The Super Quick Indian-style Blackened Chicken

Indian-Style Blackened Chicken

Hii..
On a cold winter evening when you really don't want to do anything else but just snuggle up in your quilt, this is one of the tastiest and easiest things to cook. It matches perfectly with a bowl of hot soup and some bread. The best part it can be prepared in such a short time. I found this one while browsing the net.Its a recipe by Ruchi Airen from her blog Foodfellas. (I have made a minor modification here n there)
So without wasting much time I ll straight jump to the recipe..

INDIAN STYLE BLACKENED CHICKEN

Makes: Around 8 Chicken Legs (Serves 4)

Ingredients

Ingredients

Chicken Legs - 8pcs
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1.5 tablespoons
Vinegar - 2 tablespoons
Soya Sauce- 2 tablespoons
Red Chilli Powder - 1 teaspoonful
Garam Masala Powder - 1.5 teaspoonful
Black Pepper Powder - 1 teaspoonful
Salt - to taste
Refined Oil - 1 tablespoon

Procedure

1. Prick the Chicken Legs with a fork on all sides

2. Marinate the Chicken with all the above ingredients (Except for the Oil)

Marinated Chicken

3. Keep Aside for 30-35 minutes
4. Heat the Oil in a Wok and put the marinated chicken (along with the left over marinade) into the wok.

Stir Fry

5. Fry for a few minutes, then sprinkle a little water and cover and cook until done (around 20mins)
6. Once the chicken looks done, Remove the cover and stri fry on high heat to dry up all the liquid.
7. Serve Hot (You can garnish with some sliced onions and lemon wedges)

Enjoy the Blackened Chicken

Thanks for taking out time to read this!! Ciao Ciao!

My Marriage at 21 and Mutton Kalimiri

Our Wedding

Hii..
I was just now reading a post on Facebook which talks about the usual stereotypes associated with an Indian Marriage. Like the girl should know how to cook, the girl should dress in a certain way after marriage, whether the girl should work after marriage, what about her male friends and so on..

I got married when I was 21 and not because of some social/parental pressure but because I had found that one person with whom I wanted to spend the rest of my entire life. I was still doing my Masters and honestly at 21 I hardly understood all the things associated with marriage. It was more of a 'dream come true' feeling because I was head over heels in love with N(hubby)..

But now (its been around 10yrs) when I read all this I can't thank my stars enough that I had N in my life and nobody else. The main reason being from the beginning till now N loved me the way I am..Never ever did he burden me with expectation of any sorts. I could be MYSELF in front of him ALWAYS.. I really don't know how the usual Husband-Wife relationship is cause N and Me have always been Best of Friends from the very beginning.

Its more like two friends who are in love with each other are staying together. All responsibilities together and all the fun together but giving each other sufficient space to do our own thing too, to have my own set of friends, to do things what I want to do the way I want to do!!!!

Well Thank You N, Thank you for making me feel that getting married that early wasn't an impulsive decision which one would regret later, rather something which I will cherish all my life and even later!!! Thanks for being on my side from being a total no-cook person to someone who writes a food blog now!

Now coming back to FOOD..Yes by now you can gauge that I didnot cook this one but N did.. Its called MUTTON KALIMIRI/ BLACK PEPPER LAMB. I have taken this from the Internet. Its a recipe by Chef Harpal Singh

MUTTON KALIMIRI/ BLACK PEPPER LAMB

Mutton Kalimiri / Black Pepper Lamb

Makes : 6-7 servings

Ingredients
1 kg Mutton (with Bones)

Mutton

1.5 tablespoons Freshly Crushed Black Peppercorns

4 tablespoons Ghee/refined Oil
1” Cinnamon – 2 pcs
2 Bay Leaves

7-8 Green Cardamom
5 Black Cardamom
5 Green Chillies – Slit
6 Medium Onions Sliced

3 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste
Salt to Taste

5 tablespoons Boiled Cashewnut paste
1.5 teaspoons Garam Masala Powder
1/2 Cup Fresh Cream

Procedure

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of Oil/Ghee in a Non-stick Pan and add the Cinnamon Bay 

Getting Started

Leaves Green Cardamom Black Cardamom Green Chillies and Sauté

2. Add the sliced Onions and Sauté for 3-4 minutes

3. Add the Mutton and Sauté for 2-3 minutes
4. Add the Ginger Garlic Paste, Mix and Sauté for 3-4 minutes
5. Add Salt and Mix Well
6. Add 2 Cups of Water and Pressure Cook on High for 5 minutes and then reduce heat and cook for 25-27 minutes
7. Heat the remaining Ghee/Oil in a non stick pan
8. Add the crushed Peppercorns and Cashew Nut paste and Sauté for 3-4 minutes (till it forms a lump)
9. Reduce Heat and add the cooked Mutton with the stock and spices
10. Add Garam Masala, Mix well and Cook further

Cashew nut paste and Black Pepper being sautéed

11. Add the Fresh Cream and Mix well, Cook further till it gets heated properly.
12. Sprinkle some more Crushed Pepper and Serve Hot with Naan or Roti.

This recipe has very delicate flavours and those who are not fond of Mutton, can try out with chicken.
Note: Vegetarians: Try with Paneer/Cottage Cheese

Thank You for reading..Ciao!

Mutton Kalimiri

The Easy Peasy Chicken Malai Tikka

Chicken/Murg Malai Tikka

Hiii...I doubt there will be anyone in this world (non-vegetarians ofcourse) who doesn't drool over Murg/Chicken Tikka.. Well I am no different..Be it the usual Chicken Tikka or the Reshmi Tikka or the Malai Tikka I am in love with every flavour possible..
So this time on the Bengali New Year Along with the Stuffed Meat Buns (Click for the Recipe) I decided to club it with some Chicken Malai Tikka. And Lazy Me I had to find a recipe which would be really easy to make without much efforts.. So after some research I combined 2-3 recipes for Malai Tikka and thankfully this turned out to be finger-licking good.. Well I did it in my regular oven but if you can do it in a proper Tandoor Oven I am sure it will enhance the flavours..

Note: The Important thing I learnt about Tikkas from various recipes is that the tikkas always go through a 2-step marination. The first one being a basic one (Ginger Garlic etc) and the second one is the main flavour for the Tikka

You can obviously try the same recipe for Paneer Tikkas also. This is an extremely simple take on the Malai Tikka and takes very little time for preparation and also time taken for marination is also quite less (2.5hrs) as compared to other recipes where overnight marination is required.

CHICKEN MALAI TIKKA

Makes: 20-22 tikka pieces
You will Need - Satay Sticks/ Bamboo Skewers soaked in water (around 7-8)

Ingredients:

Boneless Chicken Pieces - 750gms
Fresh Ginger Paste - 1 teaspoon

First Marination

Fresh Garlic Paste - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Black Pepper Powder- 1 teaspoon
Nutmeg Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Lemon Juice - 2 teaspoons
Fresh Cream - 1 cup
Grated Processed Cheese - 1 cup
Cheese Spread - 3/4 cup
Curd (beaten) - 1/4 cup
Kasoori Methi Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Green Cardamom(Elaichi) Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Cornflour - 1/2 tablespoon

Procedure:

1. Properly Wash the Boneless chicken pieces and place in a bowl

Getting Ready with the Second Marination

2. Step ONE Marination - Add the Ginger Paste, Garlic Paste, Salt, Black Pepper Powder, Nutmeg Powder, Lemon Juice to the chicken and mix well and Keep aside for around 30 minutes
3. Take the grated cheese on a plate and mash the properly with your palm and fingers.
4. Now add the Kasoori Methi Powder and the Green Cardamom(Elaichi) Powder to the mashed cheese and mix well.
5. Step TWO Marination - Add this mixture to the marinated chicken

After the Second Marination

6. Step TWO Marination Cont..Add the Fresh Cream, Cheese Spread and Beaten Curd to the chicken and mix slowly with your hands. Keep aside for around 2 hours. 7. Preheat your oven and baking dish at 180 °C.
8. Spray some Oil/butter over the baking dish
9. Now Skewer the chicken pieces (Smear the extra marinade over the chicken pieces) and Bake for around 20 minutes  (Don't forget to turn the sticks in between)
10. Serve Hot with Chutney

Ready to be put in the Oven

Ready to be served

As you can see this is a really simple recipe and a must try at home!! So Bon Appetit!

The Bengali New Year with Stuffed Minced Meat Buns

Freshly Baked Stuffed Buns

The Bengali Couple

Hii..
The Best part about being an Indian is the number of festivals we celebrate..And to top it if you're a Bengali then every festival is associated with some delectable veg and NON-veg food..
(And also Saris and Round Bindis for the damsels and dames)..

This time for Poila Baishakh aka the Bengali New Year, after having a delicious lunch prepared by MIL, it was my turn for dinner. I wanted to do something different from the usual Bong Cuisine..

Well New year without Lamb/Mutton would be very dull so after some net surfing I decided to combine two recipes to make some STUFFED MINCED MEAT BUNS (Buns Stuffed with MINCED LAMB/ GOSHT KEEMA).. I clubbed it with a yummy Chicken Malai Tikka (Click for the Recipe) whose recipe I 'll share in my next post..

Baking Breads at Home have always intrigued me. Though the recipes are mostly simple yet the 'Yeast' plays an extremely important role. The bread dough rising properly while Proofing is an Eureka Moment for all bakers. The fate of the bread depends on it..

Well coming back to the recipe, I have it in two parts. The first one being the Keema Stuffing for which I have adopted the Dhaba Keema recipe by Aditya Bal. The second part is the Buns ofcourse, which I have borrowed and modified from Joy of Baking website.

STUFFED MINCED MEAT BUNS (Buns Stuffed with MINCED LAMB/ GOSHT KEEMA)

Makes: 12 Stuffed Buns

Part 1 - Minced Meat Stuffing / Keema Stuffing

Ingredients for the Keema Filling

Ingredients
1/2 Kg Boneless Mutton, Minced
1 Tablesp Oil
1 Bay Leaf  / Tej Patta
5 Green Cardamom / Elaichi
2 Teasp Cumin Seeds / Jeera
2 Cloves / Laung
3 Medium Sized Onions, Chopped
1 Tablesp Garlic, Chopped
1 Tablesp Ginger, Chopped
1 Tablesp Butter
1 Green Chilli, Finely Chopped
1/2 Capsicum, Chopped
1 1/2 Teasp Turmeric / Haldi
1 Teasp Red Chilli Powder / Lal Mirch Powder
2 Teasp Cumin Powder / Zeera Powder
2 Teasp Coriander Seeds Powder / Dhaniya Powder
Salt, To Taste
Asafoetida / Hing, A Pinch
3-4 Tablesp Milk
1/2 Cup Tomato Ketchup
3 Teasp Sugar
Juice Of 1/2 Lemon
Water

Procedure:

Keema being Cooked

1. In a pan add oil, bay leaf, green cardamom, jeera and cloves. Let them release the aroma.

2. Now add chopped onions. Saute till golden brown. Remove the bay leaf.

3. Add garlic, ginger and butter. Saute.

4. Add the green chillies and capsicum. Saute till the capsicum is wilted a bit. (For about 3-4 minutes). De glaze with some water.

5. Now add the masalas: turmeric powder, red chilli powder, zeera powder, dhaniya powder, hing and salt. Saute. Add a teaspoon of water and mix.

6. Add the mutton mince. Saute for 3-4 minutes. Add milk and mix well.

7. Add the tomato ketchup, sugar and lemon juice. Cook for 10 minutes on medium flame.

8. Add 1 cup water. Cover and cook till the water evaporates and the mutton is well done.
Keep Aside to cool down.

Part 2 - Stuffed Buns

Ingredients:

Starting with the Dough

1 cup (240 ml) Milk
2  teaspoons of Active Dry Yeast
3 teaspoons White Sugar
3 1/2 - 4 cups (455 - 520 grams) All Purpose Flour/Maida
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons (70 grams) butter, melted
1 large Egg
1 large Egg, lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons of Cream/Milk- Egg Wash


Procedure:1. In a small saucepan, or in the microwave, heat the milk until lukewarm (about 100 degrees F or 38 degrees C). Add the yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar and stir to combine. Set aside for about 10 minutes or until the yeast is foamy. (if Yeast doesn't turn foamy throw this mixture and try again)

Yeast Turns Foamy

2.Meanwhile in the bowl Combine the flour, sugar and salt. Once the yeast is foamy, gradually add to the flour mixture and mix until the dry ingredients are moistened.

3. Add the melted butter and a beaten egg and mix until incorporated. Continue to knead the dough (for atleast 15-20 minutes) until it is silky smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary. (if dough gets too sticky).

4. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning the dough once, so the top is lightly greased. Cover with plastic wrap  and place in a warm spot to rise until it has almost doubled in size (about 1 1/2 - 2 hours).

5. When the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down to release the air, and divide into 12 equal pieces. Form each piece into a small round ball, flatten it and stuff it with the prepared Meat/Keema mixture and roll into a ball.

The Rise of the Bread Dough in around 2 hours

6. Place the balls on a greased tin or on a parchment lined baking sheet (They should be spaced so they have enough room to double in size.) I did 4 buns at a time. Make an egg wash of one beaten egg with 2 teapoons milk/cream, and brush the tops of the buns with the wash. Lightly spray a piece of plastic wrap with some oil, and place lightly over the buns. Place in a warm spot until almost doubled in size (about 60 minutes)- reproofing.

Stuffing the Buns and Re-Proofing with Egg Wash on Top

7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Brush the tops of the buns with the egg wash (again), Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for about 12 minutes, or until the buns are nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve Warm.

And the Stuffed Minced Meat Buns finally

Dinner was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone at home. We had the buns with Murg Malai Tikka and some Shorba (Soup). Before I call it a day Here's Wishing you all  SHUBHO NOBO BORSHO that is A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR and I hope the coming year brings you many many reasons to smile!! Thanks for reading!