Friday Chicken Curry Recipe - A simple delicious dish to enjoy the weekend

Friday chicken Curry 

Watching all the food pictures and videos on instagram and facebook sure got me really hungry last evening. I was craving some simple but tasty food and finally decided on the menu. I treated myself to this tasty chicken curry, dahi aloo and some hot parathas. I must say my tastebuds were really happy and satisfied. Bloghopping and surfing does have its pros and cons.

I would like to call this the Friday Chicken Curry, it is just perfect for the weekend dinner and a movie. Quick and easy recipe with simple ingredients available in the pantry. Coming to the recipe.

Ingredients for the Friday Chicken Curry
Boneless Chicken 250 gms
Garlic 10 to 15 minced or finely chopped
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Kasuri methi 1 tsp(crushed)
Kashmiri chilli powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 2 tsp
Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp
Whole spices - Green cardamom 2, cloves 2, cinnamon 1 inch, cummin seeds 1/2 tsp, star anise 1
Water 1/4 cup
Curd/Yogurt 3 tbsp (well beaten)
Oil 1 tbsp + 1 tsp ghee
Fresh coriander leaves 2 tbsp (finely chopped)

Method for making the Friday chicken curry
1- Clean and wash the chicken and keep aside. Take a kadai or deep pan and add the oil and ghee. Now add in the cummin seeds and other whole spices. Stir for a few seconds and add in the finely chopped onion and garlic. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes till the onions are soft and translucent and the garlic looses its raw smell and gives out a beautiful aroma.
2- Now add the turmeric powder, kashmiri chilli powder and coriander powder and mix.  Add water little by little as required to avoid the spices from getting burnt. Keep sauteeing till the oil starts to separate from the sides of the masala.
3- Once the masala is well cooked, add in the chicken pieces and mix well.Keep stirring and cook for 3 to 4 minutes continuously stirring till the chicken pieces have turned white from the initial pink. Lower the heat and add in the beaten curd. Keep stirring continuously to ensure that the curd does not split. Stir for another 4 to 5 minutes till the chicken pieces are cooked. Add in the kasuri methi. Add the garam masala powder and mix. Cook for a minute. Switch off gas. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
4- Serve hot with rice or parathas.

Chicken and Sauteed Mushroom Burgers

Burgers are a favourite with my teen. I decided to make burgers for dinner the other night and decided to do the burger patty from scratch instead of using the store bought ready to serve patty(which she is not fond of ). Simple and easy everyday ingredients that you would find in your pantry. Yet another quick and easy recipe from my kitchen to yours. A little prep time and all you have is to assemble a delicious and juicy burger and dig into it.

Coming straight down to the recipe

Ingredients for making the burgers
Burger buns (store bought)- 4
Lettuce leaves - 4
Onion - 1 big (cut into rings)
Tomato - 1 (cut into rounds)
Cucumber - 8 pieces(cut into rounds)
Capsicum - cut into rings (as desired)
Mushrooms - 8 to 10 (washed,cleaned and cut into pieces)
Chicken Kheema/mince - 250 gms
Soya Sauce - 1 tbsp
Tomato sauce - 2 tbsp
Dried herbs - 1/2 tsp
Garlic minced - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Mayonnaise - 2 to 3 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method for making the burgers:
1- Wash and clean the chicken mince. Add salt to taste(keep in mind that the soya sauce too is salted), soya sauce, tomato sauce, dried herbs, garlic and pepper. Mix everything and keep aside for 10 minutes.
2- Take a pan, and add in the chopped mushrooms, Add half a tbsp of oil, a pinch of salt and pepper powder and herbs and saute. Saute till the water from the mushrooms dry out. Keep aside.
3- Chop the onions, tomato, cucumber and capsicum into rings and keep aside. I did not use some of these veggies to suit the teen's tastebuds. You may add or remove any of the veggies to suit your specific tastes.
4- Take a flat bottomed pan and add 2 tbsp of oil. Take 1/4 th of the minced chicken mixture. Flaten it out with your palms to be a thick patty of the size of your burger bun. Cook on medium flame till well done. Turn it over and cook the other side accordingly. Keep aside.
5- Now comes the time to assemble your burger. Take a burger bun and cut into help. Spread a tsp of mayonnaise on one side. Add in your lettuce leaf, onion rings, tomato, cucumber and capsicum. Add the chicken patty. Now add in 1 -2 tbsp of the sauteed mushrooms. Cover with the other half of the bun and you are ready to enjoy your homemade burgers made from scratch. Repeat the same with the other three burgers.Enjoy!!

Pasta with Meatballs in a delicious Red Sauce

I had some chicken minced meat in the refirgerator that I planned to cook for dinner. The list of dishes like the cutlet, kheema paratha, a curry did not meet with much favour with the teen and so I decided to tempt the pasta queen with some pasta and meatballs. I didn't have spaghetti on hand which is the usual combination and so decided to serve it on a bed of macaroni cooked and sauteed in a mix of butter and olive oil. A simple meal for a weeknight dinner that doesn't require you to sweat it out in the kitchen.

Ingredients for the meatballs in red sauce
For the meat balls:
Minced meat(I used chicken minced meat) - 250 gms
Breadcrumbs(I used powdered cornflakes instead of the regular breadcrumbs) - 1/2 cup
Dried herbs - 1/2 tsp
Grated cheese(I used cheddar) - 10 gms
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt -1/4 to 1/2 tsp(the cheese is also salted and the red sauce gravy too will have salt in it)

For the red sauce:
Tomatoes - 3 medium sized
Garlic - 3 to 4 cloves
Dried herbs - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp
Grated cheese - 2 tbsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Store bought pasta sauce - 1 heaped tsp
Salt to taste
Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
1- Take a glass bowl and add in the ingredients "for the meatballs) except the minced meat. Mix to even distribute all ingredients. Now add in the minced meat and let it mix well and coat with all ingredients. Make 12- 15 medium sized balls and keep aside.
2- Chop the tomatoes and add it alongwith the garlic cloves in the blender. Make a smooth paste.
3- Take a flat bottomed pan. Add olive oil and the tomato and garlic mixture. Let cook for 3-4  mins covered(add 2 to 3 tbsp of water if required. Now add the dried herbs , store bought pasta sauce and pepper powder. Cover and let cook for another 4-5 minutes. You need to cook on low to medium flame and really have patience or else the tomatoes will still be raw and not give the sauce/gravy the desired  taste or flavour.
4- At this stage, add in the meatballs one at a time with a spoon carefully so that they don't break(the breadcrumbs will give it a good binding and hold it together). Scoop little of the sauce with a spoon and pour over each meatball. Cook covered for another 4-5 minutes. Open adjust salt and seasoning. Add in 1 tbsp of the grated cheese into the sauce. Cover and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes. You will see the oil oozing out from the sides. Give it a careful stir so as not to break the meatballs. Garnish with the remaining grated cheese(you may also added finely chopped parsley). Cover and keep aside for 5 minutes. Serve on a bed of pasta. Enjoy!!

Quick Chicken Stir Fry Recipe (Kerala Style)

Chicken Stir Fry (Kerala style recipe)
Flavours and taste definitely have a strong impact on one's senses. Don't some tastes remind you of mom's cooking or take you back to a certain moment or place back in time. The curry leaves and fennel seeds have been playing havoc with my emotions for the last few days and make me feel terribly home sick. They gift me a trip back home every time to mom's cooking and the distinct variety of flavours that the Kerala cuisine has to offer. A cuisine so full of fabulous ingredients, though subtle can leave an everlasting impression. The culinary wonders of Kerala are definitely close to my heart. There are ingredients in my kitchen that transport me to a world that was mine some time ago but for now lost in the past. Childhood memories with grandmom, mom's fabulous cooking, the evergreen days at home and even a lovely holiday spent with hubby in a part of God's Own country just come by in a flash with just a bite or at times even a whiff. Equipped with a variety of ingredients I decided to perform a magic act the other day cause I was feeling terribly homesick and wanted to get home for atleast a moment. Lo and behold!!the fennel seeds and the generous addition of curry leaves all made it happen:). Back to reality all refreshed and rejuvenated:)

Quick Chicken Stir Fry (Kerala style)
Ingredients:
Chicken pieces - 200 gms (boneless bite sized pieces, washed and cleaned)
Turmeric powder or haldi - 1/4 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste (fresh) - 1 tsp
Vinegar or lime juice - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds powder - 1 tsp
curry leaves - 8 to 10
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Method:
1- Mix the chicken pieces with all the ingredients (except oil) and keep aside for 15 minutes.
2- Take a kadai or non-stick pan and add the marinated chicken. Cook for 7-8 minutes.Add the oil and let fry for 5-6 minutes. Add in some fresh curry leaves and serve hot with rice or chapatis.

Chicken Biriyani - Quick and Easy

Chicken Biriyani has been a favorite with me. I love the biriyani and it is one that I make atleast once a week. Chicken biriyani with a delicious raita, pappad and pickle can get my mouth watering any time. I make it either with chicken cut into small pieces or even like the idea of making it with boneless chicken. I just finished my biriyani yesterday and now all this writing about it is making me crave for it again. I just don't seem to get enough of it. Mom makes great biriyani and while she was here I would ask her to make it and don't ask had a wonderful time savoring her special biriyani. This is one of my quick and easy biriyani recipes , in fact, got my mom too hooked on to this. It makes it so easy to make this tasty dish.Instead of using the usul biriyani masala , I like to use the Everest chicken masala(great taste guaranteed).

In this method, I cook the rice using the pressure cooker, time is very important here or else the rice may be over cooked or may even get burnt.

Ingredients
Chicken (boneless) - 500 gms
Basmati Rice - 3 cups(400 to 500 gms) (depending on the rice chicken ratio you prefer)
Whole spices - cardamom 3, cloves 3, 1" piece cinnamon, star anise 1 bay leaf 1
(there is another spice which is orangish in color and can be taken out as strands - a little of that, standard Andhra biriyani addition)
Salt to taste
Oil 2 tbsp
Butter 2 tbsp
Everest chicken masala - 2 to 3 tbsp(as per individual spice levels)
Onions -4 (sliced thin and long)
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Chopped fresh coriander 3 tbsp
Chopped fresh mint leaves 2 tbsp

Method:
1-Soak the rice in water for half and hour.Wash, drain and keep aside.
Take the pressure cooker, add in 1 tbsp oil and a tbsp of butter. Add in the rice and whole spices. Saute till the rice is crisp and changes color slightly. Now add water(for 1 cup add 1.5 cups of water thus, we would add 4.5 cups)and salt. Cover and cook in pressure cooker (While cooking basmati rice in the pressure cooker, after putting on the weight on the cooker, let rice cook for 10 mins on slow flame. Switch off gas and open the cooker only after 15 minutes).

2- Now for the chicken. Take a pan, add in the oil. Add the onions and ginger-garlic paste and saute till the onions turn golden. Now add the Everest chicken masala and saute till the masala is cooked and the oil starts to separate. Now add the chicken. Cover and let cook till the chicken is done (approx 10 mins). Open and let the entire water content of the chicken dry. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp coriander leaves.

3-Now for combining rice and chicken. Open the rice and let cool then separate the rice grains and keep aside. In a large serving dish, add a layer of rice. a layer of chicken and sprinkle some fresh coriander and mint leaves over it. Repeat for the rest of the rice and chicken. Pour the 1tbsp of melted butter over the biriyani and cover and keep aside for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with raita, pappad and pickle.

Soya chicken – easy tasty chicken

The last one month has been a roller coaster ride of sorts for me. The school exams, then came the vacations (my parents visiting has ensured that my daughter is really busy or else holidays are one time when I really have to find new ways to keep her entertained especially with my job). There was a fashion show on “Bollywood through the ages” where I loved walking the ramp. It was gr8 fun. However, at the end of it all the fun (guess it was a little too hectic) my back decided to give way. The old back problem has re-surfaced and has ensured that now I do take a break and pay some attention to my health. The long hours of sitting on the computer has added to the back trouble and so have restricted my use of the laptop to a great extent in the past couple of days. So it is now going slow and taking some time to look after myself “me time” now.

Sorry for having been away for so long after announcing the “Baking for Beginners” event. The response for the event has been highly encouraging and with just a few days left would appreciate any new contributions that would be inspiring for those on the stands to join in on the baking game. Looking at all the lovely entries I am sure to be in my mittens and apron for the next couple of weeks. Would come up with the round up as promised in the first week of February(starting work on the round up today itself so that I can get it on time inspite of the short sessions that I am able to put in right now).

Coming back to my recipe for this post. This Soya Chicken recipe is one that I generally make for the train travels. Lime rice and the chicken fried to a nice golden brown state goes great. My hubby and daughter just love it. An easy chicken recipe that is great as an appetizer and also side dish.
Ingredients
½ kg bonelesse chicken (cut into small pieces)
A Handful of curry leaves
2 tbsp soya sauce
3-4 tbsp of tomato sauce
Ginger- Garlic paste – 1 to 1 ½ tbsp
Salt to taste
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (I prefer to use the Kashmiri chilli powder in my regular cooking as I like it a little less spicy but love the colour this chilli powder lends to the dish).
A Pinch of pepper powder
Oil- 2 to 3 tbsp

Method:
Mix together the soya sauce, tomato sauce, chilli powder, pepper, ginger-garlic paste and salt in a bowl. Marinate the chicken in this mixture for about half an hour. Put the chicken in a pan , add the curry leaves and cook for 5-7 minutes till the chicken is almost done. Add in the oil and fry on low heat till the chicken turns a nice golden brown colour. Garnish with a few more fresh curry leaves. Serve hot.

Chicken Sandwich - a delicious comfort food

With the announcement of the "lunch box special" event, I have been thinking of what to post next. Thanks to all those who have been sending in entries and keeping their support going.

Chicken sandwich is one comfort food that I can have anytime of the day whether as a snack or a complete meal with a bowl of soup. My daughter too loves the taste of the vegetables and chicken combined with mayonnaise. An easy to make morning tiffin and I can ensure that she has her share of vegetables the smiling way. So here's to the chicken sandwich. If this post sounds more like my favorite rather than a lunchbox special, I am just not to blame it is the chicken sandwich that is so delicious. I am sure you all agree. For the vegetarians , just delete the chicken and you have a yummy veggie sandwich. You can also serve the mixture as a salad.



Ingredients:
4 slices of bread (preferably brown bread or multigrain bread)
2-3 tbsp mayonnaise (I am a mayonnaise fan and so an extra spoon would only make me happy)
2 tbsp finely chopped cucumber
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
3 tbsp finely shredded cabbage
2 tbsp grated carrots
2 tbsp finely chopped tomatoes
salt to taste (you may not need it with the salty taste of the mayonnaise, I however, like to add a pinch)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup (boiled and shredded chicken)
1 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp tomato ketchup
Method: Combine all ingredients (except bread) in a mixing bowl. Mix so that all ingredients are well-blended. Take a slice of bread, and spread a layer of butter over it. Spread a layer of tomato ketchup and 2 tbsp of the chicken mixture. Cover with the second slice and you are ready to take your first yummy bite. Feelinf hungry already am going to make myself a sandwich.

Videos and recipes- the best way to master the nuances of cooking

The “paneer event” has come to an end and am sure glad to have been able to host this event. It has been a pleasure receiving the delicious entries. There are truly so many ways of cooking the Indian cheese or the paneer.
Events have been a great way of interacting and making new friends online. I am working on the compiling and would be putting together the round-up in the coming week. Thank you to all of you for your valued contributions.

Food blogging has truly been a wonderful way of interacting as well as learning new and interesting recipes…from everyday recipes to the exotic “daring bakers challenge” . It has been great watching so many enthusiastic foodies coming up with such wonderful irresistible creations in their kitchen.

When I began my culinary adventures, the internet was really not a very popular and easily accessible medium in India. So was restricted to the occasional television shows, the glossy magazines (that cooked dishes that were out of this world) and of course the tried and tested recipes handed down my mom and mom-in-law.

Today it is truly wonderful with a virtual world full of interesting recipes and also videos. The videos are my personal favorite. Although they have been eating into my internet download limit, it is wonderful to watch the master chefs at work. A step by step guide to making anything and everything that you wished for. You just have to make a keyword search and so many options. In fact the problem now is about how to narrow down your search and pin-point a good source. Here I would like to make special mention of the site www.ifood.tv that I have started enjoying. It is one that I follow regularly. The videos are wonderful and a number of “chefs at home” and also “professional chefs” who explain the nuances of cooking and come-up with marvelous creations right in front of you. The videos here also have a unique feature that provides you access to a list of ingredients as well as the method alongwith viewing the video. So you have a dual benefit of being able to watch the video and also have the measurements and method to try out the dish in your kitchen.

powered by ifood.tv

In fact, the other day I was speaking to a friend of mine who got married recently. It is truly experimenting time in the kitchen for the newly weds. Sometimes they do feel great because they have come up with a great new dish however, mostly it is disaster time. I did suggest the site to them and found them mighty impressed. He says the videos are a real life saver. Staying away from parents and in-laws in nuclear families and fighting for survival (literally if you do not have any idea of cooking) can be very frustrating. Sites like this with a variety of cuisines to choose from can indeed prove to be really a knight in shining armor.

I can truly understand how difficult it can be initially since have gone through real tough times myself with no idea of cooking. The initial days were really frustrating. Now I can have a good laugh over the memories, however, those days I remember was really bad to be not able to eat my own creations. Glad to reach to this stage where I am enjoying sharing my recipes with foodies and also learning a great deal each day. It has been one great fun learning experience.

Would be posting the paneer event round up in a day or two. Happy friendship day to all of you for being so supportive and encouraging. Indeed the blogging world feels like an extended family now.

Chicken - my favorite : event round up

The last one month has been simply great. Each morning I log on to my gmail account and there is a delicious chicken dish waiting for me. The enormous variety and the mouthwatering pictures actually would get me hungry from morning itself. My daughter who has been at home with school holidays on has been enjoying looking through the various blogs and has been urging to make this dish today and that tomorrow.

This is my very first event. I have been watching the events taking place in the blogging world for sometime now and have been wanting to host one of my own. However, the thought of whether I would get any entries at all has been making me put it off for so long. The fear of failure you know. What if I do not get a single entry. However, I am glad and thankful to all my blogging friends to have proved me wrong. It has been great doing the round-up with so many wonderful recipes. This one month has truly been a great experience, not only did I get to host my first event, got a good number of entries as well which makes be delighted and also made many new and good friends online.
So to begin with here’s the roundup to a great collection of 50 chicken recipes. An anytime guide to making great chicken whether for your party or everyday cooking.

1) Maya Shanbag from http://konkanworld.blogspot.com/
- Chicken with greens/Saagwaala Murgh (a delicious chicken dish that combines the goodness of spinach and collard greens)


- Malvani chicken curry



2) Priyanka Srivastav of asan khana has a mini round up of her own. She has re-published all her earlier chicken recipes and given me a whole big spread to lay out.
- Chicken curry, chicken biriyani, elaichi wala kesar murgh, murgh khubani, dhaba wala kaleji fry, Goan chicken curry


- Croutons pizza, chicken wheat wrap, nawabi murg, kodi gassi

- Adraki murg


3) Vijitha john
- delicious Hyderabadi biriyani recipe. Yumm…


4) Jz @ Tasty treats http://dessertpro.blogspot.com
- Diced chicken with vegetables


- Chicken Korma (a tasty chicken dish with a rich gravy of almonds, cashews, curd and roasted coconut)


5) Kamala presents the authentic flavor of chettinad with the
- Chettinad chicken gravy


6) Srilekha
- Chicken chukka


- Chicken chalnahttp://srishkitchen.blogspot.com/2008/06/chicken-chalna.html


- Pepper chicken


- Chicken Kolambu


7) Sig
- Thattukada Chicken (A street food style spicy chicken fry from Kerala)



8) Sumathy Subramanian
- Chicken Fajita wraps (Tortilla wraps rolled with stir fried chicken and some veggies, topped with fajita sauce and yogurt)


9) Ramya Bala
-Spicy chicken curry (A Traditional Chicken Curry with a touch of My mom n me...)


- Chicken Biriyani (Most simple recipe for tastiest Biriyani.Come on,its time to lick your fingers!!!)


10) Sheetal
- Hyderabadi Kheema


- Punjabi Chicken Bhuna


- Chicken Kheema Paratha


10) Sita
-Kadai chicken


11) Neema Narayan of http://n33ma-recipeswap.blogspot.com/
-Chicken –do- pyaz


-Malay Spicy chicken (an authentic Malaysian dish that is simple, tasty and aromatic)


12)Sagari
-Meaty Spaghetti


13) Nags
- Kodi Iguru (Roasted chicken in caramelized onions)


14) Sujatha
-Spinach chicken


15) Rina
-chicken chettinad


16)Pearlin
-chicken fry (simple and tasty chicken recipe)


-Shred chicken (a family favorite)

17)Maheswari
- Sweet and spicy chicken


- Kothu parotta


18) Cham
-Tandoori chicken


19) Medhaa
-Mughlai chicken


20) Prajusha
- chicken fry



21) Aarti vivek - Fajita (An easy to make mexican dish that can also be made with fish,steak, anything you like. Very delicious and tasty too)


- Chicken biriyani ( a quick and easy chicken delight)


-Spicy chilli (spicy chilli with chicken)



-Chicken fry (quick and easy spicy chicken. Goes well with rice/rotis and ready in a jiffy)


- Pepper chicken


22) Happy cook
-Kolkata egg rolls (One of the delicious street food you can have, while you are in the city)


23) Aditi
- chicken –the Maharashtrian style (yummy gravy and great aroma)


24) Ranjeetha Prabhu
-Chicken Roganjosh (An aromatic curry cooked with any meat in butter/ghee with lots of spices)
chicken roganjosh


25)Suma rajesh -Baked chicken wings


26)Meera
- Xacuti - Goan Chicken


27) Vani of http://illatharasi.blogspot.com/
-Pepper chicken (kozhambhu) curry


-Chicken soup (Microwave cooking)


-Chicken fry


-Chicken biriyani with onion raitha


28) Asha
-Chicken masala with turmeric rice


29) Sukanya Ramkumar
- Chettinad Varutha Kozhi / Chettinad Chicken Fry (Chettinad Varutha Kozhi is a spicy chicken cooked until thick as desired)