Spinach Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

Pasta of choice (I used whole wheat spaghetti): 1/2 cup
Chicken: 100 gm (cubed)
Baby spinach (washed and roughly chopped): 1 cup
Onion (chopped): 1
Olive oil: 3 tsp.
Garlic (minced or finely chopped): 3 cloves
Chili flakes: 1/4 tsp.
Oregano: 1/2 tsp.
Baby tomatoes: 6
Tomato ketchup: 2 tsp.
Vegetable stock: 1 cup
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder to taste

1. Boil the pasta according to the instructions on the pack. Drain the water and keep the pasta aside. 
2. Heat oil in a pan and add garlic and the chicken. Fry until the chicken is almost cooked and white from both sides. Drain from the oil and keep aside. 
3. Heat the same oil and add the onions. Let cook until the onions start browning. 
4. Add the baby spinach and let cook just till the leaves start wilting. Cut baby tomatoes in half and add to the pan. 
5. Add salt, oregano and chili flakes. Add the vegetable stock and bring everything to a boil. 
6. Add the cooked chicken and give everything a stir. 
7. Add the boiled pasta and tomato ketchup. Mix everything well and stir nicely. Let cook for about 4-5 minutes until all flavors are mixed and it reaches the desired consistency. 
8. Sprinkle black pepper and turn off the flame. Serve. 

 

Saffron Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken: 600 gm
Saffron: 1/2 tsp.
Cream: 1/2 cup
Cooking oil: 4 tsp.
Onions: 2 large
Ginger-garlic paste: 4 tsp.
Coriander seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Nigella seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Dried red chilli: 2
Salt to taste
Red chili powder: 1 tsp.
Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.
Tomato (chopped): 2
Garam masala: 1 tsp.
Yogurt: 1/2 cup
Green cardamom: 2
Lemon juice: 3 tsp.
Coriander leaves for garnish

1. Wash and clean the chicken and marinate it with the cream and a pinch of saffron and leave for 3-4 hours. 
   
2. Heat oil in a pan and crackle the coriander seeds and nigella seeds. Add the dried red chili. 
3. Make a smooth paste of onions and add to the pan. Fry until the raw smell disappears and it starts leaving oil on the sides. 
   
4. Add the ginger-garlic paste and mix well. Let cook for another 2-3 minutes. 
5. Sprinkle a bit of water. Mix and stir well. Sprinkle little water again after 2 minutes and stir well. Let cook. Repeat this process 7-8 times, keep sprinkling little water and stirring and leaving for about a minute each time. This will make the onion paste creamy without being watery. 
6. Now add the marinated chicken, stir well and fry in the masala. Add the dry spices: salt, red chili powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Mix everything well and fry for about 5-7 minutes. 
   
7. Grind the tomatoes in a paste and add the ground tomatoes at this stage. Add the garam masala. Mix well and let cook for about 8-10 minutes until everything is incorporated in the masala and it starts leaving oil on the sides. 
   
8. Add the yogurt, mix well and cover. Let cook for another 5 minutes. 
9. Remove cover and mix well. Add 2 pinches of saffron and powdered green cardamom. Mix well. Let cook for another 5 minutes and turn of the flame. 
10. Squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken curry, top with the remaining saffron and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot! 

Chettinad Fish Curry

Hot and spicy curry with a beautiful fiery color, without the use of much spices and red chilis, this fish curry is a yummy and wonderful companion with boiled rice and makes for an awesome meal for those who love Indian style fish curries (and those who don't are sure to fall in love with this one)!!

Ingredients:

Fish: 400 gm (I used salmon fish)
Curry leaves: a handful
Fenugreek powder: 2 tsp.
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.
Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Fennel seeds: 1 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp.
Dried red chili: 1
Onion (chopped): 1 large
Ginger-garlic (crushed): 4 tsp.
Tomato (chopped): 2
Salt to taste
Red chili powder: 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp.
Tamarind: 2 tsp.
Coconut milk: 1/2 cup

1. Clean and cut the fish into desired size and marinate it with fenugreek powder, half the curry leaves and lemon juice and leave for 30 minutes. 
2. Heat oil and fry the marinated fish from both sides until crispy and golden. Remove from the pan and keep aside. 
3. Heat up the same oil on medium flame and splutter mustard seeds and fennel seeds. Add the dried red chili. 
4. Add the chopped onions and fry until the onions are transparent. 
5. Add the crushed ginger-garlic and fry until the raw smell disappears. 
6. Add the chopped tomatoes and sprinkle salt. Cover and let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. 
7. Remove cover and add the dry spices: red chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Mix well. Add the tamarind and mix well again. 
8. Add the coconut milk, mix everything well and cover again. 
9. Remove cover after 5 minutes and add 3 cups of water. Cover again and let simmer and boil for 10-12 minutes. 
10. Remove cover and let cook open for another 5 minutes. Give a good stir and add the fried fish. Turn off the flame and cover. 
11. Remove cover after 10 minutes and the yummy, spicy curry is ready to eat. Serve with plain boiled rice or jeera rice. 

   
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Chicken Biryani in Slow Cooker

Biryani !! The mention of this dish always makes me drool and undoubtedly I can have a serving of biryani even with a full stomach. And I know nobody can resist a plate full of yummy biryani. But whenever I think about preparing the same, I feel really tired by thinking the elaborate process involved in cooking of biryani and I can totally not prepare it, no matter how much I'm craving for it. I'm sure you know the feeling of craving something and then not being able to have it because you are too tired to prepare it and you know you won't get that awesome dish anywhere else.

But now, you actually can! And without tiring yourself out and also without putting in much of an effort and time. Believe me, we had this biryani on a weeknight dinner which was a working day, all because my slow cooker was putting in all the efforts to make this yummy biryani, bursting with flavors, while I was at work. It's so simple you could actually put in just 15 minutes of your time and can relish this dish any day. It requires some before hand preparation though, but 15 minutes, for a biryani, I'm sure that's not asking a lot.

Ingredients:

For marination:

Chicken: 300 gm
Ginger-garlic paste: 6 tsp.
Yogurt: 1 cup
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Cumin powder: 1 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1 tsp.
Garam masala: 1 tsp.
Mango powder: 1 tsp.
Lemon juice: 4 tsp.

For masala:

Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 1
Ginger (chopped): 6 cloves
Garlic (chopped): 1 inch
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Tomato (chopped): 2
Butter: 2 tsp.
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Garam masala: 1 tsp.
Kasoori methi: 1 tsp.
Yogurt: 1/4 cup

For biryani:

Rice: 2 cups
Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Onion (sliced): 2
Cashews: a few
Home made biryani masala: 2 tsp. (Recipe: Home made biryani masala)
Milk: 1/4 cup
Saffron strands: a few
Mint leaves: a handful
Coriander leaves for garnish

1. Wash and clean the chicken and marinate the chicken in marinating ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight or 8 hours. 
2. Take out the marinated chicken 30 minutes before you begin the preparation to bring it to room temperature.  
3. Turn on your slow cooker and add oil to it. Add the marinated chicken and mix it. 
4. Add the chopped onions, garlic, ginger, green chili and mix well. 
5. Add the salt and red chili, mix well. Add the dollop of butter and cover the slow cooker. Turn it on the low mode and leave for work. Let it cook slowly for about 8 hours. 
6. After 8 hours, add the chopped tomatoes and the yogurt. Mix well and cover again and turn on the mode to high. 
7. Boil rice: How to make the perfect boiled rice. 
8. Turn off the slow cooker. Take out all the contents in a big bowl. Now layer the rice at the base of slow cooker bowl and then a layer of chicken. Add another layer of rice and sprinkle the mint leaves. Add the remaining chicken and cover it with another layer of rice. 
9. Sprinkle the biryani masala over this rice layer. Add the saffron strands and sprinkle the milk. Cover the slow cooker and turn on again on slow mode. Leave for an hour. 
10. Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan and fry the sliced onions until they are brown and crisp. Toast the cashews in the same oil. 
11. Open the slow cooker, add the sliced onions and cashews, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot !! 

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Bengali Fish Curry

Neither am I from Bengal nor do I have any connection to Bengal, but still sharing a Bengali Fish curry recipe; and no, this is not an online recipe I tried. This is a recipe I got from a dear friend Writu who is a fun loving and cheerful Bengali girl and her name means season (ऋतु). I have never met anyone with a name beginning from letter 'W' and so when I heard her name for the first time, I believed her name spells as Ritu. There was a big confusion around her name and I once messed up things for her because of how her name was spelled and I thought it was something else; and then in a guilty attempt of getting things right for her, we became close friends. Today we have drifted apart as friends but I still remember the time I had this simple yet subtle taste of fish curry with rice at her place, and she wrote the basic recipe her mom and she follows for the fish curry.

This blog did not exist at that time and the memories of the recipe and the fish curry also faded as the friendship drifted apart. But last year, when I visited my parents in India, I was going through my old things in the wardrobe and there I found in an old diary a dusty page stuck in the diary with this amazing recipe and on the top was written her name "Writu". All the old memories came back of the awesome time we had, and I decided to try the recipe in my kitchen. I can't say for sure if this is an authentic recipe or is this how it is made in all or many Bengali households, but that's what she told me and said this is a very basic recipe.

To our friendship! Writu!

Ingredients:

Fish: 400 gm (I used salmon fillets)
Mustard oil: 4 tsp.
Panch phoran (5-spice mix):

• Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
• Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp.
• Fennel seeds: 1/4 tsp.
• Black cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp.
• Fenugreek seeds. 1/4 tsp.

Dried red chilli: 1
Onion (finely chopped): 2
Ginger-garlic paste: 4 tsp. (I used grated ginger and garlic)
Tomato (chopped): 2
Green chili (chopped): 1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
Tamarind extract: 1 tsp.
Coriander leaves to garnish

1. Wash and clean the fish fillets and marinate them with salt, 1/2 tsp. red chilli powder, turmeric, 1 tsp. mustard oil and tamarind for 20 minutes. 
2. Heat the remaining mustard oil and fry the fish from both sides, flipping alternatively so that it cooks nicely from both sides. 
   
3. Drain and remove, keep aside. 
4. Heat the same oil and add the panch phoran or the five spice mix (cumin, mustard, fennel, black cumin and fenugreek). 
5. When they crackle, add the dried red chilli and add ginger-garlic after few seconds. Let cook until the raw smell goes away. 
6. Add the onions and fry until they are transparent and beginning to get brown; but don't let them brown. 
7. Add the tomato and green chilli and sprinkle little salt. Cover and let cook for 5-7 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. 
   
8. Remove cover, add the red chilli powder and mix well. Add a cup of water and cover again for 15 minutes on medium flame. 
9. Remove cover. The entire curry will be done and the tomatoes and the masala is nicely absorbed together. Let cook uncovered for 5 more minutes.
10. Turn off the flame and add fried fish pieces. Cover and leave for 10 minutes so that the fish absorbs the curry's flavor in the steam. 
11. Remove cover and garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with rice. 

100 Chicken Recipes

Chicken has been one of the favorite in my household ever since I have begun to experiment with various kinds of chicken recipes. I still remember the first time I made Sri Lankan Chicken Curry; that dates back to a regular Sunday afternoon; March 9, 2014. At the beginning of this journey, I never imagined I would get to a whooping 100 different kinds of recipes just with chicken as it was just a out of the ordinary experiment. 

I haven't stopped ever since and it's just today I have completed cooking my 100th chicken recipe; Peshawari chicken Curry. The journey went about with chicken curries, marinated chicken, non-marinated chicken, grilled chicken, chicken stir fries, chicken biryanis; you name it !! I haven't found the time to write all the recipes so will keep on updating this post with the recipe links which are missing. Till then, keep cooking, keep enjoying and leaving your valuable feedback which always means a lot. 

Achaari Chicken Tikka

Ambur Chicken Biryani

Amritsari Murg Makhani

Beetroot Chicken

Bhuna Kadhai Chicken

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken with a twist

Chettinad Chicken

Chicken Achaari

Chicken Biryani in slow cooker

Chicken Cafreal

Chicken Curry Masala

Chicken Do Pyaza

Chicken Keema Curry

Chicken Lababdar 
Chicken Lazeez

Chicken Makhani 

Chicken Rezala

Chicken Salna

Chicken Tikka Biryani 

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka on Skewers

Chicken Xacuti

Coconut Coriander Chicken

Coorgi Gawti Chicken

Coriander Chicken Biryani 
Daddy's Chicken curry (Authentic family recipe)

Dahi masala kadhai chicken

Dhaba Style Chicken Curry

Dindigul Chicken Biryani

Dogri Chicken Masala

Fusion Chicken (Greek- Indian Chicken curry)

Ghee Chicken (Manglorean Style)

Green Walnut Chicken Curry

Grilled Chicken Jalfrezi

Grilled Coriander Chicken (and 8 marinating mixes)

Grilled Tomato Chicken

Hara Masala Chicken 

Hariyali Grilled Chicken

Hasselback Chicken in Tomato curry

Herbal Chicken

Himachali Tawa Murg

Hyderabadi Biryani

Hyderabadi Chicken Curry

Incredible Chilli chicken

Jaipuri Chicken

Jasha Maroo (Bhutanese Minced Chicken)

Kadhai Chicken Masala

Kaju Murgh

Kala Jeera Murgh

Kashmiri Chicken Curry

Kasoori Methi Chicken

Khara Chicken

Kodi Kura (Andhra Style Chicken Curry)

Kodi Veppude (Andhra style chicken fry)

Kolhapuri Chicken

Kolhapuri Pandhra Rassa

Kolhapuri Tambda Rassa (Grilled Chicken)

Konkani Chicken curry

Kori Ghassi (Manglorean Chicken)

Kozhi Milagu (Pepper Chicken Curry)

"Kuch Bhi" Chicken

Lahori Chicken Biryani

Lehsuni Murgh

Lemon Chicken

Madras Chicken Curry

Malabar Dum Chicken Biryani
Mel-Jol Chicken

Mint Chicken Korma

Mughlai Chicken Biryani

Murgh Dahi Masala

Murgh Hyderabadi

Nawabi Chicken Curry

Olive Green Chicken
Onion Chicken

Orange Chicken

Panch Phoran Chicken Curry 
Peshawari Chicken (Pakistani chicken curry)

Red Chicken

Rogan Josh (Chicken Masala)

Royal Chicken Shorma

Rustic Kadhai Murgh
Saffron Chicken

Shahi Malai Chicken

Shahjahani Chicken

Simple Chicken Biryani

Simple Chicken Cury

Spinach Chicken

Sri Lankan Chicken Curry

Tandoori Chicken

Talawa Chicken

Tari Wala Murgh (Chicken curry gravy)

Tawa Chicken Biryani 

Teekha Murg

Thai Chicken Curry

Thai Red chicken curry 

Walnut Chicken Curry

Yoghurt Chicken Curry

Zafrani Chicken Biryani

Zafrani Chicken Curry

If you loved this post, please do leave a comment and/or feedback and share the pictures with me if you try any of my recipes; it means a lot to me. Don't forget to join me on my Facebook page for regular recipe updates.

Coconut Coriander Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken: 300 gm (boneless)
Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Ginger-garlic (crushed): 3 tsp.
White peppercorns: 1 tsp.
Sesame seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
Onion (sliced): 1
Salt to taste
Coriander (chopped): a handful and a little extra for garnish
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Green chili (chopped): 1
Yogurt: 1/2 cup
Desiccated coconut: 4 tbsp.
Garam masala: 1 tsp.

1. Heat oil on medium flame and add the whole spices: peppercorns, sesame seeds and cinnamon. 
2. Add crushed ginger and garlic and fry until the raw smell goes away. 
3. Add the onions and fry until they are transparent but not browning. Add the chicken and sprinkle a little salt to taste. 
4. Add the chopped coriander, mix and cover. Let cook for about 10 minutes.
5. Remove cover and add red chili powder, green chili and mix well.
6. Add the yogurt and coconut. Mix everything well and let open cook on medium flame for another 10 minutes. 
7. Add the garam masala and turn off the flame. 
8. Mix well, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve. 

Tari Wala Murgh (Chicken Curry Gravy)

Chicken is really the most common dish in our house at weekends, it's either a lunch or a dinner, either Saturday or Sunday; ever since I started cooking chicken in various flavors and so many different recipes. We usually like to eat a chicken fried and pan roasted with spices and masala with chappati (flat bread) but this time I decided to do something different: made this chicken curry with a lovely, flavorful gravy and instead of roasting it in a pan, I made this in a pressure cooker. It's a nice and homely recipe with the basic ingredients used in preparation.

Other chicken recipes:

Chicken Achaari
Chicken keema curry
Green Walnut chicken curry
Kasoori methi chicken
Madras chicken curry
and many more...

So let's come to the delicious recipe of this Tari Wala Murgh a.k.a. Chicken Curry Gravy:

Ingredients:

Chicken: 500 gm

For the marination:

Ginger-garlic paste: 3 tsp.
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp.
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.

For the garam masala:

Dried red chilli: 1
Green cardamom: 2
Black cardamom: 1
Coriander seeds: 1 tsp.
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
Black peppercorns: 1/2 tsp.
Nutmeg powder: a pinch
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp.

For the curry:

Cooking oil: 4 tsp.
Bay leaf: 1
Onion (chopped): 1
Salt to taste
Ginger-garlic paste: 3 tsp.
Tomato (finely chopped): 2
Onion (cubed): 2
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.
Coriander leaves for garnish

1. Wash and clean the chicken, marinate in the marinade ingredients: ginger-garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and lemon juice. Keep aside for about an hour.
2. Prepare the garam masala: dry roast each of the ingredients mentioned under the garam masala (except nutmeg powder). Let cool and grind to a coarse powder. Add in the nutmeg powder, mix and keep aside.
3. Now begin to prepare the curry. Heat oil in a pressure cooker on medium flame and when the oil is slightly warm, add the bay leaf. 
4. After about 30 seconds, add the chopped onions and stir. Fry well until they are transparent and start getting brown. 
5. Add the salt and the prepared garam masala (in step 2) and mix well. Save a little garam masala to be added in the end.
6. Add the ginger-garlic paste. I prefer to add grated ginger and garlic it gives a more rustic flavor. Mix everything well and let cook until the raw smell goes away.
7. Add the tomato and sprinkle salt. Mix well and let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. 
8. Add the marinated chicken at this stage and the cubed onions. Mix everything well and fry the chicken in the masala for about 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously. 
9. Add two cups warm water to the cooker and give it a stir. Put on the lid over the pressure cooker but don't put on the whistle (pressure). 
10. Let it cook on medium flame for about 15 minutes. Remove the cover and add the lemon juice. Give a stir and let cook open for another 5 minutes. 
11. Turn off the flame and add the remaining garam masala. Without stirring, keep the lid above the cooker (don't close) and leave on for 10 minutes.
12. Remove the lid, stir and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve piping hot with chappatis or jeera rice.

Loved this recipe? Please leave a comment/feedback in the comments section as it really motivates me. Don't forget to connect with me on Facebook for regular recipe updates.

Tamarind Fish Cury

I love my fish and I love to prepare it in various styles almost every week. I love to use Salmon fish for my curries because it's so easy and versatile, has no bones and quick to cook; also I can experiment with flavors and almost all of the flavors I have tried have come out extremely well. So here's another of my experiments: Tamarind fish curry.

I marinated the fish in a mix of tamarind and also used tamarind in my curry. That, combined with tomatoes and spices made it bursting with flavors and it was almost finished in no time when I served it with jeera rice. Another special thing with this recipe is that I made it the previous night and served the next evening, it tasted rather amazing as the complete flavors of curry had seeped inside the fish, making it all the more delectable.

Other fish recipes from the blog:

Achaari Fish masala
Green Meen Kuzhambu
Lehsuni Fish curry
Mint Fish Curry
Rustic Salmon Curry


So, here's the recipe:

Fish (I used salmon fish): 350 gm

For the marination:

Ginger-garlic paste: 4 tsp.
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp.
Black pepper: 1/2 tsp.
Tamarind: 2 tsp.

For the curry:

Mustard oil: 3 tsp.
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Dry red chilli: 1
Garlic (crushed or grated): 2 tsp.
Onion (chopped): 2
Tomato (chopped): 2
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Ginger (grated): 1 inch
Tamarind: 3 tsp.

1.  Wash and cut the fish into desired size. Marinate in the ingredients mentioned in the marinating list: Salt, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste (you can also use grated ginger and garlic, it gives a nice texture), black pepper and tamarind. Keep aside for 20 minutes.
2. Heat the mustard oil in a pan and add the marinated fish pieces. Fry from both sides, keep turning sides so it doesn't stick to the pan. It won't take a lot of time, 5-10 minutes each side. 
   
3. Remove from the pan by draining the oil and keep aside.
4. Now we prepare the curry: Heat the same oil and crackle cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Add fenugreek seeds and dried red chilli. 
5. Add the garlic after 30 seconds and fry a bit until the raw smell disappears.
6.  Add the onions and fry until they are transparent. 
   
7. Add the tomatoes and sprinkle salt. Mix and let cook until the tomatoes are cooked and are soft and mushy. 
8. Add the red chilli powder and ginger. Mix well and add the tamarind. Mix everything and let cook for about 2 minutes. 
   
9. Add 2 cups of water, give a stir and cover. Let cook on medium flame for about 15 minutes. 
10. Remove cover and turn off the flame. Let the curry cool completely. 
11. When the curry is cooled, gently add the fried fish pieces to the curry and transfer the whole fish curry to a big bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight. I refrigerated about 24 hours and it gave the curry an amazing taste, with all the flavors seeped inside the fish. 
12. Take out from the fridge 30 minutes before serving. Warm it gently and serve hot with jeera rice. 

Disclaimer: Please note that this is an original recipe of the author and may not be copied or reproduced in any form without prior permission.

Loved this recipe? Please leave a comment in the comments section below as it really motivates me. Don't forget to join me on my Facebook Page for regular recipe updates.

Grilled Coriander Chicken (and 8 Marinating mixes)

I love to marinate whole chicken breasts and then grill them to a juicy perfection to get flavor in every bite and enjoy the wholesome goodness of chicken. I have experimented with different kinds of marinating mixes and coriander marinade is one of them. Today I'm writing about the coriander marinade and how to prepare grilled coriander chicken and sharing various different marinade mixes. These marinade mixes can also be used for paneer or marinating vegetables to be grilled.

Ingredients:

Chicken breast: 1

For the marinade:

Yogurt: 1 cup
Salt to taste
Garam masala: 2 tsp.
Lemon juice: 2 tsp.
Coriander leaves (finely chopped): a handful

For the masala:

Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp.
Asafoetida: a pinch
Onion (sliced): 1
Tomato (chopped): 2
Ginger (grated): 1 inch
Green chilli (chopped): 1
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp.
Cumin powder: 1 tsp.
Coriander powder: 1 tsp.
Garam masala: 1 tsp.
Coriander leaves to garnish

1. Wash and clean the chicken breasts and make small cuts all over the surface of chicken. This is so that the marinade seeps in perfectly to produce the juicy flavor.
2. Now mix all the marinating ingredients in a big bowl and marinate the chicken in this mix, cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours. 
3. Preheat the oven at 200 degrees C for 10-15 minutes.
4. Oil the grill and keep the marinated chicken breasts over the grill and grill for 30 minutes at 150 degrees C. After 15 minutes do the knife test and if the knife comes out clean, turn off the oven and leave in the grilled chicken for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and keep aside.
5. While the chicken is grilling, we prepare the tomato masala bed. Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. When they crackle, add the sliced onions and fry until the onions start to become transparent.
6. Add the tomatoes, ginger and green chilli and salt to taste and let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
7. Add all the dry spices: red chilli, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Mix well and let cook for another 2 minutes. Turn off the flame and take out in a serving dish.
8. Add the grilled chicken to this masala bed and garnish with coriander leaves and lemon wedges. Sprinkle black salt if required and serve !!

Now I will talk about the various kinds of marinades which I have used for grilling chicken. 

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA:

I have marinated the whole chicken breast and instead of the traditional way of grilling the chicken tikka on the skewers, this recipe is created by grilling the whole chicken breast and added to a basic curry masala. Get the recipe for chicken tikka masala here: Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

TANDOORI CHICKEN:

Tandoori Chicken is a popular North Indian dish: roasted chicken marinated with a mix of yogurt and spices and grilled in a cylindrical oven "tandoor".. Whole grilled chicken garnished with coriander leaves and lemon wedges and to be served with mint-coriander chutney. Get the recipe:

Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Mint-Coriander Chutney recipe

ACHAARI CHICKEN TIKKA:

This marinate mix is flavored with yogurt, pickle oil and pickling spices which gives a whole new dimension to the dish. This has become another favorite in my household after the tandoori chicken when it comes to grilling. Serve it just like that, smeared with lemon juice or prepare another side dish: Achaari coriander pulao with the remaining marinade mix. When you try this once, I bet you will want to eat this again and again. Get the recipe here:

Achaari Chicken Tikka Recipe

Achaari Coriander Pulao recipe

HARIYALI GRILLED CHICKEN:

As the name suggests, hariyali marinade is a mixture of greens: an abundance of mint and coriander. The marinade is prepared with mint and coriander leaves, ginger-garlic and lemon juice and grilled; then mixed with a spicy curry so it can be relished with rice and/or chappati (Indian flat bread). Get the complete recipe here:

Hariyali Grilled Chicken recipe

GRILLED CHICKEN JALFREZI:

In an attempt to do something different than the usual for grilling the chicken breasts, I came up with the idea of marinating the chicken with a spicy mix and a dash of kasoori methi for an added flavor, then preparing a different curry with freshly prepared garam masala and mixing in the juicy grilled chicken, topped with green chillis.. Get the recipe here:

Grilled Chicken Jalfrezi Recipe

TOMATO GRILLED CHICKEN:

Who would have thought that a marinade can be prepared from chopped tomatoes! Well that's what I experimented with and voila! it was a successful attempt. Grilled with the goodness of the tomato marinade and mixed with a flavorful base curry which is prepared with a lot of whole spices and fried whole baby onions; served with whole wheat roomali roti to make a lip-smacking meal. Get the recipes here:

Tomato Grilled Chicken Recipe

Wheat Roomali Roti Recipe

HASSELBACK CHICKEN IN TOMATO CURRY:

Well, I'm sure a lot of people prepare hasselback potatoes very often; so why not the same with whole chicken breasts? Hasselback chicken: marinated in a ginger-garlic paste with the added essence of mint and poppy seeds and added to a yogurt-tomato curry; and best served with whole wheat laccha paratha to make a complete, delicious and unforgettable meal. Get the recipe here:

Hasselback Chicken in Tomato Curry Recipe

Wheat Laccha Paratha Recipe

KOLHAPURI CHICKEN

Kolhapuri Chicken (Tambada Rassa) is usually prepared with mutton and I have prepared it with chicken instead. Also, instead of making a curry with chicken, I grilled the whole chicken breast. What's special in this dish is the use of a wonderful, aromatic, flavorful Kolhapuri Spice mix which is added to the base curry along with the use of many whole spices, making it a spicy dish: fireworks on your platter !! Get the recipe here: 

Kolhapuri Chicken Recipe

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Kaju Murgh

Kaju Murgh: A chicken delicacy with the use of whole spices with the richness of cashew nuts and simmered in a basic onion tomato gravy with the added dimension with the addition of yogurt, topped with fried cashews for a rich culinary experience: now, who can resist these delicious bites which can be served both with chappati (Indian flatbread) and plain rice.

Ingredients:

Chicken: 300 gm
Cooking oil: 3 tsp.
Sesame seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Coriander seeds: 1/2 tsp.
Bay leaf: 1
Onions (sliced): 2
Ginger-garlic paste: 3 tsp.
Tomato (chopped): 2
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder: 1 tsp.
Cashew nuts: a handful
Yogurt: 1/2 cup
Garam masala: 1 tsp.
Kasoori methi: 1/2 tsp.

1. Save a few cashew nuts for the garnish and soak the rest of the cashews in warm water. 
2. Lightly toast the cashews for garnish and keep aside.
3. Heat oil on medium flame and add the whole spices: sesame seeds, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds and bay leaf.
4. Add the onions after 30 seconds. Mix well and fry until the onions turn transparent. 
5. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry well until the raw smell goes away. 
6. Add the tomatoes and sprinkle salt. Let cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy. By the time drain the water from the soaked cashews and grind them in a coarse paste and keep aside.
7. Add the black pepper powder to the masala and the cashew paste. Mix well and let cook for another minute.
8. Add the yogurt and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and a little water (you can add more water if serving this with rice). Cover the pan and let cook for 15 minutes. 
9. Remove cover and stir well. Let cook opened for a few minutes and add the garam masala and kasoori methi. Mix well and cover again. Turn off the flame.
10. Let sit for about 10 minutes and remove cover. Garnish with the toasted cashews and serve.