Andhra Chicken Roast Recipe 2

This is the chicken roast that I often make at home and it was even featured in The Hindu newspaper. I somehow never came around posting it here. I make a similar roast with different ingredients. When I read through it, I realize how small change to the proportion makes such a big change.

After reading the newspaper article, many who didn't know about my blogging, called up asking me what I do and about the blog. Many of them even tried the recipe and said it was a hit at their home. So finally here the recipe for you to try!

Talking about this chicken, this is one of Konda's favorite dish. She had her School Sports day and has been excited about it since a week. She has been very excited about getting a gold medal in the relay. She was coming first in 200 m, but after a selection of 5 rounds, she was not able to get the first position. Every day she used to come back home fully drained and exhausted. My parents complained that she should not take part as she hardly eats well enough to walk, let alone run. I didn't want to discourage her as she was so interested in it. Finally I am glad she got in the medal in other event, and took the opportunity to give some gyan. Team work works, not that she would have understood, but anyways. Next on my to do list is to make her things that will help her build more stamina.

That reminds me that I should make this chicken roast for her again.

I had previously posted another Andhra Chicken Roast, maybe I should get to be more adventurous in naming the dishes.  Since I mostly experiment with different ingredients and note down when a particular dish gets appreciated, I never think of giving it a different name. If you must know, we have a chicken variety called X Chicken Fry, christened by Daddy because Amma couldn't come up with a suitable name for the dish. If you must know, that's the most favorite chicken fry that Amma makes.

Andhra Chicken Roast

Ingredients Needed:

For the marinade:

Chicken breast – 250 gm
Curds – 1/2 cup
Ginger-garlic paste – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – a pinch

For the roast:

Long green chilli – 1
Big onion – 1
Curry leaves – a few
Chilli powder – 1 and 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Oil – 1-2 tsp
Salt to taste
Clove – 2
Cinnamon – 1 inch

For garnish:

Coriander leaves – a few

Method to prepare:

Wash and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Let it drain for five minutes.

In a bowl, mix the chicken with curds, ginger-garlic paste and turmeric. Marinate for 15 minutes.

Chop onions roughly and make a paste along with green chillies.

Heat a heavy bottomed pan with oil.  Add clove and cinnamon, fry it for a min, then add onion-green chilli paste, fry till the oil comes out. Stir frequently to make the bottom doesn't get burnt.

Add the chicken along with the marinade, cook on a high flame for five minutes.

Then add the chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Mix well. Simmer and cook with a lid for 10 minutes.

Cook till the chicken is tender and turns brown.

Sprinkle finely chopped coriander and cook till dry.

Other Chicken Recipes

Enjoy your weekend!

Bhindi Masala Recipe | How To Make Bhindi Masala with Step by Step Pictures | Lunch Box Series : LBS#64

If you have been around, reading this blog for a while, then you must know that there are couple of dishes that have eluded me. One is the Bhindi Masala and the other, Moong Dal Halwa. Though I have made and got hubby dear's nod on Bhindi Masala's taste, it still seems isn't the right one. Bhindi Masala, of course got attested as the recipe. But looks like I was mistaken. Though it tasted great and all, it didn't look like how it is served in Delhi.

Now if you have ever been in a situation fighting memories, get it from me, you will fail miserably. Just as I have. It's like hearing statements like no one can prepare that chutney like my mom or like that kerala curry just like my uncle. Well the list is endless. Even Daddy comes out with such statements and you know Amma cooks like a dream. I just tell them that it must have been the first time they were eating it and the memory just stayed. I know it's easy to defend this way, than trying to get that perfect recipe okay.

Anyway I was happy having found one recipe that was right, until I was shown how Bhendi Masala looks like. We were watching the movie 3 Idiots, guess what happens? I suddenly hear a squall! Startled I turn to look at hubby dear who has that look on his face, I asked him what happened. He says that's how Bhendi Masala looks. I was thankful that it's a DVD that I could play back couple of times to see how the dish looks. Raju Rastogi's mom feeds him Bhindi Masala with rotis when he is in hospital. If you have seen the movie, then you can imagine how funny the situation must have been. We missed watching that movie in the cinema, and we really enjoyed the first time we watched it. Of course this movie joined the exulted line of movies that get run for some 1k times at home. And I didn't actually have to play again for myself as kids were watching it anyways.

Coming back to how Bindi Masala looked, I must say it looked very pretty. The Bhindi were still very green, and pretty with all masala mixed. I was wondering how one can cook something completely without loosing it's colour. Unless it was only half cooked. Well I will only know if I get hold of that cook who made, which again is not a possible thing. 

I am sure by now you are now curious to know how I got this recipe. Well this recipe comes from my colleague's mom. He is from Delhi and you can imagine how much of a foodie he is. So when we are not discussing work, food becomes the main topic. I asked him to get the recipe from his mom. I was surprised to see that just adding one more ingredient, how the dish got changed completely! He says there will not be a dish without amchoor not being added and the store bought ones can't stand a chance with his homemade amchur powder. Well that might be very true, still I got to make do with the store bought amchur powder right!

So armed with the recipe, I planned to make a complete punjabi meal for office lunch. So made Lasoon Masoor ki dal, Jeera Pulao and Bhindi Masala. When I told hubby dear that he can expect Bhindi Masala, pat came the reply if the rotis are made. Well there I was planning a typical dal chawal subzi, and he asks for roti!

Finally whatever it was, it was one delicious meal and it was approved by everybody including my colleague who said it was how they make it at home. So finally here comes the dish..

Step by Step Pictures

 Mix all the spice powders along with oil.

 Wash, wipe and dry the Bhindis

Cut into pieces as shown above!

Slit open through the middle.

Stuff with the spice masala.

 Cook in a non stick pan for best results.

It's ready!

Bhindi Masala | Curried Okra with spices | Lady's Finger sauteed with spices

Ingredients Needed:

Bhindi / Okra / Lady's Finger - 250 gms

For the spice mix

Red Chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric a pinch
Salt to taste
Amchur / Dry Mango powder - 1/2 tsp
Anardana / Pomegranate seeds powder - 3/4 tsp
Cumin powder / Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Method to prepare:

Clean and wipe the Bhindi dry. Trim the crown and tips. Chop them into long pieces and make a deep slit in the middle. Keep aside. I was told these are normally tied with threads to have the masala intact.

In bowl, take all the masalas and mix well with oil. Stuff this masala into the Bhendi pieces. After a point I was really tired of stuffing into the small pieces, so if you stuffed most of them, you can sprinkle the rest on the top or roughly mix the bhindi with the masalas.

Heat a non pan or kadai with oil. Add the stuffed Bhindi and add another tsp of oil if required. Cover with lid and simmer for 5 mins or till the bindi is cooked. 

It takes about 10 mins or so to get done.

Serve with rotis or jeera rice and dal.

Notes:

Best to select tender Bhindis as they will get cooked faster.

If you have the Anardana seeds, then slightly dry roast and make a fine powder. Fine powder may not be possible. But not real coarse. Store in air tight container. What I have has been there for a while..:)

Hara Gobi | Dry Cauliflower in Mint Sauce

If there ever was a recipe that stayed the longest in my draft, then that honour should surely go to this recipe. Hara Gobi recipe was something that came into our life a long time ago, yet it never made it to the blog as one might expect. If you are a person who loves pungent spicy stuff, then this is a recipe for you. I am really not a person who loves strong pungent flavours in any dish. But if you allow it, this recipe will surely grow on you. It is something that you got to get used too, that is, if you don't like the strong mint flavour like me.

It happened one fine evening when I visited my parents during their dinner time. As soon as they saw me, they offered this dish to eat. It was green and I didn't even look further than that and took a bite. With a reaction that said "Ahgguu what's that!", I gave it back again. Dad was surprised and said how I could react like that on a dish that they loved so much. It took me a moment to get that sink and I realized I offended them. It was a spontaneous reaction because of the strong mint flavour. I know I could have controlled my reaction. So to mend things I took another bite to taste and realized it was good, only you got to see the dish and understand that it's made with mint and gobi. Anyway I asked Amma for the recipe and made myself acquainted well with it.

Furthermore Daddy asked how I could react like that being a food blogger. Well I said being a food blogger doesn't mean I can taste and appreciate everything at the first shot. But of course I can learn to appreciate some dishes finally. After all who can say no to a minty Cauliflower! This Hara Gobi is a pungent dry dish that takes you completely by surprise. But then if you are fond of mint and gobi, this must surely be something you can easily lap up.

Hara Gobi - Dry Cauliflower in Mint Sauce

Ingredients Needed:

Cauliflower - 1 small head
Mint paste - from 1 big bunch
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 finely medium,
Green Chilies - 2 long
Salt to taste
Pepper powder - 3/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp

Method to prepare

Wash and clean the cauliflower. Cut into florets and take a bowl with water covering it completely. Bring to a boil and keep it aside with lid covered.

Wash and trim the mint leaves. Make a fine paste in a blender/ mixer using water.

Heat a non stick pan with oil, saute onions till brown. Then add finely chopped green chillies. Fry for a minute. Then add ginger garlic paste, a minute later add the mint paste. Keep stirring to make sure it doesn't get burnt. Simmer for couple minutes till the mint paste is cooked well.

Then add salt and pepper. Finally add the drained cauliflowers florets to the pan. Stir well to get the florets well coated. Continue cooking till it's dry.

Takes about 5 -7 mins in high. You can do in simmer too if you are using a regular pan.

If you are fond of cauliflower, then you must try these Cauliflower Recipes

Or if you like Dry Curries check them out!

Have a great weekend.

Vada Curry - Version 2 | Vadai Curry | Lunch Box Series : LBS#63

Having already posted a Vada curry, you must be wondering why I am posting Vada Curry again. Well it so happened that just after I posted my version, Amma made another version for lunch. She paired it with Tomato Puloa which was a new combo for us. It was a total hit. I was really so happy having found another combo for making with Tomato Pulao. I always only make Cauliflower Gravy with this rice, which always is a problem when cauliflower is not in season. Now with gravy, I don't have to worry again.

Best part was my kids loved this gravy. My version tends to be little tedious to parse out the spices and other stuff for the kids, while this version is easy to manage. Kids are having a gala time with my brother's kids being at home. It's non stop kondatam if you know what I mean. My lil nephew who is going to be 2 in a month's time, is so adorable. The way he comes and hugs you when he has to say sorry, makes you want to make him do it again and again. With tiny toes, he comes running and raises he hand to beat you, then when his mom says, it's wrong to do, he immediately comes to hug you and says ssorry. With a 100 watt smile that never but charm you completely.

Coming back to the recipe, I will surely recommend you trying both these together.

Vada Curry ~  Amma's style

Ingredients Needed:

Masala Vada
Make Masala Vada and keep it aside.

For the Ground Masala

Fennal Seeds / Sauf - 1/2 tsp
Whole Coriander - 1 tsp
Poppy Seeds / Gasa gasa - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds / Jeera - 1/4 tsp
Clove, cinnamon - 2 each
Green chiili - 5 medium
Cashew nuts- 5 whole
Fried gram - 1 tsp

Fry all the above in oil, then add half of a whole coconut medium size. Fry for 2 mins.

Tomatoes - 2 medium, fry tomato separately and then add to the above. Once it is cool, grind to a smooth paste.

Other ingredients

Shallot / Small Onions - 1/2 cup
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 /4 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp

Method to prepare:

Make Masala Vadas and keep it aside.

For the gravy, heat a kadai with oil, fry small onions, ginger garlic paste. Cook till the onions turn colour.

Then add the ground masala with salt. Bring to boil. Simmer for 5 mins.

When the gravy consistency gets thicken, add the deep fried masala vadas to the gravy and simmer for 5 mins.

Serve with Tomato Pulao or Parotta.

Notes: Normally the vadas are broken and added to the gravy, but we added it as such. It gave a nice crunch to the gravy.

This is mostly made to use up leftover vadas. But that has never been the case at our home.

Now that I have two recipes for Vada Curry, I am sure there are many other variations. Do share if your method is different. But if you have not made this delicious gravy yet, then I suggest you get down making it right away!

Chettinadu Chicken Curry Recipe ~ Weekend Cooking!

When I was checking on some older posts, it suddenly struck me that I haven't lately posted many non veg dishes. I haven't been cooking many new non veg dishes at home off late. The usual Andhra Chicken, Chicken Pulusu or the Chicken Biryani gets done on most days. So I decided it was time I ventured into a new thought I might at least make a new dish. Chettinandu cuisine is always a favorite cuisine for hubby dear as it's supposed to be spicy. But then if I have to make it very spicy, kids may not eat it. So I took the middle way and made it suitable for all. I was told there could be little more spice, but I guess it's alright.

Chettinadu cuisine, for those of you who are not familiar, is famous for its hot, spicy non vegetarian dishes. Well there are some of my favorite vegetarian dishes too. But the non veg dishes get more predominance from the many hotels that have sprung up in recent times in the city. Chettinadu Chicken is one of the most sought of curry in this section.

 

I checked out my recipe file and came across this recipe. Though it is almost similar in using fennal and poppy seeds, as we normally make in Andhra, we don't grind anise star along with the masala as some of the recipes might cite. I have kept the spices to minimum, trying to make it palatable for the kids also. This may not be the authentic chettinad style chicken. But since in chettinad style, all the whole spices are roasted and ground added freshly to the gravy, I assume I haven't deviated much on that ground. I made these this weekend, finally posting it today.

 Chettinadu Chicken Curry, Mutton Fry with Masala Annam

Chettinadu Chicken Curry Recipe

Ingredients Needed

Chicken - 1 kg

Onions - 1 medium
Tomatoes - 2 medium
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Red Chili powder - 3/4  tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves handful
Garam Masala  1/2 tsp

Masala to be ground

Onions - 1 medium
Coconut - 1/2 of a whole medium size
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Whole peppercorns - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
Red Chili whole - 2

Method to prepare:

Wash and chop chicken into bite size. Allow it to drain.

Roast the masala to be ground, allow to cool. Then grind it to a smooth paste, adding water as required.

Heat a kadai, saute onions, add ginger garlic paste, then chicken. Cook on high flame. Let the moisture from the chicken evaporate.

Add the tomatoes, red chili powder, turmeric. Cook for 5 mins. Then add the ground masala. Continue cooking till the masala turns colour and the gravy thickens.

Transfer the gravy to a pressure cooker, add major part of the coriander leaves and cook for 2 whistles or till done, then add garam masala, remaining coriander leaves.

Notes:

When making gravy, it's always good to cook in a kadai, then pressure cook. To save on cleaning the vessels, you can saute and pressure cook in the cooker, but somehow the taste differs by cooking it separately.
Add major part of the coriander leaves before pressure cooking for the aroma to steep into the gravy, you can save little for the final garnish.

Other Chettinadu recipes
Other Chicken Recipes

Microwave Roasted Potatoes with Herbs

With so much of potatoes that my brother got us, it was natural that I find different ways to use up those spuds. They were sprouting already and I was in a haste to use it up. After making those chips, seeing how much the kids loved it, I wanted to store them for a long time. Imagine my bad luck that somehow one important step in making the chips stay for longer shelf life, was overlooked. This was my first kitchen failure and I was badly affected. I have been upset over this for the last two days. Never imagined that I would be affected so much. One reason would be that my brother got it all the way and second would be that the kids loved the potatoes chips so much, third would be facing a failure and accepting is always such a hard lesson to learn!

Anyway certain things just happen, no reasons to explain why. I thought I should just move on. Athamma had stored some potatoes for making a gravy and I ended up making something else. So I had that share on hand and decided to bake some in microwave. As you know I always microwave the potatoes, instead of using pressure cooker. It's such a time saving, fuel saving method. So I thought baking them in microwave would be a great option. To make it even better, I baked it in butter and some spices. It was very delicious to say the least. While this didn't mitigate the pain I feel every time I remember my whole lot of potato chips that might go down the drain, this dish surely ends up being very satisfying.

Sending these to Lavanya who is hosting the MEC this month themed on Party Appetizers.

Ingredients Needed:

Potatoes - 5 medium
Butter - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Pepper powder - 1 tsp (as per taste)
Herb Mix - I used Thyme, you can mix in rosemary, Oregano. anything that you have on hand.

Method to prepare:

Wash and cube potatoes into 1 inch pieces.

In a microwave safe bowl, add butter and the cubed potatoes. Toss well. Microwave for 10 mins.

After 5 mins, open and toss again. Sprinkle the salt and pepper and other spices you are going to add.

Microwave again for remaining time.

Tastes great as an appetizer and very quick to make if you plan for a party.

 

Enjoy as a side dish too!

Check other Potato Recipes

How to make Homemade Potato Chips | Step by Step Recipe to make Potato Chips at home

You can't stop with just one! I am sure you agree to that when it comes to potato chips or wafers. Especially when it is something you made at home. After pizza, burgers and cakes, these potato wafers or chips are something I enjoyed making at home during my college days.

I remember those days making tons and tons of these wafers at home, only to be disappeared within minutes. Then there were the days with French fries. Endless days of frying those thin crunchy fries, dipped into sauce was pure bliss. My brother got loads of potatoes that we have use up fast.

I remembered those chips that I used to make and wanted to make right away. Dad had got a mandolin for Amma which used to cut super thin slices and french fries. Amma gave it away without realizing. I thought I could use a similar grater and used the multi grater and slicer.

I knew if I don't click pictures right away I may not get even one for the pictures.

Step by Step Pictures

Ingredients Needed:

Potatoes - 4 medium
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying.

Method to prepare:

Wash and peel the skin from the potatoes.

Using the slicer, slice the potatoes into thin slices. Soak them in water until you fry them. Else it will turn brown.

Heat a pan with oil. When the oil is hot, pat down the slices on a cloth and gently drop them in hot oil.

Drain them on a kitchen towel. Sprinkle salt when it is still hot.

Enjoy as a snack!