Indonesian Chicken Satay

Most South East Asian countries offer their version of Chicken Satay. Though I have never visited any of the countries [despite they are so close to India], from what I have watched and read, its a popular street food. This one is the Indonesian version and to me, is the easiest, you can get everything you need from the supermarket, simple to put together and simply delicious. The kebabs have a peanut sauce mixed in the marination and I find peanut butter to be an awesome substitute.

Satay Chicken is more known as Malaysian and Thai, though Indonesia is actually the country that came up with the dish. All these countries have their own recipes and versions of these wonderful dish. I will be sharing Malaysian Chicken satay as well. I am a big fan of Malaysian food but for some reason always find it easier to make the Indonesian version of Chicken Satay, since its easy and scrumptious and my kids love it.

When I was looking into the various chicken Satay recipes, I realized that even though they all had very close similarities, they all taste entirely different and are easily distinguishable. The Indonesian version is easier and kind of a little faster than the other.

The Peanut Sauce in the recipe has been substituted with Peanut butter and if you happen be someone who prefers going more authentic, you can always try getting some peanut sauce from the Asian market. The traditional Peanut sauce is made by grinding Peanuts, soy sauce, Hot peppers, baby onions and lemon together. The paste is usually thick and water is only used little at a time. if you plan to make yours at home, I suggest you to use peanuts without skin, and use dry Red chilies as an option for hot peppers. Lemon juice and little water as needed. Just using a blender to combine everything together.

Since I use Peanut butter, I add Red chili flakes, sugar, soy sauce and lemon juice separately. I feel marinating the chicken pieces together with all the spices and Peanut butter does an amazing job and makes the dish deliciously flavorful. I have made thise for school lunches, home lunches, small gathering and for pot luck. It has always been loved and appreciated and its a super amazing recipe to bookmark and pass on. Enjoy!!!

Dumm Aaloo

Potatoes, whether they are made in anyway or style, boiled, mashed, baked, fried or roasted, are one of the most loved and easily consumed vegetable around the world. Potatoes are believed to have been domesticated around 7,000 -10,000 years ago near modern day Peru, South America. Today, nearly a third of the world’s production is harvested in India.

So how did the Potato reach India? The Portuguese introduced potatoes to india in the early 17th century and cultivated it around the western coast. The name Batata is actually Portuguese. By the end of 18th century, it was being grown around the northern hilly areas of India. This amazing vegetable was born in India and dishes made of potatoes spread to each and every corner of the country.

One such dish is the Dum Aaloo. This dish has numerous variations in our country. It is prepared differently in different states and regions, depending on the taste, spices available, cooking styles of the regions. This is one of the most fancy ways of cooking Potato curry.

Its usually made with baby potatoes, but I just preferred cutting my big potatoes to pieces. You can always use whatever you prefer using. My logic was to get more sauce on my potatoes and making them a little more flavorful and spicy. But you can always pick baby potatoes if you prefer the sweetness of potatoes with a little spice. This curry goes well with parantha and Roti or as a side dish. Enjoy!!!

Lahori Chicken Chargah

Lahori Chargah Chicken is one of the easiest and yummiest kebabs that I make. I believe there are few different recipes for Lahori Chargah and you might find some recipes different from what I make. My recipe is based on the first and the only Lahori Chargah I have tried.

There was a small restaurant that we used to go to when my first born was a few months old. We had a pediatrician for him who had her office pretty far from our house. Now those days, I wasn’t driving hence we always had to get a weekend appointment since it would otherwise be hard for Mr. Parveez. For some reason we always got an afternoon appointment and despite the appointment and reaching there on time. The lady who ran it had a very limited menu, one kind of Biryani, 2-3 curries and 1-2 kinds of Kebabs. This happened to be one of them that we really loved and this was a part of our regular order. She also made a different kind of Biryani which we later on found out that she actually didn’t make it herself , but used to get from a near by restaurant. We still loved going to the little cozy restaurant as we were pretty satisfied with the little menu with simple dishes, until one day she decided to move and close the restaurant.

That’s when my search for making a perfect Chicken Chargah started. I saw a famous brand name that sold Chicken Chargah masala, so I bought it and followed the instructions. Now knowing how particular Mr. Parveez and I are about the store bought Masalas, we couldn’t really continue with the box Masalas and I had to get down to figuring out and making my own masalas at home and following the flavor, I actually did. Its amazing how flavors communicate with your taste buds and I believe communication is the key to every successful relationship, be it any.

So, there I was mixing in my Roasted cumin powder, Black Pepper, Red Chili Powder, White Pepper Powder and Tandoori Powder with Apple cider Vinegar and Ginger Garlic Paste. The reason for using both Black Pepper and White Pepper is that adding too much of Black pepper tends to make the food bitter, so adding a little gives you the kick and adding White Pepper along side gives you flavor similar to Black Pepper without adding the bitterness to the food. Chargah is usually made using whole chicken but I always use Chicken legs, as I find them better and easier to serve. So, make them anyway you like and enjoy.

Shredded Chicken Burger

My boys prefer home lunches and also love varieties for their lunch. When I use the word variety, I mean that they would not want a dish to be repeated in 2-3 weeks and believe it or not, its a lot of pressure to make something that tastes great and that they would love it as well.

These chicken buns are easy to make and can be easily made by beginners as well. The chicken does not have to marinated for too long and even the process of marination is with pretty simple ingredients. This is great dish if you have boneless chicken available and haven’t thought of anything in mind, and need to get things ready in a rush.

My boys prefer this in the hot dog bun Sandwich, but this chicken would taste great even with a tortilla and Roti wrap too. I have tried them with ciabatta, french long bread and croissants as well.

I usually make this and serve it with a different spicy sauce . The recipe for the spicy sauce is in the sauce section. A blend of mayo, ketchup, hot sauce and mustard sauce goes perfectly with this spicy shredded chicken to give that kick to this sandwich.

Tava Kaleji Buns

One of the most important holidays that we have, as Muslims is Eid-ul-adha’a. The concept of sacrificing in the name of Allah, for Allah is divine, holy and extremely purifying. The meat is divided into 3 parts, one for the less privileged, friends and relatives and the last part for us. Sharing what you have with people makes us more humble and makes us care more for the community.

The day also brings in huge varieties of dishes. We, as Muslims are always on a lookout for new meat dishes and the more we go exploring, the more better and more creative we need to be. It always has to get better from the past year. With all that in mind, we are now in time and age where the kids aren’t satisfied with just kebabs and curries. The fusions have become so popular that not trying them at home makes you feel left out. Also, the fact that our generation is more adventurous in trying new ways of consuming foods and new cooking styles are always welcome.

This is basic Kaleji recipe that is served with buns. At my mother’s place, everyone was always excited about consuming Kaleji/ Liver. It was made with overload of Onions, green chilies and spices. Its dry, with little juice or separated Oil that its cooked with. On the other hand, Mr. Parveez’s family prefers consuming Kaleji in the form of a curry. This recipe though cooks Kaleji with curry masala and its cooked in a way till it gets dry. After that the cooked Kaleji is placed between the lightly toasted buns with cheese.

This dish is great for kids play date and tea parties too and are an excellent choice for brunch as well.

Chicken Tacos

Mexican food is a big hit in USA. Quesadillas, tacos and Burritos are so popular and make it to the list of fast food. The delicious tacos are easy to make and no one ever seems to get bored of it. The chicken is spiced up with taco seasoning [homemade or store bought], Olive oil and lemon juice. I usually make my taco seasoning at home and you can always follow the recipe which is pretty neat to follow and make.

But you know how they say that if you ever visit Italy, you might not love the Pizza. The reason is simple, its authentic and outside the original place, food acquires the flavors of the places its cooked. So, there are restaurants that serve authentic Mexican food, but otherwise its Americanized Mexican food and that’s exactly what I tried out.

These chicken tacos are warm corn flour tortillas filled with diced marinated chicken, lettuce, chopped onions, jalapenos, white garlic sauce, hot sauce, chopped tomatoes and cheese.

My reason behind trying these tacos was simple. We can only consume Halal Food which makes Chicken from restaurants unconsumable for us, therefore, anything that requires chicken or meat is something that I cook at home. The flavor of the chicken is mainly from the Taco seasoning which can also be used for Fish or Shrimp tacos.

The Tortilla is homemade simply by making a dough of corn flour and water and with the help of Tortilla maker, which was a gift by Mr. Parveez years ago and never used. So, finally I decided to put it use. There is another funny story to this. My mom loves ordering things from Teleshopping. So, years back around end of 90’s she ordered a Roti maker and this tortilla maker reminded me of that, except tortillas are easier and nicer. I believe the wheat flour ends up being very chewy and therefore a regular Indian chapati was a misfit, on the other hand Corn flour comes out great. So, I would suggest you buy one for homemade perfect Tortilla. Nevertheless, if you are always on a run, you can use store bought.

This recipe is great for a nutritious, easy and fast meal, good option for schools, trips, after game meals and endless times when we moms look for a healthy and fast option and something that our kids consume without a fuss. Enjoy!!!

Shahi Mutton Raan

Bakra Eid is one of the most important holiday for us Muslims. The month of Hajj is not just sacred, but also very special. Eid inculcates the value of sharing and sacrifice. Most Muslim families offer sacrifice on this day, which is divided into 3 parts, one part being for the less fortunate or poor, second part for relatives and friends and third part to kept for yourself. As much as I grew up with these values, I never tried to understand the reason and philosophy behind them. Now, as a mature adult I understand the deep meaning of how the religious reasons are ways of making us more caring and attentive towards our community and people.

Although, back leg of a goat would be available at your local butcher any day, but there is something about the back leg that is kept from the Qurbaani [animal sacrifice] and is usually cooked after a few days or weeks. Trust me when I say, there is something special about the meat from Eid. A taste that you never get on the regular meat from your butcher. And I cook meat leg from Eid and regular meat back leg from the Butcher too.

This recipe is pretty simple. The thing that needs most attention is the way you make slits in the back leg. The deeper the cuts, the easier it is for the spices to make their way in the meat, making it more flavorful. The main ingredient in the marination will be raw papaya. Raw papaya acts as a meat tenderizer and makes sure your meat comes out cooked well from inside and also stays soft and juicy. In case you do not have raw papaya/ green papaya available, you can also use the store bought meat tenderizer powder and use according to the instructions by the manufacturer.

I always marinate Raan with 2 separate marination. The first one is with basic Raw papaya paste, roasted Cumin Powder, Turmeric powder and salt and set it aside for an hour. The second marination includes Ginger garlic paste, Red chili powder, Tandoori masala, Anardana powder, Yogurt and Vinegar. I also add butter to this marination , but you can always add Oil if you prefer a healthier version. This marination should be kept for at least 8 – 10 hours or overnight. Cooking this on a grill is the best way to have it. I have cooked them on Gas grills and charcoal grills as well. Oven might not be as good of an option though if you do not have an outdoor grill, you can always use the oven with a with the marinated back leg on a mesh tray and a tray underneath to catch any drippings.

This dish will definitely make simple day seem a special occasion and make your dining table look extremely fancy. Enjoy!!!

Methi Chicken Curry

This curry is one of my most initial curries. My love for cooking during my earlier cooking days never had curries on the menu. I have always been more of a Biryani and Kebab person. It was much later that I started making curries and Methi chicken happened to be one of the first ones that I tried following a recipe I read in the book.

Now just to be clear, my mom does not make Methi Chicken, so honestly, I had no idea whatsoever if this dish will even come out and be edible. The dish really surpassed all my expectations and it became a must for special and not so special occasions, but with time, as I improved in my cooking skills, I felt few changes here and there would make it more flavorful.

The initial recipe required only tomatoes for Gravy, which I feel if made a few hours before tends to get a little dry. See, it’s simple logic, protein does tend to absorb moisture in the curry over time, therefore if you make a curry always make slightly saucy. Even with curries that are supposed to be thick in gravy, while making the curry should not be kept too thick, specially if you are cooking a few hours in advance. Once the curry is cooked, or for that matter when you cook any dish, it tends to get thicker as it cools down. Therefore, to make the consistency of the gravy a little thinner, I add Yogurt along with the tomatoes. Secondly, most recipes, actually almost all recipes where I see methi leaves as an ingredient for the dish, the recipes use kasoori Methi and as much as I like the way Kasoori Methi works its magic in curries, it can never beat fresh green Methi leaves. From my point of view, for curries where methi leaves are one of the main ingredients, we should use the fresh ones as opposed to the dry kasoori methi. Curries such as Butter Chicken or Malai Kofta require kasoori methi since its only needed for flavor enhancement and balancing the creamy texture of those curries.

I marinate the chicken in this recipe, for around 15-20 minutes, which is enough time for you to finish chopping the onions and start with the initial process of cooking this curry. A wonderful recipe and one of the best Methi Chicken curry that you can ever have. Enjoy!!!

Chicken Cheesy Tikka

Chicken Tikka has always been my go to recipe whether I have to make quick kebabs for the family or friends or even if we decide late in the evening to have a barb-e-cue dinner, Chicken Tikka is always the easiest, safest and yummiest recipe to go to. The flavors can be any which way you want. The boneless chicken pieces easily absorb the flavors quickly and the result always comes out delicious, unless you are determined to mess it up, otherwise its hard to mess up the chicken marination.

This recipe is a chef’s fluke or should I say determination of make sure I make something using shredded cheese, making sure the kebabs are soft, but also making sure that the boys taste no cheese. Isn’t it funny, life as a mom who loves to cook but is restricted by the weird taste buds that won’t allow her to experiment with flavors stressing on the fact that their peculiar taste buds won’t allow them to enjoy their favorite tikka. Therefore, this recipe was a challenge, and if you are sailing in the same boat as me, this recipe is for you.

The chicken I used is boneless chicken breast and Chicken breast tends to go a little dry and cheese helps it stay moist and juicy. I love kebabs that have that crunch top and is super moist inside.

Chicken Chatpata Dry Curry

In the world of flukes, the only things that keep you happy are genuine relationships found in fluke and recipes made in fluke. As much as people who you meet in a fluke become an integral part of your life, some recipes also become super special and your rush time go to save me ones.

A wise man once told me that a relationship should always be crystal clear, with nothing to hide and everything to tell. I think a recipe should always be the same too. And, since I find myself an expert at discussing food, I introduce one of my most awesome fluke recipes Chicken Chatpata Gravy.

So this is how the story goes, my boys on one fine beautiful weekend, stuck at home… Ohh!!! No, this is before the pandemic hit, good old days. We were stuck because one or both had some classes at odd hours and it would take a lot of time for me to drive #1 and then #2 and also feed them junk on the way with the hunger pangs, which seem to appear every hour. And, lets not forget the “can you make something different” demands. So, this dish was invented on one of those “different” making days by a clueless mom aka me, determined to impress my biggest critics and fans, my 2 boys.

I had chicken with bones and I tried mixing in spices with fresh coriander leaves and slit green chilies. Adding Greek Yogurt and ginger garlic paste with Red chili flakes and Vinegar added a lot of spike and flavor to the dish. The start to finish of the dish did not take me too long and this can definitely be made in a 30 minute time limit. And the taste oozes with different flavors in your mouth hence “chatpata”.

Trying to make it look a little different and for some reason the taste reminded me of chicken curry cooked back home during Eid, I tried serving this the same way. While growing up, on an Eid afternoon my cousins would make a curry in a jiffy and serve it on a huge platter with Rotis on the bottom and curry on top and all of us would sit together in eat. I think that was fun and somewhere I do miss it. So, this dish made me try the serving technique with my boys and they had fun eating.