CHILLI CHICKEN

Ingredients: Boneless chicken, finger sized pieces 400 grams
Green chillies, chopped 6-8
Cornflour 2½ tablespoons
Salt to taste
Black peppercorns, crushed ½ teaspoon
Egg 1
Dark soya sauce 2 tablespoons
Oil 1 tablespoon + to deep fry
Garlic, chopped 8-10 cloves
Onion 2 medium
Green capsicums, seeded, thick strips 2 medium
Red chilli sauce 2 tablespoons
Chicken stock 1 cup
Vinegar 2 tablespoons

Method:
Take chicken pieces in a bowl.
Add half the cornflour, salt, crushed black peppercorns, egg and mix.
Add a little dark soya sauce and mix.
Heat sufficient oil in a wok and deep fry the chicken pieces till golden.
Take care not to overcook.
Drain and set aside.
Heat oil in another wok.
Add garlic and sauté for half a minute.
Add green chillies and continue to sauté.
Add onion, green capsicum and sauté.
Add the remaining dark soya sauce, red chilli sauce and stir.
Add a little chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil.
Blend the remaining cornflour in a little stock.
Add fried chicken pieces to the wok and toss.
Add blended cornflour and mix then Add salt and cook for a minute.
Add vinegar and stir.
The starter is ready.
For gravy add some more stock and let it come to a boil. Serve hot.

Punjabi Kadhi

Ingredients:
1 Small cup Besan (Rajdhani Besan is good)
2 Cups खट्टी दही (Sour Curd)
1/2 tsp Haldi Powder
2 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
3/4 tsp chilli powder (acc. to taste)

Other Ingredients:
2 tbsp refind oil
1/2 tsp jeera (Cumin seeds)
1/2 tsp methi daana (Fenugreek seeds)
1 Moti Illaichi (Black Cardamom)
2 Laung (cloves)
3-4 dry, red chillies

Ingredients for Pakoras (Besan Dumplings)
1 cup besan (gram flour)
1/3 cup water approx.
1 Big Onion - chopped finely
1 small potato - chopped finely
1/2" piece ginger - chopped finely
1/2 tsp red chilli owder
2 green chillies chopped finely
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp dhania powder
a pinch of baking powder
oil for frying

Tadka/Tempering Ingredients:
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
1/4 tsp red chilli powder, preferably red chilli flakes

Method:
1. Mix khatti dahi, besan, salt, haldi, red chilli powder and 5 1/2 cups of water. Beat well till smooth and ensure there are no lumps remaining in this mixture.
2. In a big heavy bottomd pan heat oil and add jeera, methi daana, moti illaichi and laung. Also add whole red chillies too.
3. When jeera turns golden add the curd water mixture, stir continuously till it starts boiling. After one good boil,lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from fire and keep aside.
4.To prepae pakodsa, mix besan with water to make thick paste.Beat really well.Add all the pakora ingredients in it. Beat well to get a soft dropping batter.
5. Heat oil and drop spoonful of pakoda batter and deep fry pakoras on medium heat till golden brown.
6. Add pakoras to the ready Kadhi.
7. Forthe tadka, heat oil in a small pan. Reduce flame and add jeera.
8. When it turns golden remove from fire and add red chilli. Pour oil on to the hot kadhi in the serving dish.
9. Mix lightly and serve hot with boiled/ steamed rice.

Imp Tip: To get red chilli flakes, dry grind whole red chillies roughly in a small grinder.

Enjoy Punjabi Kadhi!!

Murgh Kasoori Methi

Delectable Chicken with aromatic dried fenugreek leaves

Ingredients:
700 gm Chicken without skin (8 pieces)
1/2 cup desi ghee / refind oil
3 Cloves (laung)
2 Black Cardamoms (Bari kaali Elaichi) cracked
3 Onions medium sized sliced
12 gm / 3 tsp Garlic (Lahsun) chopped
25 gm / 3 tsp Ginger (Adrak) chopped
18 gm / 6 Green chillies without the stems
3 cups water
3 gm / 2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (Kasoori Methi)
100 ml / 1/2 cup Yogurt (Dahi)
1 1/2 gm / 1 tsp Red chilli (lal Mirch) powder
1 gm / 1/2 tsp Turmeric (haldi) powder
Salt to taste

Method:
First heat ghee in a heavy bottomed karai.
Put cloves and black cardamoms in the ghee.
Fry until they crackle.
Add the onions, stir for a minute, add the garlic, ginger and the green chillies and stir for 30 seconds.
Add one cup of hot water and bring to a boil.
Let the water evaporate and then add the dried fenugreek leaves.
Add half a cup of hot water and let it evaporate again.
Thereafter, saute until all the ingredients turn golden in colour.
Add the chicken pieces, yogurt, red chilli powder, turmeric and salt and stir.
Cook until the yogurt is absorbed, then add 1 1/2 cups water and cook until the chicken becomes tender and the ghee comes to the surface.
Serve hot.

Sindhi Murgh

aka Succulent Chicken Legs

Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 Chicken Drumsticks (Tangri)
3/4 Cup Dahi, whisked
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 and 1/2 tsp Lal Mirch Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
Salt to taste
100 ml Desi Ghee/Refind Oil
6 cloves (laung)
6 whole Peppercorns (Kalli Mirch Sabut)
1 tsp poppy seeds (khus khus)
1 tsp Corriander Seeds (Dhaniya)
1/2 tsp cumin seed (Jeera)
4 Onions medium sized chopped
2 Tomatoes medium chopped
3 tbsp/ 12 gms. Mint leaves (Pudina)
1 1/2 inch piece ginger
8 garlic cloves (lahsun) finely chopped

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken pieces in the yogurt, turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt for 1 hour.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a karahi, add the cloves, peppercorns, poppy seeds, coriander seeds and cumin seeds to it.
3. Let them crackle then add onions and saute till onions are brown.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool.
5. Put the contents of the pan in the blender and make a paste with the tomatoes, mint leaves, ginger and garlic.
6. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
7. Heat the remaining desi ghee and add the chicken pieces with the marinade and cook until the water has evaporated.Cook until the chicken turns a light brown.
8. Add the onion paste and 1 cup of hot water. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally until tender.
9. Serve Hot.

Murgh Musallum/Chicken- Mughal Style

Ingredients:
Good for 8 people.

• 1 kg 250 grams chicken pieces
• 4 Green chillies
• 20 flakes garlic
• 20 gms. ginger
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• 5 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 cup curd beaten
• 2 tsp. red chilli powder
• 12 cloves
• 12 peppercorns
• 2 sticks (2 cms. each) cinnamon
• 8 brown cardamoms (peeled)
• 16 almonds (shelled)
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1 cup Refind Oil
• 3 large (1/2 kg.) Onions (Thinly sliced)
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 large (1/2 kg) Tomatoes (blanched and pureed)
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves (finely chopped)

Method:

1. Prick chicken pieces all over with the help of fork.
2. Grind together chillies, 12 garlic flakes, and half of the ginger piece into a fine paste.
3. Mix chicken well with ground paste, garam masala powder, 1 tsp salt, turmeric powder, curd and half of the red chilli powder.
4. Allow to marinate it for about 1/2 an hour.
5. In a pan, roast together cloves, peppercorn, cinnamon, cardamoms, almonds, cumin and corriander seeds.
6. Heat oil in a pan for about 3 minutes.
7. Add onions and remaining garlic flakes (8).
8. Fry till onions are golden brown and remove from heat.
9. Strain oil and pour into cooker and keep it aside.
10. Grind together fried and roasted ingredients and remaining ginger (10gms.) into a paste, adding a little water (1/2 cup) from time to time.
11. Remove chicken pieces and reserve the marinade.
12. Group chicken into 2 batches.
13. Place the pressure cooker with oil on high heat. Lightly brown each batch and remove.
14. To the remaining oil in cooker add the ground paste. Stir and fry for about 2 minutes.
15. Add chicken pieces, marinade, tomato puree, remaining chilli powder (1 tsp) and salt (4 tsp) and mix really well.
16. Now add the remaining water (1/4 cup)
17. Close the pressure cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat. After one or two whistles reduce the heat and let it cook on slow for another 5 minutes.
18. Remove cooker from heat and let the steam come out on its own.
19. Open the cooker and Serve hot chicken garnished with fresh green coriander leaves.

Chicken 65

Ingredients
Serves 4

450 gms Chicken (boneless, 1½ inch pieces)
1/2 cup Yogurt
1½ tbsps Lemon juice
2 tbsps Rice flour
Salt to taste
8-10 tbsps Oil
20 Curry leaves

Masala
6 cloves Garlic
1/2 inch stick Turmeric (fresh)
2 tbsps Coriander seeds
1 tbsp Peppercorns
4 Red chillies whole
2 one inch pieces Ginger


Method

• Grind masala ingredients to a fine paste along with ten curry leaves.
• Blend yogurt, lemon juice, rice flour, salt and four tablespoon oil into the ground masala paste.
• Mix chicken pieces and the masala paste and marinate for an hour in the refrigerator.
• Heat the remaining oil in a thick kadai or fry pan and add the chicken pieces in small batches of six to eight pieces at a time and stir-fry on high heat for a minute, tossing it continuously.
• Add another batch of the chicken and repeat.
• Lower the heat once all the chicken has been added.
• Turn the pieces frequently, basting with the remaining masala.
• Cook till the oil separates and the chicken pieces become crispy from outside but remains moist and soft from the inside.
• Adjust salt, add the remaining curry leaves, toss well and remove.
• Drain the excess oil and serve the chicken hot.
  

Imp Tip:
If you cook the chicken with the bones it will be more succulent and tasty.