Butter Chicken Masala (Slow cooker recipe included)

Category: Chicken recipes
Preparation Time: 10 mins  + marination time
Cooking Time: 20 - 25 mins stove top or around 4 hrs of slow cooking
Servings: About 2 to 4 Servings

Butter Chicken Gravy

Since I wont eat Chicken, the Chicken recipes make a rare appearance in my blog:) This butter chicken masala is a creamy mildly spiced gravy perfect with rotis, tortillas or basmati rice. In this recipe I didnt used any cream but only the cashews. If we want, we can reduce the cashews and add cream at the end after switching off the gravy.

I have prepared this recipe many times both in pan as well as in slow cooker. Its not a completely slow cooker recipe since we need to do sautening and tempering in the pan before transfering it into the slow cooker. But slow cooked version yields a very soft chicken in a creamy gravy.  Regarding marination, I had tried marinating for just 30 mins and upto 24 hours. The longer the marination, the chicken becomes soft and absorbs the spices well:)

The ingredient list may look long but its an easy recipe:) Once we have the marinated chicken and the ground masala, we can whip up this butter chicken in less than 30 mins. (The colour of the gravy depends on the type of chilly powder we used so it may differ)

Ingredients:

For Marination:

• Boneless Chicken pieces - Around 1 lb, cut into bite sized pieces 
• Red chilly powder or paprika - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Yogurt - 3 tbsp
• Salt - little

Chicken Nuggets (Baked Version)

Category: Chicken recipes
Preparation Time: 20 mins  + 2-8 hrs of tenderization
Cooking Time: 20 - 25 mins
Servings: 4-5 Servings

Chicken Nuggets

  Since I wont eat Chicken, the Chicken recipes make a rare appearance in my blog:) As per the received feedback, these chicken nuggets are very soft and juicy inside with crispy crust outside which makes a perfect snack for even small kids. I had soaked the chicken pieces in curd+water mixture and refrigerated for around 4-5 hrs; Curd / Buttermilk is a great Meat tenderizer which results in soft and juicy chicken. Regarding spices, we can just add pepper powder if making for toddlers. Here I used home made Curry Powder and we can use as per one's preference. Kids will surely like it!!!

 Ingredients:

• Chicken breast pieces (boneless, skinless) - 1 lb, cut into bite sized pieces
• Eggs - 2 nos
• Panko Bread crumbs - 1 - 2 cups  (Adjust as per requirement)
• Corn starch  - around 1/2 cup (Adjust as per requirement)
• Curry Masala Powder - 1 tsp + 1 tsp 
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 tsp
• Salt - as needed
• Oil - 1-2 tbsp

For Tenderizing:

• Curd - 1/3 cup
• Water - 2 cups
• Salt - 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. In a wide bowl, mix curd with water and little salt, add the cleaned chicken pieces and refrigerate for atleast 2 hours or for overnight. This process will make the chicken pieces very tender so dont skip this
   
   
   
2. While starting to prepare the nuggets, take it off from the refrigerator and drain all the excess liquid and keep it ready
   
3. Pre heat Oven to 400 F and once it becomes hot, place the bread crumbs in a baking pan and bake for 4-5 mins till it turns golden brown. Remove it from the oven and transfer to a wide bowl and allow to cool; Add Oil to the cooled bread crumbs and mix it well
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Now pre heat the oven to 450F
5. In a wide bowl, add the well drained chicken pieces, Ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, 1 tsp of curry masala powder, required salt and mix it well
   
   
   
   
6. In another bowl, add the corn starch along with a pinch of salt and 1 tsp of curry masala powder; mix well and keep it aside
7. In another bowl, break up the eggs and lightly beat it up
8. Coat the chicken pieces with flour
   
9. Then dip it in lightly beaten egg mixture
   
10. Finally coat them with bread crumbs
    
11. Repeat the above three step breading method for all the nuggets and arrange them on a greased wire rack in a baking tray
    
12. Bake it in pre heated oven for around 12-18 mins, flipping halfway through
13. Once they get cooked well, transfer to serving tray and serve hot!
    

Chicken Varuval (Chicken Fry)

Category: Chicken recipes
Preparation Time: 10 mins  
Cooking Time: 20 - 25 mins
Servings: 2-3 Servings

Chicken Varuval

Since I wont eat Chicken, the Chicken recipes make a rare appearance in my blog:) As per the received feedback, the freshly ground spices in this recipe make this varuval very aromatic and delicious!

 Ingredients:

• Chicken, bite sized pieces - 2 cups
• Small Onions, chopped -8-10 nos
• Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilly - 1 no, broken
• Curry leaves - few
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 
• Coriander leaves - for garnishing
• Water - around 1/2 cup

To Roast and Grind:

• Cinnamon - 1 inch 
• Cloves - 3 nos
• Pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Poppy seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Red chillies - 5-6 nos (Adjust as per spice level)
• Dry Coconut - 2 tbsp

Note: If we want to have little tanginess, we can add one tomato after sauteing onions

 Method:

1. Clean and chop the chicken into bite sized pieces and keep aside
   
2. Dry roast the above given ingredients in a pan, by adding in the same order till we gets nice aroma and the coconut turns golden brown
   
3. After roasting, allow them to cool and then grind to a fine paste by adding little water
   
4. Heat Oil in a pan and once it becomes hot, add the mustard seeds followed by red chillies and curry leaves 
   
5. Then add the chopped small onions and saute for 1 min
   
6. Add the Ginger-garlic paste and saute for a min till the raw smell goes off
   
7. Now add the cleaned chicken pieces along with required salt and turmeric powder
   
8. Saute for few mins till the chicken pieces turn pale
9. Now add the ground paste, saute for a min 
   
10. Add around 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water, mix well 
    
11. Cook in medium flame by sauteing often till the chicken gets cooked and oil gets separated
    
12. Once the chicken pieces gets cooked and become tender, reduce the flame and fry till all the water gets absorbed and become dry like varuval
13. Switch it off and garnish with coriander leaves
    
14. Serve hot with Chicken kuzhambu / Rasam and Rice!

Chicken Pasta (with fresh ground Masala)

Category: Pasta / Macaroni / Chicken recipes
Preparation Time: 10 mins 
Cooking Time: 20 - 25 mins
Servings: For 2 persons

Chicken Pasta - This is my first chicken recipe in this blog. Actually I wont eat Chicken but will cook for my hubby and my kid occasionally; that's why non veg recipes make a rare appearance here:) As per the received feedback, the fresh ground masalas in this recipe heightens the flavor and makes it more delicious;)

Chicken Pasta

 Ingredients:

• Pasta - 2 cups (I used Gigli shaped tricolor pasta)
  
• Chicken, bite sized pieces - 1-1 1/2 cups
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Bay leaf - 1 no
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp 
• Coriander leaves - few

To Roast and Grind:

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Coriander seeds -2 tsp
• Pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch 
• Cloves - 2
• Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Garlic cloves - 3 nos
• Red chillies - 1-2 nos (Adjust as per taste)
• Small Onions - 4 nos
• Tomato, chopped - 1 no 
• Curry leaves - few
• Coconut - 3 tbsp

 Method:

1. Cook pasta as per the package instructions; (Boil water; add pasta with little salt and few drops of oil and cook for 11 -13 mins until slightly soft yet crunchy enough to bite). Drain and wash with cold water and keep aside  
   
2. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and roast the coriander seeds, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, red chillies and fennel seeds. Once they become golden brown and gives nice aroma, add garlic, curry leaves and onion; saute for a min. Then add the chopped tomato and saute till it turns mushy and finally add in the coconut and switch off
   
3. Allow the masala to cool down and grind to a smooth paste with little water
4. Heat oil in a pan and add Bay leaf; fry for 30 secs
5. Add the chicken pieces with turmeric powder and saute for 2-3 mins till the colour changes
   
6. Then add the ground masala along with required salt and water, allow to cook in medium flame till the chicken is done
   
7. The consistency should not be very dry, needs to be semi-gravy so that the pasta gets coated nicely
8. Once its get cooked and oil separates, add the cooked pasta and mix well
   
9. Let it cook for 4-5 minutes in low flame and switch off
10.  Garnish with coriander leaves and serve!