Chicken Cheese Kebabs

This recipe makes about 10-12 kebabs/cutlets/patties.

Ingredients

1. Chicken: 500 gm (boneless)
2. Potatoes: 2 medium
3. Cottage cheese: 200 gm (crumbled/shredded, diet conscious people may use low fat cheese)
4. Ginger/garlic paste: 1 tbsp
5. Eggs: 1+2 (medium sized, beaten)
6. Red chili powder: 1 tsp or to taste
7. Red chili flakes: 1/2 tsp
8. Turmeric powder: A pinch
9. Salt: To taste
10. Black pepper: 1/2 tsp
11. Green chili: 1 small, chopped (optional)
12. Garam masala powder: 1 tsp
13. Fresh coriander: 2 tbsp, finely chopped
14. Oil for shallow frying

Instructions

1. Put chicken in a pot with some red chili flakes, a little salt, turmeric, ginger/garlic paste and 1 cup water and bring to boil. The spices are there just to give flavor to the chicken. Lower the heat, cook covered until chicken is tender and water dries up. If needed, add more water during the process. Once boiled, cool.

2. Boil potatoes (unpeeled potatoes). Cool. Peel the skin off and cut into thick slices.

3. Shred the chicken and mash the potatoes. Add the cheese and red chili, green chili, black pepper, salt, garam masala, coriander and 1 egg (beaten). Use a food processor or a traditional "mortar and pestle" to crush everything and mix with hands until everything is homogeneous.

Caution: Be careful with the salt and chili as the boiled chicken also has some spices.

Tip: You may add two eggs to the mixture. In that case, you may not need to coat the kebabs with egg later on before frying. I prefer adding 1 egg to the mixture as it helps in making nicely shaped kebabs without cracks. For frying, I coat them in beaten egg again. 

4. Shape the kebabs/cutlets with your hands. Use a little water or oil to help giving the desired shape without cracks on the surface.

5. If you want to freeze the kebabs, line a tray with plastic sheet. Grease it with a little oil and put the kebabs on it. Put this tray in the freezer. Once frozen, take them off the tray and put them in zip-lock food bags.

6. For frying, heat oil in a pan to medium-hot. Coat the kebabs with egg if only one egg is added previously to the mixture, otherwise put them straight into the oil, Shallow fry them in the oil until both sides are golden brown.

Serve with ketchup or any chutney of your liking.

Happy eating. :)

Tip: If frozen kebabs are being fried later on, either let them come to room temperature before frying or directly put the frozen kebabs in the cold oil. When the oil gets heated up gradually, the kebabs also get defrosted with it. If oil is hot, the actually frying process starts.

Macaroni and Red Beans salad

The recipe below is for 1 - 2 servings and is suggested as a side salad.

Ingredients

1. Macaroni: Boiled, 1 cup
2. Red beans: Boiled, 3/4 cup
3. Bell pepper (green and red): 1/2 cup cut into small cubes
4. Sweet corn: 1/2 cup
5. French dressing: 2 tbsp, Store bought (American Garden), or follow the recipe here.

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients together. Just before serving add the dressing and mix well.

Happy eating. :)

Lahori Chargha

   

Ingredients

1. Whole chicken legs: 6 in no. OR One whole chicken (1 - 1.5 kg) 
2. Vinegar: 1/2 cup. Dilute it in 1 glass water.
3. Potatoes:  3, 4 medium size (halved)
4. Red chilli: 1 tbsp or to taste
5. Black pepper: 1/2 tsp
6. Salt: 1 tbsp or to taste
7. Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
8. Garam masala powder: 1 tbsp
9. Lemon juice: 3 tbsp
10. Ginger, garlic paste: 1 tbsp each
11. Red+yellow food color: optional, a pinch each
12. Oil for deep frying
13. Chaat masala: 1 tsp

Instructions:

a) Marination:

1. Make deep cuts on the chicken legs or the whole chicken. Wash the chicken with diluted vinegar and pat dry.
2. Combine all the spices, ginger and garlic paste, lemon juice and 2-3 tbsp oil. Add a little water if the paste is too dry. Marinate the chicken in it for at least two hours. The longer, the better. 

b) Steaming

Steaming process

                                          Almost done. 5 minutes of cooking left to dry off the water.

1. Then add the chicken and the potatoes to a heavy bottomed or non-stick pan. If you have a steamer, steam the chicken + potatoes in it. Otherwise, cook (covered) in a pan on low heat. The meat will leave it own water and steam will collect in the covered pan. 
2. Let the chicken and the potatoes cook for about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on them and dont let them get too tender. 
3. If the water dries up before chicken is tender, add a little water to it to avoid any burning. Turn off the heat when the chicken and potatoes are JUST cooked and not too soft. 

Tip: You can cook potatoes separately by adding a few tbsp of the marinade to them. I cooked them separately.

c) Deep frying

1. Take a wok or a deep pan. Add oil in it and turn on the heat until the oil is hot. 
2. Deep fry the chicken and the potatoes until they are golden and fully cooked. It will take barely 5 minutes. Put some chaat masala and lemon juice on them.  
3. Serve the chargha with some salad and green chutney (green chilli, coriander and mint) or tomato chutney. 

Happy eating! :)