The other side of Protein...A non-veggies dream

The other side of Protein....
What makes the world go round...food and more precisely good food, that is not only appetizing on your stomach, but appealing to all your senses...What is that one food group that almost half of India population relish...the non - vegetarian side of the cuisine... This is for all my non - veg foodies...enjoy your kebabs and curries...

Tandoori Chicken...

This is the one of the few things that got exported through out the world...India is know as the land of cows and yes...chicken tikka, tandoori chicken and loads of spice... Ask any true blue Punjabi and what you get is a tandoori aficionado...attempting this legendary dish is simple, yet complicated all the same...try and enjoy....Classic tandoori chicken is marinated in yogurt, lemon juice, and plenty of spices, then grilled or broiled. Plan ahead.

Prep Time: 8 hours, 45 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 9 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 (1 Kg chicken), cut into pieces
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon peeled and grated
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
Vegetable oil, for brushing
Fresh corriander sprigs for garnish
Slices of cucumber,onion, tomato and lemon

Preparation:
Prick the flesh of the chicken all over with a fork. Then, using a sharp knife, cut slashes in the flesh to allow the marinade to penetrate. Place the chicken in a nonreactive large, shallow dish. In a bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice or vinegar, garlic, ginger, cumin, ground coriander, Red chilli, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and salt. Stir until well-mixed, then pour the mixture over the chicken and rub it into the flesh, turning the chicken several times. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking.

The chicken may be grilled or roasted. If using a charcoal grill, prepare a fire for direct-heat cooking. Position the grill rack 5 inches from the fire. Allow the coals to burn until white ash covers them and the heat is moderate.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, pressing lightly to extract excess marinade, and brush with oil. Place the chicken pieces on a well-oiled grill rack and; grill, covered, with the vents open, turning 3 or 4 times, 45 minutes or until the juices run clear when a piece is pierced near the bone with a knife.

If roasting, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan, brush with oil, and cook, turning once, 25 to 30 minutes until the juices run clear when a piece is pierced near the bone with a knife.

Serve with cucumber, lemon wedges and onion rings....


Chicken Tikka..
What more can you ask for in the rainy evenings than a hot plate of sumptuous chicken tikkas for snacks...this of course is a non - veggies dream... Its also good option for people who hate to fight with the bones and prefer a more convenient option of eating chicken...enjoy this with mint and coriander chutney...yummy

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh yoghurt
1 cup finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
2 tbsps ginger paste
3 tbsps garlic paste
3-4 tbsps garam masala
6 peppercorns/ 2 dry red chillies
3 tbsps lime/ lemon juice
1/2 tsp orange food coloring
1 kg chicken (breast or thigh) skinless and cut into 2" chunks
1 large onion cut into very thin rings
Lime/ Lemon wedges to garnish
1 tsp Chaat Masala

Preparation:
Grind the chopped coriander (keep some aside for garnishing) and all other marinade ingredients (except yogurt) to a smooth paste in a food processor. Pour the above mix into a large bowl and add yogurt. Mix well. Add the chicken pieces and mix well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate. Allow to marinate overnight. Thread the chicken onto skewers and keep ready. Preheat your oven or grill to a medium high temperature (200 C/ 400F/ Gas Mark 6). Place the skewers on the grill racks in your oven with a tray underneath to catch drippings. Roast open till the chicken is browned on all sides and tender. Remove from skewers and put the chicken in a plate. Put the onion rings in a separate bowl and squeeze lime juice over them. Now sprinkle the chaat masala over them and mix well so the onions are fully coated. Garnish the Chicken Tikka with these onion rings and serve.

Chicken Sheekh Kababs...

My dad was a total foodie, i guess i get my penchant for food from him. These are some of the few dishes my dad loved...so here is to you dad..

Ingrediants:
Chicken mince 500 grams
Ginger paste 1/2 tablespoon
Garlic paste 1/2 tablespoon
Green chilli paste 1 teaspoon
Cashewnut paste 2 tablespoons
Chaat masala 1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder 1 teaspoon
White pepper powder 1 teaspoon
Fresh coriander leaves 2 tablespoons
Lemon juice 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Butter 2 tablespoons

Method...
Take chicken keema in a bowl. Add ginger-garlic-green chilli paste, cashewnut paste, chaat masala, garam masala powder, white pepper powder, coriander leaves, lemon juice and salt. Mix well with hands.Heat a tawa and drizzle some oil on it. Dampen your hands, take a little chicken mixture and spread it around a satay stick. Press firmly and place the seekh kababs on the tawa. Cook turning from time to time so that they get cooked evenly all around. Baste with butter or oil at regular intervals. Serve hot.

Chicken Makhani...
This is another most loved dish in India and one of my favourites to drive away the blues...

Ingrediants:
800 gms chicken
1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
salt to taste
1 tblsp lemon juice
For Marinade
1 cup yogurt
1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
salt to taste
2 tblsp ginger paste
2 tblsp lemon juice
2 tblsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp mustard oil
2 tblsp butter
For Makhani Gravy
400 gms tomato puree
3 tblsp butter
1 tsp green chillies (chopped)
1/2 tsp kasoori methi
1 cup fresh cream
1 tblsp ginger paste
1 tblsp red chilli powder
salt to taste
1 tblsp garam masala whole
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
2 tblsp sugar/ honey
1 tblsp garlic paste

Method :
Skin and clean the chicken. Make incisions with a sharp knife on breast and leg pieces. Apply a mixture of red chilli powder, lemon juice and salt to the chicken and leave aside for half an hour. Hang the yogurt in a muslin cloth for 15-20 minutes to take off extra water. Mix in red chilli powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, garam masala powder and mustard oil. Apply this marinade to the chicken pieces and chill in a freezer for 3 to 4 hours. Put the chicken onto a skewer and stir fry in a moderately hot tandoor or a preheated oven (200 degrees celsius) for 10-12 minutes or until almost done. Baste it with grease and stir fry for another 2 minutes. Take off and keep aside. Heat up grease in a pan. Mix in whole garam masala. Let it crackle. Then mix in ginger-garlic paste and cut green chillies. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Mix in tomato puree, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and one cup of water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat up and simmer (boil slowly at low temperature) for 10 minutes. Mix in sugar or honey and powdered kasoori methi. Mix in cooked tandoori chicken pieces. Simmer (boil slowly at low temperature) for 5 minutes and then mix in fresh cream. Serve hot with naan or parantha.

Pattrani Macchi..

Ingredients: 800 gms fish
Little vinegar
Salt to taste
Banana leaves to wrap each fillet
30 ml groundnut oil
3 lemons

For coconut chutney:
100 gms fresh coconut
50 gms coriander
6 green chillies
20 gms garlic
5 gms chilli powder
15 gms coriander seeds
15 gms cumin seeds
60 ml lemon juice
Salt to Taste 15 gms
sugar

Preparation:
Clean and wash fish. · Make fillets and cut each fillet into two. · Make horizontal slits on the pieces. Sprinkle vinegar and salt and miarinate for 30 minutes. · Trim, wash and wipe banana leaves. Cut coconut into pieces. Clean and chop coriander. Wash, slit and remove the seeds from the green chillies. Peel garlic. · Now put all these and the remaining ingredients in the mixie to make a smooth paste. Keep aside. · Stuff fish pieces with chutney and spread the rest on both sides. Apply oil on banana leaves and wrap each piece separately · Steam the wrapped fish pieces for 30 minutes. Cut lemon into wedges. After 30 minutes, remove fish from steam, unwrap arrange on a platter and serve with lemon wedges.