Chilli Chicken

CHILLI CHICKEN

One of my favourites considering I luuuuvvvvv Chinese cuisine as its easier on the palate and stomach. My mum used to make this quite often at home and I was longing for it again. Zeroing down to Valentine's Day (yipee, yeah Yesterday !!!) for this special treat, I hopped along to the market on Saturday and bought the ingredients for Chilli Chicken.

So let me share the ingredients and the recipe with you here. I couldn't upload any photos as they didn't turn out very well and did not look like the exotic Chinese Chilli Chicken which I had conjured up and my hubby loved.  A great Valentine's Day gift , right to the man's stomach :)

INGREDIENTS 

Boneless chicken /fresh chicken - 1 kg 500 gms (chopped into medium size)
Soya sauce -  3 (use the spoon you will use for cooking and stirring)
Red Chilli sauce  - 2 (use the spoon you will use for cooking and stirring)  Tip: If you are using green chilli sauce, add according to taste
Vinegar -  2 (the same spoon)
Tomato ketchup - 2 (the same spoon) or as per taste
Garlic flakes/pearls - 8 (chopped fine)
Ginger - 1/2 an inch (chopped fine)
Ginger - garlic paste - 2 tsp (for added flavour)
Capsicum - 1 large (cut in strips)
Onions -   2 medium (chopped fine)
Green chillies - 2 (slit)
Cooking oil - to fry the chicken
Salt - according to taste
Cornflour - 1 tsp    Tip: If you don't have cornflour, improvish by mixing 1 tablespoon of maida(all purpose flour) with 3 or 4 tbsps of milk into a thick pouring consistency .
Optional - 2 eggs (beaten well)

If you are adding a combination of  tomato - chilli sauce add according to taste

MARINATE 

Clean the chicken and marinate it with soya sauce, vinegar, chilli sauce, tomato sauce overnight in the fridge.

COOK

1) Pour enough cooking oil in a frying pan to shallow fry the chicken. Remove the chicken pieces and fry. Set the marinade sauces aside in a bowl. Once done, remove onto a plate or kichen towel. You can also coat the chicken pieces with beaten eggs and roll in cornflour and fry. Set aside.

2) Then in the same oil, fry the chopped garlic and ginger, capsicum, ginger-garlic paste, chopped onion and slit green chillies.

3) Then add the sauces from the marinated chicken. If it is not sufficient, then add some more sauce according to taste.

4) Boil well.

5) Add the cornflour slowly and thicken.

6) Add the fried chicken and mix well.

SERVE

Serve hot with Chinese Fried Rice.

Pork Roast

This is another Goan dish meant for festive occassions. It is light and tasty. The recipe is from my mother - in - law and it is my hubby's favourite dish. He says I make it really well.

PORK ROAST

Ingredients : -

Kashmiri red Chillies (non spicy) - 4

Cloves - 4

Peppercorns - 5

Cardamom - 3

Cinnamon - 1 inch stick

Cumin seed/jeera (whole) - 1 tsp

Coriander seeds/dhania (whole) - 4 tsp

Poppy seeds /khus khus- 1 tsp

Garlic - 1 pod

Ginger - 1 inch

Turmeric/haldi - half tsp

Vinegar - 1 tablespoon

Green chillies (small) - 9

Salt - to taste

Sugar - half tsp

Lime - 1

Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tablespoon

Tamarind water - 1 tsp

Method :-

Clean and marinate pork with salt, lime juice and ginger-garlic paste for 30 mins.

Grind all the whole masalas (spices) in vinegar and sufficient water. The ground masala paste should be green in colour.

Now, mix the masalas with the marinated pork. Add tamarind water. Marinate for 2 hours.

Now boil in 2 glasses of water. This dish has a very thick gravy or none at all, depending on one's taste.

Serve with white rice, naan, chapati, bread.

Pork Sorpotel

This is a Goan dish which is usually made on festive occassions like Easter or Christmas. It is accompanied by vegetable or peas pulao or plain steamed white rice. The gravy has this rich, red texture with succulent pieces of pork. Not too heavy, but just right for the occassion. This is my mother-in-laws' recipe. I do need to add here that I tried this out this Easter. The gravy was not red enough, therefore I didn't take any photographs.

PORK SORPOTEL

Ingredients : -
Pork - 1 kg 500 gms
Jeera/Cumin seeds (whole) - 1 tsp
Garlic - 4 whole pods or 1 tbsp readymade ginger - garlic paste
Ginger - 2 inches
Haldi / Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Dalchini /Cinnamon sticks - 3 (one inch)
Laung /Cloves - 8
Cardomom (elaichi) - 3
Badi Elaichi - 1
Peppercorn balls - 5
Kashmiri red chillies (non-spicy) for the colour - 14 (whole) deseeded partly
Vinegar - 6 capfuls
Onions - 500 gms or 5 big (sliced)
Green chillies - 2 (chopped) - Optional
Khus khus (poppy seeds) - 2 tsp
Tej patta / Bay leaf - 2
Tamarind - 1/2 lime ball size
Salt - to taste

Method : -
1. Clean and boil entire pork in a glass of water . Meanwhile grind masala / spices in vinegar.
2. Cut pork meat and liver into bite size cubes.
3. Fry meat separately. Then fry liver.
4. Fry sliced onions, green chillies and tej patta.
5. Mix well with ground masala / spices.
6. Add enough water for desired gravy and boil. When it begins boiling, add tamarind water or add a little more vinegar.

Pork Vindaloo

This is a permanent dish in Angl0-Indian homes on any occassion, be it a festival or any feel good moments. Since I came across this recipe while browsing through my recipe book and considering that Easter is next month, I will post this recipe right away. This recipe is the way, my maternal grandmother, mom, aunt and I make it at our individual homes. So it is like a hand me down recipe :)

PORK VINDALOO

Ingredients :-

Boneless Pork (with little fat) - 1 kg
Vinegar - 4 cooking spoonsfuls
Turmeric (haldi) - 2 tsps (may add less if desired)
Red chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp (may add more if desired)
Cumin seeds (jeera) powder - 2 tsps
Coriander seeds (dhania) powder - 2 tsps
Ginger - garlic paste - 2 tsps (may add more if desired)
Salt - to taste
Black mustard (rye) sees - a tsp

Method :-

1. Cut the pork into bite size pieces, some with fat attached. Put the pieces into a bowl and add all the masalas including the salt. Pour in the vinegar and mix well. Keep aside for 1/2 an hour.
2. Put oil in a pan and throw in a few mustard seeds. When they stop spluttering, put in the marinated pork. Pour in some more vinegar (to your taste)
3. Mix well, pour sufficient water to cook and cover. When done, remove from fire and serve hot with Yellow Rice / Vegetable Pulao/ White Pilao.

Note: This must be made the day before and kept in the fridge if the weather is too hot. Take it out and warm it well the next day. The more it is heated, it tastes even better (if it lasts out so long) :) : )

Chicken Cutlets (easy method)

Chicken cutlets or for that matter any cutlet brings up visions of a lot of time being spent in the kitchen and a long process. The end result i.e. the cutlets look and taste wonderful but ... Well, mom again sent me an easy method of making ....

CHICKEN CUTLETS (easy method)

INGREDIENTS :-

Boneless Chicken/ fresh chicken - 200 gms
Potatoes - 50 gms (boiled)
Bread slice - 1
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam (all spice) powder - 1/2 tsp
Egg - 1 (beaten)
Bread crumbs (crushed salty, dry biscuits) - 6 tsps
Oil - for frying
Salt - to taste

PROCESS :-

1. Fresh chicken - Boil, debone and shred chicken or Boneless Chicken - boil and shred.
2. Mash the boiled potatoes.
3. Dip bread in water and squeeze out the water.
4. Combine the shredded chicken, potatoes, bread and spices and mix well.
5. Shape into cutlets. Dip in beaten egg and coat it with breadcrumbs.
6. Deep fry in oil till it is golden brown in colour.
7. Serve hot with chutney or sauce.

Achari (Pickled) Chicken

This is something which my mom discovered from an issue of Women's Era ( a long time ago) and wrote down the recipe, as it mentioned that this dish is quick to make and easy to carry when one is travelling to serve for a meal, be it lunch or dinner along with rotis, parathas, or plain old bread and butter.. We tried it out at home when she visited the last time and it was wonderful. Its named "Achari Chicken" in the copy of the magazine. Otherwise, we named it as "Pickled Chicken"

ACHARI CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS : -
Boneless chicken - 500 gms

Turmeric (haldi) - 1 tsp

Ginger - garlic paste - 2 tbsps

Vinegar - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - for frying

SPICE PASTE :-

Vinegar - 2 tbsps

Coriander seeds (dhania) powder - 1 tbsps

Cumin seeds (jeera) powder - 2 tsp

Dry red chillies - 3 - 4

Peppercorns - 6 - 7

Cinnamon stick - 1" piece

Cardomoms - 4 - 5

Nutmeg (jaiphal) - 1/2

METHOD :-

1. Dry roast the ingredients for the "Spice Paste" and then wet grind these with vinegar.
2. Sprinkle salt and turmeric on the chicken pieces and keep aside for 10 minutes. Drain out the water.
3. Heat the oil in a kadhai (wok) / frying pan and deep fry the chicken pieces a few at a time till they are golden brown. Drain out the excess oil on a kitchen paper towel. Remove the oil from the kadhai, leaving only 3 tbsps.

1. Mix in the ginger - garlic paste and fry for 1 minute on a medium flame. Lower the flame and mix in the Spice Paste. Continue to cook and stir for another 2 - 3 minutes till a fine aromas rises.
2. Mix in the chicken pieces and continue to stir and cook on a low flame for another 7-8 minutes. Mix in the vinegar and stir gently. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and remove from the fire.
3. Cool and pack in tiffin boxes and get set to enjoy this lip-smacking chicken dish which goes well with parathas or puris and stays good for 2 days (outside the fridge).

Shammi Kabab

What can one say about Shammi Kabab... it can eaten sandwiched between 2 slices of bread or dinner rolls with your choice of filling or as a side - dish etc.

This is the first time I tried this out myself. I have indulged at my friend's place. Her mother used to make the most fabulous Shammi Kabab. I had jotted it down then and have tried it out after so many years. Hubby's opinion - it was tasty.

SHAMMI KABAB

Ingredients :-

Channa dal – 1 cup (grind coarsely - dry grinding)
Beef Mince – 500 g
Red chillies powder – 3 ½ tsp
Turmeric (haldi) – ¼ tsp
Cumin (jeera) – ½ tsp
Everest Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1
Ginger – garlic paste – 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Preparation : -

-- Pressure cook for 20 mins excluding the chana dal. The dry up all the water and grind (without water)
-- Add 1 egg to bind after grinding and mix well like making chapatti dough. Mash with bottom of hand while doing so.

Stuffing: -

Onions – 2 large (chopped)
Green chillies – 4
Dhania leaves – 1 small bunch chopped fine
Pudina leaves – 1 bunch chopped fine
Lime – cut in ½

Method :-

Mix all well . Take a lime size ball of keema, make a well in the centre, put in stuffing.

Then fry in a frying pan with little oil.

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Meat Curry

It' s Sunday and the day called for some wholesome Beef Curry for Sunday lunch. So I headed to the market, bought 500 grams of beef and sauntered home to cook it. The curry has a three fold purpose which I discovered when the day has ended with dinner, which I will elaborate a little later. So here goes for all beef lovers…

BEEF CURRY
(Multipurpose )

Cooking time - about 30 mins.

Ingredients : -

Beef - 500 grams (chopped into bite size pieces)
Cardamom (elaichi) – 3
Cinnamon (dalchini) – 1 inch piece ( broken into 2)
Big Cardamom (badi elaichi) – 1
Cloves (laung) – 5
Bay leaf (tej patta) – 1 (broken into 2)
Peppercorns – 3
Ginger – 1 inch (chopped into 3 pieces)
Salt to taste
Cooking oil – 1 cooking spoon
Turmeric (haldi) - ¼ teaspoon
Red chilli powder (Kashimiri chilli /partially spicy) – 2 teaspoon
Coriander powder (dhania) - 2 teaspoon
Cumin powder (jeera) - 2 ½ teaspoon
Garam masala powder – ¼ teaspoon

Pepper powder – ¼ teaspoon
Ginger – garlic paste – 2 teaspoon
Onions – 2 (large – chopped finely)
Tomatoes – 1 (large / 2 medium – chopped finely)
Potatoes – 2 small (chopped into half)

Preparation :-
1) Clean the meat, wash it thoroughly and drain out the water.
2) Parboil the meat with whole spices (garam masala), salt to taste and chopped ginger in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles on slow fire.
3) Heat oil in a cooking vessel. Add chopped onions and fry well till soft and brown.
4) Add chopped tomatoes and fry in the oil till soft, on slow fire. Add water a little at a time to form a thick paste.
5) Now mix in all the powdered spices along the garam masala powder, pepper powder, ginger – garlic paste and fry well in the oil. When the oil starts separating from the mixture, add a little water at a time and keep stirring and mixing.

NB: for White/steamed rice - liquid gravy – add sufficient water to the masalas and boil well, add parboiled meat and potatoes and cook completely. Check for salt.

For Yellow rice/peas pulao / chapattis / roti / paratha - thick gravy – add a lttle water, enough for the meat to completely cook. Check for salt. Lessen water for desired thickness.

Leftover meat –
1) Take out the meat pieces and fry as it is or along with fried sliced onions, whole red chillies and peppercorns. Wow!! a side dish to accompany a vegetable dish if you feel like non-veg with it.

2) If there is white rice - Take a frying pan, heat a little oil, fry sliced onions. Put in the white rice, fry a little in the oil, add meat pieces, mix well. Add the thick part of the gravy and mix well. Voila !! An impromptu meat pulao.

Last of all, you must tell me how this went at your home. I would love to hear.

Simple, Easy Chicken Curry

Chicken curry is a basic in every non-vegetarian home. But a thought struck me the other day that there may be some one who is just starting out and has no clue as to how to go about preparing a simple, everyday Chicken curry. The someone may be a newly married bride, a bachelor, a girl away from home and mom's cooking etc. etc. anyone..... So I decided to add this to my Non - Vegetarian menu.

Simple, Everyday Chicken Curry

Ingredients :

chicken - 1 kilogram
onions - 2 (big) finely chopped / pureed

tomatoes - 2 (medium)
haldi (turmeric) - half tsp
red chilli powder - 2 tsp
jeera (cumin) powder - 1 tsp
dhania (coriander) powder - 2 tsp
ginger - garlic paste - 2 tsp
cooking oil
salt - to taste

Process :

Heat oil. Fry onions till light brown.
Add ginger - garlic paste and chicken pieces and fry well till golden brown.
Add the spices and fry well.
Stir in the chopped/pureed tomatoes and mix well.
Cover with a lid and let it cook for 15 - 20 minutes till chicken is tender.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

Note: this will be a little dry and can be eaten along with chapati/rotis/parathas.
If gravy is required, you may add a little water and mix well. To be eaten with hot steamed rice.

Mild Stir Fry

This is a dish which is a favourite at home... at a time when hubby and I want to rustle up a simple meal.. this can be eaten with rice and dal (lentil soup) or chapatis (Indian rotis)

Its a dry (no gravy at all) dish.. more like a side - dish.

Mild Stir Fry

Ingredients :

• Beef/boneless chicken or mutton - 500 grams (cut into cubes)
• Onions - 2 large - cut in strips
• Tomatoes - 2 large - finely chopped
• Curry leaves - a few
• Green chillies - 1 large
• Meat masala - 1 tsp (branded packet)
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric (haldi) - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tsp
• salt - to taste

Method :

Marinate the meat with the meat masala, garam masala, haldi (turmeric) and keep aside for an hour.

When the hour is up, cook the meat in a pressure cooker for 5 whistles on slow flame.

Place a frying pan on the other burner, add oil. When hot, fry the onions, then the tomatoes, add the chillie and curry leaves. Add the boiled meat.

Fry well in oil. Add water a little at a time to allow the masalas (spices) to blend. Add salt. Stir for a few minutes.

When done, take off the fire

or

If you would like a little gravy, add enough water, cover with a lid and cook on slow fire till the masalas are absorbed and finally check for salt.

You may also add cubed parboiled potatoes or potatoes strips when almost done, before adding water for gravy.

Another alternative are Macdonald's fries or fries made at home.

Garnish wiht coriander leaves .

Serve with love.

Don't forget the rice and dal or chapatis :)