Chicken Ghee Roast

Ghee Roast is fairly a new addition in my list of authentic drool-worthy chicken recipes. Ghee (clarified butter)  Roast is a very popular Mangalorean Chicken recipe whose origins go back to a small town, Kundapur, close to Mangalore. Chicken Ghee Roast has a fiery red, tangy and spicy flavors as it is cooked in the (asli desi) ghee with freshly roasted spices and NO COCONUT :) Ya people, a fantastic coastal dish with no coconut :) This I can say is one ass kicking dish without blinking my eyes :) It actually reminds me of Ethiopian dish Doro Wat that is served with Injera, cause this is cooked in clarified butter too :)

My generation uses oil very wisely meaning sparingly :) My mom wouldn't blink to add dollops of ghee/butter/oil while cooking :) Her nose always wrinkles up when she sees me cooking :) [she actually goes into a mocking mode] I always keep complaining to her saying 'why my mutton curry doesn't turn out like yours?' or even as simple as Poha she makes for breakfast doesn't turn out as yummy when I make...:) She flat out tells me 'You know why' :):) -- sighhh [But I am glad we have chosen a healthy lifestyle using less of everything :)] My folks are learning and trying their best too :)

I never cook anything in ghee (solely) except for gulab jamuns, that too, like once in a while. This dish calls for cooking your chicken with spices in GHEE ...YASSS! So I treat it like a VIP dish that gets cooked in my kitchen on a special occasion or whenever I need to get into an ass kicking mode hehe kidding! It's RICH, it's FLAVORFUL, it's TANGY and not to mention it's FIERY!

There are various recipes out there for ghee roast. You cannot substitute ghee with oil for this preparation, else you will have to rename the dish as just roast chicken :):) You can play around with the spices if you like but a big NO when it comes to clarified butter, just stick to the recipe here ppl :)

Look no further, let's live a little by diving into all the fatness/goodness of meat, spices and ghee.
Same recipe can be used for shrimp too.

Here is the Chicken Ghee Roast Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken or 6-7 chicken drumsticks or 3 breast cut in cubes. ( I prefer bone in chicken)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1-2 tsp jaggery or 2 tsp sugar
• 3/4th cup yogurt
• 1 1/2 inch ginger piece
• 3 cloves garlic (big)
• 1 tsp kashmiri chili pwd
• marble size tamarind piece
• salt to taste
• 1/2 cup Ghee
• 1 small onion chopped finely
• 1 sprig of curry leaves

To Roast:

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp peppercorn
• pinch fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 10-12 dry red chili (byadgi/kumta chilies)

Preparation:

• Clean the chicken, cut it into big bite size pieces. If using drumsticks, just roughly run the knife through it to make cuts, so that marination is done evenly.
• In a pan roast the ingredients under 'to roast' for 2-3 minutes till you smell all the aroma of the spices. Transfer it to a blender. Grind along with ginger, garlic and tamarind. Add little water or yogurt.
• Now marinate the chicken with this ground paste, yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, salt and kashmiri chili pwd. Keep it marinated for at least an hour. Remember, more you marinate the meat better the curry will taste!
• In a kadai, heat ghee (clarified butter), add chopped onions, sprinkle little salt and saute till translucent. Add marinated chicken and don't leave out any extra paste from the bowl. Mix everything nicely and add jaggery(or sugar) to balance out the spiciness. 
• Cook the chicken till done around 15-20 minutes on med heat. Keep stirring in between. Adjust the spices if need be (some like more tangy or more spicy etc).
• Garnish it with cilantro, and curry leaves. Serve hot with Roti, Dosa, Neer Dosa, Rice etc.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

You may also like

Kori Rotti
Chicken Curry
Chicken Molagu

Health Benefits: Chicken is a very good source of protein. It helps one build muscles, keeps your bones healthy, relieves stress, boosts immunity and promotes heart health. Always buy organic or a good quality chicken and try to include it in your diet regularly.

Kala Chana Usali (dry sabji- festival dish)

Black Chickpeas are one of the staple legumes available in the pantry of any Indian kitchen. Loaded with proteins they taste delicious once it is cooked. It has inbuilt creamy texture and soft taste to it. It is a filling legume and hence there a few dishes that are made during religious fasting days. Usually, when a dish is made on a fasting day, people avoid adding harsh spices like ginger, garlic, onion etc and try to keep it simple. Here is one such dish which is made every now and then with minimum spices and yet it tastes great! Less is more is apt for this particular recipe.

One can substitute it with regular chickpeas too. These days you can get cooked chickpeas in cans and don't have to go through the process of soaking it for 8 hours and then pressure cooking it. I prefer doing it that way but if your schedule doesn't allow you with reminders and elaborate preps, go ahead and buy a tin of chickpeas. Remember to drain out the liquid (high content of sodium) and rinse it nicely a couple of times before using it in any dish.

During the 9 days of Navaratri people from all over the sub-continent of India do fasting. This dish is very popular during those days and is prepared using kala chana. It is a dry sabji and goes well with poori, roti etc. It is also made as an offering to the God (prasad) during many other auspicious festivals.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup kala chana (black chickpeas)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 string curry leaves
• 2 red dry chilies
• pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4th tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1 tsp garam masala (optional, I like it)
• 1 green chili (optional)
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1-2 tbsp grated coconut as garnish
• 1 tbsp cilantro chopped

Preparation:

• Soak kala chana in 3 cups of water overnight or for about 6-8 hours. It will double in size and you will get around 2 cups of chana. Pressure cook for 8 whistles or if you have a cooker without the whistle, follow those instructions accordingly. It must be cooked nice and soft.
• In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, once it starts to crackle add curry leaves, dry red chili, asafoetida, quickly saute and add chili pwd, haldi, stir quickly. Work on the med flame. Do not let it burn. Immediately add the kala chana and mix everything nicely. 
• Add a little water from the cooked chana itself along with the salt. Add grated coconut and mix. Cook for another 5 minutes on med flame. Turn off the gas. Sprinkle cilantro on top! Serve hot with pooris.

You may also enjoy tomato poori, lachcha paratha, ragi poori, Kala Chana Sabji(gravy)

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Health Benefit:
Channa is loaded with proteins. The fact that chickpeas have low glycemic index (GI) makes this legume good for diabetics. It causes a slow and steady release of glucose into the bloodstream and thus, maintains your blood sugar levels. Chickpeas also help in relieving mood changes during menstruation and post-menopausal symptoms in women. The high fibre content in chickpeas helps in promoting a healthy digestive system and intestine by lowering the risk of digestive disorders.

Jhatpat Cauliflower Sabji

A very very very (yes I cannot stress more :)) easy and jhatpat (quick) gobi ki sabji recipe is about to be revealed here :) Thank me later :) :) Who doesn't like Gobi? A universal flowerhead loved by almost everyone and is used in making so many unique dishes.

A simple trick that I will mention here will make a difference in the making of this sabji. I say that because cauliflower that we get here in Northern America are huge in size, and has a lot of water content than what we get in India. This used to be one of my favorite vegetables back in India. After moving here, my sabji never turned out like my mom :( that crispy-ish-ness was nowhere in the vicinity!  I was devasted first and then irritated. Later, slowly I realized that the water content in the cauliflower was the issue.

So I started to microwave the florets for 2-3 minutes before I added it in my sabji, that was it, the trick worked! I did not end up with a soggy curry anymore. No onions, no ginger... almost like a stir fry but a very tasty dish! A perfect side dish during a busy day!


Let us take a look at the recipe;

Ingredients:

• 3-4 cups cauliflower florets (med size, don't cut into big florets)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
• 1/4th tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 5 crushed pods of garlic ( or finely chopped)
• 1 stick of curry leaves
• pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 3/4th tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2-1 tsp goda masala (or garam masala)
• 1 small tomato chopped ( or 7-8 cherry tomatoes halved)
• salt for taste
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro 
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Preparation:

• Cut cauliflower into florets, wash and rinse. In a microwave safe bowl, add florets, sprinkle a tad of water and cook for 3 minutes. Add florets in a colander and keep it for 5 minutes till all the water drains away.
• In the meantime, heat a pan, add oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, as it splutters add hing, garlic, curry leaves and saute on med flame. 
• Add turmeric, saute quickly and dump the florets into the pan, Mix with a light hand. Now add tomatoes, chili powder, goda masala (or garam masala), salt and mix again everything. 
• Close the lid and cook on a low flame for 10 minutes. Stir in between. Do not add water. It gets cooked in its own steam. If you see that it is very dry, add drops of water. 
• Switch off the gas once you see it is cooked. Keep an eye and do not overcook the cauliflower, let it be little crispy in texture. Now garnish it with cilantro and lemon juice. 
• Serve it with hot roti, Khoba roti, Lachcha paratha, Ragi Poori, Rice etc.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Health Benefits: It is rich in vitamins and minerals. It's also a good source of vitamin K, vitamin C, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, and manganese. Cauliflower is a good source of choline, a B vitamin known for its role in brain development. It contains antioxidants that support in detoxification of your body. Cauliflower contains sulforaphane, a sulfur compound that has also been shown to kill cancer stem cells, thereby slowing tumor growth. Some researchers believe eliminating cancer stem cells may be key to controlling cancer. It is known to be a heart booster!
So hell yes, this is one delicious and healthy flower in our food chain :)

Mataki chi Usal (Sprouted Moth Beans Dry Curry)

There are days that calls for simple soul food and today definitely is one of those days:)  After devouring delicious authentic dishes over the weekend(long) on account of a festival, I am craving for some plain simple food! Happens after every grand festival celebration, right?? 😀
I had soaked a couple of legume variety and left it to sprout. One of the many joys of summer days, I don't have to sweat to get sprouts! Keep the legumes outside and see it getting sprouted naturally and beautifully!

So ultimately matki(moth beans) won my vote and I ended up making, our all time favorite matki usal 😀  This is a very simple and basic preparation from the state of Maharashtra adopted by many other regions. It is packed with proteins and nutrients giving a satisfying feel to our palate. It is a dry vegetable preparation, one can have a gravy for a side dish along with matki usal to go with rotis or rice.

Let us take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3/4th cup matki (moth beans)
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 3/4 tsp chilli powder
• 3/4 tsp goda masala ( or garam masala)
• 1 tsp jaggery
• pinch of asafoetida
• 10 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/4th cup peanuts
• 2-3 petals of kokum 
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1-2 tbsp grated coconut
• salt to taste

Preparation:

• Soak matki(moth beans) in water overnight or for 7-8 hours. Drain the water by adding the matki in a colander and leave it there for few minutes till all the water is drained out.
• Take a muslin cloth or any clean cotton cloth and place matki in the center. Gather all the edges and tie tightly. Put this pouch in a warm place for atleast 10 hours. You may require more time depending on the climate. That's why I am always thrilled to get sprouts in summer season without sweating :) I just keep the legumes on a plate overnight and see the sprouts in the morning.
• Now 3/4th cup of matki basically doubles in volume after soaking, so add it in a vessel, pour about 3 cups of water and cook on a med flame for about 20 minutes or till its cooked (don't cook till it is mushy). Drain the water and keep aside to use in other preparation like chapati dough etc.
• In the meantime, heat oil in a pan/kadai, add mustard seeds, once mustard seeds start spluttering add peanuts and quickly saute for few seconds, then add curry leaves and hing saute, then add turmeric powder, chili powder. Add boiled matki and saute for few minutes. Add some salt. 
• Cover the pan and cook for few minutes. Sprinkle some water if needed. Remember it is a dry sabji.
• After about 5 minutes, add kokum leaves and goda masala(or garam masala). When matki is almost done, sprinkle jaggery.  Stir everything together, garnish with cilantro and grated coconut.
• Serve hot with chapati, roti, rice, dal.

 You may also like missal pav, methichi bhaji, potato talasani.

Health Benefits:

moth beans (matki)

sprouted moth beans(matki)

Moth Beans (Matki) is known as a drought resistant legume. Matki is a potential reservoir of proteins and other essential minerals and vitamins. Moth bean is one of the major protein food sources. It is rich in protein and calcium, it makes an excellent supplement to cereal diet, especially for people who are unaware of the problems that malnutrition can push them into. It has a high content of magnesium and folate(Vit B9) which helps in muscle and nervous function, bone health,  RBC formation and reproductive health. It gives a filling sense when consumed in a small portion. Sprouted legumes are always healthier.

Plantain Dry Sabji (Raw Banana Curry)

Raw Banana Sabji

Plantains are very nutritious, healthy and the best part is it's available all year around and easily found in supermarkets. I have always enjoyed snacking on plantain chips which are the best chips in the whole wide world :). Plaintains can be used in avial (coconut based curry), sukka (dry sabji), gravy curry, koftas, patties, chips, fritters etc and yes I chose to post a very basic- plantain dry sabji today!

Plantains contain more starch and less sugar than ripe bananas and are therefore usually cooked or processed before being eaten. They are always cooked or fried when eaten green. At this stage, the pulp is hard and the peel often so stiff that usually has to be discarded. Mature plantains can be peeled like typical ripe bananas. They can also be boiled, baked, microwaved or grilled over charcoal, peeled or still in the peel.

Plantain is a tropical fruit and a staple food in most of the households. During my vacation to Carribean, Hawaii- I saw fried plantains just about everywhere along with sweet potatoes, taro root, jackfruits etc. I have very sweet memories of freshly made plantain chips in coconut oil at home and many times plantain chips and jackfruit chips was shipped by my uncle to us from our native place. Ummm that taste still lingers on my taste buds!

Let us check the recipe for Plantain Dry Sabji:

Ingredients:

• 2 big plantain (raw/green) bananas
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 1-2 green chillies slit
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• pinch fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
• 1 tsp turmeric (haldi)
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder (dhania)
• 1/2 tsp amchur (mango powder)
• salt as per taste
• chopped cilantro for garnish
• 2-3 tsp oil

Preparation: 

• Peel the skin off of plantain and chop into cubes. In a pan add water and cubed plantains along with 1/2 tsp turmeric and cook it till done for around 10-15 minutes on the stove. (You can pressure cook it for 2 whistles too) Keep an eye on it, don't overcook else it will get soggy. Keep aside (you can drain the water if too much is left after cooking plantains)
• In a pan add oil, add cumin seeds, methi seeds as it splutters add curry leaves, green chillies, ginger and saute for 30 secs, lower the flame to sim.
• Now add the powders turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and saute quickly, dump your cooked turmeric plantains and mix everything with a light hand. 
• Add salt, cilantro and cook on simmer for 5 minutes. You can add water if it looks too dry. Lastly, add amchur and mix it one last time.
• Serve hot with Chapati, Roti or Rice.

njoY!! happY cookinG!

Health Benefits:

An average plantain has about 220 calories and is a good source of potassium and dietary fiber. It is a good source of starch and energy. Plantains also contain folates, niacin, riboflavin and thiamin. Folates (folic acid) are essential for healthy pregnancy. Plantains are famed to be diuretic and can help prevent kidney and bladder problems. Plantains also provide adequate levels of minerals such as iron, magnesium, and phosphorous. Magnesium is essential for bone strengthening and has a cardiac-protective role as well. It contains less sugar than ripe bananas and hence is good for diabetic patients.

Chicken Molagu

Chicken Molagu is a quick dry chicken preparation and I have fallen in love with it from the word go. Very delicious and a finger licking good dish, guaranteed !! It's a south Indian style of preparation and thanks to a fellow foodie Reshma Chander who introduced me to this dish. If you like it, it can be a regular dish seen on your plates ;) Very flavorful with key ingredients like curry leaves [ yes in a chicken curry ], fennel seeds, and little bit of spices. This is a winner recipe.

Let us take a look at this Chicken Molagu recipe:

CHICKEN MOLAGU

Ingredients:

• Chicken 1.5 lb (750gms) cut into bite size pieces
• Onion 4 med size 
• Tomatoes 4 med size 
• Curry leaves 2-3 sprigs 
• Oil 4 tbsp or as reqd
• Cinnamon 1’’
• Cloves 2 nos
• Cardamom 2 nos
• Saunf(fennel seeds) 1 ½ tsp
• Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp 
• Red chilli pwd 1 tsp
• Kashmiri chilli pwd 1 tsp
• Haldi/Turmeric pwd ½ tsp
• Coriander pwd 2tsp
• Pepper pwd 1 tbsp 
• Coriander leaves handful
• Water ½ cup
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

• In a pan heat 4 tbsp oil, add 1 piece of cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 cardamoms and 1 ½ tsp saunf fry on sim gas till u get a good aroma.
• Add chopped onions and fry it to a light golden color, now add curry leaves and fry for a minute. 
• Take about 2 tbsp of the fried onion, curry leaves and keep aside for garnish.
• To the remaining fried onions add 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute. 
• Then add chopped tomatoes and fry for 2 more minutes. 
• Add red chilli pwd, kashmiri chilli pwd, coriander pwd, salt to taste, haldi pwd and fry well till the mixture gets soft and mushy.
• Add the chicken pieces and half a cup of water. Close lid and let it cook till half done.
• At this point add pepper pwd and handful of chopped fresh coriander leaves. Close the lid and cook till done, until water evaporates and masala coats the chicken pieces.
• Transfer to a serving bowl and top it with the fried onions and curry leaves that were kept aside. Chicken Molagu masala dish is ready to be relished.

Health Benefits: Chicken is a very good source of protein. It helps one build muscles, keeps your bones healthy, relieves stress, boosts immunity and promotes heart health. Always buy organic or a good quality chicken and try to include it in your diet regularly.