Mango Chicken

My husband had a bout of enthusiasm on going to the Indian store one day and brought a crate of mangoes home. After giving some away, I still had a bunch to deal with. Mind you, this was one problem I didn't mind dealing with in the least! After eating a good number of them out of hand, I thought about making something for dinner one day and decided on making a savory dish using mangoes.

The inspiration for creating this mango chicken was actually from a dish I had at a restaurant that served Thai and Malaysian food. The dish we ordered there had shrimp, but I substituted chicken as I didn't have any shrimp at home to make this with. Sweet mangoes marry with spicy green chillies, salty soy sauce, and crunchy bell peppers to produce a symphony of flavors in one's mouth. Add some hot rice to that and what more could you want??

I think that this would be even more delicious with shrimp. If you don't do meat, then by all means try it with tofu. I'm sure the results would be fabulous!!



Ingredients:

Boneless chicken breast - 1, diced into bite sized pieces
Red onion - 2 small, coarsely chopped
Red bell pepper - 1 medium, chopped into large dice
Green bell pepper - 1 medium, chopped into large dice
Mango (ripe) - 1 medium, chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves, grated
Ginger - 2 inch piece, grated
Green chillies - 6-8, or to taste, chopped
Soy sauce - to taste
Rice vinegar - 2 tsp or to taste
Cornstarch - 1 tsp
Scallions - 2 stalks, chopped for garnish

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with soy sauce to taste, cornstarch, and half of the grated garlic and ginger for 15 - 30 minutes.

2. Heat oil in a pan. When hot, add the marinated chicken and fry on high heat for 1-2 minutes until the chicken becomes slightly golden, but is still not cooked through. Remove from the pan.

3. Now, add the bell peppers and onions to the same pan. Saute until the veggies start to become slightly tender yet crisp.

4. Add the green chillies along with the remaining ginger and garlic. Fry until the raw smell disappears, about 2-3 minutes.

5. At this point, the sauteed chicken gets added back to the pan along with soy sauce to taste, rice vinegar and 1/2 cup of water. Allow to simmer for 3-4 minutes for the flavors to infuse. If the sauce seems to thick to you, add some more water. Alternatively, if you want it thicker, add another 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp of water and simmer for 2 minutes for it to thicken up.

6. Now, add in the chopped mangoes and stir for another 30 seconds or so. Turn off the heat. Garnish with scallions and serve with hot rice. Enjoy!!

We loved this dish and so I'm sending it off to Meeta for this month's monthly mingle with the theme of Mango Mania!!

Asian Chicken Soup

So, I was rummaging through the fridge one day and really had nothing on hand to eat for lunch. To top it off, I was already hungry and was thinking of something quick cooking that I could make. Suddenly, I remembered this soup I used to make quite a bit when it's cold. I had ingredients that would work, so I figured, why not? It was excellent!!

This soup is basically an Asian inspired spin on chicken noodle soup. I combined boneless chicken with carrots, celery, bell peppers, and rice noodles. You could really use any veggies you want, including snap peas, mushrooms, cabbage, bok choy, bean sprouts, etc. You could also use tofu instead of chicken, and make this a vegetarian soup. It's warm, spicy, and comforting. If you're sick (as I was on said day), it really hits the spot!!

I'm giving the recipe for the mix of stuff I used, but you're only limited by your imagination! Of note, this soup is very light on the chicken and heavier on the veggies, but that's personal preference.



(This recipe serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

Boneless chicken tenders - 1 piece, chopped
Onion - 1 medium, chopped
Carrots - 1 large, coarsely chopped
Celery - 2 stalks, coarsely chopped
Bell peppers (any color) - 2 medium, coarsely chopped
Rice noodles - 1/2 cup
Chicken stock - 4 cups, plus more, if needed
Soy sauce - to taste
Salt - to taste, optional
Green chillies - 5-6, or to taste
Garlic - 5 cloves, chopped finely
Ginger - 2 inch piece, chopped finely
Oil

For garnishing:

Coriander leaves - a handful, chopped
Scallions/green onions - 2, sliced
Lime wedges to squeeze on soup
Chili garlic sauce - optional
Green chillies soaked in vinegar - optional

Method:

1. Heat oil in a soup pot. When hot, add the onions, green chillies and saute until the onions soften.

2. Then, add the vegetables (carrots, celery, and bell pepper), garlic, and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add chicken stock, soy sauce, and a little salt, if desired. Allow to simmer until the vegetables are mostly cooked.

4. Now, add the chicken and the noodles. Simmer until everything has gotten cooked. Check for seasoning. If the soup has gotten too thick while cooking, add a little more chicken stock or water.

Pour into soup bowls and garnish with coriander leaves, scallions, lime wedges. If you want more of a kick, use some sriracha sauce, chili-garlic sauce, or chillies soaked in vinegar. The flavor punch is really amazing!!

my lunch!

This is really a complete meal in and of itself, but feel free to eat it with spring rolls, dumplings, wontons, or anything else your heart desires! Enjoy! :)

Curried Chicken Burgers and Spiced Oven Fries

As I mentioned in my last post, I received my surprise ingredient from Cham, of Spice Club. She sent me her homemade curry powder which smells out of this world!!

Ok, so you might be wondering what I made with Cham's curry powder. Well, my twisted brain was at work again and I came up with this idea to use it in a burger... My initial thought was to use ground lamb, but I didn't have any on hand and just couldn't get to the store. So, I thought it would still work with ground chicken. Boy, did it ever work!! Paired with oven fries, also using the same curry powder, this made one spectacular meal!



Cham, you are such a dear to send me your curry powder. I am so glad to have received it and to have used it to make such a delicious burger! I do have a more "normal" use also in store for it, but will post that later.

Curried Chicken Burgers:


Ingredients:

Ground chicken - 1lb
Onion - 1 medium, chopped
Garlic - 5 cloves, grated
Green chillies - 10, or to taste, chopped
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp, chopped
Cham's curry powder - 1 tbsp
Pepper jack cheese - 8 small slices (1 slice per burger)
Salt to taste
Oil
Small buns - 8 (figure 1-2 per person, depending on appetite)

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together and let soak for about 1/2 hr.

2. Form into small patties (I was able to make 8 small patties) and place into skillet on medium heat. Cook on both sides until browned and cooked through.

3. Place cheese on top of the burgers, cover loosely with foil, and allow to melt while keeping the pan on low heat.

4. Toast buns.

Place burgers and desired toppings (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, etc.) on buns and enjoy hot! You can use any desired dressing or sauce on these as well (ketchup, chutney, etc.) We used a green olive spread (crushed green olives, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and crushed red pepper) as our dressing, but ketchup or chutney would be equally delicious!

If you have leftovers, don't worry... They taste even better! I just had the last of them for lunch and it was awesome!! :)


Spiced Oven Fries:



Ingredients:

Potato (russet) - 1 medium, chopped into sticks
Sweet potato - 1 medium, chopped into sticks
Cham's curry powder - 1 tbsp, or to taste
Salt - to taste
Olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Toss potatoes and sweet potatoes lightly in oil and spread on lightly greased cookie sheet or sheet pan.

3. Bake at 425 F for 25-30 minutes. Lower the heat to 400 F and cook for another 15-20 minutes.

4. Once cooked, remove from oven, toss with salt and curry powder. Serve with burgers and enjoy!


I will be passing on the love to Revathi of En Ulagam, and Mansi of Fun and Food. Get your creative juices flowing, ladies! Am looking forward to seeing your dishes!

Chinese Chilly Chicken

The idea to make this dish had popped up over the weekend when my husband and I were in the mood for something different to eat. I thought of making a Chinese style fried rice, but my husband was in the mood for chicken. I had some bell peppers and onions and made this concoction that wound up tasting pretty similar to dishes you get in Indian-Chinese restaurants. It's sort of like a moister version of chilly chicken.

I've used a chili-garlic sauce, for spice, that's a variant of sambal oelek just because I'm a garlic addict, but I'm recommending sambal oelek for the normal people out there! Sambal oelek is a chili sauce that is made with ground chillies. You could substitute with any chili sauce that you like (sriracha, Maggi sauces, etc.). It would all work! In the end, this dish was definitely a thumbs up!! :)


Ingredients:

Boneless chicken, cut into small pieces - 1 lb
Onion - 2 medium, cut into large chunks
Bell pepper - 1 large, cut into large chunks
Garlic - 4 cloves, crushed or chopped finely
Ginger - 1 1/2 inch piece, crushed or chopped finely
Soy sauce - to taste
Tomato ketchup - 3 tbsp
Sambal Oelek - 3 tbsp, or to taste
Green chillies - 3, chopped
Scallions (spring onions) - 1 small bunch, chopped for garnish (optional)

To marinate chicken:
Egg - 1, beaten (optional)
Soy sauce - to taste
Sambal Oelek - 1 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp (optional)
Cornstarch - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with the marinade ingredients for 30 minutes. Then, lightly fry the chicken pieces in a couple of spoons of oil until light brown. Remove from pan and keep aside.

2. To the hot pan, add the onions, bell peppers, green chillies and saute for 2 minutes.

3. Add the crushed (or chopped) ginger and garlic and saute until the veggies are crisp-tender and the garlic and ginger have softened a bit.

4. Now, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the sauces, salt (if needed) and the cooked chicken pieces. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes and turn off. Sprinkle scallions over and serve hot.

Goes well with white rice or fried rice or even as an appetizer. Enjoy!

For more of a gravy consistency, add a teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in half a cup of water to the pan and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes.



The little bit that's left is off to Bindiya of In Love With Food for her Chinese food event!



Btw, I've joined the foodie blog roll which is for people who have food blogs. For more info, click here or on the banner on the side of my blog!

Green Chicken

I'm not sure if any of you remember the Muppets, and specifically, Kermit the Frog. Somehow, thinking of this green chicken reminds me of Kermit singing his famous song, "It's not easy being green." (Click here for more info abt that and sources for the song.)

Anyway, back to green chicken. I'm not sure how the chicken feels about being green, but it's certainly very easy to eat lots and lots of this green chicken! So much so that Amma will eat this.

We always tease my mother that she has a "chicken allergy" because 90% of the time, she will out right refuse to eat any chicken preparation. However, she loves this one every time I make it! To me, that's a huge compliment!

Overall, this is a very simple recipe that just involves grinding, marinating, and cooking. A great and light side dish with any biryani, pulav, chappathi, roti, etc.


And now to the recipe:

Ingredients:

Chicken - 2 lbs, cut into pieces
Onions - 2, sliced finely
Lime juice - juice of 1/2 of a lime
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp (OPTIONAL)
Oil
Salt to taste

For grinding to paste:

Mint leaves - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - 1 cup
Green chillies - 15, or to taste
Garlic - 8 cloves
Ginger - 1 1/2 inch piece
Cumin seeds or powder - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with the ground paste, turmeric powder, and salt for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Saute the sliced onions until translucent.

3. Now, add the chicken with the marinade. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

4. Then, close the lid and lower the heat to low and allow the chicken to cook until it's done (about 20 minutes or so). Add water during the cooking process only if necessary.

5. Open the lid and see how much liquid is left. If there is still a lot of liquid in the pan, increase the heat and allow the gravy to concentrate.

6. Turn the heat off, add lime juice and garam masala (if using). Adjust salt if necessary. Serve with any pulav, rotis, etc.

Note: This dish doesn't go very well with white rice.

Teriyaki Chicken Wings and Superbowl XLII

First of all, I have to say that I hope people had a chance to see the Superbowl last night. What a game!!! It was fantastic (for details, click here). To top it all off, our local Giants beat the pants off of the undefeated Patriots!! Victory tastes so sweet!!!!

But, I digress. I couldn't help myself! Coming to the point... I wanted to share this recipe for Teriyaki BAKED chicken wings that are so fantastic, it's unreal! We had a plate full of wings and the four of us had devoured them in no time. I saw the original recipe on food network a long time ago (click here), but made lots of changes.

I used chili-garlic sauce, but you could just as easily have used green chillies. You can basically tweak this around any way you choose. :)


My modified recipe:

Ingredients:

Chicken wings - 18, separated into pieces (cut at wing joint to separate)
Salt and pepper to season wings
Green onions (scallions) - 3 stems, chopped for garnish
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, chopped for garnish

For teriyaki basting sauce:

Soy sauce - 2 tbsp, or to taste
Orange juice - Juice of 1 medium orange
Hoisin sauce - 3 tbsp (Asian barbeque sauce available in Asian section of grocery stores)
Ketchup - 3 tbsp
Rice wine vinegar - 1/4 cup
Brown sugar - 2 tbsp
Chili-garlic sauce - 3 tbsp, or to taste
Garlic - 6 cloves, finely chopped
Ginger - 2 inch piece, finely chopped

Method:

1. Combine all sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 20-25 minutes until thickened to a glaze consistency.

2. While the sauce is thickening, preheat oven to 400 F.

3. Sprinkle wings with salt and pepper. Keep in mind that there's soy sauce in the sauce to use later, so don't over-salt the wings!

4. Coat a sheet pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil lightly drizzled with oil. Spread wings out in a single layer. Bake for about 15 minutes.

5. Raise oven temperature to 450 F and bake for another 10 minutes, or until somewhat crisp and mostly cooked.

6. Now, take wings and coat with teriyaki sauce made in step 1. Bake at 450 F for another 10 to 15 minutes.

7. Remove from oven and garnish with green onions and coriander leaves. Use extra glaze as a dipping sauce. Enjoy with your beverage of choice!

finger lickin' good!

Pepper Chicken (Milagu Kozhi)

Mmmm... Man, do I ever love this pepper chicken! Pepper chicken is a Chettinadu style dish. It's a spicy chicken dish that can be used as an appetizer if made dry or as a curry if made slightly looser. This version is particularly easy and involves minimal prep work! One thing that I have to insist on is the use of freshly ground black pepper. This will give you the best possible flavor to the dish (it is called pepper chicken for a reason...)!


Ingredients:

Chicken - 2 lb, cleaned and cut into small pieces
Onions - 2 medium, chopped
Garlic - 8 cloves
Ginger - 1 1/2 inch piece, ground to paste with garlic
Tomatoes - 1 medium, chopped
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp, or to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Fennel powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Fresh pepper powder (milagu podi) - 2 tsp, or to taste

For seasoning:

Oil
Whole black peppercorns - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Method:

1. Heat oil in pan and do seasoning. Add onions and fry until golden brown.

2. Now, add paste of ginger and garlic, chilli powder, and coriander powder. Fry until raw smell disappears.

3. Add tomatoes, chicken, salt, and turmeric. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook without adding any water. Since the chicken will let out its own juices, you usually will not need to add any water.

4. When the chicken is cooked, but not falling apart, add the fennel powder, cumin powder, and fresh pepper powder.

5. Once the gravy bubbles, turn the stove off. Check for seasoning and squeeze a few drops of fresh lime juice to increase the flavor.

6. What else to do now but enjoy?! Use as an appetizer (with a cold beer, if you're into alcohol) or as a side with rotis.

Note: If you want more of a gravy consistency to mix with rice, you may need to add a little bit of water as the chicken finishes cooking.

Pongal and Chicken

Wait, wait, wait! Stop looking all confused by the title. I know that you probably think it sounds strange to eat chicken with pongal (and PLEASE let me know if it doesn't), but you have GOT to try this combination. I've been getting strange looks every time I tell it to anyone, but have managed to convert most to liking this!

Pongal and chicken gravy was probably my all time favorite breakfast combination growing up. Pongal, however, was probably the only thing where my brother would disagree with me in terms of food. He would eat anything, but just never liked pongal. So, Amma would be stuck making 2 breakfasts. Poor thing!

This pongal and chicken goes back generations in my family. Actually, the recipe for the chicken gravy comes from Amma's periyamma (Mom's uncle's wife). So, Amma grew up on this too! I guess you could call it a connector of generations. It makes me feel connected to my ancestors when making it and eating it...

I love this combo so much that I often turn to it as a comfort food when I don't feel well. I hope you will try out my beloved pongal with chicken gravy and be pleasantly surprised with the taste!

pongal and chicken gravy

Pongal:

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup
Moong dal - 1/4 cup
Water - 4 cups
Salt to taste

For Seasoning:

Whole black peppercorns, cracked - 2 teaspoons
Ginger, cut in small dice - 1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds, crushed - 2 teaspoons
Ghee - 2 teaspoons

Method:

1. Put rice, moong dal, and water in pressure cooker.

2. Cook for 3-4 whistles. Let pressure subside on its own.

3. Once pressure is released, open the cooker and do the seasoning.

4. Heat the ghee in a pan. Add ginger and fry until fragrant and cooked. Then, add peppercorns and cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds.

5. Add this to the cooked rice-dal mixture along with required salt. Mix well and serve hot with chicken gravy.

Chicken gravy/kuzhambu:

Ingredients:

Chicken, cut in small pieces - 1.5 to 2 lbs
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garlic - 4-5 cloves, crushed
Ginger - 1 inch piece, crushed
Salt to taste

For Seasoning:

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Onion - 1 medium, sliced
Curry leaves - 1 sprig


Dry roast and coarsely grind:

Whole red chillies - 8, or to taste
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in pan. When hot, add fennel seeds and fry until brown. Then, do seasoning with onion and curry leaves.

2. Once onion is browned, add chicken, cover, and let cook on medium high until water evaporates and it begins to slightly brown.

3. At this point, add the crushed garlic, ginger, ground masala powder, turmeric powder, and salt, along with enough water to cover the chicken.

4. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer. Let cook until chicken is cooked. Add more water if needed. *This gravy should be fairly thin so as to have enough to eat with the pongal.

5. Enjoy piping hot with the hot pongal!

We have this in our family on Maatu Pongal, as well as any normal day. :)


This one is headed over to Meeta's monthly mingle for January. The theme is comfort foods, and for me, there's nothing better than this dish!