Murgh Shahjahani/ Chicken Shahjahani

Murgh Shahjahani...the name itself sounds so royal and transports you to the Shahi Mughal Era, it's history, art, culture, architecture and the rich culinary legacy they bequeathed to us. According to food historian  Salma Husain, there's more to Mughlai cuisine than the greasy mashup of masala and oil. She says in her recent book which is on Mughal emperors and their food habits that there was a subtelty to the cuisine which is missing in this age' s Mughal fare. Mughal cooking was a riot of colours and fragrances and her book gives an insight to how Mughal cooking evolved from Central Asian blandness to Indian richness. 

This delightful creamy Chicken dish is cooked with aromatic spices,cashew nut  paste ,yogurt and cream which give a nice smoothness to the rich gravy.Shahjahani is a method of cooking where the ingredients are simmered for a long time.This is a famous dish in Agra and every gourmet hotel and  every roadside stall in the gullies near the Taj Mahal offer this speciality and it's a hit.

The internet is full of Shahjahani Murgh recipes and every recipe is different from the other but cashewnuts and yogurt are a common ingredient in every recipe. Thankfully I have stuck to one of my favourite recipe book "Chicken Delight " compiled by the MasterChefs of India and this book has been a saviour since the year I got married. I have churned out succulent chicken tikkas to creamy curries for my guests from this book and the masterchefs have never let me down.

Though the recipe doesn't ask for marination,I personally prefer to marinate the raw chicken with masalas as marinating infuses the flavours and keeps the chicken moist while cooking.

Ingredients

1 kg Chicken,curry cut
5 tbsp Refine oil
2 Bayleaves/ Tej patta
3 (1cm) pcs Cinnamon/ Dalchini
8 Green Cardamoms / Choti Elaichi
2/3 Tsp Caraway Seeds/ ShahJeera
8 Cloves/ laung
1 C onion ,chopped
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Chilli powder
5 tsp Ginger paste
5 tsp Garlic paste
1/2 C Cashewnut Paste/ Kaju paste
 3/4 C Yoghurt ,whisked
1 C Hot Water
Salt to taste
2 1/2 tbsp Cream
3 Eggs ,boiled and quartered
1 1/2 tsp Black Cardamom/ Badi Elaichi Pwdr
A small bunch fresh coriander,chopped


Method

• Marinate the chicken with little turmeric,salt and chilli powder for half an hour.
• Heat the oil in a thick bottomed pan over medium heat.
• Add the Bayleaves,cinnamon sticks,green cardamoms,caraway seeds and cloves,sauté until the spices begin to crackle.
• Add the chopped onions,turmeric and chilli powder,sauté for a minute.
• Add the ginger garlic pastes,fry for 3-4 minutes till the raw smell goes away.
• Now mix in the Cashewnut paste and sauté for  a minute.
• Add the marinated chicken pieces and cook for 10-15 minutes on medium heat.
• Pour in the whisked yoghurt with the hot water and salt( make sure you put only to cater for the masala as the chicken has already been marinated with the salt),cover and simmer for 10 -15 minutes
•  more over low flame.
• Finally when the chicken is cooked add the cream and black cardamom powder and mix.
• Serve garnished with the eggs and chopped coriander.

Orange and Honey Chicken ...a new year special Colab with Oriya Rasoi and A Dollop of that

As we inch closer to the New year 2016, new resolutions are being made,hearts are filled with new hopes ,plans for reaching out for newer opportunities discussed but here I am stuck with my New Year's Eve dinner menu.

Our house guests left yesterday and it's that time of the year in Goa when people are here for merrymaking and celebrating the festive season and invariably all houses are filled with guests,all resorts ,hotels and shacks are jampacked and Goa is bursting at its seams.

For years have been enjoying the new year in Goa ,partying hard but this time as I was getting my house back in order,pondered whether to be in a crowded ,wild Goa or just spend a quiet New Years eve with my parents and sister and her family in Bangalore.

And my kids shrieked in joy when they heard my plans and thanks to a wonderful better half ...he was ready for a drive down to our destination .And so here I am all packed up and ready to spend a peaceful New Year's Eve with near and dear ones.

Have finally planned to make a succulent,skillet Chicken with savory, tangy, honey orange sauce  for the main course.Nothing beats a hearty home cooked meal with the whole family on the table. This recipe yields a moist, juicy and absolutely delightful chicken steeped in an addictive honey orange sauce  and takes just 20-25 minutes to prepare. Serve the scrumptious chicken with steamed rice and enjoy.
Adapted from rasamalaysia but have tweaked the recipe according to our tastes.

You require

1/2 kg Chicken breasts
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp refine oil
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp Asian cooking wine,optional
1 orange ,sliced round with the skin
1/2 C coloured peppers,sliced thin
1 tbsp parsley ,chopped
1 tbsp sesame seeds
Salt to taste

For the sauce
1/2 C orange juice
3 1/2 tbsp honey
1-2 tbsp chilli garlic sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
Can adjust the measure of ingredients according to your taste

Method

• Marinate the Chicken breasts with soy sauce and wine and salt which has to be added very little as soy sauce has sodium in it.
• Add all the ingredients under sauce and whisk well.Keep aside.
• In a  heated pan or skillet pan fry the chicken on medium heat till well browned on both sides . keep aside in a platter.
• In the same pan add the oil and fry the minced garlic until slightly browned.
• Add the chicken to the pan followed by the sauce.Turn the heat to low and cook the chicken with the sauce till the sauce reduces a bit.....for nearly 7-8 minutes.
• Add the sliced orange roundels and the coloured pepper,cook for 2 minutes and switch off the flame.
• Garnish with sesame seeds and parsley and serve hot.

A very happy new year 2016 and wishing you all an amazing year ahead !!
And please do have a look at my blogger friends posts before leaving my space.
Sweta's Sticky Chicken Bites here.

Parinaaz's White sauce Chicken Cheese croquettes here.

Moroccan chicken with chickpeas and raisins

My bucket list continuously keeps on getting updated,altered,contemplated and rejuvenated.And the recent update to the list is visiting the mesmerising ,awe- inspiring Morocco.Visiting Egypt was a dream of mine from as long as I can remember.Now that Egypt is tick marked Morocco is my dream destination ,a land of kasbahs ,medinas,arid desert landscapes and the very authentic sweet and spicy
Tagines and Couscous.

Moroccan cooking abounds in aromatic subtle spices and intriguing flavour combinations.Most of the dishes are convenient,comfort food as well as delicious and hearty.My blog would soon be flooded with an array of these dishes as I have been cooking these delicacies regularly and would love to blog about the magical flavours of Moroccan cuisine.

This chicken with chickpeas curry is a wonderful dish,though had doubts in adding raisins to it but that's what gave a different twist to the curry.The honey ,lemon zest,cinnamon and paprika impart a sweet as well as spicy flavour to the chicken .A divine combination with a bowl of steamed rice.I have used boneless breasts here but the authentic curry asks for chicken thighs.

You require

2 lbs Chicken,boneless breasts
01 onion,chopped
1 tbsp  minced Garlic
1/2 tbsp cumin powder,
1/2 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tbsp lemon zest,grated
1 tbsp flour
2 C chicken broth
2 tbsp honey
3/4 C chickpeas,soaked,boiled,drained
3 tbsp oil

Method

• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed saucepan on medium heat.
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown well on both sides and keep aside in a plate.
• Add garlic and onion to the saucepan and sauté till onions are transparent.
• Add the cumin,turmeric,paprika and cinnamon ,stir and cook for a minute.
• Stir in the chicken broth,honey ,lemon zest and flour,incorporate till well blended.
• Add the browned chicken and cook covered for 10-15 minutes.
• Now stir in the raisins and chickpeas and simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes or till the chicken is cooked properly.
• Serve with hot steamed rice .

Sunday style Chicken Curry...a taste of the Past!

Food and nostalgia go hand in hand together.Just the smell wafting from the kitchen is transporting me to those childhood Sundays when my Bappa ( father) would religiously leave the house early in the morning with a bag to the fresh produce market to grab the best,fleshy,tender chicken and to avoid the long queue at the butchers.In his opinion the more the crowd at the butchers the less wasthe chance to get good quality meat.

With the Mahabharata blaring in the TV set in the drawing room my mom would marinate it with curd and spices, to be cooked in an hour. It's funny how nostalgia clouds the mind.The mere sight of the spicy, colourful,bubbling chicken curry on the stove is all that's needed to recall positive, childhood associations you would rather hold on to.Every Odiya household had a chicken or mutton curry sizzling in their pots on Sundays for their larger than life Sunday lunch....infact I call it Sunday style Chicken Curry.

The nostalgia inducing chicken curry or Kukuda Jhola in Odiya is a rich, spicy gravy with big chunks of potatoes and curry cut chicken.It tastes best when pre marinated and the authentic taste comes from the mustard oil used for preparation.Back in our household in Odisha our house help grinds the spices and masalas on a heavy grinding stone called Sila Bata or Sila Pua.I have always felt that 

traditional ways of preparation of recipes imparts much better flavours and taste to the dishes.This 

Jhola goes very well with steamed rice and an Indian salad of cucumber, tomato, onion rings sprinkled with rock salt, pepper and lemon juice.What beautiful, chicken filled, delicious memories!!

You require
1kg Curry cut Chicken
02  Potatoes,cut in big cubes
03 big Onions ,grated or ground
02 tomatoes,chopped
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp cumin seeds or jeera
2 slit green chillies or according to your taste
1 tsp each cumin,coriander and garam masala powder
2 tbsp chopped coriander
2 tbsp mustard oil
3-4 green cardamom or choti elaichi
1 inch pc cinnamon stick or dalchini
3-4 cloves  or laung
2 bay leaves or tej patta
1 1/2 C hot water
For the marinade
3/4 C curd
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp mustard oil
Salt to taste

 Method

• Marinate the chicken with the marinade for at least 1-2 hours before cooking.
• Heat the mustard oil in a wok till smoking point and lessen the flame.
• Fry the potatoes in the oil till light brown and keep it aside.
• Fry the cumin seeds and the whole garam masalas in the remaining oil till it splutters,add the sugar and let it brown.This gives a nice caramelised colour to the curry.
• Add the grated onion,fry till transparent.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes away.
• Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook till the oil separates or till the masala attains a nice dark brown colour.
• Add the marinated chicken to the masala and cook on medium heat for 3-4 mins and then add the potatoes and fry for 1-2 mins more.
• Sprinkle the coriander and cumin powder and mix thoroughly.
• Add the hot water to the chicken and potato and cover the wok and cook for 5-7 mins more.
• Lastly sprinkle the garam masala and give one nice boil to the curry.
• Turn off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander.
• Serve with steamed rice and enjoy.

Steamed Chicken with tangy Spinach and Mushroom sauce

I feel like ranting and raving to everybody I meet that I have started blogging AGAIN finally!I feel elated, on top of the world today while I am typing my post.Taking care of 3 kids(hubby taken into consideration) is not an easy task but then taking some time out for yourself is everybody's birthright.Though I am not able to read or watch my favourite programs but then I am sure blogging is surely going to give me immense satisfaction at the end of the day.

Today's recipe is steamed chicken with a thick tangy spinach and mushroom sauce.A very healthy dish.Those who cannot have steamed chicken can shallow fry the marinated chicken breast with a little olive oil.The tomatoes impart a tangy flavour and a rich red colour to the sauce.The recipe provided here serves 2 persons.

You will Need:

For the Sauce:

Chicken Breast- 2 Pcs

Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped

Spinach - 1 and 1/2 cup, finely chopped

Mushrooms(button)-6-7 medium sized,sliced

Tomatoes -2 medium sized

Garlic - 5-6 flakes

Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Salt and pepper to taste

Marinade:

Salt and pepper to taste

lemon juice -1 tbsp

Oregano - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken breasts with salt ,pepper,oregano and lemon juice for an hour .
2. Steam the pieces in a steamer for 25- 30 minutes.
3. For the sauce heat some olive oil in a pan, saute the sliced mushrooms .Stir fry till golden.Transfer to a plate.
4. Heat the rest of the oil in the pan,add garlic,fry till light brown.
5. Add the chopped onion,fry till they turn translucent.
6. Add the tomatoes and cook till the oil separates.
7. Now its the turn of chopped green spinach,cook the spinach till a little dry,the water from the spinach imparts a saucy texture.
8. Finally add the sauteed mushrooms with the seasonings.

Check the seasonings and serve the sauce with the steamed chicken or pour generously over it.The recipe is a hit in my household .I normally serve it with garlic bread and some steamed veggies.

Stuffed Chicken Minced Steak with Mushroom Sauce

When I decided to make this dish I had thought it would be extremely time consuming but the whole meal was ready within an hour... the meal comprised of chicken steak with herbed cheese filling ,doused with mushroom sauce and steamed vegetables with rice.This recipe is adapted from Nita Mehta's Non veg Continental collection.90% of cookery books that I own are of Nita Mehta and till date none of her recipes have gone wrong.I learnt Continental cooking from her books and her recipes are modified to suit Indian conditions....keeping in mind the climate,taste and most important easy availability of ingredients.Her recipes have always evoked admiration and praises in my cocktail and dinner parties and I started enjoying continental cooking with confidence.So here's a delicious and hearty meal for chicken lovers!

You need: For Mince Steaks

300 gm boneless chicken breasts or chicken mince
1/2 onion chopped very finely
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
some fresh bread crumbs(remove sides and grind 1 slice of bread in a mixer)
1tsp worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
For filling:
4-5 tbsp mozzarella Cheese
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp fresh parsley or 1/2 tbsp dried parsley
For Mushroom sauce:
1 tbsp butter
3-4 mushrooms finely chopped
1 and 1/2 tbsp flour
1 1/4 cups hot water mixed with 1 stock cube( I used mushroom seasoning cube)
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp tomato sauce
pepper to taste
Method:1.Grind the chicken to a mince in a food processor for a few seconds...grind the mince if you have ready made mince .
2. Combine everything under steaks and mix well.
3.Mix all ingredients of the filling.
4. Form 6 balls from the mince mixture,flatten each ball and put a tbsp of herbed cheese and shape into a ball and flatten to form 6 steaks.Refrigerate till the time of serving.









5.To prepare the sauce,fry the mushrooms in butter until golden brown,add the flour and fry on low heat until brown.remove from heat and mix the hot water with the stock cube and add to the mushrooms.Add tomato puree and sauce. Return to fire,boil,cook stirring continuously for 3 mins or till thick.Add pepper to taste.
6.To serve heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and cook the steaks in low heat for 8-10 minutes.Keep turning sides and press the steaks occasionally so that steaks get cooked from inside and also turn brown on both the sides.Transfer the steaks to a serving platter.Pour hot mushroom sauce over them.

Accompany the steaks with steamed veggies and some rice.
I loaded the steamer with veggies and rice while I cooked the steaks and served the veggies with lemon juice ,salt and pepper sprinkled on them.


I loved the sight of herbed cheese oozing out from the steak

Russian winter and Borsch

Zdrastwiche!! (Hello! in Russian)

Russia the land of vast landscapes, of dynamic Tsars, soaring golden domed cathedrals, ballet beauties and figure skaters, of frozen rivers and lakes, a land rich in culture and heritage and how can I forget the legendary Lenin and Stalin.Yes! that's the image you conjure in your mind when you try to imagine about this mesmerising country.

The severity of Russian winter is not unknown to people. Winter brings the Russia of imagination to life, the snow makes everything picturesque and harshly beautiful. My stay in Moscow, the awe inspiring capital is just eight months old. Moscow, where the mercury dips down to -30 deg C is a huge, drastic change from Goa the land of sun, sand and sea where we were posted for six long years. It's a devastatingly new experience and I am loving every bit of it.
I keep on watching spell bound for hours together from my apartment window the snow falling......tiny flakes of snow floating all around, the cars, rooftops, the nude branches of the trees all covered with a shroud of pristine white carpet, children in blue, pink, red winter attire (they look like little astronauts) darting across the snow filled park of the detski sad(children's kindergarten) creating small indentations of their shoes on the snow. Mothers in fur coats strolling with their infants in well protected prams, dogs with their masters doing walk the talk, people hurrying across the snow filled streets to the tram and monorail stop, a flurry of daily life activities going on but for me time just stands still. I savour each and every moment and capture the scene in my mind's eye and in the camera to cherish it forever. I get this urge of opening the window and collect the snowflakes in my palm. They are beautiful, each flake shaped like a small flower...they melt in my palm inside. The feeling of dejection is evident from my face, it would be so nice to just store it as it is and take it back home.....ridiculous thought though.
During the long cold winters, it's easy to imagine that we will never see the sun again. The warm golden days of July and August when the sun sets at midnight here fade as if only a distant memory and I fear that I will be forever consigned to woolly hats and the heavy fur coats.


View from our apartment window

Experimenting with our camera

My blog's posts wouldn't be complete if I do not write about food. You guessed right! I will blog about a Russian dish today. Russia has a glorious culinary heritage....from the Baltic to the far east, the variety is immense. As with any cold climate country there's a great love for fat loaded dishes- Russia is no place to go on a diet. I can just go on and on about Russian delicacies, so I will talk about it in a later post. As the post revolves around winter a winter warmer would be wonderful, a popular soup called Borsch. Borsch is basically of Ukrainian origin that got its name from the most important ingredient beet called "borsch" in old slavic. It can be served hot or cold usually with sour cream (smetana) poured on top of it. Some Borsch is vegetarian but mostly its made with beef stock. There are numerous ways of making this soup, after trials and errors I found this way to be the easiest and tasty. I prepare Borsch with chicken stock and lots of fresh herbs. The beetroot in the soup imparts a beautiful red colour to it.

The Borsch soup

You need:

1 big beet cut into thin strips
1 medium carrot cut into thin strips
1 small potato cut into thin strips (some prefer cubes)
You can also shred the veggies and cube the potatoes according to your preference
1 small onion diced
1/2 cup cabbage shredded
3-4 flakes garlic
1/2 stalk celery or to taste
2 canned tomatoes or fresh diced
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or dried
1 tbsp fresh dill or dried
1/2 cup bell peppers chopped(optional)
1 chicken stock cube
1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar(less if using canned tomatoes)
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large stir fry pan. Add the garlic and chopped onions and saute till the onions turn transparent. Alternately you can add the garlic when you leave the soup to boil.
2. Now add the potatoes, carrots and celery and stir fry. Add the beetroots after 3-4 mins. Cook until veggies are done.
3. Add the cabbage and tomatoes. In the meantime boil 2 and a1/2 cups water with the chicken stock cube.
4. Add the stock to the veggies and bring to a boil. Lastly add the parsley, dill, salt and pepper. Add the bell peppers if you are using them.
5. Reduce heat and cover. The longer you cook the stronger the flavour. I put it on low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Boil more if you are making in large quantity.
6. Check throughout to add spices and herbs.
7. Lastly add vinegar ( less if you are using canned tomatoes) and serve warm with a dollop of sour cream.

Cheers to health and pleasure!! I will sign out with some breathtaking shots of Russian nature in winter by Mikhail Tkachev.
Dusvidaniya!!!(till we meet again in Russian)

Chicken stroganoff

Today when I logged into my orkut account in the morning the first scrap that I read was from my school friend Devyani.She wanted me to post a chicken recipe in my blog.I debated what to make for dinner and that too a chicken dish.Dinner at my place is always a light affair,mostly baked or steamed,sometimes just an appetizing soup with a filler like pasta or rice in it and a nutritious salad.I make sure lunch is a proper balanced meal with dal, roti, subzi and curd on the table.Finally I decided on chicken stroganoff minus the butter and cream . The dish is cubed chicken and mushrooms simmered in tomato cream sauce,a little yoghurt is added to the cream to make the dish lighter.I use olive oil to make the dish more lighter and lessen the amount of cream .

So this is for you devyani,this is one of our favourite chicken preparation and a Nita Mehta creation.We had our delicious dinner with steaming hot rice and without forgetting the religious photography of the sizzling pan.Finally the chicken stroganoff is ready to blog about.

You need:
2 boneless chicken breasts ,cubed into 1"pcs
2 tbsp butter
1 small onion finely chopped
100 gms mushroom-each cut into 2 pcs( if big 4 pcs)
1 cup chicken stock or water
1/2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
3 flakes garlic chopped and crushed
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup cream
2 tbsp thick yoghurt
1/4 tsp pepper and chilli pwdr salt to taste
1 capsicum chopped into cubes for garnish

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken pcs in salt,pepper and chilli pwdr for 15 minutes.
2. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a pan, add onion and cook till light brown.Add the mushrooms and cook for 1-2 mins,remove from the pan.
3. In the same pan add 1 tbsp butter and add the chicken pcs,stir fry till well browned on both sides, for about 4-5 mins. Add 1 cup of water and close the lid and simmer for 15 mins.Remove from fire.
4. take out 1/2 cup of chicken stock from the pan.Cool the stock and blend in the flour and mix well.
5. Return pan with chicken to heat.Add tomato puree,tomato sauce,worcestershire sauce,garlic and the fried onion mushroom to the chicken in the pan.Add salt pepper and the blended flour paste.Stir and boil.
6. Whip Cream and yoghurt well so that there are no lumps.
7. Take the pan off the heat,add cream yoghurt mixture and blend well.
8. Add chopped capsicum,heat on low flame and remove when it starts to boil.Serve with steamed rice.

Happy Eating!!