Chicken Moolee

This is a recipe from Indian cookery book which I tried because it had few different ingredients to be used with chicken and I was in a mood try something new. I didn't have a great expectation for this dish and was pleasantly surprised when it came so delicious and mouthwatering.

 Ingredients:

• Chicken - 500 gms (pieces of your choice)
• Oil - 5 tbsp
• Shallots - 6 (finely chopped)
• Garlic - 3
• Green chillies - 6
• Green cardamom pods - 5
• Cloves - 5
• Cinnamon stick - 1/2
• Pineapple pieces -  200 gms 
• Pomegranate juice - 5 tbsps
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Peanuts - 3 tbsps (finely chopped)
• Coconut cream - 6 tbsps 
• Fresh ginger - 3 tsp (grated)
• Chicken stock - 250 ml
• Salt - 2 tsp

Method:

• Was and dry the chicken pieces. Heat the oil and sear the meat on both sides for about 4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. 
• Finely chop the garlic and the green chillies. Put the finely chopped shallots, garlic, and chillies along with the spices and stir-fry for about 6 minutes. 
• Chop the pineapple pieces finely and mix with pomegranate juice, turmeric, peanuts, coconut cream, and ginger. Add them to the pan and stir- fry for further 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken pieces, Pour in the stock and cook for 20 minutes stirring until the chicken is fully done. Check for seasoning and add stock if necessary. 
• Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Enjoy this very different yet delicious chicken dish on a cold evening....

Chicken Chettinad

The brown fiery curry from South India. I used to make these often simply because its a fabulous dish, what with all the peppercorns and chillies and curry leaves this Chettinad dish is simply wonderful on a cold night with white rice.

Ingredients:

• Chicken - 500 gms (cut into small pieces)
• Onions - 2 (chopped finely)
• Curry leaves - 1/4 cup
• Milk -  1/2 cup

       for paste 

• Tomatoes- 2
• Ginger - 1 inch piece
• Garlic - 5 flakes
• Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
• Corrainder seeds - 1 tsp
• Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
• Peppercorns - 1 tbsp
• Dry red chillies - 4
• Green cardamons - 1
• Cloves - 2 
• Salt - 1tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1tsp

Method:

• In a kadhai take 3 tbsps of oil and saute the onions and the curry leaves over a medium heat with a bit of salt to soften the onions quickly.
• Meanwhile grind the ingredients given under the paste to form a smooth paste adding quarter cup of water if required. 
• Add the chicken pieces to the onions and saute well until the chicken starts to change colour. 
• Pour the paste to the onion and chicken and cook covered for about fifteen minutes.
• Add 1 cup of water to the gravy and cook keeping the lid closed until the chicken pieces are done. 
• Add the milk at the last stage and take off from heat after checking for salt.
• Serve hot garnished with freshly crushed peppercorns.

Hot and spicey chicken chettinad is ready. The adding of milk is optional if you want u can just leave it. Believe me it still tastes good. You can also eat it with naan or as we had it yesterday with tortilla wraps...... It had been a long time since I made this curry and thought of making it yesterday as a simple celebration of my little girls first ever trip to cinema (Enthiran).

Chicken roast (whole)

It was my long standing wish to buy a whole roast chicken to try and eat but being someone who doesn't eat meat which has no flavour other than its own we have never bought one. So this time I thought of roasting a whole chicken at home. Wow.. I guess it really was a success.... It was so succulent and full of flavour...one of the benefit of slow cooking I guess......Everyone should try it......Here is how I did it....

Ingredients:

• Whole chicken - 1
• Black pepper powder - 3 tbsp
• White pepper powder - 3 tbsp
• Cayenne pepper - 2 tbsp
• Thyme - 2 tbsp
• Oregano - 1 tsp
• Onion powder - 2 tsp
• Garlic powder - 2 tsp
• Onion - 1(quartered)
• Salt  - 3 tsp

method:

• mix all the ingredients except the onion in a small bowl. Clean the chicken cavity and pat it dry.
• Generally the next step would be to rub the spice mixture all over the chicken but what I did was to crisscross the surface of chicken with a sharp knife and then rub the spice mixture inside and outside of chicken. 
• Place the quartered onion inside the chicken cavity. Double wrap the chicken with  plastic wrap Refrigerate overnight. 
• Preheat the oven to 125 deg cel. Bake the chicken in a roasting pan for about 5 hrs. It would be done just to perfection.

Well now comes the part of carving the chicken to serve. Let it stand for 10 min so that some of the moisture oozed out could again be absorbed by the chicken. You could carve and serve it if its a formal dinner or lunch else just dig in. Thats exactly what we did..... :)))))))). One of the most easiest and simplest way to roast the chicken.....

Pepper chicken

Pepper chicken is a well loved dish by many. Its hot and delicious. A dish which would definitely burn your mouth rooftops....Wicked......

Ingredients:

• Chicken - 250 gms
• Green chillies - 3(deseeded & chopped finely)
• Onions - 2(diced)
• Black pepper corns - 2 tbsps (coarsely crushed)
• black pepper powder - 2 tsp
• Soy sauce - 3 tbsps
• Tomato - 1 small(diced)
• Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
• Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Oil - 5 tbsps
• Salt - 2 tbsps
• Cornflour -  1tsp dissolved in 2 tbsp of water

method:

• Cut the chicken into bite size pieces. mix them together with ginger, garlic paste, salt and the crushed peppercorns. Let them be for 15 min
• Heat the pan with oil and fry the chicken pieces on all sides until its a bit brown.
• Remove the pieces and keep them aside. In the remaining oil saute the diced onions, tomato and chillies until they are well cooked. 
• Add Pepper powder, Soy sauce and salt. Let them cook in medium heat for 15 min.
• Add the fried chicken, cover the pan and let them cook in low heat for 30 min.
• At last add the cornflour and mix the gravy well and serve hot.

This is a mouthwatering dish to be eaten with naan or bread or even white rice. Enjoy...

makhani chicken

This chicken curry is a superb accompaniment to any chapatis or naan bread. Its full of flavour and can be kept mild or spicy. Its an all time favourite.

Delicious makhani chicken

Ingredients:

• Chicken - 1 kg (preferably boneless)
• Garlic - 6 cloves
• Green chillies - 6
• Red chillies - 2
• Cumin seed - 2 tbsps
• Garam masala - 3 tbsps 
• Salt - 2 tbsps or to taste
• coriander leaves (chopped)  4 tbsps
• Lemon juice - 5 tbsps
• Pineapple juice - 3 tbsps
• yogurt - 150 gms
• tomatoes - 3 ( or u can use tomato puree - 5 tbsps)
• butter - 2 tbsps
• brown sugar - 1 tsp
• Pepper - 1 tbsp
• Sour cream or just cream - 150 gms
• Creme fraiche - 3 tbsps (optional)
• Oil for frying - 5 tbsps

method:

•  Wash and dry the chicken and cut into thin pieces. Deseed the chillies. Combine the garlic, chillies, salt, coriander leaves, lemon juice, pineapple juice, cumin seeds, garam masala in a blender and puree to make the marinade. mix the chicken with the marinade and marinate it fro 30 min in the fridge.
• Wash and boil the tomatoes until they break apart and strain through a sieve. heat the butter in the pan and the tomato puree, brown sugar, salt and pepper and reduce the heat for about 10 min. Stir in the cream and set this aside.
• Remove the chicken from marinade and fry in hot oil for 5 min. Add the remaining marinade and cook for 20 min. 
• Add the prepared tomato sauce and mix well and simmer for 15 min.
• Garnish with coriander leaves, stir in creme fraiche(optional) and serve hot.

mexican hot chili wings

Chicken wings has become one of the widely eaten food. If u  have eaten them at a restaurant you are bound to love them. It is ideal as an appetizer or main course.

hot chicken wings

Ingredients: 

• chicken wings - 10
• tamarind juice - 3 tbsps
• red chili powder - 3 tbsps
• cumin powder - 2 tbsps
• oil - 1 tbsp
• salt - 1 tbsps or according to taste
• corn flour - 1 tsp
• pepper - 1 tbsp
• oregano - half a tsp
• chicken stock granules - 1 tsp (optional)

method:

• soak lemon size ball of tamarind in warm water and strain to get juice.
• In a bowl mix all he ingredients and the chicken wings, poke the chicken with a fork so that the marinade seeps inside too.
• Let it marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Pre heat the oven at 180 deg cel for 15 min
• Grill the wings in the centre of the oven at 200 deg cel for 45 min or until golden brown, turning the chicken twice in between and basting them with remaining marinade. I use a pastry brush for the basting.

Serve with onion rings and a wedge of lemon or with sweet chilli sauce. yummy to eat hot. :))