Chicken Coconut Fry

Coconut is used in every possible way in our neck of the woods. Here I have used it in its raw , grated form. I am always in the lookout for a new way to prepare chicken , which happens to be the most popular meat in my house any way. 

Difficulty level: Medium

Preparation time: 10 min plus 2 hrs for marination

Cooking time: 30 min

Ingredients

Chicken- whole, curry cut (roughly 10 pieces)

Lime juice- 1 tbsp

Coriander powder- 3 tbsp

Chilli powder(spicy)- 1 1/2 tbsp

Kashmiri chilli powder- 1 1/2 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Ginger paste- 2 tsp

Garlic paste- 1 tsp

Grated coconut- 1 cup

Crushed red chilly flakes- 1 tsp

Garlic- 4 cloves whole with skin, slightly crushed

Curry leaves- 5 sprigs

Extra virgin coconut oil- 3 tbsp

First, marinate the chicken and keep aside for 2 hrs. Mix together both the chilli powders, coriander, lime juice, ginger paste, garlic paste and salt well and apply uniformly on all the chicken pieces. 

In a frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of  extra virgin coconut oil and add the grated coconut , crushed red chilly flakes, whole garlic cloves, curry leaves and a pinch of salt. Fry them on low flame so as to ensure the coconut  does not get burnt. Don't rush it by increasing the flame, it is very well worth the wait.  Once the coconut turns light brown , remove and keep aside. To the same oil, add the remaining oil and add the chicken pieces . Turn the chicken pieces making sure they are thoroughly cooked. Once they are, add the roasted coconut mixture and mix well for all the flavours to marry together. Roast on a very low flame for 3-4 minutes. Serve warm with rice or chapathi or roti .

Oven-roasted full chicken ( നിര്‍ത്തിപോരിച്ച കോഴി)

Thanksgiving usually calls for a Roast Turkey. But we decided to switch the bird and add a few Indian flavours.

Difficulty level: Difficult
Preparation time: 15 min + 12 - 14 hrs for marination
Cooking/ roasting time: 1 hr. 45 min
Makes: 1 full chicken

Ingredients:


Chicken: 1 whole, (about  4 lbs.)
Lime juice: 2 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder: 4 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Meat masala: 2 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Oil: 1 tbsp
Onion: 2, cut into thick pieces
Salt: to taste
Water
Kitchen twine

Clean the chicken well (taking care to remove the niblets and anything unwanted in there) and remove the skin completely. Clean well again, and massage the lime juice uniformly over the chicken. Keep aside.

In the meantime, make a paste of chilli powder, turmeric powder, meat masala, ginger-garlic paste, cumin powder and salt, adding oil and enough water.

Apply the masala paste uniformly over the chicken, taking care to get it all over the bird(even inside). Refrigerate overnight, or 12- 14 hrs.

Allow the chicken to rest at room temperature for at least 2-3 hrs. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.

In a roasting pan, spread a thick layer of the onions and lay the full chicken on top,taking care to tie the legs securely with the kitchen twine. Roast it for 1 hr. 45 min. to 1 hr. 55 min - depending on your oven. What you should be looking for is an internal temperature of more than 165 F( make sure you insert the thermometer into the thigh, without touching the thigh bone).

Remember to cut off the twine. You can carve it and serve warm.

The chicken, before it went into the oven

Roasted Chicken with Cilantro

This is a simple recipe for Chicken that I came up with.

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 30 min
Makes: 2 servings

Ingredients:


Chicken tenderloins: 6 (about 350 gms), cut into bite-sized pieces
Cilantro: 1 1/2 cups (about half of a big bunch)
Green chillies: 4
Pepper powder: 1/4 tsp
Onion: 1/2 of a medium, thinly sliced
Oil: 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds: 3/4 tsp
Salt: to taste

Grind the green chillies and cilantro; keep aside.

Heat the oil in a skillet and add the cumin seeds. After 2 min, add the onion and saute until it turns light brown. Add the pepper powder and saute for a minute. Add the ground cilantro paste and saute for 2 min. Add the chicken  and mix well. Add salt to taste, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the lid and allow any water left to evaporate completely. Continue cooking until it gets nice and roasted.

Serve warm with rice or chapathi.

Chicken sheekh kabab

A few days ago, I was watching a cookery show on TV when my son remarked that I should make Kababs at home similar to what was shown there (Similar to how they are made in restaurants). This recipe though, is completely mine.


Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 15 - 20 min + 2-3 hrs for marination
Cooking time: 20 - 30 min
Makes: 12 kababs

Ingredients:


Chicken tenderloins: 8 (about 500 gms), cut into big chunks
Onion: 1 medium, cut into big chunks
Ginger- garlic paste: 3/4 tbsp
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Lime juice: 1 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder: 1 tsp
Chicken masala: 1 tbsp
Pepper powder: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Curry leaves: a few
Cooking oil/ cooking oil spray
Bamboo/ wooden skewers
Aluminium foil

Grind everything except the cooking oil/ spray to a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl and add salt to taste. Mix everything well so as to incorporate all the flavors uniformly.

Grease your hand lightly and take a small portion from the mixture. With your other hand, take a skewer and press the mix around tightly. Take more from the above mixture if needed to finish it. Repeat for the rest of the skewers. Arrange on a lined baking tray and refrigerate for 2-3 hrs.

Heat a grill/ grill pan/ skillet. On a high flame, spray cooking oil and arrange the skewers. Reduce the flame to medium-low and cover with aluminium foil. Turn sides every 2-3 min, until completely cooked through.

Goes well with cilantro chutney/ mint chutney.

The ground paste

On the hot skillet

Egg drop Soup

As I have alluded multiple times on this blog, I am on a constant quest to find new ways to feed my kids vegetables. Soups are always a good way to do that. This particular recipe ends up being bland enough that the kids can eat and you can spice it up with the pepper and chilies for the adults.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 5 min
Cooking time: 15-20 min
Makes: 5-6 servings

Ingredients:


Vegetable/ Chicken stock: 4 cups
Mixed vegetables: 3/4 cup
Sweet corn: 1/4 cup
Egg: 1, beaten
Cornflour/ cornstarch: 1 tbsp+ 1 tsp
Salt, pepper: to taste

Bring the stock to a boil. Add the veggies and cook as per the package instructions (usually 6-8 min). In the meantime, beat the egg well  in another bowl. On a high flame, add the beaten egg in a thin stream and allow to cook for 2-3 min (so as to cook the egg completely). Dissolve the cornflour in 1/4 cup of cold water, stirring well so that no lumps are formed. Add this to the soup mixture and allow to cook until slightly thick, adding enough salt. Serve hot with pepper, soy sauce and green chillies in vinegar.

Jaipuri Chicken

I saw this recipe on the TV and given that I like cumin, I thought I should try it myself. It really came out well.

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 10 min + 1 hr. to marinate
Cooking time: 50 min
Makes: 4-5 servings

Ingredients:


Chicken: 500 gms, cut into bite-size pieces
Onion: 1 medium, cut into small pieces
Garlic: 1" cube, cut into big chunks
Garlic: 6 flakes
Cumin: 1 tsp
Caraway seeds: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/8 tsp
Chilli powder: 3/4 tsp
Chicken/ meat masala: 4 tsp
Lime juice: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Oil: 2 tbsp

Grind all the ingredients except for the chicken and oil, to a fine paste. Add half of this paste to the chicken. Mix well and keep aside for 1 hr (minimum).

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet. Add the rest of the ground paste and saute until the oil separates. Add the marinated chicken and mix well. Add more salt if needed, cover and cook, without adding any water. Remove the cover and allow excess water to evaporate, until it reduces to desired consistency (if you prefer the dish with gravy). If you prefer it completely dry, allow all the water to evaporate. Cook on a very low flame, adding the rest of the oil, until gets dry and crispy. Goes well with rice or chapathi.

Chicken Puttu/ Steam-cake

I have seen this concept being used in many recipes, by a lots of people. But this particular one is the result of my experiments.

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 20 min
Cooking time: 10-11 min/ puttu
Makes: 7-8 long puttu

Ingredients:


Puttu podi/ puttu mix: 1 cup, moistened according to package instructions
Shredded coconut: 1 cup
Salt, warm water: as needed

For the chicken layer:

Chicken: 325 gms, cut into 1/4" pieces
Onion: 1/2 of a medium, cut into 1/4" pieces
Meat masala: 4 tsp
Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder: a pinch
Curry leaves: leaves of a sprig
Oil: 1 1/2 tbsp
Cumin: 1 tsp
Salt, water: as needed

Heat the oil in a skillet and saute the onion. Once it turns light brown, add the spices and curry leaves and saute well until the raw taste of the spices have gone. Add the chicken and mix well, adding enough salt. Add about 1 cup water, cover and cook until completely done (about 10 min). Remove the lid and allow excess water to evaporate. But make sure you have some gravy left to be used a curry with the puttu later. Separate some chicken (drained of the gravy) from the curry and keep aside (It shouldn't be too dry just not drenched in gravy).

Now, to make the puttu, add about 1 tbsp shredded coconut to the long puttu-maker. Add about a handful of the puttu mix, then 2 tbsp of the chicken (from the chicken kept aside), then 1 tbsp of the coconut, continuing the same pattern until you get to the top(a word of caution:.Don't fill the puttu maker to the top. Sometimes, the puttu has a tendency to rise and you may end up having to clean, more than normal). Steam them for 9-10 and serve them hot, with the chicken curry you made.

Grilled chicken

When we grill in our house, the menu is usually, grilled paneer (posted separately), grilled corn and grilled chicken. Talk about a balanced meal!!!! It is just that different people eat different things. Can we claim a balanced meal if it is balanced across the family!!!!

Just like I mentioned in the 'Grilled Paneer Skewers', note that I used Patak's Tandoori paste (Mild, spicy ginger and garlic flavor) this time. When we were in Chicago, I used to have a few options in Tandoori pastes and I think there was another brand I liked better. It was a Deep brand but I forget the full details.

Difficulty level: Easy

Preparation time: 10 min + 1 day min. to marinate

Grilling time: 15- 20 min, depending on the grill

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Chicken breast: 8 tenderloins(about 500 gms)

Yoghurt: 1/2 cup

Tandoori paste: 3 tbsp

Hot sauce: 3/4 tsp

Salt: 1/4 tsp

Water: 1/8 cup

Cooking oil spray

Put all the spices and water into a ziploc bag along with chicken pieces. Close the bag and mix it really well. Leave it in the refrigerator for atleast 1 day.

Heat the grill to high heat. Spray cooking oil generously over the part of the grill where you plan to cook on (Be careful that you don't burn your eyebrows!). Put the chicken on the grill. Let it sear on one side, turn them over and sear the other side. Be patient. If you try turning them over early, they will just break apart. If the chicken is thick,you may want to reduce heat and cook for sometime so as to make sure the chicken is cooked through. My husband usually likes his chicken a bit well done (charred) so he leaves it on the grill a bit longer than needed. If you like a less charred chicken, you will need to make sure that it is cooked through using a thermometer. I would not recommend you eating undercooked chicken!! 

Remove when done and serve hot with cilantro chutney.

Chicken Dosa (Chicken Crepes)

On a call recently, my mom raved about a Chicken Chettinad Dosa that she and my aunt had recently. Apparently they loved it. I knew I did not have the ingredients for a Chettinad dish, and so decided to make just the Chicken Dosa.

I cooked the chicken with some turmeric powder and salt, so that all the flavour can seep deep into the meat. You can use this filling to make sandwiches, parathas or cutlets, if in excess.

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 20 min
Cooking time: 20 min
Makes: 12- 13 dosas

Ingredients:


Dosa batter: to make 13 dosas
Chicken: 500 gms, cooked and minced
Oil: 1 1/2 tbsp
Onion: 1 medium, thinly sliced
Cumin: 1/2 tsp
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Meat masala: 5 heaped tsp
Salt to taste
Cilantro, chopped: 2 tbsp

Heat the oil and saute onions and ginger-garlic paste until it turns light brown. Add the cumin, meat masala and saute until the raw taste is gone. Add the minced chicken and salt, if needed. Add about 3/4 cup and chopped cilantro. Continue stirring until the excess water has evaporated and the chicken mix is thick (like the masala inside the masala dosa).

Make dosas and keep a spoonful of the chicken mix and fold it, like a masala dosa.

It goes well with Ulli (Onion) chammandhi , cilantro/mint chutney and sambar.

Spicy chicken (dry) curry

I'm always on the look out for newer ways to cook chicken, as I am sure many of you are. Here is the result of one of my experiments. Judging by how quickly the dish was consumed, it turned out really well.

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 45-50 min
Makes: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:


Chicken: 750 gms, cut into very small pieces (about 1- 1 1/2" in size)
Ginger-garlic paste: 1 1/2 tbsp
Onion: 1 medium, thinly sliced
Oil: 2 tbsp + 2 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Meat masala: 6 heaped tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Sri Racha chilli paste: 5 tsp

Heat 2 tbsp oil and saute the ginger-garlic paste and onion, along with a dash of salt. Once the onion is light brown, add the turmeric powder and meat masala. Saute for a min and add the leaves of a sprig of curry leaves. Add salt and mix well, cover and cook until done. Remove the cover and allow excess water to evaporate. Make a small 'well' in the middle. Add 2 tsp oil and add the chilli paste and saute. Now mix it with the rest of the chicken so as get the chilli paste coated uniformly on all the pieces. Cook on a low flame until brown and crispy, stiriing occassionally. Serve garnished with curry leaves.

Goes well with chapathi, rice or any other bread.

Kozhikode Chicken Biriyani

Of the many things Kozhikode is famous for, the chicken biriyani would be on the top of most lists. Like any self respecting dish, there are regional differences in how a biriyani is made and more importantly there are regional rivalries. So Hyderabad can keep its biriyani, I will take the Kozhikkoden one any day.

It is one of the easiest of all biriyanis as well. It does not have a whole lot of spices in it. It is a bit tricky to get the correct balance of the moisture and the garam masala, though. I got the recipe from one of the cookery books from one of  the Queens of Kerala Cuisine, Mrs. K.M.Mathew. This one is made in two stages and then assembled to get the final product. I used some oil instead of ghee, but it tastes better if made in all ghee.

Difficluty level: Medium
Preparation time: 1 hr 15min
Cooking time: 1 hr
Makes: 2-3 servings

Ingredients


Chicken: 10 breast tenderloins(about 500 gms) cut into bite-size pieces
Ginger: 3/4 inch cube, coarsely chopped
Green chillies: 2, cut into small round pieces
Tomato: 1 medium size
Yoghurt: 2 tbsp
Oil: 1 tsp + 1 tbsp
Ghee: 1 tsp
Basmati rice: 1 cup (soaked in water for 1 hr)
Hot water: 1 1/2 cup
Onion: 1 medium, thinly sliced
Lime juice: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Saffron: 4-5 strands
Garam masala: 2 tsp
Salt: to taste
Optional: Dry fruits(raisins,dates etc): a couple of tablespoons, roasted in ghee

Dissolve the turmeric powder and saffron in lime juice and keep aside.

In a skillet heat 1 tsp oil and add the crushed ginger and green chillies. Saute until the raw taste of the ginger has gone. Add the chicken and mix well. Add the tomato cut into big pieces, along with yoghurt. Add salt to taste. Cover and cook for 10 min, or until done. Allow excess water to evaporate, but do not cook until the gravy  is completely dry. It should still be slightly moist when you switch of the flame. Keep aside and sprinkle 1 tsp garam masala uniformly on top, and mix well.

In the meantime, heat another skillet and add 1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp ghee. Saute the onion until light brown. Add the rice and saute until it turns translucent. Add the hot water and salt. Cover and cook on medium-low flame, for about 8 min (or until it is cooked) and allow all the water to evaporate. Switch off  the flame when all the water has just evaporated. Stir in the roasted dry fruits.

Pre-heat the oven to warm setting or the lowest temperature. To assemble the biriyani, take a 11 cup or 2.6 L  oven-proof dish. Add the chicken as the first layer and sprinkle 1 tsp garam masala again, uniformly, on top. Add the rice as the second layer. Use a spoon to press down the biriyani. Pour the saffron and turmeric powder dissolved in lime juice on top. Cover with aluminium foil and leave in the pre-heated oven for 15 min. Mix well and serve hot.

The best accompaniments are raita and tender mango pickle.

Kerala Chicken Curry

I like to experiment with my cooking and seldom follow a recipe fully. This particular recipe I came up with worked very well for my husband. It is a bit spicy for the kids, though. It is ideal for people who like the taste of onion, but do not like to bite into it.

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 15 min
Cooking time: 30 min


Ingredients
Chicken - 12 breast tenderloins(about 750gms), cut into bite-size pieces
Onion - 2 small(cut into small pieces)
Shredded coconut- 1/4 cup
Tamarind paste concentrate- 3/4 tsp
Meat masala- 21/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 2 tsp
Cumin(whole)- 1 tsp
Curry leaves- from 1 sprig
Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp
Oil-1 tsp + 1 tbsp
Salt- to taste
Water- 1/2 cup


Heat 1 tsp oil in a skillet and roast the cumin, coconut and onion until the coconut turns light brown. Add the meat masala, turmeric powder, chilli powder, chilli powder and curry leaves . Keep stirring until the raw taste of the masalas are gone. Cool and grind to a fine paste.


Heat 1 tbsp oil and saute the ginger-garlic paste. Once it starts turning colour (the raw taste is gone), add the ground masala mix(from above) and saute for a while. Add the tamarind paste and mix well. Now add the chicken pieces and salt. Stir well and add the water. Cover and cook until the chicken pieces are cooked through (about 10 min). Let the water evaporate until it gets to the required consistency. Garnish with fried curry leaves and/or green chillies and/or fried onions.

Chicken shawarma

This is a meditteranean dish and I've re-created it. It is a fusion of the traditional way and the way I've seen it being prepared in India. If pita bread is not available, you could substitute it with chappathi. You can add shredded cabbage,lettuce,onion or thinly sliced/ cubed tomatoes along with the chicken.

Difficulty level: Medium
Preparation time: 1 hr+ 15 min
Cooking time: 15 min

Ingredients

Boneless Chicken- 4 breast tenderloins(about 200 gms), cut into thin strips
Yogurt- 1 tbsp+ 2 tsp
Minced garlic-1 tsp
Ground cinnamon- 1/4 tsp
Ground cardamom-1/4 tsp
Ground allspice- 1/4tsp
Dry parsley- 2 tsp
Chili powder- 2 tsp
Lime juice- 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil- 1 tbsp
Shredded cabbage,sliced onion, sliced tomato-some(optional)
Pita/chappathi- 3
Aluminium foil and wax paper

Marinate the chicken in 1 tbsp yogurt,ground cinnamon, ground cardamom,ground allspice, 1 tsp dry parsley, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, chilli powder, 1 tsp lime juice and salt. Cover and keep aside for atleast 1 hr.
Heat the oil and put the chicken and saute for a while(about 1 min). Allow to cook on medium flame for 10 min, stirring every 2-3 min. Cook for another 2 min for the meat to get crisp around the edges.

In the meantime you can get the sauce ready. Mix together 2 tsp yogurt(you can also use mayonnaise), 1 tsp limejuice, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp dry parsley and salt.

To assemble the shawarma, put a square piece of aluminium foil and wax paper on top. Keep the pita on the wax paper and spread a thin layer of sauce and then the chicken(and veggies, optional). Roll the pita tightly and then in wax paper and aluminium foil,in that order.

This is one way of doing it. The other way is to cut the pitas in half and fill the pockets with the chicken and veggies mixed with the sauce. Clearly not a technique you can use with chappathis.

Pulled chicken dry fry

I once saw a cookery show on television and was inspired to try my version of the recipe. Even though it was a bit spicy for my kids, they still lapped it up, running eyes and nose not withstanding.

Difficulty level: Easy
Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: 45 min

Ingredients
Chicken - 8 breast tenderloins(about 500 gms), cut into bite-size pieces
Onion- 2 small(thinly sliced)
Tomato- 1 small(cut into small pieces)
Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp
Meat masala- 2 tbsp
Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder- 2 tsp
Oil- 1 tsp+ 2 tbsp
Water- 1 cup
Salt- to taste
Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Heat 1 tsp oil in a skillet. Add the ginger-garlic paste and onion and saute until it is light brown. Add the tomato and saute until soft. Add the masala powders and curry leaves and saute. Mix in chicken pieces and saute for a minute or two. Now add water and salt. Cover and cook until it is done(about 10 minutes).

Open the lid and allow water to evaporate completely. Transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl and allow to cool slightly. Pull the chicken pieces into small pieces and transfer it back to the skillet with 2 tbsp oil. Allow chicken pieces to get crisp on a very low flame(about 30 min or until the desired doneness), stirring every 10 minutes or so. Garnish and serve hot.

It goes well with rice or chappathi.