Kolhapuri Chicken Dry

🔥 Spice with Grace: Tips for a Balanced Kolhapuri Dish

  • Use Byadgi chilies: They bring vibrant color and mild heat—perfect for layering flavor without overwhelming.
  • Toast your spices: Dry roasting coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds before grinding enhances aroma and complexity.
  • Incorporate coconut: Grated or desiccated coconut adds body and mellows the spice, especially in gravies.
  • Ginger-garlic paste: A must for depth—sauté it well to avoid rawness.
  • Finish with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime: It brightens the dish and balances the richness.

🌶️ The Heart of Heat: Crafting Kolhapuri Chicken

Kolhapuri cuisine doesn’t whisper—it roars. And this chicken dish is no exception. With the crimson hue of Byadagi chilies and the fiery punch of Lavangi mirchi, it’s a celebration of bold flavors and vibrant color. But the magic lies in the masala—freshly roasted, ground, and layered with care.

Pro Tip: Dry roasting your spices isn’t just a step—it’s a ritual. The moment they hit the pan, your kitchen transforms. That smoky, nutty aroma? It’s the soul of Kolhapur calling.

Masala Prep Essentials:

  • Coriander seeds
  • Cumin seeds
  • Fennel seeds
  • Black peppercorns
  • Cloves, cinnamon, cardamom
  • Byadagi & Lavangi chilies
  • Optional: poppy seeds, sesame seeds, star anise for added complexity

Grind them fresh, and you’ll never look back.

🛠️ Spice Prep Tip: Fresh vs. Fast

Freshly ground masala is the heartbeat of Kolhapuri chicken—but life doesn’t always allow for slow cooking rituals. If you’re short on time, make your spice blend ahead and store it in an airtight container. It’ll stay fragrant for up to 7 days.

Important: Skip the coconut powder during prep. Add it fresh when cooking to preserve flavor and prevent spoilage. It’s the final flourish that keeps your dish vibrant, aromatic, and safe to savor.

🍗 Kolhapuri Chicken: Where Depth Meets Fire

This isn’t just chicken—it’s a journey through spice. Marinated to the bone, then simmered with onions, chilies, curry leaves, and a freshly ground masala that sings of Kolhapur’s bold culinary heritage. Roasting the spices in olive oil lends a gentle touch, but finishing in ghee brings that unmistakable earthy richness.

Serving Suggestion: Pair it with classic Daal Chawal for a comforting meal that’s anything but ordinary. The creamy lentils mellow the heat, while the chicken adds a punch of flavor that lingers beautifully.

Andhra Shrimp Dry

Shrimp seem to be everyone’s favorite. But my first bite was a disaster. I was eight, visiting family friends in Mumbai—Bombay, back then. They served shrimp curry for dinner. The flavor was mild, almost timid, but I hated it instantly. One bite in, and I was running to spit it out. Right there, I swore I’d never touch shrimp again.

That promise held for years. Growing up in Jodhpur, seafood was never really on the table. Fresh catch was a rarity, and shrimp didn’t exist in my world at all.

It wasn’t until my early twenties, back in Mumbai with my parents, that everything changed. My father took me to a small restaurant in Juhu and ordered tandoori shrimp. Reluctantly, I tried it. Oh my God—what a revelation. Smoky, spicy, charred just right. In a single bite, all those bitter childhood memories were erased. I was in love. To this day, I thank my late father for insisting I give shrimp a second chance.

Years later, after I married and moved to the U.S., shrimp became more than a dish—it became a staple. As Muslims, our meals were halal or seafood, and shrimp quickly took center stage. I started experimenting in my own kitchen: pasta tossed with shrimp, sandwiches, wraps, rolls. Before long, I was simmering shrimp curries and skewering shrimp kebabs. Each new recipe felt like another chapter in a love story that had once begun with such a rocky start.

One of my favorite ways to cook shrimp now is Andhra style. It’s spicy, crispy, and absolutely delicious. I go heavy on curry leaves, mustard seeds, and dried red chilies, layering in all those bold flavors. The result is a dish that’s simple to make but bursting with character. It pairs beautifully with daal chawal—comfort food elevated by a punch of heat and crunch.

Andhra Chicken Dry

My younger son has a soft spot for food and travel shows. He never misses the ones that spotlight Indian restaurants or iconic dishes from back home. What amazes me most is how easily he remembers the specialties of different regions—like a little walking food map of India. As a parent living far from my country, it fills me with pride to see him connect so deeply with our roots and flavors. It’s a beautiful reminder that distance can’t dim heritage.

The other day, my son was watching a show that featured an old eatery famous for its Andhra Chicken. They walked through the preparation step by step, and as always, I noticed how these shows give you just enough detail to get started—but never the full secret. The special ingredient stays hidden, and the exact measurements are left for you to figure out. And honestly, that’s the best part of cooking. You start with the basics, then adjust the flavors to your own taste. It’s in that trial, error, and discovery that the real joy of cooking comes alive.

And honestly, that’s where the fun begins. Cooking even a simple dish gives me so much joy, but when it’s something familiar—like a dish I’ve tasted in restaurants—it feels even more exciting. You start with what you know, then trust your own sense of flavor to experiment and adjust. These little trials in the kitchen test my instincts, and every time, they remind me why cooking makes me so happy.

Chicken ke Sholay

With the wide variety of chicken kebabs we try—some made at home and others enjoyed at restaurants—this particular kebab stands out as something truly special. It’s from one of our favorite restaurants, which has several branches across New Jersey and a few neighboring states. This kebab quickly became a family favorite, a dish we found ourselves ordering almost every time we visited.

And then, for some reason, the restaurant closest to our house shut down. Now, anyone who lives in the United States knows that nothing here is ever truly “close.” But when we say five miles, we mean close enough! So, losing the nearest branch definitely made us sad.

Still, there’s always an upside—you can try to recreate what you love at home. I think moments like these are little tests of our own culinary instincts, a way to prove to ourselves what we’re capable of.

So, I decided to try making these irresistible bites of goodness myself. It took a few attempts to get them right, but when you truly love food and enjoy playing with spices, the process becomes part of the fun. The challenge lies in finding that perfect balance of flavors—the right amount of spice that makes a dish taste just like the one you remember.

The best part, though, is that these kitchen experiments often lead to new favorites at the dining table—dishes that are not only delicious but made with love, which always makes them taste even better.

Tava Tangdi Chicken Kebab

My experiments with kebabs always have to be innovative, unique, and, of course, absolutely delicious. My boys love trying different styles of kebabs and are always excited to see what new version I come up with next. I think that’s what keeps me inspired—to keep experimenting, mixing flavors, and creating something different each time.

After making so many different styles of chicken kebabs, it does get challenging to come up with something new using the same set of spices. It’s amazing how the same ingredients can create entirely different flavors—just by changing the order in which you add them or the stage at which they cook. That’s the real beauty of cooking: learning how timing and technique can transform familiar spices into something completely fresh.

These kebabs hardly need any marinating time, which makes them perfect for those moments when you want to serve something that’s both easy and impressive. Whether you decide on the menu at the last minute or find yourself hosting uninvited guests who show up expecting a feast, these kebabs will save the day. They’re quick to prepare, full of flavor, and always a hit at the table.

These kebabs can easily be made without an oven, and the ingredients are simple—nothing fancy or hard to find. I’ve used chicken legs for this version and called them Tangdi Kebabs, but you can just as easily use other cuts or even boneless chicken.

If you’re using boneless meat, go for thigh or leg pieces rather than breast. Chicken breast tends to be thicker and can turn chewy with this recipe, especially since the marination time is short and the spice blend is simple. Thigh meat, on the other hand, stays tender and absorbs the flavors beautifully, giving you juicier and more flavorful kebabs.

This recipe is perfect for beginners and bachelors—simple to make yet impressive enough to wow a crowd. Even if you’re new to cooking, you’ll find it easy to follow and full of flavor. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!

Chicken Veggies oven special

With all the different kinds of foods that we consume, at times you just feel that your tummy needs a break. You feel you need more veggies, less oil, fewer carbs, in all just a healthy meal. But, the problem that people like me face is that we also need something that tastes scrumptious and good along with all the health benefits.

Specially, if you have children as demanding as mine, you basically fight a battle. When the demand is to make veggies look more appealing and to make their protein go leaner without them noticing. That’s when dishes like this are invented.

This Chicken is marinated with spices making it flavorful. The spices can always be switched or played around with. I added Tandoori powder and Red chili powder to make the flavors a little more spicy, but you can always reduce the quantity or omit the spices altogether. I find this a great recipe for easy lunch and dinner.

Kolkata Chicken Roll

We love Chicken rolls. Those of you who read my blog and follow my recipes would know that I love different styles of Chicken wraps, be it a Chicken Roll or Burrito or Tacos. I think the love for Chicken rolls came from my Mom. During one of her trips to Mumbai, she had tried some Mutton Tikka boti rolls at a Parsi eatery and tried reinventing them at home which is actually loved by the whole family.

So, when I came across a wonderful pictures of Kolkata Chicken Roll, I had to give it a try. The flavor of Kolkata roll is not just different, it actually bombards your taste buds with a joy ride of different things. From what I have read, its pretty renowned and a popular street food in Kolkata. Though I have never been to Kolkata, there is something about the food and culture that connects me to it and I find it amazingly attractive. Recipes like this are so easy and fuss free that while it connects you to your roots, which is just so important for people like me who live so far off from their home country, but also makes it easy for your kids to eat. Its healthy, nutritious and perfect for on the go too.

I grew up eating and loving my mother Tikka Boti Roll, which she initially only made with meat but then also started making with Chicken and I loved both. I have always been a fan of being able to make something that was good for road trips. See, some trips allow you to stop by at hotels on the way, but not all and for those trips or those after game hunger pangs while you might be stuck in heavy traffic, these are the recipes that just don’t come handy but also are flavorfully satisfying.

I marinated the Boneless Chicken with Salt, Ginger garlic paste, Lemon Juice and Yogurt. Spices I used were Fenugreek leaves, Tandoori powder, Red chili powder, cumin powder and fennel powder. Chicken can be marinated and left in the refrigerator overnight but if you are short on time, it can also be marinated for 30-45 minutes.

This recipe might not be exactly same as what you might have experienced in Kolkata, if you have been lucky enough to try the street food there, but after the numerous trials and efforts made by me and going through uncountable recipes of different kinds, I managed to stick to this one for the Kolkata Chicken rolls. I am not too sure how the Chicken rolls are different from the Kolkata egg rolls, but my mom would always spread some egg was on the Roti and fry it for the Tikka Boti so I did the same thing for my recipe and I feel the taste is deliciously enhanced. This recipe is inspired by numerous flavors that I have tried all my life and I feel with the numerous trials that I have made, I am able to give this dish a flavor different from my regular Chicken rolls. Hope you try it, like it and enjoy it as much as my family and I do.  

Murgh Darbari Tangdi Kebab

As the name suggests, this recipe is from the era of Mughals and I believe must have been a favorite of Mughal Emperor, Shehenshah Akbar. Going through history, its amazing to read of how different ingredients were introduced at different times. Like spices or khada Masala, like cinnamon, bay leaves or cardamoms and cloves were never a part of the Indian cuisine and were brought in by the Mughals when they migrated to India. I believe there has been no other clan unlike the Mughals who not only brought in so much with them but also adapted the cultures of India and settled with the people and built families.

Where the spices were brought in by the Mughals, India already had food enhancing flavors like Turmeric, red chilies, coriander etc. Mixed together, the food that came out was super amazing like this kebab or a lot of Biryanis that I share on this website.

The super amazing cuisines that we taste at so many restaurants today have been fusion dishes of the old era which apparently weren’t recorded under the term “fusion”. The acceptance of a culture, embracing the traditions, values and flavors and giving the best of what we have does not only result in super new flavors but also becomes a part of our cuisines for the coming generations . For me reading history about a dish is as fascinating as trying to cook a dish.

This recipe of chicken kebabs comes from the era of Mughals. I know, most all kebabs do. Kebabs are a gift to the food world by the Middle East. The variety, the flavors and the fact that they are grilled in different ways can leave your taste buds joyful and crave for more.

I believe for a fact that when the Mongolians and the Persians rulers came to India, it wasn’t an invasion. I know during that era it does look like an invasion because all the wars were for power and land and the greed to appear mightier and stronger than other rulers always seemed to drive warriors crazy where they seemed to be baffled by the prosperity of the neighboring kingdoms and invasion seemed to be the only way to satisfy your hunger for more.  But, leaving all that aside, the Mughals brought in a lot of architectural science, spices and methods of cooking. They came to settle and make India more diverse and that’s what I fail to see in Indian news today.

I am proud to be an Indian, a country where friendship and mutual respect comes much before religion. Where Eid is celebrated with as much love as Diwali. Where Hindus are always at your house on Eid to taste awesome Biryani and your mom makes sure she cooks vegetarian food separately for your 2 vegetarian friends. Where stories of Jodha Akbar is less of Akbar, the Emperor who invaded India and more of the love between a Mughal Emperor and a Rajput Queen. India a country, that proves its a place accepting all religions and stands tall with its cultural heritage. With all that, food plays a very important role. The spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and saffron changed the complete look of flavors and when mixed with Indian chilies, the result was food from Paradise.

This recipe goes back to the era of Akbar and Jodha. The story suggests that Emperor Akbar had a great taste in food and his Kitchens had the most exclusive dishes made, vegetarian and Non vegetarian. Queen Jodha also seemed to have a great interest in cooking the best dishes and made sure that the chefs prepare dishes according to his taste. This recipe comes in as one of his favorites.

Now, with the history books I read, I do get an idea of the ingredients but they aren’t a 100% of what were used in the original recipe. Therefore, these recipes are mine but they should be close to what the original food must have tasted. Each recipe that I share can have common ingredients, but they are completely different for each other. The only way you can find out is by trying. Hope you enjoy these Kebabs as much as I did.

Cod Fish with Roasted Veggies

We love all kinds of Sea Food. Curries, Fried, Grilled, any which way we love them. This dish makes a great option if you are on a diet, or looking for low carb options or following keto recipes. This is a quick recipe for lunch and a super nutritious one too.

I used Frozen cod but if you have fresh Cod available, that would be great. My boys love fish and grilled veggies or just cold salads on the side of a pan fried fish. These kind of dishes are easy, scrumptious, fits the budget, healthy and delicious. This is a perfect recipe when you are running short on time.

I use basic spices like Red chili flakes, Garlic powder, Onion powder, White pepper powder and Tandoori masala. I also added some dry parsley for flavor. You can always mix and match and use the spices you like. I personally don’t like much of cinnamon or Red chili powder on cod fish. I also feel that Black pepper makes it a little bitter so I prefer white pepper powder. Add a little Lemon juice and the marination is just perfect.

I grill or saute the bell peppers and Asparagus in the same pan as the fish once i am done cooking the fish. I feel it adds a lot of flavor from the fish and the spices to the vegetables. This is a great dish if you want to involve your budding teenagers and teach them easy and quick dishes.

Malabar Shrimp Curry

Shrimps are one of my favorite kind of seafood and I would always try shrimps with new kind of gravies or new styles of marinade and fry them or grill them in different ways. Mr. Parveez always preferred eating an actual fish to eating shrimps. He finds Shrimps to be a little tasteless. So, when I started making Shrimp curries, he was still not a big fan. He would eat, but you know not really enjoy it as much as how I would like him to.

We watch a lot of travel shows and during one such show, the host happened to be travelling around restaurants in Kerala and one such restaurant was cooking Malabar shrimp curry. Now before anything let me tell you this. We were watching this program around an hour or so before dinner time. While the chef in the restaurant was showing how he prepares his special Shrimp curry, we were glued to the TV and wished we could see it live in person and have a bite of that scrumptious looking curry. Anyways, just as I mentioned that it was around an hour or so before dinner. Looking at that curry, I was determined that I have to try making it. Funny enough I remembered that my freezer has a pack of frozen shrimps. I always believe in miracles and this might have been one such lucky day. I got down to making it that very moment. The curry came out amazingly delicious and a family favorite too. Now the chef had only given in a rough idea on how to make the curry and few things that I have added to my curry recipe was not a part of the show that we watched. So, you might not find this different from an authentic Malabar Shrimp Curry, but you will definitely get the hint of Malabar flavors and savor each bite.

I deveined the shrimps but left the tail on. I feel it makes the shrimps look prettier in a curry, but you can always take the tail off if you prefer. After washing and pat drying, I marinated the shrimps in Ginger garlic paste, Red chili powder, Fennel seed powder, Tandoori powder, salt and lemon juice for 15-30 minutes. I also added a bunch of curry leaves. Further added some Rice flour, All purpose flour and corn starch powder and deep fried the shrimps. Frying makes the shrimps crunchy and the texture with the curry sauce is very flavorful.

To make the curry, add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds along with dry round red chilies. Once they splutter, add curry leaves and further add chopped onions. Add ginger garlic paste followed by black pepper powder, Turmeric powder, Red chili powder, coriander powder, fennel seed powder, salt and cumin powder. Add the Dry red chili paste, tomato puree and green chilies along with fried shrimps and dry fenugreek leaves.

This shrimp curry is pretty easy and would make a special place in your menu. Its goes along great with garlic naan or plain naan and also Kerala Parantha.