Lemon Garlic Chicken

There are some recipes that you just want to make at once. They make you forget about the list of chores that need to be completed, the tv shows that you could be watching, and instead you are standing in the kitchen with ingredients laid out on the counter.

This lemon garlic chicken was one such recipe for me. Instead of the Chinese styled lemon chicken, this is more of an Italian version where the chicken is first browned, then cooked with loads of garlic & spices to make this thick gravy that is just delicious served with spaghetti. Ideally you could serve rice with it, but I prefered the noodles. 

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse's Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs recipe.

Ingredients

• 500 grams boneless chicken, cubed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup oil
• 1 cup onions, finely chopped
• 12 cloves garlic (about 1 heads) garlic, peeled and smashed (I peel the garlic, put it in a clean plastic bag then use a meat mallet to smash it)
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
• 3 to 4 peppercorns
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 1/4 cup chicken stock (1 chicken cube dissolved in 1 1/4 cup of water)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 3-4 green chillies, whole 
• 450 grams egg noodles or spaghetti 
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
• Spring Onions or Cilantro/Dhania - for garnish

Directions

1. Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt & 1 teaspoon black pepper. Sprinkle the chicken with the flour and mix it together. Set aside.
2. In a large saute pan or wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and golden brown on both sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep aside.
3. Keeping the heat on medium-high, add chopped onions to the pan and cook till light brown. Add the smashed up garlic, red chilli flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, peppercorns and cook for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, chicken stock and browned chicken back to the pan. Bring the mixture to boil, then turn heat to simmer. Cover pan with lid, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove lid, and cook for about 5 minutes till the gravy is to the consistency you prefer. If you want thick gravy, then add cornflour dissolved in water to thicken it. 
4. Deep fry garlic cloves in a small frying pan or tempering pan (baghar pan) till light golden & crisp. Drain on paper towels. Cut the top of the green chili's, take out the seeds from the top, and then shallow fry green onions till blistered. Drain on paper towels again. 
5. Cook the noodles till al dente (timing specified on packet). Drain well, and toss in a large bowl with the butter & parsley. Sprinkle some of the parsley on top for garnish. Keep the water to boil for the noodles when starting to brown the chicken. The noodles should be added when the chicken is on simmer so both chicken & noodles are ready at the same time for the optimal temperature. 
6. Top chicken with fried garlic & chili's. Another option for garnish is to use sliced spring onions or dhaniya/cilantro. 
7. Serve lemon garlic chicken with noodles on the side. 

Lemon Garlic Chicken with Egg Noodles

Chicken Tikka - Pakistani Style

There's a little bit of cheating involved in this recipe. Basically, I didn't make it. Mom made it, but it is so simple & it turned out so amazing that not sharing it with you would have been sacrilegious. Plus I was responsible for the final baking - so I get a little bit of credit here. Mom makes a Desi-style gravy to serve on the side using up the remaining marinade juices. Serve with potato gratin, mashed potatoes, baked potato or baked vegetables. 

Chicken Tikka - Pakistani Style

Chicken Tikka - Pakistani Style

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

• 4 large Chicken Tikka Pieces with bone (used all breast pieces, but you can substitute leg pieces or a combination of both)
• 8 to 10 tablespoon vinegar
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 - 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoon Chicken Tandoori Masala (Used Shan)
• 250 grams yoghurt (drain yoghurt in a muslin cloth for an hour so it becomes thick or use Greek yoghurt)
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
• 4 tablespoon oil

Gravy:

• Remainder juices from chicken
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic (sliced thinly)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped
• 1/2 capsicum, chopped
• 2 tablespoon worcheshire sauce
• 2 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• Cornflour dissolved in water (optional to thicken if required)

Directions:

For the Chicken

1. Whisk all the marinade ingredients well.
2. Make slits in the chicken pieces, and then marinate overnight.
3. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius.
4. Line a roasting tray with aluminum foil and then put chicken as well as the marinade into the tray.
5. Cover the chicken & tray with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
6. After chicken has baked for 30 minutes, take off the foil, and drain about 80-90% of the marinade juices into a separate container. 
7. Lower heat to 120 degrees celsius and bake chicken uncovered for 15 - 30 minutes till the marinade dries up.
8. Use the leftover marinade juices to make gravy on the side.

Desi-style Gravy

1. Heat oil and fry garlic till light brown. 
2. Add onion & saute for about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add gravy juices, and capsicum and remaining seasoning ingredients.
4. Taste & adjust seasoning if required.
5. Thicken with cornflour.
6. Serve with chicken tikka on the side. 

White Sauce Pasta with Garlic Mushrooms & Grilled Chicken

I just had a minor epiphany right now - I write VERY long recipes and I am just wondering if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Most people look at a long recipe & go like oh, forget it, I am not making it because it's complicated. But the reason I write detailed recipes is because I want to make sure that none of the steps are missed and you can adjust if required. 

This particular recipe here for white sauce spaghetti has a total of four components - white sauce, grilled chicken, mushrooms & boiled pasta. Sounds long, doesn't it? BUT the chicken recipe I doubled and used for three other dishes (sandwiches, potato skins & this pasta).  That's one component done. The second & third (mushrooms & white sauce) sound long, but they are one pot recipes which can be made in advance. For this particular recipe, I boiled the noodles, made the mushrooms, chicken & white sauce at Iftar (around 7 pm). When it was dinner time (8:30 pm), I warmed everything and then mixed it together. 

So a long recipe does not necessarily mean complicated. But small 'rule of thumb' for whatever recipe you are making: read it at least 2-3 times, make a note of the ingredients you already have & the ones you need, and then plan steps in advance keeping a 15-20 minute buffer margin. This is even more important during Ramadan when you have a strict timeline so its always best to prepare in advance.

Spicy White Sauce Pasta with Garlic Mushrooms & Grilled Chicken

Spicy White Sauce Spaghetti with Garlic Mushrooms, Chicken & Olives

Ingredients

Serves 4-5 people

• 450 grams egg noodles (spaghetti can be substituted) 
• Olives for garnish
• Garlic Mushrooms
  
  
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chilli flakes (omit if you don't want it to be spicy)
  • 1 can of button mushrooms, sliced 
• Peri Peri Grilled Chicken 
• 200 grams boneless chicken, cubed 
• 1/2 teaspoon vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon Peri Peri Sauce (Garlic flavored) - Substitute with the one you prefer
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika 
• 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder (omit if you don't want it to be spicy)
• 1/4 teaspoon red chilli flakes (omit if you don't want it to be spicy)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
• Cheesy White Sauce
• 3 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 2 tablespoon flour
• 1 1/2 cups - 2 cups milk
• 1 Knorr chicken cube
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red chilli flakes (omit if you don't want the sauce to be spicy)
• 1 teaspoon paprika (can be substituted with 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder)
• 200 grams shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 tablespoon cream
• 4 tablespoon black olives 

Directions:

For Garlic mushrooms

1. Melt butter. Add garlic paste & saute for a minute. Add salt & red chilli flakes, if using.
2. Add sliced mushrooms and saute for 3-4 minutes till they are just light brown and you can smell the delicious garlic aroma. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

For Peri Peri Grilled Chicken:

1. Marinate chicken with rest of ingredients and keep in fridge for about 30 minute. 
2. Using a pastry brush, brush about 1 tablespoon of oil on a grill pan, and add chicken.
3. Grill for about 10-15 minutes on each side, till the chicken is cooked & the water dries. 
4. Slice chicken into small chunks.  
5. When I initially made this chicken, I doubled the chicken quantity and used about half of it in this pasta, and the rest of it in Cheesy Potato Skins and Chicken Sandwiches. It's a versatile recipe which can be used for other dishes. 

For Cheesy White Sauce:

1. Melt butter & add garlic paste. Saute for about half a minute till the raw smell finishes. Add flour and stir for at least 1-2 minutes to cook out the raw taste of the flour. 
2. Pour in about 1 cup of milk, and stir with a whisk to make sure there are no lumps in the white sauce. 
3. Keep heating the white sauce on medium heat till you can see small bubbles on the side after which it should start thickening. Use a whisk to mix the white sauce properly. Add chicken cube & rest of spices. 
4. Add shredded mozzarella cheese and let the cheese melt in the sauce. The sauce will be thick, so add about 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup milk and whisk to get to the right consistency. Add cream & mix in the end.
5. Taste and adjust seasonings if required. 
6. Add black olives in the white sauce.
7. If the white sauce is made in advance, the cheese will thicken & solidify into strands. Just add a little milk and reheat on low flame till cheese is melted and it reaches liquid consistency. 

Assembly:

1. Boil noodles as per packet directions and set aside. 
2. Make garlic mushrooms, grilled chicken & white sauce as per above recipes.
3. Mix the garlic mushrooms & the grilled chicken into the noodles & toss to mix together. Keep a few pieces of mushrooms & chicken aside for garnish.
4. Take noodles out into a big dish.
5. Pour half the white sauce over the noodles and toss lightly. Pour the remaining white sauce over the noodles and make sure they are mixed properly. 
6. Garnish with leftover grilled chicken, mushrooms, olives & a sprinkling of paprika/red chilli powder. 

Spicy White Sauce Pasta with Garlic Mushrooms & Grilled Chicken

Ginger Chicken Pakistani Style

Please 'like' me on Facebook to keep updated with new posts, tips & tricks, or to ask me any questions: Kay's House of Treats 

It's a simple day and it calls for a simple recipe. This Ginger Chicken, Pakistani style is probably one of the easiest recipes I know. All it requires is the standard Pakistani cooking arsenal of onions, tomatoes & masalas stirred & cooked together. But what creates the delicious medley of flavors in the dish is the finely julienned ginger added right at the end with a heaping handful of fresh fragrant coriander.

Ginger Chicken Pakistani Style

Ginger Chicken Pakistani Style
Serves 6 people

Ingredients:
3 tbsp oil

1 tsp finely minced/grated ginger or 1 tsp ginger paste
1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp garlic paste

3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric (haldi)
2 tsp coriander powder (sukha dhania powder)
1.5 tsp salt
1.5 tsp red chilli pepper
1/2 kg chicken, divided into 8 pieces. Alternatively, you can also use boneless chicken, cut into 2 inch pieces.

2 tbsp tomato ketchup or 1 tbsp tomato puree/paste
2 inch knob of ginger, finely julienned (keep extra for garnish)
1 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped (leaves & stalks both)

Method:

1. Heat oil in large pan on medium high heat.

2. Once oil is hot, add freshly grated ginger/ginger paste and garlic paste and saute for 1 minute till the flavor comes out.

3. Add onions and saute till light golden (about 5-7 minutes). Keep stirring so that the onions don't burn.

4. Add chopped tomatoes along with the rest of masalas (turmeric, coriander powder, salt & chilli powder). Keep stirring till the tomatoes thicken and becomes a jam-like consistency.

5. Add the chicken along with 1/2 cup to 1 cup water and let it cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes then turn it on low-medium till chicken is tender. It will take approx. 15-20 minutes for boneless chicken, whereas chicken with bone will take about 30-40 minutes. Once the chicken is ready, you should see the masala oil on top of the tomato gravy. 

6. Approximately 5 minutes before the chicken is done, add tomato ketchup/tomato puree.

7. Add about 90% of the julienned ginger on top of the dish, and let it cook for a minute then take it off heat.

8. Garnish with fresh coriander and the remaining sliced ginger. 

9. Serve with naan/chapati or fresh steamed basmati rice. 

Lasagne

Please 'like' me on Facebook to keep updated with new posts, tips & tricks, or to ask me any questions: Kay's House of Treats 
 
Even though Lasagne is an extremely popular dish, I just never tried making it. The first time that I made it was when a friend sent me some in return for some cookies I sent her (everyone should have friends like these). 

It was hands down, the best Lasagne ever since it incorporated all those things that I love.

Chicken Mince instead of beef mince - check

Properly seasoned white sauce with chicken instead of bland white sauce - check

Sauted Mushrooms - check

Loads of cheese - check

Dried Herbs for added flavor - check

I have still made my own adaptions to my friends original recipe, with the addition of spice & garam masala but this can be omitted based on personal preference. 

 Please also note that this is a Desi version of lasagne, in actuality the white sauce layer is made with ricotta, but since ricotta is not easily available in Pakistan and is also expensive, properly seasoned white sauce provides a delicious alternative!

Lasagne with Mushrooms & Bechamel Sauce 

Ingredients:

For Meat Sauce: 

2 tbsp butter

3/4 can - 1 can of mushrooms, sliced (I generally use the whole can because I want to finsh it up)

1/2 tsp + 1 1/2 tsp garlic paste

1/4 tsp red chilli flakes (optional)

2 Medium-Sized Onions, chopped

1/2 kg Chicken or Beef Mince

Chicken Mince can be made by processing boneless chicken in a food processor.

Whole Spices/Sabit Garam Masala (optional for Desi flavor) - 3 cloves/laung, one black cardamom pod/bari elachi, 1/2 inch cinnamon bark/daal chini ka tukra

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp ground coriander/dhaniya (optional)

1/2 + 1 tsp salt 

3 to 4 tbsp Tomato Puree 

2 tbsp ketchup

Dried Oregano - 1/2 tsp & more to sprinkle between layers

 White Sauce/Bechamel Sauce:

4 tbsp Butter 

4 tbsp Flour 

2 cups Milk 

1/2 Chicken cube

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper 

2 tbsp Cheddar Cheese

For Layering

Chilli Garlic Sauce - about 6 tbsp in total to spread between layers (optional)

Cheese (cheddar and/or mozzarella) - about 4 tbsp for each layer 

Dried Oregano leaves for seasoning – 1/4 tsp for each layer

Butter - as needed

Oil - as needed

Procedure:

Meat Sauce

Sauté mushrooms in 1 tbsp oil and 1/2 tsp garlic paste. Add 1/2 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp red chilli flakes and saute for about 5 minutes till lightly browned. Take mushrooms out of the pan and set aside.

Heat more oil in the same pan (about 2 tbsp) . Fry onions till slightly brown. Add sabit garam masala if using (one elaichi, 3 cloves, ½ piece cinnamon) & garlic paste & sauté for 1-2 minutes.  Add meat and cook till meat changes color. Add sauted mushrooms, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 ts chilli powder, tomato puree, and ketchup. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 30 mins or until cooked. Add dried oregano after turning the heat off. Remove the whole spices from the meat after meat has been cooked. 

White Sauce

Melt 4 tbsp butter and add flour. Whisk quickly for about 2 minutes making sure that it doesn't burn. Make sure the raw flour smell disappears. Add milk and keep whisking to make sure there are no lumps. Cook till thick. Add half a chicken cube, salt and pepper to taste, and cheddar cheese. In case white sauce gets thick or there’s only a little bit left, add more milk and whisk.

Assembly: 

Boil lasagna strips as per packet instructions. Take a glass pyrex square/rectangular baking dish. I personally used a 9 by 9 inch square one. Lightly oil the bottom of the dish and then spread the strips on it. Place meat sauce over the strips then the white sauce. Spread 2 tbsp of chilli sauce if using. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese & oregano then start on the second layer (strips, meat sauce & white sauce). End the layers with lasagne strips on top. Cover the top layer with white sauce, cheese & oregano. Bake till cheese melts & browns. 

 Note:

1. Reserve the best lasagne strips for the top and if there are any torn pieces, put them in the middle. 

2. Cut with a sharp serrated piece to be able to cut square pieces showing all the layers.

Chicken Kofta Curry

Please 'like' me on Facebook to keep updated with new posts, tips & tricks, or to ask me any questions: Kay's House of Treats 

Putting up a new 'Desi' recipe which is not my own, but my mother's. In fact almost all the 'Desi' recipes that I put up are based on hers, because not only does she make really good food but she also keeps on trying new things & experimenting with ingredients till she gets it right. So the few times that I do make anything Desi, I follow her recipes because I need to have the exact same taste :). She also gives very detailed recipes instead of the 'a little bit of this' and a 'little bit of that' that most people do, accompanied with at least a few tips and tricks :), which makes following the recipe pretty simple. 

Chicken Kofta's are a family favourite, and is made regularly at our home, for both family meals as well as parties. Since we rarely eat beef/mutton at home, almost everything from kofta's to shami kebab's to nihari is made out of chicken at home. Not only are these kofta's healthier, but they taste amazing but they are so soft & delicate that they literally melt in the mouth.

Chicken Kofta Curry/Salan

Serves 6-8 people 

For Kofta's/Meatballs
1/4 kg or 250 gram Boneless Chicken
2 Medium Onion
1 inch piece Ginger
1/2 bunch mint
1 heaped teaspoon Garam Masala (Indian Allspice)
1/2 tsp white cumin
4 to 5 green chilli
2 tablespoon besan/gramflour, roasted
2 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon dhaniya/corriander powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

Method for making Kofta's/Meatballs:
Mix all the above ingredients in the chopper and grind till fine. Keep the ground meat in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before making small balls. If required, the ground meat can be kept in the refrigerator for at least a day prior to cooking.

For Gravy:
2 Medium Onion, chopped
2 teaspoon dhaniya/corriander powder
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
2 tablespoon yoghurt
4 tablespoon oil

Method:
1. Heat oil in big pot. Fry onions till golden then take them out leaving the oil in the pot. Blend onions with yogurt in blender.
2. Add ginger garlic paste, dhaniya/coriander powder, red chilli powder & salt. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the blended onion & yoghurt mixture. Start the bhunna/saute process (detailed explanation provided in note below), by stirring the masala constantly with a wooden process while adding a little water as needed. The 'Bhunna' process is complete when you can see the oil on top of the masala. The masala should be dryish, with the water being added in small increments to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
3. Add 3-4 cups of water to the masala & let it come to a boil.
4. Once the salan/curry is at a boil, add the kofta/meatballs and cook for 5 minutes. Be careful while adding the kofta's so that they don't break, and instead of using a spoon move the pot around using kitchen napkins/gloves to incorporate the kofta's in the salan/curry. The reason being that since the kofta's are made from chicken, they are quite soft and prone to breaking, hence the best method is to swirl the pot around with a spoon only being used if required.
5. Cook on high flame for 10-12 minutes, then let it simmer for 30-40 minutes till cooked.
6. Garnish with green corriander/dhaniya right before serving.
7. Serve with a simple salad of sliced onions, salt, vinegar and fresh dhaniya/corriander along with fresh roti and/or steamed process.

Pakistani style of Bhunna:
'Bhunna' is a term that we use for almost every gravy that is cooked in Pakistan. It is a style of sauteing, however, the technique differs from the western style. It is the process of cooking the selected ingredients over medium to high heat, stirring constantly & adding small quantities of liquid as required to prevent sticking. Generally 'Bhunna' is required at only one stage in the dish, for ingredients like onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and spices to remove the raw flavor. Once the oil comes to the top of the masala the process is completed with the protein added after the 'Bhunna'.
In some cases like with 'Bhuna Goosht' or with 'Mincemeat', the 'bhunna' process is repeated a second time after adding the meat.

Chicken Rendang with Rice

Rendang is an indonesian meat dish, mostly made with beef but can also be made with other proteins as well. It's not only popular in Indonesia, but also in other countries in Far East Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Phillipines etc). The procedure involved requires cooking the meat in a coconut curry comprising coconut milk and a spice paste for a few hours (1-2 for chicken and 2-4 for beef) till all the liquid is absorbed and the meat has absorbed all the spices. As the meat stews in the coconut milk mixture, the liquid becomes more and more reduced until finally, only the oils of the coconut milk are left. The meat is then finally cooked  in the remaining coconut oil, and the final dish is not just intensely flavorful but moist and tender since it has been simmered for so long. 

I had actually heard of Rendang a number of times, and the final push that made me google up a description and a recipe was a stunning photograph on a restaurant's menu. Since the dish on the menu was beef, and I rarely eat beef, I had to look up a chicken rendang recipe instead of just ordering it. I love the combination of the spices that are used in making rendang; they are ingredients that can easily be found in our local kitchens, but the final dish has a flavor profile that is completely different from regular desi dishes. It has the spice & flavor element which we love, but the coconut milk adds that oriental element which makes it taste similar to a Thai curry. It's a really simple recipe, but it just requires pre-planning because the chicken needs to simmer for that requisite time to get that delicious flavor. 

Serve with plain white rice, or cumin rice, or can also be served with spiced rice. I served it with "Nasi Lamek" which is an Indonesian Coconut Rice with Pandan leaf, but I couldn't find the right ingredients so it tasted quite similar to 'Baghair Chawal". 

Chicken Rendang
Adapted from the Chicken Rendang recipe from
http://cant-live-without.com/2012/01/17/chicken-rendang/

Ingredients:
1/2 kg chicken (boneless - cut into cubes)
2 stalks of lemongrass - bottom white portion, sliced horizontally (I didn't have fresh lemongrass, so I substituted with 3-4 pieces of dried

2 cloves of garlic

2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 inch ginger (chopped/sliced) - its best to use Galangal (Thai Ginger), but as it is not available here, ginger is a good substitute

1 medium onion - chopped 

2-3 dried red chillies (adjust if required)
3 whole star anise/badiyaal ka Phool
2 3-inch pieces cinnamon/Daal Chini
4 Cardamom pods-cracked open/Elaichi
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp Salt, or to taste
2 tablespoon tamarind pulp/about 1 tbsp of tamarind dissolved in warm water, with seeds drained

1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

1) The first that is required is to make the flavoring paste. Put lemongrass, garlic, turmeric, ginger, onion, chilli's and lemon juice in a blender or small food processer and blend for 2-3 minutes. If required, you may add a tablespoon of water. Blend till all the ingredients are well pureed. 

2) Heat oil in a wok/skillet on medium heat. Add cinnamon, star anise & cardamom and saute for about 2 minutes, till they have started releasing their fragrance. Add the paste to the spices and saute for about 5 minutes, stiring constantly till the mixture is cooked and the raw smell disappears. 

3) Add coconut milk, sugar, tamarind pulp and salt, and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a gentle boil, simmer on low heat to reduce the coconut milk to about 1/4th the original quanity while stiring frequently. Add soya sauce and salt to taste. 

3) Add chicken coating it with the coconut milk and simmer it on low heat for about 1 hour stiring every 10 minutes to ensure that the chicken does not stick to the bottom of the pan. 

4) After cooking for an hour, the liquid mixture in the pan would have almost disappeared. Keep the chicken on simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until the chicken turns a golden brown and you can see that the coconut milk has disappeared and what is remaining is the oil from the coconut milk. 

Note: My family likes a bit more gravy, which is why I did not reduce the coconut milk as much as was required (about 40% of original amount) and I cooked the chicken for about 55 minutes in total. 

5) Transfer the dish to to serving bowl and serve with rice and fresh salad. 

Shawarma Chicken Wraps

Hello everyone! Today I am featuring a middle eastern inspired dish. I am sure everyone must have had shawarma's in one form or the other - either from the roadside stall or at a dhabba/restaurant or even at weddings. I wanted to try making one at home to experiment with flavors and adust as required for the next time :). I also came across this wonderful recipe online and it just called out to 'make me' - made a few adjustments from this other gyro recipe (obviously) that I came across and well, here is an absolutely fantastic Sunday night dinner. This time, I had decided to do an entire meal so made the Halal Food Cart style spiced rice (on request from my little brother) and icy cold Shikanjabeen (lemon and mint drink) as well which was so refreshing in this hot weather.

For those of who are you who are looking for the recipe for the Shikanjabeen, will post that in a few days along with a really simple recipe for Pina Colada - absolutely a breeze to make and requires just a few basic ingredients and a blender. 

Spiced Shawarma Chicken Wraps

Sides: Tzatziki Sauce (Garlic and Yoghurt Sauce), Mango Salsa & Spiced Rice

Shawarma Chicken Wraps Adapted from An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by Faith Gorsky

Serves: 4

Spiced Shawarma Chicken Wraps
Ingredients

• Shawarma Spice Mix (Recipe below)
• 1/2 kg boneless chicken (cut into pieces)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cup plain yogurt
• 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 3 large cloves garlic, crushed
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• Oil - about 4 tablespoon
• To Grill: Brown Sugar - about 2 tablespoon (adjust as required); Hot Sauce - 1 teaspoon (optional)
• Pita Bread - 8 (Lightly Toasted on a skillet)
• Salsa or Salad (Recipe for mango & tomato salsa below) 
• Tzatziki Sauce
• Caramelized Onions
• Lettuce/Tomatoes/Cucumber for filling - this is upto taste - I decided to make a salsa instead of raw vegetables

Shawarma Spice Mix

• 1 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1.5 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste or finely sliced ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek (methi)
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom + seeds/elachi + elaichi kay daanay (I grounded the cardamom & cloves in a mortar and pestle)
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves (2 to 3)
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon chili pepper (can be decreased)

Method

1. Prepare the Shawarma Spice Mix.
2. Combine the spice mix with the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, vinegar and salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.
3. Heat a grill pan (a skillet can be used if a grill pan is not available) with about 1 tbsp of oil. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of brown sugar and a dash of hot sauce (2 to 3 drops) then add the chicken. Make sure that the chicken pieces do not overlap one another. Cook till one side is golden brown making sure the chicken does not burn. Sprinkle a little bit of brown sugar and hot sauce on the top of the chicken then grill on the other side. If required, cook the chicken in two batches, sprinkling brown sugar and hot sauce as required. Add oil as required when cooking the chicken on the other side and in two batches - about 4 tbsp of oil should be required if cooking the chicken in two batches. 
4. Remove the chicken from the pan and then transfer it to a cutting board - slice the chicken into thin pieces. Transfer the chicken back to the grill pan, and cook for 1-2 minutes enough to just heat through the chicken again. 
5. For caramelized onions, just add the onions to the pan and cook for a few minutes till golden brown - the remaining brown bits to the pan will give flavor to the onions - in case the grill pan has become too black, clean with a paper towel otherwise the chicken and the onions will turn black. 

Note: The brown sugar is added to add in the caramelization of the chicken and to give a lovely brown color - it will also give a subtle sweet flavor to the chicken which is really tasty in the dish, however, in case you don't like the flavor, then brown sugar can be reduced or not even added altogether - the grill pan will still give a good char on the chicken.
Please be careful while re-heating the chicken - I left it for a few minutes and the chicken turned just slightly dark - it tasted great but it lost the beautiful golden brown color from the grill pan and the brown sugar.

Tzatziki Sauce - Garlic Yoghurt Dip
Ingredients
1 cucumber - finely chopped without seeds (I prefer it with skin)
Salt - 1 tsp
2 garlic cloves - crushed 
lemon juice - 1 teaspoon/half a lemon
1 cup thick yoghurt (also known as Greek yoghurt) - just take regular yoghurt and put it in a fine mesh strainer or in a muslin cloth for a few hours till the liquid drains out and you are left with thick yoghurt 
Note: I didn't do this, because well, I couldn't strain my strainer and that's why my sauce is more like a thick Raita than a dip which is what is required. 
Method Put the finely chopped cucumber in a colander and sprinkle salt on top. Let this sit for an hour with a plate below it in the fridge so that the water from the cucumber is is reduced. Add the cucumber along with crushed & chopped garlic to the yoghurt. Add lemon juice and mix it all up. Taste and adjust as required.

Mango Salsa
Ingredients
1 cucumber - finely chopped (without seeds)
2 tomatoes - finely chopped (without seeds)
1 small to medium onion - finely chopped
2 slices of Mango (used a large mango - Sindhri but a whole small Mango can be used)
Vinegar - 3 teaspoon
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Corriander/Cilantro - 1 tablespoon (finely chopped) - optional

Method
Mix all the vegetables together. Add vinegar and salt and mix well. Serve. 
Adjust the ingredietns in the salsa as per your liking, I had fresh mango at home so I decided to add some for a sweet flavor and I also increased the ratio of tomatoes because I love tomatoes. Alternatively, you could use corn, pineapple, avacodo, jalepeno's depending on what is available.

Final Assembly 
Take the lightly toasted pita bread, add chicken, tzatziki sauce & salsa. Add caramelized onions on top. Roll it up and eat :). 
I also served spiced rice on the side - the one that I had made earlier with the Halal Chicken with Rice. 

Chicken Paprika Stroganoff

This is another recipe discovered quite by chance when I was looking for something to make for dinner - had  come across a recipe for chicken stroganoff which I was thinking of making and adapting to make it a little more flavorful - and then I came across this recipe which was basically exactly what I needed. It's spicy & flavorful, has a delicious sauce which is just brilliant with noodles, and the beautiful color from the paprika makes it stunning to look at. I always thought paprika to be a less spicy version of chilli powder only used for color, and I was so wrong - its got this subtle smoky spicy taste which just transformed this chicken to the next level. I even loved the chicken just on its own, so I am going to experiment with grilling it in the future to add in sandwiches, or to stirfry with noodles. 

Chicken Paprika Stroganoff (Serves 4-5 people)

Recipe: Adapted from Mel's Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg boneless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 2 tablespoon paprika (to marinate) + 1 teaspoon (in sauce)
• 2 teaspoon red chilli pepper (can be removed to reduce spice level) - 1 tsp to marinate chicken & 1 tsp in the sauce
• 2 teaspoon red chilli flakes (can be reduced as per taste)
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons oil, plus more as needed
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 1 can white button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 cups chicken broth (1 Knorr chicken cube dissolved in 2 cups hot water)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup cream + more to garnish 
• Boiled spaghetti or egg noodles, for serving - 450 grams
• Chopped Parsley, for garnish (substituted for dried)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the vinegar, 2 tbsp paprika, 1 tsp red chilli powder, salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour on top of the chicken and toss to coat.
2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium heat until and hot. Make sure the pan is large enough since the sauce will also be cooked in the pan - alternatively, I cooked the chicken in a skillet and then made the sauce in a wok. The reason the skillet is better than a wok is because it has more surface area, and the chicken needs to be cooked in one layer so its properly browned which is why a skillet is better.
3. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook until golden brown on each side. Cook the chicken in two batches if required, and add a little more oil when cooking the second batch. The chicken only needs to be browned at this stage - it will cook for more time in the sauce so it does not need to be completely cooked through. Once the chicken is browned, take it in a place and set aside.
4. Add another teaspoon of oil to the pan, and add the chopped garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes till the garlic is lightly browned and then add the onions. Cook the onions for 1 minute, and then add mushrooms. Saute the mixture, and keep stirring occasionally till the onions are translucent and mushrooms are browned - its about 5-6 minutes.
5. Pour in about 1/4 cup of the chicken broth and deglaze the pan by scraping up any bits from the bottom. Stir in the tomato paste, whisking to combine. Add the rest of the chicken broth and keep stirring.
6. Add the chicken back into the skillet and simmer the mixture over medium-low to medium heat, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 5-6 minutes. The sauce will thicken due to the flour coating on the chicken. Add 1 tsp red chilli pepper, 1 tsp of paprika and 2 tsp of red chilli flakes (optional) and stir.
7. Stir in the cream and cook for about 2-3 minutes longer. Taste and adjust seasonings if required (salt & spices). If the sauce is thin, then thicken using a cornflour + water mixture (1 tbsp cornflour with 2-3 tbsp of cold). Add the cornflour mixture into the simmering chicken & sauce and whisk to combine. Keep stirring till the sauce is thickened. 
8. Garnish with cream and parsley.
9.  Serve with noodles. Noodles and chicken can be served separately, or the chicken be served in a platter over noodles. 
10. Comments: The chicken can also be served with rice, which is what I had the leftovers with the next day, however, noodles are better. Alternatively, it could also be served with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables.