Chicken sandwich with red pepper relish and guacamole

Let's talk sandwiches today. I wonder why I never run out of ideas to make sandwiches. Maybe because I love them so. For this one, I shallow fried a spicy chicken breast in olive oil, made a relish of red peppers and caramelized onions,made guacamole (Click here for guacamole recipe) and to top it all grated a bit of sharp cheddar cheese. After all this work I was not going to ruin it by using plain slice of bread. So, I got a good crusty white bread , which is a rare sight in my home. I always opt for healthy whole wheat bread. But, once in a blue moon, it's fine to use white bread.  Right? 

Assembling was fun and I just kept piling layers and layers on. First, I slapped on some creamy guacamole. Then the relish went right on, then the chicken and then the cheese. No butter on this one. This sandwich makes for a good lunch or dinner :). For us it was weekend brunch.

Ingredients: (serves 2)

• Good, crusty, long white loaf like ciabatta or baguette
• Red pepper - 1
• Onions- 2
• Dried oregano - 1/4 tspn
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Olive oil - 2 tbspns
• Garlic paste - 1/4 tspn
• Chicken breast - 1 pc
• Paprika powder or Kashmiri chili powder - 1 tspn
• Garam masala - 1/4 tspn
• Guacamole - 1/2 cup (Click here for recipe)
• Sharp cheddar - to taste
• Salt - to taste

Method:

• Cut chicken breast lengthwise into 2.
• Marinate with chili powder, garam masala, garlic paste and salt for an hour.
• Shallow fry the chicken in 2 tbspns olive oil. Set chicken aside. Reserve the oil for making relish.
• Now, for the relich, slice onions and red pepper.
• Chop garlic finely.
• Saute garlic in the reserved olive oil. Add onions and peppers and saute.
• When slightly caramelized and golden, add oregano and salt.

Assembling:

• Slice the loaf horizontally. 
• On lower half, slather some guacamole.
• Add the onion-pepper relish.
• Top with chicken and finally grate some cheese on top. 
• Close sandwich and enjoy.

 

Nadan Chicken Curry

In Bangalore, or should I say "Bengaluru", for the past few days the stubborn clouds have been refusing to give way to the Sun. Gloomy days with chill winds..........boring, boring, boring.On one such afternoon last week, I was browsing channels when I came across a show with the recipe for nadan kozhi curry or country style chicken curry. Basically, a recipe from Kerala. It sounded and looked appealing. So, I tried the recipe. Verdict- I should say that it tasted very, very nadan and the recipe was very simple to follow. This is a nice gravy which will go well with pathiri, parotta, roti or dosa. With rice.......not so much. Cooking time was considerably less as the pressure cooker cooked the chicken in a jiffy. A quick curry.
Ingredients:

• Chicken- 1.2 kg


• Onions- sliced - 5 large


• Ginger - 1 inch piece (sliced)


• Garlic - 10 large cloves (chopped)


• Coriander powder - 2 tspns


• Chilli pwder - 1 tspn


• Eastern chicken masla - 1 tspn


• Turmeric - 1/2 tspn


• Garam masala - 2 tspns


• Ripe tomatoes(medium sized) - 5 (diced)


• Mustard – 1 tspn


• Curry leaves - one fist full


• Coconut oil- 8 tbspns


• Salt - to taste


• Water – 1-1/2 cup

For marination:

• Coriander powder - 6 tspns


• Chilli powder - 2 tspns


• Turmeric powder- 1 tsp


• Garam masala powder- 2 tspns


• Chicken curry masala - 2 tspns ( I used Eastern brand)


• Salt - 1 tspns

Directions :

• Marinate the chicken without adding any water and keep aside for 30 mins.


• Take 7 tbspns oil in a pan and fry onions till golden.


• Add ginger and garlic. Saute well.


• Add chicken and tomatoes and the rest of the masala mentioned in the ingredients.


• Add salt to taste.


• Add half the amount of curry leaves


• Let in cook for 5 mins


• Transfer the chicken to a pressure cooker.


• Add water ( For a thick gravy add just ½ cup of water).


• Add the rest of the curry leaves.


• Cover and let it cook for one whistle.


• Take 1 tbspn. oil in a tempering ladle and temper mustard and curry leaves and add to the chicken.


• Serve hot.

Luv 'n' luc'

Smitha

Oven-baked Tandoori Chicken

I'm going straight to the recipe today.

Ingredients:( serves 3-4)

• Skinless chicken legs - 10
• Tandoori chicken masala - 3 tspns ( click here for recipe)
• Chilli powder - 1 tspn
• Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tspn
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
• Salt- to taste
• Ginger-garlic paste - 3 tspns
• Lemon juice - 2 tspns
• Yoghurt - 2 tbspns(or greek yogurt- 1 tbspn)
• Beetroot( beets) juice - 3 tbspns ( optional )
• Oil - 2 tspns

Directions:

• Place 2 tbspns of yoghurt in a tea-strainer and let it stand for 20 mins. This helps the whey water to drip away from the curd and leaves you with a thick yoghurt. Throw the water away and use the strained curs in the marinade. For those of you who have greek yoghurt, you can omit this first step.
• Mix all the ingredients together and marinate the chicken for about 2-3 hours or best overnight.( the beetroot juice is a natural source of color and is used to add more color to the chicken. I use it to avoid using artificial color )
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F( 177 C).
• Then place a pan on medium heat. Roast the chicken in the dry pan for about 3 minutes.This is called searing. Turn the chicken over to the next side and roast for 3 mins.( we do this for the masala not to taste raw ).
• Transfer the drumsticks to a baking tray lined with alumium foil .
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes in the centre rack of the oven.
• Then turn the chicken legs over to the next side and bake again for 15 mins.
• Remove chicken from oven and cover chicken with additional foil( this is done to avoid it from drying out)
• Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees F( 260 C)
• When the oven reaches 500 F, remove the covering foil of the chicken and bake it on the top most rack of the oven for 5-6 mins. (till the chicken gets a nice char on it) .
• Serve with onions and lemon.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

GONE NUTS ABOUT COCONUT - CHICKEN CURRY MALABAR

Here we go, back to coconut.
Did you know that the early Spanish explorers called it coco, which means "monkey face" because the three indentations (eyes) on the hairy nut resembles the head and face of a monkey.Now, don't tell me that this post should have been titled differently :). Coconut is a rich source of vitamins, minerals and fiber and oh! .........fat and calories too.With that said, I am not going to harp on health benefits and disasters but I have to add that coconut has myriad medicinal properties as well. So, because I'm a coconut addict, I convince myself that the pros outweigh the cons and thus, anytime is coconaka time :)

This chicken curry goes well with rice or rotis.What's even better is, it takes hardly 20 minutes to fix.

INGREDIENTS(makes 3-4 servings)

• Chicken -1-1/2 lbs(cut into peices)
• Oil - 2 tbspns
• Onions- 1 large (sliced)
• Green chillies-2 nos.(slit)
• Tomatoes - 2 nos.
• Ginger- garlic paste - 1 tspn
• Coconut milk - 1/2 cup
• Chicken curry masala- 2 tbspns(available in Indian grocery stores)
• Coriander powder - 3 tspns
• Turmeic powder- 1/2 tspn
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn
• Salt - to taste
• Coriander leaves- to garnish

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oil in a pan and saute slit green chillies in it.(be cautious of splutters).
• Add onions and saute till transparent.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and keep stirring it for about 4-5 mins.
• Now, add turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, chicken-curry masala and salt and saute.
• When the masala is well-fried, add chopped tomatoes and stir well.Add chicken and 5-6 tbspns of water . Cover and cook on low heat till chicken is done.
• Add coconut milk and stir well. Cover and cook for another 2-3 mins.
• Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

Luv 'n' luc'

Smitha

HYDERABADI BIRYANI

Did you know that biryani comes from the Persian word 'birian' which means 'fried before cooking'? Or that there are over 26 varieties of biryani made in India?
It is considered a royal dish of the Nizams and the Nawabs.But now a days,in India, you find restaurants specializing in biryani around every corner.
I am a biryani fanatic. I just love the whiff of spices and the blend of flavors in it. I can eat biryani morning, noon and night.So, by now you would have guessed that this recipe is an all time favorite of mine.Vinit adores it too.Hyderabadi biryani is usually made with Mutton(Goat meat).But since I prefer white meat, I have substituted mutton with chicken.You can absolutely use whatever meat you prefer.
I have made this recipe easier to follow in many ways in comparison to the traditional method of making hyderabadi biriyani without compromising on taste .So, you don't have to run to your favorite restaurant everytime you crave hyderabadi biryani .You have it right at your fingertips.........Yippeeeeee! Here are the flavors which come straight from the Nawab's kitchen.

QUICK TIP: Now the easiest way to go about this recipe is to marinate the chicken or mutton ahead of time.I marinate it and refrigerate it overnight.In this way, the process of making biryani the following day becomes shorter and way easier.

Preparation of the marinade takes about 15 mins.

Preparing the biryani takes about 40 mins

INGREDIENTS (makes 6-7 servings)

• 2 pounds chicken(which includes breast, thighs and legs), cut into 1-1/2 inch peices
• 1 tablespoons papaya paste (tenderising agent)[OPTIONAL]
• 2 tablespoons ginger paste
  
• 2 tablespoons garlic paste
  
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
  
• 2 teaspoons red chilli powder
  
• 2 cinnamon sticks (1 to 1 -1/2 inches each)
  
• 9 cloves
  
• 3 bayleafs
  
• 7 cardamom pods
  
• 10 tbspns sunflower oil or vegetable oil
  
• 4 large onions thinly sliced
  
• 15-20 Cashew nuts
• 1 tspn Saunf(fennel seeds)
  
• 2 tbspns raisins
  
• 5 tablespoons whole yogurt
  
• 1 lemon, juiced
  
• 1/4 cup chopped mint
  
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  
• 2 green chiles, slit
  
• 4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
  
• 3 cups basmati rice
  
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron (about 10 strands fresh saffron) boiled in 1/2-cup milk for 5 minutes and set aside for 15 mins to allow the color and flavor to transfer to the milk. [ a substitute for saffron is 1/8 tspn of turmeric powder in milk. But ofcourse, the taste will have to be compromised a little if you are going for this option]
  
• Coriander powder - 4 tbspns
  
• Garam masala - 1 Tbspn
  
• Coconut milk - 1 cup(divided into 2 equal halves)

DIRECTIONS
For marinating the chicken:

• Lay the chicken peices in a bowl. Add papaya paste,1 tbsn ginger paste, 1 tbspn garlic paste, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, and 2 cardamom pods. Mix the spices into the meat with your hands.
• Strain the yoghurt in a tea strainer or a cheese cloth for 15-20 mins till all the whey drips out and you are left with a very thick curd.
• Heat refined peanut oil or sunflower oil in a saute pan . Add 3 of the thinly sliced onions and fry until light golden and crisp. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Keep 1/3 part of these fried onions aside for garnishing.
• Now fry the cashew nuts and the raisins in the oil and set on a tissue.Reserve the oil.
• Pulse the fried onions in a food processor to get a very coarse paste and rub it onto meat and mix with hands. Add yogurt and mix again. Add lemon juice, half of the mint and half of the coriander leaves and 2 tablespoons of the oil that is leftover from the onions. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour( or overnight) for the flavor to develop.

For preparing the Biryani:

• Par boil the 3 cups of rice along with 3 pods of cardomom and 3 cloves in 7 cups of salted water.Par boil means to boil only till the rice is half-cooked.[For example , if basmati rice takes 16 mins to cook fully, then this recipe phase requires for the rice to be cooked for only 8-9 mins]
• When the rice is still crunchy in the middle, turn off the flame and strain it, reserving the starchy liquid that is drained from the rice.
• Divide the rice into 2 equal portions. To one portion add the saffron milk and stir and set aside. To the second portion of plain white rice and add 2 tbspns of ghee.Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(177 degrees C)
• In heavy bottom pan heat the oil left over form frying the onions along with 2 tbspns of ghee.Add the bayleaves, remaining pods of cardomom, saunf, cloves and cinnamom sticks.Then, add the slit green chillies and the remaining sliced onions.
• Saute until golden brown.Add the remaining ginger-garlic paste.Saute well.
• Now add the coriander powder,garam masala and the remaining mint and cilantro leaves.When the masala is well sauteed add the marinated chicken along with all the marinade.Add one 1/2 cup of coconut milk and 1/8 cup of water .Cook for 8 mins or till the chicken pieces are half cooked.
• Then, take a lasagna dish or any flat based oven-proof bowl and make a single layer of this chicken masala. Spread evenly all across the base of the dish.
• Layer the rice on top of the chicken masala.
• You can layer the rice in 2 ways. One way is to layer the rice like in this picture here. Layer the ghee rice first on top of the chicken layer and then layer the saffron rice above the ghee rice.This is an easier method.
• The second way is like in the first picture of this posting. Take the ghee rice and saffron rice and layer it alternatively. I have used 2 layers of rice( meaning, that below every ghee rice layer I have layered saffron rice and below every saffron rice layer, there is a ghee rice layer. (I opted for this layering style only for the sake of a good snap)
• In a small bowl, mix the second 1/2 cup of coconut milk with 3/4 cup of the rice-starch drained from the boiled rice(which you have reserved earlier).
• Pour the coconut milk-starch mixture evenly over the top of the rice .Cover the dish with a lid or a aluminium foil and pop it into the preheated oven for 30-35 mins.(Don't open the oven frequently while food is being cooked in it.This leads to sudden drops in oven temperature and your food will remain uncooked in the recommended time)
• When the biryani is done, remove the foil and garnish with fried onions and cashews and raisins.
• While serving the biryani dig right through to get all the layers on your plate.
• Serve with raita.(raita is a simple salad made with yoghurt which is mixed in with chopped onions,cucumber,coriander leaves and salt)

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Soup for the soul - Sweet corn chicken soup

Winters in Missouri, where I currently live, are unpredictable. Funny, because sometimes temperatures are as high as 10 degrees Celsius in the midst of January and sometimes they dip to minus. Like last week, it was ruthlessly cold. Temperatures sank to -15 degrees Celsius. But, the sun peeped out this morning and that made my heart light. Somehow, sunshine brightens up my day even though the temperatures don't. But,the forecast says by midday, dark clouds will hurry-by and speedily bury the sun. No silver lines.The weather is so untrustworthy.I decided not to let mother nature spoil my spirit and bring me down. I just wanted to keep going.
The first idea that came off the top of my head was soup. We (soup and I) decided to pair up against the cold. It was a day saver. A hot cuppa soup can warm you from the inside out. My favorite soup for many years has been sweet corn chicken soup and I order it as often as I can in any restaurant which serves it. When making this soup at home, I realize how that it's also easy to fix and feeds your soul.
This soup is everything you expect and more. Incredibly yummmmm..... and you will be hooked forever. Ofcourse, it tastes smooth along with surprise bites of chicken and sweetness from the corn. It is an extremely light soup, light on your tummy and guilt free comfort. It is perfect to curl up on the couch to on a dreary winter day.
Ingredients:( serves 2)

• Sweet corn kernels - 1/4 cup or cream of corn - 1/2 can
• Chicken stock - 350 ml
• Corn flour - 2 tspns
• Garlic- 2 cloves(chopped)
• Ginger - 1/4 inch piece(chopped)
• Oil- 1 tspn
• Shredded broiled chicken - 50 gms
• Egg white - from 1 egg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• In a medium sauce pan, saute ginger and garlic in oil.
• Add chicken stock and boil. After 3-4 mins, strain the stock through a strainer and discard the ginger garlic pieces. Return the stock to the sauce pan and turn-on the heat.
• Add corn kernels. Stir and cook for 2 mins.
• In a small bowl, mix cornflour well with 1/4 cup of milk. Add it to the chicken stock.
• Stir constantly.
• Beat egg white and stir it into the soup. Stir well so the the egg white scrambles in the soup.
• Add pepper, salt and the cooked chicken shreds.
• Serve hot with a couple of drops of soya sauce and green chillies in vinegar.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha