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. 

Chicken ghee roast

....yes the name makes you gain at least 5 pounds and eating it makes you gain .. I don't know do the math ;)

That said, this is probably one of the yummiest chicken roasts I have ever had. I mean, how bad can it be? Its cooked in ghee and has the yummy flavours of garlic and tamarind and such. Once I made it, I just couldn't stop going back for more. I finally had to stash it away in the refrigerator, because otherwise dinner would have been love and fresh air.

This roast has made its way to my kitchen plenty of times and each time I think of taking pics so I can record my version on the blog, but there are usually no leftovers or very little, and its forgotten. This time I made it during the day so I could take pics before lighting became an issue. But as you can see from the pictures, lighting was an issue, and I hate the pics, but I am still going ahead and posting them here, because you guys deserve to know about this awesome dish. I chanced upon a gorgeous blog called Cherie's Stolen Recipes on one of my surfing sessions, and I'm in love with all those Mangalorean recipes she has posted. Have bookmarked quite a few and this is the first I'm trying. Thanks Charishma for the brilliant recipe. It sure is a keeper.

Now, before I go forth, I must admit that this is not the authentic way of making chicken ghee roast, which I believe is a Mangalorean speciality. I went ahead and took the easy lazy way out and made it to suit our taste (read, less spice). This is traditionally a very very spicy dish, oozing with ghee. As much as I love the ghee flavour, the quantity mentioned made me gasp, and so I have adjusted it without compromising too much on the taste. The ghee flavour was still prominent, but not in an over powering sort of way and needless to say, this is not a dish you can have on a regular basis. Indulging in it once in a while is absolutely forgiven (or to an extent encouraged) :)

Recipe adapted from here

Chicken- 500 gms (bone in pieces)

Lemon juice- from half a lemon (about 2 tsps)

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Yoghurt- 3 tbsp

Salt- to taste

To grind

Kashmiri chilli powder- 2 tbsp

Dry red chillies- 2

Peppercorns- 1 tsp

Coriander seeds- 1/2 tbsp

Cumin seeds- 1/4 tsp

Fenugreek seeds- 1/4 tsp

Garlic-pods- 10, peeled

Tamarind paste- 1/2 tsp diluted in 1 tbsp water

Ghee- 4 tbsp (a little more than 1/4 cup)

Curry leaves- 2 sprigs

Coriander leaves- to garnish (optional)

Clean and cut the chicken into medium size pieces.

Marinate with lemon juice, turmeric powder, yoghurt and salt and keep aside for at least an hour or more (cover and refrigerate if marinating for more than an hour. I kept it over night)

While that's taken care of, dry roast the Kashmiri chilli powder, dry red chillies, peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds for a couple of minutes, just to get the aromas going. Take care not to burn them.

Grind this along with the garlic pods and tamarind (with the water) to a smooth paste.

When ready to cook, place a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat and add 2 tbsps of the ghee.

Once hot, add the marinated chicken and cook till 3/4th done. Toss it around a bit so it gets cooked more or less evenly.

Once done, transfer the cooked chicken and the juices released to a separate bowl.

Return the pan back on to the heat and add the remaining ghee. 

Add the ground masala and cook on medium heat till the oil starts resurfacing. Keep stirring in between to prevent the paste from burning and sticking to the pan.

At this point throw back in the cooked chicken along with all the stock and toss it around to coat the pieces well.

Add salt if required and cook for a further couple more minutes, till the chicken is completely cooked and there is no more gravy visible. It should be sort of dry.

Add the curry leaves and coriander leaves (if using), give a final stir and remove from the heat.

Serve with some hot rotis or ghee rice. Yummmoo.

Notes: Original recipe calls for the dry Kashmiri chillies (15 of them).

If using tamarind pieces, dilute a small piece in 1 tbsp water, squeeze it out and use the water without the tamarind.

The colour is supposed to be a deeper red, but I suppose that comes with using dry Kashmiri chillies.

If you are adventurous, go ahead and use 1/2 a cup instead of the 4 tbsp :)

Linking this up to the Indian Food Palooza event hosted by the three lovely ladies Prerna, Kathy Gori and Barbara. Don't forget to check it out.

Aromatic chicken pilaf

I have realized that I should just stop making biryani altogether. Other than the few times I have succeeded, its all been a bad experience. I mean we still eat it with gusto even if it turns out a little less like biryani and more like a sadam, but I cant entirely depend on it to fetch brilliant results. Its simply because I still haven't mastered the art of cooking rice to perfect consistency, chicken to perfect gravy amounts and then doing the dum. Most of the time I have a very impatient husband whining in my ear about 'the damn dum' method saying its been kept for too long, and its ready to eat now, and we don't even need to really do the dum method. By that time even I'm impatiently waiting to dig into the biryani and fall for everything Ro has to say.

So to sum it up, my biryani expeditions are rather funny and so I've resigned to making pilaf which is much much much easier, more or less the same flavours (although connoisseurs in the field would beg to differ) and most of the time quenches my biryani craving.

Remember me telling you about an unassuming cookbook a friend had gifted. Well that book is called 200 curries by Sunil Vijaykar and it has sooo many amazing and super easy recipes, perfect for a lazy bum like me. This pilaf recipe has been adapted from the book and can be whipped up in no time. The ingredients list may look massive, but really, it can be whipped up in a jiffy. Its also kind of like a one pot meal, perfect for those winter nights indoors.

Boneless chicken breast or thighs- 350 gms (approx 4 large chicken thighs/ breasts)

Basmati rice- 200 gms (1 cup)

Yoghurt- 2 tbsp

Coriander powder- 1 tsp

Chilli powder- 2 tsp

Curry powder- 2 tsp

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Cardamom- 2 pods

Cloves- 2

Cinnamon- 1 1/2 inch stick

Bay leaf- 1

Onion- 1 large, thinly sliced (preferably red onion)

Garlic cloves- 4, roughly chopped

Milk- 1 tbsp

Saffron threads- 1/4 tsp

Frozen green peas- 1/2 cup

Chicken stock- approx. 500 ml (or 2 cups)

Salt- to taste

Oil- 1 tbsp + enough to fry the shallots

English shallots- 2 small, sliced lengthwise

Coriander leaves- 1 tbsp, chopped finely (for garnish)

Clean and slice the chicken thighs into small bite size pieces and marinate with yoghurt, coriander powder, chilli powder and curry powder for about 1/2 an hour or if you have time, longer in the refrigerator.

Wash the rice till water runs clear and then soak in warm water for a while (optional)

Warm the milk a bit and soak the saffron threads in them.

You can go about getting all your other ingredients ready while the meat is marinating.

When you are ready to cook, place a deep, heavy chefs pan on medium high heat and pour in 1 tbsp of oil.

When the oil is really hot, add the marinated chicken and cook, stirring continuously, for about 5 minutes or till the chicken is cooked 3/4th. (I went ahead and cooked the chicken completely)

Once cooked, drain and keep aside.

Into the same pan (add more oil if required) throw in the spices- cumin seeds, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf- and wait for it to sizzle and release all the aroma.

Throw in the onions and garlic and sauté till the onions wilt and turn a golden brown.

In goes the frozen peas and the precooked chicken. Sauté well on medium heat, just to thaw the peas.

Add the drained rice and stir it in gently, so that all of the ingredients are well combined.

Into the chicken stock, add the saffron milk and give a gentle stir. Colour would change, but that's fine really. Also do a taste test to check for salt as you don't want to over do it while adding salt to the rice.

When the rice becomes a wee bit glazy add the chicken stock, season with salt and give a final stir.

Close with a tight fitting lid and simmer for 15 minutes or till the rice is perfectly cooked.

While the rice is cooking, heat some oil in a sauce pan and fry the shallots till crispy and brown. Drain on paper towels and keep ready.

When the rice is cooked, take it off the flame and leave it covered for a further five minutes.

Then fluff the rice using a fork and transfer to a serving bowl.

Garnish with the fried onions and coriander leaves and serve with some cucumber raita.

Notes: The original recipe called for dried apricots/ sultanas (125gms) but I don't like to bite into those and so didn't bother adding them. If using, stir it in with the chicken stock.

I dissolve a chicken cube/ bouillon in 2 cups of boiling water just before adding to the rice, which starts boiling on the hob top almost immediately. I then close with a tight fitting lid and cook on low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, checking half way through with a fork, if the rice is cooked or not.

If you don't want to marinate the chicken before hand, then throw in all the masala powders after you cook the onions and garlic and then add the chicken and cook completely. Continue from the step where you add frozen peas.

You can replace the oil with ghee if you prefer it that way.

Also, adding the spices (cardamom, cloves and cinnamon) are completely optional. 

Add paneer instead of chicken and also slice a bell pepper and add along with the onions if you want a veg version.

Replace curry powder with any meat masala.

South Indian chicken curry

So here's a fact about me...I just cannot make a decent chicken curry. I mean one that you can whip up whenever you are stuck with some chicken and has no time to make anything fancy, one which you don't really need a recipe to follow and one which tastes great after that wee bit of effort. I have tried following umpteen recipes and procedures, but it just doesn't feel right. Of course, Ro thinks otherwise. He thinks I should just put the masalas and the chicken together in the pressure cooker and just make a curry. Although it is one of my easier methods (recipe here), it really doesn't taste awesome.

So the other day I made this 'authentic' chicken curry after a lot of trouble..and by trouble i mean dry roasting the spices, grinding, then marinating and cooking and the final outcome was just like any other boring chicken curry. I asked Ro how it was and he said 'tastes like usual' which was enough to trigger the emotions. I whined about how the chicken curries always taste so horrid and how I hate it when things don't work out fine, and of course my favourite, how I hate cooking altogether.

Ro's answer was to turn off 'Desperate Housewives' on the laptop and instead concentrate on the cooking procedure and everything would fall into place. Easy for him to say, this way at least while stirring the damn curry, I'd not be bored. So anyhoo, I also whined about it on FB and also to my mom who asked me to just follow the recipe given behind the chicken masala packets. Even Ria had mentioned the same and coincidentally, both of them mentioned the Eastern chicken masala brand. So on one of our recent visits to the Indian grocery store, I picked up one packet, and just 2 days back decided to try it out.

I must say its my favourite chicken curry so far. I mean taste wise its not out of this world or anything. But its damn easy to make and goes well with appams, rice, roti and even pulao. I have the habit of emptying the contents of the masala packets to glass containers (cos I personally hate those paper packs) and I was itching to do the same with this packet, but had to hold on till I wrote down the recipe. So pardon the horrid pictures (blaming the weather here) and the hurried post.

On a completely different note, I have started writing a food column for an expat magazine and I'm thrilled to say that the first edition is out. You can check it out here (Gorgeous Goa, pg. 18).

Chicken- 1 kg (skinned, cleaned and cut into medium size pieces- thigh, breast, legs, anything works)
Eastern chicken masala powder- 4 1/2 to 5 tbsp
Onion- 1 large, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
Ginger- 1 tbsp, peeled and roughly chopped
Garlic- 5 pods, roughly chopped
Green chillies- 2
Water- 2 cups
Slightly thick coconut milk- 1 cup
Potatoes- 2 medium, peeled and cut into cubes (optional)
Salt- to taste
Oil- 2 tbsp
Curry leaves- 2 sprigs
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

Marinate the chicken with the masala powder and salt and keep aside for about 10 to 15 minutes or longer if you have the time.
Meanwhile grind together ginger, garlic and green chillies to a paste (it need not be really smooth). Keep aside.
When you are ready to cook, heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pan and splutter mustard seeds.
Add half of the curry leaves and onions and sauté for a couple of minutes.
Once the onions start sweating and becomes translucent, add the ground paste.
Continue sautéing on medium heat till the raw smell disappears, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Tip in the marinated chicken and fry for a couple of minutes, just to char the exterior (this step is optional)
Add the cubed potatoes and 2 cups of water, give a proper stir and cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Keep stirring in between.
Then open the lid and add the coconut milk and remaining curry leaves.
Check for salt and continue cooking without the lid for about 10 more minutes.
Once the gravy has thickened a bit, take it off the flame and serve hot with some steamed rice or appams.

Notes: Next time I would use ginger and garlic paste instead of grinding them, as I feel its an extra step. So perhaps 1 tbsp each of ginger and garlic paste and the chilli I will slit and add along with it.
The curry is spicy, but not in an overpowering way, it was just right for us. I used mild green chillies and  perhaps that was the reason. If using hot chillies, adjust according to taste or omit altogether.
The original recipe called for just 3 cups of water, I substituted 1 cup with coconut milk
Once the curry cooled down, I froze it in an air tight container. You just need to thaw it and then heat it on the hob top when ready to use.
You can use more or less any meat/chicken masala the same way or replace with about a tbsp of coriander powder, a 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp pepper powder, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds (these measurements are approximate, so don't count on it entirely).

Nigella's saffron scented chicken pilaf

I am obsessed with trying out new rice recipes. Maybe its because we have rice only over the weekend, that too just for lunch, and instead of the boring plain rice I'm always looking for a variety of ways I can play around with rice. I keep getting updates from nigella.com and this recipe was updated on one of the days. I realized I had everything in hand and so made it.

I must say that it tasted good, except I may not actually add the chicken henceforth. It would be perfect on its own, with maybe a side of chicken curry or something. I love the fact that the procedure is easy and of course Nigella just makes it a tad more exotic. I watched her video for this recipe and the first few minutes I was completely distracted by her home and kitchen. Then the next few minutes I was trying to understand why she uses so many adjectives to describe food. Seriously this is how she describes the pilaf on her website:

"The cinnamon and lemony yoghurt marinade gives the chicken a soft, perfumed tenderness; the saffron in the rice, itself studded with nuts and the musky breath of cardamom (??????), is almost lit up with gold. "

Are we describing a hunk out of Mills & Boon or just some random Pilaf??? So while I was serving the rice, I started talking like Nigella (sans the fairy lights in the background) and telling Ro, "here's a touch of the Arabian nights in sunny Greenwich ...mmm beautiful isn't it?" Ro was annoyed and said I'd soon look like a "fat" version of Nigella if I didn't stop making rich carb-high food like this. That was uncalled for, but anyways, I enjoyed making this rice and eating it too :)

Recipe adapted from here

Skinless, boneless chicken thighs/ breasts- 250 gms, cleaned and sliced into small cubes

Yoghurt- 100 gms

Cinnamon powder- a little less than a 1/4 tsp

Pepper- to taste

Salt- to taste

Lemon juice- 1 tsp

Basmati rice- 250 gms (approx. 1 1/3rd cups)

Chicken stock- 500 ml (approx. 2 cups) I dissolved a cube of instant chicken bouillon in boiling water.

Saffron threads- 1/4 tsp

Cardamon pods- 2, bruised

Oil- 2 tbsp

Lemon zest- of half a lemon

Lemon juice- of half a lemon

Coriander leaves- to garnish

Marinate the chicken pieces with yoghurt, cinnamon powder, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Toss well and keep aside for at least an hour or overnight. Whichever is convenient.

Soak the saffron threads in the chicken stock.

In a large pan, heat the oil and add the rice.

On medium heat, sauté till the rice turns lightly translucent/ glossy.

Add the chicken stock with the saffron followed by lemon zest, lime juice, some salt and crushed cardamom pods. Give a good stir and cover with a tight fitting lid.

Turn the heat to very low and cook for about 15 minutes, or till you have noticed that the rice is cooked, and all the water has been absorbed.

While that's taken care of, remove the chicken from the marinade and shallow fry it in a pan with little oil or like I did, grill it on high in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Once the rice is cooked, remove from the fire and fluff it with a fork.

Transfer the rice into a serving dish, arrange the fried/ grilled chicken pieces on top and garnish with some chopped coriander leaves.

I served this with some chilled cucumber raita, baby tomato salad and some glorious white wine.

Notes: Now the original recipe calls for roasted pine nuts, cashew nuts and almond flakes. I didn't go there because for one, I don't really like the whole idea of biting into the nuts in rice and two, didn't want to add to the calories and three and most importantly, I was too lazy to dry roast it :)

Coriander leaves can be substituted with parsley leaves. I didn't have any fresh leaves and dried ones would have been bleh!

The chicken stock is salty, so watch before you add more.

The cinnamon taste in the chicken is quite obvious, so reduce or omit if you are not a big fan

Double the recipe to serve about 4 to 5 people.

Grilled chicken and veggies..lazy lunch for two

I decided not to do anything today, especially after yesterdays get together with a bunch of friends...a whole day spent drinking and eating. To add to that the weather was horrid. Ideally I would have preferred to not cook anything at all, but sadly that's just a distant dream. So here I was on a Sunday morning in front of the comp completing some research work I was doing for an article and my husband decides to vacuum. Damn the hoover makes a hell of a lot of noise. Thanks to Ro, and my rumbling tummy...I had to get off my lazy ass and make lunch. Thawed the chicken thinking I'd make yet another boring chicken curry and then decided..nah I'm just gonna put it into the oven and not waste my time sauteing and stirring.

I also had some asparagus lying around (seriously who has that sorta veggies lying around without any purpose?) and the good ol potato always comes to my rescue. So did a fast stir fry and voila lunch was ready at the exact time Ro was done with his vacuuming and a delicious one at that (if i may add).

I have a standard recipe I depend on when I want to grill or bake chicken and its always turned out awesome for me. I didn't do that elaborate a process this time, just the basic, but turned out good nonetheless. The chicken pieces I had with me were the whole leg part and since I was too lazy to cut it up into smaller portions, I decided to grill them as it is. No regrets there, except I now have one whole piece which I obviously can put to better use; perhaps in a sandwich or in my Caesar salad.

Grilled chicken

Chicken- 600 to 700gms or so approx. (I used 2 whole leg pieces, around 680 gms)

To marinate:

Kashmiri chilli powder- 2 tsps

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder- 3 tsp

Garam masala- 1/4 tsp

Cumin powder- 1/4 tsp

Any meat masala- 1/2 tsp (optional)

Garlic paste- 1 tbsp

Ginger paste- 1 tbsp

Lime juice- a dash

Salt- to taste

Oil- enough to brush

Clean and skin the chicken and make deep gashes on the flesh.

Make a paste with all the ingredients in the 'to marinate' section, adding water if required (I didn't need to) and generously rub on the chicken pieces on both sides. Keep aside for at least an hour (nope, I didn't do that..grin!)

Preheat the grill to 200C and line a baking tray with parchment paper or foil.

Place the chicken pieces aside each other (leaving enough space) and using a basting brush oil the chicken on the side facing up.

Grill for 18 minutes.

Take it out of the oven, flip the chicken, oil that side and put it back in for another 18 minutes. Check if its done. If its a little too dry, baste it with some more oil.

I cooked it on either sides for a further 10 more minutes and was good to go.

To check if its cooked, use a fork and knife and cut all the way to the bone and if juices run clear its cooked, or check to see its not all red inside.

Serve hot with veggie of your choice or as a starter, if making with boneless pieces.

Veggie platter

Asparagus- 200gms

Baby potatoes- 4 or 5, cleaned and cut into big chunks

Onion- 1 small, roughly chopped

Garlic- 3 pods, crushed

Salt and pepper- to season

Oil- 1/2 tbsp

Heat oil in a frying pan and  toss in the onion, garlic, asparagus and potato together.

Season with enough salt and freshly ground black pepper and give it a strong stir.

Close with a lid and cook on medium low till just cooked, not forgetting to stir in between.

Notes: I ended up over cooking the asparagus a bit, so it wasn't still crunchy. 

Use any veggie of you choice here..even spinach would be a good idea.

You can spice it up with anything you want..say, oyster sauce.

Katchi Chicken Biryani

How are you all my lovelies??? Been a while isn't it? Well I'm back in London and except for the weather (from glorious 30C to freezing 4C) and a wee bit of home sickness, I'm pretty alright. I mean I do go into these mood swings because my house right now is unbelievably quiet except for Ro's annoying banter on and off and coming from a house that was so full of noise and laughter and chaos, this silence is quite deafening. I had a brilliant time back home and although I thought 2 months was a mighty long to be at home initially, now that I'm back, I wished it was longer. I had put up a few pics on FB and so not going to rant about my vacation here.

On the other hand, I was really pleased or rather surprised at how many people actually went through my blog back home. Everyone I saw at the wedding or otherwise had something to say about my blog and was a wee bit taken aback that I had no clue it was doing the rounds. As much as I'm embarrassed that they all now know about my bitching sessions here, I am also happy that you guys actually read  go through it...even some of my brothers friends (thank you girls...you know who you are!). 

Now back to cooking..well, I'm still in my 'I dread cooking mode' (well..when have I not been right?) and so have been doing just basic stuff for over a week. Also, the rich mallu food for 2 months has shown a nice round effect on both of us and I'm on a salad and cereal diet while Ro wants to be weaned off the rich full delicately (seriously, those were his words). So he's been having curries and dal and all that jazz which yours truly made one day (and cried while doing it) and stored it for the whole week. 

However, yesterday I was so in the mood for some biryani and its been going on for the past 2 months if I may be precise. Wherever we went to eat, I ended up ordering the biryani and that too just chicken biryani and was always happy with my choice. It got so annoying to the point Ro started calling me 'my biryani-obsessed wife.' I was having biryani withdrawals and so decided to go ahead and make one yesterday. Also since Ro was at home, the cleaning, chopping bit was gladly taken over. I saw a Kachi biryani on Deeba's blog and another recipe here and decided to mix and match, thinking for sure it would be a disaster since I'm not the 'do-according-to-your-instincts' kinda person..especially when it comes to cooking. I also went unconventional by making it with chicken since I'm not a big mutton fan. But boy was I surprised when it actually turned out awesome and had to pen it down before I forgot (like a whole lotta other recipes on this blog). Otherwise you think Id jump into blogging this soon after a looong break? No frikkin way!

I have also not been dropping by your spaces, but I promise I'll start doing so this week itself. Pardon the photographs as well since I'm not that enthu about styling and stuff at the moment.

For the marinade:

Chicken- 500 gms, cleaned (I used thighs and legs, skinless and bone-in pieces)

Ginger paste- 1 tbsp

Garlic paste- 1 tbsp

Onions- 3 medium, thinly sliced and fried till crisp (use only half for the marinade)

Chilli powder- 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Garam masala- 1 tsp

Yoghurt- 3/4 cups

Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp

Salt- to taste

For the rice:

Rice- 250 gms (about 2 1/2 cups)

Water- approx. 5 cups or more

Cloves- 3

Cinnamon, 2 inch stick, broken in half

Cardamom- 3, crushed

Whole black peppercorns- 1/2 tsp

Salt- to taste

For layering:

Coriander leaves- 1/4 cup, cleaned and finely chopped 

Mint leaves- 1/4 cup, cleaned and finely chopped

Ghee- 2 tbsp

Onions- half of the fried onions from the marinade

Green chillies- 3, slit

Lime juice- 1 tbsp

Saffron- a generous pinch dissolved in about 1/3 cup of warm milk

Wash and soak the rice.

Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients mentioned in the 'to marinate section. Keep aside for at least 3 hrs (I kept it aside for maybe half an hour). 

Note that you use only half of the fried onions for the marinade. 

Heat the water for the rice in a large enough pan. I used a kettle and then poured it into the vessel.

Once its starts to boil throw in the whole spices, rice and salt.

Stir and cook till about 3/4th done..about 5 to 6 minutes.

Drain in a colander. Remove the whole masala (which I forgot) and keep aside.

Clean the same vessel and melt the ghee. 

Remove about 2 tsp's of ghee and keep aside.

Into the pan put the marinated chicken and stir well. Close and cook for about 10 minutes. At this point it becomes semi- gravy like..which is fine.

Open the lid and layer the chicken with coriander leaves, mint leaves, the fried onions, slit green chillies and drizzle the lime juice as well.

On top of that spread the half cooked rice followed by sprinkling the remaining melted ghee and the saffron milk.

Cover with a tight lid and cook on medium heat for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Lower the heat and cook for 15 more minutes for the dum effect (I completely omitted this stage..was waay too hungry)

Serve in layers itself or mix it up for all you care:)

I served it with some raita, pappad and pickle.

Notes: My final cooking time was a total of half an hour and I'm assuming its cos its chicken and not mutton.

The spice level was a tad too high for us but it still tasted good nonetheless
Getting the onions crisp was a task i didn't enjoy that much. But somewhere you have to sacrifice right..so yeah do it anyway!

Kashmiri chicken curry with cumin flavoured rice

This is a recipe my aunt passed on a few weeks back after I called and harassed her, that is! I googled it quite a bit but none that looked appetising enough turned up. So I got it from the expert herself. I remember her making this during certain family functions and used to serve it with parathas or like my cousin later mentioned, fried rice. 

While I was taking down the recipe, it felt like a really long procedure, but once I got started, it was actually a breezy affair. Usually if it is a recipe that requires you to purée and blend and grind, I think twice about making it. But this, in spite of all that was not too treacherous...maybe it was that urge to taste something you used to love so much, that made me do this. But seriously, if I need to say that, you have no choice but to believe me. By now you would already know how incredibly lazy I am. 

My aunt told me she got this recipe from a not-so-popular magazine and this was in one corner of a page. She cut out the recipe and once she tried it there was no going back. I'd say the same for me too. This is definitely on my list the next time i entertain guests...especially if I want to show off a bit:)

The curry is quite spicy, rich and creamy and tastes even better the next day. I served it with cumin flavoured rice and have absolutely no regrets. 

I have halved the recipe here, since I was trying it out for the first time. Feel free to double it.

Kashmiri chicken curry

Chicken- 750 gms, cleaned and cut into medium pieces (I used thighs and legs, bone in pieces)

Onions- 2, medium, chopped and pureed

Tomato- 3 ripe ones, pureed

Garlic paste- 1 tbsp

Ginger paste- 1 tbsp

Hot water- 1 1/2 cups

Cashew nuts- 15 no's, ground with a tbsp or so of water to form a thick paste

Oil- 3 tbsp

Ghee- 1 1/2 tbsp (optional)

To grind:

Turmeric powder- 3/4 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder- 1 tbsp or 6 to 7 dry red chilliesFennel seeds- 3/4 tsp

Cloves- 6

Cinnamon sticks- 2 inch long 2 pieces

In a large heavy bottomed pan, heat the oil.

On medium heat, fry the onion paste, ginger and garlic paste till light brown.

Add the ground mix, sauté and cook till the mix turns a deep brown colour and oil separates. This is very important.

Add the puréed tomato to the mix, stir and again on medium heat cook till the oil separates. Don't hurry this process.

Toss in the chicken pieces and mix well till they are all coated with the masala. 

Add enough salt and hot water. Stir well, cover and cook till the chicken is almost done...say about 15 minutes or so.

Then add the cashew paste and give it a quick stir. 

Reduce the heat to low and cook again for 6 to 7 minutes.

Add a dash of ghee (if using) and serve hot with rice or parathas)

Notes: I would reduce the chilli powder to about 1/2 tbsp the next time

You can chop the onion finely instead of puréeing it. 

Cooking the masala is very important..it becomes a really dark colour and the oil forms a layer. Also make sure you do this on medium heat only.

Cumin flavoured rice

Basmati rice- 1 cup, washed and soaked for at least 15 mins

Boiling water- 2 cups

Ghee (clarified butter)- 1 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp (optional)

Cloves- 2

Cinnamon- 1 inch stick

Cardamom- 3

Cumin seeds- 1 tbsp

Lime juice- 1/2 tsp

Salt- to taste

Fried onions and cashew nuts- to garnish (optional) (I shallow fry it in some oil, drain and keep it ready)

In a shallow pan heat the ghee and add the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. Stir till they start to sizzle.

Drain the rice completely and add to the pan. Fry for a few minutes, stirring at intervals.

Add the cumin seeds and turmeric powder and mix maxing sure the rice is coated evenly.

Pour boiling water, lime juice and salt and give one final stir.

Close with a lid and cook on medium heat till the rice is done..about 10 to 12 minutes.

Just before you serve, fluff the rice, garnish with the fried onions and cashew nuts or coriander leaves and serve hot.

Easy peacy chicken tart

How are you all doing? Been a while isn't it? Well I have just been super duper busy with something or the other and must say I'm not complaining. Except that I haven't had the time to hit the gym and that's not something I'd like to get used to. I also haven't really had time to visit your blogs as much as I'd like and I apologise for the same. 

This tart is really the easiest to make if you have the base ready. And by ready I mean store bought. Yes, my dilemma about not being able to roll out dough continues and the one time I tried, I ended up with a torn dough and then tried to mend it with some more dough and altogether it wasn't a pretty scene. That's when I discovered the savoury tart cases at Sainsburys...neat! I shall however give you the recipe for the base, just in case you might be interested:) (of course you will be, because not everyones handicap like me when it comes to rolling dough)

So here goes, a Sunday brunch favourite of ours.

For the tart base:

Plain flour- 200gms

Chilled butter- 100 gms

Baking powder- 1/4 tsp

Egg- 1, beaten

Ice cold water- a few drops

Salt- to taste

For the filling:

Chicken breasts- 2 medium sized (approx 200 to 250 gms), cleaned and diced into small pieces

Pepper powder- 1 tsp

Salt- to taste

Paprika- to taste (optional)

Onion- 1, roughly chopped

Tomato- 1, roughly chopped + 1 for decoration if required

Frozen green peas- 1/4 cup

Milk- 1/2 cup

Eggs- 2

Salt and pepper- to taste

Cheddar cheese- enough to sprinkle on top

Oil- 1/2 tbsp

To make the tart shell, mix the butter along with the flour, baking powder and salt till it resembles a coarse mix.

Add the egg and the water as required and mix till it forms a dough.

Knead for about 5 minutes and then roll it out, a little larger than your tart tin and carefully place it inside with the edges coming up a bit. Press it down well and cut off the extras.

Poke the dough with a fork in a few places and bake in an oven preheated to 170C for about 10 minutes. Ideally you fill it with baking beans when you do so, but I didn't have any, so baked it as it is.

While that's taken care of, make the filling.

Boil the chicken with salt and pepper and paprika (if using) till it is cooked. If the pieces are large, shred them. Keep aside

In a frying pan, heat the oil and saute onions and tomatoes till they are slightly cooked. You don't need it to brown or release oil or anything.

Add the cooked chicken, green peas and mix it all together. Check for seasoning and add as required.

Keep aside to cool for a while.

Beat the eggs and the milk together and season well with salt and peppah!

Assembling:

Once the tart base is pre-cooked. Take it out of the oven and fill it with the chicken mix. Try not to stuff too much in. Its ok if you have leftover chicken, I used it for a sandwich :)

Pour the egg mix into the tin, on top of the chicken. Try and get it as even as possible. Again, big deal if its not...being rustic is a charm I'd try and work on :)

Sprinkle enough cheese on top, arrange a few sliced tomatoes on top and bake at 170C for 20 to 25 minutes, or till it is slightly firm.

Once done, cool on a rack for 5 minutes, and carefully remove it onto a chopping board. I didn't want to slice them in the tin because for one, mine was a brand new non stick tart pan and two, its a bit difficult to get it out without creating a mess, for me that is!

Do do whatever suits you. Slice them in wedges and serve with a salad. I'd say brunch is ready.

Notes: You can really do any filling of your choice. I once did a mushroom and chicken mix. I'm sure paneer would be a great option as well.

I pre-cooked the tart base because the first time I made this, I thought the base was a bit undercooked and all doughy!

If you want to Indianise it, add a dash of meat masala while boiling the chicken.

You can freeze it and it would definitely last a week or if you just refrigerate it, definitely for 3 days. Its a perfect make- ahead breakfast item.
The above measurements fill two tart cases of that size, but the base recipe is just for a large 9 inch tart.


PS: All you guys who wrote in asking for the icing recipes and tips on cupcake decorating, I shall definitely get down to it once I bake and decorate something on my own first. Thanks a lot for those beautiful comments as well. You guys made my day. Hugs { }

Borrowed recipe- Achaari Murgh (Chicken curry with pickling spices)

Well..so much for planning to post a recipe every day huh? Just got crazy busy with one thing or the other and I had to abandon the blog. Was on a movie marathon this weekend and now I'm totally tipsy on a massive cocktail, but I had to post this before I hit the sack.

I first had achaari murgh last weekend at a Hyderabadi restaurant. We went there to have Dum biryani which was horrible and ended up liking the achaari murgh instead. Well we decided on that after quite a hiatus, but nevertheless enjoyed the achaari murgh a lit. So I then thought I'd recreate it at home and went on a ballistic search. Google threw me a lot of recipes, but I settled on the one Soma of eCurry posted on her blog. Even though the taste wasn't anywhere close to the one I had at the restaurant and the colour wasn't as red (gorgeous) as hers, we thoroughly enjoyed the curry and I'm sure I'll be making it again. Thanks a lot Soma.

Notes: I followed her recipe to the dot, except I halved it and I didn't have nigella seeds with me, so avoided that as well. I am not too sure if that changed the flavouring a whole lot.

I also used vegetable oil instead of mustard oil

Puréed 3 tomatoes instead of grating them or using the paste.

Shall we 'wrap it up?'

Oh don't panic, I'm not talking about wrapping up my blog, I'm talking about a chicken wrap which tasted so goddamn lovely and was so easy to prepare. See, being in London has its perks....there are so so many free festivals all over the place and if you are into cultural stuff, this is the place to be. I love London for all that and more...and now honestly I just cannot think of settling elsewhere...even a one month vacation to India makes me miss this place.

So whole of last year we did all the cultural stuff, the festivals, the food shows, the jazz concerts and everything London had to offer in Summer. This year, we did a selected few things only because we were super busy with guests and travelling- a weekend at home meant staying put and catching a movie or so. The last of the summer festivals here are the open air movies or 'Movies under the stars' as they call it..again free movie screenings and if you didn't go early enough, you'd be stuck in a very sad corner of the amphitheatre or park. We decided to catch three movies this time, since we'd seen all the others. Last week we saw 'The Kite Runner' and we loved, loved, loved it. Yesterday we saw 'North by Northwest,' an Alfred Hitchcock movie from the 1950's and next week we are catching 'Invictus.' I have always loved the old Hollywood movies, with Gone with the Wind topping the charts (after I had to do a presentation for my film studies class) and this one we loved for the hilarious one liners and of course the suspense thriller, Hitchcock was known for. 

A night out meant packing blankets, cushions (oh yes we did and we were the ones with the least obvious of them) and definitely food and wine. Last week we had sandwiches and so this time I decided to make some wraps with left over chicken roast. Smothered the wheat tortillas with some spicy yoghurt sauce, topped it with onion rings and shredded chicken, rolled it up and we were ready to go.

This chicken roast recipe is one that I learned just after coming to England. I was new to the whole blogging scene and this recipe was passed on by a friend and from then, its been a favourite of ours. It never fails and the flavours are just brilliant. I have posted the recipe here. It is definitely a meal on its own and I'm telling you, you'd love it if you try it once (now you gotta believe me, cos I very seldom say things like that about my dishes).

Yoghurt sauce (adapted from Sig)

Greek yoghurt- 3 tbsp

Red chilli flakes- 1/2 to 1 tsp (depending on your heat in take)

Garlic pods- 2, thinly sliced and crushed

Lime juice- 1/2 tsp

Salt- to taste

For the wraps:

Whole wheat tortillas- 6, small ones

Onion rings- as required

Lettuce or rocket - a few leaves (optional)

Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a ramekin and place in the refrigerator for the flavours to infuse..say for about 15 mins and shred the chicken in the mean time.

Assembling:

Warm the tortillas lightly and place on a chopping board.

Place about 1/2 a tbsp of the yoghurt sauce on to the centre of the tortilla and spread it out like how you'd make a dosa..ok that's irritatingly dramatic..just spread it out however you like, just make sure its goes out to the edges.

Place a few spoons full of shredded chicken on one side, followed by the lettuce (if using) and onion rings and roll it up tightly.

You can wrap it up with a foil paper or just leave as it is (I did) and for convenience, I sliced it in half.

Notes: You can use any filling, paneer and mushrooms would be a good option and you can use the exact same masala

If you have over done the sauce, it might ooze out which, if were having at home, would be awesome to lick, but since i was taking it out to a public place I made sure it wasn't a messy affair.

If I hadn't used the sauce, I would have gone for some shredded cheddar cheese.