EASY CHICKEN 65

Ingredients:

1. Chicken – ½ kg

2. Red chili paste – 1 tbsp. (Boil dry red chilly in water & little vinegar, cool it & grind to paste)

3. Corn flour – 1 tsp.

4. Maida – ½ tsp.

5. Vinegar or lemon juice – 1 tsp.

6. Curry leaves – 2 sprig

7. Green chili – 3 nos., split lengthwise

8. Oil – enough to deep fry

For Marinating:

9. Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp.

10. Pepper powder – ½ tsp.

11. Chili powder – 1 tsp.

12. Garam masala – 1 tsp.

13. Curry leaves – 2 sprig, finely chopped

14. Coriander leaves – a handful, finely chopped

15. Salt – to taste

Method:

1. Marinate chicken pieces with ingredients under ‘for marinating’. Keep it for half an hour.

2. Then make a paste with red chili paste, a bit of red colour (if u need colour), corn flour, maida and vineger or lemon juice.

3. Add the marinated chicken into the paste and mix it well.

4. Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed pan. Fry curry leaves and green chili and keep aside.

5. Now fry the chicken pieces in the same oil till it turns little more than golden brown in colour.

6. Spread it on a paper towel and let the extra oil drain.

7. Garnish it with the fried curry leaves and green chilies & serve hot.

Enjoy!!!

CHILLI CHICKEN

Chilli Chicken is a mouth-watering chicken recipe of Indo-Chinese cuisine, where chicken is cooked in the combination of Indian vegetables with Chinese flavors which makes it a delicious and simply irresistible main course dish when prepared with gravy or semi-gravy and also served as a starter when prepared dry.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken – 500 gm., boneless
2. Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp.
3. Capsicum (Shimla Mirch) – 1 no., chopped into 2cm thick pieces
4. Onion – 2 nos., chopped into 2cm thick pieces
5. Green chilies – 4-5 nos., chopped
6. Soya sauce – 2 tsp.
7. Tomato ketchup – 2 tsp.
8. Vinegar – 1 tsp.
9. Ajinomoto – a pinch (main ingredient of Chinese cuisine)
10. Corn flour – 3 tbsp.
11. Spring Onion – a handful, chopped (to garnish)
12. Salt – to taste
13. Pepper powder – ½ tsp.
14. Oil – for frying

Method:

1. Clean the chicken and drain excess water. Keep aside.

2. Make a paste with 2tbsp corn flour and water. Add half the ginger-garlic paste, ½ tsp. soya sauce, ½ tsp. vinegar, salt and pepper. Marinate the chicken and keep it for 20 minutes.

3. Heat the oil in a pan and deep fry the chicken pieces. Drain excess oil on paper towel and keep it aside.

4. Then heat 2 tsp. of oil in a pan. Add the onions and green chillies. Sauté until onions are brown.

5. Add the rest of the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell fades.

6. Add the chicken, soya sauce, vinegar, ketchup, salt and pepper.

7. Make a paste with 1 tbsp. of the corn flour and water. Add it to the chicken and mix well. Boil till it gravy attain the desired thickness, i.e. with gravy, semi-gravy or dry.

8. Garnish it with chopped spring onion & serve hot

Note: It is best in combination with Indian bread varieties like Chapati, Roti or Naan, and even rice varieties.

BUTTER CHICKEN MASALA (MURGH MAKHANI)

Butter Chicken or Butter Chicken Masala, without a doubt, is one of the most well-known Indian dishes around the globe. Butter Chicken is known as Murgh Makhani (Hindi) in North Indian provenance. There is something very comforting about a good Butter Chicken for me. It pairs fabulously with naan, a simple vegetable pulao, or even plain rotis or chapatis.

Ingredients:

1. Boneless chicken – 250 gm, cubed
2. Onions – 2 nos., minced
3. Tomato – 1 no., pureed
4. Tomato paste / sauce – 1 tbsp.
5. Butter or ghee – 1 tbsp.
6. Garlic – 1 tsp., minced
7. Ginger – 1 tsp., minced
8. Coriander powder – 2 tsp.
9. Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp.
10. Chili powder – 1 tsp. (Kashmiri chili powder for better results)
11. Garam masala or chicken masala – 1 tsp.
12. Dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi) – 1 large pinch
13. Fresh Cream – 3 tbsp.
14. Cashew nuts – 10 nos., soaked and grinded to paste
15. Salt – to taste
16. Coriander leaves – a handful (to garnish)

Method:

1. Heat the butter in a pan and add the minced onions. Fry until golden brown. Take out and grind to paste.

2. Then add the ginger, garlic, coriander, chilli powder, turmeric, and salt. Fry for a minute until fragrant comes.

3. Add the pureed tomato and tomato paste and cook for 3-4 mins until the mixture bubbles uniformly

4. Thrown in the kasuri methi, and the cubed chicken along with 1 cup of water. Cook covered for 8-10 mins until the chicken is soft. Cook in low flame and give the curry a stir in between.

5. When the chicken is cooked and soft, open the lid and cook for a minute or two. If the gravy is too thick, add some more water.

6. When done, add the garam / chicken masala, the cream and cashew paste. Give it a good stir, but don't let it boil.

7. Adjust salt (if needed), garnish with the coriander leaves, and remove from fire.

8. Serve hot with naan or chapatis, or vegetable pulao, or jeera rice

Note:- You can even slightly fry the chicken before adding it to the gravy. Marinate the chicken pieces in ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, and chili powder for half-an-hour and lightly saute it in butter or ghee until half-cooked before adding into the masala.

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: PLUM CAKE

Christmas is all about cakes, muffins and other desserts. Plum cake is one of the most common Christmas cakes which is very popular and can be prepared in household. Plum cake is prepared with a variety of dry fruits and cherries. If you want to prepare the traditional plum cake on Christmas, then check out the recipe. Here is a simple home-made Christmas plum cake recipe that is soft, spongy, sweet and delicious cake for celebrations!

Ingredients:

1. Maida Flour – 1 cup

2. Baking powder – ½ tsp.

3. Cashewnuts – 3 tbsp (chopped)

4. Mixed dry fruits (dates, cherries, orange peels) – 3 tbsp. (chopped)

5. Raisins – 3 tbsp

6. Cherries – 2 tbsp. (chopped)

7. Brown sugar – 1 cup

8. Vanilla essence – 3-4 drops

9. Eggs – 3 nos.

10. Butter – ½ cup (softened)

11. Lemon zest – 1 tsp.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.

2. Sieve the refined flour and baking powder.

3. Now add Cashewnuts, Mixed dry fruits & Raisins and mix well.

4. In another bowl, whisk the butter and brown sugar. Whisk well till it becomes creamy. And then add vanilla essence, eggs and lemon zest.

5. Slowly add the sieved flour and mix.

6. Grease a cake tray with butter and then pour the mix into it.

7. Bake it for 15-20 minutes. Once done, let it cool.

8. Christmas plum cake is ready to be sliced and enjoyed.

EASY ONE-POT CHICKEN BIRYANI

Biryani is one of the dish which is loved by all ages, and especially Chicken Biryani. In royal style, biryani is made in so many steps which is not quite possible with the equipment of a bachelor kitchen. But this One-pot Biryani is bringing the taste of Biryani to a kitchen with basic equipment. Making Biryani can never get easier than this. Have it along with some salad and pickle.

 Ingredients:-

1. Basmati Rice – 2 cups

2. Onion – 2 nos., medium sized (thinly sliced)

3. Tomato – 1 no. (Chopped)

4. Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp.

5. Turmeric Powder – a pinch

6. Chili Powder – ½ tsp.

7. Salt – to taste

8. Fresh Curd – 1/2 cup

9. Oil – 3 tbsp.

10. Ghee – 3 tbsp.

12. Cinnamon – 2" long stick

13. Bay leaf – 1 no., small

14. Cardamom – 3 nos.

15. Fennel seeds – 1 tsp.

To Marinate:

16. Chicken – ½ kg (cut into pieces)

17. Ginger Garlic Paste – ¼ tsp.

18. Curd – 1 tbsp.

19. Chili powder – 1 tsp.

20. Garam Masala – ½ tsp.

21. Salt – ½ tsp.

To Grind:

22. Green chili – 3 or 4

23. Mint leaves – ¼ cup

24. Coriander leaves – ¼ cup

To Garnish:

25. Cashew nut – 10-12 nos.

26. Raisins – 10-12 nos.

27. Coriander leaves – a handful (chopped)

Method:-

1. First wash chicken and drain excess water. Then marinate it with the ingredients and keep aside for at least 30 minutes.

2. Wash and soak rice in water for 20-30 minutes and drain it. Keep aside.

3. Grind mint & coriander leaves along with green chilies into fine paste and keep aside.

4. Now heat oil along with ghee in a pressure cooker, and fry cashews and raisins till it is golden brown. Drain them in a paper towel and keep aside.

5. Then add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, fennel seeds & cardamom, and saute for few seconds.

6. Now add onion, and saute it till it is light brown, followed by ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell fades.

7. Now add chili powder and turmeric powder, and saute for 2-3 minutes

8. After that add tomato and saute till it turns soft & mushy, followed by grinded paste and saute it till raw smell fades.

9. Then add the marinated chicken and mix well. Cook it covered for 10-15 minutes or till the chicken gets almost cooked.

10. And then add curd along with 2-3 cups of water (see for water came out of chicken, and adjust the water according to it), and enough salt. Allow to boil.

11. Once it starts boiling, reduce the flame to low and add drained rice. Cook it covered with simple lid in medium heat till 80% water is absorbed.

12. Then close it with pressure cooker lid and heat for 20 seconds more and put off the flame.

13. Leave it closed for another 15-20 minutes.

14. That’s it, Yummy & Aromatic Chicken Biryani is ready to serve hot after garnishing it with the coriander leaves, roasted cashews & raisins.

Done!!!

EASY CHICKEN PULAV FOR BACHELORS

Most bachelors wants to cook something very simple so that don’t have to stand long hours in front of the stove. I too is in this group sometimes, so that is how I came up with this pulav, with some modification to regular procedures making it one of the simplest one pot chicken dishes. This pulav is absolutely delicious and is nothing less than a biriyani. Yet simple and easy to prepare with not much chopping and you can cook this using just with the standard things from a bachelor’s kitchen. When add along chicken korma, raita or fresh salad and pickle, it is a perfect dish for bachelors in the eve of Eid-ul-fitr.

Ingredients:-

1. Chicken – ½ kg, medium size pieces

2. Basmati rice – 2 ½ cups, long grained, soaked & drained

3. Onion – 1 nos., medium, chopped

4. Tomato – 2 nos., medium, chopped

5. Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tbsp.

6. Cardamom – 4 or 5 pods

7. Cinnamon – 2 sticks

8. Pepper – 5 or 6 corns

9. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp.

10. Coriander powder – 1 tsp.

11. Turmeric powder – ½ tsp.

12. Chili powder – 1 tsp.

13. Garam masala – ½ tsp.

14. Salt – 2 tsp. or as per needed.

15. Curry leaves – 2 or 3 sprigs

16. Vegetable oil – 6-7 tbsp.

17. Ghee – 2 tbsp.

18. Coriander leaves – a handful, chopped

Method:-

1. Heat oil along with ghee in a pressure cooker at medium flame. Add cardamoms, cinnamon, peppercorns and cumin seeds and saute for a minute.

2. Then add ginger garlic paste and curry leaves and saute till raw smell fades.

3. Then add onion and fry till they are brown, followed by tomato and saute for a minute.

4. Now add turmeric powder, coriander powder, chili powder salt, and garam masala. Saute it and allow to cook in the oil.

5. Then add chicken pieces and cook with a simple lid (not the cooker lid) covered for 15-20 minutes, till it is almost cooked.

6. Now add rice and water enough to immerse rice (one inch over the surface of rice). Cover it with simple lid and let simmer for almost 10-15 minutes or till the rice is tender.

7. Now close the pressure cooker with cooker lid after garnishing with chopped coriander leaves and let it remain on low flame for 1 minute more.

7. Then remove it from flame and leave it closed for about 15-20 minutes.

8. Serve hot with Raita, fresh Salad and Pickle.