Padma's Potato Podimas

Ingredients

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled

2 tablespoons neutral oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1 tablespoon split skinless urad dal (white split bean)

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

12 curry leaves, torn into pieces

1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 serrano chili or 2 green Indian chiles, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and boil until soft, 25 to 35 minutes, depending on their size. Remove the potatoes and set aside until they are cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Peel off the skins. Cool completely.

2.In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the mustard seeds and reduce the heat to medium as soon as they start sizzling. Add the urad dal, cumin seeds and curry leaves (be careful — they will splatter) and stir until the urad dal darkens slightly, about 1 minute. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the chiles and turmeric and sauté for just 1 minute.

3.Add the potatoes to the skillet, using your hands to crush them roughly as you do so. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt and stir to incorporate the ingredients well. Sauté until the potatoes are yellow, about 5 minutes.

4.Add 1/4 cup water and stir until incorporated, about 3 minutes. Add more kosher salt to taste. Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro. Serve warm.

Source: https://www.today.com/recipes/padma-lakshmi-potato-podimas-t300663

Padma's Yogurt Chicken

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (6 to 8)

kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 medium red onions, thinly sliced (2-2½ cups)

1½ cups whole-milk yogurt

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)

4 large cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon amchur (dried mango powder)

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 cup neutral oil

steamed basmati rice, for serving

1 handful chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

1.Place the chicken thighs on a cutting board and make 3 even slits 1/4-inch-deep across the top of each thigh. Sprinkle the thighs with 1½ teaspoons kosher salt and use your hands to rub it over the chicken. Transfer to a large bowl and let rest at room temperature.

2.Meanwhile, heat a small dry skillet over medium heat. Add the peppercorns and roast until fragrant, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. Add the cumin seeds to the skillet and toast until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the cumin seeds to the same mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind both into a fine powder.

3.Transfer that pepper/cumin mixture to the bowl with the chicken. Add the onions, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, garam masala, cayenne, amchur, turmeric and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Mix with your hands, rubbing everything into the chicken. Cover and let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature. (You can also cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.)

4.Preheat the oven to 450 F. Spread the oil over the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.5.Pour the chicken and yogurt mixture into the dish, arranging the chicken in a single layer. Bake uncovered until the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve warm with rice. Garnish with cilantro (if using).

Source: https://www.today.com/recipes/padma-lakshmi-yogurt-chicken-t300662

Chicken dum Biryani

Main Ingredients  for Chicken Biryani:

2 cups long grained basmati rice 500 gm boneless chicken thighs or 750 gm chicken on bone 4 cups water Salt to taste Marination Ingredients : 1 cup hung curd (internet says Greek yogurt can be used as a substitute) 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 4 green chillies crushed

2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp red chilli powder 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp garam masala powder 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves finely chopped 1 tbsp mint leaves thinly chopped Salt to taste

Whole Garam Masala Ingredients:

• 1 bay leaf
• 2 whole Kashmiri red chillies
• 2 green cardamoms)
• 2 cloves
• 1-1/2 inch cinnamon stick (cut into bits)
• 1 mace
• 2 star anise
• 3/4 tsp whole cumin seeds (jeera)

Other Ingredients :

• 1 big onion (cut into slices)
• 1 small onion coarsely chopped
• 2 tsp fennel or saunf powder
• 1 tsp yellow chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/2 cup fresh cream
• Few saffron strands
• 4 tbsp milk
• 1-1/2 tbsp rose water
• Few ginger julienne
• 2 tbsp pure ghee
• Some brown onions to garnish

Cook the Rice :

•  Wash the rice thoroughly in normal tap water and soak for about 30 minutes.
• Soak the saffron in milk or luke warm water and set aside.
• Heat 2 cups of water in a big pan.
• Add salt and rose water.
• When the water starts boiling then add rice into it.
• Cook the rice over medium high heat for about 10-12 minutes and then simmer the flame.
• When the rice are 3/4th done, then take out half of the cooked rice from the pan and remaining rice are to be set aside.

Cook the Chicken :

 In a medium size bowl, mix all the marinate ingredients.

• Cut the chicken into small  pieces and marinate it with the above mentioned ingredients mixture.
• Coat the chicken pieces well into the mixture, cover and set aside for about 30-40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a big non-stick pan and melt the ghee in it.
• Add whole garam masala and saute for few seconds over moderate heat.
• When the spices turns into little brown then add chopped onions.
• Cook the onion on a low flame and make sure that they should not change their color.
• Stir constantly if the heat is getting too high.
• Put little bit of water to get a nice and glossy color of onions.
• When onions are well cooked, add marinated chicken along with its whole mixture.
• Now add fennel and turmeric powder.
• Mix it well and adjust with the salt.
• At this moment, add 1-1/2 cups of water and leave to cook for 6-8 minutes on semi flame.
• Once the chicken seems to be done, then you can mix cardamom powder along with fresh cream or yogurt.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool down.
• When the chicken cools down, take the chicken pieces out and strain the whole gravy over the pieces of chicken.
• Garnish with some chopped coriander and set aside.
• Spread a single layer of the prepared chicken over the rice left in the pan and spread some saffron mixture.
• Garnish the biryani with  brown colored fried onion slices.
• Now make the layer of remaining rice and chicken one after the other, sprinkle the saffron mixture, chopped coriander and ginger julienne.
• Now we have to cook this biryani on very low flame, i.e., on dum means without exploring out the steam.
• Cover the pot either with an aluminum foil or with a wheat dough and place a lid on it.
• Immediately reduce the flame.
• Make sure the steam should not come out.
• Let it cook on low flame on dum (low heat) for about 6-7 minutes.
• Serve this delicious chicken dum biryani piping hot with few round onion slices, lemon wedges and raita of your choice.

Chicken dum biryani tastes better with chicken on bone but I prefer cooking my biryani with boneless chicken, so that no bone get stuck in my mouth.

The important aspect of making a proper Chicken Dum Biryani is to cook it on dum with a proper cover or lid. Although there are many methods to cook it on dum.

Source: http://homerecipes.in/chicken-dum-biryani-recipe/115

Chicken 65

Cuisine: South Indian

Yield / Serves: 2

Ingredients (240 ml cup used)

• 250 grams or ¼ kg boneless chicken cubes
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• ¼ tsp pepper powder
• ¾ tsp kashmiri or byadgi red chili powder
• 1 sprig curry leaves chopped finely
• salt as needed
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tsp. vinegar
• ¼ tsp garam masala powder or biryani masala powder
• ¾ tbsp. corn flour or corn starch
• oil for deep frying
• 1 egg for half kg chicken(optional)

seasoning

• 2 generous pinches Kashmiri or byadgi red chili powder (optional)
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1 to 2 green chilies (seeds removed)

Instructions

1. Mix red chili powder, vinegar and oil to a smooth paste.
2. Marinate with the paste made above along with pepper powder, ginger garlic paste and salt.
3. Sprinkle corn flour and mix once again. Sprinkle garam masala and mix again. Adding egg is optional. For ½ kg chicken , one egg can be used.
4. Set this aside to marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours. If you intend to set aside for more than 30 minutes, then refrigerate for one hour and let it site out for 45 minutes or so.
5. Add oil to a pan and heat. Deep fry chickn till done. Over frying can make it hard. so fry just until cooked and tender.
6. Drain them on a paper tissue.

seasoning

1. Drain off the oil from the pan to a pot and retain few drops. or use a fresh pan and add a tsp oil.
2. When the pan is hot, add curry leaves and green chilies. fry until crisp. Switch off the stove.
3. Add the red chili powder, stir it well to blend in oil.
4. Add the fried chunks and toss. Serve hot or warm.