Category Archives: Poultry

Kuku Paka

Entrees, Poultry

Kuku Paka is a simple chicken dish, cooked with coconut milk, from the coast of East. Africa. It is sometimes called Kuku na nazi.  Kuku means chicken and nazi is coconut in swahalli.  For authentic flavor, grill or BBQ the chicken pieces before stirring them into the simmering sauce. If you like, you can also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs.

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

  • 1                chicken skinned and cut into 10 pieces
  • 1                small onion
  • 2                tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/4             tsp cumin seeds
  • 5                cardamom pods
  • 1                jalapeño
  • 1                medium tomato
  • 1                tbsp green masala
  • 1/4             tsp haldi(turmeric powder)
  • 2                cans(400 ml)  coconut milk
  • 1                tsp salt
  • 1                lemon
  • 4                boiled eggs
  • 2                tbsp chopped cilantro

Instruction

  1. Remove all the fat from the chicken and rinse it in cold water.
  2. Peel the onions and dice it to a 1/4 inch.
  3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add cumin seeds, cardamom, ,jalapeño and onions.  Fry the onions till they are soft and transparent.
  4. Finely chop the tomato and add this to the onion mix.  Add the green masala, haldi, salt and  mix.  Cook for a min.
  5. Add the coconut milk, one cup water and cook till the mixture starts to boil.
  6. Add the chicken and cook  covered on medium heat for 15 min till the chicken is cooked.
  7. Add the lemon juice and boiled eggs.
  8. Serve sprinkled with cilantro.

Serve with Fresh bread, Makati and/or rice.

You can substitute potatoes for eggs.

Cream Chicken

Entrees, Poultry

Cream Chicken 

Serve 6

Ingredients

  • 4                  tbsp vegetable  oil 
  • 1                  cup finely chopped Green Onions
  • 1                  cup finely chopped Green Pepper
  • 1                  tsp finely chopped Garlic
  • 1                  tsp finely chopped Ginger
  • 1                  tbsp Tabasco
  • 1                  tsp freshly ground Cumin
  • 1                  tomato finely chopped
  • 1                  tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1                  tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1                  tsp salt
  • 1                  chicken cut up in 10 pieces
  • 1                  cup chicken stock
  • 2                  cups frozen corn
  • 1                  cup whipping cream*

Instructions 

  1. In a saucepan heat the oil and sauté  the onions and green pepper till they are transparent.
  2. Add  garlic, ginger, Tabasco, cumin, tomato, tomato paste and lemon juice and  salt .  Cook on medium heat for about 5 min.
  3. Remove the skin and fat from the chicken and rinse it in cold water.
  4. Add the corn, chicken, chicken stock and cook on medium heat,  covered,  till the chicken is cooked about 20 minutes. 
  5. Add the whipping cream before serving.

Serve with rice or bread.

*A can of evaporated milk can be used instead of whipping cream.

The chicken is cooked when the meat changes colour and it is firm to the touch.

Chicken Pies

Poultry, Snacks & Appetizers

 Chicken Pies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients   

  • 1                   chicken (about 3-4 lbs)
  • 1                   tsp garlic paste
  • 1                   tsp ginger paste
  • 1                   medium onion
  • 2                   sticks celery
  • 1/2                tsp salt
  • 1/2                tsp black pepper
  • 1                   can sliced mushrooms
  • 1                   can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1                   pkg frozen  puff pastry (395 gms)
  • 1                   egg

Instructions

  1. Skin and cut the chicken in quarters, remove all the fat and rinse it in cold water.  In a medium sauce pan put 4 cups of water, garlic,  ginger,  1/2  tsp salt and the chicken and boil it for about half an hour.  Remove the chicken and let it cool.  Remove the bones and cube the chicken in small pieces.
  2. Peel the onion and chop it finely, chop the celery finely.
  3. In a medium saucepan melt the butter, sauté the onions and celery.  Drain the mushrooms and add this to the saucepan,  Add the mushroom soup.  Add the chicken, 1/4 cup of the chicken stock, 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper and mix it well.  Remove from the heat and cool it in the fridge.
  4. Beat the egg with 2 tbsp water.
  5. Roll out the pastry to 1/8” thickness,  with a 3” cookie cutter cut the rounds.  Reroll  the scrapes and do the same.  Use the reroll rounds  for the bottom of the pastry.  Put a teaspoon of filling in the centre of the round, brush the sides with egg wash and cover it with a round on top.  Press the sides with a fork.
  6. Put the pastry on a cookie sheet, egg wash it and bake in a preheated 400 degree  oven for 30 minutes(it should be golden brown in colour)

 

 

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Chicken Tikka Pita Pockets

Poultry

Makes 36

Chicken Tikka Pita Pockets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

  • 1            Chicken breast, boneless and skinless
  • 2            tbsp Yogurt
  • 2            tsp Green Masala
  • 1/2         tsp Salt
  • 1            tsp Tomato Paste
  • 1/2         tsp Black Pepper freshly ground
  • 1/2         tsp  Cumin freshly ground
  • 1            tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1            tbsp oil
  • 1            pkt Pita Bread Small size (18 pieces)
  • 4            leaves iceberg Lettuce

Directions

  1. Remove all the fat from the chicken and rinse it with cold water.  Cut chicken breast into 1/4 inch stripes and then cut the strips in 1/2 inch pieces.  Marinate it with yogurt, green masala, salt, black pepper, cumin and lemon juice.
  2. In a frying pan heat the oil and add the marinated chicken and cook till the chicken is firm.  (chicken is done when it changes color and it is firm to the touch).  Let it cool.
  3. Finely cut the lettuce leaves.
  4. Cut the pita in halves,fill the pita with a little lettuce leaves and 2 tsp of chicken mixture.
  5. Drizzle it with yogurt riata and tamarind sauce.

Salad Roll

Poultry, Soups & Salads

Ingredients

  • 1              chicken breast, boneless and skinless
  • 1              tbsp oil
  • 1              tbsp green masala
  • 1/2           tsp salt
  • 1              carrot
  • 1/2           green mango
  • 1/4           English cucumber
  • 1/2           red bell pepper
  • 2              tbsp finely chopped cilantro
  • 1              tbsp finely chopped mint
  • 1              pkg rice paper wrappers

Instructions

  1. Rinse and cut the chicken into half inch cubes. Add the green masala and salt.
  2. Heat the oil and stir fry the chicken for about 5 minutes. The chicken should be dry. Let it cool completely.
  3. Peel and grate the carrots, mango, and cucumber. finely cut the red pepper in thin strips.
  4. Add the chicken to the vegetables and add cilantro and mint and mix well.
  5. Soak 1 sheet of rice paper in hot water for a minute. Transfer it onto a towel. Place about a teaspoon of the mix on the centre of the wrap, fold the other half over, turn both the sides in and roll it up.

Serve it with dipping sauce or peanut sauce.

Mung Soup

Poultry, Soups & Salads

It is cold and rainy outside and we have all had rich foods in the last few days, so I am making a soup.  This is a good healthy soup with no fat added and it is very filling.  This soup is very good if you are on a diet.

Mung Beans are:

  • Low in Saturated Fat, Sodium, and Cholesterol
  • High in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Folate, Copper, Manganese, Protein, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Potassium

The nutritional value of mung beans makes them ideal for:

  • Weight loss
  • Maintaining optimum health

Mung Beans are a native of India.

They are small egg shaped and green in color.  They are commonly used in India, Pakistan, and southeast Asia.

Whole beans are generally prepared from dried beans by soaking in water for 5 hours and then boiling them until soft.  If you do not soak them, they will take longer to cook.

Makes 4 serving.

Ingredients

  • 1                  cup Mung beans
  • 4                  cups water
  • 1/2               chicken breast deboned and skinned.
  • 1                  small onion
  • 1                  small tomato
  • 1                  tbsp crushed ginger
  • 1/2               pkg frozen  spinach (3 oz)
  • 1/2               tsp salt(or to taste)
  • 1/4               cup chopped cilantro

 Instructions

  1. Soak Mung in 3 cups of water for about 5 hours.  If you do not soak the mung, they will take longer to cook.
  2. Rinse the chicken and cut it into very thin 1 inch strips.
  3. Finely chop the onions and tomatoes.
  4. Drain the water.  In a medium pot put the mung, add 4 cups of water, chicken, chopped onions and tomatoes, ginger, spinach and salt and cook this on med for 1/2 hour.
  5. Sprinkle the cilantro before serving.

Chicken Tikka(BBQ Chicken)

Entrees, Poultry

Chicken Tikka is a Chicken dish originating in South Asia where it remains popular in both Pakistan and India.  It is traditionally small pieces of boneless chicken baked using skewers in a clay-based oven called a tandoor after marinating in spices and yoghurt.  Tikka means bite size.  The pieces are brushed with ghee(clarified butter) which gives it a taste.  It is typically eaten with green coriander and Tamarind chutney, raita and served with onion rings and lemon.

You will find a few different recipes to marinate the chicken and a few different ways to serve it.

Chicken Tikka is perfect for a picnic.  You can marinate the meat and BBQ it in the park.  Chicken can be cut in cubes and put on a skewer or can be cut in long strips.

Tandoori chicken is chicken tikka with bone in.  You can buy the whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, make a slit or 2 slits on each piece and marinate it(the slit helps cook chicken faster and marinates better.

Serves 4

Chicken Tikka

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

  • 4               boneless, skinless, chicken breast
  • 2               tbsp tomato paste
  • 1               tsp garlic paste
  • 1               tsp ginger paste
  • 2               jalepino(or to taste) chopped finely
  •                  juice of 1 lemon 
  • 1               tsp salt
  • 1/2            tsp garam masala
  • 1/2            tsp red chili
  • 2               tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Remove all the fat from the chicken and rinse it in cold water. 
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix it well and marinate it for about 5 hours or overnight.
  3. BBQ it on the BBQ for about 5 minutes on each side, or bake it in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until done.  (the skin is done when it changes color and is firm to the touch.

You can cut the chicken 1 inch strips or 1-1/2 inch cubes and skewer it before cooking.

Serve it with spicy potatoes, green salad, riata, green chutney  and amli chutney.

Chicken Akani (Chicken Pilau)

Entrees, Poultry

In South Asia, pulao ( or pilau) is a dish consisting of a combination of rice and usually including peas, potatoes, mutton, beef, or chicken.  Akani or pilau is meat (and /or vegetables) and rice cooked together.   It is usually served on special occasions and weddings. Meat pulao is a Pakistani and North Indian traditional dish, especially among the Muslim population. 

Ingredients

  • 1               whole chicken ( 3 – 4 lbs)
  • 2               med onions 
  • 3               potatoes
  • 2               cups rice
  • 1/4            cup oil
  • 6               elichi pods (cardamom)
  • 6               cloves
  • 1/2            tsp black pepper
  • 1/2            tsp  cumin
  • 1               stick cinnamon (2 inches)
  • 1               jalapeno  pepper
  • 2               medium tomatoes (4 small)
  • 1               tsp  crushed garlic
  • 1               tsp  crushed ginger
  • 1/2            tsp  dhana jeera
  • 1/2            cup yoghurt
  • 1               tsp salt
  • 1/2            tsp  red chilly powder (optional)
  • 2               cups water
  • 1               tsp garam masala
  • 10             strands saffron

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Skin and cut the chicken into 10 pieces.  Remove all the fat and rinse the chicken in cold water.
  3. Peel and thinly slice the onions.
  4. Peel and cut the potatoes into quarters.  Leave them in the water.
  5. Rinse the rice.  Soak the rice in cold water, rub it gently with your fingers and transfer the rice to a sieve and  let the cold water run till  the water comes out clean.
  6. Finely chop the tomatoes
  7. In a medium saucepan heat the oil.  Add the sliced onions, cardamom, cloves, black pepper, cumin and cinnamon stick and jalapeno.  Stir and cook till the onions turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. 
  8. Add the chopped tomatoes, garlic, ginger, dhana jeera, chilly powder and salt.  Stir this for 2 minutes.
  9. Add the chicken and yoghurt and stir this for 2 min.
  10. Add the water.  When the water starts to boil, add the rice and potatoes,  stir well, cover and cook on medium heat till the water evaporates, about 10 min.
  11. Sprinkle the garam masala and saffron, cover and cook in the oven for about 15 min.  The rice will be dry and fluffy.
  12. Gently turn the rice, switch off the oven and leave it in the oven till you are ready to serve.
  13. Serve with carrot pickle, katcumber and yoghurt.

Instant Pot

  1. Heat the oil in an instant Pot, and fry the onions and the spices, till the onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add chopped tomatoes, the rest of the spices and yoghurt, mix and  cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the the water, chicken, rice and potatoes, mix and cook on Auto rice(10 min).

Karahi Chicken

Entrees, Poultry


The name Karahi Chicken comes from the utensil it is cooked in.

A karahi  is a type of thick, circular, and deep cooking pot used in Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nepalese cuisine. Karahi are traditionally made out of cast iron, and look like woks with rounded bottoms.  These days they are also made with other materials like stainless steel,  copper and non-stick. Flat-bottomed varieties are also available now.

Karahi are useful for the shallow or deep frying of meat, potatoes, sweets, and snacks such as samosaand fish, but are most noted for the simmering of stews which are often named karahi dishes after the utensil.

Stews prepared in a karahi include “chicken karahi” and “karahi paneer.”

This is one of the quick dishes to make and it does not have a lot of spices.  If you do not have a Karahi or a wok , a saucepan will do.

 

Ingredients

  • 2                     whole chicken breast skinned and deboned.
  • 1                     tablespoon coriander Seeds
  • 1                     tablespoon crushed Ginger
  • 1                     tablespoon crushed Garlic
  • 1                     lb Tomatoes ( 4 Medium) finely chopped
  • 1                     tbsp  jalapenos paste(or to taste)
  • 2                     tablespoon oil
  • ½                    teaspoon freshly ground cumin
  • ½                    teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1                     tablespoon Tomato Paste
  • 1                     cup chopped cilantro plus 1 tbsp for decoration
  • 1                     tbsp finely chopped ginger

Instructions

  1. In a Saucepan heat the oil.
  2. Add coriander seeds, garlic and ginger.  Stir for 1 minute  or until the garlic and ginger start to stick at the bottom.
  3. Add chopped tomatoes, Cumin, black pepper  salt, tomato paste and jalapeno.  Cook for 10  Minutes.
  4. Rinse the Chicken and slice it thinly.  Add the Chicken to the Saucepan.  Mix well and cook on med heat for 15 minutes.  The chicken is cooked when the meat becomes firm and it changes color.   The sauce will be thick.  add the chopped cilantro and mix.
  5. sprinkle cilantro and ginger before serving.

Serve with Naan.

Wok sits next to a karahi on a western-style stove.

Chicken Curry

Entrees, Poultry

Chicken curry is one of the first curries my mom taught me to make.  The longer you simmer a curry sauce better enhanced the flavour will be.  This curry sauce is the base for a lot of other more complex curries.  Many people have the misconception that all curries are spicy. This basic curry can be as mild or as spicy as you want. If you want to make a curry with some heat you can add hot chili pepper to it. I usually make a carrot and green pepper pickle to go with my chicken curry.  You can find the spices you need for this recipe from an Indian grocery store or the International Food section in most grocery stores.

Ingredients

  • 1               whole chicken (3 – 4 lbs)
  • 2               medium onions
  • 3               medium Potatoes
  • 4               tbsp oil
  • 5               black pepper
  • 1               small cinnamon stick
  • 5               cardamom pods
  • 5               cloves
  • ¼              tsp cumin seeds
  • 1               large tomato chopped
  • 1               tsp crushed garlic
  • 1               tsp crushed ginger
  • 1               jalapeno
  • 3/4            tsp coriander powder
  • 3/4            tsp cumin powder 
  • ¼              tsp chilly powder, or to taste
  • 1               tbsp tomato paste
  • ½              tsp garam masala
  • 1               tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 1/4            tsp turmeric powder
  • 1               tsp salt     

Directions

  1. Skin and cut the chicken into 10 pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 4 pieces.
  2. Heat oil in a sauce pan. Add the whole spices and the onion. Sauté the onions over medium heat till the onions turn golden brown about 10 minutes.
  3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and the rest of the spices except the garam masala and the cilantro. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.   Add 2 cups of water and cook for 5 min. Add the chicken and cook till chicken is half done (about 10 minutes) Add the potatoes and cook till the chicken and potatoes are done.
  4. Chicken is done when the color has changed and the meat is firm to the touch.
  5. Serve in a bowl, sprinkle with garam masala and cilantro.
  6. Serve it with rice, chapatti or French bread.

Chicken Curry Ingredients

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