Chicken Croquettes Recipe (Indian Style)

~Ingredients~
500 grams minced chicken (boiled)
2 small onions (made into paste)

2 tsp Garlic paste

1 tsp Ginger paste

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp peppercorns

1 red chilli

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 inch cinnamon

1 clove

2 tsp turmeric powder

1.5 tsp parsley (made into paste) or dry parsley leaves

0.5 tsp lemon juice

100 grams bread crumbs

2 eggs

Salt and sugar to taste

~Procedure~

1) Take a frying pan and sauté the spices except the garlic, ginger pastes and turmeric powder for few minutes until you get a pleasant roasted aroma. After, the spice mixture cools down, grind it.

2) Take the minced chicken and add to it the boiled potatoes. Knead it thoroughly. To the chicken-potato mixture, add ginger paste, garlic paste, onion paste, parsley paste, lemon juice, roasted spice mixture, turmeric powder, salt and sugar(as per individual preference). Knead the mixture thoroughly and make it into dough. Now, make medium croquette shaped chicken balls from the mixture and keep it aside.

3) Take a bowl and break the eggs. Add a pinch of salt and sugar, mix well. Now, dip the chicken balls one by one in the egg batter and roll them on the bread crumbs.

4) Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken croquettes until brown, 5 to 8 minutes per side.

5) Sprinkle some fresh coriander and serve hot with tomato ketchup or any other sauces.

Goan Chicken Curry (Chicken Vindaloo)

I first cooked this dish, three years back, for my Mami, my Uncle’s wife. She was taking part in a Food Fair. I helped her in putting together all the spices. Today, as I woke up in the morning (well! It was not really morning!), afternoon, my dear brother informed me that my complex in coordination with The Telegraph has organised a cookery competition. Cooking has always been one of my passions. So, I jumped at the idea of taking part in the competition. 

I love Goan cuisine. Goan cuisine is the amalgamation of three cultures, the Portuguese, the Hindu and the contemporary Indian. Goan foods are rich in spices and have wide variety of flavours from hot to sweet to sour. The traditional ingredients are coconut milk, kokum, tamarind and seafood. In this recipe, I have used chicken and tamarind and various Indian spices.

~The Recipe~

For Vindaloo Marinade:

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1.5 tsp mustard seeds

1.5 black peppercorns

2 whole chillies

2 cloves

1.5” cinnamon (broken)

2 tsp ginger paste

2 tsp garlic paste
1.5 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

For Gravy:

8 medium sized (about 800 grams) chicken

2 big onions (finely sized)

2 bay leaves

3 green cardamoms (crushed)

1 or 2 green chillies (optional)

1 tbsp tamarind pulp

2 tsp each of vinegar and sugar

2 cups hot water

2 tbsp white oil

Salt to taste

Procedure:
1) Roast all the ingredients For Vindaloo Marinade, except the turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste, until you get a pleasant roasted aroma. After the mixture cools down, grind it. Mix with it the turmeric powder.

2) Poke hole in the chicken with the help of a fork. Now, thoroughly rub the marinade mixture (step 1) and the ginger garlic paste all over the chicken pieces. Marinade the chicken pieces for few hours or for at least one hour if in hurry.

3) Heat white oil in a heavy bottomed pan and fry the bay leaves and the crushed cardamoms for a few seconds. Add the sliced onion and fry for 5 minutes or till they are light brown in color. Add the chicken pieces and fry for another 5 to 7 minutes or till the chicken pieces are light brown in color.

4) Now add the slit green chillies (optional), hot water and salt. Cover on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or till the chicken pieces are tender and soft.

5) Add the tamarind pulp and mix well with the gravy. Put the gravy to simmer over low heat for another 5 minutes. Now add the vinegar and the sugar. Adjust the balance as per the individual preferences.

Note:

1) This dish can be enjoyed with Jeera Rice, White rice and Indian Roti.

2) Since the Whole red chillies are being used for the marinade, the green chillies are optional. But, again it depends on the individual preferences.

3) To roast the spices, take a frying pan and sauté the spices for few minutes or till you get a pleasant roasted aroma.

Butter Chicken (Murg Makhani) Recipe

Butter chicken or Murg Makhani is an Indian dish originating from the northern part of India. The chicken is cooked in tomato puree and butter.It is a flavourful dish, easy to cook and perfect for any occasion.

Enjoy! 

For Marination:

800 grams Chicken cut into pieces

1 tbsp slightly sour Yoghurt

1 tbsp Vinegar or Lemon juice

1 tsp Coriander powder

2 tbsp Tandoori Masala

1 tsp Ginger Paste

2 tsp Garlic paste

Salt to taste

For Gravy:

4 large tomatoes (Chopped, deseeded and made into a puree)

4 tbsp Butter

1 tbsp Fresh Cream

1.5 Tbsp Cashew paste

Salt and sugar to taste

1 tsp kasuri meethi leaves (Chopped)

Procedure:

1.       Prick holes and make cuts in the chicken pieces. Make a paste of all the ingredients mentioned under For Marination and rub it thoroughly over the chicken pieces. Keep it aside for 1.5 hours to two hours. For best Flavours, marinade the chicken overnight.

2.      Take a heavy bottomed pan and heat the butter. After the butter starts to sizzle, put the marinated chicken on it. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or till the chicken is fully cooked or water has come out of the chicken.

3.      Now add the tomato puree, salt, sugar and cashew paste and cook uncovered on medium heat for about 5 minutes till the puree thickens and the fat seperates.

4.      Stir in the beaten cream and add the Kasuri Meethi leaves. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 5 to 7 minutes or till the curry is consistent and the chicken is properly cooked.

Just before serving the Chicken, pour melted butter over the curry. Garnish with a swirl of fresh cream and finely chopped coriander leaves.

Note:

1.      For a thick smooth cashew paste. Put the cashew in water for half an hour. Then grind to paste.

2.     This dish can be served best with Jeera rice, Indian Roti, Naan.

Chicken Bharta Recipe

I cook most of the time for my brother. He loves chicken Bharta, which indirectly means that I have to either buy him the dish from a restaurant or cook for him myself.
Chicken Bharta is a Mughal dish where the shredded chicken is cooked in wide range of spice mix. This recipe is perfect for a party and can be best complemented by Biriyani, Laccha Paratha and Jeera Rice.
Due to haste, I have used chicken pieces. But it is preferable to use shredded chicken.

Enjoy the recipe! J

Ingredients:

500 grams chicken

4 cloves

4 black cardamom

2 bay leaves

2 medium sized onions made into paste

1 teaspoon ginger paste

1.5 teaspoon garlic paste

1.5 teaspoon red chilli powder

1.5 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon All spice mix (Garam Masala Powder)

1 teaspoon Tandoori Masala

4 tablespoon tomato puree

4 teaspoon cashew paste

3 teaspoon curd

1.5 teaspoon butter

3 teaspoon fresh cream

Procedure:

1)      Wash the 500 grams chicken and put it into a pressure cooker. To the chicken, add 4 Cardamoms, 4 Cloves, ½ inch Cinnamon and salt. Cook till three whistles. Take out the chicken from the pressure cooker and preserve the stock for the gravy.

2)     In the meantime, boil eggs, remove the yolk and roughly chop the egg whites. In a separate bowl, mix the yolk with some water. Keep it aside for the gravy.

3)     Take a non-stick pan. Heat 3 tablespoon of oil. Add to the hot oil, onion paste, garlic paste, ginger paste, Cook until they are lightly brown in colour. Now add to it, coriander powder, Chilli powder, Garam masala, Tandoori masala, Turmeric powder. Fry the spices until you get a pleasant aroma.

4)     To the onion-spice mix, add tomato puree, Curd, chicken pieces and left over chicken stock. Put salt and sugar to taste. Adjust the thickness of the gravy.

5)     Lastly, add 1.5 teaspoon butter, 3 teaspoon fresh cream, the smashed egg yolk. Mix thoroughly.

Garnish with egg whites, coriander leaves and chopped cashew nuts.

Note: 

1) Before making a paste, soak the Cashew in water for 15 minutes.