BAKED TANDOORI CHICKEN

As a non-vegetarian recipes lover, I searched and experimented for a long time before and finaaly coming up with this recipe for genuine Indian restaurant-style tandoori chicken that can make in your own oven at home. Seriously, if you like Tandoori chicken, you are going to love this recipe and it is easy. Tandoori chicken is one of the world famous Indian chicken starter that has its roots from the Mughali cuisine of the Mughal era. This mouthwatering delicious chicken is well known as murgh Tandoor or Tandoori Murgh. Murgh means chicken and tandoor is clay oven in which the spice and yogurt marinated chicken or meal is grilled. We get to see little variations to the authentic recipes such as addition of chickpea flour or besan etc which adds aroma to the tangri or tangdi kabab meaning the legs. Here is my easy recipe of tandoori chicken which is easy to make in an oven or on gas or stove. Traditionally tandoori chicken is made in a cylindrical oven, but this version is in the regular oven. So next time do think about this easy and delicious recipe and share your experience.    

INGREDIENTS:

6-8  Chicken legs or Chicken Drumsticks

2 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

1 Cup Thick Curd

2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

2 -3 tablespoon Red Chilly Powder

1 tablespoon Chaat Masala

1 tablespoon Garam Masala

Salt as per required

2 Finely Chopped Green Chillies

½  Cup Gram Flour

Butter for basting

METHOD:

STEP 1 – First start tossing the gram flour dry in a non-stick pan till it changes its colour and your house is full of nice aroma. Remove it from pan and keep aside.

STEP 2 – Clean the chicken legs under running water and make deep cuts in them.

STEP 3 – In a large mixing bowl, add chicken and all the ingredients given above except gram flour and butter. Mix it well.

STEP 4 – Cover it and marinate it for at least 2 hours.

STEP 5 – Now after 2 hours, take the chicken out and add toasted gram flour and mix well.

STEP 6 – Pre-heat the oven at 250 degrees C.

STEP 7 – Line a baking tray with Silver/ Aluminium foil. Brush the foil with oil and arrange the chicken legs in the tray.

STEP 8 – Put them in to a pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes. Take them out and baste them with butter.

STEP 9 – Reduce the oven temperature to 150 degrees C and again bake them for next 15 minutes.

STEP 10 – Now flip over and bake it for 15 minutes. Again take it out and baste with some butter and bake again for 15 minutes.

STEP 11 – Remove from the baking tray and sprinkle some chaat masala and serve.

Serve hot tandoori chicken with chapatti/ bhakari/ bread with onion rings and lemon slice.

KERALA FISH FRY

This is an easy to prepare kerala style fish fry. This goes well with rice and chapatti. Kerala fish fry is quite spicy, like most Kerala non-vegetarian dishes. For an average malayalee, a lunch is not complete without a fish fry or curry. It plays a major role in Kerala cuisine. Fish is a protein food with fewer calories than other meal dishes and it fits perfectly into a healthy diet. Marinate the fish with the spice powders without water. This recipe needs only an hour for marination.  Try this recipe and don’t forget to post the comments below in the comment box. I should admit, even though I am not a big fan of fish, I love fried fish. They are crispy and spicy and tangy and frankly they are not too fishy.  I like it with a squeeze a little lime juice and onion rings. I have shared few recipes of fish fry earlier in my blog.

INGREDIENTS:

10-15 Fish Pieces

2 tablespoon Chilli Powder

1 ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

Salt as per needed

1 tablespoon Fennel Powder

½ tablespoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

½ tablespoon Lime Juice

1 -2 Lemon Slice/ Onion Slices

Oil

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Clean the fish pieces with water and salt. Drain water and keep aside.

STEP 2 - In a bowl add all the ingredients except oil and mix well and make a fine mixture.

STEP 3 – Marinate the fish with this mixture

and keep aside for 30 minutes.

STEP 4 – Heat oil in a wide pan and shallow fry the fish pieces.

STEP 5 – Flip the pieces when done from one side and shallow fry from the other side till light brown.

STEP 6 – Like this fry all the pieces and serve hot.

Serve with chapatti, Bhakari or steamed rice garnished with lemon and onion slice.

NOTES: Adjust the spices as per your taste preference.

CHEESY PIZZA BALLS / POTLIS

Pizza dough stuffed with your favourite ingredients and then tossed in garlic butter. Try this recipe on small functions like kids birthday party or kitty party at your place. My family is a foody family and now a days everyone like the pizza flavour in each dish. So this Valentine’s day I made these cheesy Pizza Balls / Potlis. As much as I love when my kids eat all of my cooking. I am not going to have to cook from scratch the following night or have to create something completely new for my kids on this special day.  They are easy and inexpensive and just a great appetizer. These are delicious and cheesy so everyone like it. When these pizza balls are piping hot, the little spheres pull apart to reveal gooey melted cheese and whatever toppings you can think of to put inside.  So next time when your kids demands for pizza just try this recipe and surprise them. The best part is that you can stuff these with ham, pepperoni, sausage, becon, etc.  

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 Boiled and Mashed Potatoes

1 Cup Finely Chopped Mix Bell Pepper/ Capsicum [if available use all coloured peppers]

2 tablespoon Sliced Black Olives

½ Cup Grated Cheese

2-3 tablespoon Pizza Sauce

4-5 Garlic Cloves, Crushed finely

Pizza Dough

1 teaspoon Oregano

1 teaspoon Chilly Flakes

2+2 tablespoon Butter [for brushing and for tossing]

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Salt

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Pre-heat the oven at 190 degree C for 10 minutes.

STEP 1 – Prepare a pizza dough, cover it and let it rise with double in size.[see notes]

STEP 2 – In a small pan combine butter and garlic and simmer for 5 minutes.

STEP 3 – Mash the potato and add salt and seasoning in it and mix well.

STEP 4 – After 2 hours, make small equal portions with the dough and keep them aside.

STEP 5 – Chop the peppers in small dices.

STEP 6 – Now roll the small portion of pizza dough and roll it about 2-3 inches pieces and about ¼ inch

thick.

STEP 7 –Brush it with garlic butter, a dollop of mashed potato, then add some chopped pepper, drizzle 1 teaspoon pizza sauce on it and sprinkle some grated cheese on it. Sprinkle oregano and chilly flakes on it as shown in the pictures below.

STEP 8 – Fold and press the edges together to form a little dough potli/ ball.

STEP 9 – Brush with more garlic butter and pop into a prepared cup cake pan/ moulds.

STEP 10 – Prepare all the balls with rest of the dough and keep on the baking tray.

STEP 11 – Bake on 190 degrees C for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Let it cool for 5 minutes in the oven itself.

STEP 12 – Heat a pan with little butter and add garlic powder in it.

Toss the ready cheesy balls in it and serve hot.

Serve hot pizza potli/ ball with tomato ketchup or your favourite sauce.

NOTES: For Pizza dough follow the post of MOZZARELLA STUFFED GARLIC KNOTS from my blog itself. Recipe link for pizza dough- http://kalpanaslacucina.blogspot.in/2016/12/mozzarella-stuffed-garlic-knots.html