Tag: cinnamon stick
Pepper Chicken Curry
Spice Mix
- 2 teaspoons whole peppercorns
- 4 cloves
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
Roast the spices and grind, keep aside.
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 5 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, skin off with bone
Mix the spices, oil, ginger, garlic and salt. Mix well and rub all over the chicken pieces and marinate for 2 to 3 hours.
- 2 tablespoons ghee or butter
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 10 to 15 curry leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Heat a heavy saucepan with the ghee. Brown the chicken pieces on both sides on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes each. Take the pieces out and add the onion and curry leaves. Add the turmeric and sauté on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken pieces and broth. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer and cover with lid. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes and take the lid off to check if chicken is done. Increase the heat to cook any excess liquid in the pan. Check for seasonings and garnish with cilantro.
Chicken with Cilantro and Dill Sauce
This is one of my favorite chicken recipes- its my Grandfathers. It is simple and delicious…
- 2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
- 3 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons salt
Marinate the chicken pieces with the coriander and salt for 2 to 3 hours.
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 cup dill, chopped
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
Process the onion, garlic, dill and cilantro. Keep aside.
- 2 tablespoons ghee or butter
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
- 1 half inch cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Heat a heavy saucepan with the ghee and oil. Brown the chicken pieces on both sides on high heat, 2 to 3 minutes each. Keep aside. Add the cinnamon stick and cloves. Saute for 20 seconds and add the cilantro mixture. Saute on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken and chicken broth and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for half an hour covered. Take the lid off and turn the heat up and cook off the sauce until it thickens a bit. Check for seasonings.
Grind the spices in a coffee grinder and sprinkle on top of the curry. Mix well and let simmer for ten minutes. Serve warm.
Shami Kebab
These are kebabs typically made out of beef- very prevalent in Pakistani cuisine. They are one of my favorites- but I had never made them before…
- 1 pound grass fed ground beef
- 1/3 cup channa dal
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 3 cloves
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- ¼ cup nutmeg powder
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 inch ginger, chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons yogurt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup fresh mint, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3 to 4 tablespoon extra light olive oil
Soak the channa dal in half a cup of water for an hour. Transfer the beef, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, ginger, onion, yogurt, salt and the channa dal with the water into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook on a simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Take the lid off and cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes on medium heat until all the liquid is cooked off. Take off the heat and set aside to cool.
Once the mixture is fully cooled, transfer into a food processor and add the egg, cilantro, mint and salt. Process till everything is smooth and incorporated. Form flat patties by using a tablespoon measure. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the patties, about 3 to 4 at a time and brown on each side. Serve warm with cilantro chutney.
Hyderabadi Style Chicken
We are all guilty of being stuck in a rut- especially when it comes to cooking. I realized, I had not cooked Indian food in a while- not sure what my rut was but it certainly wasn’t Indian food. I decided to change that and come up with a delicious chicken curry!
- 2 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in or out, without skin
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped fine
- Juice of one lemon
- 2 teaspoons salt
Mix the yogurt, garlic, ginger, cilantro, lemon juice and salt. Transfer to a medium bowl with the chicken. Marinate over night or at least 2 to 3 hours.
Spice Mix
- ½ cup grated coconut (I use frozen)
- 2 green cardamoms
- 4 cloves
- 2 dried red chilies
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
- ¼ cup chopped almonds
Process all the ingredients in a spice grinder (coffee grinder) and keep aside.
- 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 cup tomato puree
- ½ cup water
- Salt
Heat a heavy saucepan with the oil. Add the onion and sauté on medium high heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add the spice mix and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the tomato puree and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken and water. Bring to a boil and simmer with lid for 35 to 40 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through. Take lid off and cook on high heat to cook off the excess liquid. Add salt if necessary. Serve warm with rice or quinoa.
Beef Stew with Orange and Cinnamon
Delicious, delicious- one of my favorite stew recipes. Orange and cinnamon are synonymous with cold weather. I had some stew meat in the freezer. I took it out the night before and made the stew in no time. All you need is some chicken broth and red wine. I always have mushrooms in the fridge- my daughter loves them and they are super versatile. I decided to add them to the mix. I zested and juiced an orange and added a cinnamon stick. It is amazing what those flavors put together do to any dish- whether it is a sweet or savory dish.
The stew took no time to put together. It cooked on the stove for a good half an hour, forty minutes. You can cook it even longer, depending on the meat.
Everyone loved it- the only problem was that it finished in one sitting. Everyone wanted it the next day.
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Dhaniya Meat (Goat Meat Cooked in a Cilantro Sauce)
This is one of my all time favorite dishes-ever. I grew up eating this and learnt later my maternal grandfather used to enjoy it immensely as well. I love it for its simplicity and amazing flavor.
This is my first time making this delicious dish and realized how simple it is to make.
The dish is made with one of my favorite combinations- cilantro, onion, garlic and green onions. The mixture imparts amazing flavors and color. It is as simple as that.
If you are not able to find goat meat, use lamb, beef or chicken- the basic flavor will be the same. I introduced the dish to my daughter who love it. The taste brought me back to my childhood. I love how food invokes delicious memories…
Enjoy this dish…
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Meat Koftas- Meatballs in an Onion Gravy
This is a delicious meat ball dish. In India we meatballs are called koftas. They can be made with a variety of meats. My favorite is goat meat- but pork is delicious as well.. and so is beef.
The key to make this dish successful is to season every component of this dish. I started off with the minced meat which I seasoned with salt, garam masala and a small shallot. I let that mixture sit for a few hours (over night would be great). I then prepared a spice mixture consisting of coriander and cumin seeds. It is important to use whole spices as the grounds ones don’t give as much flavor- although, in a pinch one can use the ground variety. The next step was to blend an onion with ginger and garlic- that is the base of the gravy. If the steps are followed- the dish is a sure hit.
It is not the fastest dish to make- so I would leave this for the weekend.. but it is definitely worth the extra time….
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