Chicken Tikka
Of course I had to post the Tikka recipe that was so well enjoyed as well.
Chicken Drumsticks- 12-15( serves 2 per person)
Skin the drumsticks, wash and drain water.
Masala/Marinade
Ginger Garlic Paste- 1-2 tbs ( Make using equal quantities of ginger and garlic ,add 4 green chillies and 1 tsp of Saunf and grind to paste)
Chilli Power- 1- 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder- 3/4 tsp
Ready made Tikka Masala- I used Shah ( one Pkt for the above qty)
Lime Juice- 1/2 cup
Besan powder (lentil powder) - 1 1/2 Tbs
Kasoori Methi (dried methi leaves)-2 tbs
Yoghurt- 2- 2 1/2 cups
salt - to taste
oil- 1/2- 1 cup
Mix marinade throughly.Check taste.Correct seasoning if required.Add the chicken and marinate over night.(12-24 hrs) in refrigerator.
Cooking:
Arrange Tikka in a foil lined tray. Spray with oil and then Bake tikka pieces in oven at 350 deg F for 40 mins(make sure to turn over after 20 mins)
check if done.(pierce kinfe and if it hits bone wihtout resistance its done)cook further if required.
Before serving Brown tikkas by broiling in oven for 5-7 mins on each side
Serve with lemon wedges, Onion rings and Mint Chutney.
Mint Chutney
My friends were over the other day and they loved this chutney that I had made for them.Wanted the recipe so here goes....
Fresh Mint leaves - 4 tbs
Fresh coriander leaves- 3 tbs
Urad dal- 3 tsp
green chilies- 2 nos
Kashmiri red chilies- 1 no
Salt- to taste (watch out for the extra salty black salt that you are gonna add)
Black Salt- 1/2 tsp
Amchur Powder- 1/2 tsp
Yoghurt- 4 tbs
method:
saute the first five ingredients (this is to remove the raw flavour of the herbs)
then grind in a blender to fine paste.
add the yoghurt and then season with salt, black salt and amchur powder.
this is great combo with chicken tikka
Looking for recipe!
I had learnt and made long ago a dish called Salli Murgh.Though I remember the recipe vaguely , I am looking for the authentic one. It is a great dish combining chicken, apricots and straw potatoes.
Will post it when I get it...
Dinner after 9
I am a lazy soul.. and finally I found one place to appease my appetite ...not just for dinner but for dinner after 9 pm.
Well anyway I was at this place The Maggiano's. The happiest thing about this restaurant is that it is open after 9 pm.
I got lucky with the food as well. I was contemplating between the Chicken Parmesan and the Saltimbocca. I have had both earlier and was not able to decide. The sweet and happy waitress( she made so much difference to the entire evening) suggested the latter.
Saltimbocca literally means "Jump in the mouth" indicating the tenderness of the Veal meat that it is made of.It is classically made of wrapping ham and sage leaf with a slice of veal and then sauteeing till done in butter.
The version I had was ofcourse made with chicken breast with Prosciuutto ham and Provolone cheese. The texture was perfect crisp on the outside, tender meat inside. The taste a good combination of saltiness of the cheese and the flavor of the ham and the sage.At $14.95 and a big portion and taste to devour it is a good bet any day!
Check out a healthy and easy recipe for this dish http://www.vikingrange.com/recipes/main-dishes/chicken_saltimbocca.html
a few new ideas
recently started trying out new flavors and new tastes...
The Spicy Salmon with Lemon Basil Rice.
It is a simple meal combining two classical tastes of Seafood and lemon , adding a touch of Kashmiri Red Chilli, bringing two flavors of lime and basil to complement.It is an easy to make dinner too.
Marinate salmon filet with chilli powder of your choice... my pick is the kashmiri red chilli powder with some turmeric and salt in olive or seasame oil.referigirate for 3-4 hrs.One hr before dinner bake it oven (350 f) 30-45 min and broil for last five minutes.
For the lemon rice: heat seasame oil in a pan.when hot add shelled peanuts , fry till golden brown. add mustard seeds and wait it you they start crackling.Add the chopped basil and chopped green chilies ( 3 thai chillies ) and 2 red chillies (kashmiri) and saute, add turmeric and salt and fry for a couple of minutes. turn off heat and let it cool.
Once cooled add juice of two lemons. then add rice and mix throughly.
Presentaion:
serve salmon with rice on the side.garnish with a slices of lime and fresh basil .
accidental discoveries
It is unsual .. that the most significant finds in are accidental By accidental I mean chance discovery
Raji... is one such discovery. I was just rushing out the library the other day and this book Raji Cuisine caught my attention.With the library closing in a couple of minutes I had no time to read the book there and so decided to check it out.
When I read the book later at home...........I realized immeditely that I had discovered what is going to be one of the greatest inpsiration of my life.
Raji... She was a micro biologist turned chef. And in her work I found the answer to my long time question. Through her simple and brilliant fusion cuisine she gives both ,the reason for the relative non prominence of Indian cuisine in the world food scene and the right way to package it for an international audience.
In the introduction to her book she points out the how Indian food if presented the way it is would overwhelm an international audience. She identifies the strength of Indian Cuisine... its flavors and quite beautifully marries them to french and other western ingredients and most importantly presents them the way a western audience would understand it.Herein lies the real beauty of her work.
I have always wondered why not make a tandoori t bone steak or grilled salmon with Indian spices and many more such combinations.In Raji's work I found that it was possible and it was much accpeted and appreciated as well.
Lord Knows
At a time like this , when more than 100,000 people have just been taken away by nature... you just wonder... The why of the sitaution never seems to be clear. why should nature be so furious.. if we are the creation of this great force ...........then why unleash such disaster on its own.....why this cruelty towards us and why all the suffering...and why those who died ......died and why some were spared for the worse..... the fundraisers at sydney called it rightly as the "lord knows " cause......... why we ask the lord....
Food has always been something close to my heart. It has been my way of love, respect, communication and one honest passion of life. I believe that the same applies for all whether they acknowledge or not.
May be you are a big eater or gourmet or just live on water and fresh air. In every way food certainly defines one aspect of a person.
While I have learned with equal passion and respect about every cuisine that I have come across, the Indian flavors and tastes that I have grown up with are the closest to me.While many rich cuisine such as the French, the Italian, the Chinese have been well packaged and marketed and therefore better perceived , Indian cusinie is lagging behind in this.
I dream of one day when the Dosa becomes as popular as the Pizza, the Biryani as excotic as the Rissotto , the sambhar as ominpresent as baked beans.
