Hot N’ Spicy Chicken Karahi

       Weird things happen to me. For instance I was born blue. No really, I was (*reasserts emphatically* )born blue colored. Why? There could be many reasons for that. One,mother is an alien who my dad had bought back from his trip to Mars. Two, I was born to Red Indians who painted me blue as soon as I was born. Three, I’m made of water. Four, None of the above. I would prefer it very much if the first option was true. However it is not. And to my great disappointment( and broken fantasies), neither are second and third. There was a medical reason for it. A nurse in the hospital turned off my mom’s oxygen supply(accidentally, i s’pose), and by the time someone came in, she was blue. And so was the baby, which was me. It was no surprise that I too came out blue. I guess  I should just be glad that I came out alive. A few minutes more without oxygen would’ve been my ticket to heaven. Obviously my father bought the hospital down, calling the staff ‘careless’ and err….quite a few other colorful words. However mom’s major worry was that I was a girl(I still am), and I’d probably not like growing up blue while the rest of the world was white,pale or brown.(Ahh..this beauty conscious world). My cousin was born two days after me. And he was………yes,perfectly white with pink cheeks….cherubic, gurgling, …..perfect kind of baby that you see in nappy ads. So obviously he was getting more hugs and kisses than me(which is quite unfair…people are so racist….just because I belonged to the blue race didn’t mean that I should be neglected). However, to mom’s great relief, I returned to normal ‘baby color’ just in a week(Actually not very miraculous, since my oxygen deficit was being made up for). “I mean, you’re a girl. It would’ve been a tough life, being blue”, mom says, whenever I ask her to talk about my ‘blue birth’. I don’t know what made me write this stuff today, but of late I’ve been doing weird things. Was just wondering if that very initial oxygen deprivation addled my brain? just a little bit…..not too much,of course.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg chicken
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp crushed cumin
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 8-10 green chilies cut in halves
• 2 tsp ground red pepper
• 1 tsp paprika powder
• 3 cardamom-crushed
• 5-6 tomatoes diced
• 4 tbsp butter
• 5 tbsp oil
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh coriander
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp of ginger finely sliced(for garnishing)

How To Go About It

• In a wok add butter and oil with diced tomatoes. Add the salt, black pepper,red pepper,turmeric,paprika and the ginger-garlic paste. Also add the chicken and water. Cover with a lid and let it simmer on low heat. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Use a spoon to crush the tender tomatoes.
• Add the green chilies. and chopped coriander leaves. and crushed cardamom.
• Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes then turn off heat.
• Garnish with sliced ginger.
• Serve with tortillas/peta bread/ paratha/naan.

Advertisement

Spicy Potato Cutlets (Aalo kebabs)

 I’m not very fond of  vegetarian dishes but these potato cutlets( or ‘aalo  kebabs’) are the best thing ever ,being vegetarian as well. They do very well inside a vegetarian burger, or with tortillas, parathas ,naan, with bread or on their own. Taste best when served with spicy mint-coriander chutney or with ketchup.This recipe makes an anticipated weekly appearance on our table despite my family comprising majorly of meat lovers……so yes, both non-vegetarians and vegetarians love these! 

What You Need(serves 6)

• 1/2 kg potatoes (boiled)
• 2 Green chilies chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 onion sliced
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp ground chili 
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1-2 eggs beaten
• (vegetable )oil to fry
• Gram flour(Or All-purpose flour)

How To Go About It

• Heat the vegetable oil on medium heat in a wok/frying pan.
• In a bowl mix the potatoes and all the ingredients(Except gram flour and eggs).  Take a spoon and mix thoroughly to make a mash. It is essential that no food processor/kitchenaid etc be used since it may over process the ingredients so cutlets won’t be able to hold their shape up.
• Then use your hands to shape the potato mix into kebabs/cutlets.
• Before frying each kabob, dip each one first in beaten egg(s) then coat in gram flour.
• Put each cutlet into the hot oil.
• Deep fry till crispy and golden-brown.
• Serve with mint coriander chutney or ketchup.
  

  This is how the mash should look like
  

  

   

Spicy Chickpea and Potato Salad

Salad Sunday #2

 

What You Need

• 1 cup dried black chickpeas 
• 1 onion, finely chopped 
• 1 potato in cubes( boiled)
• 1 large Tomato, finely chopped
• 1 or 2 green chilies, finely chopped
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp Chaat masala 
• 1 tsp black cumin powder
• 1/2 cup Tamarind paste
• 2 or 3 tsp Lemon juice 
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

How To Go About It

•  Soak the dry chickpeas overnight or for 8-9 hours. 
•  Once they are soaked, drain the water. 
•  In a pressure cooker add the soaked chickpeas with enough water. 
•  Pressure cook for 6-7 minutes or until the chickpeas are tender. 
•  Once the pressure cooker cools down, drain the cooked chickpeas 
•  In a large bowl, add all the ingredients including the chickpeas. 
•  Mix well. 
•  Taste and if required add more of the spices or salt. 

 

Before serving just garnish with some coriander leaves and lemon wedges. 

Chicken Chili Penne Pasta

What You need(3 Medium serves)

1 1/4 cup sliced chicken in chunks

1 baby carrot chopped

1 bell pepper chopped

4 green chili chopped

2 spring onions chopped

1 large tomato thinly sliced

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp oregano powder

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin seeds

1/4 cup chili sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp white vinegar

Salt to taste

1 small package uncooked penne pasta 

Oil to saute

How to go about it

• Boil Pasta as per the instructions on the package.
• In 4 tablespoon oil, add sliced tomatoes. Stir with a spoon to let them cook in their juices. Then add the sliced chicken. Add 1/4 cup water. Add all the dry spices and salt and stir with a spoon. Cover this with a lid. And let it simmer for 15 min.
• After 15 min, add another 4 tbsp oil,add green chili, bell pepper, carrot, spring onions.
• Add soy sauce, chili sauce and vinegar. Stir with a spoon.
• Add the chicken chili mixture into boiled penne pasta. And Mix with a spoon.

 

Enjoy This…….Love,

Chicken Tikka

Phew!……what a week this has been. Pretty much expected. For some reason days seem to get shorter and busier as we come toward the end of January………However one can always barbecue,even when short on time…..So here’s what we did yesterday at my place! 

Basic Ingredient

• 4 Chicken breasts/ Leg pieces (as you desire)

To Marinate(Mix following in a large bowl)

• 2 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
• Juice from 4 lemons
• 3 tsp red chili powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp oregano powder(optional)
• 5 tsp chat masala
• 1 1/2 cup yogurt
• 3 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 cu vegetable oil

*****Marinate the meat for approx 4 hours.It will absorb flavors and grow tender****

Finally set up your grill with hot coals.

Pierce the  skewers  through the breasts/leg pieces

Keep turning the skewers until the meat is perfectly browned.

Serve with puris/parathas/naans/tortillas,& Sliced onions and lemons.

 P.s:This recipe is almost the same as Skewered Mutton Boti Tikka, however the marinating time is halved. Also Papaya that was used to make mutton chunks tender has not been used here. This is due to the difference in nature of the two meats.

The left one has less masala- For the kid in the family