Tandoori Chicken

This is a fairly easy recipe to make tandoori chicken. Tandoori chicken is usually made in a clay oven called the tandoor, but this can be made at home in the oven or on a grill.

Ingredients:

1. 1 1/2 kg. chicken pieces (cut into braai/barbecue) pieces
2. 1 tblsp. chilli powder
3. 1/2 inch ginger
4. 5-6 cloves of garlic
5. 1/4 cup curds (plain yogurt)
6. Juice of one lime
7. 2 drops of red food colour or tandoori colour available from indian shops
8. salt to taste

Method:

• Grind the chilli powder, ginger and garlic to a fine paste.
• Mix it with curd/yogurt, lime juice, red colour and salt.
• Marinate the chicken pieces in this mixture for 4-5 hours.
• Take out the pieces and roast directly over the grill until the pieces are soft and dry.
• Serve it with tomato and onion salad.

Kerala Fish Pickle

My mother used to make fish pickle and it used to be savoured by all of us within a week of its preparation. She used to bring a bottle of it whenever she came to visit me. My neighbours used to wait for the arrival of fish pickle to have their share of it. Thought of sharing this recipe with all of you.

Ingredients:

1. 1 kg. fish (any firm fleshed ones like tuna with less bones)
2. 1/4 cup thinly sliced ginger
3. 1/4 cup thinly sliced garlic
4. 5 slit green chillies
5. 2 tsp mustard seeds
6. 1 sprig curry leaves (optional, as it is difficult to get everywhere)
7. 1/2 cup vinegar
8. 1 tsp. fenugreek seeds
9. 1 1/2 tblsp. chilli powder
10. 2 tsp. pepper powder
11. 1 tsp. turmeric powder
12. salt to taste
13. oil as required

Method:

• Clean and cut the fish into small cubes. Wash them thoroughly. Drain the water completely.
• Marinate the fish in 1/2 tblsp. chilli powder, 2tsp. pepper powder, 1 tsp. turmeric powder (from the ingredients above) and salt for half an hour.
• Fry the fish and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
• Splutter the mustard seeds and then put in the fenugreek seeds and curry leaves.
• Add the sliced ginger, green chillies and garlic and saute until golden colour.
• Add the remaining 1 tbsp. chilli powder and saute. Add the fried fish with more oil. Heat it until the oil becomes hot. Add the vinegar and salt to this and switch off the stove.
• Mix everything thoroughly.
• Bottle it in clean bottles and keep it air tight. The oil and vinegar mix should cover the fish pieces at all times.

Kentucky Fried Chicken

When I looked at my stats for this site, I find many of my Gulf visitors are searching for Lekshmi Nair's magic oven recipes. Hence, I am trying to include some of Laxmi Nair's recipes to this site. Hope all of you find it useful. If anybody needs any recipe in particular from Magic Oven, I can put it up on this site, if requested, provided I have it with me.

Ingredients:

1. 1 kg. chicken cut into big pieces
2. 1 tblsp. ginger paste
3. 1 tblsp. garlic paste
4. 1 tblsp. soya sauce
5. 1 tblsp. tomato sauce
6. 1 tblsp. chilli sauce
7. 1 tsp. black pepper powder
8. salt as per requirement
9. 1 1/2 cup water

Ingredients for batter:

1. 1 1/2 cup maida (cake flour, all purpose flour)
2. 1 egg
3. 1/2 tsp. turmeric
4. 1/2 tsp. black pepper powder
5. 2 cups water
6. salt as per taste

Other ingredients:

1. Bread crumbs as per requirement
2. Oil for frying
3. 1 1/2 tblsp. cornflour

Method:

• Cook the washed chicken pieces along with ginger paste, garlic paste, soya sauce, chilli sauce, tomato sauce, black pepper powder, salt and water (adjust the water in this era of frozen chickens).
• Drain the cooked chicken pieces and keep it aside. Keep the liquid separate.
• Make a batter with maida, egg, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, salt and water. The batter should not be too thick or thin.
• Dip the cooked chicken pieces in this batter and then roll it in bread crumbs.
• Fry the rolled chicken in hot oil and remove when they are of a golden colour.
• Now boil the liquid, which was removed earlier. Add the cornflour mixed with 1/4 cup water to this liquid and mix.
• Remove this brown sauce when it starts to thicken. (You may add one big spoon butter to the sauce).
• This sauce can be used as a dip for the fried chicken.

Source: Lekshmi Nair's Magic Oven Recipes

Paneer Kheema Korma

Yesterday, I went and bought two litres milk from one of the big shops. When I made tea with it, I did not like the taste of it, so now I had a problem of finishing up this milk. After thinking for a while, thought of making some paneer with it. I made the paneer and kept it under the heaviest of things (my marble chappati stone), but after two hours also the paneer did not become solid and I could not cut small pieces from it. I had a crumbly paneer but the quality of the paneer was good.

I had to make something good out of this. How can I throw this away? Took some ideas from my older post and made my own Panner Kheema Korma.

Ingredients:

1. 200 gms paneer kheema
2. 1 medium sized onion cut into small pieces
3. 5 garlic cloves cut into small pieces
4. 1 inch ginger cut into small pieces
5. 1 tblsp tomato puree
6. 1 tsp. turmeric powder
7. 1 tsp. chilli powder
8. 1 tsp. coriander powder
9. 2 tsp. garam masala
10. 1/2 cup plain yogurt
11. 1/2 cup green peas
12. salt to taste
13. coriander leaves for garnish
14. 2 tblsp. oil

Method:

• In a heavy bottomed pan, heat oil and saute the onion, garlic and ginger until slightly brown.
• Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala and saute on slow fire for 2 minutes.
• Add the tomato puree and saute for 1 more minute. Now add the green peas, salt and half a cup of water and let it cook for 5 minutes (until the peas are done and water has evaporated).
• Now add the paneer kheema and saute for another 2 minutes. Add the plain yogurt at the end and cover and cook.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve it hot with rotis.

Shahi Chicken Korma

Mughals invaded India in the 16th century. Unlike other invaders the mughals settled in India and brought along with them their culture and cuisine. Mughals were basically a warrior group and made great contributions to architecture in India.

Mughlai cuisine is very rich and was especially prepared in the royal kitchens. They introduced the use of milk, cream, butter, nuts, dry fruits and exotic spices in curries in India. The use of these ingredients gave the unique aroma and taste to the cuisine. Mughlai food is cooked throughout India but is more common in the Northern parts. The Kababs, Kormas, Koftas, Biriyanis, pulaos and parathas all fall under the category of Mughlai cuisine. The spices used in this type of cooking are either ground or used whole.

Today, I am giving you the recipe for Shahi Chicken Korma.

Ingredients:

1. 4 chicken breasts (deboned) cut into pieces
2. 2 onions cut small
3. 1 inch long ginger cut small
4. 5 garlic cloves cut small
5. 1 tsp. turmeric
6. 1 tsp. chilli powder
7. 1 tsp. coriander powder
8. 1/2 cup cashewnut and almond mix (ground to a paste)
9. 1 cup plain yogurt
10. 2 tsp. chicken masala or garam masala
11. 3 tblsp. oil or ghee (as per your own taste)
12. salt to taste
13. Coriander leaves chopped for garnish

Method:

• Marinate the chicken pieces for half an hour in plain yogurt, salt and turmeric.
• Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and fry the onions, ginger and garlic till light brown.
• Add chilli powder, chicken masala and coriander powder to the above mixture and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the cashew nut and almond paste and let it simmer for 2 more minutes. Don't let it stick to the bottom.
• Add the chicken pieces and marination, cover and cook on low fire. If needed add 1 cup of hot water and stir. This depends on how much water is given out by the chicken when cooking.
• Adjust salt as per taste.
• When done, garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with rotis or rice.