CHICKEN JAL FREZI,CHICKEN BIRYANI, CHICKEN KORMA, NUTTY CHICKEN AND SHAHI CHICKEN RECIPES

TRY OUR TASTY CHICKEN RECIPES

Chicken Jal Frezi
Ingredients

½ kilo boneless chicken breasts
4 onions, sliced
4 tomatoes, peeled and diced
10 green chillies, finely chopped
1 inch ginger root finely chopped and crushed to a paste
6 cloves garlic, well chopped
1 handful of both mint and coriander leaves, fresh
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup cooking oil
6 eggs
1 tbsp garam masala (see recipe)
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 curry leaf
1 tbsp thyme
1 tsp turmeric
salt and pepper to taste.

Method
Put chicken breasts into a pan with 1and a half cups of water and boil them until only half a cup of water is left. Remove chicken from the water and allow to cool. Then shred the meat.
Cut the mint and coriander leaves into small pieces and mix half with the eggs and a pinch of salt. Reserve the rest until later.
Put half the sliced onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, spices, tomatoes and chillies along with salt and pepper into the remaining water and cook them over a medium heat, stirring until all the water has evaporated. Now add the oil to the pot and stir it into the mixture. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and the remaining onions and cook on a low heat for 5 mins. Now put the egg mixture into the pot with the other ingredients and cook for 5-7 mins.
Remove from the heat and mix in the mint, coriander and lemon juice, cover it and leave to stand for 5mins.
Now it’s ready to serve. Try it with pitta, chapattis, naan or other breads.


Chicken Biryani
Ingredients
½ kilo chicken
½ kilo basmati rice
1 large onion, sliced
1 tomato, diced
4 green chillies, chopped
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 inch piece ginger root, chopped
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 curry leaf
1 tbsp thyme
1 handful of mint leaves
1 handful coriander leaves
1 cup cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Clean the rice and wash in water. Put oil in a pan and fry onion until brown. Add ginger, garlic and curry leaf and cook for 1 min. Then add chicken, tomatoes, spices, salt, pepper and cook for 5 mins on a low heat. Add 3 large glasses of water and when it begins to boil, pour in the rice, mint and coriander, and stir slowly. Cook until the water is at the same level as the rice. Turn the heat down to its lowest setting, cover with a tight-fitting lid and leave it to cook for 10 mins.
Remove from the heat and allow the dish to stand for 5 mins. Now it is ready to serve.
You can serve it with natural yoghurt or Tzatziki (see recipe).


My Special Chicken
Ingredients
½ kilo chicken
2 onion, sliced
3 tomatoes, diced
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 inch piece ginger root finely chopped
4 green chillies, finely chopped
4 tbsps fresh lemon juice
½ handful of both mint and coriander leaves
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp turmeric
1 curry leaf
½ cup cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste


Method
Fry onions, garlic, ginger and the curry leaf in oil for 5 mins on a very low heat. Add chicken, tomatoes, green chillies, spices and salt and pepper. Cook for 30 mins. Add mint, coriander and lemon juice and cook for 2 mins. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for 5 mins.
Now it’s ready to serve with boiled rice, or breads of your choice and salad.


Chicken Korma
Ingredients
½ kilo boneless chicken, cut into pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 tomato, diced
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 inch ginger root finely chopped
4 green chillies, finely chopped
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp dried oregano
1tsp turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup of cooking oil
1 cup coconut milk


Method
Mix all the spices together and cover the chicken pieces on all sides. Fry these in oil for 4-5 mins. Remove the chicken from the pan and put in the onion, ginger, garlic and curry leaf and fry for 3 mins. Add tomato, chillies, spices and seasoning, and cook for 3 mins. Add chicken and coconut milk and cook on a low heat for 20 mins.
Remove from the heat and add the herbs, stirring them into the dish, allow to stand for 5 mins, and it’s ready to serve.
Serve with boiled rice or your choice of breads, pitta, naan, chapattis etc.


Nutty Chicken
Ingredients
1 kilo boneless chicken pieces
2 onions, sliced
2 inch piece of ginger root, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 green chillies, chopped
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp black pepper
salt to taste
20 gr. pistachio nuts,
20 gr. almonds
20 gr. walnuts
1 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 cup cooking oil
1 handful chopped coriander leaves


Method
Fry the onion until it’s brown, add ginger and garlic and cook for 2 mins. Then add chicken, tomato, spices and seasoning, and cook on a low heat for 15 mins in its own juices.
Crush the nuts together and add them to the pan with ½ cup of water and cook for a further 5-7 mins. Add fresh coriander and chillies, stir into the dish, then remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand for 5 mins.
Serve with boiled rice.


Shahi Chicken
Ingredients
1 and a half kilos fresh chicken cut into quarters
2 inch piece of ginger root, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 green chillies, very finely chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled and diced
½ handful mint leaves finely chopped
½ handful coriander leaves finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
50 gr grated cheese
2 eggs
2 tbsp cooking oil
salt to taste


Method
Score the chicken. Mix all ingredients, apart from eggs and cheese together and cover the chicken with the mixture, making sure to rub it well into the cuts you have made. Cover this and put in the fridge for 2 hours.
Mix the cheese and eggs together and after 2 hours remove the chicken and sprinkle the egg and cheese mixture over the top. Cover it and put on a very low heat and cook for 1 to 1 and a half hours.
You could cook it in the oven too if you put the chicken on a baking tray and sprinkle the egg and cheese mixture over it, and you could put some slices of tomato on top, then cook in a low oven for 1 to 1 and a half hours.
Serve with salad and your choice of bread


Honey and Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
1 chicken (about1½ kilos) with skin removed
½ cup honey
½ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup cooking oil
1 inch ginger root, pounded to a paste
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
1 tsp black pepper
salt to taste

Method
Score the chicken, making fairly deep cuts, although not going down to the bones.
Mix all other ingredients together and cover the chicken with this paste.
Put in the fridge for 2 hours.
Put in the oven at a low temperature and cook for 1½ - 2 hours.
Serve with French fries and salad.


Chicken in Tamarind and Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
½ kg boneless chicken cut into pieces
½ kg peeled, diced tomatoes
1 onion chopped
2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
2 tbsps sugar
20 gr. tamarind (dried and stoned)
4 green chillies, finely chopped
1 handful mint leaves
½ handful coriander leaves
1 tbsp garam masala
1 curry leaf
1 tsp turmeric
salt and black pepper to taste
½ cup cooking oil


Method
Mix the garam masala with the salt and pepper and rub over the meat. Put onion, tomatoes, sugar, tamarind and chillies into a pan with three glasses of water. Boil until one glass of water is left. Add the mint and coriander and stir.
Pour the oil into a frying pan and add the chicken and curry leaf and fry for 10-20 mins, or until cooked right through. Now put all this into the pan with the sauce. Cook for 2 mins over a low heat.
Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and leave to stand for 5 mins.
Serve with naan, chapattis or pitta bread.

Simple Fried Chicken
Ingredients
6 chicken drumsticks
1 cup plain flour
2 eggs
1 inch ginger root finely chopped
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
½ handful mint leaves shredded finely
½ handful coriander leaves finely shredded
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsps salt
1 tsp black pepper
oil for frying




Method
Put chicken drumsticks in a pan with half a glass of water, ginger, garlic, salt and cook over a medium heat until the water has gone.
Remove the drumsticks and leave until cool. Mix the coriander and mint in the eggs and whisk until blended.
Mix garam masala, cumin, salt and black pepper together.
One by one dip the drumsticks into the egg mixture and then coat them with the spice mixture, coating them evenly. Heat the oil in the frying pan and cook until the coating is crisp. This should only take 4-5 mins over a medium heat.
Serve with salad, French fries and our mint dip.


Chicken with Herb Yoghurt
Ingredients
½ kg boneless chicken breasts
250 gr. natural yoghurt
1 onion sliced
1 inch piece of ginger root finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 handful fresh mint leaves shredded
1 handful fresh coriander leaves shredded
6 green chillies, finely chopped
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup cooking oil


Method
Mix green chillies and cumin seeds into the yoghurt with half a cup of water.
Mix the garam masala, turmeric, salt and pepper together, and then cover the chicken pieces with the mixture.
Pour the oil into a frying pan and fry the chicken for 2 mins, to seal it. Remove the chicken and fry the onion in the oil until it is brown. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 2 mins.
Pour the yoghurt mixture into the pan and bring it to the boil over a low heat. When it is boiling, put the chicken pieces inside the mixture and cook for approx.15 mins.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the mint and coriander, stirring it well. Allow it to stand for 5 mins before serving.
Serve with plain boiled rice, salad, and naan, chapattis, pitta etc.

If you have any suggestions or advice, please let us know. We’re interested in your recipes too, and will post any really good ones on this blog accredited to you.
We think all these recipes are Treats and have a great Taste, so why not give them a try?

How to make Garam Masala

GARAM MASALA
Ingredients
4 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp black peppercorns
2 tbsps caraway seeds
3 black cardamom pods
½ tbsp cloves
1 curry leaf
4 sticks of cinnamon (approx. 1 inch long, each)


Method
Dry fry all the spices, except the black cardamoms, on a medium heat, until they change colour. Just before you turn off the heat, add the black cardamoms and fry them for about a minute.
Allow the spices to cool. Remove the cardamom seeds from the pods and mix the seeds in with the other spices. Discard the pods. Grind all the spices together and store in an airtight jar.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

Summertime Time Out

SUMMERTIME TIME OUT
So how do we relax? We read, and thought we’d have a brainstorming session to see if there were any books etc that we could honestly recommend to you, which would in some way be linked to our blogspot.
It was easy to come up with the kids’ story, “The Gingerbread Man”, and JP Donleavy’s “The Onion Eaters”, and “The Ginger Man”, but then we went off on a Greek trip down memory lane, having posted recipes for Tzatziki, and a Greek Salad, and came up with the following:”Eleni” by Nicholas Gage; ”The Island” by Victoria Hislop; “Zorba the Greek “ and ‘Freedom and Death” by Nikos Kazantzakis and “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” by Louis de Bernieres. There is the film of Zorba, (Anthony Quinn and Alan Bates) and of Captain Corelli too.
Of course we’d have to also recommend Bram Stoker’s Dracula (film starring Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder). Bram Stoker was partly responsible for the resurgence of the old belief that garlic wards off evil, as Van Helsing hangs a string of garlic around Lucy’s neck, to protect her from vampire bites.(Read the book.)
As for music, chill out to Jeff Buckley’s album, “Grace”, and perhaps the soundtrack from “I’m Your Man”, featuring the songs of Leonard Cohen. There is a link, really!

THYME USES AND HISTORY

THYME
Thyme was cultivated by the Sumerians more than 5000 years ago, for its antiseptic properties. They used it for these and its anti-fungal qualities, and as a disinfectant.
Its name comes from Greek and means to have spirit, or courage. Soldiers from both Rome and Greece would bathe in thyme water before going into battle as it was believed that it gave them courage.
The ancient Egyptians used it in their embalming fluid, and in Greece and other parts of Europe, sprigs of thyme were placed on coffins, so that the dead person’s spirit could live in its flowers.
It’s native to the Mediterranean region and for many centuries it has been used to produce honey on Mount Hymettus, near Athens, Greece. Greeks say that honey from thyme flowers is the best in the world.

Pliny burnt thyme to keep away scorpions and other “venomous creatures”. Greeks use it to prevent nightmares. It is said to attract fairies, whereas rosemary attracts elves in folklore.
Thyme oil is used in toothpastes, antiseptics, anti-dandruff shampoo and insect repellent, echoing its uses in the ancient world.
We think it’s good to use with rosemary in the water you use to rinse your hair after washing it, and thyme tea has a calming effect on our sometimes frayed nerves.
As with other herbs, 1fresh sprig = ½ tsp of the dried herb. We used thyme with rosemary in the last post, and it can be used with meat, chicken and fish. Below is a recipe for thyme vinegar, which we like poured over salads, with olive oil.

Thyme Vinegar

ingredients


3 tbsps thyme leaves, crushed
1 pint white wine vinegar
1 sprig of thyme for each bottle

method


Bring the vinegar to just below boiling point, and pour over the crushed thyme leaves. Put the mixture in to a wide-necked bottle, seal it and leave it in a dark place for 2-3 weeks. Strain it into a clean bottle with the sprig of thyme, and cork it. It’s ready to use when you need it.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

ROSEMARY:MEDITERRANEAN LAMB RECIPE

:

ROSEMARY
All the ancient writers wrote about rosemary: Pliny the Elder (23-79AD) in his Natural History, and Dioscorides in his De Materia Medica, who said that it has “warming” qualities; and Hippocrates, the father of medicine. Its name comes from the Latin, ros meaning dew, and marinus meaning of the sea.
In ancient times and in the Language of Flowers and Herbs, it symbolizes fidelity, abiding friendship and remembrance. Brides used to wear garlands of it on their heads at their weddings, and in ancient Greece, young men would wear sprigs in their hair when they sat examinations to help their memory.
A gilded sprig of rosemary would be given to guests at the marriages of the rich in the Middle Ages.
It was reputed to keep away evil spirits and if you slept with a fresh sprig under your pillow you were supposed to have a good night’s sleep, and no nightmares. John Gerard, in his Herball, says that it wards off colds if worn on the head.
It has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory qualities so is good for wounds, and stomach disorders. It is also good to put in the water you use to rinse your hair, and when mixed with borax, it will get rid of dandruff, due to its astringency.
We think it’s good to put sprigs on BBQ coals as it flavours the grilled meat, and you can use its sprigs as skewers for shish kebabs.
If you boil half a pint of water and add 1tsp of the dried herb, this tea will calm you down and sort out any stomach problems you may have.
Try the recipe below for a taste of the Mediterranean, where it comes from originally.



Mediterranean Lamb


ingredients


1 shoulder of lamb
oil
2-3 large onions, sliced
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
8 oz peeled and chopped tomatoes
12-14 pimento-stuffed green olives
4 oz. mushrooms thickly sliced
2 large sprigs of both rosemary and thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
half a bottle of red wine
1 tbsp tomato puree
½ pint water
salt and pepper

method


Fry meat in hot oil to seal it completely, then put in a covered roasting tin.
Pre-heat the oven to a low temperature.
Fry the onions, garlic and mushrooms and add to the meat. Pour the water, tomatoes and red wine into the frying pan and add the herbs. Stir until it boils and allow to simmer for 5 mins. Add the tomato puree, stir and simmer for a further 5 mins, then add to the meat with seasoning. Cover, put in the oven and cook for 3 hours.
This has Taste and is a Treat!

OREGANO,HISTORY OF OREGANO,GREEK SALAD

OREGANO
This plant originated in Greece, and is a member of the mint family of herbs. Its name comes from the Greek, oros meaning mountain, and ganos meaning joy. Greek mythology says that the plant was created by the goddess of love, Aphrodite, who tended it in her garden on Mount Olympus. She gave it to mortals to make their lives more joyful.
In Greece, the bride and groom would wear garlands of it in their hair at their wedding and it was put on graves so that the dead would rest in peace.
Hippocrates used it as an antiseptic and for stomach pains. It is known nowadays a powerful natural antibiotic, and oregano tea is taken for indigestion and to ease coughs.
It was one of the few flavourings for meat used in the dark ages.
You need to be careful with this herb, do not put too much of it into food when it’s dried, as it can make you vomit. A teaspoon is fine!
This is the herb which is normally found on the top of pizzas. It’s one of our favourite herbs, but we were used to the fresh herb or sun-dried herbs.
Try the simple recipe below for the real taste of oregano and Greece.

Greek Salad

ingredients


4oz feta cheese, sliced
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thickly
1 red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
1 green pepper (capsicum), cut into slices
4-6 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp oregano (dried)
olive oil
salt and black pepper

method


Put the feta on top of the salad vegetables, sprinkle the dried oregano over it, and drizzle olive oil over that and the salad vegetables.

What could be simpler?
It has Taste and is a Treat.

ONION,HISTORY,USES AND RECIPE:onion in cheese sauce

ONIONS
The onion is a staple in most cultures; it has a long history, just like garlic. There are different types of onions, e.g. shallots, spring onions, pearl onions the wild onions and many more. Most people have cried while peeling onions and have their own remedies against this phenomenon.
In Mesopotamia the laws of Hammurabi stated that the poor should be given a monthly ration of bread and onions, showing that they were considered a staple at that time.

The onion originated in Central Asia, some say in Pakistan and Iran. It was growing wild in North America when the Pilgrim Fathers landed.
The ancient Egyptians revered the onion and small ones were found in the eye sockets of King Ramses IV, and because of the concentric layers of the onion, it was seen as a symbol of eternal life, and so it was found in the tombs of other pharaohs.
Both Dioscorides and Hippocrates waxed lyrical about the efficacy of the onion as a cure for diseases. Dioscorides recommended it as a cure for the hard of hearing.
Modern medical studies have shown that it can prevent some cancers; lower cholesterol levels kill infectious bacteria and help dissolve blood clots.
If you mix onion juice with honey, and take 3-4 tsps a day you may be able to protect yourself from the common cold. If you have a cold then this will help you get over it, and it works well to stop coughs, bronchitis and flu.
Because of its astringent and antiseptic qualities, it’s good to put on wounds and snake bites.
We use onions almost every day, in sauces, raw in salads and in the recipe below to which we add spices or herbs or both, depending on the time of year and how we feel.

Onions in Cheese Sauce


ingredients
1 1/2 oz plain flour
1 ½ oz butter
1 pint milk
4-6 oz grated cheese
seasonings to taste
2 – 3 large onions


Method
Peel and clean onions, then boil them in salted water for 20 minutes.
Make the cheese sauce; melt butter and remove from heat, add flour and stir to a smooth paste, add milk slowly continuing to stir till the mixture is smooth. When it boils, remove from the heat and add half the cheese, stirring until it melts.
Slice onions and arrange in an oven proof dish that has been greased with butter. Pour the sauce over them, top with the rest of the grated cheese and put in a preheated medium oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.
Serve with baked potatoes.
This is a Treat and has Taste.