Category: Dinner | 8pm Meal

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal Recipes

Bhuna Chicken | My Special Recipe

Bihari recipes by OneWholesomeMeal- Bhuna Chicken
Bhuna Chicken

One dish which I would like people to remember me for – this Bhuna Chicken! No kidding!

Bhuna literally translates into roasted but let that term not mislead you. There’s so much more to this than plain simple roasting. The recipe involves cooking the chicken in mustard oil with lots of onions and spices. Elbow grease and patience is key to this simple yet delicious dish. Do not get overwhelmed by the seemingly long list of ingredients; once you have everything on hand, its literally adding things one after the other.

Add an extra dollop of ghee and indulge in this special bhuna chicken for your weekend lunch. If you like your curries potent and flavourful and you are a chicken fan then this recipe is for you. An absolute must-try, even if I say so myself.

What Makes the Bhuna Chicken Special?

Before you dive into the recipe, here are a few things for you to keep in mind.

  1. For the chicken, I recommend the boneless thigh portion or a combination of thighs and drumsticks.
  2. The red Indian onions work best for this gravy but you could use the regular white ones too.
  3. Mustard oil works best for this recipe. If you are unable to lay your hands on mustard then use safflower oil or ghee. Indian food doesn’t taste its best with olive or canola oil.
  4. The quality of the garam masala would also impact the flavor of the dish. I always use homemade garam masala for the best results. For the recipe of my homemade garam masala, go here.

 

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Bhuna Chicken

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Serving Size: 4

Calories per serving: 150

Ingredients

  • Chicken (preferably boneless thigh portion or a combination of thighs and drumsticks)- 600 gm
  • Onion- 3 medium sized ( approximately 2.5 cups)- chopped fine vertically so you have long thin slivers. The red Indian onions work best for this gravy but you could use the regular white ones too
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 1.5 tablespoons
  • Green chillis- slit into half -2 or as per taste
  • Cumin seeds (jeera)- 1/2 teaspoon
  • Whole dried red chili- 2
  • Bay leaf( Tej Patta)- 2
  • Star anise(Phool chakri)- 1
  • Black cardamom (Badi elaichi)- 1
  • Mace (Javitri)-1
  • Whole Black Pepper(kali mirch)- 1/2 teaspoon
  • Garam Masala-1.5 teaspoons
  • Coriander powder-1/2 teaspoon
  • Red chili powder-1/2 teaspoon (optional)
  • Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
  • Salt- 2 teaspoons or to taste
  • Mustard oil-2 tablespoons
  • Ghee- 1 teaspoon
  • Chopped coriander for garnish -2 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. Clean and cut the chicken to desired size pieces and keep aside.
  2. In a thick bottomed wide wok add mustard oil on a high flame till the oil is really hot . Reduce the flame to medium-low and add cumin seeds first, immediately followed by other whole spices. Stir for about 15 secs until the spices are fragrant. Then add the chopped onions and increase the flame to medium-high and fry onions till nice and brown. We are looking to cook the onions till they are golden and cooked through but be careful to not over cook and burn them. Keep stirring.
  3. Once onions are nicely browned , add ginger garlic paste and cook for about 30 secs followed by garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder (if using) and mix well. Keep the flame on medium-high while cooking the spices and stir continuously to avoid burning. If the mixture starts to get too dry, add 1/2 teaspoon ghee or oil. When the spices are cooked through (indicated by formation of really tiny oil bubbles around the periphery of the mixture) , add the chicken pieces and mix well for 2 minutes on a high flame . Then on a low flame with intermittent stirring cook till the chicken pieces are tender. Add salt, ghee and green chilies when the chicken is 70% done.
  4. At this point you could decide if you want the curry on a dryer side ( best enjoyed with roti or parathas) or on a runny side (great with hot rice). For a runny curry, add 1 cup water, mix well, cover and cook on a medium flame until tender. For a dryish curry, do not cover and keep cooking ( yes, loads of elbow grease) with frequent stirring until tender. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with rice or chapatis. Raw onion rings topped with salt and lime are a great accompaniment to this dish and add to the taste.

Notes

Mustard oil works best for this recipe . If you are unable to lay your hands on mustard then use safflower oil or ghee. Indian food doesn't taste its best with olive or canola oil Whenever cooking on a high flame constant stirring is a must to avoid over cooking or burning The quality of garam masala would also impact the flavor of the dish. I always use home made garam masala for best results .

https://onewholesomemeal.com/bhuna-chicken/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Zaatar Flavoured Sesame Peanut Okra

Okra
Zaatar Flavoured Sesame Peanut Okra

Okra or Bhindi as us South Asians call it, is one very common summer vegetable. It’s usually a universal favorite amongst kids and adults alike. It is also highly nutritious and is great for one’s gut too.Hence I am constantly looking for different ways to prepare this versatile veggie.

To keep track of the groceries, plan my day better and make sure the family has a variety in food to eat, I plan my meals. However, this was one rare occasion when I didn’t end up cooking what I had originally planned. I was rummaging through my pantry trying to find a packet of turmeric when I eyed the huge packet of zaatar.

I had picked it from a middle-eastern restaurant. After using it a few times in dips and such, I had conveniently forgotten all about it. A sign from heavens above maybe? Sign or not, I decided to cook my okra adding some zaatar flavor to it. And as always, my willingness to mix flavors and be adventurous in the kitchen did not disappoint. Since this fortunate change in a meal plan, I have made this recipe several times. Sharing this keeper with you.

Hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I do.

 

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Zaatar Flavoured Sesame Peanut Okra

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serving Size: 4

Calories per serving: 80

Ingredients

  • Okra (bhindi)-400 grams
  • Tomato, chopped fine or blended coarsely-2 big sized or 3 small, approximately 1.5 cup
  • White sesame- 1tablespoon
  • Toasted peanuts coarsely pound- 2 tablespoons
  • Zaatar Spice -2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon
  • Garam Masala-1/2 teaspoon
  • Turmeric-1/2 teaspoon
  • Garlic, minced- 1 teaspoon
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 1 teaspoon
  • Coriander, chopped- 2 teaspoons
  • Green chilies, sliced-1 (optional)
  • Oil-1 tablespoon
  • Salt-1teaspoon or to taste

Instructions

  1. Wash and air dry the okra half an hour before preparing. Once dried, chop off the pointed top and the hard bottom. Then slice the okra vertically into two and further slice each piece into half or as desired
  2. Toast the white sesame in a non-stick skillet on a medium flame with constant stirring till light brown, transfer and keep aside
  3. In the same skillet heat oil and add minced garlic and sauté for a few seconds , then add the toasted sesame and mix well. Keeping the flame on medium all the time, add tomatoes and ginger-galic paste. Cook with occasional stirring until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
  4. Add garam masala, turmeric and green chilli and mix well. Cook on a medium flame for a minute then add 2 tablespoons zaatar and mix well
  5. Add sliced okra and mix the vegetable well with spices gently. Avoid stirring it too much and whenever you do, try doing it shaking the pan instead of the spatula
  6. Keep the flame to medium and cook till the okra is 70 percent done. Then add salt, mix well and increase flame to medium-high; cook for another 5 minutes stirring intermittently.
  7. Turn off the heat, garnish with the reserved zaatar , peanuts and coriander and serve hot with chapatis.

Notes

Okra is high in fibre and great for gut and also has anti-stress and anti-fatigue benefits. This is a great summer vegetable

https://onewholesomemeal.com/zaatar-flavoured-sesame-peanut-okra/

 

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Kimchi Flavoured Brown Rice

Kimchi
Kimchi Flavoured Brown Rice

Thank you, Kimchi for making brown rice flavorful in this one-pot meal.

The KISS rule is totally wasted on me! Now, that I have your attention, I meant the Keep It Simple Stupid rule silly J There are days I go into the kitchen thinking, “Just plain rice boiled with veggies today. A one-pot meal in the rice cooker. That’s it!”.

But then I see the chicken stock peeking from the refrigerator door. Oh and the paneer sitting in the chiller feeling neglected. There is also some rosemary about to breathe it’s last. And kimchi which is fermenting away for the last few months. Suddenly, the simple boiled rice with veggies is not so simple anymore. Well! Though there are a lot of ingredients, it is still really simple to put together. The flavors are just so amazing that one wonders, “Did I just throw everything together into the rice cooker?”.

Also, I am not a big fan of brown rice and hence the need to “complicate” things. Also, the lack of time to make a complete Indian meal points me in the direction of a one-pot meal. You can of course create the same dish with white rice; sticky jasmine rice would taste best. But it is okay to eat healthy-ish once in a while, isn’t it?

Kimchi Rice

Kimchi Rice

 

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Kimchi Flavoured Brown Rice

Ingredients

  • Brown rice (preferably pre-soaked for 30-45 mts)-1 cup (I used brown basmati rice, you could use any or even regular basmati or sticky jasmine rice; remember to adjust the water/stock accordingly based on the kind of rice used)
  • Chicken or vegetable stock-2.5 cups (if you do not have stock at hand, you could use plain water)
  • Chopped kimchi- ¼ cup
  • Kimchi juice- ½ cup (If your kimchi is not fermented enough, you could add some rice vinegar to it to increase volume)
  • Paneer (cottage cheese) cut into cubes and sautéed until light brown-1 cup
  • Green peas- ¼ cup
  • A few sprigs of rosemary
  • Star anise- 1
  • Garlic, chopped fine- 1 teaspoon
  • Oil for cooking kimchi- 1 tablespoon
  • Sesame oil- 1 teaspoon (optional)
  • Salt- 1 teaspoon or to taste
  • Spring onions, chopped fine and baby tomatoes for garnish

Instructions

  1. Add brown rice, stock, paneer, green peas, salt, rosemary and star anise to the rice cooker and cook as usual. You could add as many vegetables as you like- carrots, green beans or even mushrooms (mushrooms would need to be cooked with kimchi separately in the next step and not added to the rice while it is cooking with other vegetables)
  2. In the meantime, heat oil in a deep heavy bottomed pan, add garlic and sauté for about 30 secs on medium high flame and then add chopped kimchi and stir until almost done. This should take not more than 2 minutes. You do not want the kimchi to cook completely as it would cook some more with the steamed hot rice
  3. Add the cooked rice with vegetables and kimchi juice to the semi cooked kimchi and give it a nice stir. At this point you could add 1-teaspoon sesame oil for flavor but this is completely optional based on your palette. Cover and let it sit on a low flame for 2 minutes, adjust salt and serve hot topped with spring onions, baby tomatoes and a side of fried egg. I love to drizzle mine with some garlic chili oil for added flavor

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 175 Nutrition- Manganese/Selenium/ Naturally occurring oils/Fiber/Antioxidants It did wonders for your-Cholesterol/Heart diseases/ Gut/ Obesity/ Arthritis This is “My 8 pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/kimchi-flavoured-brown-rice/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal

Brussels Sprouts – Grilled and Spicy!

Brussels Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts - Grilled and Spicy

These grilled and spicy brussels sprouts are the perfect balance between yummy and healthy for this festive season. I promise you it does not get better than this.

For us Indians, the festive season started way back in October this year. There’s been no looking back since. Now, apart from loads of fun and laughter, we all know festivities also bring loads of delicious food. More often than not this festive diet is not very forgiving to the waistline. But I strongly believe, festivals are no fun without delicious food. I mean, “khaana toh banta hai!”, right?

Now, thinking a little long-term, I want to enjoy good food in my life as long as I can. Therefore, I continuously look to balance all the sweet treats with healthy meals. And remember, as I always say – healthy doesn’t need to be boring! These spicy, tangy brussels sprouts are proof of that. Ready in minutes, they are a perfect accompaniment to a simple meal of mixed daal or as sides to some grilled fish. You can even top off your salad with it. Try it now and you can thank me later 😉

Also, do check out my festive season party planning guide and let me know if you find it helpful.

 

Brussels Sprouts

 

Brussels Sprouts

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Grilled Spicy Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

  • Brussels sprouts, washed and halved- 200gm
  • Onion, small, chopped fine- 1
  • Lemon juice, freshly squeezed- 2 tablespoons (you could add more if you want it tangier)
  • Cayenne pepper (you could just skip it if you do not have some at hand)- ½ teaspoon
  • Sambhar Masala-2 teaspoons
  • Salt- ½ teaspoon or to taste
  • Oil-1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon

Instructions

  1. Mix well lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt and sambhar masala in a deep bowl and add the halved Brussels sprouts to this marinade. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes
  2. Heat ½ teaspoon oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add chopped onion and stir until it is translucent, then add the marinated sprouts making sure save the marinade for later
  3. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes then transfer to a foil lined baking tray, pour the saved marinade all over the sprouts uniformly followed by 1 tablespoon oil and grill at 180 degrees for 20 minutes or until nice and crispy. Serve hot

Notes

Calories (per serving/per drumstick)- 150 Nutrition- Vitamins B1/B6/C/K, Manganese, Folate, Dietary fiber, Potassium, Phosphorous, Omega-3 fatty acids It did wonders for your-Cholesterol/ Antioxidant/Inflammation/Heart diseases/ Gut/ Obesity This is “My 8 pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/grilled-spicy-brussels-sprouts/

[kkstarratings]

 

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Dinner | 8pm Meal

Spicy Soup with Sichuan Peppercorns

Spicy Soup
Spicy Fish Soup with Sichuan Peppercorns

Whether a soup person or not, you cannot say no to this extremely flavourful Spicy Soup with Sichuan Peppercorns.

Let me start this post with a small reveal. I am not a huge soup fan. However, my half a decade in Hong Kong has definitely gotten me to change a little bit. Now we do soups at home once in a while, but me being me, I absolutely need to put an Indian twist to it. For example, this one-pot yumminess was seasoned generously with garlic, tomatoes, and lots of fresh coriander. Along with this, I simmered basa fillets, bok choy, and black chickpeas in stock for a good 40 minutes. Vegetarians could swap fish with tofu or cauliflower and it would just taste as good. I always have you covered!

The kids ate it with a side of plain sticky rice and the adults as is. Perfect light weekday dinner before we binged endlessly through the weekend. And I cannot recommend this spicy soup enough for cold and flu days. The pepper is just so amazing to help clear the phlegm. You could use any white fish and it would taste as good. Here is the recipe for you to try.

Spicy Soup

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Fish Soup with Sichuan Peppercorns

Ingredients

  • Basa (or any white fish) fillet cut into desired size-200 gm
  • Garlic, chopped fine- 4-6 pods
  • Tomatoes, medium sized, cubed- 2
  • Coriander leaves, chopped fine-4 tablespoons
  • Chinese greens of your choice (Bok Choy works best in soups), cleaned-6-8 stocks
  • Sichuan Peppercorns- 2 teaspoons or as per taste
  • Black pepper-1/4 teaspoon
  • Salt-1.5 teaspoon or to taste
  • Water-2 cups
  • Oil-1 teaspoon

Instructions

  1. Marinate the fillets with ½ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns and ½ teaspoon salt for 45 minutes. For best results rub the peppercorns on the fillets. You can skip this step if the kids cannot handle the heat
  2. Heat a deep heavy bottomed pan and add 1-teaspoon oil. Once the oil is hot, add chopped garlic and black pepper, stir for a minute, making sure it doesn’t get burnt, then add tomato
  3. Mix well for a minute, then add the marinated fish fillets, chopped coriander,1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
  4. Stir in the water and bring the mixture to a boil on high heat
  5. Reduce the flame to low, cover and let it simmer for at least thirty minute
  6. In the last five minutes, add bok choy or greens of your choice, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes
  7. Add salt, mix and serve hot garnished with crushed pepper corns

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 120 Nutrition- Protein, Fiber, Vitamin A, K, B6, C, Potassium, Calcium, Iron, Manganese, Phosphorous It does wonders for your-Muscles/Hair/Immunity/Anemia/Bones/Gut This is “My 8pm/3pm Meal

https://onewholesomemeal.com/spicy-soup-with-sichuan-peppercorns/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Corn and Spinach in Coconut, Tomato Herb Sauce

Corn
Corn and Spinach in Coconut, Tomato Herb Sauce

I had no idea that it is #worldveganday today. However, like so so many weird coincidences happen in my life, I decided to make this vegan corn and spinach mix vegetable on the same day!

My inspiration for this spinach and corn dish was from the traditional Methi Malai Matar. This curry is basically fresh fenugreek leaves cooked with green peas in a creamy white sauce. So here is what I did. I swapped fenugreek with baby spinach, added fresh sweet corn and peas. I cooked it in a tomato and coconut milk sauce – the coconut milk was the perfect substitute for creamy white sauce. Next to this gravy, I added a generous dose of garlic and garnished it with basil, and oregano.

And guess what we paired it with for lunch? Hot wholewheat parathas stuffed with sattu or toasted gram flour. This is a perfect comfort meal for nippy afternoons. The kids devoured it and I have the perfect recipe for world vegan day too. Doesn’t it feel good when things just fall into place sometimes, making all the hard work worthwhile?

Here is a quick 15-minute recipe once again for you from yours truly. Scroll down for the full recipe.

Corn

 

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Spinach-Corn in Coconut-Tomato Herb Sauce

Ingredients

  • Baby spinach or normal spinach- 250 gm
  • Fresh sweet corn-1/2 cup
  • Frozen or fresh green peas-1/2 cup
  • Garlic, minced- 4 pods
  • Tomato, chopped fine-1
  • Coconut milk/cream or whipping cream-100 ml
  • Dried Basil - ¼ teaspoon (or you could use a few leaves of freshly chopped fresh basil)
  • Oregano- ¼ teaspoon
  • Salt-1 teaspoon or to taste
  • Oil-1 tablespoon

Instructions

  1. In a heavy bottomed pan heat oil and once hot, add garlic and herbs and stir for half a minute until the herbs start to release their fragrance
  2. Add tomatoes and on medium-high heat stir until they are soft and mushy
  3. Stir in the spinach, corn and peas and mix well. If using normal spinach you would need to blanch it until soft, drain and then add the blanched leaves into the mixture. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and cook until all the veggies are soft.
  4. Uncover and stir in the cream, salt and give it a final mix before letting it simmer for another 5 minutes. Add a few tablespoons of hot water if the mixture seems too thick and adjust the salt
  5. Turn off the heat and serve hot with a side of rice, roti or parathas

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 150 Nutrition- Fiber/Vitamin A, C, E, B1, B3, B5, B6, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Iron, Protein It does wonders for your-Muscles/Hair/Quality of sleep/Immunity/Anemia/Bones/Gut This is “My 1pm/8pm Meal

https://onewholesomemeal.com/spinach-corn-in-coconut-tomato-herb-sauce/

[kkstarratings]