Green Chicken Karahi

Bored of the same old chicken karahi? Then this recipe ifs for you. really delicious and super quick to make. 

So here goes,

Ingredients:

1 kg Chicken

1 bunch of Coriander leaves

a handful of Mint leaves

6-7 Green chilies (add more if you want a little more heat)

2-3 cloves of Garlic

1 tbsp of Coriander seeds

1 tbsp of Cumin Seeds

1 tbsp of dried Kasuri Methi

1 tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste

1-2 tsp of Black Pepper (freshly crushed if possible)

1 cup of beaten Yogurt

1/4 tsp of Garam Masala

Julienne Ginger for garnish.

Roast Cumin and Coriander seeds till they are fragrant. Crush coarsely in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Keep aside.

Blend together coriander leaves, mint, Green chilies and garlic cloves with a little bit of water to make a paste. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a wok and fry ginger garlic paste till fragrant than add chicken,

kasuri Methi and half of coriander cumin mix. Fry on high heat till the chicken changes color.

Than add the blended coriander mixture, salt, black pepper, and the remaining ground cumin and zeera.

Cook till the oil separates, about 10-15 minutes.

Add yogurt and cook on high flame till desired consistency. I kept the gravy to a minimal.

Sprinkle Garam masala, julienne ginger and chopped chilies. Cover for 5 minutes on low flame.

Serve with naan.

Enjoy!

Cuban Chicken Sandwich

I saw this recipe on Food Network's Eat Street. It involves marinating the chicken with orange juice, i was instantly intrigued. I did change it just a little bit to suit my taste.

All the credit goes to the 'Bongo Brothers' food truck in NYC.

The sandwich is super juicy while the orange juice adds a tiny bit of tangy flavor to it. Really delicious!

I like to eat mine with Onion rings, but you can totally skip that if you dont like it. Serve with fries.

(This recipe serves 2. You can easily double or triple the recipe)

You'll need :

(For Chicken Marination)

1 chicken breast (or boneless chicken thighs) cut in cubes

Juice of 1 Orange (mandarins, sweet limes, or whatever floats your boat in the category)

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Red Chili Flakes

1/2 tsp of Black Pepper

1/4 tsp Oregano (dried or fresh, whichever you can find, I used dried)

1/4 tsp Cumin powder (Zeera powder)

1 tsp of Olive Oil (or any other oil)

1-2 cloves of roughly chopped Garlic

(For the Sauce)

3 tbsp Mayonnaise 

1 tbsp Cream

1 tsp White Vinegar

Salt to taste

pinch of Black Pepper

1 tsp Tomato ketchup

1 tbsp of finely chopped Onion

(For Onion Rings)

1 large Onion (cut into medium thickness rings)

4 tbsp All Purpose Flour (Maida)

4 Tbsp of Corn Flour

Salt to taste

Buttermilk (to make the batter)

NOTE: Make your own buttermilk by adding a tsp of vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Leave for 10-15 minutes. Than use as required.

(Other Ingredients)

Buns (store bought, homemade, your choice)

Lettuce

NOTE: This can also be made into a wrap, using flat bread or tortillas.

Add all the ingredients of the marinade in a bowl. Mix together.

Add chicken pieces. Mix to coat evenly than leave for 1 hour in the fridge.

Fry the chicken with all the juices till cooked through and the marinade becomes thick and saucey.

Like so.

(For The Sauce)

Add everything in a bowl

Mix together. Keep aside.

(For Onion Rings)

Mix flour, corn flour, salt and red chili powder in a bowl.

Add buttermilk to make a dropping consistency batter.

Dip Onion rings in the batter and deep fry

till golden brown.

(To Assemble)

Apply a generous amount of sauce to the bottom of the bun. 

Add lettuce, chicken, and onion rings.

How gorgeous is this?!

Hope you like it!

Enjoy!

Shepherd's Pie

I've never make Shepherd's pie before, this is the first time. But i'm so happy that i did try this, as its incredible. Combining two of my most favorite things together, saucy mince and mashed potatoes.

And the best part? Its really quick and easy to make.

This recipe serves 2, you can double or triple the recipe as per your requirement.

Serves : 2

Cooking Time: 40-50 mins

You'll Need:

(For Mince):

300 grams of Mince meat (Beef/Mutton/Chicken. I used chicken)

1 small Onion (chopped)

1 small Carrot (chopped)

1 stick of Cinnamon

1/2 tsp of Red Chili Flakes

1/4 tsp of Cumin

Salt to taste

2 tbsp of Tomato Paste

1 small Tomato (chopped)

1/4 cup of Peas

(For Mashed Potatoes)

1 large Potato

3-4 tbsp Cream (can be skipped)

5-6 tbsp of Mink

Salt to taste

a pinch of Black Pepper

a pinch or Oregano (or any other herb)

Other Ingredients:

Garlic Butter (just mix mashed garlic with softened butter)

Green Onions

Mozzarella cheese

Heat oil, add chopped onion and carrots. Cook till the onions are translucent and the carrots are soft. Add mince tomato paste, chopped tomato, red chili flakes, salt, cumin, cinnamon and a little bit of water. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes (increase cooking time if you are using beef or mutton mince)

Throw in the peas, and leave for 5 minutes.

While that is cooking, make Mashed potatoes

Dice potatoes in 1/2 inch cubes and boil till fork tender.

Drain and mash. Put them on the stove, add black pepper, salt, cream, milk and oregano (any herb will do)

Mix on low flame till creamy and fluffy.

Grease any baking pan. I used ramekins, as I was making only 2 small portions (and because they are super cute) Any baking pan would do.

Add the mince mixture in the bottom.

Top it with mashed potatoes.

Now you can add anything on top you want.

I added only Garlic Butter on top of one. And Garlic butter and Mozzarella cheese on the other. 

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle green onions of top and serve !

How incredible does that look ?

Roast Chicken with Arabic Rice

I love nice juicy chicken, which i think is hard to do (i've messed up a few times as well). No one is a fan of dry rubbery chicken.

This recipe lets you enjoy super juicy chicken and its really easy to make.

The secret to this is to leave the skin on, it prevents the chicken from drying out in the oven.

Ingredients:

(For Marination)

1 whole Chicken (mine was about 1 kg)

3 tbsp of Yogurt

Salt to taste

1/2 a bunch of Coriander

1/2 a bunch on Mint

3-4 Green Chilies

1 tsp Cumin

2 tsp Red Chili Powder (adjust according to taste)

1 tsp Chaat Masala

1 tsp Garam Masala Powder

1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste

Juice of 2 lemons.

(For Arabic Rice)

2 cups of Rice (soak in water for 30 minutes)

1 chopped Onion

1/2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste

1 chopped Tomato

2 tbsp Tomato Paste

2-3 Cloves

3-4 Black Peppercorns

1 stick Cinnamon

1 Bay Leaf

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder

a few drops of Yellow Food Color

Clean the chicken from inside and out. You can remove the skin but i recommend against it. The skin will keep the chicken moist and juicy.

Blend the ingredients for the marinade together.

Marinade chicken for at least 2 hours. (For best results leave overnight)

Fill the cavity of the chicken with the peel of the lemon you juiced and a few cloves of garlic.

Place the chicken on a bed of sliced onions on a baking sheet.

Cover the pan with aluminium foil and bake at 200 degree centigrade for 40 minutes. 

Remove the foil and bake uncovered at 220 degree centigrade for another 25-30 minutes.

Check the thigh portion, take out if the juices run clear.

For The Rice:

Add chopped onion to a tablespoon of oil. When transparent add gingergarlic paste, clove, black peppercorn, bay leaf and cinnamon. When fragrant, add tomatoes...

..tomato puree, salt and red chili powder. Mix and cook for a minute.

Add Rice. Mix. and cook for a minute.

Than add water (double the amount of rice) cook on medium heat till the water evaporates. Than put on dam on very low flame for 10 minutes.

Serve with roast chicken.

Enjoy!