Arabian Chicken Mandi

A traditional mandi is authentically cooked in an underground oven called Taboon. Coal is used to cook the meat hence the smokey flavor. My version is an easy and a simple way to make at home which is healthy as well as tasty. 

I googled around many recipes of chicken mandi and made this dish which surprisingly turned out the perfect one that we had when we were in India last time. I have marinated the whole chicken for overnight, if you plan well before you can do that or else it can be marinated for 2- 3 hours. I wanted the perfect mandi flavor so I marinated overnight. 

The rice is prepared by adding all the whole spices and the dried lemons which gives a flavor to the rice. Then this rice is transferred into the oven and the whole chicken is placed on top rack so that the water from the chicken directly falls into the rice by this the flavor of the meat lingers on in the rice.

As Kerala has wholeheartedly welcomed yummiest of dishes from across the seas, one such dish is "mandi". In Kerala, which ever restaurant you go this dish is available that too they prepare in the traditional way of digging a hole in the ground and filling it up with coal. 

At first I thought it is a long process of preparation but once i started the step by step everything came of quickly.The perfect combination along with this rice is "dakkous" a mixture of tomatoes, green chilies, onions. 

I will be posting some step by step pictures which I managed to capture while making this dish. Hope you all might really enjoy and try this dish.

Ingredients:

• Whole Chicken- Cleaned and washed

Mandi Spice Mix:

1. Cumin Seeds- 1 tbsp
2. Coriander Seeds- 1 tbsp
3. Cardamom- 3 nos
4. Cloves- 5 
5. Cinnamon Stick- 1"
6. Black Pepper powder- 1 tsp
7. Lemon Juice- 2tbsp
8. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
9. Olive Oil- 1 tbsp

Basmati Rice Mix:

1. Basmati Rice- 3 Cups
2. Water- 5 Cups
3. Dried Lemons- 2
4. Whole Spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, star anise)- 1tbsp
5. Salt- as required

Method:

• Preheat the oven 350 degrees F.

For the spice mix. Heat a pan and roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds. When cooled transfer to a dry grinder along with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper powder and turmeric powder into a fine powder. Rub this mix along with salt, olive oil and lemon juice onto the chicken well and marinate for about 1 hour/ overnight. ( I marinated the chicken overnight as I had some time).

For the rice: Heat a pot, add oil, whole spices, mandi spice mix, dried lemon and add the rice, fry for a minute. Add water and let it boil by putting a lid. Once it starts boiling, switch off the flame and move the pot of rice into the preheated oven.

• Place the rice on the bottom rack and place the marinated chicken on top rack just above the rice so that when it gets baked the water from the chicken falls into the rice. 

• Bake this for 10 minutes and reduce the heat to 200 degrees F and bake for about 1 and half hour. After the time, switch off the oven and open the door for about 5- 10 minutes so that the chicken retains its flavor and juices. Once done, keep the rice outside along with the baked chicken on top of the rice. Enjoy the delicious dish.

Doukkous:

Ingredients:

1. Tomatoes- 2 
2. Onions- 1 
3. Green Chilies- 3 
4. Garlic Cloves- 3
5. Salt- as required
6. Olive oil- 1 tbsp

Method:

• Grind all the ingredients and transfer to a bowl. Enjoy with chicken mandi.

Indian Chicken in Pickling Spices/ Achari Murg

A delicious, spicy, tangy Chicken dish made with pickling spices that preserves the dish for long time. A North Indian delicacy which is made with ingredients that enhances the flavors, increases the taste and is very authentic. This is a dish made in places like Rajasthan from a very long time.

I learned about this dish when I had this for the first time in a restaurant long back. I started making this at home, but couldn't post the recipe as it would be finished in no time and after some time I feel lazy to take pics. Today, here I am with a mouth watering , finger licking delicious dish which will be liked by all and hope you all will try it as the ingredients are easily available in the market.

Achar is an Indian condiment staple. Achar is a pickled food made with different variety’s of vegetables, fruits or meat and fish, which is preserved in brine or vinegar along with various Indian spices. There is no correct way of making pickles, rather every region every household has a preference. Here in this recipe, we use the spices that are used in pickles. Each spice is different from others, some are bitter, some are acidic, some are full of flavor but when everything comes together it's magical!!

Here I started with roasting and powdering the pickling spices and marinated the powder with the chicken, yogurt, which makes the gravy thick and which helps coat the chicken pieces evenly. Sautéed the onion- tomato mixture and then added the marinated chicken which is cooked in a generous amount of red chili powder and ended with a dash of crushed dried fenugreek leaves which will increase the flavors. A tender, juicy chicken in a spicy and tangy gravy is ready within minutes. This is traditionally made using mustard oil but you can use any oil as you like. You can adjust the gravy by adding water or decreasing. Hope you all like it!!

Ingredients:

1. Chicken Pieces- 2 lbs
2. Yogurt- 1 Cup
3. Salt- as required
4. Turmeric Powder- 2 tsp
5. Red Chilli powder- 1 tsp
6. Onions - 2 nos
7. Ginger- Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
8. Tomatoes (crushed)- 2 nos
9. Dried Fenugreek Leaves- 1tbsp
10. Oil- 2 tbsp

Roast and Grind: 
Pickling Spices:

1. Mustard Seeds- 1 tsp
2. Fenugreek Seeds- 1 tsp
3. Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
4. Fennel Seeds- 1 tsp
5. Nigell Seeds- 1 tsp
6. Dried Red Chilies-6 nos

Method:

1. Roast the pickling spices on a low flame and when it cools down grid to a fine powder. Marinate the chicken using this ground powder, turmeric powder, yogurt and salt. Keep this aside for half an hour.
2. Meanwhile heat oil in a pan, grind the onions to a coarse paste and fry till they turn translucent. Add the ginger- garlic paste and stir well.
3. When the raw smell disappears, add the crushed tomatoes and stir till everything gets well blended. When the water evaporates, add the red chili powder. Mix well.
4. In this add the marinated chicken, mix well and cook it covered for about 20- 25 minutes on a low flame.
5. When it gets cooked, add dried fenugreek leaves, stir and switch off the flame. Enjoy with roti, naan, bread or pulav.

Simple and Easy South Indian Fish Curry/ Meen Kulamb

I first tasted this fish curry, when my dear friend made it for a potluck and instantly we all liked it. From then on,  I started making this fish curry by asking her for the recipe. When I made the first time, I forgot to note down, so the next time again I asked her for the recipe and this time I noted it and here I am sharing the recipe in my blog. I never made a fish curry other than the Kerala style. My daughter likes this fish curry a lot, as this is not at all spicy. A perfect kid- friendly dish. Of course in any dish we can adjust the spices accordingly.

This is a delicately flavored, finger- licking, delicious dish in a bowl which can be served in a party along with appam/ idiayppam. I am sure that this will be an instant hit. This is a simple and an easy dish with a combination of freshly roasted and ground spices and tangy gravy in which the cleaned fish pieces gets cooked till done. Here in my house, fish curry is everyone's favorite and this is a perfect one, which we all like to have anytime. Please try this recipe and let me know how it turned out.

Ingredients:

1. Fish Slices - 15- 20 nos
2. Oil- 2 tbsp
3. Onions(roughly chopped)- 2 nos
4. Tomatoes (chopped)- 1 no
5. Garlic Cloves- 6-7 pieces
6. Coriander Seeds- 1 tbsp
7. Pepper Corns- 1/2 tbsp
8. Cumin Seeds- 2 tsp
9. Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
10. Red Chili Powder- 1 tbsp
11. Mustard Seeds- 1/2 tbsp
12. Fenugreek Seeds- 1 tsp
13. Asafoetida Powder- 1/2 tsp
14. Tamarind Extract- 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, pepper corns along with roughly chopped onions. Stir in between till it becomes translucent.
2. Add the tomatoes and garlic. Stir till they get well blended with each other. After for about 5- 10 minutes, switch off the flame and let it cool.
3. After the mixture cools down, grind to a paste. Meanwhile heat the remaining oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaf and asafoetida.
4. Add the ground paste, salt, red chili powder and turmeric powder. Mix well. When the raw smell disappears add little amount of water, stir and allow the gravy to boil. Add the cleaned and washed fish pieces and cook on a low flame till done. Turn off heat and serve along with steaming hot rice.

Simple and Easy Chicken Tacos

The Ramadan fasting is going to end, but the list of snacks which I want to try is never going to end. One among them are Tacos. This is a very simple chicken taco recipe which is perfect for a get together, or on a game night. This is very filling and a delicious meal, which will be enjoyed by all.

I am really amazed and surprised that I made the chicken tacos at home, which I never thought I would do. These chicken tacos are so easy to make and are so simple that it would take less than 30 minutes. I bought the ready made tacos but we can also make them from scratch, that I will try some other time. The chicken filling and the salsa in the tacos will be an ultimate combination. We can top it with different variety of sauces, we can also top it with guacamole and load it with chopped lettuce, sour cream and cheese. We can customize the tacos according to our taste and desire.

Traditional street tacos are served on corn tortillas, topped with onions, tomatoes, cilantro and a squeeze of lemon. Now there are many different fillings and toppings, which will keep you coming back for more. Last but not the least, enjoy your tacos with a squeeze of lime. Hope you all will like this and try this out. Please let me know how this turned.

Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Tacos- 10 nos

Chicken Filling:

1. Minced Chicken- 1 Cup
2. Capsicum (chopped)- 1 no
3. Onions(chopped)- 1 no
4. Cumin Powder- 1 tsp
5. Chili Powder- 1 tsp
6. Pepper Powder- 1 tsp
7. Salt- as required
8. Oil- 1 tbsp

Salsa  Filling:

1. Tomatoes(chopped)- 1 no
2. Onion(chopped)- 1 no
3. Green Chilies(chopped)- 2 nos
4. Salt-- as required
5. Lemon Juice- 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add the chopped onions, capsicum. Saute well by adding little salt.
2. Add the minced chicken and mix well till everything gets combined well. Add the spice powders and adjust salt accordingly. 
3. Once the chicken gets cooked and all the water evaporates, switch off the flame and keep this aside.
4. In a bowl, add all the chopped tomatoes, onions, salt and lemon juice, mix and keep this aside.
5. Assembling:
6. Take a taco, fill with the chicken filling and top it with the salsa. Repeat with the remaining tacos and the filling and serve it.

Boiled Egg Chaat

Boiled Egg Chaat is an appetizer which I learned during the Ramadhan fasting time. Before that, I never knew that we can make a Chaat using boiled eggs. This is super delicious, tasty and a very easy dish to make during a get together that will be liked by all. One day for Iftar, I made this and instantly everyone in my house liked this simple dish.

Sliced eggs after shallow frying

Eggs are a great comfort food and easy to cook too.This simple dish is a great source of protein as well as makes a great snack as well. This dish doesn't require any preparation, if you have unexpected guests, this is a perfect appetizer to serve.

I was going through instagram and accidentally saw this egg chaat in Jinoos Kitchen, which looked amazing and a delicious dish to try out. In this dish, the boiled eggs are sliced and shallow fried along with spices, in a tbsp of oil. The shallow fried eggs are arranged in a plate and topped with onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, chaat masala, chili powder, amchur powder, a dash of salt and ending it with a sprinkle of lemon juice. Within minutes a lip-smacking snack will be ready to be served and enjoyed.

Ingredients:

1. Boiled Eggs- 3 nos
2. Oil- 1 Tsp
3. Chili Powder- 1 Tsp
4. Turmeric Powder- 1 Tsp
5. Salt- a pinch

To assemble:

1. Onions (chopped) - 1/2 no
2. Tomatoes (chopped) - 1 no
3. Coriander Leaves (chopped) - 2 tbsp
4. Chaat powder- 1 Tsp
5. Aamchur powder- 1 tsp (optional)
6. Chili and Turmeric Powder- a pinch
7. Lemon juice- 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Slice the boiled eggs and place them evenly on an oiled pan. Let this shallow fry on a low flame, add the chili powder, turmeric powder and sprinkle some salt on top and flip on both the sides.
2. Once it is lightly fried, arrange them on a plate to be served.
3. Spread the chopped onions evenly on top of the fried egg slices. Add a layer of chopped tomatoes.
4. Sprinkle the chili powder, turmeric powder, Chaat powder, amchur powder, a dash of salt and end with chopped coriander leaves. Sprinkle on top with lemon juice and enjoy a delicious egg chaat.

Dal Gosht/ Goat in Lentils Gravy

Dal gosht is a popular Indian dish which is a medley of mutton, spices, and lentils cooked till perfection. Dal gosht is a recipe I am sure that will be liked by all. This is so delicious and flavorful that it goes well with anything like rice/ rotis/ flavored rice/ naans. Even you can eat this along with brown bread (I like it that way). In this recipe, the lentils play an important role. This recipe can be prepared using any variety of lentils. Some use split Bengal gram, some use split pigeon peas. It all depends upon your taste and choice.

As a kid, I used to eat this dal gosht, when we were living in Andhra. Our neighbors often made this and whenever they make, they would share with us. Like all the other Hyderabadi dishes, I loved it at first bite. But as we moved out of Andhra, I completely forgot about this dish. Recently when I ate this at my friends' place, all the memories associated with this dish came through and my liking for this dish once again started.

Before I forget about this recipe, I thought of making it and posting it in my blog, so that it will be always there as a reference for me whenever needed.  In this dish, the mutton pieces are simmered along with the flavorful combination of spices and mixed with lentils to a perfectly thickened gravy. This will be a finger-licking delicious dish, which will be an instant hit among the guests and family members.
What are you waiting for????? Without wasting a single minute, let's get started with this recipe and let me know how this turned out.

Ingredients:

1. Tur Dal/ Split Pigeon Peas- 1/2 Cup
2. Split Red Lentils- 1/2 Cup
3. Goat Meat- 2 lbs (washed and drained)
4. Onions (sliced)- 2 nos
5. Green Chilies (slit)- 3-4 nos
6. Tomatoes (chopped)- 2 nos
7. Ginger n garlic Paste- 1 tbsp
8. Red Chilli Powder- 1 tbsp
9. Coriander Powder- 2 tbsp
10. Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tbsp
11. Garam Masala Powder- 2 Tsp
12. Lemon juice- 2 tbsp
13. Oil- 2 tbsp
14. Water- as needed
15. Salt- as required

Method:

1. Wash the lentils and pressure cook them till cooked and mushy. Keep this aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add the sliced onions and fry till translucent. Add a little salt to get the onions to cook fast.
3. Add the green chilis along with ginger and garlic paste. Stir well. When the raw smell disappears add all the spice powders. Mix well.
4. In the above add the drained meat along with the required amount of salt, mix well till everything gets well incorporated.
5. Close with a lid and let the meat cook till tender. Once when the meat gets cooked well add the cooked lentils, mix, drizzle the lemon juice, adjust salt accordingly and enjoy along with steaming hot rice, rotis or naan.