Lemon Rosemary Chicken

The set up looks promising...

After pan searing and baking

Baked mint chicken and vegetable kebab

Bake for 20-30 mins at 450 F

Lime-jalapeño chicken

Ingredients:
Jalapeño -sliced, 2
Boneless, skinless chicken thigh- diced into bite size pieces
Crushed coriander seeds
Juice of lime - 1/2 (you can work with vinegar too for the tartness)
Onion -1 minced
Garlic, ginger- minced

Method:

1. Mix the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, turmeric, lime juice. Set aside.
2. In a wok, heat olive oil and fry the onion, garlic, and then the ginger. Add crushed coriander seeds and sliced jalapeño.
3. Add the chicken. Saute and then cover to cook. You may garnish it with cilantro.

Pepper chicken II (Andhra style inspired)

A while ago, I made an experimental Gol Morich Murgi (Chicken with Black pepper). I used chicken thighs with bones, quartered onions, ginger-garlic paste, and cilantro for that recipe. In this variation, I used finely sliced onions, ginger, garlic, fresh tomatoes, curry leaves and of course, generous amount of crushed black pepper. The dish will be slightly dark in color.

Ingredient:
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
Cinnamon sticks- 2
Broken red chilies- 3
Green chilis, halved horizontally 3-5
Coriander powder  1 tbsp
Crushed black pepper 2 tsp
Thinly sliced onion(1 1/2) garlic (6-8 cloves) and ginger (1/2 inch)
Sliced tomato-1
Curry leaves about 8-10
Salt to taste
Turmeric a pinch

Original Andhra style pepper chicken also calls for lemon juice in the marination and cumin seeds for tempering.

Method:

1. Rub fresh ground coriander powder, pepper, salt and turmeric to chicken.
2. Heat a wok or nonstick frying pan, big enough to stir the pieces. Heat mustard oil (or sesame/coconut oil for authentic taste), add thinly sliced onions and sliced garlic. Add the chicken with some cinnamon sticks broken into pieces., broken red chilies and curry leaves. Fry well.  Cover.
3. Add sliced tomatoes. The water from the tomatoes should be enough for the chicken to cook through if you are cooking for two people.  Add sliced ginger. Slow cook the chicken until the water is dried. Take care not to over cook. Use more crushed black pepper and halved green chilies to turn the heat.
   
   (Do not use yogurt or other dairy-based product that will neutralize the heat for this recipe.)

Chicken, gnocchi and spinach soup

1. In a saucepan, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add diced red onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. 
2. Add baby spinach and cooked chicken (leftover rotisserie breast will work fine). Season with salt, pepper , and crushed coriander.
3. Cook the gnocchi separately in salted hot water until it rises to the serface or with the other ingredients in the saucepan. Add organic chicken broth.Simmer. Serve with grated Parmesan.
   
   You may skip chicken and use vegetable broth for a vegetarian option. I added a pinch of flour- you may skip it to have a clear soup and add some more for the Olive Garden version.

Golmorich murgi (Chicken with black pepper)

গোলমরিচ মুরগি (Chicken with black pepper)

Method:

1. Clean and cut chicken into curry pieces. I prefer thighs with bones. In a non-stick pan, add 1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp ghee. Saute the chicken pieces with 2 tsp fresh ginger-garlic paste.
2. Add freshly ground black pepper, 2-3 dry red chilis, coriander seeds, cloves and cinnamon stick, and salt to taste.
3. Add halved green/thai chilis and largely chopped/quartered red onions (about the size of a nickel). Cook covered. The onions will almost melt in the gravy and the oil will separate . (Minced chilies will be hotter and minced onion will give a different texture to the dish.)
4. Now add chopped cilantro (or mint) and 1 tsp cream to bring it all together. Serve warm. 

Chicken in a roast pan

1. Clean and make shallow cuts on chicken leg quarters. You can go only as far as the ingredients let you, so try to get good quality meat from your local butcher.
2. Marinate them with salt, crushed pepper, Shan Tandoori masala (or crushed spices of your choice), beaten yogurt with green chili, ginger and garlic paste.
3. In a roast pan, line the bottom with aluminium foil, add cubed red potatoes (no need to peel skin),  baby carrots, and quartered red onions (dry any excess water with paper towels). Sprinkle salt, pepper, coriander seeds and olive oil. Mix well and spread evenly for uniform cooking. Add thyme or herbs of your choice.
   
   
   
   
4. Add the meat rack and place the chicken. Cover the whole set up with a foil tent or lid. Bake at 350 F for 45 mins to an hour. Brush some butter or oil on the chicken halfway through and turn it upside down. Broil for  the last 10 mins if you like.

The meat drippings will enhance the flavors of the vegetables. The onions should be caramelized but not burned. Serve with a salad or greens. No-hassle Sunday lunch.

Pan seared chicken with vegetables

1. Boil chicken leg quarters and potatoes in a pressure cooker. (Alternately, you may brine the chicken overnight.) Drain, remove skin.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan, add onions, minced garlic and chilies. Rub chicken with freshly squeezed lemon juice and crushed spices like coriander, black pepper and cinnamon.  Fry in the pan till browned on both sides. Add the potatoes, some baby carrots and chopped parsley. Spinach and brussel sprouts may be added too.
3. You may use some of the chicken stock you had when you boiled the chicken. Add crunchy fried onions for extra flavor.

Chicken with soy sauce and coconut milk

Cooking, like most other things in life, is a quest. It can be more than a means to satisfy hunger. It can be an adventure, a spiritual journey and a way to show love. I am thinking about the mother who cooks for the daughter she hasn't seen for years, the kid who makes chicken soup with inept hands, the husband who makes French toast for breakfast. It need not be elaborate. The expressions vary. We might forget the details of a particularly flavorful dish, but we will always  remember how it made us feel. Comforted. Warm. Happy.

Years ago, my father made a spicy chicken dish in soy sauce and yogurt on my brother's birthday.  It was so long ago that he has forgotten the recipe. We can seldom recreate our own creations, but this is as close as I could get. I used coconut milk instead of yogurt and added curry leaves. Tweak to suit your taste. Search for your own perfection.

Method using wok or frying pan :

1. Clean, pat dry with paper towels and dice 2 lbs (1 kg) boneless chicken thigh into serving size. Marinate in salt, turmeric, ground cumin-coriander, red chili powder, ground black pepper, lemon juice overnight.
2. In a wok or nonstick frying pan, fry 1 big onion (finely chopped), minced ginger, crushed garlic, minced green chilies, 1 medium sized tomato, and 10 curry leaves.
3. Crush whole garam masala like 1 stick of cinnamon, 4-5 green cardamom, 5 -7 cloves, 1/2 tsp coriander seeds and 1/2 tsp peppercorn in mortar and pestle. Add to the wok.
4. When the onions have been fried well, add the chicken. Keep stirring. Do not cover yet.
5. Add 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 2 tsp (or drizzle) low-sodium soy sauce. Stir and cover.
6. When the soy sauce is almost dry, add coconut milk. Cook till the oil separates.

Use whole green chilies instead of minced if you want it less hot.

Alternate method:
You may also use the ingredients to make a spicy roasted chicken. Use a cornish hen with skin on and rub the marinade inside the sking and over it. Cook 30 mins at pre-heated oven at 375 F (190 C) for 30 mins and turn to cook another  20-25 mins (or until the skin is crisp). Broil the last 10 mins. If you are using coals, place the chicken sufficiently distant from the heat so the chicken cooks through before the skin gets too brown.

Beresta Chicken

For Joyita di

'Beresta' means fried onions, and you can use it in fish  and dal recipes too. You may add some store brought fried onions along with the onions you fried at home to get extra flavor.

Since this recipe uses a lot of onions, you risk making the gravy too sweet. Use freshly crushed peppercorn to adjust heat. Also, it is essentially a Bengali roast, so ensure that the heat is spread evenly while cooking and slow fry the onions to get the best flavor.

Method:

1. Cut leg quarters into serving sizes- the thigh portion cut into two, the leg portion slashed to let spices in. ( I prefer chicken with bones for this recipe.) Marinate in ground korma spices and salt overnight.
2. In a frying pan big enough to place the chicken pieces in one layer, heat mustard oil to smoking point, lower the heat, spread thinly sliced onions, stir and fry until soft. Add some store bought crunchy fried onions, stir.
3. You may  add some whole spices (like bay leaf, cloves, cardamom) to complement your ground Korma masala.
4. Add minced garlic, ginger and green chilies and some whole green chilies. Fry till the raw smell is gone.
5. Layer the chicken pieces in the pan, fry both sides. Mix well with the masala. Cover and cook.
6. Add beaten (essential) yogurt evenly over the chicken. Cover and simmer on low heat.
7. Sprinkle a little water if you think the spices will dry up. Best if you let the chicken cook in its own juices. 
8. Add some crushed pepper for extra flavor. 
9. You may also add a tad of cumin coriander powder. (Optional)

I made beresta salmon with tomatoes last night. It was delicious. Skip the korma masala and use bhaja masala instead when you make fish with beresta. Unless, you want to -who am I to curb your creativity? Happy cooking.

Basil chicken fried rice

1. Saute some red cabbage, red bell pepper and red onions in a non-stick.
2. Add some cooked chicken (deep fried when we made chili chicken) green peas, finely chopped Thai chilies, cracked pepper, salt, chili oil and low-sodium soy sauce.
3. Add parboiled rice (you may use Jasmine rice if you want), washed with cold water in a strainer (to prevent the rice from sticking later). Stir well. Add chopped basil leaves when the rice is almost done.

I had it with lobster in dry shrimp paste from New Penang Garden, Milpitas. You may also enjoy it with a chili-garlic hot sauce.

Couscous with mushroom and Chicken baked with lemon, thyme and garlic

Couscous with mushroom

1. Slice mushrooms, dice onions, fry them in olive oil on a non-stick. Add minced green chilies if you like.
2. Add Chicken broth and salt to taste; bring to boil and stir in the couscous. Cook for 5 min till the grains turn fluffy. 

Chicken baked with lemon, thyme and garlic

1. Clean boneless, skinless chicken thighs, pat dry. Make shallow cuts on the meat.  Sprinkle salt and pepper. Fry both sides in a pan with olive oil. Add a few cloves of crushed garlic, should be enough for each piece of chicken.
   
2. On an Aluminium foil, add the chicken and garlic  pieces. Add slices of lemon (prefeeably organic) and fresh twigs of  thymes.  Add the juice of  a slice of lemon. You may also add a bit of butter. Wrap the foil around the chicken.
3.  Bake in pre-heated oven for 30-40 mins at 350 F. Serve with the couscous. You can fish out the garlic and decorate the couscous with it.

You may also set up the whole thing in a couscoussier or steamer- the couscous on the top camber, and your preferred meat and vegetables in the bottom chamber. The meat will cook below and impart a flavor to the grain above them.

Chicken Marsala

Resurrecting an old favorite from the Italian restaurants in Boston

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, well pounded
Button Mushrooms, sliced
Marsala wine
All purpose flour
Salt
Pepper (freshly crushed )
Oregano (dry)
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Parsley

1. Pound the chicken thighs to uniform thickness using a meat mallet.
2. Dredge the meat in a mix of  salt, pepper, flour, and oregano.
3. Heat olive oil in a non-stick,  brown the chicken on both sides. Keep aside.
4. In the same oil add sliced button mushrooms, freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, pepper till the mushrooms brown on edges. (Squeeze the chicken for excess oil and use it to cook the mushrooms)
5. Add Marsala wine, chicken broth (preferably low-sodium). 
6. Add the chicken, reduce the sauce, turning once or twice. Add freshly chopped Italian parsley.

Serve with a light pasta.

Chicken Biryani Photo Guide

My obsession with Biryani may be justified by saying this- the perfect home-made Biryani is like the ever elusive Moby Dick. Sometimes, you wonder if it really exists. But that doesn't mean we should quit searching.  Today, I came quite close to perfection, and between the two of us, we finished the contents of the Dutch oven for our Sunday lunch. So, I can safely say it was good.

Here's a step-by-step photo guide to ease your efforts or keep track of your operation flow in the kitchen.

Step 1: Use (premium) long-grained Basmati rice and cook it with a few bay leaves, star anise ,  javitri ( mace),  and a cinnamon stick. Only parboil it. If you use a rice cooker, switch it off just before it is done to prevent it from overcooking later. I use a steamer.

Step 2: In the meantime, soak saffron strands in a little milk. Fry thinly sliced onions (2, big) in a pan with 1 tsp oil and 1 tsp ghee. Continue doing so on low heat until they brown. Then, drain them and let the excess oil/ghee soak in paper towels.

Step 3: (Most essential) Cook the meat (1 lbs, marinated only with turmeric, salt, and lime juice overnight to an hour). You may borrow some of the fried onions; add minced garlic and ginger (about 3 tsp). Fry well in 1 tsp ghee. Use a food processor to make a paste of the fried mixture. Add to the chicken, Cover and cook well with home made Biryani powder [Ingredients (Dry roasted and ground): Cloves, Cinnamon, Green Cardamom, Black Cardamom, Black cumin,  Mace,  Star Anise ] or store-bought alternative. The meat should be almost done. Sprinkle some water if needed, don't let the spices burn. Stir often towards the end when the water has dried up to prevent burning. Taste for salt.

Step 4: Add the parboiled rice on top of the meat. Discard the bay leaves and mace. You may use the star anise and cardamom stick. Cover on very low heat in a Dutch oven or use a baking tray to cook in a conventional oven. (I use a copper bottom stew pot now. I put weights on the lid to keep the steam from escaping).

Step 5: Warm the saffron milk in a microwave for 20 secs.  Pour over the rice. For garnishing, use the fried onions and boiled eggs sliced in half. You may also lightly fry the boiled eggs for a richer taste.

I boiled eggs and then forgot to add them since we were in a hurry to gobble it up. :D

Drink lime and mint sprigs enthused water to aid digestion. You may also eat yogurt or raita and ajwain (caraway seeds).

You may also like Crockpot (slow-cooker) Biryani

Achari Chicken

This recipe is an inspiration from Deepa Mashi, my aunt. She asked me to make the Achari spice mix using:
Dry red chilis
Coriander seeds
Mustard seeds
Fenugreek seeds
Fennel seeds
Kalonji seeds
(You may also use Panch phoron and dry red chilies instead)

A version uses dry roasted  and ground cumin-coriander and anise seed (sparingly, because anise seed is very overpowering)

1. Dry roast and grind all the dry spices except the Kalonji seeds (they turn bitter on grinding and will also turn the chicken black). 
2. Marinate the meat with lime juice, salt, yogurt (alternatively, you can add it later too) and half of the spice mix. (About 30 mins to overnight)
3. In a wok/cooker, fry diced onions (optional), minced garlic and garlic. Add the meat. Fry well.
4. Add diced/canned tomatoes and the remaining spice mix. Taste for salt. Add 3-4 slit green chilies. Ghee if you don't mind the cholesterol.
5. No extra water is needed for cooking. Garnish with cilantro if you want.

You may also stuff some green chilis with Achari spice and lime juice and add them towards the end for extra heat. Or deep fry them for serving later.

Pasta with chicken and sun-dried tomatoes

1. Boil pasta according to instructions. I like them al dente. Pour in a colander and through cold running water, so that they don't stick later.
2. In a wok, add bite-sized chicken pieces, garlic, rosemary (I had marinated them earlier), sun-dried tomatoes and diced celery. Add chicken stock, chili flakes, serrano/green chilis(if u like it really hot)
3. Pour pasta and cheese(I used Kraft Italian 5 cheese blend in this one) of your choice till it melts. Check for salt. Serve warm.

You can use fresh parsley too.
For more pasta ideas click on the label 'pasta'

Chicken Shawarma

1. Cut boneless chicken breasts in to bite-sized pieces and marinate in vinegar overnight.(Can add step 3 in the marinade too)
2. Prepare the tahini: toast sesame seeds on pan (do not brown). Put in coffee grinder and grind to powder. Add olive oil in a bowl and mix. Set aside
3. Heat crushed garlic,salt, pepper and spices (like cardamom pods, allspice) or shawarma mix to the chicken and cook until soft in a wok. (Assuming you don't have a vertical spit to grill it for a day)
4. Add bell pepper , onions and tomatoes.(I like them lightly fried) 
5. (You can shred the chicken if you want)
6. Place a tortilla or pita(heat both sides if you want), fill with the chicken and tahini sauce. You can add sliced  cucumbers and/or pickles.
7. Serve with hummus and salad greens.

I used this seasoning

Coq au Vin

Link 1 (in French)

Link 2

I made it in a pan for dinner.

1. First, I tore some bacon and put on a pan, along with diced shallot(can use pearl onions instead) and diced potatoes(not necessary, can add carrots too). 
2. Then I added some marinated chicken pieces (less cooking time), salt(prefer using salt while cooking then at the end), crushed pepper, bay leaves, crushed cloves of garlic and stirred. 
3. Used some red wine for the sauce and some fresh parsley.

You can use chicken broth instead of chicken pieces for amazing bacon and potatoes.

You can have baked cinnamon apples as dessert.

Chicken roast with basil pesto

I used Cornish hen for this recipe, you can use any pieces, preferably with skin on, since we'll brown it later.

Thaw first, if frozen. Then clean the bird, pat dry,  loosen the skin and add spices like garlic salt, black pepper, lime juice, olive oil/butter, rosemary , and basil pesto inside the skin and over it. Roast uncovered in a roasting pan for 1 hour at 400 F in conventional oven, turning once when done half way through. Broil the last 10 mins to brown the skin. Bast occasionally with the drippings. Serve with grains and vegetables of your choice. Baked beets with a dash of lemon , baby carrots with pickled cabbage, or steamed string beans may make a healthy, tasty side. You can use the leftovers to make salad, sandwiches, wraps, or Chicken, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Casserole

You can make whole tandoori chicken by marinating the bird overnight in Tandoori powder, ginger garlic paste, cardamom , chili garlic powder, Dash garlic and herbs, pepper, yogurt.

And serve with avocado-romaine lettuce-pine nuts- shaved turkey-raisin/dry rainier cherries salad.

For crisper salads, place paper towels in the bottom of the salad bowl before filling with salad. Excess moisture will be soaked and this will help keep the salad crisp and fresh longer.

Crockpot Biryani

Here, I tried to emulate dum-styled cooking using a slow cooker/crockpot. For Dutch oven recipe, click here.

1. Clean thigh pieces (I prefer with bones), make shallow cuts on the meat, dry well with paper towels. Add whole spices like : green cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, javitri(mace), peppercorn and any packaged biryani masala you prefer. Yogurt , salt if needed, ghee(clarified butter). Coat well and uniformly.
2. Set the slow cooker for 4 hrs after greasing the bottom with ghee. Place the chicken. 
3. Rinse Basmati rice and soak in water for couple of hours while you fry thinly sliced onions till brown.
4. 2 hrs into cooking, turn the meat to the other side. Add browned onions, layer it with the soaked rice. (or  you can add parboiled rice later) Add saffron soaked milk, and rose water on top of it. Cook for another 2 hrs.
5. You can add nuts, raisins and plums if you want to make it richer in taste(Shahi). Some ppl use tomatoes,  potatoes (interesting history of recession-proof Biryani). You can learn about several variants here.

Alternately, you can cook the chicken and the rice separately (difference with pulao), then  layer them in a rice cooker or baking tray in an oven for shorter cooking time.

Chicken first

After adding Basmati rice

Final product