Tandoori Chicken

"One of the most popular dishes of India; Tandoori Chicken is a dish where fresh pieces of chicken are marinated and grilled to perfection in a Tandoor. However, it can also be made in an oven or airfryer".

Tandoori chicken

Ingredients

6 chicken drumsticks and 6 thighs (about 4 pounds)

1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 tablespoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

3 tablespoons peeled and roughly chopped fresh ginger

7 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped (you can also use ready ginger-garlic paste - about 2 tablespoons)

¼ cup Greek yogurt or hung curd

2 tablespoons lemon juice

¼ cup vegetable oil

2-3 drops of red food colour (optional)

Salt to taste

Garnishing: onion rings and lime wedges (optional).

Directions

In a bowl mix together with Greek yogurt all the powdered spices and red food colour until we’ll blended. Add salt and taste the mixture. Keep aside.

In a blender add ginger and garlic and grind to a paste with lime juice. Wash chicken pieces well and drain well (there should be no moisture). With a sharp knife, make 2-3 slashes on the chicken pieces. Transfer the chicken pieces to large bowl for marinating. Add the ground ginger-garlic paste and the yogurt-spice mixture to the chicken pieces and mix well (if you are using ready ginger-garlic paste, then add the lemon juice to the yogurt mixture). Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

To make in airfryer: Line the airfryer with an airfryer liner. Place the marinated chicken pieces in the liner. Baste it with some oil. Cook on a setting of heat from both up and down. Cook for 15 minutes, then pause the airfryer and turn the chicken pieces with tongs. Baste it with oil if needed. Cook for another 12-15 minutes, while checking in between cooking times. Check if chicken is well cooked, if not, cook for a few minutes more.

To make in the oven: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil (for easy clean-up) and set an oven-proof rack over top. Spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray or grease with vegetable oil.

Arrange the chicken on the rack, leaving a bit of space between the pieces. Spoon any marinade left in the bowl evenly over the drumsticks. Roast for 45 minutes, turning once midway through, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through (be sure to turn on your exhaust fan as the oven will get a little smoky).

Transfer the chicken to a platter and garnish with mint leaves and lime wedges, and serve with rotis/tortillas and a raita on the side.

Chicken Khudi Curry

 

Chicken Khudi Curry

"Chicken Khudi Curry is an authentic East Indian curry made with chicken and potatoes and is eaten with rice flatbreads or plain white rice and a simple salad on the side. The main ingredient is the traditional East Indian bottle masala powder. However, any other curry masala powder can be used instead of bottle masala.  The curry recipe is also made with mutton or beef."

Ingredients

1 kg Chicken cut into pieces

3 Potatoes Chopped

4  tbsp Cooking oil

2 heaping tbsp East Indian Bottle masala (or curry powder)

2-3 bay leaves 

salt to taste

2 large red onions. sliced

2 green chilies (deseed if you want it less spicy)

2 cups freshly grated coconut (you can also use dry grated coconut)

2 inch fresh ginger

8 large garlic cloves

1 tablespoon tamarind paste or vinegar or lemon juice

Some freshly chopped coriander for garnishing

Directions

Wash chicken pieces well, drain and keep aside. In a frying pan, dry roast the freshly grated coconut until lightly toasted and light brown in colour. Remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl. In the same pan, dry roast the onions, green chilies, ginger and garlic until fragrant and slightly brown. Transfer this and the roasted coconut to a food processor or blender and blend with a little water and blen to a smooth paste. Set this paste aside.

In a pan/cooking pot, stir-fry the chicken pieces over medium heat in oil for two minutes until lightly browned on all sides. Add the ground masala paste and saute for 2 minutes. Add 2-3 bay leaves. Then add the bottle masala and saute for a minute more. It is important to cook the spices until they are fragrant so don't make haste. If necessary, add a few tablespoons of water to prevent it from burning at the bottom. Then add a cup of water and season with salt and pepper. Then, add the chopped potatoes - make sure the potatoes are immersed in the water. Cover and cook for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are tender.  Finally, add the tamarind paste or vinegar or lemon juice and cook a minute more. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander. Service with white rice and some salad made with chopped onion, tomato and lime juice on the side. 

 

Kalakand (Milk Fudge)

Kalakand

"Kalakand is an Indian milk fudge dessert made with full fat fresh milk. It is creamy and delicious and requires very few ingredients."

Ingredients

2 liters Full fat fresh milk

3/4 cup white granulated sugar or more

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

2-3 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice

some chopped nuts for garnishing (optional)

Directions

Arrange a deep bowl covered with a sieve and muslin cloth – keep aside for later. In a large pan, heat 2 litres of milk till it starts to bubble. Add 2-3 tablespoons of white vinegar while stirring continuously. The milk will begin to curdle. Lower heat and keep stirring. Once the milk well is curdled and there are huge lumps of cheese, remove from heat and gently pass this mixture (cheese and whey) through the arranged bowl & sieve kept aside earlier. Collect all the thick cheese and return it to the same pan. Keep stirring on low heat and do not let it burn. Add white sugar and mix. Taste and add more sugar if you want it sweeter. Add cardamom powder and bring the mixture together. Turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool down a bit. In the meantime, grease a small round or square cake tin with ghee or butter. Transfer this mixture into mould and press down with a spatula. Cover and leave to cool for 2-3 hours. Keep it in refrigerator for 5 hours or overnight. Turn out the fudge onto a plate and cut into square. Decorate with finely chopped pistachios or almonds.

Thai Mango Sticky Rice

 

Thai Mango Sticky Rice

Ingredients

1 cup Thai rice or glutinous rice

1 can Coconut cream (400ml)

½ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 medium ripe mangoes

Roasted sesame seeds - for topping

½ teaspoon cornstarch - dissolved in 1 teaspoon of water

Directions

Rinse and drain glutinous rice in tap water several times until water becomes clear, to remove starch. Transfer to a bowl and soak in enough water for at least an hour or overnight.

Drain the water and transfer the rice in a steamer basket lined with a cheese or muslin cloth. Place the steamer basket over the pot with boiling water. Steam for 15-20 minutes or until rice becomes translucent and cooked. Transfer rice to a large bowl and fluff it several times using a spoon so they will not lump together. Cover and rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot or deep pan, combine coconut milk, sugar and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat once it simmers and sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the stove. Take ¼ cup of coconut cream and set aside for toppings.

Pour half of the remaining hot coconut milk to the bowl of still steaming hot rice and gently toss until well combined. Gradually add more of coconut milk to the rice and stir. Do it gently to prevent rice from becoming mushy. You might need to use all the remaining coconut milk or not, the target is to have a grainy but slightly wet and sticky porridge texture. Remember that the hot rice will continue to absorb the liquid as it cools down. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap so the top will not dry out.

Return the reserved ¼ cup of coconut cream to the saucepan and add the cornstarch slurry. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until it thickens a bit. Remove pan from heat and transfer the sauce to a bowl or milk pourer for serving later.

As the rice cools down, peel the mangoes. Cut the flesh from the pit on both sides and cut them in cubes or slices.

Assembly: Fill a small cup with sticky rice and invert it into a plate or bowl. Add slices of mangoes on the side. Pour some coconut cream sauce on top of the rice and mango slices or serve it in a saucer as a dip. Sprinkle with some roasted sesame seeds. Serve warm or cold. 

Carrot and Garlic Pickle

Carrot and Garlic Pickle

"It's a national holiday in Spain and I thought I'd use the spare time to make a pickle that we can enjoy with our favourite homemade meals. I made this garlic and carrot pickle for the first time and it turned out really well. I hope you will try and enjoy it with your family". 

Ingredients

500 grams carrots

200 grams garlic

3 tablespoons finely chopped ginger

2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

1 teaspoon yellow mustard powder

2 tablespoons Kashmiri chili powder (adjust according to taste)

1/2 cup white vinegar

100 grams grated jaggery or palm sugar

salt to taste

1 cup cooking oil

Directions

Dry roast fenugreek seeds in a pan. Grind to a powder in a spice grinder and keep aside. Peel garlic and wash. Keep garlic on a clean kitchen towel to absorb all the water. Wash carrots, wipe them with a clean kitchen towel and peel them. Cut them in the desired shape. I made thin small slices. If you prefer to have smaller garlic pieces of the large flakes, you can cut them in two or three pieces. 

In a skillet, heat oil and add the chopped ginger. Fry for 2 minutes and add mustard seeds. Then add garlic and fry for 2 minutes. Then add the sliced carrots and fry for 2-3 minutes. If you like carrots soft, fry for 2 minutes longer. Add fenugreek seeds powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Mix well. Add vinegar and jaggery/palm sugar. Turn off the heat and check seasoning. If you like it tangier, you can add more vinegar. Cool down the ready pickle and store in clean, dry airtight glass jars. Serve with lentil curries, dal or any pilaf. 

 

Eggplant Pickle

 

Eggplant Pickle

Ingredients

½ kg eggplants cut into bits and salted.

2-3 green chilies slit (deseeded)

1 tsp Kashmir chili powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 cup oil

225 gms sugar

Salt to taste

¼ bottle white vinegar (use some for grinding and some later for cooking).

 

To be ground to a paste

15 gms ginger

30 gms garlic

30 gms cumin seeds

For tempering

15 gms mustard seeds

A few curry leaves

Directions

Keep the chopped and salted eggplants in a bowl for an hour. The eggplants will release some water. Discard the salted water. In a blender grind ginger, garlic and cumin seeds with a little white vinegar to a paste. In a wok, heat cooking oil and add mustard seeds, when they begin to splutter add curry leaves. Add turmeric, red chili powder and the ground paste and fry well. Add eggplants and the green chilies. Add sugar and salt to taste. Add vinegar and cook till eggplants are a bit soft. The oil will start releasing at the sides of the wok. Turn off the heat and check seasoning. Cool and then bottle in a clean sterilised jar. Store in refrigerator. Before serving, remove required amount in a dish and bring to room. Serve with dal or any curry or use as a relish on bread for sandwiches.

Capsicum Chutney

Capsicum Chutney

Ingredients

2 Medium sized Capsicums (preferably one red and one green)

3-4 dry red Kashmir chilies (deseeded and soaked in a bowl of warm water)

1 medium sized onion, quartered

2 medium sized tomatoes 

3 flakes garlic, peeled

1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled 

a few peanuts, roasted

salt to taste 

For tempering

3 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Directions

On direct heat, with the help of tongs roast the capsicums and tomatoes till the skins turn black. Place in a bowl and cover with cling wrap. After a few minutes remove the cling wrap and peel the black skin from the capsicums and tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in quarters and the capsicums (remove the seeds from capsicums and discard them. In a blender grind the capsicums, tomatoes, onion, hydrated red chilies, peanuts, ginger and garlic to a thick paste. The paste should be a bit coarse and not fine. Pour this in a serving bowl, add salt to taste and keep aside. For tempering, in a small pan heat oil and add the mustard seeds, when they turn grey, add the fenugreek seeds. Add turmeric powder, stir and turn off the heat. Pour this over the ground paste. Mix gently and taste seasoning. Serve with dosas or rotis.