Chicken Khoya Kasoori Kebab

These boneless chicken kebabs are one of the mildest and juiciest kebabs that I make. The softness comes from Khoya, which also relatively makes the kebabs a little sweet and soft. They are rich without being creamy and the taste of kasoori methi with spices adds a slight bitterness enhancing the taste of these fabulous kebabs.

These are easy to make and make a great dish for people who prefer milder flavor. I don’t think it will be a favorite among kids since the flavors are strong, unless your kids love experimenting with different flavors. Otherwise, these go great as kebabs themselves, just served over as snack or an appetizer at a party or as a side dish.

Chicken Kebab Kurkura

This recipe was an invention on a kids play date. The kids wanted fried chicken, well kind of fried and something that tastes close to tandoori, and it shouldn’t be something that they have already tasted. Oh Boy! Do you have kids who can test your creativity to a complete different level. Well, fortunately I do…LOLzzz. And as much as it tires and drains me out at times, it leaves me with the happiness of being able to create more recipes and compete with my own self to come up with something better.

Murgh Noorjahani Tikka

As the name suggests, this recipe is from the era of Mughals and I believe must have been a favorite of Mughal Emperor, Jahangir, made by Noorjahan Begum, thus named after her. 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 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.

Chicken Golmaal

I came up with this recipe on a Friday night, returning after my son’s soccer match, with 2 tired and hungry boys. Looking at the thawed chicken on my chicken island reminded me how I assumed that I would be home by 6 PM and will have enough time to cook the chicken and I spent the time leisurely enjoying the evening traffic on NJ turnpike.

Anyways, I had to make something out of this chicken, something yummy and before my boys were done with their shower. This is when this super quick chicken was invented. The name comes after all the masalas and spices used.

Chicken Frontier

Chicken Frontier is a simple kebab made with spices and Ginger garlic paste. I believe the recipe is originated somewhere from Punjab. During the time of wars, when supplies would be limited is probably when this recipe came into existence. With time, improvements were made and the recipe I share is my improvised version of this lip smacking delicious kebabs.

Chicken Banjara Tikka

It’s just impossible to be Kebab fans and not try different recipes of kebab. It’s sad when I see people liking different kebabs at restaurants, but not being able to make the difference out in flavors. Flavor have so much to say, every spice blends in uniquely with another spice creating delicious stories. Every place has their own f

These kebabs have a very nutty flavor with low to moderate spice level. They are great as side dishes or for a coffee/tea party.  This dish is very different from the regular kebabs. The marination is very earthy, fresh and the taste of each spice can be distinguished.

I believe some of the best, healthiest and quick kebab or tikka recipes come from the Nomads and I have a valid reason for it. Nomads were travelers, never settled at one place for long. So, basically they always had fresh food, since they didn’t have ways to store their meat and they must be grinding their spices right before it needs to be used. A fact that most of run away from these days is that frozen food tastes as good as fresh, which isn’t true at all. But, what breaks my heart even more is when I see people knowing something deep down but still not agreeing to it.
You could be in the best shape of your life, but your internal organs might be reacting to all the junk you feed it, the preservatives, the chemicals are taking toll and ruining your internal mechanism and the only way for you to set it right is by eating good and clean food.

Well, now the story…So, generally when I try a dish for the first time, its always an experiment and since I hate wasting food, I make sure the quantity is little. I made these kebabs and my little one was barely 4 years old. But, unlike most 4 year old, he had very strong taste buds and was very vocal about his food choices. So, Banjara tikka was served and he loved them, but since I had not made much, they finished faster than I could blink. My little one started throwing a tantrum for more and started crying when told that we didn’t have any more. That’s when I realized that I had some left over kebabs from previous day, which looked similar in color. I put them on the skewer the same way and got them to the dining table. He stopped crying, picked up the skewer, smiled but didn’t look too sure, so, he smelt it, Yes! you read it right, he smelt it and put it back saying,”its not the same kebab” and started crying again. We couldn’t stop laughing and I promised him to make the same kebabs for dinner the next day, which I did.

This dish is simple, it contains peanuts so you will have check for a substitute if you are allergic to nuts.

Chicken Balls

This dish was a play date day invention. My boys had friends over, all wanted chicken, but some wanted spicy, other not so spicy and the rest preferred something with cheese. These balls have different fillings, some are filled with ketchup so they are a little sweet and sour, some have green chili chutney and some have shredded cheese. The kids loved them and it was an instant hit.

Chicken Baida Roti

Chicken baida roti is an easy and scrumptious dish that can be served as a snack or light lunch. Chicken stuffed in the roti, folded into a square and cooked until crispy. Chicken Baida is similar to Katlamma. Chicken keema cooked with the spices and stuffed in the paratha. Its great by itself, without any sides or serve it with chutney. It is an excellent kids lunch box option. The stuffing and dough can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator and make it into a parantha the next morning for a lovely school lunch. It makes an excellent Sunday/ holiday lunch for me. My kids and hubby love it. Even this is a favorite on play dates when my boys have their friends over. So make it, its easy and will be loved by all ages….

Chennai Chicken 65

This chicken is an inspiration from  my friend’s mother in law. My friend, originally belongs to Bihar and fell in love with a boy from Tamilnadu… “Ab Miyaan Biwi raazi to kya karega Kaazi”…which means , if the Bride and and Groom agree to get married, there isn’t much a priest can do…LOLzzz. Jokes aside, we were once invited to her house on lunch where her super awesome and super cook, mother in law made this dish.

I loved it and knew that it was completely different from the Andhra style. I tried hard to get the recipe but she preferred keeping it to herself. The only tip she gave was that she doesn’t fry the chicken before cooking it in yogurt sauce. That tip was more than enough to crack the whole recipe.

This recipe is easy to make and makes a lovely side dish. Its completely different in taste from the Andhra chicken 65. Its simply amazing how different recipes are from one state to another and both dishes are equally delicious.

Andhra Chicken 65

When I first moved to USA, after being married, this dish was one of the initial kebabs I started making as a side dish with dal chawal. I would even make it as an appetizer when we had guests over. One of the easiest and family loved recipe. The kids love it too and its great to be served as a Sunday Brunch or a play date.