Tandoori Chicken

When my brother -in -law Gautam invited us to dine with him at Flame n Grill an Indian cuisine eatery in Kolkata, I was sure it would be a great outing. All this, because of the trashing reviews this restaurant had received from my eminent excise inspector friend. The first impression of the dimly lit interiors of this restaurant situated in Mani Square is of a cool upmarket place. The interiors arrest our attention , an ethereal sight indeed, but its the buffet spread that attracts my attention.

For those of us who would rather eat at home than have an exquisite dining experience, gourmet everyday is the mezzanine option. Try this ! Puree mangoes with some cucumber, mix with cold water to thin the solution, add some chopped coriander, some salt and lemon juice and you have a cold soup ready!!!Putting together a few simple ingredients you can put gourmet on your table everyday. Duplicating something you ate at a restaurant or your  last vacation, evoking the same delicious smell ,can be fun.

Each Time I bring home a bunch of bright vegetables , I have the feeling that my kitchen has suddenly brightened up. Scooping up all those colours and thinking how to cook them is a pleasure in itself. 

My sister -in -law, Mala cooks up  some simple but amazing dishes with her friends on weekends at her place. She shared with me a few of her recipes, that i would now like to pass on to you all. As you can see she is making chicken.We had tandoori chicken earlier at the restaurant so i decided to try out Mala's recipe at home. Mala's recipe can be made successfully in a conventional oven .

Tandoori Chicken :

Chicken                             1.5 kg, skinned & cut into 4 pieces                                                     or just chicken legs

Lemon                               juice of 2 

Salt                                    4 tsp

Garlic                                2 cloves,peeled & sliced

Onion                                1,large,peeled &sliced

Coriander Powder            1 tsp

Red Food Colour              1/2 tsp

Chilly Powder                  1/2 tsp

To Garnish :

Lettuce                             1

Tomatoes                          1-2,sliced

Onion                                1/2,sliced into rings

Lemon Wedges                 a few

Method :

Make 3 deep cuts in each piece of chicken with a sharp knife. Rub the flesh all over with half the lemon juice, then rub in the salt.
Mix the remaining ingredients to a paste with the remaining lemon juice, using an electric blender.Put the chicken in a baking dish lined with foil,then pour over the marinade.
Cover and leave to marinate for at least 12 hours.
One of the secrets of tandoori chicken is the marinade......the longer the chicken is left in the marinade, the more authentic will be the finished dish. You  may find that in some of the eateries it is usual for the chicken to be marinated in a cool place for 3 days and sometimes even for as long as 1 week.
Roast in a pre-heated moderate oven for 1 1/2hours at 180 degree celcius or until the chicken is tender. Increase the heat to moderately high that is 200 degrees celcius and roast for further 15-20 minutes until browned on top.
Serve hot on a bed of lettuce leaves, garnished with tomato slices, onoin rings and lemon wedges.

Tandoori Chicken

Darjeeling Tea Roast Chicken

This recipe is from Vineet Bhatia's tv program "Twist Of taste". I tried it with a few changes here and there and got great results . Very innovative and great in taste, I urge you to try this in your kitchen . 

He uses a whole chicken but I used breast and leg pieces instead.

Darjeeling Tea Roast Chicken

Ingredients :

Chicken (Leg and breast Pieces)......................................................800 grams

Vegetable Oil...................................................................................60 ml

Garlic Paste......................................................................................1 1/2 tbsp

Ginger Paste.....................................................................................1 1/2 tbsp

Red Chilly Powder............................................................................1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder......................................................................1 tsp

Darjeeling Tea Leaves........................................................................5 tbsp

Salt................................................................................................... to taste

Red Food Coloring.(Optional)...........................................................a few drops

Method :

Clean the chicken and pat dry. Prick all over with a fork.

   

In a bowl mix all ingredients except the chicken. Rub this marinade on the chicken and leave aside for one hour.

Pre heat oven.

Roast in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees celcious for 45 minutes or till the chicken is cooked .

Don't forget to baste regularly with its juices.

To Serve  :

Set some rice and boiled vegetables. 

Place the chicken pieces. Top with the left over oil in the tray.

Ria's Pasta Delicious

If you are a busy person who just wants to learn a few basic dishes in order to make quick and tasty meal, this is it. 

If you are a college student or if you are dining alone, this dish is for you.....

Ria follows a simple method, very easy to make.

Get ready to start cooking...

At the very beginning, you will have to get all your ingredients together and begin by making your sauce.

Ingredients :

Pasta....................................................................................1/2 packet

Cheese (Amul processed cheddar cheese)............................1 block(Grated)

Milk.....................................................................................1 cup

Refined Flour........................................................................2 tbsp

Salt & Pepper.......................................................................as per taste

Oregano/Mixed herbs...........................................................as per taste

Chicken Breast pieces(Chopped into bit size pieces)..............2

Bacon(Chopped into bite size pieces).....................................1 bowl

Fresh Basil.............................................................................a few

To prepare the chicken  and bacon, you will need to heat 1 tbsp oil and on low heat, stir fry the chopped chicken breast pieces and pork salami. When they are done keep aside.

For the white sauce, heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add 2 tbsp of flour and stir fry for a minute or two. Then add the milk, cheese, salt and pepper and mix all until thick. Cook stirring all the while. Keep aside.

How to cook the pasta :

1) Some people also add a few spoons of oil to the water .

2) Take a large pan and fill it with water and boil. Add salt to the water only when the water starts to boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook. Let it come to a boil. Stir once in a while with

     a Laddle/Spoon.

3) Cook the pasta till soft but not overdone. If its overcooked it will become difficult to handle.

4) Pasta cant be left to sit around as it tends to stick, so always have the sauce cooked and 

     ready before hand.

5) Drain the hot water off the pasta and then mix the other ingredients.

6) Put the white sauce, pasta, stir fried chicken breast and bacon, oregano and toss well.

     Check the seasoning.

7) Transfer to a serving dish and top with fresh basil.

Ria's Pasta Delicious

This recipe is unique , prepared by Ria for us. Unlike others who just don't want to share their"Family recipes" with others, Ria's recipe is here for all to follow on my blog .
Have fun cooking..........