GRILLED CHICKEN

The secret to this grilled chicken is beer 

Take your favourite spices - I used cumin, pepper, chilli powder and mix them up.

Mix it up with some oil, chopped onions, chopped garlic and fresh coriander leaves.

Mix in the beer slowly, whisking as you go along.

Pour the marinade over the chicken and keep aside for an hour for flavours to develop and blend.

Grill the chicken legs on a barbecue or in the oven grill till juices run clear.

Serve with grilled potatoes and sour cream, steamed vegetables

Bharwaan Tangri Kabab

Stuffed chicken legs.  Always a hit at any party

Ingredients

8 Chicken Drumsticks

Wash and pat dry.  Marinate with red chilly powder, salt and lemon juice.  Keep aside for half an hour

Filling
Chicken Mince - approx 100 gms 
1 finely chopped onion
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 chopped green chilly
1 tbsp chopped raisins
salt, chilly powder
2 tbsp grated cheese
oil

Heat Oil, saute onions till golden brown.  Add the ginger garlic paste, chillies and seasoning and mix well.  Add the chicken mince and cook till done.  Once done mix in the raisins.  Remove from heat and add in the grated cheese to bind everything together.

Second Marinade

1 cup curd hung to remove the water

1/4 cup thick cream

2 tbsp grated cheese

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp shah zeera

1 tbsp cornflour

salt, chilly powder, garam masala

corriander leaves chopped

Mix all above.

To make

Remove the tangri from the 1st marinade and make a cut in the thickest part of the leg.

Using your finger make space in the cut.

Take some of the stuffing and put into the leg, filling as much as possible.

Cover the leg with the curd marinade, coating well

Keep this aside to marinate for an hour minimum before grilling

If you don't have a grill this can be made in a convection oven.

Preheat oven to 180 C and bake chicken legs on a well greased oven tray for 20 mins.  Keep a plate below tray to catch drippings.

After 20 mins, baste the legs with a little oil and grill for a further 15 mins.

I made the corn and mushrooms with the same marinade.

Pull Apart Pizza

Remembered I had some frozen leftover pizza dough and chicken mince in the freezer so this was the outcome.

Ingredients

• some cloves garlic, finely minced
• Olive oil
• pizza dough 
• mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes 
• Chicken Mince but this can be substituted with Pepperoni
• Oregano
• Chilli flakes
• Basil Leaves chopped fine.

Instructions

Mince the garlic and mix into the olive oil to infuse.
Lightly brush the inside of a bundt pan (or other oven-safe dish) with garlic butter.

Pull off large marble-sized balls of dough and roll out into little rounds.  I did one big round and cut it with a round cutter

Top with a some chicken mince and a cube of mozzarella.

Very lightly brush the pizza ball with garlic butter and place into the bundt pan.  Wrap the dough around the mixture pinching well to seal.

Repeat until all of the dough is used.  Sprinkle some of the chopped basil, oregano and chilli flakes on top.

Cover and let sit for 30 minutes, while preheating the oven to 220 C

Bake for ~35 minutes, until the top is very brown.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes.

Turn out onto a platter and serve 

KADHAI CHICKEN

This one was made by my daughter - under duress.  She hates cooking but has a knack of following recipes really well.  This recipe is from Nita Mehta's Learning to Cook.  Simple and easy to make, comes out real tasty.  

Dry roast 1 tbsp corriander seeds till aromatic.  Do not let it brown too much.  When cool,  crush roughly to split the seeds.

Heat about 10 - 12 tbps oil in a kadhai and temper with 1/2 tsp methi dana [fenugreek seeds] & 3 whole dry red chilli.  Stir for a couple of secs till methi dana turns golden

Add 3-4 onions cut into slices and cook till golden brown.  Add 2 tbsp garlic paste + 1 tbsp ginger paste and saute till dry.

Add in the crushed corriander seeds + 1 tsp red chilli powder + 1 tsp corriander powder and mix well

Add in 1 chicken cut into 8 - 10 pcs and cook till chicken is sealed well, stirring constantly.

Put in 4 large tomatoes chopped finely and cook for another 5 min or so.  Now add in the salt to taste, 1/4 tsp amchoor & 1/2 tsp garam masala

Cook covered for 10 - 15 mins till chicken is done and oil separates from the masala.

Add in 1/2 cup tomato puree and 1/2 cup chopped green corriander.  Cook a couple of mins

Lastly add in 1 capsicum sliced + few green chillies sliced + ginger sliced fine.  

Mix well and serve hot.

FATHER'S DAY SPECIAL

Each year Father's Day would come and go and I would start my morning with a call from my Dad who would not wait for me to call and wish him.  He loved reminding me to wish him :)

Dad & me - some million years ago :)

This year there was that feeling of emptiness - Dad went to his maker early this year.  How I miss him but am sure that he is enjoying life wherever he is.

This Father's day was spent with my Father in Law whose Birthday was the same day.  However, in memory of Dad and his love for food - the kids, MD and I celebrated Father's Day Eve in honour of Dad.

Here are some of his favourite things.

Peach Ice Cream

Alfanso Mangoes

Roast Chicken & Vegetables