Chicken Chettinad

Chicken Chettinad

Spicy and aromatic, this superb ‘Chettinad’ recipe hits all the right spots. The original Chettinad recipe does not have cashews or cream in its list of ingredients. I wanted to give the recipe a twist of my own, hence have used cashews and cream to enhance the texture of the gravy. With the amount of spice involved you may feel it will be unbearably spicy but it’s not. The spice level is absolutely perfect! The flavors blend beautifully. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 chicken (about 800 grams), cut into 10 pieces

7 tablespoons oil

2 onions, chopped fine

15 curry leaves

4 large tomatoes, pureed

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

¾ teaspoon red chili powder

3” piece ginger

10 large flakes garlic

1 tablespoon poppy seeds / khus-khus

35 grams cashew nuts, broken into pieces

1 cup cream, gently smoothen with a whisk or fork

Salt, to taste

Coriander leaves, chopped, to garnish

Chettinad Masala:

½ cup freshly grated coconut

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

2½ teaspoons peppercorns

9 whole red Kashmiri chilies

3 green cardamoms (use only seeds)

3 cloves

1” cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon oil

Method:

1. Soak poppy seeds and cashew nuts in a little warm water for 15 minutes.
   
   
   
   
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add coconut, coriander, cumin, fennel, red chilies, cloves, cinnamon and seeds of cardamoms to the oil. Stir fry till fragrant and remove from fire.
   
   
   
   
3. Drain poppy seeds and cashew nuts.
4. Grind the roasted masala with the drained poppy seeds, cashew nuts, ginger and garlic to a smooth, thick paste with ½ cup water.
   
   
   
   
5. Heat oil in a kadhai/wok or a heavy bottomed vessel, add the chopped onions. Fry till light brown.
   
   
   
   
6. Add salt, turmeric, red chili powder and sauté for a few seconds. Add the pureed tomatoes. Sauté tomatoes till they are cooked and oil separates.
   
   
   
   
7. Add the ground paste, sauté for two minutes.
   
   
   
   
8. Add chicken pieces and curry leaves and cook, stirring intermittently, for 2 minutes.
9. Add 3 cups water, cover and cook. Keep stirring carefully, once every 5 minutes, while the chicken is cooking. Cook till the chicken is tender and the gravy thickens. Keep aside till serving time.
   
   
   
   
10. At serving time reheat the chicken; lower heat, add 1 cup smoothened cream. Keep on low heat, stirring continuously till it simmers gently.
11. Garnished with coriander leaves. Serve with onions rings and lime wedges.
    
    

Chef Notes:

1. If you reside in a country that has strict laws in regard to using poppy seeds, you may substitute it with extra cashew nuts.
2. Whenever a recipe asks for cream, always opt for Amul low-fat cream. Using cream helps retain the texture of the gravy. That way you get to use cream, retain the texture of the dish and you save up on added calories that you just can't avoid if using heavy cream. If you are extremely health-conscious, use half the quantity of cream.
3. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.
   
   

Vegetable-Lentil Low Cal Soup

Vegetable-Lentil Low Cal Soup

To a foodie like me the word ‘low-cal’ brings to mind the words tasteless, insipid and ‘NO’. When I tried this soup I was proved totally wrong. Here’s a low cal soup recipe that’s truly yummy but don’t take my word for it. Give it a shot and check it out for yourself. It’s healthy and it fills you up when you’re on a diet. A soup-stick or two with it turns it into a full meal. I kid you not!!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons split red lentil/orange masoor dal, wash and soak for 20 minutes

1 small 2” aubergine/egg plant/baingan, chopped into 4 pieces

2 inch piece bottle gourd/dodhi, chopped into 6 pieces

½ - 1 carrot, peeled and chopped

2 spinach leaves, washed and roughly torn into 2-3 pieces

½ -1 green chili, chop into two pieces

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 tomato, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic

1/8^th teaspoon mustard seeds

1/8^th teaspoon cumin seeds

3 curry leaves

Salt, to taste

Pepper powder, to taste

Few sprigs coriander leaves, finely chopped

Lime juice, to taste (optional)

Method:

1. Heat a pan and lightly dry roast the mustard, cumin and curry leaves for a minute till a nice aroma rises. Do not burn it.
2. In a pressure cooked add the dal, aubergine, bottle gourd, carrot, spinach leaves, green chili, onion, tomato, garlic, roasted seed mixture and salt.
3. Add 2 to 2½ cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Lower flame and cook for 2 more minutes and shut off the stove.
4. Open cooker when all the pressure releases and when mixture is lukewarm, grind the soup in a grinder.
5. Add pepper powder to taste and adjust salt if needed. Reheat and add finely chopped coriander and lime juice (optional) just before serving.
6. Serve with baked croutons or soup sticks. 

Chef Notes: 

1. You can add a piece of chicken to enhance the flavor of the soup. I’m a hard-core non-vegetarian and yet I don’t feel the need to add chicken because the soup by itself is so flavorsome and delicious. If you do use chicken, please remember to remove the piece of chicken before you grind the soup. Re-add it after you puree the soup.
2. Instead of split red lentil/orange masoor dal you can also make this with split red gram/tur dal. 
3. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism. 

Kharu Bheju (Brains in Onions Masala)

Kharu Bheju (Brains in Onion Masala)

A Parsee delicacy made from goat brain. There are always jovial-disagreements in most Parsee families when our mom or grandma/s brings these babies home from the market. A few people in the family prefer cutlets while the other few want them cooked in the style mentioned below. To ensure that no dispute ensues at home I usually bring 12-14 brains at a time so that I can cook half of them as cutlets and the rest of them in this delicious masala. It's not easy cleaning so many brains all at one time but the smiles i get from each family member is so worth the trouble.

Ingredients:

7 brains, cleaned and kept whole

8 large onions, chopped fine

7 tomatoes, grated

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon ground garlic

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon red Kashmiri chili powder

¼ teaspoon garam masala powder

1 teaspoon coriander-cumin powder powder

Salt, to taste

7-9 tablespoons oil

A big handful of coriander leaves, chopped fine

Method:

1. Fry the onions in oil till light brown (still a wee bit translucent) in a large flat non-stick pan.
2. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute till you smell a nice aroma.
3. Add the turmeric powder, red Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala powder, coriander-cumin powder, salt and fry till oil separates (do not let the masala burn).
4. Add the grated tomatoes and fry till the raw smell evaporates and oil separates.
5. Add the coriander leaves (leaving a wee bit for garnishing) and give it a stir.
6. Carefully lay out the brains one at a time in the vessel. Give a careful but good shake to the pan so as to cover the brains with the masala. (I prefer not to use a spoon here)
7. Cover and cook for 5 minutes till brains are cooked.
8. Garnish with the rest of the chopped coriander and serve with rotis, naan or parathas.
   
   

Chef Notes:

1. Brain is not everyone’s plate of food (read: cuppa tea) but those who relish it will love this recipe.
2. Instead of gently shaking the vessel, if you do plan to use a spoon to mix the masala with the brains, please do so very carefully and gently so as not to bruise or mush up the brains.
3. This can also be made with the brain from a larger animal (eg: cow or buffalo) but the taste will be slightly sharper and because the brain is larger in size, do not leave it whole. Cut it into 4 to 6 pieces.
4. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism. 

Khichdee (Pish-pash style)

Khichdee (Pish-Pash Style)

Simple though they may be, there are some dishes you just can't get enough of. This is one such dish. I can describe this dish in one word. Soul-food! Simple and yet so satisfying. As I type this recipe the craving for this dish stirs in my heart, yet again, and I have half a mind to tell Anu (my daughter from another mother) to dump the prawn curry she’s made for dinner and make this. ;-) I dare not though, not unless i want to be growled at. :P 

Made with Yellow Split Moong Dal 

Ingredients:

½ cup yellow split green gram/yellow moong dal

½ cup rice

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

6 black peppercorns + 5 extra peppercorns

Salt, to taste

1½ tablespoons clarified butter/ghee (I use a wee bit more because my family loves the taste of ghee in dals and khichdee)

A few curry leaves

½ teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera

Made with Green Gram Split (Moong Chilka)

Method:

1. Wash and soak the rice and dal together for about 20 minutes. Drain.
2. Add the dal and the rice into a pressure cooker. Add turmeric powder, 6 peppercorns, salt and 2¼ cups water.
3. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles and set aside for a while to reduce steam then open the cooker.
4. Just before serving, heat ghee in a separate vessel; splutter the curry leaves, remaining 5 peppercorns and cumin seeds.
5. Pour the ghee mixture over the khichdee and serve hot.
   
   
   

Chef Notes: 

1. The same Khichdee can be made with split red gram/ahar dal/toor dal.
2. Peppercorns used for tempering can be substituted with 2 cloves and half an inch of cinnamon. You may even use dry red chilies along with the whole spices to temper the Khichdee. 
3. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism. 

Crispy Ritzy Cheddar Chicken

Crispy Ritzy Cheddar Chicken

This one turns out perfect. It’s one of those recipes that just don’t go wrong. Chicken, cheddar and crackers, what could possibly go wrong with such a superb combination? If you have fussy kids at home (or as in my case, a Grumpy Tomcat), trust me, you will see all the fuss vanish in a jiffy when you set this down in front of them. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

4 large chicken breasts

2 sleeves Ritz crackers (for places where imported crackers aren’t available feel free to use Monaco or any other crackers)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ cup full fat milk

3 cups cheddar cheese or smoked cheddar cheese, grated

1 teaspoon dried parsley

Sauce:

1 can (approx 10 ounce) cream of chicken soup

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons butter

Method:

1. Crush the crackers. Keep aside.
2. Cut each chicken breast into two large pieces.
3. Toss the salt and pepper into the cracker crumbs and combine to mix well.
4. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk.
5. Roll the breast pieces into the grated cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers to make the chicken as cheesy as possible.
6. Finally, coat the chicken on all sides with the crackers crumbs.
7. Grease a pyrex bake dish with cooking spray or oil/butter and arrange the chicken in the baking dish.
8. Sprinkle dried parsley over the chicken. Cover the pyrex dish with aluminum foil and bake at 400 deg F/200 deg C, for 35 minutes.
9. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy. 

Method for Sauce:

1. Heat the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter in a saucepan.
2. Using a whisk, stir it over medium low heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken. 

Chef Notes: 

1. When you make the sauce please stir it continuously and cook it over medium low heat so that it does not split.
2. You can also make simple light version of white sauce or a tangy tomato based compote and spoon it over the chicken instead of the chicken soup-sour cream sauce. Go with whatever floats your boat. 
3. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.
   
   

Chicken Handi

Chicken Handi

Who would have thought a bit of this and a bit of that would result is something so finger-lickin’ good. The base recipe belongs to Michelle Taylor. This isn’t the authentic recipe for ‘Chicken Handi’ but Michelle being Michelle, actually named it, ‘Throw everything in the bloody Handi Chicken’ :-) hence I have named it Chicken Handi. I have tweaked the quantity of certain ingredients to my liking but the base recipe belongs to Michelle. 

Michelle, thanks ever, ever so much for sharing this recipe <3

Ingredients:

1 kilo boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thick strips

5 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” rounds

4 cups onions, chopped very fine

4 medium tomatoes, cut into half and grate, discard skin

2 green chilies, finely chopped

2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste

4 tablespoons or 50-60 grams cashew nuts, ground to a paste

4 teaspoons cumin powder/jeera powder

4 teaspoons coriander powder/dhania powder

3-4 teaspoons red Kashmiri chili powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi

1 teaspoon garam masala powder

1½ teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves/kasoori methi, lightly roasted and crushed

1 cup fresh cream

Oil, enough to cover the bottom of the vessel (don’t be stingy coz it’s a richly flavored recipe)

Salt, to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a large thick bottomed vessel. Add the onions and fry till golden brown.
2. Lower the heat and add the green chilies, ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute till fragrant.
3. Add the coriander powder, cumin powder, chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, salt and sauté well.
4. Add the tomatoes and cashew paste and cook till oil separates and the tomatoes are devoid of the raw smell.
5. Add half a cup of water and cook the gravy some more till semi-dry and appears almost ‘paste-like’.
6. Add the chicken and potatoes. Stir well so as to ‘bhuno’/sauté the chicken and potatoes a wee bit.
7. Add water to cover the chicken and potatoes. Cover and cook till done.
8. Check seasoning (salt).
9. Just before serving add the crushed kasoori methi and pour the fresh cream and give the vessel a gentle whirl, tilting it around so that the cream mixes in or if give it a gentle mix with a spoon.
10. Simmer on very gentle heat for two minutes.
11. Serve with plain rice, pea/jeera pulao or bread naan. 

Chef Notes: 

1. It’s such an easy-peasy recipe that there really isn’t much to write as ‘chef note’s’ but I will say, as I always do, that you can adjust the red chili powder, cumin powder and coriander powder depending on your tolerance of spice level.
2. You may share the direct blog-link of the recipe/s but do NOT publish my recipes and my photographs on any blog-site or website without my explicit consent or attempt to pass off my recipe/s as your own. You will be held accountable for plagiarism.