Chicken Do-Pyaaza

Most of my dishes these days call for the simplest of the ingredients and procedures but result in a delicious and soul satisfying meals. Today's recipe is no different. The concept of Do-Pyaaza curries, whether veg or non-veg, comes from the inclusion of two different forms of onions and that is how the curry gets its name. Here, however, I did a twist and included a third form of onion. So can in fact call this curry Chicken Teen-Pyaaza!! Lol! Nevertheless, the variation did add an X-Factor to the gravy and it was all the more delicious. I have made this curry keeping in mind children tastebuds but you can spruce it up as per your liking. 

Ingredients 

1 kg chicken, washed and cleaned 

4 big onions, 1 made into a paste, 2 cubed/diced, 1 finely chopped 

1 tbsp ginger paste 

2 tbsp garlic paste 

2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder divided 

1 red bell pepper cubed 

2 big tomatoes finely chopped 

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp shahjeera/caraway seeds (optional)

2 each of cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon 

1 black cardamom 

1/2 star anise and 1 small mace

1 tsp turmeric powder 

1 tsp cumin powder 

2 tsp coriander powder 

1 tsp good quality garam masala powder 

1 tbsp kasuri methi roasted and crushed 

Salt to taste 

Fresh coriander for garnish 

Oil as required 

Direction 

Marinate the chicken with onion paste and ginger garlic paste and salt and 1 tsp  kashmiri chilli powder. Keep aside for at least an hour. 

Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan and fry the cubed onions and cubed bell peppers till onions are translucent and bell peppers are slightly soft and fried but still have a crunch. Drain from the oil and keep aside. Now in the same oil splutter the cumin seeds and shahjeera and add the whole garam masala. Once the aroma is released, add the chopped onions and fry till golden. Now add the chopped tomatoes and fry till soft and mashed and oil starts sticking out. Add the dry spices and fry further for 2-3 minutes. Now add the marinated chicken and coat it well with the masala. Fry the chicken on high heat till the meat changes color and is somewhat fried. Now reduce the flame to medium and cover and cook till the chicken is done. You can add water as per your requirement. Once the chicken is cooked through remove the cover and dry up any excess gravy to reach the consistency that you desire. Add the fried onions and bell peppers and stir. Add the crushed kasuri methi and stir. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with roti/rice or pulao. 

Coconut Egg Curry

A long weekend and with the husband again travelling, it becomes imperative for the wife, that is me, to search for ways to keep herself busy. Luckily, there is one more friend whose husband is also travelling at the same time and so we have decided to do a sleepover at her place and have some fun time together. Tonight as husband leaves for a hurried India trip, we had a humble homely meal for lunch with whatever ingredients I had at hand. Initially, I wanted to make some Aaloo Parathas but the sweltering heat here made me change my mind. So here it is, a yummy and equally simple Egg Curry with a Coconut Base.

                                    

Ingredients

3 boiled eggs (or as per your requirement)

1/4 cup grated coconut

1 big onion

1 big tomato

1 big potato cut into quarters and boiled (A Bong cannot imagine his egg curry without the potato :))

3-4 garlic cloves

1" piece ginger

1/4 cup coconut milk (in case you do not have, increase the quantity of grated coconut to 1/2 cup)

1 tbsp sambar powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp deggi mirch powder

1/2 tsp sugar

2 whole red chillies

Few curry leaves

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Oil as required

Direction

Put the onion, ginger, garlic, tomato, and 1 whole red chilli in the grinder and make a smooth paste. To this add the grated coconut and pulse again till the coconut is smooth as well. 

Heat oil in a pan and fry the boiled potatoes till golden and keep aside. In the same oil, make slits on the boiled eggs with a knife and fry till golden. You can add a pinch of turmeric to get a beautiful golden color on the eggs.

In another or in the same pan, add additional oil if required and splutter the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the remaining whole red chilli and fry for 2 minutes. Now add the ground paste and fry till oil starts coming out from the sides. Add the spices including salt and sugar and continue frying on a medium flame till a lovely aroma arises and the masalas fried well. Now add the coconut milk on a low flame and stir. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Add the fried eggs and potato and keep covered for 5 minutes on a medium flame. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice, neer dosa, or chapati.

           

Super Easy and Quick Blueberry Sauce

Cooking cannot get easier than this! Just two ingredients and you have a chemical free, preservative free, fresh fruit sauce ready for your anytime use, not to mention the super economical factor. I prepare s fresh fruit sauce every week for my husband 's everyday Granola Parfait breakfast which he loves. Last week it was Raspberry and this, blueberry. Both the recipes are shared below. In fact, you can use this recipe for any berry or a combination of berries!

Ingredients

1 cup blueberries/ raspberries/or any other berry

2-3 tbsp sugar depending on your taste and tartness of the berries

1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (if you intend to store it for a longer duration)

Direction

Take a non stick pan and put the blueberries and sugar and start stirring on a medium flame. If using raspberries or strawberries or similar, pulse a few times in the blender before adding to the pan for ease of cooking. Cover and cook the sauce on slow flame till the berries are softened and the sauce is bubbling and has got a shining glaze. Keep scraping the sides intermittently. That's where the sugar gets stuck. Now add the lemon juice and check the seasoning. The lemon juice will prevent the sugar from crystallizing and also impart a wonderful flavor. Lastly, add the vinegar and let the syrup reduce to desired thickness. Do not use artificial white vinegar as it will ruin the taste. In case you do not have balsamic or any other sweet vinegar, you can skip it. Store in a clean glass jar with air tight lid in the refrigerator and use a clean spoon every time you serve it.

                                        

                                        

 

Chicken in Spicy Soy Sauce

This recipe comes from one of my fellow blogger's mother's diary. She calls it "Black Chicken" as it is fondly christened by this name by her friends and family who have tasted and relished this dish. The world has now indeed become a small place with even recipes getting passed on from one kitchen to the next staying hundreds of miles apart. That day isn't far when people across different nations can enjoy a meal together even while staying miles apart (Not just through Skype though!)

Ingredients

1/2 kg chicken with bones (you can go for only drumsticks as well)

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp ginger-garlic

1 tsp red chilli powder

1-2 tsp good quality garam masala

Salt to taste

1 tsp olive oil

Direction

In a bowl, mix everything together except the chicken pieces and oil. Now add the chicken pieces and coat them properly with the marinade. With a fork, prick the chicken pieces and keep aside for 25-30 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan and add the chicken pieces along with the marinade. Fry till the juices are well absorbed and the chicken gets fried well. Now sprinkle a little water and cover cook for sometime on a low flame till the chicken is tender. Remove from heat and enjoy with some pulao or fried rice.

                     

Egg and Papad Curry

Every household has its own favorite dishes and our's is Egg and Papad Curry, more popularly known as "koni papod anja (kpa)". In assamese, we call the egg "koni" and "anja" for curry. My husband is very good at coining short-forms and thus the term KPA came into existence. This recipe has never failed me and is always a hit. 

Ingredients

3 eggs

4 pieces medium sized papad

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp ginger paste

1 small potato diced

1 tomato, chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 1/2 cup water

Salt to taste

Oil

Directions

Beat the eggs in a bowl adding very little salt and make 3-4 plain omelettes. Cut them into chunks and keep aside. Take the papad and fold it into half and then a second half so that you get four triangles out of each piece. Apply little oil on both sides of the papad and roast it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or until done. Keep aside. You can also fry them in a shallow pan. This is just to put down some calories.

In a pan, heat the oil and fry the potatoes until golden brown. Keep aside. In the same oil, splutter the cumin seeds and add the onions. Fry till translucent. Next, add the ginger and tomatoes and fry till it becomes mushy. Add the dry spices, that is, turmeric, cumin, and chilli powder. Fry till the oil starts separating from the side. Now add water and bring it to a boil. Add salt and the potatoes. Be careful with the salt as the omelettes and the papad will already have some in it. Cover and cook on a low flame till the potatoes are completely done. Tip in the omelette chunks and the papad. Check for seasoning. Remove from heat and serve hot with plain rice.                                    

                             

Pickle-Style Chicken- Achaari Chicken

The other day my husband came back from office and kept bragging about the lunch, which his colleague shared with him. He is from Pakistan and his wife had prepared some yummy Achaari Gosht and served it with parathas. My husband asked me if I knew the dish and if I could recreate the magic. I quickly looked up the recipe from the internet and thought of giving it a try. I am not sure if I could match the standards of that Pakistani lady (Pakistanis are usually known for their excellent culinary skills), but this version is surely fingerlicking! 

Ingredients

500 gms chicken

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 tsp ginger paste

1/2 tsp garlic paste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 cup yogurt

2 dry red chillies

2 green chillies, chopped

1/4 tsp kalonji

1/4 tsp mustard (rai) seeds

1/4 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds

1/4 tsp fenugreek (meethi) seeds

1/4 tsp fennel (saunf) seeds

Fresh coriander for garnishing

Salt to taste

1/2 cup water

1+1 tbsp oil

Directions

In a pan, dry roast the kalonji, cumin, fenugreek, mustard, and fennel seeds. Put them in a grinder and make a fine powder. Keep aside.

In another pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and add the chopped onions and fry till translucent. Add the red and green chillies and half of the powdered masala. Fry till everything gets a good stir and the onions turn golden brown. Remove the onions from the pan and keep aside. In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Once the oil is hot, add the ginger garlic paste and give it a light stir. Next add the chopped tomatoes and fry till they get a little smashed. Add the yogurt, the remaining masala, turmeric powder, and salt. Tip in the chicken pieces. Mix everything together and add 1/2 cup water. Cover and simmer the gas till the chicken gets tender and cooked, while stirring occasionally. Lastly, add the fried onions and mix everything well. Cover and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add the coriander and remove from heat. Your Achaari Chicken is ready to be relished with roti/rice. Enjoy!

             

Doi Mangsho (Yogurt Chicken)

When families with kids come visiting you, it's always a challenge to cook something which satisfies both the generations. After a little thought process and research, I squared in on this recipe for yogurt chicken which is not just easy to make but makes the taste buds happy as well!

Ingredients

500-600 gms chicken (I used boneless)

1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1 onion roughly chopped

1/2 inch ginger chopped

6-7 pods garlic chopped

6-7 pieces cashew

2 each whole garam masala (cloves, cinnamon, cardamom) 

2+1 tbsp mustard oil

Salt as per taste

Directions

Clean and cut the chicken into small pieces. In a bowl, add the yogurt, red chilli powder, and salt and prepare the marinade. Add the chicken pieces to this marinade and keep it aside for 20-30 minutes. In a kadhai (wok), add 2 tbsp oil and splutter the whole garam masala. To this, add the marinated chicken and give a stir on high for 2-3 minutes. Simmer the gas and cook the chicken covered while stirring occasionally. In a separate kadhai, heat the remaining oil and add the onion, ginger, and garlic and fry till golden brown in color. Add the cashew and fry for few more minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool. In a blender, add the onion fry and make a coarse paste. Add this onion cashew paste to the chicken and mix everything well. Taste for salt and add if required. You can also add a little sugar, if you like. Let it remain on low heat for 5-6 minutes till the gravy thickens. Remove from heat and serve hot with plain rice/roti.