Coriander Chicken

We all love 'Free' stuff .... don't we ? So this time when I was in the neighborhood shop buying grocery I was lured by this ' Buy one Get one Free - Chicken Breasts'. And the 'free' bug hit me hard. And I decided to buy this pale frozen tasteless free chicken ! !

But my dear friends nothing comes for free in this world ........ in my excitement getting a tray of free chicken breasts I forgot to check the expiry date. It was too late when I realized ........ I had to consume the free one first ...... yah the expiry date was just a day after I bought it.

So I had no choice but to cook chicken ....... but guys let me tell you a small secret, you can never go wrong cooking chicken. The end result is at least edible if not good. And some people would simply eat it because it's 'Chicken' !!

With this belief I started preparing this chicken curry ..... my own recipe ! Not that I wanted to experiment. On any given day I would love to eat mom's Country Style chicken curry. But sometimes this blogging stuff freaks me out ..... with the desire of showing off my own culinary skills and getting applauded by my co bloggers, I present you my experimental Coriander Chicken.

Not : Try at your own risk. There are chances you get addicted to it ...... equal chances of dumping it too :-)

Preparation Time - 45 minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Chicken Breasts - 1 pound

Onion - 1 big

Tomato - 1

Chopped Cilantro - 2 cups

Curry Leaves - few

Ginger - 1.5 inches

Whole Black Pepper - 10

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon - 2 inches

Whole Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp

Chicken Curry Powder - 1 tbsp

Green Chili - 4

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt per taste

Oil for cooking

Method of Preparation

1 Cut chicken breasts into medium size pieces. Chop onion and tomato finely and keep aside.

2 Grind and make a thick paste of coriander leaves, ginger, curry leaves, green chilies, coriander seeds and whole pepper.

3 In a Kadhai, add enough oil. Add whole cinnamon and cumin seeds. Add the finely chopped onions and fry till golden brown.

4 Add the finely chopped tomatoes along with turmeric, chicken masala and salt. Fry till the tomatoes are soft.

5 Add the chicken pieces and fry till the chicken pieces look opaque/ white.

6 Pour the mixture of coriander mixture and mix well.

7 Keep frying till all the moisture evaporates and the chicken gets cooked. Do not add water. The masala will turn brown in color when cooked completely.

Serving Tips

Serve warm with rice or roti/ chapatti/ paratha.

Notes

Keep stirring the masala else it may stick to the bottom.

Variation

You may add green chilies per taste. Instead of chicken breast pieces you may use any piece. You can use the stem of coriander leaves for making puree.

Other Names

Coriander Chicken - Coriander Chicken Curry, Coriander - Cilantro, Cumin - Jeera.

Country style Chicken Curry

Hissshhhhh ..... I heard the pressure cooker whistle. I quickly ran to the kitchen. I had seen dad come home with a black plastic bag from the market ....It was Sunday morning and I knew it was chicken. Since morning, I had made a hundred trips to the kitchen to check on it. Other days I won't even buzz by the kitchen. I moved around my mom asking her a thousand questions about how and when the chicken curry would be ready.

I hanged around her till I irritated her .... she shooed me away like a little kitten and asked me to come only when I heard the pressure cooker whistle. So there I was ....

I got myself a small plate and a spoon and waited till I got a small piece of it. Mom opened the cooker .... hot steam gushed out it spreading the aroma of spices and chicken, the curry still boiling. I peeped into the cooker as mom moved the ladle trying to mix the gravy well. 'Can I get that piece to taste', I asked mom pointing at the leg piece. 'No, you will get it with rice during lunch, not now', mom said while she carefully put a small piece with a little gravy on my plate.

I was happy with whatever I got. I carried the plate carefully to my favorite spot. I sat their licking the gravy and waiting for the tiny piece of chicken to cool down.

This chicken curry is my mom's recipe. A simple country style chicken curry without any frills.

Preparation Time - 45 minutes

Serves - 3

Ingredients

Chicken Legs - 6

Chopped Onions - 5 cups (loosely packed)

Garlic Cloves - 5

Ginger - 1 inch

Chopped Tomatoes - 2 cups

Whole Cinnamon - 2 inches

Whole Cardamom - 4

Whole black pepper - 10

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Chicken Masala - 1 tbsp

Salt per taste

Mustard oil for cooking

Method of Preparation

1 Wash the chicken pieces and keep aside. I have used leg pieces but you can use chicken thigh or breasts with bones

2 Finely chop onions. Crush the garlic cloves and ginger using a mortar and pestle. Chop tomatoes

3 Pour about 2 tbsp of mustard oil into the pressure cooker. When warm add all the whole garam masalas (cinnamon + cardamom + black pepper) along with cumin seeds.

4 Now add the chopped onions to it and mix well. Fry the onions till they look translucent. Add the crushed garlic and ginger and mix well.

5 Add a little salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder to it. Mix well and keep stirring till the masala starts getting pulpy.

6 Add the tomatoes now. Mix well and fry till the tomatoes are soft and the masala gets 3/4 th cooked.

7 Now add the chicken legs and stirr to coat them with the masala. Keep stirring else the masala will stick to the bottom of the cooker. Continue to do this till the masala is completely cooked.

8 Mix the Chicken Masala with a little water to make a paste. Pour it on the chicken and mix well. Stir for some more time.

9 Add about 4 cups of water to the masala. Add salt again per taste.

10 Close the lid of the cooker and cook till one whistle.

11 Open the cooker after it cools down. If you want the gravy to be thicker cook for some more time to let the excess water evaporate.

12 Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serving Tips

Serve warm with Rice or any Indian flat bread.

Variation

You can use vegetable oil or Canola oil instead of Mustard oil for cooking. Use your choice of chicken pieces. You can use any store bought chicken masala powder.

Other Names

Cinnamon - Dalchini, Cardamom - Elaichi, Cummin - Jeera,

Sending this to Divya's 'Show me the Curry'

Methi Chicken

Go Green seems to be the buzz these days. People have become conscious .... that's the good part. I myself have been carrying stuffs to the recycle centre. Well this reminds me of something ..... J and I went to a Thai restaurant in downtown, quite a decent one. The ambiance was good and the food was even better.

Being weekend, it was a bit over crowded. We waited for couple of minutes till the waiter led us to a nice window side table. Like always I ordered my all time favorite ' Pad Thai' even without looking at the menu. What Dosa is to South Indian restaurants, Pad Thai is to Thai Eateries. J browsed through the elaborate menu and ordered something ...... the names are too complicated to be spelled or even remembered. Who cares as long as it tastes good. Eat it and forget it !! But one thing that I am unable to forget till date about that place is the fresh white glossy sheets of paper they placed on the tables when guests arrived. There was a fresh sheet for every new person at the table. And there were pens to scribble on it. I noticed them change those sheets as guests left. I felt sorry and angry seeing the way paper was wasted .

I know some needy children in orphanages back in India where they long for a simple notebook and pen.And I am sure there are many needy children all over the world.I wished these people understand that small things make a big difference.

I believe that summits and conferences can't change anything. If we really want the world to change, we must change ourselves before changing others !!

So with the slogan 'Go Green' ....... I would like to share the recipe for Methi Chicken with you all.

Have a great Green weekend !!

Preparation Time - 60 minutes
Serves - 4
Ingredients
Boneless Chicken - 1 pound
Chopped Onions - 2 cups
Fresh Chopped Methi Leaves - 2 cups
Chopped Tomatoes - 1.5 cups
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Chicken Masala - 2 tsp
Green Chili - 2
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Kasuri Methi - 1/2 tsp
Curd - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking
Method of Preparation
1 Wash and clean chicken and cut into small pieces. Keep aside.
2 Wash and clean the methi leaves. Chop methi leaves roughly. Finely chop onions,ginger, garlic, tomato and chilies.
3 Heat oil in a open pan (approx 1.5 tbsp). Add the finely chopped ginger,onion and chilies. Add salt. Fry till translucent and soft. Add the garlic now. Garlic is added later to prevent burning it.Fry for some more time till golden brown.
4 Add red chili powder and turmeric. Mix well. Add the finely chopped tomatoes (I used store bought tomato puree - 2 tsp). Fry till all the ingredients combine well.
5 Now add the chicken pieces and mix well with the masala. Add chicken masala (Any store bought one, I use MDH) and the cumin powder. Mix well. Keep stirring. Do not add any water now. Simply frying the chicken pieces gives it a nice texture.
6 Once the chicken pieces change color and look opaque (whitish), add about 1/3 cup water. Mix in the 2 tsp of curd. Cover the chicken and cook on medium heat. Do stir the chicken intermittently.Add Kasuri Methi.
7 Once the chicken is cooked. Add the chopped methi leaves. Cook for a minute or two. The leaves get cooked in no time.
Serving Tips
Serve hot as a side dish. Goes well with any Indian Flatbread (Roti/Phulka/Naan).
Notes
It is important that you stir the masala frequently.
Variation
I used boneless meat but you may use with bones also.
Use store bought Tomato Puree instead of fresh tomatoes.
You may add little water if you prefer having a gravy.
Other Names

Methi Chicken - Fenugreek Chicken, Methi - Fenugreek, Cumin - Jeera, Kasuri Methi - Dry fenugreek leaves,

Chicken 65

Spice Up your Friday .............

If you are the person who likes spicy food, I am sure you will relish this dish. I had this impression that people from the South of India are masters in Dosa and Idli until I tasted this chicken recipe. I have to say that this deep fried chicken recipe will change the entire idea about recipes from the south.
I hope you will prepare this dish and spice up your Friday Eve !!
Preparation Time - 40 minutes
Serves - 4
Ingredients
Chicken - 1 pound
Egg - 1
Green Chilli - 2
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
Garlic Chopped - 1 tbsp
Ginger Chopped - 2 tsp
Chilli Garlic Sauce - 2 tsp
Crushed Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - few
Lemon - 1 tsp
Corn Flour - tsp
Ajinomoto - Optional
Red Color - Optional
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking
Method of Preparation
1. Cut chicken into small bite size pieces. Clean and place on a paper towel to remove moisture from it. Finely chop ginger and garlic.
2 Marinate chicken with salt, a pinch of ajinomoto, 1 tsp pepper powder and corn flour.Combine all these ingredients real well. Then add the egg to it such that the egg forms a nice coating on this chicken.
3 Heat oil in a deep pan and fry these chicken pieces well.Make sure you fry the chicken in batches. Remove and keep aside.
4 In a wide mouthed pan, pour some oil. When the oil is warm add chopped ginger and garlic and fry. Make sure you reduce the heat else you may end up burning the garlic. Add the curry leaves. Now add Cumin Powder, Red Chilli Powder and to it. Pour 2 tsp of chilli garlic sauce to it. Add few drops of water before you toss the chicken into it. (If you wish add the food color to this water)
5 Mix well with all the spices.
6 Sprinkle few drops of lemon before serving.
Serving Tips
You can enjoy this dish as an entree/starter or even as a main coarse.
Notes
Make sure you cook the spices on medium heat. Also this is a dry chicken recipe, so do not add more water.
If you like it a little less spicy, you can reduce the amount of green chillis or red chilli powder.
Variation
I prefer making this item with Chicken Breasts but you may use chicken thighs as well. Use chicken with or without bones.
Ajinomoto and Red Color are optional. Incase you do not want it, you may avoid adding the same.

Ginger Coriander Chicken

It was a Friday and we deceided to make our evening a little special with some good food and drinks.We quickly bought a tray of Chicken Thigh from the neighbourhood food and grocery store.I was sure not to make the regular stuff ........ so my quest for a different Chicken recipe ended with my Ginger Coriander Chicken.I and my husband loved the flavor and I bet you will like it too.
Preparation Time - 30 minutes
Serves - 3
Ingredients

Boneless Chicken Thigh - 1/2 pound

Onion - 1 small

Ginger - 1 tbsp chopped

Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp

Chopped Coriander leaves - 2 Cups

Curry Leaves - few

Green Chillis - 4

Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp

Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Corn Flour - 1 tbsp

Ground Pepper - 1/2 tsp

Salte to taste

Oil for cooking

Method of Preparation
1 Cut chicken into small to medium pieces,clean and keep aside.Marinate chicken with soy sauce,vinegar and corn flour. Grind Onion,coriander leaves,curry leaves and green chillis in a blender.Chop ginger into small pieces.

2 In a wide open pan (preferably a non stick pan),pour about 2 tbsp of oil. Once oil is heated spread the marinated chicken and fry.

3 Once the chicken gets a texture and a golden brown color add ginger garlic paste and chopped ginger to it and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.Add salt now.

4 Add the minced coriander onion paste to the chicken. Keep frying the chicken on medium heat till all the water evaporates and the coriander paste sticks to the chicken pieces and the chicken is throughly cooked.

5 Sprinkle ground pepper.

Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serving Tips

Serve hot with phulka,naan or paratha.

Notes

Marinate the chicken with sauce, vinegar and keep aside for minimum 20 - 30 minutes.

Make sure you keep stirring the chicken else the spices will stick to the pan.

Variation

Instead of throwing the coriander stems, add it along with the leaves and blend.

Instead of boneless pieces, you may also use thigh pieces with bones.

Other Names

Coriander - Cilantro