brown, by stirring on and off.

Pour in the stock, bring to a boil and cook on medium heat for about 6 to 8 minutes or till the chicken is completely cooked and almost all of the liquid is absorbed.

Break the eggs into the pan and scramble for a couple of minutes, until the eggs absorb whatever liquid is remaining in the pan and becomes a crumbly scrambled mixture with the chicken. Make sure this doesn't get too dry.

Stir in the roasted almonds and coriander leaves and remove from heat.

Mix in tahini and keep aside to cool completely.

Once cool, you can assemble and fry the pastille.

Spread the filo pastry on a work surface and fold over so you get two layers. To make sure they don't come apart, lightly join together using melted butter.

Put about 2 tsp of filling (don't over fill it) and roll like how you do a samosa. if its too long, slice off the remaining. If you think rolling it like spring rolls is easier, feel free to do that instead.

Heat enough oil in a frying pan and fry the pastille in batches till about golden and crisp.

Drain on kitchen towels and serve with ketchup or chutney.

Notes: Original recipe was made with duck slices. If using duck, follow the exact same procedure and measurements, just that duck may take a little longer to cook.

Its not a spicy dish at all. So if you want some kick, add a slit green chilli while sauteing the chicken

Once rolled in the pastry, it can frozen in an air tight container and can be fried directly from the freezer.

With thanks to WIZO UK for an invite to the Taste of Israel event

Dum ka murgh (slow cooked chicken curry)

Posting a chicken curry after a really really long time. Some of us BB-ians realised it was National Curry Week and decided to do a curry post together. Of course its the last day of the event, but better late than never right? 

I love a good chicken curry. In fact its my favourite past time to keep browsing the internet for new chicken curry recipes and bookmarking every one of them that comes my way. I have a few delicious favourites, which keep making its way through to our tables, but never to the blog because I find photographing any sort of curry incredibly difficult. I keep taking pictures each time I make a nice curry, but then they never look nice. Its mostly the styling, which I'm stuck with.

Which is why, I was pleasantly surprised at how these pictures turned out. I had initially put the curry in a brown bowl and the colour combinations just didn't work. I was all ready to give up, when I thought I'll try it in the beautiful blue bowl which I'd picked up from this gorgeous Polish pottery store called Blue Dot Pottery. The red curry worked well with the blue pottery and it was a pleasure working with that set up. Half of my worries are over if I manage to get the styling right, which brings me to the Bloggers' Buzz Photography Club (#BBPC) which we run every month. We get together in a central London location, do a couple of food photography exercises and learn from each other. If you are not in London, then you can of course join us online where we'd give a theme a month. Email us at bloggersbuzzuk@gmail.com if you want to give it a go. We are all amateurs trying to learn a thing or two about food photography, so please don't feel intimidated. All you need is a camera and some food to shoot :)

I have tasted dum ka murgh at various restaurants and it wasn't really a big hit with me. I am not claiming this is the best curry I've ever had, but surely one of the nicer ones. It pairs well with naans and parathas and the good thing about this recipe (sans the frying of onions) is how you don't need to saute various ingredients at various stages etc, but just add the chicken, close with a tight lid and let it cook in its own juices. 

Recipe adapted from here and here

 

Chicken- 500 gms with bones, cleaned and cut into medium pieces

Oil- enough to fry

Onions- 2 medium, finely chopped

Cinnamon stick- 1 inch

Cardamom pods- 2

Cloves- 2

Whole peppercorn- 4

Green chillies- 2 slit (optional)

To marinate

Yoghurt- 1/4 cup

Almond powder- 3 tbsp (grind with some water to make a paste)

Garam masala- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder- 1/4 tsp

Tomato ketchup/ paste- 1 tbsp (I used ketchup)

Coriander leaves- 1 tbsp, finely chopped

Mint leaves- 1 tbsp, finely chopped

Ginger paste- 1/2 tbsp

Garlic paste- 1/2 tbsp

Lemon juice- 1 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onions till golden brown and crispy. You need to keep stirring this at intervals, so it fries evenly. Also make sure you don't burn it.

Drain on paper towels and keep aside.

In a large bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients.

Crush the fried onions, reserving about a tbsp of it, and add to the marinade. Mix well.

Add the chicken and thoroughly rub in the marinade. Keep covered in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

When ready to cook, heat the remaining oil (from frying) and throw in the spices and green chilli. Sauté till it gets all fragrant.

Add the marinated chicken and fry in the oil for a couple of minutes.

Cover with a tight fitting lid, reduce heat to medium and cook the chicken for about 20 minutes.

Check once or twice in between to give it a quick mix and if you feel that the water is really less, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup, mix well and continue cooking with the lid closed.

Do a taste test and check if salt levels are good and if the chicken is cooked. 

The curry is ready when you see a thin layer of oil that's separated from the gravy.

Garnish with the remaining fried onions and some coriander leaves just before serving.

Notes: I did the mistake of adding the almond powder on its own without grinding it to a paste and so kept getting the grainy texture in the gravy. Not pleasant, so make sure you grind it.

Its not spicy at all, so add more green chilli/ chilli powder if needed.

Add a dash of cream at the end, just before taking it off heat for some extra richness.

Caribbean Jerk marinated poussin- a post in association with Schwartz

I know.. 3 posts in a week. Pat on the back for me right?

Well, truth be told.. loads of pending posts and me being a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my blog (OH MY GOD did I just say I was a perfectionist???), I end up taking a looot more time on a post with editing and re-editing and sometimes even re-cooking (is that a word?) and re-shooting. In spite of all this Ro finds grammatical and spelling mistakes in my posts. Seriously..he cant just say the picture is nice, or that dish was so yum , you should make it again or generally something nice about me.. but no, he says my grammar is rubbish and i need to pay someone (Jane, you in particular actually) to edit my post. Of course if i could pay someone to do my job, then I would have done that in the beginning itself wouldn't I? Anyway, who needs compliments from the husband when I have all you lovelies sending me all the encouragement and push needed to carry on blogging. Big hugs :)

Coming to the recipe. I first tried jerk chicken at the Nottinghill Carnival and liked it. Not loved it , but liked. That was around 4 years ago and then it was recently at Manjiri's place that I tried it again. She was enthusiastic enough to make the spice from scratch, but I was just plain lazy and picked up the Schwartz Jamaican Jerk spice blend off the shelves to give it a go. One word..loved it! Makes life so much more easier and it tastes absolutely fine. The recipe I followed was from the Schwartz website and it was a really simple one at that. I jazzed it up a bit and served it with rice and beans (again Caribbean in Nature), but its not really necessary. You can find other chicken recipes from Schwartz here

Caribbean Jerk marinated poussin (Recipe adapted from here)

 

1 small poussin/ chicken- 500 gms

Schwartz Jerk spice blend- 1 1/2 tbsp

Soy sauce- 1 tbsp

Vinegar- 1/2 tsp (optional)

Vegetable oil- 1 1/2 tbsp

Onion- 1 small, roughly chopped

Garlic- 5 pods

Lemon- 1 half

Mix together the spice blend, soy sauce, vinegar and vegetable oil in a bowl.

Check for salt and add if necessary.

Place the chicken and garlic pods in roasting tray and pour over the marinade.

Rub it into all parts of the chicken. Try and get it under the skin if possible.

Keep aside for about 30 minutes. I skipped this part and baked it immediately.

Squeeze the lemon over the chicken and add it into the tray.

Pre-heat over to 200C and bake the chicken for 30 minutes.

Take the chicken out once the 30 minutes is up and baste with the juices from the tray.

Scatter the onion around and on top of the chicken and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes more. If you want, you can turn the chicken up side down. I didn't.

During the last 10 minutes or so, you can change to grill mode and broil it to get a charred effect.

Check if the chicken is done by poking the fleshiest part with a knife or skewer and if juiced run clear you are good to go.

Notes: Feel free to use cut chicken- legs, thighs anything.

The garlic gets roasted nicely and emits some great flavour, but not a must. Same with onions and lemon.

Its not a spicy dish (as opposed to the actual) one, so add some chilli powder if you want it hot.

Here is the recipe for the jerk chicken spice from scratch.

Rice with beans (Recipe adapted from here)

 

Vegetable oil- 1 tbsp

Onion- 1, finely chopped

Green chilli- 1, slit

Garlic- 2 cloves, peeled and finely chopped

Rice- 1 cup, washed and drained

Kidney beans- 200 gms, drained

Coconut milk- 1/2 cup

Chicken stock- 1 1/2 cups

Thyme- 1/2 tsp

Kidney beans- 200 gms, drained

Salt- to taste

Heat oil in a chefs pan and fry the onions till they soften and turn a bit brown.

Add the chilli and garlic and saute for a minute or two.

Throw in the rice and stir it slowly, making sure it is well coated with oil.

Pour in the coconut milk followed by chicken stock, and also stir in the kidney beans.

Bring to a gently boil on high heat. You can check for salt at this point and add if required.

Then reduce heat to low, put on the lid and let it cook for about 10 to 12 minutes or till all the liquid has been absorbed.

Open the lid and sprinkle thyme.

Keep closed for another 5 minutes after which you can fluff with a fork and serve immediately.

Notes: The coconut milk I used was from powdered coconut and I may have diluted it too much, the taste of coconut was not obvious at all. Do use a good can of coconut milk for this recipe.

Replace kidney beans with gungo peas or black eyed peas.

This is a post in association with Schwartz

Baked chicken taquitos and guava margarita

I love love love Mexican food. Sadly though London doesn't have that many Mexican restaurants and I think its worked to Ro's advantage because, given a choice, I would only pick a Mexican restaurant when we dine out. So when I'm left wanting Mexican food, I have these Mexican themed days at home where its all margaritas and quesadillas and stuff.

Last week I went into one of those "moods" and instead of doing the usual quesadillas (which I also did make) and tortilla wraps, I decided to try some new dishes. On the menu was the 7-layer dip which Id been eyeing ever since my cousin sent me a pic of her version but last minute movie plans were obviously more important than the dip and so I ditched that idea. Instead I made taquitos which, if you have the filling and everything ready a day before, is such a breeze to put together. They can be made days in advance and frozen and baked just before serving. 

 

The original taquitos are deep fried, but that was definitely not an option for me. So I had to look for a baked version and these didn't disappoint. They are quite versatile and can be filled with anything you want, maybe even something sweet. 

No Mexican meal is complete without some margaritas and that's exactly what I paired these with. You get these massive margarita bottles in Costco and its become my absolute favourite. I keep trying different flavours with that as the base and all of it have turned out great. This time i made guava margaritas and added some jalapeños to it for that extra kick. I also rimmed the glass with smoked maldon sea salt which strangely tasted great with the spicy margarita.

Baked chicken taquitos (recipe adapted from here, makes 12)

Chicken- 2 cups, cooked and shredded

Cream cheese- 3oz, softened

Salsa- 1/4 cup

Lime juice- 1 /2 tbsp

Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Onion granules- 1/2 tsp (can use powder as well)

Garlic- 3 cloves, finely chopped

Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp

Spring onions- 2, finely chopped

Mexican spicy cheddar cheese- 1 cup (replace with cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack cheese)

Flour tortillas- 12, small

Salt- to sprinkle

Oil- to brush

Pre heat the oven to 220C and line a large baking tray with baking paper.

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the tortillas, salt and oil. 

Warm the tortillas for about 20 seconds, 3 at a time, in the microwave and keep ready.

Spoon in 2 table spoons of the filling on to one end of the tortilla and roll it up as tightly as possible. Don't over fill the tortillas or they will ooze out once in the oven.

Place on the baking tray, seam side down. and without touching each other.

Repeat till all the filling is used up.

Brush the tops of the rolled up taquitos with cooking oil and sprinkle salt on them.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or till the taquitos are crisp and golden brown.

Notes: I cooked chicken breast with salt and pepper in a saucepan and then shredded them using a fork

Original recipe called for parsley. I cant stand the herb so I used coriander leaves instead.

The cheese I used was spicy so my filling was a bit spicy (which we loved).

Guava margarita (makes 4)

Lime juice- 1/2 cup

Tequila- 1 cup

Triple sec- 3 tbsp

Simple syrup- 4 tbsp (boil equal parts of sugar and water in a saucepan till you get a syrup)

Guava juice- 1 cup (I used Rubecon brand)

Ice cubes- as required
Pickled jalapenos- 2 to 3 rounds

Lime wedge- for rimming the glass

Maldon sea salt- for glass (optional)

Get a plate with the sea salt ready.

Rub the lime wedge around the rim of the margarita glasses and dip them into the salt. Chuck them into the refrigerator while you get the drink ready.
In a cocktail shaker or blender combine the remaining ingredients.
Pour into the prepared glasses and serve cold.

 

Notes: Like I mentioned I have pre made margarita and to 1 cup of this mix I add about 3/4 cups of guava juice, stir well and add to the glass with a couple of ice cubes. 
I don't like the crushed ice cubes, so I just add cubes directly to the glass and pour the marg over it.
Replace the guava juice with any fruit juice of choice.
Adjust sugar as per choice. I like mine a tad sweeter.
Its a bit spicy because of the jalapeños, avoid if not a fan

Malabar chicken biryani

I am not sure if I have mentioned this before, but I love biryani, in any form that is. Even if its a horrible one, I can pretty much enjoy it with gusto which actually doesn't make me the best judge of a biryani, but surely I can say the difference between a good one and a bad :)

I have been wanting to make a Thalassery/ Malabar biryani for a long time now, and last weekend I was finally able to do so. Thanks to experts from the region, like Shab, a quick text to her and she gave me detailed instructions as to how to go about it. I am very pleased with the way the biryani turned out and like I mentioned before, I am a sucker for any kind of biryani and this was no different. If you insist I still give you a verdict, I'd say I prefer biryani's with some more masala and such, unlike this one which uses very little of the masala's. I understand that in the authentic Thalassery biryani, the only masala used is the special garam masala mix and nothing else, which is also the reason behind the biryani colour I suppose (did I just comment on the biryani colour?????). Also a special type of rice called the Jeerakashaala is used for the authentic Thalassery biryani, something I couldn't get my hands on, but basmati rice worked just fine.

The chicken masala was so good on its own, if it wasnt for my enthusiasm to make the biryani, I would have just said, ok its rice and chicken curry for lunch. I would have to give the chicken curry a go some other time, because it seemed  like a perfect curry for chapathis and such. Now before going on to the recipe, I am not claiming it to be the authentic way (before the blog police heads here and leaves nasty comments)- although authentic is a very strong word and different people have different definitions of it. The biryani was spectacular and thats what matters. Both of us enjoyed it to the last bit.

Taking pics of awesome smelling food, especially when you are hungry, is quite torturous and so I haven't really done justice to how great it actually is, so pardon the pics.

Recipe adapted from here and here

For the chicken masala

Chicken- 500 gms (cleaned and cut into medium size pieces)

Ginger- 2 inch piece, peeled and roughly chopped

Garlic- 10 pods, peeled

Green chillies- 3

Lemon juice- 1/2 tbsp

Fennel powder- 2 tsp

Onions- 2 medium ones, chopped fine

Tomato- 1, chopped

Pepper powder- 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder- 1 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder- 1 tbsp

Cumin powder- 1 tsp

Garam masala- 3/4 tsp

Coriander leaves- 1/4 cup, chopped fine

Mint leaves- 3 tbsp, chopped fine

Cashew nuts- 5 to 6

Coconut milk- 100ml

Oil- 3 tbsp

Salt- to taste

For the rice

Basmati rice- 2 cups, washed and drained

Cinnamon- 1 inch piece

Cardamom- 2 pods

Cloves- 2

Nutmeg- a pinch

Bay leaf- 1

Ghee- 1 tbsp, heaped

Water- 4 cups

Salt- to taste

For assembling

Biryani masala powder- 1 tsp 

Cashew nuts- about 6 to 7

Onion- 1/4 cup, julienned

Oil- enough to fry

Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp

 

Grind together coarsely the ginger, garlic and green chillies.

Marinate the chicken pieces with a quarter of the ground mix, lime juice, fennel powder and salt. Keep aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. You can also marinate it in the refrigerator over night.

Soak the cashew nuts for the chicken masala in the coconut milk and keep aside.

Heat enough oil in a pan and fry the onions and cashew nuts (from the assembling bit) till they turn golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels and keep aside.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the 3 tbsp of oil. 

Add the chopped onions and the remaining ground mix and cook till they turn a light brown in colour. this could take about 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat.

Add the tomato and cook till they turn mushy and the oil starts to separate.

In goes the marinated chicken pieces and pepper powder. 

Stir in all together, close with a tight fitting lid and let the chicken cook on medium heat. 

Once the chicken is half cooked, add the chilli, turmeric, coriander and cumin powders. Stir well and continue till the chicken is fully cooked.

If there is too much water, leave the pot open and boil it off.

Grind the cashew nuts with coconut milk and add to the chicken once it is fully cooked, making sure the curry doesn't boil, but gently simmers henceforth. You should have a thick gravy by now. 

Also do the salt test and add more if required.

Finally mix in the chopped mint and coriander leaves and let the chicken simmer for about 5 more minutes. 

Then take it off the flame, sprinkle the remaining garam masala on top, close with the lid and keep aside to infuse flavours.

Before layering, give a good stir.

Get the rice ready, once the curry is taken care of.

In a large pan heat the ghee.

Throw in the whole spices and sauté for a couple of seconds, just to get the aromas going, on medium heat. Put a kettle of water to boil at this point.

Add the drained rice and fry for a couple of seconds.

Once the water has boiled, measure 4 cups and add to the rice.

Season with enough salt and close with a tight fitting lid.

Reduce heat to low and let the rice cook for about 10 to 12 minutes or till you can no longer see any water remaining and the rice is cooked but not mushy in consistency.

Remove pan from fire, open the lid and gently fluff the rice using a fork, making sure you don't break up the rice.

Transfer to a separate bowl immediately.

 

Assembling:

Smear the bottom of a pan with oil or ghee and place a layer of rice.

Sprinkle half a tsp of the biryani masala, half of the chopped coriander leaves, fried onions and cashew over the rice and top with the chicken curry. Spread it out as gently as possible.

Tip in the remaining rice, spread it out and sprinkle the remaining biryani masala powder and coriander leaves.

Close with a tight lid, making sure no steam escapes, reduce heat to the lowest possible and let it warm up for about 10-15 minutes.

When done, scatter around the remaining fried onions and cashews and serve hot with some raita, pappad and pickle.

 

Notes: Instead of using the biryani masala powder while doing the layer, you can also use garam masala in its place.

You can do the layering in the oven as well. Arrange it in an oven proof bowl and warm in an oven preheated at 150C for about 20 minutes.

You can make the chicken masala a day or two ahead in which case, the flavours would have infused better.
The chicken masala can be made in a pressure cooker to reduce cooking time. Although Shab advices against it.
Try the exact same recipe with mutton, if you prefer that.

Freeze the remaining biryani in a freezer proof container. To thaw, either transfer it to the top compartment of the fridge and let it thaw over night or take it out and leave on the counter for it to thaw by evening. Tip the contents into an over proof bowl and let it heat in an oven preheated at 200C for about 15 minutes.