Tag: fennel seeds
Achari Chicken Tikkas (Chicken Cooked In Pickling Spices)
I am always looking for different ways to cook chicken- I guess so is everyone else. It is easy to pick it up while doing your weekly shop- or in my case- daily shop. I have to admit- I prefer chicken thighs to any other part of the bird. I find it very versatile, forgiving and full of flavor. I especially use it when making ethnic dishes.
I love making chicken tikkas- my daughter loves them- and I feel good about giving her delicious, organic meat with some veggies on the side.
I felt like eating tikkas but I wanted to prepare them a little differently than my usual. The cooking method is the same- it is the marinade that is completely different- sky is the limit when it comes to flavoring the yogurt. I made a spice mix which is similar to pickling spices used in Indian pickles. It is a classic mixture of fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds with onion seeds, etc. It gives the chicken a delicious sweet, savory and liquorice flavor.
These are best if marinated over night- if you didn’t plan ahead, no worries- a couple of hours will be fine as well. Keep this recipe in mind as you start thinking of grilling outside- enjoy!!
Achari Mix
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoon onion seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
Roast the seeds on stovetop until aromatic on medium heat- about 2 to 3 minutes. Cool and grind to a powder. Keep aside.
- 1½ pounds chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- ¾ cups non-fat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup half and half
- Juice of one lemon
- 3 teaspoons salt
- ½ red onion, sliced thin
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
Marinate the chicken in the garlic, ginger, yogurt, half and half, lemon juice, salt and the spice powder. Let it sit in the fridge over night or at least 2 to 3 hours.
Skewer the chicken pieces and cook under a broiler or on an outdoor grill. Cook till golden brown. Serve on a platter with sliced onions and lemon wedges.
Cardamom Fennel Chicken Tikkas
This is a great recipe for the summer- who doesn’t like chicken tikkas??? The only trick is to give the marinade some time to do its work.. the rest is easy…
- 1 pound chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
Marinade
- ½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons half and half
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground to a powder
- 4 to 6 cardamom pods, ground to a powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Juice of one lime
- 1 tablespoon extra light olive oil
Mix the yogurt, half and half, ginger, fennel, cardamom, salt and lime juice in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and mix well. Marinate for at least 2 to 3 hours, preferably 24 hours.
Take the chicken pieces out of the marinade. Place on to a line cookie sheet. Drizzle the oil all over the chicken pieces. Place into a high broiler and broil both sides until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve hot and with cilantro chutney.
Mutton with Yogurt Gravy
As I have mentioned before, goat is my favorite meat to eat. I can eat it everyday! I love the earthy, falling off the bone taste- yum!
This particular recipe is Kashmiri inspired. A lot of Kashmiri dishes are yogurt based. They also have, fennel and ginger powder. These particular spices give the dish a savory yet sweet flavor- very distinct indeed. It is a flavor I absolutely love and according to me, it goes perfectly well with goat meat.
If you don’t have access to goat meat- by all means use dark meat chicken or any other stew meat- lamb or even beef will be delicious- but nothing like goat.
I also used a bit of baked onions in the gravy. The onions give the dish a great, long cooked flavor.
Overall the dish was delicious. I made fresh rotis and that is all we needed…
read more …
Achari Gosht- Pickled Goat Meat
My Mom has been making this dish as long as I can remember. I particularly remember eating this goat dish when we went for picnics or a train ride to visit my cousins. It was cooked for those occasions since it was essentially ‘pickled’. It doesn’t go bad and can be kept outside for a long time. We would eat it room temperature and it was delicious.
It has a strong flavor of cooked onions with the tomato paste and is cooked for a while to cook off any water coming out of the vegetables. It is a concentrated flavor and so a little goes a long way. Typically Indian pickles consist of onion seeds, fennel seeds, etc. This dish has those flavors. Vinegar is added to finish the dish.
This dish can be made with any kind of stew meat. You can make it with dark meat chicken as well. To me, the goat tastes the best- I guess since I grew up eating it- that is what I like.
Looking at the list of ingredients, it may seem like a complicated dish- it isn’t. It does take a while to make it but it is totally worth it. It keeps for a while in the fridge so it is great to make a big batch and eat it once in a while. It is perfect for when there is nothing to eat and you don’t have time to cook anything. Take some pickled mutton out and eat it with a naan- yum!!!
read more …
Chicken Chettinad- South Indian Style Spiced Chicken
This is one of my favorite dishes to eat. I usually order the chicken curry at restaurants and always thought it would be too complicated to make it at home.
I finally got super curious and decided to make this on my own. I did a lot of research online and finally came up with this recipe- plus I think I made it simple as well.
To start with I marinated chicken thighs in lime juice and salt. While the chicken sat, I roasted coriander, cumin and fennel seeds. Dried red chilies, cinnamon, cloves and dried coconut were added as well and ground into a coarse powder. The next step was to saute onions, ginger and garlic with tomato sauce. Of course before I added the aromatics, I added my favorite ingredient- curry leaves. I like everything with curry leaves..
This dish does have a few steps but the end result is definitely worth all the work. Everyone loved it- especially my husband who loves South Indian food. You should definitely make this one- it is a winner…
read more …
Rogan Josh (Kashmiri Goat Curry)
I grew up eating this delicious goat dish. It is one of the more popular Kashmiri dishes served in Indian restaurants all over.
I have this memory of a cousin cooking this dish and I remember it taking a long time. Since then I have thought this goat preparation to be extremely difficult and time consuming.
Well, it isn’t really true- at least the version I made- sure, it has a few more steps than what I normally post but the end result is totally worth it.
The meat is marinated in yogurt and a few very aromatic spices including cloves, cumin, fennel and asafoetida. The combination of these spices remind me of a Kashmiri restaurant- they all smell delicious…
The meat is then cooked in chicken broth and ginger powder. There are no onions, garlic or tomatoes in this dish but the spices used lend a delicious aroma and taste to this stew like preparation.
Rogan josh tastes delicious simply with some naan or homemade rotis. I can’t get enough of this delicious dish. Everyone loved it including my daughter. The only problem was- there were no leftovers- we ate up the whole thing in one sitting….
read more …
Achari Gobi Aaloo- Cauliflower and Potatoes Sauteed in Pickling Spices
As I have mentioned many times before, my darling husband loves cauliflower. To say he loves it, is an understatement. I like it as well but don’t make it often enough for him. I keep trying to explain to him that I need new ways of cooking the same vegetable if I want to post the recipe on the blog.
I found a fabulous looking head of cauliflower at the supermarket and picked it up immediately. I wasn’t sure how I was going to cook it. As I was going through my pantry, I came across some Indian condiments including spicy pickles. Most Indian pickles consist of fennel, cumin and onion seeds, etc.
I decided to use these spices in the cauliflower dish and make it with potatoes- which is the classic combination most people are familiar with.
I also used mustard and fenugreek seeds with a combination of onion, ginger, garlic and tomatoes. This is the type of dish you will find at Indian weddings in India. It’s rich, vibrant and full of flavor. It is also very appealing to the eye and did I mention delicious! The sweet cauliflower is a great complement to the flavorful spices in there.
I cannot tell you how my husband devoured this dish. He didn’t want me to share it with anyone- which I normally do since I churn so much food out of my kitchen- I like to give some away. He wanted to have it all to himself and asked me to make this dish again.
I guess its back to drawing board for me- trying to come up with new cauliflower recipes…. Enjoy- this one is a keeper.
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 3-4 white potatoes, cut into wedges
- 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
- 1 teaspoon onion seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 2 medium white onions, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 3 inch ginger, sliced thin
- 3 serrano chilies, deseeded and sliced
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
In a large wok like pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, cumin, fennel, mustard and fenugreek seeds. Saute for a minute on high heat, or till the seeds begin to sizzle. Add the onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium high heat. Add the garlic, ginger and Serrano chilies. Saute for 5-7 minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the cauliflower and potatoes. Mix well and add the salt, turmeric, cayenne pepper, coriander powder and garam masala. Mix well, turn the heat to low and cover and cook for 15 minutes. Take the lid off to check if the potatoes are tender. Turn the heat up and cook the excess moisture accumulated at the bottom of the pan. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes on high. Check for seasonings and add the cilantro before serving.