ENNAI KARI (CHICKEN GRAVY)

The biggest lesson I learned in my cooking journey is that "SIMPLE IS ALWAYS BETTER". When we are passionate about cooking we tend to overdo and complicate things. But most of the tastiest dishes are very simple. This is one such dish with very fewer ingredients and a simple method but the taste is out of this world. Do give it a try and give me your feedback.

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1/2 kg
Onion -2(medium) (chopped)
Garlic - 6 cloves (chopped)
Ginger - 2-inch piece (chopped)
Tomato - 1 (medium) (chopped)
Green Chilly - 2
Coriander Leaves - a bunch
Sliced Coconut - 1/2 cup
Cinnamon - 1
Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 2
Red Chilly - 8
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Castor Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 4 tbsp



Preparation:

• Take oil in a pressure cooker and heat it. Once the oil is hot add Cinnamon, Cardamom, and cloves.
• Add the Red Chilly, Ginger and Garlic. Saute for a minute and add the chopped onion and cook until the onion becomes soft. Do not overcook the onion. 
• Add the chopped tomato and salt. Cook in a medium flame until the tomato becomes soft and mushy. 
• Add the chicken and mix well. Add the turmeric powder, green chilly, coriander leaves, sliced coconut, and castor oil. Add a glass of water and pressure cook it for 2 to 3 whistles. Switch off the flame.
• Once all the pressure is released, open the cooker and switch on the flame again and cook until all the water is evaporated and the oil comes out.
  

This chicken is the perfect combination for Tamarind Rice or Arisi Paruppu Saadham. The sliced coconut in this recipe gives a unique taste and texture.

CHICKEN SATAY (Manchurian Style)

              While I was on a trip to India we went to this awesome restaurant in Chennai called SEA SHELLS. We had a mouth watering dish called chicken satay. It was mind blowing. I was trying to recreate this dish and googled for a while. But all i could find was chicken satay in malay or thai style. So i just created this dish on my own. It was not like the one we had in the restaurant but it was close.

 It tasted really good. 

Ingredients:
Chicken(boneless)
Ginger Garlic paste
Red chilli powder
Lemon Juice
Salt
Oil
For Sauce:
Onion
Capsicum
Ginger Garlic (crushed)
Red chilli powder
Soy sauce
Tomato chilli saucereen chilli sauce
Ajeenomotto
Vinegar
Corn flour
Salt
Oil

Preparation:

1. Soak some wooden skewers in water 
2. Add all the ingredients in the marinade section to the chicken and marinate for atleast 1 hr
3. Before skewering the chicken pieces sprinkle some corn flour on the marinated chicken and skewer the pieces
4. Grill the chicken in either charcoal grill or electric grill(i used electric grill)

Making the sauce:

1. Add some oil in a pan
2. Add the chopped ginger and garlic and saute well
3. Add the onions and capsicum and add salt, ajeenomotto and chilli powder
4. Add all the sauces and vinegar and add water and mix well
5. Mix some corn flour in water and pour to the mixture to thicken the sauce
6. Adding color is optional

Make the sauce first and then grill the chicken. After grilling brush some sauce over the chicken both the sides. While serving keep some extra sauce on the side.

Note: Cut the chicken into strips rather than cutting it into cubes. It looks good on the skewer

CHILLI CHICKEN (INDO-CHINESE)

Ingredients:
Chicken(boneless)- 1kg
Salt
Pepper
One egg
Soy sauce
Corn flour - 2tbsp
Mix all the ingredients along with the chicken well and deep fry it in the oil and drain it and keep aside.

For the sauce:
Onion- 1(diced)
Capsicum- 1(diced)
Ginger and garlic(finely chopped)- 2tbsp
Soy sauce
Chilli sauce
Salt
Pepper
Ajinomotto
Sugar
Corn flour+water mixture

Preparation:

1. Add a little oil in a pan and heat it
2. Add broken red chillies and add ginger and garlic and saute well
3. Add onion and capsicum to it and cook it for a few min
4. Then add salt, pepper, ajinomotto, a pinch of sugar, chilli sauce and soy sauce and mix well
5. Then add a cup of water and allow it to a boil
6. Add the fried chicken and mix well until the chicken gets coated well
7. Add 2-3tsp of cornflour+water mixture and boil it until the sauce thickens and switch off
Add some spring onions on top and serve it with fried rice

ADUKKU PATIRI- SPICY VERSION

Ingredients:

For stuffing:

Onion - (finely chopped)

Chicken (minced)
Green chillies(finely chopped)
Ginger garlic paste
Salt
Garam masala

Pour some oil and add the green chillies and add the chicken and saute well with some salt until it becomes a little dry and all the water is dried
Remove the chicken and add some more oil and add the onions and ginger garlic paste and cook well with some salt and turmeric powder . Adding chilli powder is optional . Add the chicken to the onion mixture and mix well and switch off the flame

For the layers:
Make regular dough with maida, salt and water. Roll it out according to the shape of the pan and put it on a hot tawa and turn it once and take it out
Make sufficient amount of rotis and keep it aside

Assembling:

Beat 5-6 eggs with a little salt and pepper
Butter the pan well and turn on the oven to 350 deg

Take roti and dip it in the beaten eggs and keep it on the pan. Then put some chicken mixture and again dip a roti in the egg and keep it. Do this process step by step until the pan is full

Pour the remaining egg over it and sprinkle some poppey seeds and some cashews on top and cover it with and keep it in the oven
Stick a tooth pick to see it is cooked
Cut it into pieces and serve

MEAT PUFFS

Ingredients:

Puff pastry sheet (store bought)

Minced chicken - 1/2 kg

Onion - 3(medium size)

potatoes - 2 (medium)

Carrot - 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp

Green chillies - finely chopped

Garam masala - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder

Salt

Coriander leaves

Preparation:

1. Boil the potatoes and mash it

2. Heat oil in a pan and add chopped green chillies and fry it

3. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute it in a low flame until the raw smell goes away

4. Add the minced chicken and saute it. Add turmeric powder and salt and add the chopped carrots

5. Add the finely chopped onions to the chicken and add garam masala and saute it

(Do not saute the onions too long. Just until the raw smell goes away)

6. Switch off the flame and add the mashed potatoes and mix well and let the mixture cool and add the coriander leaves

7. Fill the patry sheet with the filling and close it and seal it

8. After filling the pastry sheet keep it in refrigerator for a while to make it hard. so that after baking the puffs will be flaky

9. Bake the puffs in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 min or until it becomes golden brown

I am sending this recipe for "JOY FROM FASTING TO FEASTING" event from www.kitchenflavours.blogspot.com

http://kitchenflavours.blogspot.com/2009/08/joy-from-fasting-to-feasting-season-ii.html

HALEEM USING WHEAT RAVA

Ingredients:

Wheat rava - 1 1/2 cup

Moong dal, channa dal. toor dal, masoor dal - 1 cup(all dals mixed together)

Urad dal - 2 tbsp

Chicken - 1/2 kg(mostly flesh)

onion - 1

Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp

Tomato - 1

Yoghurt - 4 tbsp

red chilli powder - to taste

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Salt

For garnishin:

Cut 2 or 3 onions very finely and fry it in the oil until it becomes crispy and golden brown. dry it in a plate

Cut some coeiander leaves finely

Cut some lemons

Preparation:

1. soak all the daals in water for atleast 2 hrs

2. Wash the rava and cook it along with all the dals with 4 to 5 cups of water until all the dals are cooked and there is no whole dals and the rava is cooked

3. In a pan add some oil and add onion, ginger garlic paste and tomato and saute well

4. Add red chilli powder, garam masala and salt and cook well

5. Add yoghurt and turmeric powder and add the chicken

6. Add some water and cook the chicken until the chicken is very well cooked and it becomes flaky

6. Mash the chicken with a spoon until there is no whole pieces left

7. Add the chicken mixture to the cooked dal and rava and add enough salt

8. Pour some ghee around 4 tbsp on top and mix it well

While serving add some fried onions and coriander leaves on top and sprinkle some lemon juice

I am sending the post for "joy from fasting to feasting "event by kitchenflavour.blogspot.com

http://kitchenflavours.blogspot.com/2009/08/joy-from-fasting-to-feasting-season-ii.html

CHICKEN OREGANO CUTLET

My sister in law taught me this dish. I tried it once and it was very tasty. It goes very well with vegetable soup which was also taught by my sister in law. I think that they are the perfect combination. I will post the recipe of vegetable soup next

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1/2 kg(boneless)

For marination:

Dry oregano leaves - 1 tsp

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

Salt

Pepper

For outer crust:

Maida

Tomato ketchup

Egg

Salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients given under "for marination" for atleast two hours

2. Pour some ketchup in the maida flour and mix it well until it crumbles. Dont pour too much ketchup then it will become watery

3. Beat the egg and season it with salt and pepper

4. Dip the chicken in egg and roll it over on the maida and ketchup mixture

5. Deep fry it

BUTTER CHICKEN

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1kg

Onion - 2(thinly sliced)

Cashew nut - a handful

Butter - 4 tbsp

Oil

Heavy cream - 1/2 cup

Red chilli powder

Tomato - 4

Method:

1. Cook the chicken with a little turmeric powder, salt and pepper. Drain the water from the chicken and keep it

2. Puree the tomato by boiling it in water and removing the skin

3. Heat oil in a pan and add the onions and saut'e it

4. Add the cashews and add the chicken and mix well

5. Add the chilli powder and salt and add the tomato puree and allow it to boil

6. After the tomato is reduced add the butter and cook it for a while

7. Before switching off the flame add the cream in it

This goes good with paratta and chappathi

HARIYALI KABAB

Ingredients:

Chicken

Mint leaves

Coriander leaves

Green chillies

Lemon juice

Yoghurt

Salt

Pepper

Preparation:

1. Grind all the ingredients except chicken into a fine paste without adding water

2. Marinate the chicken in the paste and refrigerate for an hour

3. Insert the pieces in a skewer and add pieces of tomato and onion in between the chicken pieces(This will keep the chicken moist)

4. Keep it in a baking tray and cook it in the oven in broil mode until the chicken becomes tender

In between take out the chicken and baste it with the same paste if there is any extra and this will give extra flavour

CHICKEN TIKKA

Ingreients:

Chicken(boneless) - 1/2 kg

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Curd - 2 tbsp

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tbsp

Red color

Salt

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients together from gingergarlic paste to salt in a bowl

(Squeeze out the water from the gingergarlic paste and the curd as much as possible)

2. The mixture should be very thick, There should not be any water in it

3. Put the chicken in the mixture and mix well and refrigerate the chicken for 2 hrs

4. Insert the chicken pieces three to four per skewerand put it in baking tray

5. Switch on the oven on highest temperature possible and put the chicken in the oven for 30 min

6. In between brush the chicken pieces with oil and change sides

If you wish you can add pieces of onion, tomato and capsicum in between the chicken pieces. This will keep the chicken moist

I tried this recipe from www.vahrehvah.com

PURI AND KURMA

Ingredients for kurma:

Potato - 1

Carrot - 1 cup

Cauli flower - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1(medium)

Tomato - 1 small

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Yoghurt - 2 tbsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Garam masala - 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves

Mint leaves

Coconut milk - 3 tbsp

Minced chicken - (optional)

Method:

1. Pour some oil in the pressure cooker and put chopped onion and saute it well

2. Add ginger garlic paste and add all the powders and salt and add tomatoes

3. Add the minced chicken and all the vegetables and saute well

4. Add the coriander leaves and mint leaves and add the coconut milk and enough water and put the lid on and cook it

5. After cooking mash the vegetables slightly

Serve it along with puri

CHICKEN MASALA NOODLES

Ingredients:
noodles-1 pack
minced chicken-100 gms
onion-1
tomato-1
ginger&garlic paste-2 tsp
red chilli powder-1/2 tsp
turmeric powder-a pinch
garam masaala-1/4 tsp
lemon juice-5or6 drops
carrot and beans-as req
salt-as req

coriander leaves-a little

Method

step-1: Boil water and add salt and add noodles.cook it till it becomes tender and drain it

step-2: pour some oil in a pan and add onions,ginger&garlic paste and tomato one by one and saute them wll then add all the powders,salt,veggies and chicken and lemon juice and saute them till they are cooked and then add the noodles and coriander leaves and mix well

note: After draining the noodles pour some cold water over it so that the noodles will not be sticky