Cheat’s Guide to Chicken Ghee Roast

Before I write anything about the recipe, I want to say that it’s been more than a couple of years now since I’ve posted any recipes. My son is a little big boy now and I can manage to find some time to blog again! So here I am back with a recipe. 

Chicken Ghee Roast is another popular dish from my hometown Mangalore. And I must tell you, a Sunday Afternoon lunch with Chicken Ghee Roast and Neer Dosa or even plain Steamed Rice is just divine! So here’s my version of Chicken Ghee Roast- the Cheat’s way. 

Traditionally it is made by dry roasting whole spices and then blending it into a paste. Here’s my version where I use powdered spices which saves a lot of time, however the end result tastes exactly the same. Here’s my recipe for Chicken Ghee Roast: 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Lime
• 1 Sprig Curry Leaves 
• 1/2 Cup Curd
• A Pinch of Turmeric Powder 
• 2 tsp Paprika or Kashmiri Chilli Powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder 
• 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder 
• Salt to Taste
• 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1-2 tbsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
• 350gms Chicken 
• 1 medium size Onion chopped 

Method:

In a mixing bowl add the Curd, Lime Juice, Turmeric Powder, Paparika (Kashmiri Chilli Powder), Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Salt and Ginger Garlic Paste. Mix well. 

Now Add the Chicken and allow it to marinate for 10-15 minutes.

Heat a pan and add the Ghee ( Clarified Butter) and add the chopped onion. Sauté on medium heat until they turn slight golden. 

Now add the marinated Chicken and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. Lower the heat after 10 minutes and cook on low heat for 10 more minutes. 

Now add the Curry Leaves and cook for 5 more minutes or until the chicken is well cooked. 

Chicken Coleslaw Sandwich

I had a Red Cabbage in the fridge and was wondering what to do with it. I was thinking for a while and finally decided to make Coleslaw. It’s rare for me to have both white and red cabbage together. I had never made Coleslaw with both the cabbages together before. So I thought, why not this time? And the sandwich was ready in a few minutes. There’s no difference in taste using the red cabbage, but visually it looks more attractive. So if you don’t have red cabbage, just double the amount of white cabbage in the recipe.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup shredded White Cabbage
• ½ cup shredded Red Cabbage
• ½ cup shredded Carrot
• ½ cup Onion (Cut into half and finely sliced)
• 1 tbsp. Vinegar
• 1 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp. Powered Sugar
• Salt and Pepper for seasoning
• 1 cup Boiled Chicken cut into small pieces
• 3 Slices of bread with the sides cut off

Method:

• In a bowl, add the White Cabbage, Red Cabbage, Carrot and Onion.
• Then add Vinegar, 2/3 cup of Mayonnaise and Sugar.
• Season with Salt and Pepper and mix well. (This is the Coleslaw Mixture).
• In another Bowl, add the Chicken.
• Add 1/3 cup of Mayonnaise.
• Season with salt and Pepper and Mix Well.
• Place one Slice of Bred on a Chopping Board.
• Layer the Chicken mixture on top of the Bread.
• Now Place another slice of Bread on top of the layer of Chicken.
• Then layer it with the Coleslaw Mixture.
• Place the third slice of bread on top.
• Cut the sandwich into half diagonally.

Chicken Biryani

When I lived in Mangalore, I remember eating Chicken Biryani from a Restaurant called ‘Royal Darbar’ on every special occasion. I have never eaten biryani like that anywhere else. I’ve spent years to replicate a biryani like that and have managed to come pretty close. Chicken Biryani is done using various methods; this is my way of doing it. This is the best you can do at home with minimum complications. Well, this is the least I could do to make it less complicated. I bet this has turned out to be the lengthiest recipe I’ve ever posted. But that’s how Biryani is. I guess that’s the reason why it is cooked only on special occasions. So here’s the recipe for Chicken Biryani.

Ingredients for the Marinade:

• 1 kg. Chicken cut into pieces
• 4 Green Chilies
• ½ cup chopped Coriander Leaves
• ½ cup chopped Mint Leaves
• 2 inch Ginger Piece
• 5 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 cup Yogurt
• Salt to Taste
• ½ tbsp. Garam Masala Powder
• ½ tbsp. Coriander Powder
• ½ tsp. Red Chili Powder
• ½ tsp. Turmeric Powder
• ½ tbsp. Saffron Essence
• 3 pods of Green Cardamom
• 1 stick of Cinnamon
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 pieces of Mace
• 2 Onions sliced and deep fried till Brown
• 1 tbsp. Ghee or Clarified Butter

Method:

• Take the Green Chilies, Coriander Leaves, Mint Leaves, Ginger and Garlic and blend into a fine paste.
• Take a large nonstick Pot. (The marinating has to done in the same vessel in which you will cook later).
• Add the Paste Mixture, Chicken, and all the other Ingredients except the Fried Onions and allow it to marinate for at least half an hour.
• After half an hour, add the Fried Onions and mix well.
• Now Place the pot on the stove and cook the Chicken on low heat with the lid on until the chicken is 80% cooked. (Make sure you cook the chicken without lid for 2 minutes on High Flame. This will help to dry out the excess gravy).

Meanwhile prepare the Rice to make the Biryani.

Ingredients for the Biryani Rice:

• 2 cups of uncooked long Grain Basmati Rice.
• 1 tbsp. Salt
• 10 cups Water
• A small Piece of Muslin Cloth
• 2 sticks of Cinnamon
• 5 Pods of green Cardamom
• 4 Cloves
• 1 Star Anise
• 1 tbsp. Rose Water
• 1 tsp. Saffron Essence
• 1 tsp. Saffron
• 2 tbsp. Clarified Butter (Ghee)
• 3-4 drops of Yellow Food Color

Method:

• Wash the Basmati Rice and keep aside.
• Place the Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves and Star Anise in the Muslin Cloth and Tie it into a Knot. (This is the Spice Bag).
• Add the water into a large non-stick Pot along with the Salt and the Spice Bag.
• Bring the water to a boil and then add the Rice.
• Cook the Rice until it’s 80% done.
• Use a large sieve or a colander and drain water from the rice.
• Once all the water is drained, transfer the rice into a Large Bowl and Add the Rose water, Saffron Essence and Clarified Butter and mix gently using your hand. (Be very gentle, not break the strands of rice while mixing. Also if possible use gloves as the rice would be still hot and you will also have to mix the food color).
• Now add the food color and again, mix gently. Make sure you don’t coat all the rice with the color. Allow some of the Rice to remain white. (You can skip the food color part; it’s just to add that extra color).
• Take the saffron in a small cup and add about 4 tbsps. of hot water. (This will help the saffron release it’s color and aroma. We will be using this saffron water after the final layering.

Final Layering:

• The chicken should be 80% cooked by now. Layer the Rice on top of the Chicken.
• Spread the Rice evenly and then pour the Saffron Water on top along with the strands of Saffron. If you have some bits of the fried onions left, garnish the top with it.
• Cover the Pot with a tin foil and then put on the lid. This will allow all the steam to remain inside.
• Now place a flat pan below the Pot and cook on low flame for 15-18 minutes.
• Chicken Biryani done! (While you serve the biryani, make sure you don’t mix the rice with the chicken, Dig deep and grab some chicken and then serve some rice from the top).

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken originated in Delhi and has made it’s way all over the world. There are so many versions of Butter Chicken you can find these days. I used the Griller to Grill my Chicken, but you could also cook them on a non-stick pan or use the oven. You can make the milder version just by adjusting the amount of Red Chili Powder and Garam Masala Powder and increasing the amount of fresh cream. Also, if you want the gravy even thicker, just add a tbsp. of Cashew Paste. It will improve the thickness and make the gravy richer. This is how I usually make Butter Chicken.

Ingredients for the Marinade:

• 500 gms Boneless Chicken cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp. Hung Curd
• 1 tsp. Garam Masala Powder
• 1 tsp. Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Ginger Garlic Paste
• Juice of Half a lime.
• 1 tsp. Oil
• Salt for seasoning

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside for half an hour.
• Grill the chicken in a griller until it is cooked.
• Keep the grilled chicken aside.

Ingredients for the Gravy:

• 3 tbsp. Butter
• 4 pods Green Cardamom
• 8 medium tomatoes pureed and passed through a sieve
• 1/2 tsp. Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 ½ tbsp. Sugar
• Salt for Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. Garam Masala Powder
• 1 tsp. Red Chili Powder
• 1 tsp. Dried Fenugreek leaves Powder (Kasuri Methi Powder)
• ¼ cup Fresh Cream

Method:

• Melt the Butter in a Pan.
• Add the Green Cardamom pods and wait for half a minute.
• Add the Ginger Garlic Paste and sauté for half a minute.
• Now add the Tomato Puree.
• Add in the Sugar, Salt, Red Chili Powder and Garam Masala Powder.
• Turn the heat to low and cover and cook for 12-14 minutes.
• Now add the Grilled Chicken, Fresh Cream and Dried Fenugreek leaves Powder, mix gently and then cover and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Transfer the Butter Chicken into a serving bowl and drizzle some fresh cream on top.