The Indian cuisine is as diverse as its culture, languages, regions and its climate. Every major region of India brings its own unique dishes and subtle variations to popular dishes.
Throughout it's history, India has been invaded by armies, traders and immigrants from all over the world, all adding culinary spectrum to India's cuisine; also adding to the complexity of India's cuisine is the deep rooted and profound influence religion has on how and what people eat.
Butter Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken - 300 grams, cleaned and cut into small pieces
Cinnamon- 2" pcs
Salt - to taste
Cashew & almond paste - a handful ground smoothly
Ginger & garlic paste - 2 tspns
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 2 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tspn
Onion - one chopped
Orange colour - 1 1/2 tsp
Butter - 3 tspn
Oil - 2 tspn
Tomato puree - 2 tomatoes blended smoothly
Directions
- Fry onions in oil till transparent.
- Add cinnamon and let it fry.
- Then add ginger & garlic paste along with a little water.
- Stir continuously.
- Add turmeric, chilly, coriander powder with salt and mix well.
- Pour in tomato puree, cashew & almond paste - mix well with water.
- When it starts to boil add the chicken which should be mixed with a little colour.
- Then add sufficient water for the chicken to boil.
- The gravy should get thick or according to your requirement. Before switching off add butter and serve hot with parathas.
Butter Chicken
Ingredients
1 3/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
salt to taste
1 cup yogurt
salt to taste
2 tablespoons garlic paste
1/2 tablespoon garam masala
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon ginger paste
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon chopped green chile pepper
2 cups tomato puree
1 tablespoon chili powder
salt to taste
1 cup water
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
1 cup fresh heavy cream
Directions
- To Marinate: Place chicken in a nonporous glass dish or bowl with lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chili powder and salt. Toss to coat; cover dish and refrigerate to marinate for 1 hour.
- Drain yogurt in a cloth for 15 to 20 minutes. Place in a medium bowl; mix in salt, garlic paste, garam masala, butter, chili powder, ginger paste, lemon juice and oil. Pour yogurt mixture over chicken, replace cover and refrigerate to marinate for another 3 to 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- 4 Place chicken on skewers. Place skewers in a 9x13 inch baking dish and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until almost cooked through.
- 5 To Make Sauce: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garam masala. When masala begins to crackle, mix in ginger, garlic paste and green chile peppers. Saute until tender, then stir in tomato puree, chili powder, salt, garam masala and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring in honey and fenugreek.
- 6 Place chicken in sauce mixture. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink inside. Stir in fresh cream.
Tandoori Chicken
Ingredients
12 Chicken drumsticks and/or breast pieces (skin removed)
1 cup plain yoghurt or 2 cups Buttermilk
1 1/2 tbsp. red chilli powder
1 tbsp. ginger powder
2 tbsp. coriander powder
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. cumin powder
1/2 tbsp. garam masala
Meat tenderiser (optional)
2 tbsp. salt (use less if tenderiser contains salt)
Directions
- Prick the chicken pieces with a fork all over.
- Apply the tenderiser to the chicken pieces and let it stand for an hour or so.
- The marinade: Take a wide and deep bowl about 12 2 inches wide and deep enough to hold all the chicken pieces.
- Add the yoghurt plus one-cup water or the buttermilk with no water into the bowl.
- Add all the spices from nos. 3 through 8 into the bowl and stir to form a homogeneous mixture.
- Now add the chicken pieces into the mixture, so that they are all covered with the paste/mixture.
- Cover the bowl with a lid and let it stand for 6 hours.
- If you plan to marinade for 12-15 hours, put it in the refrigerator.
- The more time it is marinated, the better it will absorb the spices and the tastier it will be.
- When you are ready to grill the chicken, apply melted butter to the the chicken pieces with a brush or
spoon all over and you are ready to grill the chicken on the barbecue in the normal fashion.
- Turn over the chicken pieces when they look brownish red in colour or darker if you prefer it well done.
- Slice finely onion into rings, add some salt and lemon juice to it, to be served as a salad with the tandoori
chicken.
- Lemon juice sprinkled on the cooked pieces also adds to the flavour, if you wish.
Chicken Masala
Ingredients
1 kg chicken
4 tbsp. curd (plain yoghurt)
1 tsp. turmeric powder
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsps chilli powder
2 tsps coriander powder
1/4 cup oil
Salt to taste
Directions
- Cut chicken into pieces and marinate with curd and salt and keep aside for an hour.
- Heat oil and fry turmeric.
- Add onion and fry till light brown.
- Then add ginger and garlic mixed in a tbsp. of water and stir well.
- Then add chilli and coriander mixed in 4 tbsps water. Stir well until the oil comes out clear.
- Now add the chicken and sufficient water to make good sauce.
- Cover and let cook on gentle heat till chicken is done.
Chicken Tikka
Ingredients
3 lbs. Chicken
1 cup Yoghurt
1 tbs. Pressed Garlic & Ginger
1 tbs. Lemon Juice
2 tbs. Red Chilli Powder
2 tbs. Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions
- Skin & bone the chicken. Cut into 4 parts. Prick it well with a fork or a sharp knife.
- Mix yoghurt, ginger, garlic, chilli powder, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Place chicken into marinade for 2 hours.
- Thread chicken pieces onto skewers.
- Brush with olive oil and place on BBQ for 6 minutes or more on each side.
Roast Chicken
Ingredients
2 Small ready-roasted chickens
3 tbsp. Vegetable oil or ghee
3 chopped garlic cloves
1 cup chicken stock
4 tbsp. Balti masala paste
1 tbsp. Finely chopped coriander leaves
Directions
- Skin and bone the chicken, cutting the meat into chunks.
- Add the oil or ghee to your karahi, heat, and quickly stir-fry the garlic before it browns,
add the chopped onions and fry until translucent.
- Add the chicken, then the masala paste.
- Stir-fry for 5 minutes or so. Add the chicken stock, stir, and cook until reduced
(usually 10 minutes or thereabouts).
- Add coriander leaves and serve in Balti bowls.
Chicken Moglai
Ingredients
1 Large chicken, skinned, meat removed and cut into chunks
12 oz clarified butter, ghee, or unsalted butter
2 Onions, grated (medium size)
2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 Inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
9 Garlic cloves, crushed
6 Green cardamoms, broken slightly open
2 1 1/2-inch cinnamon sticks
4 Eggs, lightly beaten
4 tbsp. Sugar
6 tbsp. Ground almonds
27 fl Cream
Flaked almonds to garnish
Directions
- Heat the ghee or butter in a large wok over moderate heat and fry the onions with the salt until translucent.
- Add the ginger, garlic, cardamoms, and cinnamon sticks.
- Stir-fry until the onions are golden brown.
- Add the chunks of chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, ground almonds and cream.
- Lower the heat to "very low" and pour the egg and cream mixture into the wok.
- Simmer gently for 5-7 minutes, until the chicken is cooked and tender. Be careful not to overcook the sauce, or the eggs and cream will curdle.
- Serve garnished with flaked almonds.
