Makkai Murgh Corn Chicken Food

MURGH MAKHANI (INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Stir the yogurt and tandoori masala powder together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined; add the chicken and toss to coat evenly.
• Marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour. Drain and discard any excess marinade.
• Puree the onion, ginger, and garlic with the water in a blender until it forms a smooth paste; set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Cook the chicken in the hot oil until lightly browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
• Remove from skillet and set aside.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons in the skillet.
• Fry the onion paste in the hot oil until the moisture is mostly evaporated, about 3 minutes.
• Sprinkle the garam masala and chili powder over the mixture; cook 1 minute more.
• Pour the tomato sauce into the mixture, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook another 5 minutes.
• Return the chicken to the pan along with the half and half; bring to a boil. Add the butter, fenugreek leaves, and salt; reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until the chicken pieces are no longer pink in the middle, 15 to 20 minutes.

BUTTER CHICKEN - (MURGH MAKHANI)

Steps:

• Perforate the chicken pieces with either fork tines or with little knife cuts. (The idea is to allow the marinade to penetrate the pieces somewhat and have more surface areas to cling to.) Mix well the ingredients for the marinade and rub into the chicken pieces. Let it marinate for a few hours in the refrigerator, overnight if possible for best results.
• Heat half the butter on medium in a heavy-bottomed pan and put in the chicken along with the marinade. Cover and cook for about 25 minutes or till the chicken is fully cooked. After the liquids have evaporated, stir fry the chicken for some time in the residual fat.
• Heat the remaining butter in a saucepan and add the red chilli powder, coriander, cumin and black pepper. (See TIP at bottom) Fry for a few seconds. (See Step 6 Tip.).
• Add the chopped tomatoes, sugar and salt and cook uncovered on medium for about 7 minutes until the puree thickens and the fat separates. Stir in the whisked cream and reduce the heat to low.
• Add the chicken, chopped ginger and green chillies to the simmering gravy. Sprinkle salt to taste if needed. Mix well. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes or till the curry is thoroughly heated through.
• Just before serving pour melted butter over the curry. Garnish with a swirl of fresh cream and finely chopped coriander leaves.
• TIP: For a thicker and richer gravy cashewnut paste (soak cashews in water for an hour or so and grind them) can be added while making the gravy in step 3 -- fry it along with the spice powders and then proceed as above.

MURGH MAKHANI - MOGHUL BUTTER CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the chicken in a bowl with the garlic, ginger, salt, chilli powder and lemon juice. Mix, cover with cling film and chill for 30 minutes. Mix together the yoghurt, garam masala, turmeric and cumin and add to the chicken, making sure that each piece is well coated with the mixture. Cover again and chill for 3-4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Put the marinated chicken pieces on a grill rack set on a baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes. Brush the chicken pieces with a little oil and turn them over. Bake for another 10-12 minutes until just cooked through.
• For the sauce, heat the ghee or butter in a pan and add the garlic and ginger. Fry for a minute or so then add the cardamom, cloves, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, fenugreek and chilli powder. Stir well and fry for 1-2 minutes until they give off a lovely aroma.
• Stir in the tomato puree and lemon juice and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the chicken pieces to the sauce and stir well to coat. Finally, add the butter and cream and stir continuously until the butter has melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer to a warm bowl and serve hot, garnished with chopped coriander.

CORN, CHICKEN AND BEEF GRATINS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°. On a large rimmed baking sheet, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Roast on the top shelf of the oven for 25 minutes, until the skin is golden and crisp and the meat is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Increase the oven temperature to 450°.
• Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the beef, garlic, cumin and paprika and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a food processor, puree the corn with the basil. Scrape the puree into a large saucepan and cook over high heat, stirring, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Season the puree with salt.
• Spread the ground beef mixture in four 12-ounce gratin dishes. Set the chicken and eggs on the meat and sprinkle with the olives and raisins. Spread a 1-inch-thick layer of the corn puree on top of each dish. Bake the gratins on the top shelf of the oven for 10 minutes, until bubbling and heated through. Serve hot.

PLEASURE IN EVERY SPOON INDIAN MUTTON/LAMB BIRYANI

Steps:

• Soak rice for 5-6 hours in water, drain and keep aside.
• Cut half the ginger into juliennes and make a paste of the rest.
• Soak saffron in warm milk and keep aside.
• Marinate the mutton or lamb in a large bowl for 4 hours in a cool place, in a mixture of yogurt, turmeric powder, salt and 1 tbsp.
• each of ginger and garlic pastes.
• Heat oil in a wok and fry half of the onions in it until brown and crisp.
• Drain on a paper towel and keep aside.
• Cook rice in salted 7 cups of boiling water alongwith the cloves, cinnamon, black and green cardamoms and peppercorns till the rice is almost cooked.
• Strain and keep rice warm.
• Heat ghee in a pressure cooker or a thick-bottomed pan.
• Add the remaining sliced onions and green chillies.
• Stir-fry till the onions turn light golden.
• Stir in the remaining ginger and garlic pastes.
• Stir-fry until the raw smell of the same is gone.
• Add the marinated mutton or lamb.
• Cook on high flame for 8 minutes.
• Mix in corriander, cumin and red chilli powders.
• Stir in 3 cups of boiling water.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce flame and cook covered till the mutton is almost cooked.
• Add tomatoes, salt and half of the garam masala powder and the fresh corriander leaves.
• Cook for 15 minutes on medium flame, stirring occasionally.
• If you are using a pressure cooker to cook the mutton or lamb, add chopped tomatoes, salt, garam masala powder, 2 cups of water and chopped fresh corriander leaves after adding the dry spices.
• Pressure cook till the mutton is almost cooked.
• (It normally takes 2-3 whistles to cook).
• Ensure that the cooked mutton does not have a thin gravy.
• If that is the case, cook on high flame to reduce the gravy.
• Preheat oven to 180C.
• Arrange half the quantity of cooked mutton in an oven-proof dish.
• Spread half the quantity of cooked rice on top of the mutton.
• Sprinkle a little of the remaining garam masala powder, mint leaves, saffron dissolved in warm milk and half each of ginger juliennes.
• Dot the rice with half the quantity of butter.
• Spread the remaining mutton on top of the rice, followed by cooked rice and repeat the earlier process with the remaining quantity of ginger juliennes, saffron milk, garam masala powder, mint leaves and butter.
• Cover it with aluminium foil.
• Cook in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes at 180C.
• Garnish with the fried sliced onions and serve with mixed fruit and vegetable raita as an accompaniment.
• Enjoy!