Chicken Tagine with potatoes, fennel & olives

I have always wanted a Tagine in my kitchen collection, and when my better half's friend moved to Algiers, I got myself one. Since then, it has been used by my better half on various occasions, trying out Moroccan delicacies. Last week, it was my turn to cook something in the Tagine. A simple, chicken dish with potatoes, fresh fennel and olives with hot Lebanese bread as an accompaniment, made it great meal. The rain outside only accentuated the entire eating experience.

The Tagine, is a ceramic or clay cookware that is popular in North African cooking. It consists of 2 parts, the bottom part being a shallow, wide circular dish and the top part consisting of a cone or dome shaped top which sits or covers the bottom part. The top part gives it the unique shape and is such to trap all the steam and promote the return of all condensation to the bottom, giving the food cooked in it the unique taste. This also ensures minimal use of liquid used in cooking.

Tagine also refers to food that is slow cooked inside the vessel.  

Incase you do not have a tagine, you can use a skillet or a casserole with a lid to cook up these delicious stews.

Chicken Tagine with potatoes, fennel and olives

Ingredients:
Skinless chicken thighs and legs (with bone) - 6
Potatoes, peeled and cubed - 2
Medium Fennel Bulbs, stalks trimmed, bulbs halved vertically and then cut crosswise - 2
Olives, pitted and quartered lengthwise - half a cup
Onions, finely chopped - 1
Chicken Broth - 2 Cups
Olive Oil - 4 Tblsp

For the marinade:
Garlic, finely chopped  -2
Parsley, finely chopped - 2 tblsp.
Cilantro, finely chopped - 2 tblsp.
Ground cumin - 1 tsp.
Paprika- 1/2 tsp.
cayenne pepper - 1/4 tsp.
Sea Salt - 1/2 tsp.
Lemon Juice - 2 Tblsp
Vinegar - 2 tblsp

Method:
1. Make a marinade by blending all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the chicken pieces and coat with the marinade evenly. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

2. Heat 1 tblsp. of oil in a large skillet, casserole or tagine.
3. Add the chicken pieces and brown for 2 minutes per side. Transfer to another plate.

4. Add 1 tblsp. of oil to the same skillet/tagine and add in the fennel. Saute until golden in spots- approx. 5 minutes.Remove to a plate.

5. Add in another tablespoon of oil and add in the cubed potatoes. Cook till they start to turn golden brown. Transfer to another plate.

6. Add in 1 tablespoon of oil to the same skillet/tagine and add in the chopped onions. Saute till they start to turn golden brown. Add in the cooked fennel. Saute for a minute.
7. Return the chicken and potatoes to the skillet/tagine. Add the chicken broth. and olives.

8. Cover with a lid and cook on low flame till chicken is cooked and the sauce has reduced and thickened.

9. Season with salt and pepper.

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Shahi Murg Korma

Diwali is over and the wait for the next big festival continues. It was a very hectic diwali this time around. There were quite a few taash parties (Card Parties) that we did manage to attend and yes, I did win at most of them, especially the big one on Diwali. There was a lot of socializing, sweets, fireworks (yes it is customary and we did our own small fireworks thing for a little while) and the weekend after Diwali we went over to a friends place for dinner. Though, it was supposed to be a quiet evening with him cooking some of his famed mutton curry for us, since it was the first time at his place, I decided to carry a rich, aromatic korma dish for him. I fell in love with the shahi korma and since I only had the mutton curry at his place I came back determined that I needed to cook it again and that is what I did this week. A look at the ingredients and you are sure that its a winner all the way, with the purdah(veil), the rich dry fruit and the rose petals. The shahi masala and paste do take some work, but believe at the end, the delicate curry is really worth the preparation you put in.

Other Korma recipes on this site:
Asafjahi Korma
Murg Dahi Dhania Korma
Murg Korma
And of course, the Korma Ki Biryani

Shahi Murg Korma

Ingredients

Chicken drumsticks - 8
Ginger Garlic Paste - 40 gm
Fried onion paste - 60 gm
Fried garlic paste - 20 gm
Yogurt, whisked - 200 gm
Saffron, soaked in 1 Tblsp of warm milk - 1 gm
Red Chili Powder - 2.5 tsp.
Chicken stock - 1/2 cup
Cream - 60 gm
Ghee - 3 Tblsp
Salt - To Taste

Shahi Paste
Almonds, blanched and peeled - 30 gm
Raisins, washed, soaked and refreshed - 20 gm
Pistachio, blanched and peeled - 15 gm
Poppy Seeds (Khus-Khus), soaked in luke warm water for 10 minutes - 15 gm

Shahi Masala
Cumin Seeds - 10 gm
Cloves - 5
Green Cardamom - 8
Black Peppercorns - 10
Cinnamon, 1" sticks - 3
Mace - 1 flower
Nutmeg - 1/4
Dried Rose petals - 14

For the Purdah
Flour
Water
Salt
Ghee
(The quantity depends on the lagan/handi being used. The dough needs to be rolled out to cover and seal the entire lagan/handi)
Egg white - 01 egg


Method:
1. Rub the chicken drumsticks with ginger garlic paste and salt. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

2. Put all ingredients for the shahi paste in a blender, add in 4 tblsp of water and make a paste. Keep aside.

3. Add all the ingredients for the shahi masala in a mortar and pound with a pestle to make a powder. Keep aside.

4. Heat ghee in a handi. Add in the fried onion and garlic pastes. Cook for 2-3 minutes on a medium high flame.

5. Take off the flame and add in the yogurt. Stir well to mix, so that the yogurt does not separate. Return back to the flame and cook till oil separates to the sides (approx. 5 minutes).

6. Add in the chicken drumsticks and cook for 3 minutes. Add in the shahi masala. Mix well and cook for another 3 minutes. Add in the red chili powder. Mix well and cook for another minute.

7. Add the remaining marinade and 1/2 cup chicken stock. Cook for 10 more minutes on medium flame or till chicken in half done.
8. Add in the shahi paste. Mix well and cook till chicken drumsticks are almost done. Adjust seasonings if required.

9. Take the handi off the flame. Separate the chicken drumsticks and arrange them on a lagan/flat pan or a large handi/pan.

10. Pass the gravy through a sieve and pour the gravy on top of the chicken drumsticks.
11. Evenly spread the cream on top and the saffron.
12. Make a dough with Flour, ghee, salt and water. Roll out the dough into a large round shape and cover the lagan/handi to seal it from all corners.

13. Either put in oven at 160 degrees celsius for 15 minutes or put a tawa/hot plate on flame and place the lagan on top, cook for 15 minutes on medium flame.

14. Open the purdah (the dough seal) at the time of service and let the aromas fill the room. Nedless to say, serve hot.

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The Old Delhi Culinary Trail - Changezi Chicken - Restaurant Review

OVERALL RATING - We choose to restrain from an overall rating, as given the seating and service this place will not score too high. But then, the charm of old Delhi eateries has always been the food. Go for the Changezi Chicken. If you are picky about the experience, then drop in to the takeaway and pack yourself some to eat in the cozy confines of your home.

So what do you order when you go to a restaurant named Changezi Chicken? No prizes for guessing, but obviously the dish named Changezi Chicken. And that is exactly what we did last week when we dropped in to sample the fare at Changezi Chicken. Situated on Netaji Subhash Chandra Marg in Daryaganj, it is hard to miss. The Neon Sign proclaiming Changezi Chicken beckons you from far. 2 shops down they also have a small takeaway, again with an equally huge neon sign.

The restaurant is small and run down with no frills paid to either the kitchen which is in the open and that you encounter as you enter and tables and chairs thrown in to sit people. They pride themselves for their food and that is what they focus on. Infact a much bigger sign of Zaika, the family restaurant, overshadows the Changezi Chicken sign. And you plan to enter, Zaika promises to be a much comfortable and better dining experience. But in the 30 minutes that I stood outside (Not waiting for my table, just talking to the people around), Zaika could not match the crowd at Changezi, even by a far shot. 

The menu is chicken-centric, with a mutton qorma and fish tikka thrown in, some vegetarian options (3 to be precise) and steamed chicken momos and chicken soup (now why would they do that).

We ordered the Changezi Chicken, qtr. plate for each person and I also ordered a mutton qorma to sample. Chicken Changezi promises to be a very different experience. A dish consisting of grilled chicken pieces (which have been marinated in lime juice and spices) that is cooked on the tava, it is at best an acquired taste, and that too gets acquired by the third piece of morsel that goes in. Initially, you find it a little sourish and tangy but then it grows on you and well by the end, you find it a very good change from the regular chicken dishes that you find. The curry is spicy and the chicken pieces are soft and delicate. 

The mutton qorma was decent, nothing great (I'm biased towards Al Jawahar and Karims). We ordered the Roomali Roti, Tandoori Roti, Naan and Khameeri Roti.  I will suggest having the Changezi Chicken with Tandoori Roti. It goes well. The Qtr. plate is good portion for one starving person, unless you are ordering other items on the menu too.

The servers are polite and courteous. Service is quick, but don't expect uniformed waiters, performing service from a platter. The food is the king here and the queues say it all.

FOOD - 

SERVICE -           

AMBIENCE -        

CLICK TO ENLARGE

CLICK TO ENLARGE

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Frango Na Pucara - Portuguese Chicken in a Pot

Recently while browsing through my cookbooks, I chanced upon a chicken recipe which had all the ingredients for a smash hit dish. Always on the lookout for interesting recipes, I just knew my chilly sunday afternoon would be enjoyed cooking this recipe.

The dish is called Frango na Pucara, which roughly translates to Chicken in a Pot. It's simplicity, use of easily available ingredients and easy recipe makes it a truly global dish. The taste has a universal appeal and I loved every minute of preparing this one. Checking the web, I found a dozen recipes for it, each with some difference in ingredient than the next. Some added brandy, some grappa, some neither. Some called for the oven, some cooked it on flame altogether. Some made it dry, some with too watery a gravy (almost stew like). I decided to go with the flow and come up with my version of the same. One quick visit to the local grocery store and I was done with my list of requirements to get me going for this one.

Frango Na Pucara - My Version


Makes 4 Portions


Ingredients:

Chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or if you want more, go ahead) - 1

For the chicken coating
All-purpose Flour - 1 Cup
Paprika - 1 Tblsp
Thyme - 1 Tblsp
Salt - 1.5 Tsp
Black Pepper, freshly ground - 1/2 Tsp

For the gravy
Prosciutto -120 gms
Pearl Onions, peeled and blanched - 12
Red Bell Pepper, roasted, peeled and cut into thick strips - 1
Garlic cloves - 6
Tomatoes, diced - 3
Bay Leaves - 3
Parsley sprigs - 4
Dry white wine - 1/2 Cup
Tawny Port - 1/2 Cup
Tomato Paste - 1 Tblsp
Dijon Mustard - 1 Tblsp
Paprika - 1/4 Tsp
Salt - To Taste
Extra-virgin olive oil - 2 Tblsp

Method:1 . Sift together the ingredients for the flour coating in a large bowl.
2. Add the chicken pieces to this flour mixture, 1 at a time. Coat evenly on all sides.
3. Heat oil in skillet or a pan (medium flame). Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and saute till brown (4 minutes each side). Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate and keep aside. Reserve the skillet with all the juices.
4. In a large ovenproof crockpot, arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer. Top them with diced tomatoes, prosciutto, pearl onions, red bell pepper, garlic, parsley and bay leaves. Sprinkle paprika on top.
5. Put the reserved skillet back on the flame. Add in the port wine and white wine. Bring to a boil while scraping the sides and bottom for the browned bits.
6. Remove the skillet from the flame. Add in the tomato paste and mustard. Mix well.
7. Pour this over the chicken. Put the crockpot on flame and bring to a boil. Adjust seasoning.
8. Transfer the crockpot to the oven and braise at 350 degrees F for an an hour to an hour and a half.
9. Remove chicken and discard the bay leaves. Pour in a serving dish and serve hot with rice (if you made one with lots of gravy) or with bread (dry with enough coating consistency).

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Country Captain Chicken

So all this silence on this space makes one wonder if all is well. It has been a busy 3 weeks, and the way it looks, it is going get only busier. Between work, partying and family commitments, I wonder if there will be any time left for anything else. We had the grill out for the first time this year, and, even though I had not found any time to give any thought to what I will prepare. it turned out pretty fine. The tangri kababs, grilled sole, multani paneer tikkas and grilled jacket potatoes just flew and I was left wondering if I should have got more stuff.

In the meanwhile my better half launched her own housekeeping service in Delhi. I had to provide support in terms of the website and facebook microsite. With that done, it was just the numerous festivals and parties that kept me on my toes.

The changing weather also bought a lot of wildlife out. I saw some amazing out of birds in my garden from time to time. Some were clicked, some just remained in my memory.

I cooked up loads during the time period and one was Country Captain Chicken. It is a true Southern American dish, but if you roam around India, you can come across different versions of this dish where only the name and the main ingredient is the common link. Even the version by Jiggs Kalra mentioned in his book, Zaike Ka Safar is so different. A lot of people might mistake it to be an Indian dish, but it is an American dish with influences from India. As the story goes, The dish was enjoyed by British officers in India, and over the years, it made its way to Port of Savannah, an important port for spice trade through a British Sea Captain.  Since then the recipe has undergone many changes, from a basic chicken and curry powder stew to a mature wholesome dish consisting of other ingredients like raisins and tomatoes. Even in the US, different versions abound. I chose the recipe provided by Lee Bros. on the Food Network site, with a few tweaks (visit the Food Network site for the original).

Country Captain Chicken

Serves - 4

Ingredients:

Chicken - drumsticks, diced thigh pieces - 1 Kg 

Chicken stock - 1/2 Cup

Bacon, chopped - 120 gms

Garlic - 3 cloves

Ginger, grated - 2 Tblsp

Onions, finely chopped - 2 cups

Yellow Bell Peppers, diced - 2 cups

Carrots, peeled and sliced into roundels - 2 Cups

Dried red chillies. seeds removed - 1

Tomatoes, blanched and concassed - 3 cups

Curry Powder - 1 Tblsp

Garam Masala - 1 Tblsp

Raisins- 1/2 cup

Salt-  To Taste

Freshly ground black pepper - 1/2 Tsp

Almonds,Slivered, toasted and chopped- 1/2 cup

Parsley, chopped - 1/2 cup

Oil

Method:

1. Cover the raisins in warm chicken stock and keep aside.

2. Take a stew pot or handi and hear a tsp of oil. Add in the bacon pieces. Cook till it is golden brown, stirring the pieces occasionally to evenly color them. Strain and keep aside.

3. Take some of the fat from the handi and reserve.

4. Add in the chicken pieces to the handi and brown the pieces lightly. Take out and reserve.

5. Add in the dried red chili and toast the chili in fat for about 30 seconds.

6. Add in the onion and garlic cloves. Cook for two minutes or till onions start to turn translucent.

7.Add in the carrots and bell peppers. Cook until they soften (5-6 minutes). Incase the ingredients in the pot are becoming dry add in the reserve bacon fat that we had taken out initialy.

8. Add in the grated ginger, tomatoes and curry powder, garam masala, salt and black pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes.

9. Add in the raisins with the chicken stock. Cook on a low flame till tomatoes are cooked and the sauce thickens.

10. Add in the chicken pieces. Cover the pot with foil.

11. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

12. Transfer the pot to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.

13. Remove the foil and bake further until sauce has thickened.

14. Garnish with reserved bacon, almonds and parsley.

15. Serve hot over rice.

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