Chicken Xacuti | Chicken Shaguti

Chicken Shaguti is the version cooked in Hindu Brahmin homes in Goa. This dish is also known as Chicken Xacuti and has its roots influenced by Portuguese cuisine. One thing which stands out is the manner in which this dish is made by Goan Hindus vs Goan Christians. The jury is still out on that and I think the biggest differentiating factor is the use of Lime vs Vinegar and local chillies for e.g Bicholim Chillies vs Kashmiri Chillies. If you visit any home in Goa for a Shaguti lunch, you will hear this comment coming often. This recipe is from a very close friend's Mum who hails from Siolim, Goa. My favorite Chicken recipes are Chicken Shaguti, Chicken Cafreal and Kori Rotti.

The color of Chicken Shaguti curry is greenish brown and is thicker than fish curry but very rich, intense and spicy. The meat is first dunked in a marinade with turmeric powder, large knobs of crushed ginger and loads of herbs. The quantity might seem a lot, but it is what the recipe requires and hence the masala is 'zhanzhaneet' as my friend informed me. In Goa, we usually eat this with Pao, Katri, Unno, Tandlachi Bhakri or white rice. Since this is a curry with a very strong gravy base, Rotis prove to be meek and cannot withstand the strong intense aroma of this curry. The base of the gravy can be used to cook Prawns and Clams. The vegetarians need not lose heart. You could use the same gravy with Paneer, Soya Chunks, Potato or Beans of different kinds. I enjoyed this style of chicken cooked in a spicy gravy.

~ Chicken Shaguti ~
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
Chicken (Dark Boneless Meat) - 3 lbs.
Goan Garam Masala - 1 tbsp
Indian Bay Leaf - 2
Coconut milk - 1/3 cup
Turmeric powder - 3 tbsp

Onion (medium, sliced finely) - 5
Garlic cloves (peeled and slit into two) - 10-12
Grated Coconut (fresh or frozen) - 1/3 cup

Green Masala/ Harvo Masalo -
Ginger (peeled and cut into large chops) - a large knob of 2" piece
Green Chillies - 3
Coriander leaves - 5-6 strands
Lime juice - half of a lime

Shaguti Masala -
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Black Pepper (whole) - 10-12
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Cloves - 6
Cinnamon (broken into pieces) - 2" piece
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 2
Tamarind (optional) - 1 tbsp

Oil
Salt

For Garnish -
Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - 2-3 strands

Contraptions required -
Blender
Coffee Grinder

Method:
Chicken in Marinade - Clean and trim the chicken of any excess fat. Wash and pat dry. Cut each piece to 2" chunks and add to a mixing bowl. Crush ginger and green chillies roughly and add to the chicken. Do not make a mushy paste just crush them roughly. Make a smooth paste of coriander leaves with little water and add to the chicken. Mix well and add turmeric powder and Goan Garam Masala powder along with salt and lime juice. Leave the chicken in marinade for atleast 4 hours.
Shaguti Masala - In a wide mouthed frying pan, heat a tsp. of oil and roast all the spices in masala except Poppy seeds. Add the ingredients one by one and toast lightly on low flame. Add the Poppy seeds toward the end and allow to cool. Grind this to a powder and keep aside. You could also make this in advance to save time.
Onion-Coconut-Garlic Paste - In the same pan used before, heat few spoons of oil and saute onions, coconut and garlic. Fry them well till they turn reddish brown. It takes around 15-20 minutes to get the right color of browning. Once done, turn off the flame and allow to cool completely. Once done, blend to a paste with little water. Save the water rinsed to add to the gravy at a later stage.
Assembly - In a large deep-bottomed wide mouthed vessel, heat few spoons of oil/ghee, add bay leaves and add the chicken with marinade side by side. Increase the heat and let the chicken brown on both the sides. The chicken will turn couple of shades darker, will be part cooked and turn opaque. Add the water from the rinsed marinade (about a cup of hot water), add additional water (1/2 cup of hot water). Cover with the lid on and let the chicken cook. This process takes about 30-40 minutes. Check if chicken is done, if done add the onion-coconut-garlic fried paste and the Shaguti Masala. Mix well, adjust salt and seasoning and bring to a medium boil and cook for 5-8 minutes. Once done, turn off flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. I served with cooked white rice.

Note - I made the Shaguti masala separately in my coffee grinder. If you wish, you could grind them together to a paste after separately frying. This recipe is spicy and hot, reduce the proportion if the need be. If you do not have Goan Garam Masala, use your own brand of Garam Masala.

Madhur Jaffrey's Chicken Korma

Last year on a cold chilly December night, a book took me down the memory lane. It was a trip that stirred nostalgia as she deftly narrated pages from her childhood and growing up years. I am talking about Madhur Jaffrey's childhood memoir - Climbing the Mango Trees. I read it, enjoyed it and realized why she is the undisputed doyen of Indian cooking. I recall seeing her shows coming on TV where she was clad in finest silks, would rave and reminisce about the food dearest to her heart mostly in outdoor locations cocooned in lush green foliage, all orchestrated with perfection.

Her Chicken Korma recipe particularly fascinated me because it boasted of Punjabi Garam Masala something I have been wanting to make at home from a long time. The recipe was a regal approach in terms of cooking chicken. I was smitten by the rich Korma gravy and before I realized my kitchen corners and crevices welcomed the rich and striking aromas of Cardamom and Pepper. I could imagine kings and queens in ancient India feasting over this simple, subtle flavored rich tasting chicken curry. The way she writes and describes her recipes have a lesson or two for me as a writer. The specificity of directions, precision of measurements and succinct steps bowled me over.

The Korma recipe has juicy moist chicken chunks swimming in light and intense gravy. I marinated the meat to add extra punch. The gravy is made with Yogurt and fried onions and finally garnished with golden raisins that plump up like jewels. I used store available Brown Fried Onions, the ones which can be directly added to garnish on top of Biryanis and enrich gravy of any sorts. The chicken remained juicy and moist since it was literally drunk and high on the rich silky gravy. I added little butter to finish the gravy and make it silky smooth. This recipe is a keeper and we plan to make it often. Needless to say, I xeroxed all the recipes in the book and have added them to my recipe collection. I have a wide happy grin on my face. :)

Madhur Jaffrey's Chicken Korma minimally adapted from her memoir
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
Chicken - 3 lb. of Dark Meat

Yogurt - 1 and 1/2 cup
Punjabi Garam Masala - 1 and 1/2 tsp suggested, I added 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Cayenne powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp

Ginger paste - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Meat tenderizer powder - 1 tbsp
Almonds (blanched) - 3 tbsp
Onions (sliced) - 1 and 1/2 cup
Golden Raisins - 1/2 cup
Indian Bay Leaf - 2
Cardamom - 8 suggested, I added 5 crushed
Cinnamon - 2 of 1" piece
Butter - 1 tbsp
Oil
Salt

Punjabi Garam Masala -
Cardamom seeds - 1 tbsp
Pepper corns (whole black) - 1 tsp
Cloves - 1 tsp suggested, I reduced it to 1/3 of tsp
Nutmeg - 1/3 of a Nutmeg
Cinnamon - 1 of 1" stick
Cumin seeds - 1/3 tsp
Got about 2 and 1/2 - 3 tbsp of powder.
*** Grind to smooth powder in a coffee grinder, store in
an air tight container ***

For Garnish -
Coriander leaves - 3-4 strands
Fried Onions - 1/2 cup

Method:
1. Chicken Marinade - Clean and trim the chicken. Wash and pat dry. Marinate the chicken in 1 tsp each of ginger paste, garlic paste, salt and meat tenderizer powder.
2. Herb and Almond paste - In a blender make a paste of Ginger and Garlic with little water, make a paste and add blanched almonds to it, add little water. Keep the paste aside.
3. Yogurt mix - Mix the yogurt with coriander powder, cayenne powder and salt.
4. Chicken Fry - In a deep bottomed pan, heat few spoons of oil and add add cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves. Add the Chicken now and fry well on both sides till they turn a shade darker and are part cooked. Remove from the pan and transfer to a paper towel.
5. Building the gravy - In the same pan, add some more oil, add the onions now and fry them till they turn brown. Add the herb paste now and saute for couple of minutes. Add the yogurt mixture now and cook well on a low to medium flame for about 5 minutes. Add the golden raisins and chicken now, stir well to mix all the ingredients. Taste for salt and seasoning and adjust accordingly. Cook (cover with lid on) on low to medium flame for about 45 minutes and till the chicken is juicy and well cooked. Check if done, turn off flame. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Sprinkle fried onions on top of Korma while serving. I served them with Rotis.

Note - Cook the curry on low to medium flame, if you bump up the heat the yogurt will curdle away. You could add onions early on, fry and keep aside. I added them and did not bother to remove. Madhur recommends removing them and draining on paper towel and adding later to the gravy. Adding butter to the gravy for finish results in a gravy which has silky and smooth texture, omit this step if required.

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani (Pakki Dum Biryani)

My husband and I love Biryani. Recently, we visited our cousin for the long weekend. Our cousin's wife has been an inspiration to me in more than one ways, one of the reason being she cooks amazing food which is tasty, healthy and marries the best of eastern and western world. She is a working woman, hands-on mom, plus she dishes out the tastiest meals and is a bundle of energy. She'd made Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani for our evening supper. I loved the flavour and she gladly shared the recipe. I've made few changes to suit our palate, but the end result was the best and very easy to cook as well. Of all the Chicken Biryani version's I've made this one is the easiest and the best tasting. This recipe is a common go-to recipe for Biryani now. The cooking style suits anyone who is learning to cook Chicken and Biryani together. Since the meat gets cooked earlier, this is known as Pakki Dum Ki Biryani. Original Biryani version's par-cook and cook them for longer periods. I've changed that to reduce the Dum cooking time. The best is chicken in marinade gets all squished up in a large giant zip lock bag. Less cleaning, lesser sanitizing chores and even lesser post-cooking mess!

The secret ingredient here is meat tenderizer powder which has a profound impact on the texture and softness of the meat. I also added oil to the chicken marinade. This keeps the meat moist and prevents dryness, both result in soft and juicy meat upon cooking. This also takes away my apprehension while cooking meat, primarily because at times its difficult to know if the meat is done or not especially while cooking biryani's in large quantities. This powder is available in India in select grocery stores, if not, one could also use raw papaya paste which can be made in advance, stored in refrigerator and used as per convenience.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 35-45 minutes
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:
Onions (sliced) - 3 cups
Tomato (chopped) [optional] - 1 cup
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon - 2 of 2" stick
Nutmeg - 1/2 teaspoon
Saffron water (a pinch of saffron in 3 tbsp of water or milk)
Biryani Masala - 1 tablespoon of masala for 1 cup of rice: 1 and 1/2 tablespoon used here
Oil/Ghee
Salt

Chicken in marinade -
Chicken (thighs chopped into chunks) - 1.5 pound
Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - 1 cup
Mint leaves (finely chopped) - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Red Chilli powder - 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Mace (Javitri) [crushed] - 1 teaspoon
Whole black pepper corns - 10
Meat tenderizer (I use Shan brand) - 1 tablespoon for a pound of meat
Garam Masala - 1 tablespoon for 1 pound of Chicken
Yogurt - 2 cups for a pound of meat
Salt
Oil

Cooking Rice -
Rice - 1 and 1/2 cups
Salt
Oil
Star Anise - 1
Bay leaf - 1
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon - 2 of 2" sticks

Method:
Marinating Chicken - Clean the chicken and trim off the fat and skin. Cut into bite sized chunks. Add all the ingredients of the marinade and set aside in refrigerator for overnight/ 2 hours or at least 30 minutes minimum. I use a zip lock bag for this purpose.
Cooking Rice - Cook rice with oil, salt and the whole spices (1 rice:1 and 1/2 water proportion). Half cook the rice and once done, fork the rice gently, if possible spread on a plate and allow to cool. Set aside.
Cooking Chicken - Heat oil/ghee in a wide mouthed deep bottomed vessel. Once oil is heated and coats the bottom of vessel evenly, add sliced onions. Allow them to sweat, which implies you need not stir it often. Save about 1/2 cup of fried onions and set aside. Once the onions turn to a soft pale hue, add the chicken in marinade. Do not add water. The Chicken packs in lot of water to cook. Bring to a boil, simmer on low flame. Add grated nutmeg & Biryani Masala now. This process takes around 20-30 minutes. Cover with a lid. Check if chicken is fork tender. The gravy will be dry with very less cooking liquor. Once done, add the rice and mix gently. Garnish with saffron water, chopped herbs (optional) and fried onions (optional). Cover with a lid and place heavy weight on top. Seal the sides with a Chapati dough else use an aluminum foil. Cook for 5-8 minutes.

Notes:
1. Meat tenderizer powder and oil keep the meat chunks in good shape both in terms of taste and texture.
2. Instead of layering the Biryani, I mixed the rice and chicken in gravy, the taste is fabulous. I add Tomatoes to cut through the spices, in addition they also add moisture to the Biryani texture. This is purely optional.
3. Chicken and Yogurt pack in lot of water, so do not add water while cooking chicken.
4. Cook Biryani in a wide mouthed vessel. Cooking process is better and faster for large quantities with meat.
5. Meat with bone has more flavour than boneless, but personally I prefer boneless meat. Pick your choice as per preference.

Kundapur Chicken Curry (Kori Rotti) - 2.0

I had earlier blogged about Kundapur Chicken Curry which was an elaborate version. It is also known as Koli Saaru in some regions owing to its soupy broth since its supplemented by addition of thick coconut milk. Some also address it as Chicken Kundapuri/ Koli Kajipu. Recently, I have worked on making a simpler version of this recipe in order to save time and effort. The results were great and we both liked it. My husband is an ardent Chicken fan and he can eat this curry and savour the flavour for days together. I like to sample and slurp the gravy, thought I must confess I am biased to my vegetables and greens. :)

Few tricks which I incorporated is instead of using Tomato puree, I used Red Tomato paste which is easily available is grocery stores. The Tomato paste is very concentrated and adds a nice tangy bite with the red alluring color. I got my stash of Kundapur Chicken/ Kori Rotti masala from Mangalore as a generous gift from a dear one; if not available use any store bought chicken masala which is bright red and has red chillies as its primary ingredient. Else, you could use the Masala recipe which I had posted earlier. I also used Chicken-on-bone which is the thigh meat and once cooked shredded it in curry broth. To enjoy the curry with all the fiery red hot taste and flavour, I made it ahead of time and let the curry rest. The next day around, the curry taste divine. :)

Konkani Foodie also completes 300 posts with this recipe! All and this for love of good home made food! Thanks to all my readers for making this journey special & for the love which is overwhelming and much appreciated! :)

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30-45 minutes
Serves: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
Chicken (thigh meat on the bone) - 1 pound or 1/2 kg
Kundapur Chicken Masala - 1 cup ground paste or 3 tablespoon masala powder
Onions (sliced) - 1 cup
Tomato paste - 3 oz. ~ approx 90 gms diluted in 1/2 cup warm water
Ginger paste - 2 tablespoon
Garlic paste - 2 tablespoon
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs ~ approx. 10-12 leaves
Ghee
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Red Chili powder - 1 tablespoon or as per taste
Coconut Milk (thick) - 2 cups

Rotti - 8 servings
Garnish (optional) - Coriander leaves which is finely chopped

Method:
1. Chicken - Clean the Chicken thighs and trim the skin if any, remove excess fat. Wash and pat dry. If frozen, thaw the meat and clean with multiple wash and pat dry. Poke deep gashes in the chicken, season with little salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and keep aside.
2. Kundapur Chicken Masala - Get the Kundapur Chicken Masala ready (grind the paste if making from scratch), extract thick Coconut milk and keep aside.
3. Chicken Broth - In a deep bottomed dish (preferably use a stainless steel non-reactive vessel or a stoneware) heat ghee and ensure it coats the bottom of the vessel. Add the Onions and sweat the till they turn translucent and mushy. Lower the flame, once cooked, add Chicken Kundapur Masala, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and 1/2 cup of water. Give a gentle mix, add the Tomato paste diluted in warm water. Add the marinated Chicken pieces and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer on low flame covered till the chicken gets cooked. This process takes around 20 minutes.
4. Finale - Check if the chicken is fork tender now; if yes, pick each of the thigh piece and shred the meat with a steak knife and transfer back to the curry. Add the coconut milk now, adjust salt and cook for few minutes (3-5 minutes). Turn off flame, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and let the curry rest for at least an hour before serving.
5. Plating - Take a generous helping of Rotti in a plate, add the curry on top. Mix well and chomp chomp! Enjoy the delicious Kundapur Chicken curry.

Step by Step Illustration: How to eat - Kori Rotti
1. Choose best quality Silk Rotti for great taste. These are available in bakeries and select specialty stores in India and abroad.


2. Plate the Rotti and crush lightly.

3. Pour the curry and mix well and enjoy!

Kundapur Chicken Curry (Kori Rotti)

Kundapur is tiny city perched in the tranquil harmony of a beautiful seashore strip, swaying coconut palms and plenty of greenery, flora and fauna. Its located in Udupi district of Karnataka State, India. Kundapur is known for places of historic significance which includes scenic beaches, ancient temples with splendid architecture and best of all a cuisine which needs no further mention. If you ask any meat eating individual from Mangalore, they would proudly speak for hours together boasting about the few distinct & famous dishes which are part of Kundapur cuisine - Kundapur Chicken Curry, Chicken Ghee Roast, Kane Fry and Ghee Rice. Some also address the dish combination as Kori Rotti; Kori is Chicken and Rotti is the flaky bread eaten with this Chicken gravy.

Kundapur Chicken Curry is the fiery hot, spicy curry loved and adored by many. This humble red hued spicy curry with lot of broth and Ghee Rice get along like house on fire. It is an act of blasphemy to visit Kundapur and not partake in any of the sinfully rich dishes. The popular eating spot in Kundapur is Shetty's Lunch Home which is most sought after place when it comes to these dishes. If it is to be believed, Chicken Ghee Roast & Ghee Rice were all born in the cosy confines of this famous eatery.

I was wondering what makes this dish so special until I got a chance to sample this unique style of cooking Chicken one day at one of our dear one's place. I got the recipe and lot of tips and suggestions on getting the right flavour. Some of my friends informed me that Chicken and the broth are key components which define the flavour and taste of this dish. My MIL also makes the best Kundapur Chicken Curry and her other Non-Veg curries are simply amazing. Some of my friends opined that Farm Chicken (Naati Koli) gives best results. The broth is made by a fiery paste of Onions and Tomatoes seasoned with lots of Curry leaves resulting in a rich red colored paste known as Kundapur Chicken Masala. One could also use ready store bought spice powder of Kundapur Chicken Masala. Infact, some of my aunts and cousins opine that the store bought spice powder easily beats the one we make at home. Curry leaves offer a very nice balance and earthy flavour to this curry. Traditionally, its eaten with Ghee Rice, Kori Rotti, Idli (Khotte) or Rice String Hoppers (Shevai). I do not claim that this is the original recipe. This is my interpretation of this recipe and we both liked the flavour.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients:
Chicken (Thigh - Skinless variety) - 1 pound or 1/2 kg.
Onion (chopped) - 2 cups
Tomatoes (chopped) - 1 cup
Ginger paste - 1 tablespoon
Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Butter - 1/2 cup
Bay leaf - 1
Curry leaves - 10-15
Coconut milk (thick) - 2 cups

Kundapur Chicken Masala -
Red Chillies (Byadgi) - 8-10
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander seeds - 2 teaspoon
Cloves - 2-4
Cinnamon stick - 1" piece
Fenugreek seeds - 1/3 teaspoon
Toast the Red Chillies and grind them all to a paste with less or little water.

Yield - Around 2-3 tablespoon of spice powder

Method:
Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan, roast the red chillies and spices for 2 minutes and allow to cool. Grind all of this along with Turmeric powder to a smooth red paste. This is Kundapur Chicken Masala. Wash Chicken thoroughly, defrost if required, wash multiple times till water is clear; pat it dry and chop them into bite sized pieces.
Puree Onion and Tomato separately and keep the paste ready. In a deep stock pot, heat the entire quantity of butter, allow to melt. Add Bay leaves and Curry leaves and saute for a minute or two. Add Ginger and Garlic paste and saute to eliminate the raw flavour. The fragrance and aroma now gets imparted to the oil. Add Onion paste and Tomato paste and sweat them in oil till the raw flavour disappears. Add the Chicken pieces now and gently give a stir. Cook for few minutes. All the Masala paste now, add enough water and bring to boil. Cover with a lid and simmer on low flame for 20-30 minutes till the Chicken is cooked. Once done, add thick Coconut milk and allow to simmer on low flame. Do not cook a lot after adding coconut milk. Turn off flame and serve hot. Suggested serving with Kori Rotti, Rice String Hoppers (Shevai), Idli (Khotte) or Ghee Rice.

Note - Do not use white meat of chicken (breast portions) since it remains hard after cooking. Best portions would be red meat - thigh or leg portions. They soften upon cooking and are apt for this curry. I made a big batch, lessen the proportion for smaller quantity.

Chicken Cafreal - A Goan Portuguese Delicacy

Chicken Cafreal is a very popular ambrosial dish of Portuguese origin found in the Indian state of Goa. If you visit any non-vegetarian joint in Goa, you are sure to be enthralled and welcomed by this dish. The charm of the interplay of flavours comes from the fiery, hot spicy green hued paste. The heat enduring combination of Green chillies, Garlic cloves, Ginger aptly balanced with a generous hand of Coriander leaves. Cumin, Cinnamon, Cloves, Pepper add the zing with the spicy flavours; add a bite of the odd spices with strong dominant flavours - Poppy seeds, Nutmeg and Mace. If you don't like meat, make your own Vegan or Vegetarian Cafreal version with vegetables like Potato, Soya Chunks.

In the Goan version, the grilled chicken drumstick is first cooked for good 30 minutes in a bubbly mix of the green spice paste. Thereafter, the chicken drumsticks are bathed in butter and charred on the heat for the crispy fried finish. I prefer to soak in the green pasty marinade for 24 hours for better retention of flavours. The lime juice supports the meat tenderising process which enables the breakdown of tissues and absorption of the spices. Chicken Cafreal is the Goan Tandoori Chicken if I may say so. I have eaten this version which was a home cooked one at a friend's place and then many of them at restaurants. The flavour is distinct since the Chicken pieces are cooked and then pan fried. Served with Salad on the side, this one surely opens up your senses and is a unique quintessential Goan way of eating spicy hot Chicken.

Preparation time: 24 hours (includes the steeping time for the chicken in marinade)
Cooking time: 30-45 minutes
Note - This is a spicy dish. Use spices as per discretion and preference.

Ingredients:
Chicken Drumstick (skinless) - 5
Coriander leaves (chopped) - 2 cups packed
Green Chillies - 4
Mint leaves - 1/2 cup packed
Garlic - 10-12 flakes
Ginger - 1 and 1/4 " piece
Poppy seeds - 1 teaspoon
Whole Black Pepper corns - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon stick - 2" piece
Cloves - 2-3
Mace - 1/2 teaspoon
Nutmeg - 1/2 teaspoon
Butter
Lime juice - 1 tablespoon
Lime zest - 1 tablespoon

Oil
Salt

Method:

Clean the Chicken Drumstick thoroughly in water and pat dry. Defrost the Chicken completely before use. Soak Poppy seeds in warm water for 20 minutes. Make a smooth paste with just enough water of all the ingredients except Butter. Apply this paste to the Chicken, drizzle some juice and refrigerate in a tall zip lock bag for 24 hours. The lime juice aids as a good meat tenderising agent and makes the Chicken soft and supple.

Next day while cooking, remove and thaw for 1/2 before use. Heat the pan, add oil and the ground paste. Add Chicken Drumstick one by one and cook till the chicken is cooked completely. Cover with a lid to aid faster cooking and gravy reduction. Add Lime zest at this stage to make the meat tender and soft. Once done the gravy will reduce 1/4 in volume, add butter shavings on the side and fry the chicken on all sides. If you are health conscious omit the step of adding butter and just leave the chicken on its own. Add lime juice and pan-fry for 2 minutes. Turn off flame and serve hot as a side dish. Support with Salad of choice.

Note - For better tasting Chicken, marinate for 24 hours. The flavour of Chicken has a profound difference. Do not overcook your Chicken. By doing so you run the risk of disintegrating the meat from the bone.

Chicken Lollypop ~ An Indian Spicy Appetizer

My husband is a big fan of Chicken and we both love Finger Food & Appetizers of different varieties. I was thinking of ways and means of killing two birds with a stone, this recipe was a good discovery. Chicken Lollypop is a modern discovery in the Indian Appetizer gamut, the flavours are spicy, extremely spicy if I could be specific and packs in the succulent meat which is tender and evenly spiced with the herbs and condiments. Primarily Chicken Wings or Wingettes are used for this recipe. I preferred using Wingettes since they are easy to dress and have more tender meat compared to Wings. Wings need more careful dress time and cleaning.

I like the Indo-Chinese version of Lollypop which has a dash of Soya Sauce and a pungent helping of Chilli-Garlic sauce thrown in. I have customised the recipe to a great extent to suit our taste and needs. We were all amazed at how easy it is to dish this out at home. This is a high calorie recipe which is spicy so weight watchers and sensitive taste bud owners use your discretion.

Preparation time: 24 hours (Includes Marinade time)

Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

Yield: 10 Chicken Lollypops

Ingredients:

Chicken Skinless Wingettes - 10 wingettes

For Marinade -

Ginger paste - 1 tablespoon

Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon

Green Chillies paste - 1 tablespoon

Soya Sauce - 1 tablespoon

Red Chilli sauce or Red Chilli powder - 1 tablespoon

Black Pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt

For Batter -

Egg - 1

Corn Flour - 2 tablespoon

All Purpose Flour - 2 tablespoon

Black Pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Bread Crumb powder - 3-5 tablespoon

Oil - For frying

Method:

Thaw the Wingettes at room temperature and clean them to expose the meat. Remove the skin if the wingettes are not skinless. Wash thoroughly and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Dress the chicken Wingettes to gently remove the smaller bone (discard it after removing it and separating it from the wing bone). Push the Chicken meat down so that the stick serves as a Lollypop and the meat accumulates at the top of the Lollypop. Wash your hands thoroughly after the dressing is done.

Make a fine paste of Ginger, Garlic and Green Chillies. Add Soya Sauce, Red Chilli powder and Pepper powder to this. Pour this marinade over the chicken wingettes placed in a non-reactive mixing bowl and mix well. Adjust salt. Remember Soya Sauce has fair amount of salt so use your discretion. Mix well. Cover with a plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight for 24 hours. Next day remove from fridge atleast an hour before use.

Make a very thick batter of egg, corn flour, all purpose flour, pepper powder and salt (add little or no water). Mix some salt and pepper powder with the bread crumb powder as well. Heat oil in a deep thick bottomed deep frying pan. Once oil is ready (just hot and not smoking hot), dip the Lollypop one at a time in the batter and then roll them in bread crumbs and deep fry till golden brown on a low-to-medium flame. Serve hot with sauce/ spice powder of choice.

Shan Chicken Keema Curry

Shan Masala has been one of my favorite out here in US. I love utilizing local masala's because they add the much needed flavour especially for meat dishes. I had a packet of ground Chicken and wanted to make apt use of it for some curry. Thought Chicken Keema curry would be an awesome pairing for some warm Malabari Paratha. This recipe is simple and followed the recipe on the packet to the T. Nice warm curry for cold winter dinners.

Recipe Source: Shan Masala Recipe

Preparation time + Cooking time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients:

Ground Chicken - 1 pound

Shan Keema Mix Masala - 2 tablespoon

Onions (chopped) - 2 cups

Ginger-garlic paste (finely minced) - 2 tablespoon

Green Chillies (sliced) - 2

Salt - As per taste

Oil - For frying

Cilantro (chopped) - 1/4th cup

Method:

Thaw the ground Chicken in microwave for a minute or keep out on room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a deep dish saucepan, saute onions which are chopped to a caramelised texture. Add ground chicken and cook on a low-to-medium flame. This is a long process and takes lot of time, almost 15-20 minutes; You need to smash the meat till it wilts and becomes flaky. Once its cooked, water and fat completely oozes out, you will notice that the water content evaporates. Add the masala, add minced ginger-garlic paste and adjust salt as per taste. Add enough water for gravy consistency. Bring to boil and simmer on low flame for 10 minutes. Turn off flame, garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve warm with Parathas or Rotis.

Simple Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani - A too die for dish and one of our favorites. There are many methods and approaches to this dish. This one was prepared some time back. Without further ado I wanted to post them lest I lose the memory of this dish and the yummy fare memories we tucked into with great gusto.

Biryani is a family favorite and all of us can spend weekends munching on some yummy delightful Biryani. Great for family get-togethers and serves best as One Pot Dish as well. Biryani's which have a heirloom flavour associated with it, are painstakingly prepared; one can spend days and months planning Biryani for special festivities. An acquantaince from Hyderabad told me that her mother plans for Biryani during Eid several weeks before. The spices, saffron, herbs, rice, meat is arranged from special vendors whom they have been buying their groceries from. Its a ceremonious occasion and no stone is left unturned to prepare this dish which has its own age old significance and roots. Biryani is believed to be originating from Persia. Meals are served in traditional seating arrangement called as "Dastakhaan". The meat got married with the Pilaf and Biryani was born. The more authentic and flavourful your spices and condiments the better tasting your Biryani and the associated medley of flavours in your mouth. Biryani tastes best when served with Mirchi Ka Saalan, a traditional peanut-pepper sauce which meshes well with the rice grains. Hyderabadi style Biryanis are mostly served with Mirchi Ka Saalan and once you sample this duo combination you would always prefer to eat them together.

I have eaten many versions of Biryani. The Hyderabad version is the most famous one. Paradise - Hyderabad sells one of the most famous Hyderabadi style Dum-Ki-Biryani I have ever eaten. So much so that anybody flying from Hyderabad was pestered to get their vacuum packed version of 2 kgs Biryani. I read some time back that there is a famous potli-ka-masala which is tied in a cheesecloth/ muslin cloth and is dropped in the Biryani when its cooked on Dum. These masala's render the aromatic flavour to the Dum-Ki-Biryani.

Another style Biryani is Andhra style Biryani which I sampled at Malgudi Restaurant in Begumpet, Hyderabad. Large chunks of vegetables cooked in aromatic Basmati rice with whole spices and powders. One of its kind taste and tender cooked vegetables give a whole new meaning to this dish.

Recipe Source: Our family Biryani recipe

Serves ~ 6 to 8 individuals

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice (pre-cooked) - 4 cups

Chicken - 4-5 Drumstick (skinless, with bone ~ Tyson Brand)

Cashewnuts - 6-10

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Yogurt - 1 cup

Onions (chopped) - 3 Onions ~ sliced vertically , if Indian Onions, use 4 of them

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Oil - For frying

Cloves - 4-5

Cinnamon - 1 stick

Cardamom - 4-5 (with open pods and non-seeded)

Pepper corns - 4-5

Garam Masala or Pulao Masala - 1 teaspoon (cloves, cardamom, cinnamon powder, bay leaves)

Coriander leaves - 6-10 sprigs (chopped finely)

Salt - As per taste

Method:

Heat oil in a deep dish pan and add mustard seeds. Fry Onions (2 - chopped) and cashewnuts (whole) together and saute for a while. Add Chicken pieces, salt, yogurt, masala powder and turmeric powder. Let the chicken cook well in the broth. Cover with a lid for 10-15 minutes.

In a saucepan, heat oil to smoking hot level. Deep fry onions and cashewnuts, transfer on a paper towel and keep them aside.

Water would evaporated after 15 minutes, add the pre-cooked rice, adjust salt level as desired. Pour a garnish of coriander leaves and cashewnuts on top and cook on low flame for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot with Mirchi Ka Saalan.

Chicken Tandoori

Chicken Tandoori is one of our favorite dishes. We both are quirky in terms of our preference for non-vegetarian food and prefer grilled/ charred/ bbq'd/ baked version of meat only. Both of us do not like much of meat curries and sea-food curries as well. This sometimes leaves us with some tasty and luxurious options like what we made today - Chicken Tandoori.

I researched a lot for the recipe online. Finally P decided to cook it his way. He treated the Chicken Drumstick (skinless, with bone: we used Tyson Brand) with Shan BBQ Tikka Masala (this one is widely available at all India stores in US). As I have mentioned many a times that Shan is one of our favorite masala. This Pakistani masala renders the unique color and flavour which makes the meat all the more edible, tender and succulent.

Happy Eid-Ul-Fitr to all my Muslim friends!!

Recipe born from our teamed effort in kitchen
Serves ~ 2 individuals

Ingredients:
Chicken Drumstick - 5 pieces ~ with bone, skinless
Shan BBQ Tikka Masala - 1/2 packet
Yogurt - 5 teaspoon
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
Red Chili Powder - 1 teaspoon
Lime Juice - 1 teaspoon
Oil - For frying


Contraptions: Baking tray covered with foil to create a pit in the centre to collect the Chicken fat.


Method:
Thaw the Chicken drumstick pieces for atleast 1 hour. Warm up in microwave for around 2 minutes. Make a paste of the masala's listed except oil. It gives rise to a rich orange colored paste. Apply this marinade to the Chicken pieces and refrigerate for around 4-5 hours.

Remove from fridge after 5 hours have elapsed. Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Place each piece on the top rack (cover the rack with foil and poke with forks all around the central point of the rack) and cook on 375 F. Place the baking tray covered with foil at the bottom of the first rack to collect the fat which will drip from the chicken pieces once they begin to cook in the oven.

Allow enough space between each piece so that there is room for baking of each piece. Turn around after 20 minutes. Bake the chicken for 20 minutes more. They will get a brownish cooked look and the meat would have turned white in color.

Transfer to a deep dish saucepan with oil/ghee. Lightly saute till the surface gets charred and glazed with fat on all sides. Turn off the flame and cover the bone ends with foil. Squeeze lime juice on Chicken Drumsticks and serve hot. This dish also serves well as evening party snack or for get together dinner.

Chicken Tandoori goes as my entry for Think Red Chillies hosted by Laxmi of Kitchen Chronicles, an event started by Sunita of Think Spice.