Chicken Teriyaki with a twist

My sister decided to produce some awe inspiring and mouth watering, sweet stuff  for us over the last few months, due to inspiration from the Daring Bakers Challenges, and my mother hoped that I could do the same with the Daring Cooks Challenges. But of course, given the picky eater that I am, it takes a lot for me to look at a savory dish and say I want that! If I see a salad that has tomatoes, as pretty as it is and as much I’d want to try because it’s pretty, I know the moment I put it in my mouth will be a moment of pure regret. And seriously, do I need to regret stuff that I have control over? Long story short, the following recipe was inspired by the Daring Cooks challenge. I took the marinade they provided, and tweaked it by adding home-made barbeque sauce and tomato sauce, since I found the soy sauces simply too overpowering for my little taste buds. I also sliced the chicken into strips before cooking, and instead of cooking it in the oven, I cooked it completely over the stove.

1 pound chicken breast
4 large cloves of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1½ tablespoons maltose (you can substitute honey)
1½ tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon barbeque sauce
1 tablespoon tomato sauce
½ teaspoon pepper
pinch of salt
½ teaspoon five spice powder
3 tablespoons ghee or oil
10 oz boiled pasta
2 oz chopped celery
_¼ cup chopped cilantro & parsley

Fry the poor Bird

When my mother gets obsessed with something, that something typically is food related, she will see it to the very end.  She will look through all her cookbooks, call up any particular person who may have a hint, and now that she has figured out Google is her friend she’s making great use of that.  And so for a week, we made fried chicken.  A whole week of fried chicken.  When I was not eating it, I was hearing about it.  Gotta love mothers. ❤

2 chicken legs
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 egg
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tablespoon barbeque sauce

With a sharp knife, make slashes into the chicken legs.  Do not make the slashes too deep, just about a centimeter or two.

In a small bowl, marinate chicken in seasoning of your choice, and coat the pieces with buttermilk.  Let rest for a couple hours, or overnight.  Drain any excess buttermilk off the chicken when about to use.

In a large bowl, add flour, salt, lemon salt, garam masala, paprika, garlic powder, baking powder, and corn starch.  Whisk together.

In a medium bowl, add egg, water, salt, garam masala, and barbeque sauce.  Whisk together.

Dip the chicken pieces in egg, and then into the flour.  Coat completely with flour, and then press the flour into the chicken, using the weight of your palm.  Shake the excess flour off, and keep shaking it for about 15-20 seconds.  Dip the chicken pieces once again in the egg mixture, and then into the flour, pressing into it.  Shake off the flour again.

You want to create the fluffy look, and shaking it helps, so shake to your hearts contentment!

Fill a deep pot with 3/4 amount of oil, and heat to 350.  Place the pieces into the oil, and when it starts to change color turn it over to the other side, about 10 seconds. Lower the heat so that it drops to 275, and maintain that temperature.  Turn the chicken over every 2 minutes, until it done about 20 minutes or when a thermometer inserted registers at 180.

Roast Beef

14 oz beef chunks, on the bone

3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 cloves, crushed
4 peppercorns, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup water
2 teaspoons corn starch

Beef Quiche Lorraine

I took one bite out of the quiche, and shook my head.  The idea of custard with meat grossed me out.  But as I kept eating, it grew on me.  The egg flavor brings out the best in it, and hilariously we used my sisters pastry dough which had sugar in it.  The sweetness was pleasant though.  I also made the crust way too thin, so pardon the fact that it’s breaking apart.  We’ll pretend that’s the look I was going for.  Who am I kidding…

10 oz short crust pastry
8 oz meat
2 eggs
3 oz cream
1.5 oz mayonnaise
1.5 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped

Preheat oven to 400F° (205C°).

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out a 13-inch circle from dough. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; trim dough flush with top edge of pan. Prick bottom all over with a fork. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line tart shell with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until dough starts to feel firm on the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights; continue baking until crust is pale golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Leave oven on.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, and mayonnaise.  Stir in meat and cheese.  Pour mixture into crust shell.  Scatter bell peppers on the top.  Bake until puffed and pale golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

Roll, Roll, Roll Your Beef!

It probably would have been a better idea to make this on a day when I was angry at somebody, because I spent a good 30 minutes pounding the poor meat.  In this case, I was beating the dead cow.  Ouch.

8 oz beef, fillet

1 thick slice of bread
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cup mint
2 oz meat, chopped

6 curry leaves, chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 cloves, crushed
4 peppercorns, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 serrano chili, finely chopped

1 teaspoon corn starch
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Refashioning a Dutch Pie

My mother thought it would be fun to make me try something very different: Old Fashioned Dutch Pie.  I stuck my nose up at the idea of trying something South African.  But I went ahead with it anyway, since it was easy.  I took one bite and shook my head.  Something seriously needs changing here.  I took another bite and bit into a chili.  Something definitely needs changing.  To give the Dutch some credit, the chilies weren’t their idea, but to take away all credit, they could have at least had one chili.  So we made this an American Indian Dutch Pie.  American because we put barbecue sauce in (which technically is also partially Indian, but lets stay on topic), Indian because of the awesome spices, and Dutch because at least they inspired us.

After eating it, we decided some changes it needed, and the following recipe reflects the twists we would take the next time we make it.

6 oz onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
16 oz beef, sliced in thin strips
1/4 cup oregano, chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
8 oz tomato
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 teaspoon peppercorns, crushed
1/4 teaspoon cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon sumac
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic minced
2 1/2 cups water
1 egg, hard-boiled and sliced
1 potato, cubed
1/2 carrot, sliced
1/4 cup frozen peas
1 egg, beaten

Beef Stew

I don’t know what to say, besides the fact that I’m utterly impressed with myself.  My mother has been spending the last few days working in the garden, and yesterday I kept calling for her every 5 seconds.  Having a recipe handy to guide you is always much better than hollering for a busy person.  My mom also made corn on the cob for dinner, and I was going to turn that down when an idea struck.  I sliced the corn off and had the kernels with the stew.  The hint of sweetness from the corn complemented the beef wonderfully.  You can just put frozen corn though. Seriously happy a happy camper tonight.

3 tablespoons ghee/oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 pepper corns, crushed
4 oz onion, thinly sliced
8 oz beef, cubed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon sumac
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon cumin/coriander powder
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
4 oz tomato
4 oz beef stock
1 medium potato, cubed
2 oz carrots, sliced
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup frozen peas

Chettinad Pepper Chicken

I used beef for this recipe instead of chicken, which meant a slightly longer cooking time. I loved the spices, not too strong and not too mild, it was perfect as is!

4 tablespoons oil
6 oz onions
1″ cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons urad daal
3 cloves, crushed
3 peppercorns, crushed
3 bay leaves
5 cardamom pods
15-20 curry leaves
1 large tomato, chopped
2 1/4 lb chicken, skinned and cut into 1″ cubes
2 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 tablespoons cumin seeds
8-10 dried red chilies
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons peppercorns
1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons water

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add cinnamon, cumin, fennel, urad daal, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, and curry leaves.  Stir briefly, and add onions.  Over medium-low heat, fry the onions until the are soft and lightly colored.

Meanwhile, in a small pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat.  When hot, add cumin, red chilies, coriander, fennel, peppercorns, and poppy seeds.  Stir together and fry until lightly roasted.  Cool slightly and transfer to a mortar and pestle.  Add garlic and ginger, and crush  to a powder.  Add turmeric, salt, and water, and stir to make a paste.

Once onions are done, add spice paste and braise over high heat for about 2 minutes. Add a tablespoon of water in necessary to prevent sticking. Add tomato and fry for another 2 minutes.

Add chicken pieces to the onion and spice mixture, stirring until they are well coated. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to simmer until chicken is almost cooked, about 20-25 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken pieces. Over high heat, reduce the sauce until it is very thick, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan, and gently fold into the sauce. Lower the heat to medium, and cook another 5 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Flavors of India, by Madhur Jaffrey.

Beef Chili-Fry

I’ve always wanted to try a stir fry type of dish, and this was semi there I suppose. I found the flavors to be a bit strong and it was lacking something, I’m not sure what. But I could have possibly went wrong somewhere, so if you decide to give it a try, let me know how it went.

12 oz tender beefsteak
3 tablespoon oil
6 oz onions, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1″ piece ginger, coarsely chopped
2-3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
3-4 serrano chilies, seeded and cut into long strips

Cut beef into thin strips.

Place half of the onions, garlic, ginger, and water in a blender and make a rough paste. Pour into a small bowl and red chili powder, turmeric, coriander, and cumin. Stir well, and then rub 2 teaspoons of the paste and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into the beef. Set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or a karahi over high heat. When hot, add remaining onion, and lower the heat to medium, frying until lightly browned. Add the beef and stir, frying over high heat until the meat begins to lose its raw look. Remove the meat and onion.

Add chilies to the wok or karahi, and stir constantly, over high heat, until they are lightly browned. Add spice paste, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and braise for about 2 minutes. Add the meat and onions back to the pot and add 1/4 cup of water. Stir over high heat for 1-2 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Flavors of India, by Madhur Jaffrey.

Beef Vindaloo

I was going to make something entirely different, but was flipping through a book and saw this.  I’ve never had vindaloo before, and I know better than to admit to what I’m about to say.  But I’ll admit away.  The name vindaloo seriously makes me think of a Hindu holiday, not because it is, but because they pretended it was on Outsourced.  This is where I’m supposed to vow to never watch that and other shows again.

1 tablespoon cumin seeds
4 dried red chilies
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 green cardamom pods, seeds only
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons apple juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 tablespoons ghee/oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
6 oz onion, finely chopped
2 lb stewing beef, cut into 1″ cubes
1″ piece ginger, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce

Using mortar and pestle, grind the cumin seeds, chilies, peppercorns, cardamom seeds, fenugreek seeds, and mustard to a fine powder. Add salt, apple juice and lemon juice and stir to form a thin paste.

In a medium size pot, heat oil over high heat and add the cumin seeds. When the seeds stop sputtering in the oil, lower the heat to medium, and add the onions. Fry until golden brown, stirring as necessary. With a slotted spoon, remove the onion from the pan and let cool in a bowl for a minutes. Put the onion and spice mixture into a blender, and blend to a coarse paste.

Add meat to the pan, and brown over high heat until the meat looses its raw look. With a slotted spoon, remove the meat.

Add the ginger, garlic, coriander, turmeric, and mustard to the pan and braise for a minute. Add the spice and onion mixture and braise for another minute. Add the meat back to the pot, and stir to coat with the spices. Add water and barbecue sauce and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, until the meat is tender.

Recipe courtesy of Best-ever Curry Cookbook, by Mridula Baljekar