Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Dhaniya Chicken | A One-Pot Meal

While chicken is a favorite in our household, I am always looking for ways to add some green. This one-pot dhaniya chicken is a household hit as it ticks chicken for the family and greens for me!

If you have read my other posts, you know how much chicken is loved in my home. The days we have chicken on the menu, I know all stakeholders are happy and meals are wiped off of the plates without much fuss. Hence I am always looking for ways to create a variety with chicken.

At the moment, I am also finding ways to make one-pot meals. This means I do not need to make more than one dish for dinners on a weeknight. This dhaniya chicken is just that. Pairing chicken with greens such as dhaniya (coriander), paalak (spinach), methi (fenugreek leaves) is a common way of making complete, wholesome meals with this meat.

My recipe here is in no way the authentic method of making this dish. But this is the version we have been making for years in our family now. And it is a super hit! The preparation is simple and can be put together in an hour (yes, you heard me right!). For accompaniments, you can have it with rice, rotis, or hot flaky parathas too.  And is an absolute party pleaser!

 

Dhaniya Chicken

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 4

Calories per serving: 233

Ingredients

  • For Chutney:
  • Fresh coriander- 3 heaped cups (chop the stems fine and use them too)
  • Garlic -3 medium sized pods
  • Green chilli-1 (optional)
  • Lime juice-1.5 tablespoons
  • Salt-1 teaspoon or as per taste
  • Water-1 -2 tablespoons for blending
  • For Marinade:
  • Chicken, cleaned and cut to desired size- 700 gms
  • Yogurt-1.5 tablespoons
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tablespoon
  • Red Chilli powder-1 teaspoon (optional)
  • Turmeric powder- 1 teaspoon
  • Salt-1 teaspoon
  • Mustard oil-1.5 teaspoons (Please note that thighs and drumsticks are high in fat already hence you can either skip or add minimal oil here; if using breast, however, you would need to add extra oil to marinate the meat for it to have a relatively softer texture)
  • For Curry:
  • Chutney prepared in the earlier step
  • Onion chopped fine-2.5 cups (6-8 medium sized red onions)
  • Potatoes, cubed- 2 (optional)
  • Green Chili- 2 (optional)
  • Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tablespoon
  • Bay leaf- 2 small
  • Cumin- 1 teaspoon
  • Shaah Jeera- 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
  • Cinnamon -2 two inch sticks
  • Black pepper- 1/2 teaspoon
  • Mace- 1
  • Star Anise-2
  • Black Cardamom- 2
  • Garam Masala- 1/2 teaspoon
  • Chicken Masala- 1 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon (If you do not have this on hand you can replace it with 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala)
  • Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
  • Ghee- 1/2 teaspoon +1/2 teaspoon
  • Water-2 tablespoons or more based on desired consistency of the curry
  • Oil-1 tablespoon
  • Salt- To taste
  • Chopped green coriander for garnish- 2 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. For Chutney: Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender adding water a teaspoon at a time to get a semi-solid paste. Please note that we do not want the chutney to be too runny, else it would not impart the right coriander flavour to the chicken. Keep aside
  2. For Marinade: Mix the ingredients for the marinade well with the chicken make sure all chicken pieces are well covered with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 Mts to 2 hours
  3. For Curry: In a thick bottomed deep wok, heat oil and add whole spices (bay leaf, cumin, black pepper, mace, star anise and black cardamom). Immediately turn down the heat to low to avoid burning the spices and continue to stir for 15-20 secs till the they release a sweet aroma and start to crackle. Then add chopped onions and increase the heat to medium high. Keep stirring till the onions start to brown then add ginger-garlic paste and continue to stir. After 30 secs add turmeric powder, garam masala and 1 teaspoon chicken masala. Mix well. Keeping the flame on medium-high continue stirring till the spices are cooked. At this point add 1/2 teaspoon ghee if the mixture starts to dry and keep stirring till the onions are nice and brown. Then add the marinated chicken, potatoes and green chili and mix all ingredients well. The add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon chicken masala.The flame is still on medium-high. After 2-3 minutes you would see the onions would start to caramelise and release water
  4. Now, for the best flavour you can continue to roast the chicken with the onion-spice mix for around 10 minutes with continuous stirring , followed by adding salt, water and slow cooking on a slow flame until done
  5. Else cook the chicken uncovered for 5 minutes, then reduce flame , add the coriander chutney, water, salt and cover and cook until done
  6. Continue to cook covered with intermittent stirring till the meat is tender, taste for salt, add half a teaspoon ghee, mix well, cover and turn off the heat. Let it soak flavours for another 15 minutes, garnish with coriander, then serve hot with rice or phulkas.
https://onewholesomemeal.com/dhaniya-chicken/

 

[kkstarratings]

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

Bhuna Chicken | My Special Recipe

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.

 

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
Lunch | 1pm Meal

Tomato Fish Curry and Childhood Memories

Millennials belonging to a typical middle-class Indian family would agree that even non-vegetarian households do not eat meat every day. This was partly for health reasons and partly due to economic reasons. Therefore, meat curry or fish curry was a luxury of sorts reserved for the weekend revelry.

Now, whether it was meat or fish, was decided largely based on where in India you lived. If like me you grew up in eastern India, fish would score over other kinds of meat any day. More often than not freshwater fish like rohu or catla is what we commonly had at home. As both my parents had a six-day workweek, automatically Sunday was the only day the entire family would get together for lunch. This meant it had to be a complete Indian thaali experience. The star would be this spicy, tangy tomato fish curry that my mother would prepare.

Childhood Memories

A typical Sunday would start with my father returning from his morning walk, carrying fresh fish from the local fishmongers. Then we would eat a breakfast of poha while watching Rangoli (a one hour show featuring hit Hindi song numbers from the yesteryears) on the only channel telecasted those days Doordarshan. Us kids would go back to our rooms after, while my mother would get busy preparing the lunch feast. But I would always find an excuse to return to the kitchen and hover around watching her putting together one dish after the other with meticulous expertise. I would sometimes help her clean the fish or add the tempering to the hot mustard oil. It is fascinating that each time I cook this fish now it takes me back to those Sunday mornings in my parents’ house. It fills me up with nostalgia.

No matter how many times I try, I will never be half as good a cook as my mother is, but it gives me immense joy in being able to share this lip-smacking recipe with you. Do try it for a weekend lunch and if you like it, send me a silent smile 🙂

 

Tomato Fish Curry

Ingredients

  • Rohu (or any fresh water fish): 500gm
  • Medium sized tomatoes- 2
  • Green Chilies- 2 (or as per the desired hotness)
  • Garlic-8-10 pods
  • Panchforan- 1 teaspoon
  • Whole yellow mustard seeds- 1 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder-2 teaspoons
  • Salt-2 teaspoons or to taste
  • Mustard oil for frying
  • Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions

  1. Remove the scales of the fish and cut it into desired size pieces
  2. Rub half a teaspoon salt all over the fish and let it sit for 2-5 minutes. This helps kill the fishy smell which some find overpowering. Wash well.
  3. Rub half teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon turmeric all over the fish and fry in hot oil until both sides are done. You may choose to deep or shallow fry, it doesn’t have any effect on the taste. Keep aside on a paper towel to absorb excess oil
  4. In a blender add tomatoes, green chilies, garlic and whole yellow mustard seeds and make a smooth paste. No need to add water as water from tomatoes would be enough.
  5. In the same wok used for frying the fish, add some more oil or use the leftover oil from frying. Once the oil is hot, add the panchforan and when the spices start to crackle, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the blended mixture from the set above. Add the remaining teaspoon of turmeric powder and cook the mixture on low heat, stirring continuously. The entire process would take 10-15 minutes and you would see the yellow colored mixture gradually change to red. This step is extremely important as the yellow mustard seeds if undercooked impart a bitter pungent taste to the gravy. Low heat is critical.
  6. Once the mixture is ready, add the fried fish and mix well for a minute and add one cup water
  7. Raise heat to high and bring the curry to boil, then reduce to medium-low and let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes giving the spice mixture enough time to seep through the fried fish
  8. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with a side of steamed rice, papodams and tomato-cucumber raita

Notes

Calories (per portion)- 260
Nutrition-Protein punch/Iron/Vitamin C/Iodine/Potassium/Calcium/Selenium
It does wonders for your- Immunity/Muscles/Gut/Eyes/Heart/Cholesterol levels/Brain/Hair and Skin
This is “My 1 pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/tomato-fish-curry/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Lunch | 1pm Meal

Mutton Curry Prepared In One Pot

Ask an Indian (who is a hardcore carnivore) what his or her favorite kind of meat is and more often than not the answer would be mutton.

While I am not a big fan of this meat myself, I totally understand why one would say so. It is quite versatile. One can make mutton curry, mutton cutlets, keema parathas, and what not with mutton. It is also very flavorful. However, a lot of the flavor is dependant on finding the right kind of meat and preparing it the right way.

When in Hong Kong we always struggle to find the right kind of mutton. Hence the India trips have to be made the most of.

The one-pot (pressure cooker) mutton curry, which my mother makes always, hits the spot. It is an extremely simple and foolproof recipe provided the ingredients, including the masala, are of good quality. In my experience, somehow the packaged masalas just do not do the trick.

I am sharing here the recipe for both – the meat masala and the garam masala prepared from scratch along with the mutton curry recipe. This is how my mum makes her garam masala. You might find it slightly different from the more commonly available recipes but it tastes just as good. Do give it a shot and I am sure you would love it. For vegetarians, you could use this meat masala in your regular curries like cauliflower, etc for that heady flavor and aroma.

One Pot Mutton Curry

Ingredients

  • For Garam Masala:
  • Cinnamon- 4 two inch sticks of medium thickness
  • Bay leaves- 4
  • Black cardamom (badi elaichi)- 2
  • Green cardamom (choti elaichi)-4
  • Cloves- ½ teaspoon
  • Mace- 3 strands
  • Black cumin seeds (shah jeera)- ½ teaspoon
  • Cumin seeds (jeera)- ½ teaspoon
  • Black pepper (gol mirch)- ½ teaspoon
  • For Meat Masala:
  • Cumin (jeera) powder- 5 teaspoons
  • Black pepper powder- 5 teaspoons
  • Turmeric powder- 5 teaspoons
  • Red Chili powder- 2 teaspoons (you can reduce this amount as per taste)
  • Garam Masala (prepared as above)- 3 teaspoons
  • Coriander Powder- 12 teaspoons
  • For Mutton Curry:
  • Mutton or lamb (cleaned and cut into desired size pieces, preferably 2 inches long)- 1 kg
  • Onions, medium sized, sliced fine (preferably red onions of Indian variety)- 6-8
  • Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
  • Bay leaf- 2 small
  • Cinnamon sticks- ½ inch
  • Black and green whole cardamoms- 2 and 4 pieces each
  • Star anise- 1 whole flower
  • Mace- One small portion
  • Black pepper- ½ teaspoon
  • Cloves- 4 pieces
  • Ginger paste- 2 teaspoons
  • Garlic paste-1 teaspoon
  • Green chili -3 or to taste
  • Red chili powder-1 teaspoon or to taste
  • Garam Masala-2 teaspoons
  • Meat Masala- ½ teaspoon
  • Salt-2 teaspoons or to taste
  • Chopped coriander for garish- 2 tablespoons
  • Mustard oil or ghee- 2 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. For Garam Masala:
  2. Dry roast the ingredients one at a time in a dry iron skillet, stirring continuously till they release a distinct aroma and set aside to cool
  3. Once the spices have thoroughly cooled, powder finely in a blender. In case there are any coarse pieces, pass the blended mixture through a sieve and blend again to achieve a perfectly smooth consistency
  4. Store in an air tight container in a cool and dry place
  5. For Meat Masala:
  6. Mix all the above ingredients well in a wide plate and store in an air-tight container in a cool and dry place
  7. When using this meat masala, you need not add turmeric, coriander and red chili powder separately in the curry
  8. For Mutton Curry:
  9. Heat oil or ghee in a thick-bottomed wok or pressure cooker
  10. Add the whole garam masala (cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon sticks, black and green whole cardamoms, star anise, mace, black pepper, clove) and roast until they start to release fragrance, then add the sliced onions. On a medium-high flame stir the onions for a minute or two (they do not need to turn brown), then add the mutton and keeping the flame on medium mix well for another minute
  11. Mix the ginger, garlic, green chili, garam masala, and red chili powder to a blender and blend to make a smooth paste. Add this smooth paste to the mutton and mix well
  12. Cover and cook until the meat is 80 percent done. If using a wok remove the cover and stir intermittently once or twice; uncovering it too often would delay the cooking time. If using a pressure cooker, cook with the lid on a high flame for 7-10 minutes, then release the pressure and take off the lid
  13. Give it a nice stir and add salt and cook on a medium-high flame till a desired consistency of gravy is achieved. You can adjust the amount of onions to achieve the desired consistency of gravy, more onions for a richer, thicker gravy
  14. Serve with steamed rice and side on salt-pepper-lime onions and cucumber

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 294 Nutrition- Protein/Monounsaturated fat/Iron/Zinc/Potassium/Vitamin B12 It does wonders for your- Muscles/Anemia/Stamina This is “My 1pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/one-pot-mutton-curry/

[kkstarratings]

 

Categories
Afternoon Snack | 3pm Meal Mid-Day Snack | 10 am Meal

Thekua | Whole Wheat Jaggery Sweets

I am home and so excited to share with you the recipe of Thekua, a popular Bihari sweet!

After a (thankfully) uneventful journey I am here in my quaint, sleepy little city of Bokaro and enjoying (read gorging) every (awake) moment. But in spite of all the fun and euphoria, I have not forgotten my promise which I made to bring to you some yumminess from this part of the world.  And if you have been following my stories on my Instagram feed, you might have taken a glimpse already.

So, let’s start on a sweet note. I bring to you the quintessential Bihari sweet – Thekua. Not only is this sweet a part of every major Hindu festival – Holi, Diwali or Chatth – but is also a part of every Bihari’s bag when they leave home for studies or work. It is a very strong emotional and tasty bond that we Biharis have 😉

Made with wholewheat flour, sweetened with jaggery and flavored with fennel seeds and dried coconut, these score over almost every packaged cookie in the market. Thekua can be prepared by either deep frying it in ghee or baking it. It is also the perfect accompaniment to your masala chai moments if you are looking for less sweet alternatives. Scroll down for the detailed recipe.

 

Thekua

Thekua (Whole wheat-jaggery sweets)

Ingredients

  • Whole wheat flour- 250gm
  • Jaggery- 100 gm
  • Water- 4 tablespoons (for melting jaggery)
  • Shredded coconut- ½ cup
  • Cardamom powder- 1 teaspoon
  • Fennel seeds- 1 teaspoon
  • Baking powder-½ teaspoon
  • Ghee (clarified butter) for frying- 2 cups + 2 (warm and melted) tablespoons for kneading the flour

Instructions

  1. Place the flour in a wide and deep dish suitable for kneading. Make a well in the center of the flour and add 2 tablespoons ghee. Mix the ghee with flour using both hands, rubbing the mixture between both palms for 10 minutes until both ingredients are well combined. At this point the flour will achieve a smooth talc like consistency
  2. In the meantime melt jaggery on a low flame with water, stirring consistently until a homogenous consistency is achieved. Turn off the heat and set aside till the jaggery-water mixture reaches room temperature
  3. Mix cardamom powder, fennel seeds and desiccated coconut with the flour
  4. Now, gradually add the jaggery syrup with one hand to the above mixture while continuously mixing it well with the other. Be carful to not add the entire syrup mixture in one go to avoid making the dough too wet and sticky. Once ready the dough should be relatively stiff
  5. Form the dough into small tennis sized balls and then pressing each ball gently between the palms make small diskettes. At this point you can make small patterns onto the diskettes using a toothpick or fork
  6. Heat ghee in a deep wok. Drop a tiny piece of dough into the hot ghee to check if it is hot enough for frying- the dough should rise up to the surface if the ghee is hot
  7. Fry the diskettes until dark golden brown on both sides and place on a kitchen towel to absorb excess ghee. The thekuas taste delicious even when hot or once cooled to room temperature. Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they keep well for a month or two.
https://onewholesomemeal.com/thekua-whole-wheat-jaggery-sweets/

[kkstarratings]

Categories
Dinner | 8pm Meal Lunch | 1pm Meal

Black Chickpeas Curry | Toori Chana Sabzi

With summer coming to an end, I am enjoying the last of the angled luffas (or as known in some parts of India toorai or jheenga). And today I am excited to share with you my favorite preparation with this vegetable, the black chickpeas curry.

Isn’t it amazing how nature’s produce is in sync with the body needs each season? Summer produce is all about vegetables high in water to keep the body hydrated. The winter veggies are slightly warming with lower water content.  While on the other hand, the autumnal produce is a gentle transition from summer to winter. The angled luffa is an excellent example of a summer vegetable with high water content.

This black chickpeas curry tempered with garlic and panchforan with a dash of onions and chilies makes for a perfect quick fix and light meal. Its slight sweetness makes it a favorite with kids too. The black chickpeas are packed with protein and other nutrients which is an added advantage. You can eat this curry with warm phulkas or even with rice. I hope you like this traditional Bihari dish.

Try it for yourself and let me know how you liked it. Scroll down for the full recipe.

 

Angled Luffa-Black Chickpeas Curry (Toorai-Chana sabzi)

Ingredients

  • Angled luffa (toorai/jhinga), skin peeled and cubed- 2 cups
  • Medium-sized onions, sliced fine- 2
  • Garlic, chopped fine- 4
  • Black chickpeas (soaked overnight)- ½ cup
  • Dried red chilies (optional)- 2
  • Panchforan- 1 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder-1/2 teaspoon
  • Salt-1.5 teaspoons or to taste
  • Oil-1 tablespoons

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add panchforan. Once the seeds start to splutter, add garlic and sauté for a minute on medium heat until fragrant
  2. Add sliced onions and sauté until translucent, then add the chickpeas with turmeric powder and salt and sauté for another minute
  3. Add the cubed angled luffa , mix well and put the pressure cooker lid on (no need to add water as this veggie releases a great amount of water anyway as it cooks) and increase the flame to high. Please see here for the right technique to use a pressure cooker safely (http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Pressure-Cooker)
  4. Once the pressure sets in (marked by a whistling sound of the cooker), reduce the flame to medium and let it cook for 10 minutes
  5. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and wait for all the steam to release completely before opening the lid
  6. Turn on the heat and cook on medium-high heat stirring intermittently till most of the water evaporates and a semi-solid consistency is achieved.

Notes

Calories (per serving)- 100
Nutrition- Vitamin A/ Vitamin C/Vitamin B Complex/Iron/Magnesium/Copper/Fiber/Protein
It does wonders for your- Eyes/Skin/Type 2 Diabetes/Arthritis/Heart/Anemia/Muscles
This is “My 1pm/ 8pm Meal”

https://onewholesomemeal.com/black-chickpeas-curry-toorai-chana-sabzi/

[kkstarratings]