Chilly Chicken For Fire Eaters

Sometimes I think the only reason people come to visit me when I go home, isn’t to go huggy kissy on me but to eat Latha’s food. Sigh!

But hey, who cares as long as I get to do the honors first :D

This is (she claims) her original recipe for chilly chicken. And I have to agree. I’ve never quite had the same taste elsewhere. But a note of warning: You might want to adjust the spice level, because her’s always leaves me gasping for water after the first few bites.

And since I like gasping I follow her proportions to a T :|

;)

Anyway, You’ll Need:

For The Marinade:

Boneless chicken cut into small cubes – 2 lb

Maida/All purpose flour – 3 tablespoons

Cornflour – 2 teaspoons

Chilly powder – 1 ½ teaspoon

Freshly ground pepper – ½ teaspoon

A small pinch of red food color – optional

A small pinch of ajinomoto – optional

Egg – 1 large

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tablespoon

Soy sauce – 1 tablespoon

Tomato sauce – 1 ½ tablespoon

Juice of one lime

Salt to taste – Add less than the quantity you normally use, because Soy Sauce is salty. You can add more later after you mix everything.

For The Butter Fry:

Unsalted butter - 1 ½ teaspoon

Green chillies slit lengthwise - 10

Curry leaves – 15 leaves

Method Of Preparation:

- Combine all the marinade ingredients together (except chicken)

- Check the salt and spice proportion

- Add chicken and mix well

- Refrigerate for 30 minutes

- Deep fry on low to medium heat – I burnt them this time :(

- Remove and keep aside

- Now in another pan, heat the butter

- Add the green chillies and curry leaves and fry for two minutes on medium heat

- Remove and empty the contents on to the fried chicken

- Toss well and serve

Malai Kabab

S and K were supposed to come over for dinner today. And there I was running around like a headless chicken, because I didn’t know what I could cook that would suit both the desi and videsi palettes. Then, luckily, I remembered K telling me that her mom loves kababs.

So I decided to make Malai kababs, since they wouldn’t be too spicy and yet would be flavorful enough to tease the taste buds.

(To Appu: Babe, don’t even dream of dumping your favorite white pepper into this and crying foul later. Hmmph! :D )

You Will Need:
2lb boneless chicken - cut into small (1 inch) cubes
3tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
½ cup yogurt
1/3 sour cream
3tbsp minced cilantro
2tbsp ginger garlic paste
1tbsp garam masala powder
1 ½ tsp chilly powder (or according to you taste)
1 1/2tsp salt
1tbsp oil

Method Of Preparation:
- Wash the chicken well and mix it with the lime juice

- Rub the lime juice into the chicken (err, with your hands) for a minute or two

- Meanwhile, in a separate dish, prepare the marinade by combining all the other ingredients (except the oil)

- Add the chicken to this marinade

- Mix well so that all the pieces are coated evenly

- Leave it in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours (or preferably overnight)

- Take the chicken out half an hour before you plan to cook

- Preheat the oven to 500 degree F

- Coat your baking tray with the oil

- Thread the chicken on wooden/metal skewers and place them on the tray

- Roast for 25 minutes

P.S. Make sure you turn the skewers every 5 minutes

Spicy Mustard Chicken

You will need:

Mustard – 2 tbsp
Chicken – 1 kg
Onions – 3
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Green chillies – 3
Chilly powder – ½ tsp
Coriander powder – 1 ½ tsp
Garam masala – ¼ tsp
Tomatoes – 4
Yoghurt – 2 tbsp
Water – 1 cup
Cilantro leaves – a small bunch
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Preparation method:

1. Heat oil

2. Add the mustard seeds

3. When the popping stops add the chicken to it

4. Fry on high flame till the chicken is brown on both sides

5. Remove and keep aside

6. In the same vessel fry three onions

7. Add the ginger garlic past and fry for 2 minutes

8. Add the green chillies and fry for a minute

9. Add chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala and fry till the raw smell abates

10. Add the tomatoes and yogurt

11. Cover and cook till the tomatoes are completely mashed

12. Add water and salt

13. Bring to a boil

14. Add the chicken and cook on low flame for 7 minutes

15. Garnish with coriander leaves

Marinated Shallot Chicken

You will need:

Chicken – ½ kg
Tomato sauce – 1 tbsp
Soy sauce – ½ tbsp

To grind:
Spring onions – 3 (with leaves)
Green chillies – 3
Garlic paste – ½ tbsp
Lime juice – 1 tbsp
Paste made of chilly powder and water – ½ tbsp
Cornflour – 2 tbsp
Egg white – 1
Pepper – 1 tbsp
Ajinomoto – a pinch (optional)
Oil – as required
Salt – as required

Preparation method:

1. Grind the above ingredients with a little water to make a coating paste

2. Mix this with the chicken and combine well

3. Marinate for two hours in the refrigerator

4. Heat oil and fry the chicken pieces till they turn golden brown

5. Remove and keep aside

6. Take 2 tsp of that oil and add the remaining marinade to it

7. Boil till the raw smell goes away

8. Add the sauces and stir for a minute

9. Add the chicken to this and mix well

Chicken Mint Roast

You will need:

Chicken – 1.5 kg
Green chillies – 2
Mint leaves – a small bunch
Yoghurt – 1 cup
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Red chilly powder – 1 tbsp
Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Garam masala – 3 tbsp
Pepper powder – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Preparation method:

1. Grind the chillies and mint leaves into a smooth paste

2. Combine yoghurt, turmeric powder, chilly powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, garam masala, pepper and salt in a bowl

3. Add the mint paste to this and mix well

4. Make small slits in the chicken pieces (ensure that the cuts are not too deep)

5. Smear the paste well

6. Marinate for 6 hours in the refrigerator

7. Pre-heat the over to 350 degrees centigrade

8. Place chicken in a foil on the baking tray, cover it completely with the foil and bake for an hour

9. Grill for 20 minutes at 400 degrees centigrade