Malai Chicken Tikka!!!

Hi guys!!!

Malai Chicken Tikka was a dish I prepared way before I went on my vacation. Back then I was in a "Tandoori-spree". Yes, I had to prepare something tandoori-like atleast once a week. This tikka is prepared just like tandoori chicken the only difference being that we do not use any of the usual masala powders we use to prepare tandoori chicken. As the name suggests, the basic ingredient is cream. Please do not conclude that this tikka is a bland and dull-tasting one. On the contrary, it is prepared with green chillies for the the spicy-kick. This is the type of dish that you will try endless times after having tried it once. You can take my word for that!!!

I have used chicken leg quarters 'coz I had them at home. Boneless chicken chunks can also be used. Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Chicken Leg Quarters - 2 / Boneless chicken - 200 gms
Yogurt - 2 tbsp
Thick cream - 1/4 cup
Grated cheese - 2 tbsp
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
Minced green chillies - 2
Ground cardamom - 1 tsp
Ground nutmeg - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Ground cumin - 1/4 tsp
Ground pepper - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Prepare a marinade with yogurt, cream, cheese, ginger garlic & chillies paste, all the ground powders, salt and lemon juice.
2. Make a few incisions on the chicken pieces and rub the pieces in the marinade and leave it in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.
3. When ready to cook, take the chicken and leave it on the counter for half an hour to ensure even cooking. Preheat the oven to 200C.
4. Line a roasting pan with aluminium foil and place the chicken pieces on them. Toss the pan in when the oven is ready.
5. Cook for 25-30 minutes till the top browns a little and turn off oven.

Serve hot with mint chutney, ketchup and a salad!!!

Chicken Cutlets!!!

Hi guys!!!

Cutlets have been a major part of my school days snack. Our school canteen always had hot cutlets that would vanish in a few minutes after the canteen is opened for the break time. I have always loved cutlets and have tried making them at home too. For a while, my husband was asking me to prepare chicken cutlets but I was unable to do it. Mainly coz I use up the chicken for some kind of curry and preparing cutlets never occurs as a first option in my mind. But coz of his constant request I made them finally. The work is simple and it can be a great snack for tea time.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:
Makes about 8 medium cutlets

To Marinate:
Boneless chicken - 200 gms
Salt - as per taste
Ground pepper - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Potatoes - 3 medium
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 - 1 1/2 tsp
Ground pepper - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Breadcrumbs - 1 tbsp + for coating before deep-frying
Egg - 1 (for coating before deep-frying)
Maida - 1/4 cup (for coating before deep-frying)
Oil - 2 tbsp + for frying

Procedure:

1. Boil and mash the potatoes. Do not run the potatoes under cold water immediately after boiling coz this makes them too soggy.
2. Marinate the chicken with the ingredients listed for marination and set it aside for about 30 minutes.
3. Heat the 2 tbsp of oil and cook the chicken pieces on medium flame. Remove from heat when they are fully cooked and shred them into tiny pieces.
4. Combine the cooked chicken with mashed potatoes. Add the ginger garlic paste, garam masala, ground pepper and salt. Knead well.
5. Finally add 1 tbsp of the breadcrumbs and separate the mixture into small balls. Flatten them as patties and keep it ready.
6. Heat the oil on medium flame. Dip each cutlet in beaten egg, followed by maida and breadcrumbs and slowly transfer them into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown on both sides.
7. Repeat for all the cutlets.

Serve hot with ketchup!!!

Creamy Chicken Macaroni - With Green Beans & Peppers!!!

Hi guys!!!

I picked up an Italian cook book recently intending to try professional dishes more often. The recipes are simple and I am sure I am going to be trying out a lot of Italian recipes. The day I picked up the book I wanted to prepare some kind of pasta for dinner and when I was browsing through the book I realized that almost every recipe uses wine, vinegar and few other ingredients that I generally do not have in my kitchen. So I just adapted a basic chicken pasta recipe with quite a few modifications and came up with this creamy macaroni dish.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Macaroni - 1 cup (uncooked)
Chicken - 200 gms (boneless)
Onion - 1
Garlic - 3 cloves
Green Bell Pepper - 1
Green beans - 10-12
Butter - 3 tbsp
Italian seasoning - 1 tsp
Dried oregano - 1/2 tsp
Heavy cream - 1/2 cup
Grated cheese - 1/4 cup (Cheddar/Parmesan)
Salt - as per taste
Ground pepper - 1/2 tsp

Procedure:

1. Marinate the chicken with salt and pepper and leave it aside for about 15 minutes. Cook the macaroni as per pack instructions and keep it ready. (You can use any other type of pasta as well)
2. Heat the butter in a wide deep bottomed vessel and add the chopped onion, garlic, green beans and bell pepper. Keep mixing till they are almost cooked.
3. Now add the chicken pieces and saute till it turns white. The chicken lets out some moisture in which the beans has to be cooked by now.
4. Add the heavy cream, italian seasoning, oregano, salt and ground pepper now. Keep stirring to avoid sticking. When the mixture is hot add the grated cheese and mix till it melts.
5. Check the salt and spices and finally add the cooked macaroni. Mix thoroughly and switch off heat.

Serve hot with some tomato ketchup or just as is!!!

Sweet Chilli Chicken Noodles!!!!

Hi guys!!!

Chinese cuisine is the second most experimented in my kitchen. Italian is the first coz both of us love Italian food. I tend to prepare noodles with some quick and easy Chinese sauce for dinner when I am in no mood to peel and chop endlessly. Inspite of the simple work involved, the chinese recipes always turn out good and satisfyingly tasty.

I have been trying out sweet chilli chinese dishes for a while now. You will find a similar Sweet Chilli Prawn dish in my blog. This recipe is also similar except that this one is a bit more watery and is used to cook the noodles along with the gravy prepared.

Lets see the recipe now.

Ingredients:

Noodles - 3 blocks medium egg noodles
Onion - 1
Bell pepper - 1
Garlic - 4 cloves
Soy sauce - 1 tsp
Sweet chilli sauce - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Chicken - 200 gms
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Water - 1/3 cup
Olive oil / Sesame oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Cook the noodles as per instructions and keep aside.
2. Heat the oil in a wide oak and add the chopped onion, bell pepper and garlic cloves. When they turn soft, add soy sauce, sugar, salt and sweet chilli sauce.
3. Now add the chicken pieces and keep mixing them well till the chicken is cooked.
4. Next add the water and check the salt level and toss in the cooked noodles and pepper powder and mix well. Cook till the water is absorbed well and turn off heat.

This dish does not require any sides but will sure taste great with any dry Chinese starters!!!

Chettinad Chicken Soup / Chettinad Kozhi Rasam!!!

Hi guys!!!

The first thing that pops in my head about soups has nothing to do with the creamy variety that we all associate with soups these days. I remember my mom used to bring me and my sister a glass of hot soup when she is cooking mutton at home. It was more or less the meat stock flavored with salt and pepper and it used to taste really good. She also used to prepare them when anyone at home had cold and it worked like a charm. Also, when dad used to take us to Chettinad restaurants we rarely ordered soups. But when we did, we enjoy every single bit of it. The chettinad soups are unique and burst with flavor. I am an ardent fan of chettinad cooking mainly 'coz I love the spices that we use in them.

Recently, my husband and I have started a soup-only dinner plan. It all started with me arguing with him that it is really difficult to lose weight with just following diet and doing no workout at all. To prove me wrong, he started a very light dinner option and resorted soups. And the lazy person I am, hate to cook just for me so I decided to follow the same :-) Although we were sticking to the canned soups, I really wanted to try the chettinad chicken soup at home. And when I woke up with congestion in my head and blocked nose I thought it was time to scare the cold away with this spicy soup :-) My ears turned red when I was having the soup. But I am relieved of my cold!!!

Like I said, its a spicy soup and you can play around with the spices to alter that to suit your taste. Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

To pressure cook:
Chicken pieces - 200 gms
(pieces with bones preferred)
Shallots / Pearl onions - 10
Tomato - 1
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Garlic - 3 or 4 cloves
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Water - 5 cups

To grind:
Peppercorns - 1 tsp
Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Corriander seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1" stick
Dry red chillies - 3

To season:
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a bunch

Procedure:

1. Add all the ingredients under "to pressure cook" in a cooker and let it cook under pressure for 15 minutes.
2. Grind the ingredients listed "to grind" into a fine powder and keep aside.
3. When the pressure is released remove the weight and on low flame let the soup boil. Now add the ground masala powder and let it boil for another 5 minutes.
4. Prepare the tadka by adding the ingredients under "to season" to the heated oil. Pour this tadka to the boiling soup and switch off heat. Add corriander leaves when the soup is boiling. (I was out of corriander so omitted it).

Transfer to serving bowls and enjoy this STEAMING HOT soup!!!!!!

Mac & Cheese - with Frankfurters(Chicken Sausages)!!!!

Hi guys!!!

Mac & Cheese is a very popular dish in the US. I have always wanted to try it at home and with the variety of cream cheeses available here it was indeed a piece-of-cake to prepare. I try different versions of pasta at home and picked up a pack of macaroni long back and left it in the pantry. I finally prepared this easy version of mac and cheese a few weeks back.The recipe is very simple 'coz most of the work is done by the oven :-)

Lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Macaroni - 2 cups
Philadelphia cream cheese - 200 gms
Milk - 1/4 cup (approx)
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Frankfurters(Chicken sausages) - 5
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Breadcrumbs - 2 tbsp (optinal)
Cheddar cheese - 1/4 cup (optional)

Procedure:

1. Cook the macaroni as per package instructions. Strain the water and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a baking dish or pyrex bowl and keep it ready.
3. Mix the cream cheese, milk, salt and pepper in a separate dish. Heat the oil in a pan and shallow fry the sausages and keep them ready too.
4. Add the cooked sausages to the cheese mixture. Finally add the cooked macaroni to this and transfer the whole content to the baking dish.
5. Grate the cheddar on the top and toss the breadcrumbs too. This is totally optional. Pop the dish onto the oven and cook for 15 minutes.

Serve hot with just ketchup or plainly as it is!!!

Tandoori Chicken!!!

Hi guys!!!

The very mention of Tandoori chicken reminds me of a small restaurant in Malad (Mumbai) where my dad took our entire family when they all came to set me up in an apartment when I joined work. He told us that was the best place for tandoori chicken. And yes he was right. Every single bit of it was delicious!!! I have had tandoori chicken in so many places and it has always been one of my favorites. This is one dish that cannot go wrong. Just clean the chicken and marinate it with the spices and grill/bake and just enjoy!!!

The best part of this recipe is it has very little or no oil at all. I just used about 1 tbsp of olive oil along with the marinade. The dish turned out perfect and my husband was so excited and has asked me to prepare this on a regular basis :-) Tandoori chicken is a healthy option when cooking chicken. A healthy option that is not tasteless and bland. It is loaded with spices and flavor-rich!!!!

I have used chicken thighs 'coz I feel that is the most apt portion of the chicken that suits the dish.Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Chicken thighs (Skinless) - 4
Curd - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
Cayenne pepper sauce - 1/2 tsp
(Can use any hot sauce of your choice)
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Olive oil - 1 tbsp (optional)

Procedure:

1. Clean the chicken thighs and make incisions roughly all over the fleshy portion.
2. Prepare a marinade with all the other ingredients and rub the chicken pieces with it. Let the marinade sit in the refrigerator for atleast 8 hours. Overnight works best.
3. Take the chicken out of the fridge about 30 minutes before the cooking time to bring it to room temperature.
4. Preheat the oven to 200C and place the chicken pieces on a baking sheet lined with foil and pop it in when ready. Cook for 25-30 minutes until you see the top browning.

Serve hot with a simple Indian green salad or mint chutney!!!

Chettinad Chicken Curry!!!

Hi guys!!!

Chicken is something I prepare twice a week. Just to make sure that I am not always stuck with repeatedly making biryani, I try to prepare different chicken curries. While being on this subject, I have to tell you guys that I came up with my very own version of Cashew Chicken curry, which I prepared for dinner yesterday. How I ended up with the ingredients I actually used was a pure accident :-) I will be posting the recipe soon!!!

Now getting back to Chettinad chicken curry.. I have never really experimented with chettinad dishes. The reason being very simple.. I AM LAZY!!!! The basic success of a chettinad recipe lies in using fresh ground masala. Not that it takes a long time, but why take the effort to grind a masala when you can prepare humpty number of curries with just the masala powders you always have in the kitchen??!!! Well, once I tried this curry I came to the conclusion that the extra few minutes is sure worth it. The curry was simply divine and tastes great with both rotis and plain rice. This recipe is definitely a keeper and am gonna make sure I prepare it quite often!!!

Now off to the recipe.

Ingredients:
Serves 2 people

Chicken - 250 gms
Onion - 1 big
Tomato - 1 big
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

To grind to a masala powder:
Cinnamon - 1" stick
Cloves - 5
Cardamom - 2 or 3 pods
Corriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Fennel seeds - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Whole pepper - 1 tbsp
Dry red chillies - 8 (adjust according to taste)
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Oil - 1/2 tbsp

To season/ For tadka:
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a bunch
Broken red chillies - 3 or 4

Procedure:

1. Dry roast all the ingredients required to grind masala powder except the coconut till they start to release a nice aroma. When they are done, remove them from heat and in the same kadai add the 1/2 tbsp oil and roast the grated coconut till it changes color. Now let all this cool for a while and grind to a powder.
2. Now in the same kadai add the rest of the oil and saute the chopped onions followed by ginger garlic paste and tomatoes. Cook till they blend and form a paste.
3. Next add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Then add the chicken pieces and mix well.
4. When the chicken is half cooked add the ground masala powder (I had to eyeball the measurement. If there is excess powder you can use it in any chettinad curry). Close the kadai and let it cook for around 15 mins.
5. Stir in between to avoid sticking. Add water only if necessary. When the chicken is well cooked and properly blended with the masala, prepare the tadka. (heat oil and add the items listed for tadka)
6. Add the tadka to the curry and switch off heat.

Serve hot with rice or rotis!!!

Methi Chicken Curry!!!!

Hi guys!!!

Methi chicken curry is probably the best chicken curry I have prepared till date. A very simple recipe resulting in a flavor-rich dish is the best part. Generally, fresh methi leaves are used for the curry. Due to the difficulty in finding fresh leaves here I settled with Kasoori methi and still the dish tasted fantastic.

I prepare chicken twice a week and atleast once I try to come up with a curry for chapathis. As I was running out of ideas for chicken curries, I tried this. My husband was so pleased with the dish and by now I guess he would have told a bunch of his friends about this curry :-) What more do I need!!!

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Boneless chicken - 250 gms
Onion - 1 big
Tomatoes - 1 big or 2 small
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Kasoori methi - 2 tbsp (heaped)
Yogurt - 1/3 cup
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Clean and dice the chicken and set aside. Grind the tomato into a puree and keep it handy too.
2. Heat oil in a kadai on medium flame and add the cumin seeds. When they splutter add the chopped onions and saute till they turn transparent.
3. Now add the ginger garlic paste followed by the chicken pieces. Next add all the masala powders, salt and sprinkle some water and let it cook for about 10 minutes.
4. When the chicken is almost done add the tomato puree and yogurt. Check salt and spice level and finally add the kasoori methi.
5. Simmer the curry for 15-20 minutes and switch off heat.

Serve hot with rotis.

Chicken Biryani - Pressure Cooker Method!!!!

Hi guys!!!

I just realised that I have not posted a Chicken Biryani recipe. Although, I prepare it quite often (atleast fortnightly). I prepare chicken biryani every other week. I try different types of biryani, but, this quick pressure cooker method is often repeated. The simplicity in the procedure and the yummy end result is a perfect solution when I really need a quick fix weekend lunch.

When you have all the ingredients ready and handy the whole process takes very little time. Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 2 cups
Chicken - 300 gms
Onion - 1 big
Tomatoes - 1 big
Green chillies - 1 or 2
Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Corriander & Mint leaves - a bunch each
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 tsp
Biryani masala - 1 tsp ( any store-bought brand)
Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
Bay leaves - 2
Cloves - 5
Star Anise - 2
Cardamom - 2
Salt - as per taste
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Food color dissolved in water (optional)

Procedure:

1. Clean and cut the chicken in desired size pieces. Chop the onion, tomato, chillies and the fresh leaves.
2. Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker and add all the whole spices and let it sizzle.
3. Now add the chopped green chillies and the fresh leaves and saute till the leaves wilt. Next add the onions and saute till they turn transparent.
4. Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell leaves. Next add the chopped tomatoes and keep mixing till they form a paste with the onions.
5. Add the chicken pieces and keep mixing to avoid sticking to the bottom. Keep mixing well till the chicken turns white. Then add all the masala powders and salt and mix well.
6. Finally add the rice along with 3 cups of water and let it cook under pressure for 10 minutes.
7. When the pressure is off, open the lid and randomly sprinkle the water with food color and fork the rice up and serve hot with raita or just cucumber.

Chilli Chicken Curry!!!

Hi guys!!!

This week I have been really lazy.. Just lying in the couch, skipping gym and even blog-wise... I seriously have to shake myself out of this sluggishness and get back on track. So starting it with the blog :-)

I occasionally prepare some Indo-Chinese recipes at home. A weekend lunch consisting of Fried rice and some chinese curry. Chilli chicken is a favorite and awfully easy to prepare too. The first time I prepared chilli chicken I made the dry version and that turned out pretty well too. But the curry goes well with fried rice.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

List 1:
Chicken - 300 gms (boneless)
All-purpose flour / maida - 2 tbsp
Corn flour - 2 tsp
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp

List 2:
Onion - 1 big
Green chillies - 2
Bell peppers - 2
Garlic - 3 pods
Soy sauce - 2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Tomato ketchup - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt - as required
Corn flour - 2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp + for frying the chicken pieces.

Procedure:

1. Mix all the ingredients under List 1 into a paste and leave the chicken to marinate for about half an hour.
2. Heat oil in a wok on medium high flame. When it is hot enough add the marinated chicken pieces and fry till golden brown. Set aside on a kitchen tissue and drain excess oil.
3. Now heat the 1 tbsp oil and when hot add the chopped onions, garlic and chillies. Saute till it turns crisp. Then add the bell peppers and saute.
4. When they all turn a little softer add the chilli powder and salt. Add some water enough to make the gravy. Let it cook for 5 minutes and add the soy sauce and sugar and mix well.
5. Add the tomato ketchup and mix well. Have a half glass of water with corn flour mixed in it. When the gravy is simmering add the corn flour water and keep stirring till it thickens.
6. Finally, add the fried chicken pieces and let it simmer for 5 minutes till the pieces soak well in the gravy and turn off heat.

Serve hot with fried rice.

Chicken Salna!!!

Hi guys!!!

Parotta and chicken salna is one dish I miss the most from my hometown. We used to have it atleast once a week when I was back home. Having missed it so much I ventured into preparing my own parotta and chicken salna. I will soon post the recipe for homemade parottas. This curry tastes great with plain chapathis and dosas too.

Now lets take a look at the recipe.

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1/2 kg
Onion - 1 big
Tomato - 1 big
Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 tsp
Shredded coconut - 1/2 cup
Salt - as required
Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker on medium high flame.
2. Add the chopped onions once the oil is hot and saute till it turns transparent and crisp.
3. Next add the ginger garlic paste and mix well. Then add the chopped tomatoes and saute till they combine well with the onion and form a paste.
4. Now add the cleaned and chopped chicken pieces and mix well for a couple of minutes.
5. When the chicken starts to turn white add all the masala powders and salt and half a cup of water. Check for the spice and salt level and close the lid of the cooker. Cook under pressure for 10 minutes or upto 3 whistles.
6. Meanwhile grind the coconut to a paste.
7. Once you have switched off the cooker and the pressure is off, remove the lid and add the coconut paste. Turn the heat on again to low. Let the gravy now simmer with the coconut paste for 5 minutes.

Turn off heat and serve hot!!!

Roast Chicken!!!

Hi guys!!!

Yet another weekend special... roast chicken!!!! A whole chicken seasoned with spices and roast (in my case actually baked). This is usually called grilled chicken in India. This is one of my dad's favourite too..

The advantage of having an oven at home is that you get to cook all these dishes that once you could only have in a restaurant. I prepared roast chicken on Sunday - a perfect weekend lunch!!!!

Now lets get to the recipe.

Ingredients:
Serves - 2 people

Chicken - 1 small
Yogurt - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Fennel powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Was the chicken well and pat dry. Make incisions all over the chicken with a sharp knife.
2. Mix all the masala powders, yogurt, salt and olive oil in a bowl separately. Now start rubbing this mixture all over the chicken. Make sure the masala is well applied beneath the skin and the incisions. Also, apply some masala in the cavity.
3. Now let the chicken marinate overnight in the refrigerator. It requires about 8 hours of marination so overnight works best.
4. Preheat the oven to 240C. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil. Wrap the chicken well with aluminium foil leaving no gap. Now place the wrapped chicken on the baking sheet and pop it in the oven.
5. You have to cook the chicken at 240C for 20 minutes. Immediately turn it down to 200C and continue cooking for another 25-30 minutes.
6. Now take the baking sheet out of the oven and take the chicken out of the foil. Also, change the foil on the baking sheet 'coz there would be so much fat.
7. Once you have changed the foil, place the chicken back on the sheet and pop it in the oven. Cook now at 200C with the chicken left unwrapped for 15 minutes. By then the top would have turned brown and crispy.
8. Now turn over the chicken and cook for another 20 minutes so that it is evenly cooked and browned.
9. Turn off the oven and let the chicken stay in the oven for about 10 minutes before you serve.

Carve and enjoy!!!!!

Pepper chicken curry!!!

Hi guys!!!

When I sit down to blog about the pepper chicken curry I am reminded about a very sweet incident in my life. The day Ganesh and I got engaged, he took me out for dinner and as we were guided to our table he whispered in my ears 'For one day put aside ur diet and calorie calculation and eat properly. I am so happy today and don't wanna see u across the table drooling over the food and fighting urself from having too much'. Even now I don't know if this is a romantic or funny incident. :-)

What is the connection between the incident and pepper chicken??? If any of u have guessed already, yes, we had pepper chicken that day. Although it was pepper chicken fry and that was the first starter we had that day.. I have prepared pepper chicken curry a couple of times before but always felt something was missing. Finally last week, when I altered the usual recipe a little bit it turned out just mouthwatering tasty. This is a spicy curry and goes well with rotis.

So here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:
Serves - 2 people

Chicken - 300 gms
(I used boneless chicken breasts)
Onion - 1 big or 2 medium
Tomatoes - 1 big or 2 medium
Green chillies - 2
Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Corriandeer powder - 1 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder - 11/2 tsp
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - 1" stick

To season:
Oil - as required
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a bunch

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard and cumin seeds. When they splutter add the curry leaves.
2. Next add the chopped onions and saute along with a pinch of salt. Adding salt helps the onions to be cooked faster. Saute till the onions are cooked and crisp.
3. Now add the cloves, cardamom,cinnamon, chopped chillies, ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder. Saute well and let it cook for a couple of minutes. The ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder takes some time to be cooked. You know it is done when the raw smell goes away.
4. Now add the tomatoes and saute till the onions and tomatoes are combined well and form a paste. This takes a couple of minutes.
5. Next add the diced chicken pieces and mix well. Following this add all the masala powders except pepper powder. Mix well so that the masala powders cling on to the chicken pieces.
6. Add the required amount of salt and mix again. The heat needs to be on medium. You can close the lid and let the chicken cook for about 10 minutes. There is no need to add water 'coz chicken releases moisture when cooked on medium heat.
7. Just stir now and then to ensure no sticking to the pan. When the chicken is completely cooked add the black pepper powder and mix well. Switch off heat and garnish with corriander leaves.

The spicy pepper chicken curry is ready!!!