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

Meat Steaks in Ginger-Garlic Sauce

Steaks are flat cuts of meat pan-fried or barbequed and served in thick sauce of different flavors.  Loaves of bread with butter, potato chips (french fries) and green salads are great accompaniment for the steaks.  Condiments like mayonnaise and ketchups goes well too.  Steaks can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and a great idea for picnics.  Boneless flat cuts of tender beef is always preferred.  This particular recipe is modified and Indianized, so that even those who do not have barbeque facilities can also cook it with ease at homes.

Home-cooked steak arranged on veg bed
Photo: Seema Iqbal

Ingredients - set 1 (for marinating)

Boneless meat: 1 kg (cut into flat pieces)

Ginger-garlic paste: 3 tablespoon

Soya sauce: 3 tablespoon

Olive oil:  3 tablespoon

White vinegar: 1.5 tablespoon

Salt:  to taste

Ingredients - set 2 (for sauce)

Chicken stock: 1 cube

Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tablespoon

White vinegar: 1 tablespoon

Soya sauce: 3 tablespoon

Corn flour: 2 tablespoon

Cabbage: 1 cup (sliced) 

Bell pepper (capsicum): 1 no (sliced) 

Carrot: 1 no (peeled and cut)

Ingredients - set 3 (for presentation)

Sliced cabbage: 1 cup 

Sliced bell pepper: 1 cup 

Sliced carrot: 1 cup

Steak in ginger-garlic sauce, ready to eat
Photo: Seema Iqbal

Method:  Step by step method for easy cooking

Step 1: Take the meat pieces and hammer them using a meat hammer or rolling pin and put them in a bowl.  Now add ginger-garlic paste, soya sauce, white vinegar, salt, olive oil (ingredients set 1) and marinate the meat for 1- 2 hours.  You may also refrigerate the marinated steaks overnight. 

Step 2: Take a serving plate; arrange sliced cabbage, carrot, and bell peppers (ingredients set 3) on the sides and keep aside.  You may also make a bed of these veggies to arrange the cooked steaks over it.    

Step 3: Take a heavy-bottom pan and pre-heat it.  Add some oil and pan-fry the hammered and marinated meat one side at a time until it is done.  You may also deep fry the meat instead of pan-frying.  Once done, arrange the beef steaks evenly in serving plate which is already arranged with veggies (refer step 2), and keep it aside but don’t allow it to cool down. 

Step 4: Prepare corn starch by mixing the corn flour in a cup of warm water.   The corn starch is required for thickening the steak sauce to bring it to a desired consistency.  

  

Step 5: To prepare sauce, take the same pan in which the meat is fried (no need to remove residue as it adds to the taste) and add 4 cup of water and heat it.  While heating add chicken stock, ginger garlic paste, vinegar, soya sauce and keep stirring slowly.  Once it comes to boiling point, add cabbage, bell pepper and carrot (you may add any vegetable of your choice at this point).  Now add corn starch spoon by spoon, keep stirring steadily so that the sauce becomes a bit thick and lumps-free.  Once the desired thickness is achieved switch off the stove.

Step 6: Now pour the hot and spicy sauce on top of beef steaks which is already arranged in the serving plate.  

Step 7: Serve yummy beef steaks with toasted bread slices and butter.  The steak is always accompanied by potato chips and green salads.  Bon Appétit.

Important and useful tips:

You can check the doneness by cutting into the middle of steak. 

This recipe is also published at:

     1.  www.seemaiqbal.blogspot.in

Lamb Zeera-Pepper Dry

A lamb dish of Indian style and flavor prepared using minimal spices, but rich in aroma and taste.

Home made Lamb Zeera-Pepper Dry
Photo: Seema Iqbal

Ingredients set 1:

Mutton:  500 - 600 grams (small pieces - washed)

Oil:  3 tablespoon

Whole cardamom:  3 Nos.

Clove:  5 Nos.

Cinnamon:  ½ inch piece

Curry leaves: 10 to 12 Nos. - fresh

Green chilly:  1 number (slit)

Onion:  2 (medium size - chopped)

Ginger garlic paste:  1 tablespoon

Turmeric powder:  ¼ tablespoon

Salt:  for taste

Pepper powder:  ½ tablespoon

Coriander leaves (cilantro):  2 tablespoon (finely chopped)

Water: ½ cup – ¾ cup (as needed)

Ingredients set 2:

Whole coriander seeds:  ¾ tablespoon

Whole cumin seeds:  ¾ tablespoon

Whole red chilly:  2 Nos.

Ingredients set 3:

Coriander leave (cilantro): 2 tablespoons (roughly chopped for garnishing)

Green chilly:  1 No. (slit and seeds removed - optional)

Method - step by step - for easy cooking.

Step 1: Take a heavy-bottom pan and add whole coriander seeds, whole cumin seeds and red chilies (ingredient set 2) and dry roast them on low flame for 2 minutes.  Let it cool down, then make coarse powder or roughly crush them and keep it aside.

Step 2: Take the same pan, add 3 tbsp oil and heat it on low flame.  Add whole Cardamom, Cloves, Cinnamon, Curry leaves and sauté it for 3 minutes.  Then add 1 slit green chilly, chopped onion, ginger-garlic paste and sauté until onions become golden brown.  Now add mutton, turmeric powder, salt, pepper powder, mix well and cook it for 15 minutes.

Step 3: Now add the mixture of coarsely crushed/powdered coriander, cumin and red chilli (ingredient set 2) on top, cover the pan and cook it for 5 more minutes.

Step 4: Add ½ cup of water, 2 tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro and mix it well, cover the lid and allow it to cook for 20 minutes on low flame till the lamb is done.

Step 5: Transfer the preparation to a serving bowl, garnish with roughly chopped cilantro and slit – seedless green chilly and serve.

Important and useful tips:

1. Use only freshly prepared mixture for step 3 for alluring aroma.

2. Keep mixing from time to time during step 4.  It will help you to get your desired consistency or you can wait till it dries fully.

3. Follow the steps as mentioned and this lamb preparation will be of tempting aroma and great taste.  Bon appetite!

The recipe of this preparation is also published at: 

     1.  www.coastaldigest.com

     2.  www.seemaiqbal.blogspot.com 

     3.  www.vahrehvah.com