Chicken Reshmi Kabab (Silken Chicken Kabobs)

I started feeling guilty the past weeks due to not being able to post at all. In spite of the fact that my good friend ABM kept on pushing me for this recipe, I still could not make in time. I really felt bad because I promised her and could not keep it. The excuse has been the good old saga of a working mom who is in dire need of extra hours in her 24 hour schedule. However, as I started to pull my keyboard and typed in a few words, the guilt seemed to slowly melt away. This is to you ABM : -)

Ingredients:

• Chicken boneless- 1 lb (approx.)
• Garlic paste – 1tbsp
• Ginger paste – 1tbsp
• Yoghurt – ½ cup
• Almonds – ¼ cup
• Heavy whipping cream (table cream) – ½ cup
• Green Chillies- 5-6 finely chopped
• Cilantro – ½ cup chopped
• Mint – ¼ cup chopped
• All purpose flour (maida) – 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Ghee(clarified butter) as needed

Method:

• Cut the chicken into 1 ½” pieces
• Blanch the almonds in warm water for about 30 minutes. Grind them into fine paste.
• Blend the yoghurt, salt, ginger, garlic, cilantro, mint and the whipping cream.
• Add the almond paste and green chillies to the above mixture. Check for seasoning.
• Marinade the chicken in the aforesaid mixture for at least 3 hrs.
• Soak the skewers for at least 20 minutes in water.
• Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
• When ready, add the all purpose flour and some ghee to the marinated chicken and mix well.
• Prepare your baking sheet with foil and some non-stick spray.
• Now add the chicken pieces into the skewer one by one. One single skewer could hold from anywhere between 7 to 10 pieces of chicken, depending upon the size
• Bake the skewered chicken for 20 minutes, turn them around and bake for another 20 minutes.
• Apply ghee intermittently.
• Now turn the oven to broil position.
• Carefully broil the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. This will give that charcoal burn to the chicken.
• Baste a final round of ghee and serve with any chutney or sauce of your liking.

Notes:

• If you want you can even perform this on the traditional charcoal or gas grill. This is great for barbecue too!
• For a little twist, you may add white pepper powder to the marinade. That gives an extra zing to it.

Kheer-Narkel Malpoa (Dumplings with coconut and milk solids in syrup)

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour(maida) – 1 cup
• Semolina (sooji) – ¼ cup
• Khoya (milk solids)– ¼ cup grated
• Coconut – ¼ cup grated
• Milk – ½ cup (warm)
• Sugar – ½ cup (for the malpoa-s)
• Sugar – more for the syrup
• Ghee for frying the malpoa-s
• Cardamom pods – 5 or 6
• Fennel seeds – ½ tbsp.

Method:

• Mix the flour and the semolina along with warm milk.
• Blend in the khoya, coconut and the fennel seeds.
• Add the sugar.
• Make sure that the above mixture is smooth in texture and no lumps are left behind. The consistency should be medium. Add more milk or water if needed. Keep aside.
• In a deep vessel, heat water and sugar in a proportion of 2:1 (water:sugar).
• Crush the cardamom pods and add them to the syrup.
• Bring the syrup to a rolling boil and after 2 minutes turn the heat down to the lowest setting.
• Heat the ghee in another pan.
• Take 1 to 2 tablespoon of the mixture and pour into the hot oil. Again the size of the malpoa is to one’s discretion. I like mine around 3 or 4 inches in diameter.
• Once one side is cooked, turn them over to the other side.
• Once they are dark brown on both sides, take them out from the ghee and drain them in the paper towel.
• When still hot dip the drained malpoa-s in the sugar syrup.
• Keep them there for a minute or two.
• Take them out into a shallow tray.
• Repeat the above process for the entire mixture. Pour the remaining syrup just to cover the malpoa-s.
• Keep the malpoa-s for a period of 3 to 4 hours before serving.
• Enjoy!!

Notes:

• Traditionally another simple and more popular version of this is by using ripe bananas instead of khoya or coconut. Using khoya makes it richer in taste.
• You could also use plain canola or vegetable oil as a substitute for ghee.