Baked Gondhoraj Chicken

Recently I am digging up all the recipes from my draft folder and blogging on them - the dishes which I have cooked almost 2 years back. Now a day the cooking part is though going on in full swing but clicking is like a nightmare for me. Preparing a whole set up for the photo shoot, then download them, if required going for editing- ah it’s better I should get some sleep saving that time. All new moms couldn't agree more that few extra hours sleep is like a cherry on the top of a cake. It's like cooking a dish is therapeutic, but wrapping up the meals, cleaning the kitchen and retiring to the bed as soon as possible to get some good hours long sleep is nothing but a boon. My elder one has become suddenly a grown up girl and quite matured who always stays with me like a shadow to help me out whenever I need. My little one is proving to be a good girl till date as she doesn't bug me much, loves to stay by her own. So I get a call only when she is hungry, sleepy or needs to change her diaper. Slowly I am stepping back in my old shoes, by starting up what I used to love most. I am cooking, baking and actively started to move around. But when it comes to clicking pictures I feel like I am having a split with my camera. There was a time I couldn't think my life without my camera and now I try to run away from it. May be everyone faces some phase like this when you need a break from which you covet most. The ardent photographer in me is still sleeping and I don't have the urge to wake her up too. So I am enjoying my camera less phase pretty well. But yes I miss that uplifting attitude of a photographer me and often feel that I am drowning away from the engrossing and enthralling food blogging world. I want to be active again but I am enjoying this phase too... So I guess I need to give myself more time to wait for the right time --Should I or not??..- I am confused...

Now coming to the dish I was pretty inspired by two recipe posts on Gondhoraaj chicken by my fellow Kolkata Food Bloggers Anwesha and Pritha{Click on their names to visit their recipes}. So I decided to try it out. Both the recipes ask for frying but I preferred to give it a baked version. So here is my version of Baked Gondhoraj Chicken. Try it out and I am sure it will be a winner.

Ingredients:

Chicken Thighs - 6 pcs

To Marinate:

 Onion - 1 medium

Garlic - 5-6 cloves 

Ginger - 1 inch long

Green Chili - 1 -2 (As per taste)

Juice of Gondhoraaj Lebu - 1 big (3/4 of the juice will be required for marination and 1/4 of the juice for basting)

Zest of Gondhoraj Lebu - 1/2 tspn

Black pepper powder - 1/4 tspn

Salt and Sugar as per taste

Ghee - 1 tbspn (optional, one can use olive oil or white oil)

Method:

1. Wash the chicken thighs and then pat it dry with a kitchen towel. With a sharp knife slit both sides of the flesh of the chicken thigh so that the marinades incorporate well.

2. Now prepare the marinade - Paste the onion, garlic and ginger together and strain out the juice as much as you can. Add the juice to the chicken and all the other ingredients that comes under the marinade section. Mix well and keep for and hour or two to rest.

3. Pre - heat the oven at 200c for 5 minutes. Take an oven proof tray and place the Chicken Thigh pieces on it. Bake it for 20 minutes.

4. In the meanwhile take the Ghee/ Oil and add the remaining 1/4 of the juice of Gondhoraaj Lebu.  

5. After 20 minutes turn the thigh pieces, brush the juice mixture on each and bake for another 20 minutes.  

6. Turn them over again apply the remaining juice mixture and bake for another 10 minutes. If you feel you need to bake more then turn over and bake for few minutes more.

7. Take them out from the oven and serve them hot with some boiled vegetables, bread and some dip. If someone needs more of the flavour of the Gondhoraj Lebu, then one can squeeze some juice on the top of the baked chicken thighs.

Baked Basa Pan Fried in Thai Style

Today I make it a quick post. After making this dish I have posted it on my Facebook page and have totally forgotten to blog on it. That is only then, when one of my readers put it on my notice that the recipe has not been shared yet. It feels really great when you have such readers who follow you with such minute details. I am one lucky soul to have such readers. So here is the recipe Baked Basa Pan Fried in Thai Style:

Ingredients:

Basa Fillet - 1 large

To marinate:

Thai Sweet Chilly Sauce - 2 tbspn

Light Soy Sauce - 2 tbspn

Ginger Garlic paste- 1 tbspn

lemon juice- 1tspn

Dry Lemon Grass- few sprigs

Salt and Sugar - as per taste 

For the Fry:

Mushroom (sliced) - 1 cup

Baby Corn (julienned) -  1/2 cup

Capsicum (sliced) - 1/2 cup

Garlic (chopped) - 1 tbspn

Ginger ((julienned)) - 1 tspn

Whole Dry Red Chilli - 2- 3 (Seeded and pieced)

Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce - 2 tbspn

Dark Soy Sauce - 1 tbspn

Salt and Sugar as per taste.

Olive Oil - 1 tbspn

Method:

1. Cube the Fillet as your required size. Make sure it should not be too small.
2. Marinade the cubes with all the ingredients under Marinate.
3. Take baking tray. Cover it with aluminum foil. Line the fillet cubes.
4. Bake each side each for 7 + 7 mnts.  And then grill for 5 mnts.
5. Take a nonstick pan. Heat oil. Add the chopped garlic and the Dry red chilli.
6. Let the Garlic turn brown add all the other veggies and sauté till then are semi cooked. And the sauces, salt and sugar.
7. Stir well in high flame. Add the fish cubes and very carefully fold them with the  veggies. Be very careful that the fish cubes should not get broken. Cook for a couple of minutes in high flame. Then serve with fried rice or noodles. 

Note:

1. If you don't want to bake then you can coat the marinated fish cubes in corn flour or flour and deep fry.

2. Basa is a very soft and fragile textured fish. so handle it care.

Spaghetti tossed in Pasta Sauce with Baked Meatballs

It’s a very quick post on one of my dear readers' request. I made this dish a long back. Posted the picture of it on the Silence Sings's FB page and totally forgotten to blog on it and share the recipe. It was only for her when she requested me to post the recipe and then  I came out of my forgetful memory. I felt so happy at the same time too to have such readers who follow my each recipes with so much care. She has requested me two recipes (both I posted the picture but forgotten to blog) will be coming soon. So let us move to the Spaghetti tossed in Pasta Sauce with Baked Meatballs recipe which very easy to make, takes very less time. Very filling and at the same time very healthy too.  When we talk about Spaghetti it definitely takes us to Italy. Being one of the main ingredients of Italian Cuisine it has become spread all over the world and very common in most kitchen too. Spaghetti is one of the most common and favourite pastas in my kitchen and to my family. And you can make so many versions with this too. I will be coming up soon with a very easy cheesy spaghetti dish that I prepared yesterday for dinner. Till then enjoy this version. So here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

(Yields 3 persons)

For the Meatball:

Chicken Keema/ Minced Chicken: 200gm (apprx)

Pasta Sauce: 2 tbspn

Salt & Sugar as per taste.

Spaghetti: 200gm

Pasta Sauce: 4 tbspn

Garlic: 1 tbspn (Chopped)

Spring Onion: 1/2 cup chopped (optional)

Salt as per taste

Olive oil: 1 tbspn

Method:

1. Add all the ingredients with the chicken keema/ Minced Chicken.
2. Take a oven proof tray. Line it with aluminum foil and grease the foil with oil. (See notes)
3. Make small balls out the chicken mixture and bake at 210 degree C for 10 mnts. Then turn the balls and bake for another 10 mnts. Take them out and reserve.
4. While the meatballs are baking boil the spaghetti with little bit of salt. Take them off the flame till they are nicely done. Strain the excess water and reserve.
5. Take a Kodai/ deep dense pan. Heat oil. Add the garlic. Let them turn brown then add the meatballs. Fry for a while then add the spaghetti and the remaining pasta sauce. Fry till they are well mixed. Taste if more salt and sugar is needed. Add the spring onion and cooked for a minute. Your dish dish is ready to serve.

Note:

1. Whenever you bake or grill  meat on a tray always line with aluminium foil. It will make your work easier to avoid the cleaning of the greasy burnt trays. Just peel off the foil and trash after the dish gets cooked.

2. For me marinating the minced chicken with pasta sauce came out wonderful and very tasty at the same time very easy too. But you can always add loads of spices and more sauces to enhance the taste more spicy. 
3. I have baked it in Microwave Conventional Oven. I didn't pre- heated the oven but baked directly to the given temperature.

Don't miss another exotic version from my friend Deepa. Find out her version HERE.

Whole Chicken Roast basted with homemade Apricot & Plum Sauce

Buying OTG has become a boon for us which has opened the door of heaven where we can taste the succulent meat roast. The incredible taste of roasted meat can't be got in a Convection Micro-oven. Now I am a proud Kitchen Queen where I most of the time welcome whole chicken roasts  at our dinner table and my daughter too, often insists to have it. A roasted whole chicken tastes better when you bake it with skin. But the man of the house always prefers skinned chicken. So I have to prepare it always without skin. Last time I tried Balsamic Herb RoastedChicken and that turned out a finger smacking dish. This time I tried a different version of roasting a whole chicken.

This season's last bunch of fresh Apricots and Plums were laying around without any fixed preparation in mind how I could use them. I didn't want to use them in  any dessert. So just the thought came to use them in a savoury dish. So I tried making a sauce out of Apricot and Plum and marinated it with chicken and roasted it. And to my surprise it again turned out a lip smacking dish. We enjoyed the dish till the last bite. So here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

 For the Sauce:

Fresh Apricot- 5-6 (Seeded and Sliced)

Fresh Plum- 5-6  (Seeded and Sliced)

Wine Vinegar: 1/4 cup

White Paper Powder: 1/2 tea spoon

Salt- 1/4 tea spoon (+ more)

Sugar- 3 tea spoons (More or less.  See Notes)

Garlic-5-6 cloves

Olive oil- 1 tea spoon

Dry Onion Flakes- 1 tea spoon (I used store bought)

Water- 1 cup

Marinate the Chicken:

Lemon - 1/2 of one

Salt- 1 tea spoon

Method:

1. First marinate the chicken by rubbing salt and Lemon all over it for an hour or so. Don't forget to slit  the flesh of the chicken with a sharp knife so that the juice of the sauce goes well inside the whole chicken.
2. Let us make the sauce now.  Fry the garlic in olive oil. Add everything under Sauce along with the fried garlic and boil for 8-10mnts. Cool it and make a smooth paste .
3. Pour it over the whole chicken and marinate it for at list couple of hours.
4. Power on the OTG. Set the temperature at 220 C degree. Put the Chicken on the rotisserie.  Don't discard the sauce, reserve. Bake for 30mnts. Then brush the chicken with the remaining sauce and reserve the leftover if there is any. Bake for 30mnts more.
5. Then take out the roasted chicken.
6. In a pan heat a 1/2 tspn oil and add the sauce and cook in low flame till it gets thicken. Glaze the roasted chicken with the sauce and enjoy.

Note:

I had some extra sauce. So I grilled some mushroom and sauteed them with the sauce and they came out real nice..

This is my entry for the Blogging Marathon that we Kolkata Food Bloggers have started. The concept behind it is to post in alternative days in the remaining day of August. At the same time we will have frequent posting and get rid of the drafts those which have been resting in the folders for decades. The Mastermind behind this event is Sayantani who blogs at A Homemaker's Diary.

The other Kolkata Food Bloggers who will be participating in this Marathon are:

1. Amrita - Vishal @ http://amritavishal127.blogspot.in/

2. Archita @ http://architashomecooking.blogspot.in/

3. Indrani @ http://riappyayan.blogspot.in/ 

4. Sayantani @ ahomemakersdiary.com

Balsamic Herb Roasted Chicken

After a lot of discussions and debates I determined to get proved myself whether OTG (Oven, Toaster, and Griller) is better or convection Micro Oven.  So I bought one OTG. During my USA stay I was first introduced to the baking world. And never thought that after coming to India I had to scratch my head and tax my brain so much to choose the right oven. I was so satisfied with the conventional oven in USA that I decided to by the same one after returning back to India. But after coming here the picture was totally different. Conventional oven was not that much famous here. For the buildup ovens the space was the biggest problem. Then came so many different issues that forced me to drop the plan and go for a Convection Micro Oven- All in one. Till date I was totally satisfied with that one when one of my readers asked me that she heard baking cake in OTG was better than the convection MW. I was not able answer her as I didn't have any experience with it. So I shared this question with my foodie friends and foodie groups. And there I found most were recommending for an OTG.  So I did not shuffle my brain too much and bought one OTG. OTG is quite inexpensive and very light weighted.  You alone can carry the machine form this room to that room. And that I found was the best part of it.

The first dish I cooked is this Balsamic Herb Whole Chicken. I was a bit scared when the dish started to get cooking. I hardly move that 1 hour from my kitchen. The outcome was truly very much satisfactory. The chicken was so juicy and didn't have that dryness what we usually got in the convection MW. It was perfectly roasted and tasted awesome. My man and my daughter they relishes the dish till the last bite. Overall from my first experience I was very much satisfied and contended. This is dish is a part of the Italian Cuisine. Once I have seen this kind of recipe where the chicken gets roasted with loads of herbs and lemon basted and baked. So here is my version.

Ingredients:

Whole Chicken-  800 gms to1 kg (I bought a skinned one)

Balsamic Vinegar- 1/2 cup

Dry Herbs (Rosemerry, Thyme, Parseley, Basil, Tarragon)- 1/2 tea spoon each (Herb collection from Urban Flaborz)

Dry lemon Grass- few sprigs

Chicken garlic seasoning- 1/2 teaspoon

Honey- 2 table spoon

Green Chilli Sauce- 1 tea spoon

Sugar- 1/2 teaspoon

Salt - As per taste

Olive oil- 1/2 tea spoon

Sweet red chilli sauce

Whole Garlic  cloves- 4-5

Method:

1. Take the whole chicken and make some  cuts on the body with a knife. Marinate the whole chicken with all the ingredients except the olive oil, garlic  and sweet red chilli sauce for minimum 6hrs. Over night marinating is suggested for best result.
2. Power on the OTG. Set the temperature at 240C degree. Put the Chicken on the rotisserie and bake for 60mnts. Don't discard the juice, reserve.
3. In a pan heat the olive oil and add the garlic. Let it turn slight brown and the add the juice out of the marinated chicken. Add sweet chili sauce and keep on stirring till it gets thicken.
4. Take out the chicken from the rotisserie and then brush the sauce all over it and serve hot with bread/ pasta/ salads or any thing of your choice.
5. I served with pasta stirred in Amul cream.

Note:

1. Whenever you will grill or roast something don't forget to put a tray below it. Other wise the juice dropping from the stuff will mess the bottom of the OTG and it will be very difficult to clean.

2. It is always recommended to glaze roasted chicken/ fish with some sauce for better taste.

Baked Chicken Balls with White Sauce

Ingredients:

For the Chicken Balls:-

Minced Chicken: 500gm

Garlic+ Ginger paste: 1 tea spoon

Soya Sauce: 1 table spoon

Szechuan Sauce: 1 tea spoon

Tomato Sauce: 1 table spoon

Salt: According to taste

White pepper: 1/4 tea spoon

For the white sauce:-

Garlic: 1 table spoon (chopped)

Mushroom: 1 cup (Sliced)

Spring Onion: 1 cup (chopped)

Salt & Sugar according to taste

Cream: Amul's 200gm

Oregano Seasoning: 1/4 tea spoon

Olive oil: 1 tea spoon

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 230 degree C.

2. Mix all the ingredients comes under chicken balls nicely. Take a baking tray. Grease it. Then make small balls out of the chicken mixture and line on the tray.

3. Put the tray in the oven and bake it for 15 mnts. Then turn them and bake for 10 mnts more. Take out from the oven and reserve.

4. Heat a pan. Put oil. Add the garlic. Sauté it till it turns light brown then add mushroom. Fry for couple of minutes more then add all the seasonings (Salt, pepper, oregano, sugar). Sauté it for a while till the mushroom starts to lose the water then add the chicken balls and the spring onion. Fry for 2 mnts more then add the cream. Sauté it till the gravy thickens. Then serve hot with some flavoured breads.

Note: If you don't want to use cream then go for the original white sauce recipe. Please find out HERE.

This recipe is off to Indrani's Healthy Baking Event.

Baked Chicken & Vegetables

It is obvious that winter is slowing crawling in as- the early sunset is  gobbling up the bright warm evening, the early morning is craving to spend few more hours under the comforter, skin is itched  to be  dunked in moisturizer in every two to three hours.  And of course you will feel a sudden change in your taste bud more prone towards something hot but light food. When it comes to food, I love baked food served along with a bowl of warm soup and bread during the winter. Though baked dishes are always welcome in every season, for me I love enjoying this in the winter more. It gives an ultimate delicacy when you open the oven, the warm aroma spreads all over the house and my spects become blur with the sudden vapour from the hot dish  right out from the oven that gives an ultimate feeling of comfort in this winter season.

 I prepared it out  of whatever handy ingredients  I gathered from my pantry. And no need to say, after tasting it I wanted to pat my back with a proud smile. My daughter and my hubby enjoyed it till the last bite. So here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

Chicken- 500gm (Cut into small cubes)

Baby Corn: 1/2 (in cubes)

Carrots: 1 Cup (in cubes)

Beans: 1 cup (cut into 1/2" long)

Green Peas: 1/2 cup

Broccoli: 1/2 (cut into small florets)

Mushroom: 1 cup sliced

Pasta Sauce- 6 table spoons 

(I used Weight-watcher's Roasted Garlic)

Dry Parsley: 1/2 tea spoon

Dry Lemon grass: 1/4 spoon

Dry Tarragon: 1/2 tea spoon

Oregano Seasoning: 1/2 tea spoon

Salt & Sugar: according to taste.

Cream: 200gm (I used Amul's tetra pack)

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 230 degree C.
2. Mix all the ingredients except the cream nicely on a baking ware. Cover it with an aluminum foil.
3. Bake it for 15 mnts. Take it out. Open the cover. Taste it to check whether more salt and suger  are needed or not. Then put it again and bake for 10 mnts more.
4. Again bring it out and add the cream nicely with the potpourri and again bake it for 10 mnts more. Serve hot with bread.

Note: Now Silence Sings is available on Facebook.com also. To get more updates on Silence Sings please join it HERE.

This recipe is off to Indrani's Healthy Baking Event.

Baked Crispy Tilapia Fillet

Now it's a Recipe time. In the recent weeks suddenly our car needed to visit the car service station due to some internal problem. Though it's quite annoying and frustrating if the check engine light starts to blink, for me it became a healthy boon. During the time the car got checked I confronted with a great recipe idea from one of the magazines lazily laid around the center table of the sitting area of the store. Nowadays I am proned towards making healthy recipes mainly where a wee bit of oil or no oil is added at all. I found a recipe of crispy chicken nuggets which is coated with cornflakes and more pleasingly it's Baked. I borrowed the idea, googled for more recipes alike after coming home. The next day I made this Baked Crispy Tilapia Fillet. I never thought even in my imagination that Fish Fry can also be made with out oil. To be true you will not get the exact pleasure and taste what a deep fried stuff enhances, but I bet too you will not regret after tasting it. More good is you will never suffer from the nightmare that next how much calories you have to shed. You can have it as a starter or as a  dinner  with some dips and salads. Following is the recipe:

Recipe adapted from Cooks.com

Ingredients:-

Marinade:

Tilapia Fillets- 3 large

Ranch/Salad dressings- 2 tbspoon

Vinegar/Lemon juice- 1 tbspoon

Mayonnaise- 1 tbspoon

Parmesan Cheese- 3 tbspoon

Salt+pepper+Italian herbs- According to taste

Coating:

Cornflakes- Approx 2 cups (crumbs) [Note: I will suggest to make extra crumbs and not to use all at same time. The extras can be saved and used later if stored in a airtight container.]

Bread Crumbs- 1/2 cup

Method:-

1. Pre-heat the oven at 350F degrees.

2. Mix all the ingredients nicely with the fillets, listed under marinade and keep for 10-15mnts.

3. Put a silver foil on the baking tray and grease it nicely. (lining foils make easy to clean the tray.)

4. Mix the cornflakes and the bread crumbs and coat the fish gently. Lay them on the tray. Now spread some crumbs on the top of each fillet and press it little bit with your palm. Gently turn each fillet and do the same process.

5. Bake for 10-15mnts. Then turn the fillets and bake for 10 mnts more.Serve hot with bread, salads or dips.

Variation:

I also tired with chicken. I marinated the chicken breasts with Shan's tandoori Chicken masala and yoghurt and coated them with cornflakes and bread crumbs. Baked them at 375F degrees for 35-40mnts. This one also came out perfect and too tasty.

Note: I am not satisfy at all with the snaps. The snaps are taken in a hurry struggling a lot with the hungry tummies. Hope you can understand.