Achari Chicken

One among the awesome chicken delicacies of Indo-Pak region is Achari Chicken. It is prepared in several ways using simple ingredients. Some add tempering using mustard-oil in the end to make it more flavorful. Interestingly, this preparation do not need any store-bought Masala mix! Here I am giving a recipe which is simple, quick and easy to cook. 

Ingredients group 1 
Oil: 4-5 tablespoon
Fenugreek seeds: 3/4th teaspoon
Mustard Seeds: 3/4th teaspoon
Fennel seeds (sounf): 3/4th teaspoon
Kolonji seeds: 1 teaspoon
Chicken: 750 grams
Onion: 2 medium (chopped)
Tomato: 2 medium (chopped)
Ginger garlic paste: 2 teaspoon
Salt: to taste
Kashmiri chilli powder: 2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder: ½ tablespoon
Yogurt: 3/4th cup (beaten)
Water: 1 cup

Ingredients group 2 (for garnishing)
Ginger julienne: 2 teaspoonful
Coriander leaves: ½ cup (chopped)
Green Chilli: 4 - 5 (slit)
Coriander seeds: 1 teaspoon (crushed)

Step by step method for easy cooking:

Step 1:
Heat oil in a saucepan then add fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, kalonji seeds and sounf. When they splutter add chicken and fry it for 2 to 3 minutes until its color changes. Now add onion, tomato, ginger-garlic paste, salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder, mix and cook it for 5 – 6 minutes covering the lid. Now add one cup of water and continue cooking till chicken is 80% done, then add beaten yogurt and cook until chicken is fully done. Keep stirring during cooking process.

Step 2: garnishing
Once chicken is done garnish with ginger julienne, coriander leaves, slit green chilli and crushed coriander seeds.

Now transfer the preparation to a serving plate and let your guests enjoy this yummy chicken delicacy. Tastes great with all kinds of roti. Bon Appétit. 

This recipe is also published at:
www.coastaldigest.com

Popcorn Chicken

Among all the chicken favorites Popcorn Chicken is not only very easy to cook but also flavorful, moist and crunchy at the same time. Be it a casual lunch idea for family or a small home party; popcorn chicken is sure to please your family and guests alike. It also makes a delicious snack item for the children. Popcorn chicken tastes better if served with tomato ketchup. Here is a really simple, quick yet a better recipe to try this weekend but make sure you have cut the chicken, preferably breast pieces, into really small cubes. So let us start:

Popcorn Chicken served with Ketchup

Ingredients group 1

Boneless Chicken 600 - 800 grams (cut it into small cubes)

Ingredients group 2

Maida or plain flour: 1 cup

Corn flour: 2 tablespoon

Pepper powder: 1 tablespoon 

Salt: to taste

Ingredients group 3

Egg white: 2 nos

Milk: 2 tablespoon

Salt: to taste

Ingredients group 4

Bread crumbs: 1 cup

Step by step method for easy cooking

Step 1:

Wash and drain the chicken cubes. Keep rest of the ingredients ready and handy.

Step 2:

Take a shallow bowl and mix maida, corn flour, pepper powder and salt (refer to ingredients - group 2). This is a dry mix for coating, no water should be added.

Step 3:

Take 2 egg whites in a shallow bowl, add milk and salt (refer to ingredients - group 3) and mix it.

Step 4:

Take some bread crumbs (refer to ingredients - group 4) in a separate shallow bowl.

Arrange the above 3 bowls i.e., coating mix, egg mixture dip and bread crumbs in a row.

Step 5:

Take vegetable oil a frying pan and bring it to medium high heat.

Now take the chicken cubes and toss it in dry maida coating mixture. Then dip it in egg mixture. Then toss it in bread crumbs. Then again dip into egg mixture and then toss it in bread crumbs once again. To get nicely coated all over, do it piece by piece.

Deep fry the coated chicken pieces on medium high heat until the preparation gets nice desired color. Do not put all the chicken at once into oil, but fry them batch by batch for better results. Now spread them a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Step 6:

Arrange the yummy Popcorn Chicken in a serving plate and serve hot with tomato ketchup. Bon appétit!

This recipe is also published at:

www.coastaldigest.com

Chilli Chicken

Chilli Chicken is one of the Indo Chinese dishes (also known as Chicken Chilli) that most of us have craving for, from time to time.  There are plenty of variations of this preparation and each one differs in taste, aroma and appearance.  Some chefs even include crushed cashew nuts to make it real rich and crunchy.  Here I have used a simple method with modified recipe for the ease of home-cooking.  And guess what?  It is very much liked by all at home and has received lots of appreciation from the guests too.  I am sure you all will like it too.  Let’s start… Bon appétit!

Chilli Chicken - an indo chinese cuisine
Photo: Seema Iqbal

Ingredients - group 1: (for marinating chicken)

1.  Chicken bite-size cubes: 500- 600 grams (boneless preferred)

2.  Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tablespoon

3.  Cornflour: 2 tablespoon

4.  Pepper powder: 1/2 tablespoon

5.  Red chilli powder: ¾ tablespoon (adjust to your taste)

6.  Salt: to taste

7.  Egg: 1 No

Ingredient group 2: (for frying marinated chicken)

1.  Oil: 1 cup

Ingredients - group 3: (for preparing masala base)

1.  Oil: 2 - 3 tablespoon

2.  Dry red chilli: 2 Nos. cut into big pieces

3.  Chopped ginger: 1/2 inch piece

4.  Chopped garlic: 5 - 7 cloves

5.  Onion, medium size: 2 Nos (diced)

6.  Capsicum: 1 No (diced)

7.  Green chilli (chopped): 2 Nos

8.  Red chilli powder: 1/2 tablespoon

9.  Pepper powder: 1/2 tablespoon

10. White vinegar: 1 - 2 tablespoon

11. Dark soya sauce: 2 - 3 tablespoon

12. Sugar: ½ tablespoon

13. Ajinomoto (MSG): ½ tablespoon

14. Salt: to taste

15. Coriander leaves:  ½ cup (chopped)

16. Water: 1 cup (can adjust to your desired consistency)

17. Cornstarch: 3 tablespoon (mixed in ½ cup of water)

Ingredients - group 4 (for garnishing)

1.  Coriander leaves: 2 tablespoon (roughly chopped)

2.  Green chili: 2 - 3 Nos (slit lengthwise) 

Home cooked Chilli Chicken - closeup shot
Photo: Seema Iqbal

Method:  Step by step method for easy cooking

Step 1:  Wash chicken and keep aside to drain water completely.  Keep rest of the ingredients ready and handy.

Step 2:  Marinating chicken.

In a mixing bowl add boneless chicken dices, ginger-garlic paste, cornflour, pepper powder, chilli powder and salt and mix it well.  Now add egg, mix again and marinate for 30 minutes.  (ref. ingredient group 1)

Step 3:  Frying the chicken.

Now take a heavy-bottom frying pan, add oil and heat it. (ref. ingredient group 2).  Once the oil is hot, fry the marinated chicken until it is done.  Remove the fried chicken pieces from oil and keep aside.

Step 4: Preparing masala base.

Take a wok (chinese cooking pan) and add 3 tablespoon of oil and heat it.  Add red chilli cuts, chopped ginger and garlic and sauté them for 1 minute on high flame.  Now add onion and capsicum dices, green chilli, red chilli powder, pepper powder, white vinegar, dark soya sauce, a pinch of sugar, ajinomoto, a pinch of salt and sauté until the onion dices turn to golden brown.  Add chopped coriander leaves and 1 cup of water and bring it to boiling point.  Now add cornstarch water spoon by spoon to get desired consistency on medium heat.  (ref. ingredients group 3)

Step 5: Now add already fried chicken and turn stove to high flame.  Keep mixing and tossing it for 2 – 3 minutes.  The Chilli Chicken of Indo Chinese style is now ready to serve.  It’s that easy!

Step 6: Serving.

Transfer the preparation from wok to a serving bowl or plate, garnish with roughly chopped coriander leaves and slit green chilli (ref. ingredient group 4) and serve.  Goes very well with paratha, chapati, naan, any type of roti and even with rice preparations.

Important and useful tips:

1. Use only fresh ingredients for alluring aroma and taste.

2. During step 3, don’t put all the chicken into oil at once, but fry them batch by batch.

3. You can adjust the quantity of water as per the texture and consistency you desire, at step 4.

4. Using a teaspoonful of store-bought chilli-garlic sauce will add to taste and color during step 4.

5. Since this dish has a Chinese touch, it requires the use of MSG (monosodium glutamate) which is commonly known as Ajinomoto. You may avoid it if you don’t like.

6. To prepare Dry Chilli Chicken add very little of water instead of a cup full at step 4, also reduce water ratio for preparing cornstarch mix.

7. Step 3 and Step 4 can be cooked simultaneously if your stove has 2 burners. 

8. Be careful while adding salt because ingredients like vinegar and soya sauce contains some salt in it.

This Chilli Chicken recipe is also published in:

   1.  www.coastaldigest.com

   2.  www.seemaiqbal.blogspot.com

Yakhni Biryani

Here goes the basic recipe for the delicious Yakhni Biryani, a meat and rice dish of marvelous taste.  It is a classic North Indian dish cooked differently south Indian Biryanis and holds a high place in north Indian menu.  It gets its name from the Yakhni - the meat stock - it is cooked in.

Home cooked Yakhni Biryani
Photo: Seema Iqbal

Ingredients - group 1

1. Lamb/Mutton: 1 Kg

2. Onion (medium size, chopped lengthwise): 3 - 4 Nos

3. Turmeric powder:  a very small pinch

4. Tomato (small - medium size chopped): 4 - 5 Nos

Ingredients - group 2

1. Oil: 5 - 6 Tablespoons

2. Onion: 2 (medium size, chopped lengthwise)

3. Ginger-garlic paste: 2 ½ Tablespoons

4. Green chilies (less hot ones): 8 - 10 Nos

5. Salt:  To taste

6. Lemon juice: 1½ Tablespoons

7. Yogurt: 2½ Tablespoons

8. Rice: 1 Kg. (Soaked in water for 10 minutes. Use short grain rice like Jeerakasala or the rice which is generally used to prepare ghee rice)

9. Coriander leaves (Cilantro) coarsely chopped:  1 Cup

10.Water (generally for short-grain rice, a ratio of 1.5 cups of water is required to every 1 cup of rice)

Ingredients used to cook this Yakhni Biryan
Photo: Seema Iqbal

Step by step method for easy cooking:
Step 1:  Keep all the ingredients ready and handy.

Step 2:  Take a cooker, add lamb/mutton, turmeric powder and chopped onion, mix it and let it cook till the mutton is 75% done.  Then remove the lid and add chopped tomatoes and cook it until tomatoes are dissolved, then keep aside. (This step needs only the ingredients listed in group 1 above. No oil or water is needed at this stage).

Step 3:  Take a heavy-bottom cooking vessel and heat the oil.  Add chopped onion, ginger-garlic paste and sauté them for 2 to 3 minutes.  Now add green chilies (less spicy ones), already cooked mutton/lamb (step 2) and sauté it for 2 more minutes.  Now add salt, lemon juice, yogurt and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, keep stirring from time to time.  Then add water as per the ratio mention above (refer item 10) and turn the flame to high.  While it starts to boil, add soaked rice and wait for 1 minute.  Now add chopped Cilantro leaves and mix the whole thing very carefully without causing any damage to the boiling rice.  Now cover the lid tightly and cook in low flame until rice is fully done.  This would take 6 to 7 minutes but keep checking to be on safer side.  The delicious Yakhni Biryani is now ready to serve.

Yakhni Biryani served with onion-tomato salad
Photo: Seema Iqbal

Serving:

Serve the hot and yummy Yakhni Biryani with a portion of traditional onion-tomatoes salad or raita, or any other side dish of your liking.  Pickle is a great combination too.  Bon appétit!

Yakhni Biryani served with home cooked KFC type chicken
Photo: Seema Iqbal

Important and useful tips:

1. You may adjust the water-rice ratio based on the type of rice you would use.

2. Short grain rice is always advised for this dish but basmati rice also goes well.

3. If the meat is real tender then avoid using cooker at Step 2.

4. You may replace the lamb/mutton with chicken or any meat of your liking, but adjust the cooking time accordingly.

5. In case you don’t find the chilies that are less hot, you may have to reduce the quantity.

My Yakhni Biryani recipe is published in:

     1.  www.coastaldigest.com

     2.  www.seemaiqbal.blogspot.in