TANDOORI CHICKEN

My husband came back from India, couple of days back. And unpacking his bags with all the stuff from India was a lot of fun and a whole lot of work. Though he had to pay fifty bucks extra for travelling with extra luggage, but I guess for all the authentic spices and lots of mithai.....its worth it. So I have been busy with all that.

I did not make this recipe for his homecoming (he is a vegetarian), this was made a week back when my brother was here. Again, this was something I made for the first time. Never liked the tandoori chicken that we get here in Indian restaurants. Somehow I feel the chicken to be too dry and without any spices. So I made this the way I like it. spicy, tender and juicy. And trust me it was a treat. Loved it. The marinade had gone right inside the meat, making it soft and juicy.

yummmmyyyy. 

Here goes the recipe.

You will need

• curd- 1 cup
  
• kasoori meethi-1/2 tsp
  
• red chilly powder-1 tsp
  
• tandoori masala- 1 tbsp (regularly available at any indian grocery store)
  
• coriander and cumin powder- 1 tbsp
  
• amchoor powder (dry mango powder)- 1/2 tsp
  
• oil- 1 tbsp
  
• ginger and chilly paste- 1 tsp
  
• grated onions- 1/2 cup
  
• chicken- 1 pound

You have to

1. remove any excess water from the curd. If using home made curd, tie it in a muslin cloth and leave it overnight. 
   
2. take teh curd in a bowl.
3. mix in the grated onion, ginger chilly paste and the oil into the curd.
   
4. mix in all the other spices, except the tandoori masala.
   
5. add in the chicken,mix everything up. leave it to marinade.
   
6. the longer it sits in the marinade the better. overnight is best.
   
7. preheat the oven to 450, place the chicken pieces in a baking dish. 
   
8. pour the extra marinade all over the chicken, sprinkle the tandoori masala. 
   
9. cover with a foil, and bake it for half an hour.
   
10. remove foil, turn over the chicken pieces and roast it, till all the marinade dries up, and the chicken is nice and brown on both sides.
    
11. serve with naan, sliced onions, and lemon wedges.

yummmyyyy

You can grill it in the Barbe-cue. 

make it on the stove top, on a griddle.

leftovers make very tasty wraps. just take off the meat, chop it, and add it to a tortilla with lots of salad leaves.

it would taste very good if mixed with cooked rice and sauteed for a few minutes. a quick chicken pulao.

or simply just have it with a bowl of salad.

enjoy.

SIMPLE CHICKEN CURRY

I still remember my childhood days, when every Sunday we use to look forward to eating my mom's special cooking. Lunches were the focal point of our lazy sundays. And simple chicken curry with rice was my all time favourite. I don't know what it is with mother's cooking, simple things feel so comforting and long after those years I crave for such simple pleasures every now and then. 

the thanksgiving weekend was spent with my brother who came down from LA for the long weekend. Missed my husband who is on a fortnight trip to India. (He is returning on Tuesday)

I made chicken curry with rice and it brought back all those memories of  our lazy sunday afternoons. Though I prepared the chicken curry just the same way as mom would do, but still it was not the same. none the less, here is the recipe

You will need

chicken-1 pound

onion paste- 1 cup

tomato puree- 1/2 cup

ginger garlic and green chilly paste-1 tbsp

red chilly powder- 1 tsp

turmeric powder- 1 tsp

tandoori masala powder- 2 tsp

salt - to taste

oil- 1 tbsp

cilantro- for garnishing

You have to

1. wash the chicken well
   
2. heat oil in a pan. add the ginger garlic and green chilly paste.saute
   
3. add the onion paste. saute till the onion turns brown.
   
4. add the red chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt. add around 1/2 cup of water and cook the masala well.
   
5. once the oil begins to seperate add the chicken. cook on low flame. 
   
6. keep cooking on low till the chicken begins to get tender. add some water.
   
7. add the tomato puree, mix, cover and cook.
   
8. cook till the chicken becomes soft and the gravy thickens. 
   
9. add the tandoori masala, garnish with cilantro.
   
10. serve with plain rice and or chapatis. 
    

enjoy.

will be posting another chicken recipe soon.

till then eat well

SPICY OMELET/FRITATA

The past few days have been crazy hectic. with my husband leaving for India in just a few days, there is so much stuff to do. shopping, packing are offcourse the main highlights of the event.

Coming so far along in RECIPE MARATHON, I don't want to give up specially in the last few days.

Though the cooking is not going to be anything fancy as the weekend is going to be spent finishing a lot of work, however I will be posting a few simple and common recipes. 

Here is one of them for RECIPE MARATHON DAY 21.

a quick fix for dinner. 

You will need

• eggs-3
  
• chopped onions-1/4th cup
  
• chopped corinader- 1 tbsp
  
• chopped green chillie-1 tbsp
  
• grated cheese- 1/2 cup
  
• salt and pepper
  
• oil- a few drops
  

you have to

1. heat a non-stick frying pan. add the oil. swirl it around to coat the base of the pan
   
2. beat the eggs till nice and fluffy.
   
3. add the salt and pepper. pour the egg batter into the frying pan.
   
4. sprinkle the onions, green chillies and coriander.
   
5. top with cheese, cover and cook till fluffy
   
6. you can fold the omelet or simply let it be
   
7. serve with toast and tomato sauce.

I called this a fritata too, coz when I covered and cooked it, it became nice and fluffy and I was able to cut it up and served it. 

enjoy.

other recipe marathon runners

1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani 24)Kamalika25)Roochig

EGG PANEER KATHI ROLLS

"ROLL", a food that I grew up eating and relishing back in kolkatta (India). and recently tasted it first time here in the US, in New York city.......god did it bring back memories. memories of the streets of kolkatta where the whiff of eggs being cooked on a "tawa" would fill the air. Where the aroma of the paranthas would make the mouth water and each time the "roll" guy would add the final touches of the hot and spicy sauces you would just wait in anticipation, of biting into the oh so juicy "double chicken anda roll" (chicken egg rolls).
How I miss it so much.........I have never had kolkatta style kathi rolls anywhere even in India. I just don't know what it is. Maybe I grew up eating them and that makes me bi oust. But seriously for those in India, if ever you"ll happen to be in kolkatta, trying out the rolls are a must. its like going to New York and not visiting the Statue of liberty.

Coming back here, on our recent trip to the east coast I got a taste of these rolls at a small khati roll place on MC dougal street. It was really good. I would not say exactly like the ones you get in kolkatta (I am bioust.......) but pretty good. because I love rolls so much I often try making them at home. These ones I had made sometime back and I don't know why I did not post them up. Maybe I was destined to post them after eating in New York.....does that make sense??? whatever. Here is the recipe.

You will need

• paneer masala (recipe below)- 2 cups
• uncooked tortillas- 2
• eggs-2
• oil- 2-3 tbsp
• green chutney- 2 tbsp
• tomato sauce- 1 tbsp
• onion (sliced)- 1 cup
• lemon juice- 1 tbsp

for the paneer masala

• paneer (sliced)- 1 cup
• green bell peppers (sliced)- 1 cup
• salt - to taste
• tandoori masala- 1 tsp
• garam masala- 1/2 tsp
• chat masala- 1/2 tsp
• oil

You have to

1. heat oil in a pan. add the sliced bell peppers. saute till soft.
2. add the paneer pieces. add all the masala. cover and cook for five mins.
3. mix everything up. and cook uncovered for another few minutes.
4. once the paneer and bell peppers are coated with the masala (spices) and the oil begins to separate, turn off the heat.
5. keep aside.

For the roll

1. heat a tawa (griddle).
2. cook the uncooked tortillas on both the side,using little oil. if using cooked tortillas heat it up nicely. keep aside.
3. add little oil to the tawa. beat the eggs with salt.
4. pour around half cup of the beaten egg onto the griddle.
5. place the tortilla on top of the egg.

6. let the egg cook. now flip the egg over. the tortilla will be at the bottom. cook for a few minutes.

7. place this tortilla on a plate.

8. spoon some green chutney, some tomato sauce on top.

9. add a few sliced onions, and add the paneer masala mixture on top.

10. pour 1/4Th tsp of the lemon juice.
11. roll it up and enjoy.......

repeat with the rest of the tortillas.

note: this can be made with leftover chicken tikka, tandoori chicken, or paneer tikka, paneer bhurji.
We even sometimes add chopped green chillies and cilantro while beating the eggs.
You can make the parantha at home, but I find this a little easier.

RECIPE MARATHON DAY 5, the race has just begun.
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani