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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Dum aloo

I relish on foods that have creamy sauce. Dum aloo is one such dish. Its a mouth watering Kashmiri dish made with baby potatoes simmered in a rich, creamy gravy. This is cooked under pressure or dum on low flame so as to let the potatoes absorb all the flavors of the spices. Usually Kashmiri dishes are cooked in mustard oil but I used vegetable oil. If you like, you can use mustard oil to cook and vegetable oil or other oil to deep fry the potatoes.

Off to the recipe now-

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes-15

Whisked Yogurt/Curd(not sour)  -3/4 cup

Onion-1 large, finely chopped

Dry fenugreek leaves / kasoori methi -1 tsp

Fennel powder-1tsp

Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Garam masala-1 tsp

Salt- to taste

Cilantro/ coriander leaves- to garnish

Tempering:

Cloves-2

Cinnamon- 1 inch long stick

Oil- 2 tbsp+ to deep fry

Grind to a paste:

Cashews- 5-6 , soaked in water

Tomatoes- 2

Ginger- 1 inch

Garlic- 4 cloves

Kashmiri chili powder- 2 tsp 

Method:

Wash, peel potatoes, and par boil them with salt in the water. Peel the skin of the potatoes and prick them with a fork to absorb all the favors of masalas.

Heat oil in a wide pan and deep fry potatoes till they turn golden brown. When done, drain on a tissue paper and keep aside.

Make a fine paste of ingredients under ” Grind to a paste”  list.

Heat 2 tbsp oil, put cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, saute for  a minute. Now add chopped onion and saute till onion turns translucent. Now add ground paste and fry for 4-5 minutes.

Add in turmeric powder, fenugreek leaves, salt. Mix and cook for a minute. Add whisked curd, potatoes, garam masala. Stir gently, cover with a lid and seal the edges with a dough so that steam does not escape. Cook over low flame till the gravy thickens and oil separates . If needed add a little water.

Remove from the flame. Garnish with chopped cilantro. 

Yummy dum aloo is ready now. Serve hot with chapatis or naan or rice. Enjoy!

See you all soon with another delicious recipe!

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Soya chunks dry masala

Soya chunks is a substitute for chicken for  vegetarians. Soya is the king of beans and is a good source of calcium, protein, iron, fiber etc which are essential for your kid's healthy growth. This dish is very spicy  but I have made it very mild so that my little son can enjoy it.

Ingredients

Soya chunks- 1cup

Onion-1 big, thinly sliced

Tomato-1, finely choped

Coriander powder-11/2 tsp

Chili powder-1 tsp

Ginger-1 tsp, finely chopped

Garlic- 1tsp finely chopped

Green chilli- 1, thinly slit

Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp

Lemon juice- 1 tsp

Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp

Garam masala- 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder-1/2 tsp

Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Oil

Salt to taste

Method:

Boil water in a pot and add soya chunks, cook for 5 mins. Drain them and wash in cold water. Squeeze out thoroughly. Repeat washing in cold water and squeezing for 2 more times. Squeeze out all water.

Marinate soya chunks with  chili powder, turmeric powder, a little garam masala and salt.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and shallow fry marinated soya chunks for 5 mins or until it starts to roast. Take the soya out of the pan and keep aside . Use less oil to saute soya since it absorbs all the oil.

Add 2 tsp oil in the same pan and saute ginger and garlic for 2-3 mins on low flame. Now add onion, curry leaves and green chilli and saute till onion turns translucent. 

Add coriander powder, pepper powder and saute till raw smell goes and oil separates.

Add in tomato, stir well and cook until tomatoes are soft and mushy. Check the salt and add more if needed.

Now add fried soya chunks and stir fry for 4-5 mins. If the masala is too dry , add 3-4 tbsp water and fry till all the water gets evaporated.

Sprinkle garam masala, cumin powder, lemon juice. Mix well and stir fry for another minute. Remove from the stove. Let it sit for 10 mins to absorb all favors.

Note: 1) If you want you can add roasted coconut slices on it .

2) If you want semi gravy form, add 1 cup water and cook until desired consistency in reached. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with chapatis/ rice.

See you all with another yummy recipe.

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!!!

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