Oil Free Chicken Tangdi Kabab

I personally believe that one of the most significant discoveries made by Indian food connoisseurs was the marriage of chicken and curd which is either grilled or roasted. One of the most appreciated among all the chicken curd combination dishes is either chicken tikka or chicken Tagri kabab or even simple gravy dishes. As far as various kababs are concerned, there are various issues that are often raised such as the manner in which they are cooked or the amount of oil that it takes to cook/grill/fry them. This dish is especially special because it is this dish that I made first in my new house after marriage and it became an instant hit with my husband's Mom.

I personally have started preferring this recipe because there is no use of oil, it is diabetic friendly and retains and locks all goodness of protein in it. However, on the flip side I have successfully made this dish only in  microwave or oven and not over flame. The present reciepe for chicken tagdi kabab is made in Microwave.

Serves 3 (2 pieces each)

WHAT TO EAT: Try having this dish with simple Russian salad or just cut julliens of onion and cabbage and lettuce and mix with with mayonaise. You can try this with some nan or roomali roti too.

WHAT TO DRINK:  Plain simple beer but of course my husband prefers to have a peg of good scotch with it. Though I personally prefer water with this

POINTERS

• Any kabab can be a tricky affair especially with the difference in tenderness of the flesh and crust. The point is that while the upper crust needs to be crunchy, the inside must be tender and soft and not rubbery. Therefore crusting the kabab in oil free version is a must.
• To make the kabab more juicy try soaking for a longer period say more than 6 hrs. Also try pricking the chicken leg with a fork so that the curd and herbs enter deep into the chicken. 
• Cooking is simple chemistry and knowledge of biology in kitchen. For instance, when you are soaking the chicken towel dry the pieces so that the marination mix enters the pieces faster and deeper. 

INGREDIENTS

1/2 kg or 6 chicken drumsticks/legs
1 cup curd preferrably sour
1 tbsp kashmiri Mirch powder
1 tbsp cumin/ jeera powder
1/2 tbsp garam masala powder
pinch of chaat masala/ aamchoor powder
1 tbsp gram flour/ besan
1 tbsp rice flour
salt to taste
Charcoal
Ghee

METHOD

• Take the chicken legs and using a kitchen towel dry them, later fork the chicken legs. Put aside.
• Take a mixing bowl pour in the curd into it and whisk well. Add Kashmiri Mirch powder, jeera powder, garam masala powder and salt, whisk again. Now add besan and rice flour into the mix and whisk. 
• Add chicken legs into the mixture and marinate for atleast 3 hrs. Though I prefer marinating for maximum 12 hrs. 
• Pre-heat the microwave oven for 2 minutes on HIGH. 
• Place the marinated chicken legs on a microwavable non-stick plate. Place it inside the microwave for 10 minutes on HIGH. 
• Once the chicken is done take the tagdi kababs out in a serving dish with lid. Take the charcoal and burn in on flame until it turns red. Place a small katori/bowl in the serving dish and put the burning charcoal in it and quickly add a spoon of ghee into it. Quickly close the lid. This will add smoky flavour to the kabab.
• After a minute open the lid and take off the katori, sprinkle some aamchoor powder over it. Serve the Chicken Tagdi Kabab hot with green chutney.

Mutton Pilaf

Sometimes we yearn to eat something great and tasteful, but either are too tired or lazy to cook. Nonetheless I stand firmly that a well-balanced home cooked meal is an apt answer to all gastromic issues. It is said that a good cook never remains hungry, and something happened to me yesterday that made me agree to the above statement. Its Diwali week and yesterday being a sunday was pretty hectic for me, among all my chores came cooking too. I usually ensure that weekend meals are special at my house, but the paucity of time just knocked me out...and I was tired before I even knew! And like a knight in shining armour came this dish. It took me somewhat  an hour to cook this Pilaf and the taste made my husband yearn for more and more. 

However, one needs to be clear as to what is a Pilaf and how it is different from Biryani. Biryani is famous for its layered construction, strong aroma and heavier taste while Pilaf is considerably milder both in taste and fragrance and the rice is cooked with the meat so that the jus of the meat mixes completly with the rice giving Pilaf its distinct taste. 

Serves 3

Goes Well With: Cucumber raita, mirch ka salan

Pointers:

• When making any kind of Pulao/Pilaf/ Biryani, where you may need to temper the rice before cooking it is advised to soak the rice for say 5 minutes and drain water off completly. Once drained you may place the rice in a muslin cloth or cheese cloth lined over a seive so that no water remains and the rice may turn semi dry. This will ensure that the rice when cooked has separate grains and do not stick with each other.
• Yakhni or stock in which Puilaf is cooked can be made in several ways. In this recipe I just added whole spices and mutton along with few cloves of garlic.
• While trying hand with Mutton in Pilafs or biryanis alike using pichla raan or posterior of the goat is excellent, its not just tender but has right amount of bone and meat to produce best jus in which rice shall be cooked.
• Making perfect roasted almonds is much simpler in a microwave. Just add handful of almonds on a plate and put it in the microwave on High for a minute. Don't take out the alomonds immediately let it rest until it cools down. In case you dont have a microwave, simply toast them on a tawa or griddle.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of Rice (soaked and drained - I used par boiled rice)

1/2 kg Mutton 

7-8 cloves of garlic

8 badi elaichi/ black cardamoms

8 choti elaichi/ green cardamoms

10 cloves/ laung

1 tbsp garam masala

1/2 tsp peppercones/ sabut kali mirch

2 bay leaves/ tej patta

1/2 tsp Jeera/ Cumin seeds

1/2 tsp Javitri/ mace

2 small sticks of Cinnamon/ dalchini

Oil/ ghee (I used Ghee)

1/2 cup Roasted Almonds

water

salt to taste

Method:

• Take a cooker and heat 2 tbsp of ghee in it. Once hot add 4 badi elaichi, 4 choti elaichi, 5 cloves, peppercones, javitri and a stick of dalchini. Let the whole spices splutter.
• Add all garlic into the fragrant ghee along with the mutton and garam masala. On low flame fry the meat for 15 minutes.
• Now add water and salt to the meat and cook until 4 whistles of the pressure cooker.
• In a kadahi / wok heat 2 tbsp of ghee. Once hot add remaining badi elaichi, choti elachi, dalchini, laung along with Cumin seeds and tej patta. Let the spices splutter.
• Add the drained rice into the kadahi and fry it on a low flame until the rice becomes translucent. 
• Now add the rice into the mutton in the pressure cooker, also add roasted almonds and water (if necessary). Close lid and cook for 2-3 whistles, depending upon the type of rice you are using. 
• Once done wait til the pressure is released and then place the Pilaf on a serving dish. Enjoy hot.

COCONUT PANEER

Proteins and calcium are some of the most basic yet most important nutrient in our diet. Nonetheless, most people do not like the taste of milk or dal. Paneer therefore is one of the most cherished ingredients in Indian kitchen. The versatile food is not just important source of nutrients but can be made in variety of ways. This reciepe is my own version of fusing coconut with paneer or cottage cheese. This is a no garlic no onion recipe that can be had on festivals too.

Serves 3.

TIME TAKEN: 15 minutes

WHAT TO EAT WITH: Naan or plain parathas go great with this. But personally my family like to have Jeera Rice with this dish.

Pointers:

• I never fry Paneer, frying makes paneer cubes chewy and distasteful. Try not frying them and adding to the dish 2-3 minutes before taking the dish off fire
• Keeping coconut powder at home is fun. Just add a dash of dried coconut powder into your food will enhance nutrition of the food but also increase taste of simple veggies too.

INGREDIENTS:

250 gms fresh paneer/cottage cheese

1 tsp Turmeric powder

1tbsp Kashmiri Mirch powder

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

2 tbsp Ghee/ clarified butter

4 tbsp dried coconut powder
2 green chillies chopped roughly
1/2 cup Peas (i used frozen)

salt to taste

water

METHOD:

• Cut paneer into 1"x1" cubes set aside. Put turmeric and Mirch powder in a bowl add water into it untill it becomes watery and thin in consistency.
• Heat ghee in a kadahi/wok. When hot add the turmeric and mirch watery paste in the kadahi let it boil until the water evaporates and ghee leaves from sides. 
• Once the ghee leaves the side of the kadahi add cumin seeds into the kadahi and fry them. Add coconut powder, cumin powder and garam masala into the kadahi and keep stirring until ghee leaves the side.
• Once ghee leaves the side of coconut powder in the kadahi add peas and cover the kadahi with lid for  1-2 minutes.
• Now add water say 1/2 cup into the kadahi let it boil. Add salt 
• Once the mixture in the kadahi thickens add paneer cubes and little water into the wok. Let it boil for more 4 minutes until the gravy becomes thick.
• Serve Hot