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.
