Mughlai Chicken Curry (low fat version ..same great taste !!)

Mughlai dishes can be very heavy because of the liberal use of ghee,cream and khoya (milk solids) .I have substituted  the cream and khoya with yogurt and the ghee with olive oil .The nuts and olive oil have healthy mono unsaturated fats which are very beneficial.These changes do not compromise the taste of this dish .Infact it made it lighter even to be included in everyday meals. Try it for yourself and find out !!!


Ingredients :

1 Cornish game chicken
8 almonds
8 cashews
1 small  onion
1/2 inch ginger grated
3 cloves of garlic grated
1 tbsp McCormick curry pwdr (or any mild one of your choice)
4 peppercorns,2 green cardamoms,3 cloves (ground coarsely together)
3 tbsp whole milk yogurt(dahi) (whisk the yogurt smooth with a fork so it blends well )
1/2 tsp cumin pwdr
1/2 tsp coriander pwdr
1 cinnamon stick
1 black cardamom
3 tbsp Olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions :
Cut the chicken  in around 8 pieces .Marinate it with salt,pepper,grated ginger and garlic and yogurt .Leave it in the fridge for 1/2 an hr.Heat oil in a pan .Add the cinnamon stick and black cardamom to it .Saute the onion ,when it browns add the almonds and cashews and saute for a few mins.Grind these in a blender with 1/4 cup water to a thick paste.Add a little more oil to the same pan . Add the ground peppercorn,cloves,cardamom seeds,curry pwdr ,cumin and corainder pwdr to it  ,transfer the paste back to it and cook on a low flame till oil seperates from the mixture.Add the marinated chicken to it and cook covered till the chicken is completely cooked around 25-30 mins

Teriyaki Chicken with Japanese Somen noodles

Ingredients :
6 oz Japanese organic Somen noodles ( you'll find them in the Asian market )
1/2 cup shredded cooked  chicken
2 cups mixed stir fry vegetables ( broccoli,carrots,babycorn,mushrooms,red peppers,sugar snap peas)
1/4 th cup Kikkoman Teriyaki stir fry sauce
1 tbsp Sweet chili sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds.

2 tbsp Olive oil

Directions :
Heat oil in a non-stick wok .Add the vegetables and the Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce and stir fry for 10 mins .Add the chicken and sweet chili sauce and cook for another 5 mins till veggies are tender.

In a stock pot boil water .Add salt to it. Add the Japanese Somen noodles and boil for 3 mins ,the noodles get cooked tender very quickly.Drain and add the noodles to the chicken and vegetables.Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds.Serve hot. You can use a little Siricha(hot chili sauce) if you like it spicy.

Curried Chicken Fettuccine Florentine

1/2 lb dry Fettuccine pasta
10 oz frozen chopped spinach(thawed)
1 small yellow Vidalia onion sliced
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 cup shredded cooked chicken(Rotisserie)
2 tsp McCormick curry powder(or any mild one that you prefer)
Salt to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4th cup fresh basil leaves chopped

Alfredo sauce ingredients:
8 oz Mascarpone cheese
1/4 th cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4th tsp nutmeg pwdr
1 tsp black pepper pwdr
1/4th cup heavy cream

Directions :
Fill a stock pot with water ,season with salt .When it comes to a boil add the Fettuccine pasta and cook till it is 'al dente' i.e firm to bite .Drain and keep aside.
In a non-stick deep bottomed pan  ,heat 2 tbsp of olive oil.Saute  the sliced onion till it is transluscent.Finely chop the two cloves of garlic and add to the onions.Add the curry powder and saute for 30 seconds.Add the thawed spinach and cook for 5-10 mins.Add the chicken  at this stage and blend on a low flame with the spinach for 5 mins.

Alfredo sauce:
In a heavy bottomed non-stick  saucepan mix together  the freshly  grated Parmesan cheese and heavy cream and simmer on a low flame till the cheese  almost melts.Swtich off the heat and blend in the Masacarpone cheese and season with nutmeg and black pepper powder.

Add the Alfredo sauce and cooked Fettuccine pasta to the prepared spinach and chicken and mix well.Garnish with chopped fresh basil leaves.

Grilled Chicken and Cheddar Pesto Paninis

4 multigrain Ciabatta sandwich rolls sliced horizontally
4 tsp basil pesto
4 slices of sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup of shredded cooked chicken
Olive oil

Preheat the Panini Press on High.

On the bottom halves of the Ciabatta rolls ,evenly spread out the basil pesto,shredded chicken and top with a slice of Cheddar cheese.Cover with the top half of the Ciabatta roll.Brush  the top of the roll with olive oil.Prepare all four rolls accordingly. Spray olive oil on the hot Panini Press. Grill the paninis to a golden brown.If you don't have a Panini Press ,these can be made on a non-stick pan or grilling pan by keeping another smaller heavy pan on the sandwich as a press. Keep an aluminium   foil between the sandwich and the small pan used as a press .

Chicken Pad Thai

3 tbsp sesame oil (cooking oil not toasted sesame oil)

2 boneless chicken breasts cubed

1 packet Thai rice noodles

2 cups of chopped  stir fry vegetables

(Broccoli,carrots,baby corn,mushrooms,red bell peppers,water chestnuts,fresh bean sprouts)

1/3 cup chopped peanuts

salt and pepper

Pad Thai Sauce ingredients:

1 tbsp Thai sweet chili garlic sauce

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp Siracha or hot red chili sauce

1 tbsp peanut butter

1/2 tbsp tamarind paste  dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water

1 tsp soy sauce

2tbsp brown sugar

Directions: Boil water in a stock pot .add salt to it.Add the rice noodles and cook till 'al dente'(firm to bite).Drain and keep saide.Add a little oil and mix them to prevent from sticking.

Add all the sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl and whip together to a smooth paste/thick sauce consistency.

In a wok add sesame oil.Mix  the chicken with the pad thai sauce and keep aside.Add the marinated chicken and  veggies and stir fry till the chicken  turns white and is no longer pink in the center(10 -15 mins ) and the veggies are cooked.Add a little warm water from the noodles stock pot  if it dries out.Add the noodles to the chicken and vegetables. Add the chopped peanuts .Check the seasoning.Garnish with cilantro.Serve with more chiligarlic sauce or hot chili sauce on the side.The chicken and be substituted with shrimp for Shrimp Pad Thai.

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Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a spicy seafood and sausage rice dish famous in the southern states of USA like Louisiana. It is orginally a French dish with some Italian similarities to Paella.This is a slightly Indianised version of it.

1 cup meduim raw shrimp

2 chicken andouille sausages

1 medium red onion

1 tomato

1 cup basmati rice.

1 carrot peeled and chopped

1 celery stalk

1/2 inch ginger grated

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp Cajun seasoning(if you don't have it substitute

 with 1/2 tsp cayenne pwdr,1/2 tsp cumin pwdr 1/2 tsp coriander pwdr,1/2 tsp garam masala)

1 tsp pepper pwdr

1 tsp dry oregano

salt to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

Cilantro leaves for garnish

Heat oil in a deep pan.Add the chopped onions ,celery and carrots.This trinity is called mirepoix in French cooking. For a classic mirepoix add twice the amount of onions to carrots and celery.Add salt to cook evenly and release flavors.After 10 mins add tomatoes and all the spices listed above .Stir and cook on a low flame till oil sepearates from the mixture.Add the shrimp and sliced chicken Andouille sausages.Saute  for 10  mins .Wash the rice to remove excess starch ,Cook it seperately in a pot of boiling water till it is tender. Drain  and add to the chicken and shrimp mix. Cook for 1 minute mixing gently . Fluff with a fork and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Chicken Jalfrezi (Chicken stir fried with bellpeppers and baby corn)

 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
1 red bell pepper cubed
1 green bell pepper cubed
1 can whole  baby corn (drained and rinsed)
1 medium red onion  cubed
3 tbsp tomato sauce
1 green chili deseeded and finely chopped(optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 inch ginger grated
2 cloves garlic grated


Spices:
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric pwdr
1/2 tsp cumin pwdr
1/2 tsp pepper pwdr
1 tsp paprika pwdr
1tsp corainder pwdr
1/2 tsp tawa fry masala(like MDH)
Salt to taste

Directions:

In a mixing bowl  mix chicken with salt ,pepper,cumin,corianderand paprika pwdrs.Keep aside.Heat oil in a non-stick wok.Add cumin seeds.As they turn a light brown add the chopped red onion .After 3mins add the grated ginger and garlic and saute for 30 secs. Add the tomato sauce ,green chili and Tawa fry masala and stir fry  on a low flame till oil seperates from the mixture. Add the marinated chicken and bell peppers and cook till chicken is cooked  stirring at regular  intervals.Add the baby corn towards the last 5-7 mins. Serve with naan or rice.This is a dry chicken dish .Add 1/2 water while adding chicken if you like a gravy dish.

Chicken Tikka Masala (low calorie version )

For the chicken :

2lbs(approx 1kg) boneless chicken cubed.
1/2 tsp of turmeric pwdr,
1/2 tsp of red chili pwdr,
1tsp of coriander pwdr
1tsp of cumin pwdr
1tsp garlic pwdr ,Salt n pepper to taste
add all above to the chicken .Mix well and keep aside.
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil... in a non-stick pan when it's hot enough add the chicken to it and stir fry till it's almost completely cooked(10-15 mins).

For the sauce (gravy):
1/2 cinnamon stick,
2 Bay leaves
4 cloves
2 green cardamons
8-10 peppercorns
1 tbsp grated ginger
1tbsp grated garlic
1/2 tsp chaat masala1 tbsp dry Kasoori Methi leaves
1/2 tsp each of turmeric ,paprika,coriander,cumin n chaat masala pwdr
1 can of tomato sauce or puree(NOT KETCHUP)
1tbsp sugar/honey
3 tbsp heavy cream



In a seperate non-stick wok heat 2tbsp of olive oil. Add two bay leaves ,1/2 cinnamon stick n roughly ground spice mix of 4 cloves,seeds of 2 cardomoms and 8-10 peppercorns.(u cud use a mortal -pestle to grind these)Add 1tbsp each of freshly grated ginger n garlic.(fresh ginger- garlic paste makes ALL the diff v/s the store bought one)Saute on a low flame for 10-20 secs ,DON'T let it brown.Add one can of tomato sauce if using tomato paste add only half a can.let the sauce simmer on a low-med flame.Add to it 1tsp each of turmeric pwdr,cumin,coriander ,chili pwdr(paprika is u want it mild) and 1/2 tsp of chaat masala(MDH is good) ,salt n pepper pwdr to taste.when the sauce starts bubbling add half of the smallest carton of heavy cream(around 1/4th cup).1tbsp of sugar and 1tbsp of crushed Kasoori Methi leaves. At this stage the sauce will look a pale orange.Add the chicken with all the pan drippings to the sauce .keep simmering till the sauce turns a deep orange.Taste n adjust the spices if needed.The sugar is only to remove the tanginess of the tomato sauce.It shouldn't make it taste overtly sweet .U can add a little more if it's too tangy.Serve with naan or veg pilaf. ENJOY!!! (you can add butter for a richer taste ,I avoid). See More