Recipe #6
The main course in this recipe is Tandoori style Grilled
Chicken. It needs to be made in two stages, I know it looks long and complicated but it really is quite simple and
the end result is fabulous! It really does not require too many accompaniments and we often stick just a salad and avoid the roti or bread altogether.
The dessert that is included in this menu looks long and elaborate, it is really easier than a pie and anyone can make it.
I will post pictures of the chicken and the dessert really really soon.
6a) Tandoori Style Grilled Chicken
Ingredients:
Stage I
500 gms chicken pieces of your choice (though drumsticks
work best)
1 large onion chopped
1 inch piece ginger, chopped
8 – 10 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tbsp kasturi methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1 heaped tsp tenderiser (optional)
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp chilli powder
½ litre milk (can be fresh from the packet or carton)
Salt to taste
Pinch of orange food powder or a few drops of orange food
colour
Method:
Grind all ingredients except for the chicken and the milk.
Place the chicken in a pressure cooker, pour milk and the
paste you have just made.
Pressure cook for 8 – 10 minutes.
Allow the pressure to drop by itself.
Take the pieces of chicken out, there is no need to drain
the pieces too much or remove the bits of curdled milk and spice that may be
sticking to the pieces, they only add to the deliciousness of this dish.
Tip: You can preserve the ‘gravy’ that will remain and use
it to make a curry or moist rice preparation.
Stage II
Ingredients:
1 tbsp lemon juice
60 gms of ghee (or butter in case you do not have any ghee)
Pinch of orange food powder or a few drops of orange food
colour
Chat masala or roasted cumin powder
Slices of lemon for garnish
Method:
Grease a flat baking dish and lay out the pieces of chicken
in such a manner that you have easy access to each piece during the grilling
process.
Melt the ghee (or butter) and add the lemon juice and food
colour.
Brush the chicken pieces with the ghee and lemon juice and
bake in a moderately hot oven (400⁰ F or 205 ⁰ C) for 7 – 8 minutes.
Take the dish out, turn the pieces of chicken around and
brush with remaining ghee and lemon mix. Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes.
If the top of the chicken pieces have not crisped up, you
can grill the chicken for a few more minutes. This can be done in the oven or
on a griddle. I use a blow torch to achieve that charred crisp appearance to
the chicken pieces.
Sprinkle with either
chaat masala or roasted cumin powder, garnish with sliced lemon. Serve with
pickled onions slices, tangy mint and coriander chutney, a salad and bread or
roti.
6b) Pickled Onions
Ingredients:
2 onions cut into thin rings
Juice of half a lemon
Pinch of black salt
¼ tsp chilli powder (preferably kashmiri/deghi chilli
powder)
1 tsp of finely chopped mint or coriander leaves.
Salt to taste
Method:
Separate the onions slices and mix all the ingredients.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
If you keep this for too long, you may find a lot of liquid
which you ought to drain before serving.
6c) Tangy Mint Chutney
Ingredients:
1 cup of chopped fresh coriander (include as much of the
stalk as you can, that’s where the real flavour and aroma is)
½ cup chopped mint leaves (no stalks here)
¼ - ½ cup raisins
1 green chilli
Juice of ½ a lemon (reserve other half)
Pinch of black salt
Table salt to taste
Method:
Begin by washing and soaking the raisins to allow enough
time for them to soften a bit. Do this even before you begin chopping the
coriander and mint leaves.
Check the mint leaves to be doubly sure that none of the
stalk is attached to it, mint stalks lend themselves to a bitter after taste.
De-seed the green chilli if you prefer less heat. I find it
easiest to top and tail the chilli, rub it violently against the chopping board
and then slit it; the seeds just need a gentle scrape to be removed.
Put all ingredients into a liquidizer and grind till a
smooth paste is formed
Check the taste and add more lime juice if it is too sweet
or hot for your palate. Adjust salt and add some sugar if you see fit.
Tip: It is a good idea to wash your hands with milk or rub a
slice of fresh lemon on your hands after handling the green chilli. This
prevents burning of your hands and other parts that your hand comes into contact
with.
.
6d) Salad with Curd Honey and Mustard Dressing
Ingredients:
½ cup thick curds
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp whole grain mustard sauce (I use kashundi)
Salt to taste (kashundi is salty, so if you are using this,
skip the salt)
Crisp salad vegetables of your choice, chopped or sliced
Method:
Whip the curds till it is smooth and resembles whipped
cream.
Beat in the honey and the mustard sauce
Pour the dressing over the vegetable and mix it in, ensuring
that it coats all the pieces/slices of your salad vegetables.
6e) Peach n Cream
Ingredients:
8 peaches, stoned and halved
3 tbsp sugar
2 – 3 cups of water
1 flat tbsp corn flour
1 tsp butter
3 inch piece of Cinnamon
200 ml fresh cream
½ tsp vanilla essence
1 flat tbsp castor sugar (either readymade or just ground up
sugar)
4 dollops of Vanilla ice cream
2 tbsp plum/strawberry/raspberry jam
2 tbsp water
Tip: To halve the
peaches, run a knife along the length of the peaches and then gently twist it.
Ease the stone off with a knife.
Method:
Place the halved peaches in a pan, add 2 – 3 cups of water
(depending on the dimension of your pan, the idea is to cover the peaches) to
which the cinnamon stick and 3 tbsp of sugar have been added.
Bring to boil and then simmer till the fruit is soft. Remove
the pan from the fire and take the fruit out, keep aside to cool. Leave the
syrup in the pan.
Add a tiny bit of water to the corn flour in order to make a
paste. Stir the syrup (from the boiling of the peaches) in the pan as you add
the paste of corn flour.
Stir over low heat till the syrup thickens to the
consistency of thin custard.
Remove from fire, take out the cinnamon stick and stir in
butter.
The halves of the peach out to be cool enough to handle by
now and you can remove the skins, which will slide off easily.
Keep the cooked peaches and the sauce in the refrigerator as
soon as they have cooled down.
Heat the 2 tbsp of water in a pan, add the jam and stir till
smooth.
Remove from fire, cool and refrigerate.
Whip the cream along with the vanilla essence and when it is
nearly form, add the castor sugar.
Leave this in the refrigerator too.
To assemble:
Place 4 halves of the peaches in wide bottom clear glass
bowl or tumbler.
Pour the thickened syrup on top of this.
Put two scoops of vanilla ice cream on top of this.
Pour a tablespoon of the sauce you have made with the jam.
Top with the whipped cream; if you can and like, pipe the
cream to give it a great look.
Serve immediately.
Tip: To make sure that the cream does not split or curdle,
whip it when it is cold and add a few drops of lemon juice before you begin
whipping it. I promise you it works!
A hand whisk is the safest option when it comes to whipping cream.
