Ginger Chicken

It was just another weekend and time to prepare some meat dish. The usual ones are curried for the need of gravy. Settled down with a not so much gravy ginger chicken….

Ginger chicken is sometimes fried in batter and then sautéed in sauce. I prepared a slightly healthier version without the frying part.  Tastewise, it does not taste that gingery but still has a different flavour when compared to a chilly chicken. Can be had with chapatti or fried rice. 

the recipe

chicken – 500 gms

ingredients for the marinade

ginger juice – 2 tbsp

soya sauce – 1 tbsp

salt – ½ tsp

for the tempering

onion – 1 or 2

garlic – 6 cloves

ginger juliennes – 2 tbsp

soya sauce – 2 tbsp

tomato sauce – 1 tbsp

kashmiri chilly powder –  1 ½ - 2 tsp

salt to taste

spring onion – 2 plants ( i used only the green part)

oil – 2 tbsp

sugar – 1 pinch

pepper powder – ½ - ¾ tsp

the method

Marinate the chicken pieces for an hour with the ingredients for the marinade . Heat oil in a pan and sauté the chicken pieces till three fourth done. Drain it from the oil and water mixture. Heat oil in another pan or use the same pan and stir in the garlic and onion. When soft add ginger juliennes. Saute for about a minute and add the soy sauce and a pinch of sugar and salt. Add the sautéed chicken and mix well. Let it cook for about 2 minutes. Stir it and add the tomato sauce.  Check salt. Mix well and sprinkle the pepper powder and spring onion. Cook for a minute and serve hot as mentioned above. or as you please.

Hot 'n' Sweet Chicken

When you talk about curried chicken, the recipes are endless with the option to mix various ingredients that result in completely different tastes. This is a tomato puree base curry inspired by the butter chicken recipe.  Since it was just a normal day, the extra fat content that can come with the use of butter and the sautéing of chicken in oil was a no-no. Yet, the craving for some gravy and a different taste ended up in a mix & match of ingredients with some herbs,..........and the outcome was a hot & sweet taste. 

the recipe

Chicken, cleaned & cut – 1200 gms

Ginger Garlic paste prepared from 12 – 15 cloves garlic and 3 cm piece ginger)

Lime – 1

Garam Masala – ½ + ½ tsp

Chilly powder – 2 ½ - 3 tsp

Pepper powder – ½ + ½ tsp

Turmeric – 3/4 tsp

Onion, chopped and pounded – 2

Tomato puree – from 2 tomatoes

Cream / Coconut Cream – ¼ cup

Mint leaves (optional) -1/4 cup

Coriander leaves – ¼ cup

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2 tbsp

Marinate the chicken pieces with 1/3 of ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper powder, ½ tsp garam masala and the juice from 1 lime for about an hour. Marination gives a soft texture to the meat.

Heat oil, stir in the onion till translucent and add the 2/3 ginger garlic paste. Saute for about 2 minutes and add the turmeric, chilly powder, ½ tsp pepper powder and ½ tsp garam masala. When lightly fried pour the tomato puree and bring it to a boil. Stir in the marinated chicken and mint leaves. Mix well and cook till almost done. Add salt if needed and pour the cream. Stir in the coriander leaves and mix. Serve as preferred.

Chicken Sandwich

Sandwich is one of my favourite breakfast: easy to prepare and it is filling. A quick recipe for chicken sandwich is jotted down;

the ingredients

Boiled & shredded chicken - 1 cup
Finely chopped onion - ½ cup Oil - 1 tbsp
Pepper powder - ¼ tsp
White sauce - 1 cup
Salt - ¼ tsp
White Sauce Butter - 4 tbsp
Milk - 1 cup
Flour - 2 tbsp

Preparation

Melt butter in a saucepan in low flame. Add flour to the melting butter. Take care the butter is not over heated to avoid flour from lumping. Combine the flour thoroughly with butter. Whisk / stir the milk into the butter and continue whisking until a creamy white sauce is formed. In a pan add 1 tbsp oil and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the shredded chicken. Add salt and stir until the chicken is lightly fried. Pour the white sauce and add pepper. Cut the sides of 8 bread slices. Spread the chicken mixture on 4 slices and close it with the remaining 4. Cut it diagonally as shown in the picture and serve it luke warm. Makes a great breakfast for a lazy holiday morning!!