Thursday, February 6, 2014

Chicken tikka masala

Chicken tikka masala is a dish made of roasted chunks or tikkas of chicken in rich creamy spicy gravy. Some people claim that this was conceived in an Indian restaurant in London. But  there are other claims also. I leave it to Wikipedia. 
I got this recipe from my dear sister long back. She is a great cook. This dish is so yum, I can't stop licking my fingers :). No wonder it is among the most popular dishes in the world.  I have made the curry very mild. So please adjust the spices according to your needs.

Lets take a quick look at the recipe.



Ingredients:

Boneless skinless chicken breasts- 1 pound cut into bite-size pieces

For Marinade:

Red chili powder- 1 tsp, adjust according to your taste buds
Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder-1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Yogurt/ curd- 4 tbsp
Lemon juice- 2 tsp
Salt

For masala:

Onion- 1 large, chopped finely
Ginger, finely chopped- 1 tbsp
Garlic, finely chopped- 1 tbsp
Tomato puree- 1 cup
Coriander powder- 11/2 tsp
Red chili powder- 1/2 tsp, adjust spice
Pepper powder-1/4 tsp
Cumin powder-1 tsp
Milk- 1/2 cup
Garam masala- 1/2 tsp
Oil- 4 tsp
Butter- 1 tbsp
Sugar- 1 tsp
Salt- to taste
Heavy cream- 3 tbsp
Chopped cilantro or coriander leaves- to garnish

Method:

Combine ingredients for marinade in a large bowl and add chicken. Mix together and let it marinade for 30 minutes.

In a large pan heat butter and 1 tsp oil. Add marinated chicken and saute over low flame until chicken turn brown. Remove chicken and keep aside.

Heat remaining oil and add ginger and garlic, saute for a minute. Add in chopped onion and saute till onion turns translucent.

Throw in coriander powder, chilli powder, pepper powder, cumin powder. Saute until raw smell of the masalas go off.

Add pureed tomato, sugar and stir well and cook until oil separates.

Add chicken, garam masala and milk and cook on low-medium flame for 15 -20 minutes or until chicken cooked through and gravy thickens.

Add cream and check the seasoning, if needed add more salt, pepper or chili powder.

Remove from the flame and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Serve with rice/ naan/ chapati.



Note: 1) You can bake or grill the chicken in the oven. Skewer the chicken pieces without packing them together and grill or bake them until cooked. Turn them over half-way through the cooking time.

2) You can use water instead of milk, and can add cashew paste also to get a rich flavor. I avoided it since I used cream.

See you all with another yummy recipe!

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Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Berry cream milkshake

Have you ever thought of kick-starting the day with a smoothie? Yes, you read it right! If you don't have time to sit down for breakfast, just grab a glass of this healthy antioxidants packed smoothie before you head out for the office. Berries are rich in antioxidants which help fight free radical damage in the body, cancer, viruses and bacteria. Raspberries are a rich source of vitamin C. Studies say vitamin C help the body stay calm by managing the hormone that triggers the stress response.

Off to the recipe now:


Ingredients:

Blueberries-1/4 cup
Blackberries-1/4 cup
Raspberries-1/4 cup
Pain yogurt- 3/4 cup
Milk-1/4 cup
Vanilla ice cream-1 cup
Sugar-2 tsp
Water-2 tbsp

Method:

Combine  blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, water and sugar in a pan. Simmer over medium flame until sugar dissolves and berries start to break down. Let it cool completely.

Add ice cream, yogurt and milk in a blender. Blend well for 2 minutes.

Pour into glasses. Add berries on top of milkshakes and stir gently.


Serve immediately.

Note: You can use frozen or fresh berries to make this milkshake.


If you liked this post, please spare a little time to pin it, share it with twitter followers, Facebook friends or Google + circles using pin it,  tweet, like, share, or Google + button below the post. It will make me happy. Thank you!!