BBQ Tandoori chicken legs

Who can resist the aroma and spicy taste of a well done tandoori chicken ? It not only provides 

protein but also makes for a good starter.

Initially famous from the Northern regions of India but soon a favorite of many.

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken leg quarters  

1/4 cup hung plain curd

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

4 to 5 green thai chillies chopped finely

Salt to taste

2 tsp red chilli powder

2 tbs Shaan tandoori powder can get (online or in Indian grocery)

1 freshly squeezed lemon juice 

1/4 tsp tandoori edible color 

2 to 3 tsp mustard oil

1 tsp gram flour / besan 

1 tsp garam masala (store bought)

                                                               

For Marinate:

Heat approximately 3 tbsp of mustard oil, for about 3 to 4 minutes. As it heats up close burner. Add in 2 tsp red chilli powder. Keep aside.

Marinate:

In a medium bowl, add washed and cleaned chicken legs, Make slits on the chicken with a knife.

Add ginger garlic paste, green chillies, and salt.

Add the mustard oil, and hung curd ( plain curd is hung in a cheese cloth to remove extra water)

next, add in lemon juice, tandoori color and garam masala and Shaan tandoori powder and besan

gram flour.

Mix well, cover and leave overnight or at least for 6 to 7 hours.

Brush little oil on the chicken  before placing them on the hot grill. 

Grill on low to medium and then on high heat once the chicken seems cooked from inside.

Serve hot with thinly sliced onions and lemon.

 

Low fat and high protein

 Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast 

1 medium sized onion diced

4 to 5 cloves of garlic peeled

1 inch fresh ginger chopped

2 jalapeño's diced

1 can pinto beans or low fat black beans 

1 can white or yellow corn

1 can Fire roasted tomatoes 

2 chipotle peppers (they come in a can)

500 ml chicken broth low sodium

1/4 th cup chopped cilantro

2 to 3 tortilla to prepare tortilla strips

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp oregano 

Salt to taste

1 tsp black pepper 

 

                                                               

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Method;

1. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a Dutch oven or I like to use instapot. Initially

put the setting to saute for 10 minutes. Add diced onions, black peppercorns,

fresh ginger, garlic.

2. Once onions are translucent add in can of fire roasted tomatoes, chipotle

peppers, and oregano.

3. Add in cumin, cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Stir in pinto beans

or black beans. Add white corn from a tin or fresh corn.

4. Add low fat chicken broth and chicken breast and allow to boil.

5. As the chicken breast cooks, ( turns white and is cooked) take it out and

using a kitchen board and fork, shred the chicken and put it back into the

prepared soup, and continue to let it cook for another 10 to 15 minutes.

6. Check for salt and other seasonings as per your taste.

7. To prepare tortilla strips, simply cut them into long strips and spray with

little olive oil spray. Place them onto a baking sheet at 350 Ffor 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool.

8. Serve warm soup with tortilla strips and or rice crackers.

Paneer tikka BBQ skewers and refreshing lemonade

Homemade Lemonade and BBQ Paneer tikka skewers

Our garden has a lemon tree that has the best lemons and nothing is more refreshing than a homemade

lemonade on a hot afternoon.

Ingredients for Lemonade

3 to 4 medium size yellow lemons 

1 cup plain granulated organic sugar

1 cup water for preparing the syrup

4 cups water

Ice cubes 

Method:

1. Take a medium size sauce pan, add 1 cup water. Next, stir in 1 cup sugar.

Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves.

2. Allow the syrup to cool for few minutes.

3. Squeeze the 3 to 4 lemons and add the lemon juice to the cooled sugar syrup.

4. Add remaining 4 cups of water and stir, add ice and serve cool.

Paneer skewers 

This dish goes well as a starter and perfect for a bbq party where some guests 

may prefer vegetarian food. It is also a party food that works like an ice breaker to start chats 

with friends and good for a crowd of friends and family. In this dish, the marination is important

where spices uphold the flavor. Colorful vegetables also enhance the look of this dish.

Skewers are versatile, you can make vegetarian, non vegetarian.

Paneer is a milk based cheese that is soft like cottage cheese. the marinade is made up of yogurt, spices, lemon juice and tandoor tikka powder ( available online or in Indian grocery stores)

Ingredients 

500 gm Paneer cubed ( cut it into 1 inch cubes )

1/2 cup plain yogurt

Marination items

2 tsp Shaan or Everest tandoori tikka powder (store brought)

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tsp fresh ginger garlic paste

2 to 3 finely chopped thai chilies

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp besan powder (gram flour)

1 tsp chaat powder (available online)

1 tsp  vegetable cooking oil

Salt to taste

2 tsp kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves) available online

Metal or wooden skewers: If you are using wooden skewers, do soak them for an hour in water before using them or else they can burn.

Method for marinade

1. In a medium size bowl, add yogurt and all remaining  marinate ingredients. Add some edible tandoori red color and a tablespoon vegetable oil. Mix well.

2. Cut an onion into small 1 inch pieces and similarly cut colored bell peppers into same size pieces. 

 Add in cubed paneer and onions and bell peppers and allow it to marinate for approximately an hour.

3. Using skewers add the paneer cubes, alternating them with sliced onion and colored bell peppers.

3. Heat the grill to 350 degrees F and place the skewers onto the grill, spray or brush oil onto them and grill both sides for about 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle some chaat powder on to the cooked paneer tikka and serve hot.

4. If you are using an air fryer, preheat to 400 F and place the paneer tikka and onions, capsicum. Allow to cook for 10 to 15 minutes.

5. If you are cooking using an oven, place the marinated paneer skewers onto a baking tray at 350 F  Allow them to cook for 10 to 15 minutes and be careful they do not burn. As they start to brown or sizzle take them out and serve hot.

 

Paneer Tikka

Lemonade drink

Heating water and sugar to prepare sugar syrup

Diwali sweets Balushahi

 

Balushahi is a North Indian dessert. It can resemble doughnuts ( western sweet) but the taste, texture is completely different than a regular doughnut.

Recipe for Balushahi 

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour (Maida)

4 tsp chilled plain yogurt

1/4 cup cold ghee

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder and baking soda

1/4 cup sliced pistachios for garnish 

Method:

1. Sieve flour in a medium bowl. Add salt. baking soda, baking powder, ghee (clarified butter) and using the chilled yogurt bind to a dough. Cover with a cloth and keep aside for approximately 15 to 20 mins.

To prepare sugar syrup

Take 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup plain water. Add 5 to 6 cardamom seeds and 4 to 5 saffron strands. Cook in a pan on medium heat for about 5 to 10 minutes and sugar syrup appears medium consistency. Close burner.

To prepare Balusahi

1. Divide the dough into small tennis ball sized portions. Flatten each ball sized portion and make an indent before you start frying, on medium heat.

2. Heat vegetable or sunflower oil  for frying. Cook each balushahi on medium heat, on each side and remove as they get light brown in color.

3. Dip each balushahi into sugar syrup. Remove after 10 to 15 minutes. Add edible rose petals and garnish with thinly sliced pistachios.

Phirni delights

Phirni is a creamy rice pudding that is prepared using milk, sugar and rice, that is soaked and then made into a paste. Milk is cooked with this rice paste to give it a creamy texture and then garnished with cardamom and nuts. It is sweetened with sugar and served cold.

It is a popular dessert from northern part of India.

Ingredients

400 ml 1% or 2% or whole milk ( your choice)

1/2 cup uncooked basmati rice washed and dried 

1 cup plain sugar

2 tsp powdered cardamom

1/4 cup sliced almonds 

1/4 cup pistachios

1/4 cup golden raisins

1 tsp saffron strands soaked in 2 tsp milk

Method

1. Heat milk, over low to medium heat. Add cardamon powder, sugar and saffron milk. Continue

cooking and stirring to avoid the milk from burning. Add sugar.

2. In a grinder, grind the basmati rice to a coarse paste, no too thin, medium texture.

3. Add this  rice paste to the boiling milk and continue cooking for another 20 to 25 minutes, till 

it appears thickened and rice appears cooked. Cool and pour prepared phirni into an earthern cup or dessert cup and refrigerate. 

4. Garnish each phirni cup with sliced almonds and raisins. 

5. Serve cold dessert and enjoy with family and friends.

                                                                           

Yummy Phirni