Chicken recipes...

Simple chicken fry...Andhra style ::::

This chicken fry is very simple yet delicious and a great treat for spice lovers. I found the recipe while searching for Telugu chicken recipes a year ago but didn't get chance to prepare. With very less time and effort you can serve a delicious appetizers or a side dish for daal and rasam.

Ingredients:::
for marination...
1 whole chicken , cut into medium pieces,
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste,
1 tbsp turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder,
10 no. fresh curry leaves,
one bunch of fresh coriander leaves,
half cup lemon juice,
salt to taste.
Oil to fry.

for seasoning..
3-4 nos. cardamon, broken
2-3 nos. cinnamon small sticks, broken
1/4 tsp cumin seeds,
5-6 nos. green chillies, slitted.

Method:::
1. Marinate chicken pieces with all the ingredients mentioned for marination with 1 tbsp of oil. Keep aside for minimum two hours.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a kadai or wok, add all the ingredients mentioned for seasoning. When it splutters, add marinated chicken pieces and saute a little and then let it cook covered for 15 minutes or until well-cooked.
3. Now fry nicely until oil oozes out on the top and chicken pieces are well-fried. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves and serve hot.

Kadai chicken :::

Another popular north-Indian preparation and common in almost every restaurant. I love to prepare it at home with fresh spices and less oil and thanks to one of expert cooks from facebook group for this recipe. I tried will little modifications.
Ingredients :::
2 lbs chicken, cut into medium sizes,
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste,
1 big onion, finely chopped
one big green bell pepper /capsicum, cubed
one big yellow bell pepper / capsicum, cubed
one big tomato, finely chopped,
2 tsp turmeric powder
one cup fresh coriander leaves, for garnishing
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice,
salt to taste,
oil for frying.

for Kadai masala...
6-8 nos dry red chillies,
7-8 nos. whole black peppercorns,
1 tbsp coriander seeds,w
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds,
1/2" inch cinnamon,
2-3 nos. cloves.

Method::
1. Dry roast all the ingredients mentioned under kadai masala until nice aroma comes out. Let it cool and then grind to make coarse powder.
2. Marinate chicken with turmeric, ginger-garlic paste,lemon juice and salt. Set aside for minimum one hour.
3. Heat oil, add chopped onions and saute until onion becomes translucent and then add chopped tomatoes and sprinkle salt. Let it fry for another 4-5 minutes.
4. Now , add marinated chicken to the pan and mix thoroughly and let it fry on medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes until chicken pieces become white in color. Cover the pan and let it cook until chicken pieces are half done or 8-10 minutes.
5. Add bell peppers  and sprinkle roasted kadai masala powder and mix with chicken pieces nicely. Let it cook covered for another 10 minutes or until bell peppers are almost cooked on low-medium flame. 
6. Once done, add chopped coriander leaves and simmer until gravy thickens. Serve hot with naan, parathas or roti. 
You can lightly fry bell peppers and then add just before taking off the flame too to retain its crispiness. You can add half of the kadai masala while marinating chicken. Adding extra red chilli powder to the pan while frying onion and tomato gives you nice color and spiciness.
 
Chicken tikka masala :::

The day my stove-top grilling pan was delivered at home , the first thing came to my mind is chicken tikka masala. This is one of the most common dishes found in almost every Indian restaurant all over the world but this is called as "British's national dish" to set an example for the British multiculturalism.  This dish is often attempted by people while exploring Indian cuisine what is a gravy based dish invented in Britain. This classic preparation has its awesome flavorful taste of grilled or fried chicken marinated with specific spices n yogurt cooked in creamy rich tomato sauce and very addictive to have a bite. There is no standard recipe as you can find hundreds of recipes in internet and here is the recipe which I try all the time.

Ingredients:::
7-8 pieces of boneless chicken breast, 1"each
for marination..
2 tbsp beaten curd or yogurt,
1 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tsp red chilli powder,
1 tsp coriander n cumin powder each,
1 tsp garam masala,
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste,
3 tbsp lemon juice, 
1/2 tsp salt,
2 tbsp oil.
for gravy..
1 no. medium onions, sliced
2 nos. medium tomatoes, sliced
3 nos. green chillies,
1/4 tsp ginger-garlic paste,
1/2 cup fresh cream / whipped cream,
1/4 tsp of coriander and cumin powder each,
1/3 tsp garam masala powder,
4-5 nos. cashew nuts and raisins each, 
one fistful of crushed kosuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves,
salt to taste,
2 tbsp oil.

 Method :::
1. Mix all the ingredients for marination in a large bowl. Add washed chicken pieces to the bowl and marinate nicely and then keep aside for minimum 7-8 hrs or cover the bowl and keep for overnight in refrigerator.
2. Take a grill pan or simple pan / tawa and then sprinkle little oil and fry marinated chicken pieces in batches. Take out chicken pieces on paper napkin.
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a kadai or pan, add ginger-garlic paste and saute a little and then add sliced onions, green chillies and tomatoes sprinkling little salt. Fry nicely for 6-7 mins or until cooked.
4. Add cashews and raisins and saute a little and now sprinkle cumin powder and coriander powder and saute for a minute.
5. Take out the mixture from the pan and let it cool. Then blend it with beaten cream to smooth paste adding half cup of water.
6. Heat the same pan or kadai, add rest of the oil and then add chicken pieces and saute a little and then add the onion and tomato paste to the pan and stir carefully to mix thoroughly and cover the pan and let it simmer on low flame for 5-8 mins. Stir occasionally.
7. Once done, sprinkle dry fenugreek leaves / kosuri methi and garam masala powder and then stir nicely once more. Serve hot with garlic naan or paratha or simply chapathi.
You can do this grilling process(STEP 2) in oven at 375F for maximum 12 mins. Watch while grilling if you are doing for the first time. You can use finely chopped onions and blended tomato with dry fruits and then add whole garam masala and cook everything. But I like to do the above to get nice rich creamy curry.
 
Chicken Chettinad..

This is one of the spiciest yet delicious and aromatic chicken preparations in Tamil Nadu, southern parts of India. First time I had in Chennai and after that I had to drink two three bottles of thumbs up and then ice cream. I tried couple of times at home as my south-Indian husband just loves it and I followed the recipe of one of my first orkut friends, Mullai's website. Here's the recipe I now follow nowadays.

Ingredients :::
8-9 pieces of medium size chicken (approx 1lb),
2 tsp lime juice,
2 tsp turmeric powder,
2 tsp salt,
1 nos.bay leaf,
2 medium onions finely chopped,
1 big juicy tomato finely chopped,
2 nos.green chilli,chopped,
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste,
2 no.black stone flower,(I dint get it here in US,but available in India),
1 tsp red chilli powder,
8-9 curry leaves,
a bunch of coriander leaves,
3-4 big spoonful oil.(preferably veg.oil).

For ground masala:::
4 dry red chilli,
3 tsp poppy seeds,
2 tsp fennel seeds,
2 tsp cumin seeds,
2 tsp coriander seeds,
5-6 nos.black peppercorns,
1 tsp chana daal / split gram,
3-4 clove,
2 nos. cinnamon(1" inch each),
3 nos.cardamons,
2 nos mace,
1 no. star anise,
3-4 tsp dry coconut powder / fresh coconut,

Method :::
1. First marinate chicken pieces with turmeric powder,salt and lime juice and keep aside for minimum 30mins.
2. Heat a small pan, add all the dry ingredients (from ground masala) and roast until nice aroma comes. Now grind to coarse dry powder.Keep aside.
3. Now heat sufficient oil in deep bottomed pan or skillet, fry curry leaves,chopped onion and green chillies sprinkling a pinch of salt.When onions become transparent, add ginger-garlic paste and saute for a minute.
4. Now add marinated chicken and fry for 6-7 minutes on medium flame or unless raw smell goes off.
5. Add finely chopped tomatoes and red chilli powder and saute for another 3-4 mins.Mix very nicely slowly.
6. Now add the ground masala and salt. Mix on very low flame to avoid burning and then when it becomes dark brown in color and oil starts separating, garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with hot plain rice or biriyani or parota.
Generally this dish is little dry preparation so sprinkle water whenever needed to avoid burning. Add ground masala a little first and then check the spice level and add more if you needed only. You need little more oil for this preparation too.


Chicken Kolhapuri ::::

Another simple yet delicious chicken preparation from Maharashtra cuisine. Kolhapur is a beautiful place from Maharashtra and their cuisine is very spicy and use roasted spices more in their cuisine. I have tried this recipe for the first time from Sanjeev Kapoor's Khana Khazana show and took very little effort to prepare and came out really well. The smell itself is so tempting and aroma of spices makes you drooling too. Again I did little changes while cooking but keeping the ingredients intact as the original recipe showed.
Ingredients:::
4-5 nos. chicken legs or drumsticks,
2 nos. medium onions , finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste,
a pinch of turmeric powder,
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder,
fresh coriander leaves , finely chopped 
1 tbsp lemon juice,
salt to taste,
2 tbsp oil to fry.

for ground masala / spices...
1 small cup dried coconut flakes,
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
8-10 nos. black peppercorns,
6-8 nos. dry whole red chillies,
1 tsp sesame and poppy seeds,
6-7 nos. cloves,
1/2 tsp broken or 1 whole mace,
1inch cinnamon, broken,
3 nos. green cardamon,
2 nos. black cardamon.

Method:::
1. Clean and pat dry all the chicken pieces. Add salt and 1 tbsp of oil in a bowl and marinate with chicken pieces.
2. Take a pan or kadai, add dried coconut flakes and roast on low medium flames for 5 mins. Then add cloves, mace, cinnamon, cardamons, peppercorns, poppy seeds and sesame seeds one by one. Roast everything on medium flame stirring continuously until coconut flakes become light golden in color. 
3. Take off the spices on a plate. Then roast whole red chillies for 3-4 mins on medium flame until it becomes crisp. Let it cool and then make a smooth powder from all of it .
4. Keep 2 tsp of ground spices powder aside and then mix rest of the powder with chicken and let it stand for minimum 2 hrs.
5. Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan or kadai, add chopped onions and fry until onions turn translucent. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for another 2 mins. Sprinkle turmeric powder and salt and saute for 2 mins.
6. Add marinated chicken pieces and fry for 10 mins or until chicken pieces become light brownish in color. Sprinkle nutmeg powder and chopped coriander leaves and fry for another 5 mins. Add rest of the ground spices and then add one cup warm water and let it cook on medium flame for 10 mins or until chicken pieces are well-cooked. Garnish with fresh lemon juice and serve hot with plain rice or roti.
You have to be very particular about the spices otherwise the taste wont come. This is basically a very spicy dish but you can use kashmiri red chillies for less spiciness.
 
Bengali's chicken curry :::

Chicken curry or what we say murgir jhol is Sunday favorite at almost every Bengali's house either with plain rice or sometimes roti or paratha and I regularly prepare too.The rich spicy gravy with juicy chicken gives best kind of food satisfaction for a lazy weekend afternoon. This is a recipe what every Bengali knows and here I m sharing what my mom taught me.
Ingredients:::
1 whole chicken, cut into medium pieces,
2 medium size onions, sliced
1inch ginger,
3-4 nos. garlic cloves,
2-3 nos. green chillies,
one bay leaf,
a pinch of whole cumin seeds,
1 1/2 tsp cumin powder,
1 tsp coriander powder,
1 tsp turmeric powder,
1/3 tsp red chilli powder,
4 tbsp yogurt or curd,
2-3 pieces of raw papaya, optional
1/4 tsp garam masala,
fresh coriander leaves for garnishing,Optional
salt n sugar to taste,
oil to fry.

Method:::
1. Make a smooth paste of onions, ginger,garlic, bay leaf and green chillies. 
2. Wash and pat dry chicken pieces and marinate with onion paste adding salt, yogurt, cumin powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder and 2 tbsp oil. Keep aside for minimum 2 hours.
3. Heat oil in a kadai or wok, sprinkle little sugar and let it caramelize. Then add marinated chicken and sprinkle red chilli powder. Fry nicely for 10-12 minutes on medium flame. Add little warm water if needed to avoid burning at the bottom. 
4. Stir occasionally until oil starts coming out on the top and then add one cup warm water and let it cook covering with a lid on medium-low flame for 15 minutes or until chicken pieces are well-cooked.
5. Sprinkle garam masala and coriander leaves and let it simmer for another 7-8 minutes. Serve hot with plain rice or paratha or roti.
You can add fried diced potatoes to the curry while boiling but I generally avoid potatoes nowadays. You can also use whole garam masalas at step 3 before adding marinated chicken pieces or you can crush fresh whole cloves,cinnamon and cardamons and then add as garnishing too. Caramelized sugar gives a nice reddish color to the curry but you can avoid it.

Pepper Chicken in Coconut gravy :::

 
I wanted to make something different for dinner and then I tried to prepare north and south Indian fusion with whatever was in my refrigerator.This is very easy preparation and came really well and goes well with chapathi, parota or naan. 

Ingredients:::
1 whole chicken , cut into medium size pieces,
For gravy :::
one small size onion, sliced finely,
4-5 nos. of green chillies,slitted,
one cup freshly or frozen grated coconut,
3 nos. whole red chillies,
2-3nos. cloves,cinnamon stick,cardamon each,
very few coriander seeds,
salt to taste,
oil to fry.
For marination ::
one cup of lemon juice,
2 tsp of ginger-garlic paste,
1 tsp of salt,
2 tsp of black pepper powder,
little oil. 
Method::
1. Wash and marinate chicken pieces with all the ingredients mentioned for marination.Keep aside for 6-8hours in refrigerator. 
2.Heat a few drops of oil in pan, add cloves,cinnamon,cardamon, dry red chillies and coriander seeds and saute for one minute on medium flame. Now add sliced onions and green chillies and saute for two minutes and at last, add grated coconut and fry everything on low flame stirring continuously until nice aroma comes out. After that, keep the coconut mixture aside to cool down.
3. Make a smooth paste of coconut mixture adding half cup of water.
4. Heat oil in the same pan, add marinated chicken pieces and fry on medium flame until oil separates.Stir occasionally to avoid burning chicken pieces. Now add half cup of water and mix thoroughly and then let it cook for 10 minutes or until chicken is done.
5. Now add coconut paste slowly mixing with chicken pieces. Check salt and if needed sprinkle little water and then let it simmer for minimum 10 mins on low flame. When done, serve hot with Indian breads like naan,paratha or chapathi.
When you prepare this dish, coconut flavor should come nicely once done. So the proportion of coconut will be always more than any other ingredients if you want less spicy than reduce pepper powder and whole red chillies. Coconut itself leaves oil while getting cooked so do not use more than 2 tsp oil while cooking.

Kosha Chicken :::

First time while going for potluck here in Charlotte that also luchi or puri would be the main preparation, I wanted to prepare authentic Bengali dish, chicken kosa. Kosa means stir-fry without water and goes well with luchi,parata or naan. After having lots of suggestions from our famous facebook group friends, I prepared this preparation with little modifications as usual.

Ingredients :::
3 lbs of chicken, cut into medium pieces,
2 medium size onion,
4 tsp ginger-garlic paste,
3 cloves of garlic,
half cup of yogurt / curd,
1 tsp of turmeric powder,
a pinch of coriander powder,
1 tsp of red chilli powder,
1/4 tsp of garam masala powder,
1 bay leaf,
salt to taste,
5 tsp of oil ,for marination and frying.

Method::
1. Take one and half onion and make a paste. Marinate Chicken pieces with onion paste,ginger-garlic paste,salt,turmeric powder, yogurt and little oil. Keep it inside refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
2. Chop rest of the onions into fine pieces and crush garlic cloves.
3. Heat rest of oil in a deep frying pan or wok and sprinkle sugar in oil and allow it for caramelizing. That helps to get nice red color for chicken.
4. Add chopped onion and crushed garlic in oil and saute for a min. Now add marinated chicken and sprinkle coriander powder and red chilli powder. Mix and fry chicken pieces on medium flame until oil separates.
5. Chicken will be fried and cooked in yogurt and onion sauce. Be careful while cooking not to burn at the bottom. When done, sprinkle garam masala powder and adjust salt and turn off the flame. Serve hot with luchi,parota and naan.
This preparation is generally little sweet but I wanted to prepare spicy one that's why I used red chilli powder but if you want to use only for color then use kashmiri red chilli powder.If chicken is not cooked properly, cover the pan with lid and let it cook for 10 mins and then fry again on medium flame.

Chicken Bahar ::::

This chicken preparation is a modified version of Chicken Pasanda , a Pakistani dish which I m going to share with my friends later. Though it is a long and tedious process but if you prepare with patience, you will have a real good result. I tried three times till now but every time I have got better taste and aroma.

Ingredients :::
1 lb of whole chicken, cut into medium size,
1 big size onion, thinly sliced,
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste,
2 medium size tomatoes, finely chopped,
1 cup of plain yogurt,
1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice,
4 tsp of coarse powder of whole cloves,cardamon,cinnamon and bay leaves,
a pinch of jeera / whole cumin seeds,
8-9 nos. big cashew nuts,
1 tsp of coriander powder,
1 tsp of turmeric powder,
1/2 tsp of red chilli powder,
coriander leaves for garnishing,
salt to taste,
oil to fry.
Method:::
1. Wash and pat dry chicken pieces and take in a big bowl.
2. Marinate chicken pieces with lemon juice ,turmeric powder,coriander powder,red chilli powder and salt and set aside for 5-6 hrs.
3. Take a pan,dry roast cashew nuts and make a smooth paste with yogurt. Keep aside.
4. Now heat oil in a skillet and sprinkle cumin seeds. 
5. When cumin seeds starts spluttering ,add coarse powder of garam masala and stir for some seconds.
6. Add onion slices in the skillet and fry for 2-3 min or until raw smell goes off. Now add ginger-garlic paste and stir fry for a minute. Sprinkle salt.
7. Now add tomatoes and fry nicely for 2-3 min. Cover with a tight lid to cook for 5mins or until tomatoes are cooked.Mix everything together smashing nicely. Sprinkle water if needed.
8. Now add marinated chicken pieces and fry for at least 10-15mins on medium flame. Avoid burning at the bottom. Sprinkle a very little water if needed. When oil starts coming out at the top , add yogurt paste slowly mixing them with chicken and let it cook for another 10 min covering with lid. Adjust salt and spice here.
9. When done, you will have a a thick,creamy and rich gravy with well cooked chicken. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve with paratha or fried rice.
Now if have less time then you can make a smooth paste of all the ingredients after step 7 and return the paste to the skillet and continue. Chicken should be well marinated and nicely fried then only you will get the good texture and taste of this gravy also. If chicken is not marinated for more than 6 hrs then fry the chicken pieces for more time. You can use boneless chicken breasts and lastly adjust your spice level too. 

Achari Chicken :::

Whenever the word Achar or Achari word comes to mind, tangy but lightly spiced taste comes in front of eyes. Achari chicken is a north-Indian dish and my sweet friend Nabanita gave me the recipe. I modified a little bit according to my comfort level and here's my version I m sharing with you.

Ingredients ::
1 lb chicken , cut into medium pieces, 
4-5 nos. big green chillies, cleaned
1 big size onion, finely chopped,
1 medium size tomato, finely chopped,
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste,
1 tbsp vinegar,
1 tbsp red chilli powder,
salt to taste.
oil to fry.

For The Achari Masala ::
3 nos. whole red chillies,
2 tbsp kalo jeere or kalonji or Nigella seeds,
1/2 tbsp whole cumin seeds,
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds,
1/3 tbsp mustard seeds,
1/3 tbsp methi or fenugreek seeds,
2 nos. big cardamom,
3-4 nos. cloves.
a pinch of salt.
Method :::
1. First roast all the spices until a nice aroma comes out. Let it cool and then grind with salt.
2. Take one green chili and make a deep cut leaving 1/4" inch from the bottom and top side and clean seeds and stuff with 1/3 tbsp of powdered spice.Repeat the process with all the green chillies and keep aside. Use only half of the powdered spices and you will use the rest for the curry.
3. Marinate chicken pieces with vinegar,ginger-garlic paste,red chilli powder and salt for 2-3 hours.
4. Now heat oil, preferably mustard oil, in a skillet or pan and add chopped onions. Fry nicely until onion becomes brownish or translucent. 
5. Add roasted spice powder and mix thoroughly and let it cook for one minute. Sprinkle little water if needed.
6. Add chopped tomatoes and fry until tomatoes are half done or for 6-7 mins.
7, Now add marinated chicken pieces and saute continuously for 3-4 mins. and then sprinkle salt and let it fry until oil separates on low medium flame. Don't add water and let it fry for atleast 15 mins.
8. Now place the stuffed chillies in the pan. Add enough water to make a thick consistency. Let it simmer only for 7-8 on low flame. Once done, serve hot with paratha or puri or even any fried rice items.
Now, I use bigger size Thai green chillies which is easily available in any Chinese or Indian grocery store.You can use small size banana peppers too and clean the seeds and then put the stuffing inside. Again adjust oil and spice level as your taste.

Spicy Chicken Kurma :::

At my in-laws house, whenever any chicken dish to be prepared, spicy chicken korma or kurma is always prepared by my motherinlaw or sisterinlaw . So as usual my husband also loves to have with plain rice or roti and sometimes with dosa. Though I m not so fond of kurma still I love to prepare for my dear hubby. This tangy , spicy and rice creamy taste of this chicken curry is always hit for parties and you be will definitely appreciated.  I generally prepare this curry with a little twist.

Ingredients :::
2 lbs of mixed chicken pieces,
2 large onions, finely chopped,
1 large ripe tomato,finely chopped,
2 tsp ginger - garlic paste,
1 bay leaf,
1 inch cinnamon ,
4-5 nos. cloves,

5-6 nos. curry leaves,
1/4 tsp fennel seeds and cumin seeds each,
a small bunch of mint leaves,
half cup fresh chopped coriander leaves,
2 tsp of coriander powder,red chilli powder and garam masala powder each,
3 tsp of turmeric powder,
half cup lemon juice,
1 tsp sour cream,
6-7 nos of cashew nuts,
1 tsp poppy seeds,
half cup of scrapped coconut,
salt to taste,
1 tsp ghee or clarified butter,
4-5 tsp of oil.

Method :::
1. Wash and clean the chicken pieces and marinate with lemon juice, turmeric powder and salt. Keep aside for minimum 1 hr. I generally keep for 3-5 hrs.
2. Now heat oil+ghee in a deep bottomed pan or kadai, add a pinch of sugar and then add bay leaf and curry leaves. Saute for a little and then add fennel seeds and cumin seeds.
3.When seeds starts to crackle, add cinnamon and cloves and saute a little.
4. Now add finely chopped onion and sprinkle salt and fry for 3-4 mins until oil separates. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for half a minute.
5. Now add tomatoes and then turmeric powder,coriander powder and red chilli powder with 1/4 cup of water to mix the spices nicely.Cover the pan and let it cook for 5-7 mins. Beat cream and then pour over the spices. Mix thoroughly. 
6. Add marinated chicken pieces,chopped mint and coriander leaves and  mix nicely with spices and let it fry until oil separates on medium high flame. Be careful while frying chicken here to avoid burning.
7. Now sprinkle garam masala and cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for 15-20 mins on medium flame until chicken cooked.
8. When chicken getting cooked, make a smooth paste of cashew nuts, coconut and poppy seeds with one cup of water. Keep aside.
9. Now open the lid and add the paste slowly stirring with a spatula and mix nicely otherwise chicken pieces will break. Simmer the curry for atleast 15 mins on low flame or until the raw smell of coconut and poppy seeds will go off. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
You can use yogurt / curd instead of lemon juice too and whole milk instead of cream. While serving curry, I generally take out bay leaf , red chilli and cinnamon stick.

Chicken Roast ::::

Very simple yet delicious chicken preparation which you can prepare within half an hour. You don't need to marinate the chicken so whenever you are in hurry or unexpected guests are at home, just make this delicious dish and guests will be appreciating you.I followed this recipe given by one of my good friend Piyali.

Ingredients::
8-10 medium size chicken pieces,cleaned and washed,
1 big onion,
3-4 green chillies,
1 tsp coriander powder,
1 tsp red chilli powder,
1/2 tsp garam masala powder,
1/4 tsp turmeric powder,
salt as per your taste,
oil for frying and little bit of ghee for sprinkling(optional),

Method:::
1. Make a fine paste of onion and green chillies.
2. Heat oil in deep frying pan ,add this paste and saute nicely upto 5mins.Sprinkle little water when needed to avoid burning .
3. Now add chicken pieces and fry nicely up to 7-8mins or until the chicken pieces becomes brown in color.
4. Take a bowl and mix coriander powder,red chilli powder and turmeric powder with 1/2 cup of water properly.Make sure no lumps are there.Pour the mixture in pan and mix with chicken pieces and again fry for 8-9mins sprinkling little water to avoid burning.
5. Now add 1/2 cup water and let it cook covering the pan on low flame.
6. When chicken nicely cooked and oil starts separating, sprinkle garam masala powder and ghee. Serve hot with any rice items or chapati.

Again adjust the spice level according to your taste buds.Make sure onion and green chilli paste should be one big bowl,not less than that. Here I have used one whole chicken cut into 1 inch pieces.You can use boneless chicken pieces also.

Chicken Kofta Curry :::

I wanted to prepare this dish for long time but never got that much courage unless and until one of orkut friend assured me that kofta means minced meat balls are quite easy to prepare at home.I made dry fried balls first to have with tea as evening snacks but then changed my mind and made curry for dinner. Here I prepared the whole dish in South-Indian style.This dish will go well with vegetable fried rice or any pulao or biriyani too.

Ingredients:::
 
For 7-8 koftas...
1 1/2 lbs or 1 kg minced chicken,
one medium onion sliced,
7-8 green chillies,
2 1/2 inch ginger,
8-9 garlic pieces,
2 dry whole red chillies,
1/2 cup of fresh coriander leaves,
2 tsp of coriander seeds,
1 tsp of cumin seeds,
1 cinnamon,
2 nos.cardamons,
4 nos. cloves,
8-9 cashew nuts,
salt as per your taste,
oil to deep fry.



For curry...
1/4 cumin seeds,
4-5 curry leaves,
1 small medium onion finely chopped,
1 tomato puree or finely chopped,
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste,
1 tsp coriander powder,
1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tsp red chili powder,
1/2 tamarind pulp(tamarind soaked in hot water and then squeezed) ,
salt and oil.

Method::: 
for koftas..
1. Wash minced chicken and drain excess water and then spread on two or three paper napkin to take out extra water left in chicken.
2. Heat a pan and dry roast cumin seeds,coriander seeds,cinnamon,cloves,cardamon,red chillies and cashew nuts until cashew nuts turn light brown in color. Do this process on slow flame to avoid burning all the spices.
3. Wait until spices become cool and then grind the roasted ingredients with garlic,ginger,onion and green chillies.Then add chicken,coriander leaves and salt to the grinder and make a smooth paste. Don't add water .
4. Now take the paste in a bowl and grease your right hand with one tsp of oil and then mix nicely into the paste until you can make small little tight balls.
5. Place all the balls on paper napkin to take out excess water if left inside the balls.
6. Now heat sufficient oils in skillet until smoke comes out.Bring the flame to medium level and then deep fry those balls to a light golden color.It will be very crispy from outside but little soft from inside.



For curry...1. Heat oil in a different pan or kadai, add cumin seeds and curry leaves.Saute for half a minute.
2. Add finely chopped onion and salt and saute for two mins.Add ginger & garlic paste and then fry for some more time.
3. Add tomato puree and then turmeric powder,coriander powder and red chili powder and sprinkle little water and mix nicely.
4. Now add tamarind pulp and let it cook until oil separates.Add little water if needed.
5. Once gravy done,slowly place the balls in the pan and cover it for ten mins.
6. Serve hot garnishing with coriander leaves.

You can grill or bake minced balls for curry to avoid excessive oils too. But if you are just having those koftas as appetizers then deep frying goes well. If you have boneless chicken pieces ,you can grind it with all the kofta ingredients but before that try to take out excess water from chicken.You can use other meats as well too.

MIL's Chicken Curry :::

First time when i started cooking my husband taught me this simple chicken curry.This is my mother-in-law's recipe.But when i cooked the same and my husband said that the taste is different...though i cooked how the recipe was.May be,a Bengali's touch changed the taste of Telugu's dish.I gave the name of the dish as In-law's as i dint get any suitable name for that.This goes well with hot plain rice, chapati or paratha.

Ingredients::
6-7 pieces medium size chicken pieces,
1 cup onion chopped,
1cup tomato chopped,
4-5 medium size potato pieces,
3-4 no.green chillies(slit lengthwise),
1/2 tsp turmeric powder & red chilli powder each,
1/4 tsp coriander powder & black pepper powder,
1 no.red chilli whole,
1 bay leaf,
1 pinch whole cumin seeds,
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste,
1/2 cup beaten curd/yogurt,
salt to taste,
oil

Method :
1.First clean the chicken pieces and marinate them with curd,ginger-garlic paste,coriander powder,red chilli powder,black pepper powder,turmeric powder and keep aside for 30mins.
2.Take a deep frying pan,heat oil and add turmeric powder and potatoes and fry until turns light red in color .Then keep aside.
3.Now add 3-4tsp oil,add whole cumin seeds,bay leaves,chopped onions, green chillies and fry nicely for 3-4 mins.
4.Now add chopped tomatoes and marinated chicken pieces together and fry in high flame until oil separates.Try not to put extra water while frying.
5.Now add salt and potatoes and pour how much gravy you want and then cover with a lid and let it cook for 20-25 mins.
6. When done,open the lid and keep on low flame for 5 mins and Now garnish with coriander leaves and green chilies.and serve hot.
In USA,you don't need pressure cooker for cooking chicken.In pan only it cooks very well.But if you are in India,then you need to do the same process in pressure cooker to save gas.Only one/two whistle is enough to cook this chicken as already marination is done.

Tandoori Chicken :::
Tandoori chicken..name is enough to bring water in your mouth. Yummy hot and juicy chicken legs as a starters for any parties or with any veg/non-veg fried rice go always well for us.Sometimes,for snacks also i prepare this dish.It's all about marination and how you maintain the temperature while baking. Here's the way i prepare this dish.

Ingredients:
6-7 leg pieces,
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste,
2 tsp red chilly powder,
2 1/2 tsp coriander powder,
1/4 tsp cumin powder,
2 tsp turmeric powder,
2 tsp garam masala powder,
a pinch of dry fenugreek leaves ,crushed
2 1/2 cups of yogurt/curd beaten,
1/2 cup of lime juice,
salt as per taste,
1 tsp oil,
a pinch of red color mixed in hot milk,
1/2 tsp dry mango powder & black salt powder

Method:::
1.Wash and dry chicken legs with paper napkin/cloth.
2.Poke the chicken pieces one by one with a sharp knife or fork so that while marination spices go inside the flesh up to bone.
3.Now rub salt and half of lemon juice each and every leg pieces.Keep aside .
4.Once done,mix all the spices ,red color and curd together and rest of the lemon juice.
5. Marinate all the pieces nicely and put one tablespoon oil and mix again.
6.Keep aside for at least two hours.
7.Now preheat the oven 400'F .
8.Take big baking tray,cover with aluminum foil and thread marinated chicken onto skewers. Keep skewers on the tray. That will help to get rid of water coming out of chicken while cooking.
9. Now set the oven for 375'F and let it cook for 12-13 mins.
10.Turn the skewers after 12 mins and then let it cook for another 10 mins.
11.Now set the oven for broil and keep the tray for 6-7 mins until chicken becomes crispy a little bit.In that way,tandoori chicken will be crispy from outside but juicy and soft from inside.
12.When done ,sprinkle black salt powder and dry mango powder and lemon juice and Serve with onion and bell pepper rings.

You can place the marinated chicken pieces on baking tray directly but then keep for broiling until extra water dries off. Oven timings always vary so first time keep an eye on the process may be you need less or more time to cook.The simplest ways of preparing this dish is to bring Shan tandoori masala and marinate and follow the baking process.

Chicken Do-pyaja ::: This dish is my invention. After taking out the chicken leg pieces for Tandoori Chicken some marinated masala/spices were left in the bowl and I had little time to make some thing for another dish for guests as there were about to come. When done,everybody just loved that and asked me to prepare again. Lots of my friends asked me for the recipe after seeing the picture. So today I m sharing with everybody.

Ingredients:: 
10-12 small pieces of boneless chicken pieces ,
1 medium size onion diced,
1 capsicum/bell pepper diced,
1 tsp red chilly powder,
left over tandoori chicken marinated spices,
salt as per taste,
oil to shallow fry .

Method::
1. Mix left-over tandoori masala with chicken pieces and keep aside for some mins.
2. Now take frying pan, heat oil and add diced onions and fry until it becomes transparent. Keep left-over spices.
3. Now add bell pepper / capsicum and marinated chicken pieces and fry for sometime till the raw smell goes off.
4. Add the left over masala and red chilli powder and stir fry nicely.
5. Sprinkle some water and cover it for 3 mins and again fry for a minute.
6. Repeat the process until chicken pieces are cooked nicely .
7. Serve hot and sprinkle coriander leaves if you want.
You can use chicken tandoori masala directly for marination. But the taste did not come so well as it comes to the spices after two hours of marination .