Chicken Pulao

Chicken pulao, a quick chicken dish comes to my rescue whenever I feel lazy to cook or fall short  of time ;) This dish along with a colorful platter of salad is really filling n satisfying. I label it under bachelors cooking cos its quite easy n time saving. 
I call this recipe as chicken pulao n not chicken biryani because Pulao is made by cooking the ingredients together where as in Biryani, rice is first cooked separately , then layered n cooked on low flame with other ingredients. Just like vegetable pulao every thing goes into the pressure cooker. 

Ingredients:
Chicken      : 500 gm
curds          : 1 cup
onion          : 2 big, cut in length
oil              : 4- tbspn
ghee           : 2 tbspn
Basmati rice: 1 glass

for green masala paste
coriander leaves  : 1 small bunch
pudina leaves      : 1 small bunch
garlic                  : 7-8 cloves
ginger                 : 2 inch piece
green chilly         : 5
turmeric powder  : 1 tspn
salt                     : 2 tspn

Whole garam masala
Shahi jeera          : 1 tspn
cinnemon sticks   : 2
Javetri                 : 2 piece
black cardamom  : 2
cloves                  : 7-8
Bay leaf               : 2


Method:

• Wash the rice and drain water . Set aside for -20 mins
• Take the cleaned chicken pieces in a bowl
• Prepare the green masala paste by blending all the ingredients written below ingredients for green masala 
• Apply the paste along with curds thoroughly to the chicken pieces. Set aside for atleast 20 mins

• Take 4 tbspn oil in a pressure cooker vessel. when hot add all the whole garam masalas
• wait till they are fragrant. 
• Then goes in the sliced onions. fry until slightly brown
• Then add in the rice grains and fry on medium for 2-3 mins

• Add the marinated chicken into the rice. Give a nice mix. Add 1 1/4 glass water.
• Add salt if required ( also garam masala powder if required. I did not add)

• Put the lid on and cook till just 1 whistle. Sim for 5 mins before turning off
• wait until the pressure is released.
• gently pfluff the rice with a fork and add 2 tbspn ghee all over
• Serve hot with salad/ yoghurt raita

Chicken Tandoori

Tandoori chicken/ Roasted chicken, a popular Indian, Pakisthani and Bangladeshi dish consisting of chicken marinated in yogurt and seasoned with other spice mixture. It is traditionally cooked at high temperatures in a tandoor (clay oven), but can also be prepared on a barbecue grill or electric/gas oven.
Tandoori chicken is eaten as a starter before a meal.

Ingredients:
Chicken leg pieces       : 6

For 1st Marinade:
lemon juice                  : 1/2 big lemon
ginger garlic paste        : 3/4 tbspn
salt                              : 1 tbspn
kashmiri red chilli pwdr: 1 tbspn

For 2nd Marinade:
Thick yogurt                : 200 gm
ginger garlic paste        : 3/4 tbspn
salt                              : 1 tspn
red chilli powder          :  2 tbspn or as per taste
chat masala                  : tbspn
vegetable oil                 : 2 tbspn
mustard oil/ paste         : 2 tbspn
Gram flour                    : 1 tbspn
carom seeds/ajwan       : 1 tspn

Method:

• Wash the chicken leg pieces, take away the unwanted fats
• Make marks or slits on the chicken leg muscles and on the joints with a sharp knife

• Prepare the 1st marination with lemon juice, salt, ginger garlic paste and red chili powder in a bowl

• Mix properly and coat the chicken leg pieces evenly. apply inside the slits also. Set apart at least for an hour

• Meanwhile prepare for 2nd marinate. Take thick yogurt(preferably hung yogurt). add salt, chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala powder, chat masala, mustard oil n cooking oil. Heat a pan, dry roast ajwan/carom seeds and gram flour. Roast for few mins till it smells good and add into the marinated mixture. 

• Make a nice saucy marinade, give a nice mix and apply properly on individual leg pieces. Make sure to marinate inside the slits also .Keep aside again for atleast an hour

• Preheat the oven to 400 degree F for 15 mins
• Place the leg pieces on a baking oven and place it in the oven for 30-45 mins. Check occasionally

• Gently flip the sides with a fork and bake for further 10-15 mins
• Hot, spicy, delicious tandoori chicken is ready to serve. 

• I made a variation by roasting some vegetables also along with chicken

Mint-yogurt chicken curry

Ingredients:

• chicken                             :600 gms
• mint/pudina leaves             : 1 bunch 
• coriander leaves                 : 1 handful
• ginger garlic paste/minced  : 1 tbspn
• yogurt(curds)                     : 200 ml
• garlic                                 : 4-5 cloves
• ginger                                : 1" long
• green chillies                      : 3
• red chilli powder                : 1 tspn
• garam masala powder         :1 tspn
• onions                                : 2 big(cut along the length)
• tomato                               :1 big(puree or chopped finely)
• lemon juice                         :  2-3 tbspn

Garam masalas: 

•  cloves                                  4
•  bay leaf                               1
•  cinnamon stick                    2"
•  pepper corns                       5-7
•  coriander seeds                   2 tbspn

Method:

• Wash the chicken pieces, drain water completely
• Prepare for marination: blend pudina leaves, coriander leaves, green chilly, ginger, garlic,yogurt(curds), 1 tspn salt, lemon juice and apply the paste on the chicken pieces and keep aside for 1 hour

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• Slightly roast all the garam masalas in a pan: cloves, cinnamon, pepper, coriander seeds n bay leaf with little oil. Take out n cool it. In the same pan fry onions till brown with little oil. Cool it
• Now grind together fried onions and roasted garam masalas to make a paste
• Heat about 4 tbspn oil in kadai, add 1 tbspn ginger-garlic paste. saute and transfer the marinated chicken into the pan. close the lid and cook on medium for 15 mins with occasional stirring and till oil starts to separate from the gravy.

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• after 15 mins, check if the chicken is cooked properly. Then pour the onion-garam masala paste, tomato puree, red chilli powder, 1 1/2 cup of water and  cook for 10-12 more mins.
•  lastly add garam masala powder, stir and continue to cook for further 5-7 mins. Gravy loses some water and thickenes by now
• check for salt, chilli and sourness, if required add some more lemon juice .turn off 
• Serve hot with ghee rice, plane rice or jeera rice.

Marination time: 1 hour
Cooking time- 45 mins
serves 4

Mackerel shallow fry

Ingredients:
For marination:
3 Mackerel slit from the center
2 tbspn tamarind paste
5-6 big cloves of garlic crushed /paste
2-3 tbspn of red chilly
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
1/2 tspn hing powder/Asafoedita
1 tbspn salt or to taste 
oil for shallow frying
1 small cup unroasted rava/sooji/semolina for frying


Method:

• Wash the fish nicely under running water for 3-4 times
• Hold the fish firmly and chop off the head part and make a slit from the centre to pull the flesh apart.
• In a small bowl prepare the marination mixture by adding salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, tamarind paste, garlic paste. Mix well by adding 1/4th cup water
• Apply the paste evenly to the fish on both the sides. Keep aside for at least 15 mins
• Now take some rava/sooji in plate, add hing powder, a pinch of salt, mix all
• Coat each fish evenly with rava n fry it on pan . add oil for frying. Fry on both sides till nice golden brown colour appears

Preparation time: 30 mins
cooking time: 30 mins

Egg green masala curry

Ingredients for the gravy

Egg, hard boiled	5
onions, finely chopped	3
tomato, finely chopped	2 big
turmeric pwdr	1/2tspn
garam masala	1 tbspn of
red chilli powder	1 tspn or as required
coriander powder	1/2 tspn
green chilli	2
ginger	1 inch piece
garlic	3 big cloves
coriander leaves	1 small bunch
oil	3-4 tbspn
lemon juice/ dry mango powder	1/2 tspn

Method:

• Make a green masala paste by grinding together ginger, garlic, green chillies n 1/2 bunch coriander leaves,
• take oil in a saucepan, add onions n fry till translucent, then  add green masala paste, fry nicely on medium flame till raw smell disappears(fr abt 5-8 mins)

•  then add chopped tomato, salt, turmeric, add 1/2 cup water. put the lid on n cook for 5mins or till the tomatoes sink in the gravy to form a smooth purée
• Meanwhile, make a slit on boiled eggs just half way with a knife

• Take out the lid, add coriander powder, red chilly powder and dry mango powder bring the gravy to a boil n lastly add garam masala powder

•  place the eggs, put back the lid n turn off
•  Just before serving garnish with some fresh coriander 
• Pair with chapati or bread 

Note:

• Eggs should be hard boiled
• slits are made on boiled eggs so that the curry enters into it

Dried shrimp in coconut milk curry

Ingredients:
Dried shrimps                   :  1 small cup
Finely chopped red onions  : 1 big
any Fish masala powder     : 1 tbspn
red chilly powder              : 1/2 tspn
coriander powder              : 1tspn
turmeric powder                : 1/4 th tspn
coconut milk                     : 2 cups
water                               : 1/2 cup
little salt                           : to taste
oil                                    : 2-3 tbspn


Method:

• Remove the head n tail of shrimps and wash them thoroughly and drain water completely
• Heat oil in a non stick pan, add shrimps n saute for 2 mins
• In the same pan add onions n saute till translucent

• Then add all the dry powder n stir for a minute

• then add the thick coconut milk and water if required

• bring the curry to a boil n turn off
• Serve this spicy shrimp curry with rice
• (I have added very less coconut milk and a cup of water thats why the colour of the curry seems reddish)

serves : 3
cooking time : 15 mins

chicken bone soup

Kingfish/ Ishwan shallow fry

Ingredients:

For marination:

King fish slices : 5

red chilli powder: 2 tbspn less spicy

turmeric powder : 1 tspn

tamaind paste     : 2 tspn

big pods of garlic : 6-8 crushed

ginger paste         : 1/2 tspn

 hing powder/Asafoedita :1/2 tspn

 salt  :1 tbspn or or to taste

oil     :for shallow frying

 rava/semolina for frying: 5 -6 tbspn

Method:

• Wash the fish slices, apply little salt and keep aside.
• In a small bowl prepare the marination mixture by adding salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, tamarind paste, crushed garlic, ginger paste n hing powder. Mix evenly by adding 2-3 tbspn water
• Apply the paste evenly to the fish slices on both the sides. Keep aside for at least 15 mins
• take some rava/sooji in plate , add hing powder, a pinch of salt, mix all
• Coat each fish evenly with rava n shallow fry it on pan . add oil for frying. Fry on both sides on medium heat till golden brown 

Preparation time: 30 mins

cooking time: 20 mins

Chicken ghee roast