Tag Archives: Poultry

Southern Fried Chicken with Paprika Wedges

Chicken, Mains, Non vegetarian July 17, 2015 Comments: 2

Fried chicken – The ultimate global comfort food!

I remember vividly of a childhood eating my fair share of KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken, is there anyone who doesn’t know it!). It was the only form of fast food that was welcome in our house simply for the fact that fried chicken was the only thing that my dad would eat outside South Indian cuisine.

Without going into the debate of health and junk food, I did enjoy the flavours of KFC, at least till I learnt to make a decent version of fried chicken myself. What can get more comforting than biting into a crispy chicken leg that eventually melts in your mouth. And accompany it with fries and ketchup…..greasy but good for the soul!

As my cooking skills strengthened and so did my knowledge of oven cooking, I learnt of ways to achieve a similar texture and flavour of fried chicken without actually deep frying. The fries got replaced with wedges and the store bought mayo slowly gave way to homemade aioli.

And of all the different varieties and styles of fried chicken, this Southern version staunchly remains my favourite just because it has liberal amounts of my favourite ingredient in it….spices.

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Southern fried chicken is another comfort food offering that originated in the US. The chicken pieces are tenderized by marinating in buttermilk and then coated with flour mixed with spices like cayenne pepper. But today, I am adding more crunch to the coating in the form of crushed cornflakes and Panko breadcrumbs. And we have not just cayenne for the chilli kick, but smoked paprika and Indian red chilli powder because I like it hot!

If you have an oven, then ditch the fryers and skillets; spray some oil and oven bake at high temperatures to get the same crispy exterior and your stomach will thank you for it. We also have paprika wedges instead of classic fries to accompany this Southern fried chicken. Homemade mayo and barbeque sauce complete this comfort food package making my weekend a delicious affair.

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Why don’t you make yours delicious too?

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

1. 1 kg chicken; broken into 6 pieces
2. 2 cups buttermilk
3. 3 tbsp barbeque sauce
4. 2 cups crushed cornflakes
5. 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs (use ordinary crumbs if you do not have Panko)
6. 3 tbsp wheat flour
7. 1 tbsp smoked paprika
8. 1 tsp red chilli powder
9. 1 tsp cayenne pepper
10. 2 tsp onion powder
11. ½ tsp garlic powder
12. Salt, to season
13. Freshly milled black pepper, to season
14. Vegetable oil

Note – Adjust the spices to suit your heat preference.

For the wedges:

1. 4 medium potatoes
2. ½ tsp paprika
3. ¼ tsp Italian herbs
4. Salt, to season
5. 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil

Method:

To prepare the chicken:

• Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl, pour the buttermilk and barbeque sauce on top. Season with salt and pepper; keep aside for at least 2 hours or overnight as time permits.
• Preheat the oven to 250°C. Line a tray with baking paper and lightly brush or spray with vegetable oil.
• In a bowl, mix the cornflakes, Panko crumbs, flour, cayenne, red chilli, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and season with salt and pepper.
• Remove each piece of chicken from the buttermilk and coat with the cornflakes mixture. Press gently so that the crumb adheres to the chicken and place it on the baking tray. Repeat for all pieces. Make sure that you do not crowd the tray; if necessary, prepare in batches or on 2 trays.
• Lightly spray or drizzle the chicken pieces with oil and bake for 10-12 minutes at 250°C. Then decrease the heat to 200°C and bake for another 10-12 minutes. Keep an eye on the chicken and take care it does not burn.
• Flip the chicken pieces over gently, lightly spray or brush with oil and bake again at 200°C for another 15-20 minutes or till done. Check after 10 minutes to see if any pieces are done (the wings may cook faster than the breast pieces) and remove if necessary.

To prepare the wedges:

• Peel the potatoes, cut into wedges (leave the skin on if you wish to) and parboil in salted boiling water for 8 minutes.
• Drain and allow to air dry.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan forced). Line a tray with baking paper.
• In a bowl, mix the potato wedges with paprika, herbs and lightly season with salt (remember you cooked it in salted water). Drizzle a bit of oil and line the wedges on the tray without crowding too much.
• Roast in the oven for 15 minutes turning once in between or till golden brown and done.

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Egg Biryani

Eggs, Mains, Rice December 10, 2014 Comments: 6

How can I even begin to explain what a biryani means to India? The singular rice dish which gets the nation into a culinary and cultural frenzy. The debates are endless…and democracy gets chucked out of the window! Is our biryani better or yours?

Every state of India has a biryani recipe or rather, a style of making biryani. It is amazing that a dish introduced to India by the Arab traders has become the national dish today. I really wouldn’t go into the history or types of biryani; Google and Wiki can do a good job of it.

Though you can find plenty of recipes for egg biryani all across the web, I decided to post this one because I loved the dish and wanted it to be a part of my collection here.

Egg biryani - an aromatic, mildly spiced fragrant rice dish from India - thespiceadventuress.com

The best thing about egg biryani is that it is the perfect crossover between vegetarian and non-vegetarian. More people are egg-tarian these days and this is a delicious way to enjoy it. It is also perfect for days when you want to go meatless yet want some bold flavours on your plate.

No biryani recipe will look simple; there’s usually a ton of ingredients and steps but believe me, if you systematically follow it, this is one of the simplest dishes to cook. And the only accompaniment you need is a bowl of raita or yoghurt dip.

So let’s get cooking this delicious, aromatic and flavourful egg biryani!

I learnt this recipe from here.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup of basmati/long grained white rice
2. ghee/clarified butter
3. 1 inch cinnamon
4. 2 cloves
5. 2 green cardamom
6. 1 star anise
7. 2 dried bay leaf
8. ½ cup fresh coriander leaves/cilantro
9. ½ cup fresh mint leaves
10. 2 green chillies
11. 5 cloves garlic
12. 2 inch ginger root
13. 1.5 cups of large onions, finely sliced
14. ½ cup ripe tomato, chopped
15. 1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
16. ¼ tsp turmeric powder
17. 1 tsp cumin/jeera powder
18. 1 tsp fennel/perinjeera/saunf powder
19. 1 tsp roasted coriander powder
20. 1 cups thick coconut milk
21. 1 tsp garam masala (adjust to taste)
22. 3 eggs, hard boiled and halved
23. ¼ cup roasted cashewnuts
24. ¼ cup raisins
25. 1 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped, for garnish
26. 1 tbsp mint leaves, finely chopped, for garnish

Method:

1. Wash and soak the rice for at least 2 hours prior to cooking. Drain thoroughly before cooking.
2. Grind the coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chillies, 1 inch ginger and 3 cloves garlic into a paste and keep aside.
3. Grind the remaining ginger and garlic to a fine paste and keep aside.
4. Hard boil the eggs, shell and cut into halves.
5. In a large pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee and lightly roast the cashewnuts and raisins; drain and keep aside.
6. In the same pan, add ½ cup of sliced onions and fry till golden brown; drain and keep aside.
7. Add the remaining ghee to the pan, and add the whole spices
8. After about 15 seconds or when the spices turn fragrant, add the ground green paste and lightly fry on medium heat for a minute.
9. Add the rice along with enough water to just cook the rice (refer to packet instructions for the rice or use 1:1 ration for long grained basmati rice). Season with salt and bring to boil. Once the rice is done, remove from flame and lightly fluff with a fork so that the rice does not turn mushy.
10. In a deep or heavy bottom pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee and add the remaining sliced onions. When the onions turn soft, add the ginger garlic paste and continue to sauté.
11. As this browns, add the powdered spices and sauté for another minute. Then add the chopped tomatoes and sauté till the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
12. Reduce flame and add coconut milk along with ½ cup water. Simmer for about 5 minutes and add garam masala and season with salt.
13. Next, add the cooked rice to this pan and lightly mix so that you get a marbled effect to the rice.
14. Place the boiled eggs on top and garnish with the roasted cashewnuts, raisins, fried onions, coriander and mint leaves.
15. Remove from heat and keep covered for at least one hour for the flavours to blend and come together.

 

 

 

Egg biryani - an aromatic, mildly spiced fragrant rice dish from India - thespiceadventuress.com

Tomato Chilli Chicken

Chicken, Mains, Non vegetarian, Side Dishes October 29, 2013 Comments: 6

This dish is an adaptation of a long-standing, frequently-prepared chicken dish in my home. Ever since I can remember, my mum used to prepare this chicken dish which in her words, is the easiest chicken recipe which anyone (and I vouch for this!) can make.

Like the name indicates, this tomato chilli chicken recipe has red chilli powder and tomato as the star ingredients. A good handful of crushed garlic lends the classic aromatic flavour to the chicken. You can use any type of chicken – with or without bones; but ensure that the pieces are small to get the flavours work right through the meat.

So here’s the recipe for easy peasy tomato chilli chicken.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken pieces – 500 gm
2. Garlic – 5 cloves, crushed
3. Curry leaves – ½ cup
4. Red chilli powder – 1 ½ tbsp (quantity can be adjusted depending on how hot your prefer)
5. Tomato – 1 ripe, roughly chopped
6. Salt – to season
7. Pepper – to season
8. Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp, chopped for garnish
9. Vegetable oil – 3 tbsp

Method:

• Pressure cook the chicken pieces with salt and pepper for one whistle. Do not add any water. If you are not using a pressure cooker, then cook the chicken pieces with salt and pepper in a deep pan with minimal water till 3/4 ths done.
• In another deep pan, heat oil; add the crushed garlic and curry leaves.
• Then add the red chilli powder and tomatoes. Saute on high heat till the oil clears and the tomatoes turn mushy.
• Add the broth from the cooked chicken pieces; continue cooking on high heat till the gravy thickens. Add the chicken pieces and continue to cook till the gravy just about coats the chicken.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

tomato chilli chicken

Malaysian Pickled Chicken

Chicken, Mains, Non vegetarian, Side Dishes October 11, 2013 Leave a comment

Malaysian cuisine is highly varied and exotic due to the culinary influences of the different ethnic groups like Indians, Malay and Chinese. Malaysian pickled chicken is an amalgamation of both Chinese and Indian flavours with the generous use of spices along with vinegar for the tart pickling effect. Reminds me of our very own vindaloo which uses a similar set of ingredients.

Malaysian pickled chicken is usually served with roti jala – traditional flat net-shaped bread. I did try to make it but the result was a disaster – it came out nothing like it was supposed to and I ended up with something like chappathis. Anyway, that is an experiment to be perfected later. But the chicken was a roaring success – all of us loved it!

The aroma and flavours of the fragrant whole spices, lemon grass and the aromatics is taken a notch higher up with the addition of vinegar. A dish you definitely have to try!

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Recipe Courtesy – Gourmet Traveller

Ingredients:

1. Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp
2. Cloves – 4
3. Cumin seeds – 2 tsp
4. Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
5. Nutmeg – 1 tsp, finely grated
6. Cardamom pods – from 4 cardamoms
7. Cinnamon bark – ½ inch
8. Chicken (on the bone) – 1 kg
9. Dry red chilli – 8
10. Shallots – 10, thinly sliced
11. Ginger – 1 tsp, grated
12. Garlic cloves – 4, grated
13. Lemon grass stalk (white part only) – 2, finely chopped
14. Ghee – 2 tbsp
15. White vinegar – ½ cup
16. Sugar – 1 tsp
17. Mint leaves – for garnish
18. Coriander leaves – for garnish

Method:

• Dry roast the whole spices, cool and grind with the powdered spices (except dry red chilli) in a grinder/mortar and pestle.
• Marinate the chicken pieces with the spice mixture and salt; leave for at least 30 minutes. (It is not necessary to use the entire spice mixture, use according to taste and spice preference)
• Soak the dry red chillies in water for 30 minutes. Squeeze excess water and process along with shallots, ginger, garlic and lemon grass to get a coarse paste.
• Heat ghee in a deep pan, add the aromatics paste and stir-fry on medium heat to remove rawness. Add the marinated chicken pieces and brown.
• Then add enough water for gravy, vinegar, sugar and salt to taste. Cook till the chicken pieces are tender.

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Chilli Chicken Drumsticks (A Pressure Cooker Recipe)

Chicken, Non vegetarian, Side Dishes September 20, 2013 Comments: 6

This is an OPOS recipe. Wondering what OPOS stands for? It is One Pot One Shot cooking that is currently creating a culinary stir these days. If you want to read more about this, check out the Facebook group, United by Food. If you are a newbie or hesitant cook, then this link will help you gain the culinary confidence that you are looking for.

This chilli chicken drumstick is inspired from an easy chicken dish that my mum used to make when she is really in no mood for cooking. Throw all the ingredients into a pressure cooker, give a whistle or two and open up to a delish dish.

The ingredients are few and the technique is simple, so there is nothing stopping you from trying out this spicy tangy chicken dish.

chilli drumstick

Ingredients:

1. Chicken drumstick (skinless) – 5
2. Shallots/small onion – 4, sliced
3. Garlic – 3 cloves, crushed
4. Tomato ketchup/sauce – 2 tbsp
5. Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
6. Kashmiri chilli powder – 2 tsp
7. Coriander leaves – ½ cup, finely chopped
8. Salt – to season
9. Vegetable oil – 3 tbsp.

Method:

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the shallots and garlic. Saute for a minute and add tomato sauce and both chilli powders.
• Add the chicken drumsticks and season with salt. Mix well to combine, close the lid and cook for 2 whistles. Do not add any water.
• Open the PC, remove the drumsticks to a dish, reduce the liquid to get saucy consistency and add coriander leaves. Remove from flame and spoon the sauce over the drumsticks.

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Peri-peri Chicken Subway

Chicken, Mains, Non vegetarian, Sandwiches September 6, 2013 1 Comment

The peri-peri sauce from Nando’s is a very versatile sauce/marinade which I have put to use in my daily cooking in plenty of different ways. Here, I marinated lean chicken breast pieces using the hot peri-peri sauce for this indulgent subway.

Submarine sandwiches or ‘subways’ as they are commonly referred to these days are a great way to make my son eat veggies. A great and filling meal at any time of the day….

Peri-peri chicken subway

Ingredients:

1. Lean chicken breast – cut into small pieces
2. Nando’s hot peri-peri sauce – no fixed quantity, add to marinate the chicken pieces keeping the heat factor in mind
3. Mixed salad leaves
4. Red onion – 1 small, sliced finely
5. Home made cole slaw – 2-3 tbsp
6. White pepper – to taste
7. Salt – to taste
8. Vegetable oil
9. Honey mustard – a drizzle
10. Turkish multigrain loaf

Method:

• Marinate the chicken pieces in the peri-peri sauce and leave for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Shallow fry the chicken pieces till golden brown on either side. Keep aside.
• To assemble the sandwich, half the bread and layer with salad leaves, coleslaw and onion.
• Season with salt and pepper and add a drizzle of honey mustard.
• Place the chicken pieces on top.
• Enjoy your subway!!
Note – A versatile dish where you can use veggies and bread of your choice.

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