Tag: #ayam

FUSION NASI KEBULI

main meal
Fusion Nasi kebuli

Fusion Nasi Kebuli is Indonesia’s unique take on Arabic Pilaf, reflecting the strong influence of the Arab descent community in Indonesia. Nasi Kebuli, a beloved dish, bears a striking resemblance to our own pulavs and the renowned Mandi Rice from Saudi Arabia. Traditionally, it involves cooking fragrant rice in a flavorful Yakni, whether it’s a chicken or mutton variant. However, the Sindhi community in Indonesia has introduced a delightful twist to Nasi Kebuli. They serve fragrant rice alongside a spicy, rich broth and a fiery sambal, drawing inspiration from the Hadhrami community’s culinary traditions, where broth is served on the side. It’s an intriguing fusion of flavors, and even though it might deviate from the traditional Nasi Kebuli, we’ve come to know and love it by this name over the years. Let’s just call it “Fusion Nasi Kebuli” and savor its delicious blend of influences.

**Ingredients:**
– 4 whole chicken legs with bone
– 2 liters of water
– 1 cinnamon stick
– 1 star anise
– 1 knotted Pandan leaf
– 4 cloves
– 4 bashed cardamom pods
– 1 stalk of bashed lemongrass (only the bottom hard stalk)
– 2 cups of basmati rice
– 2-3 tablespoons of ghee
– 1 sliced onion
– 2 bay leaves
– 1 cinnamon stick
– 1 star anise
– Salt to taste
– 2 teaspoons of garam masala
– 6 fresh red chilies
– 1-inch piece of fresh turmeric
– 1-inch piece of ginger
– 1 tablespoon of coriander powder
– 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds
– 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
– 2 cardamom pods
– 1/2 teaspoon of grated nutmeg
– 2 tablespoons of desiccated coconut
– 2-3 tablespoons of oil
– 1 heaped tablespoon of thinly sliced garlic
– 1 cup of coconut milk
– 1 cup of shredded cabbage
– Bird eye chilies (optional)
– Potato crisps
– Fried cashews
– Raisins
– Lime for garnish

**Instructions:**
1. In a large pot, boil the chicken legs in 2 liters of water along with the cinnamon stick, star anise, knotted Pandan leaf, cloves, bashed cardamom, and bashed lemongrass. Simmer until the chicken is tender.

2. Remove the chicken and strain the broth (Yakni). Set the broth aside.

3. Wash and rinse 2 cups of basmati rice.

4. In a separate pot, heat 2-3 tablespoons of ghee. Add the sliced onion and sauté until pale golden.

5. Add bay leaves, a cinnamon stick, and a star anise to the sautéed onion.

6. Use some of the Yakni to cook the rice. Season the rice with salt and 2 teaspoons of garam masala. Keep the rice warm.

7. To make the broth, grind the following ingredients into a fine paste: fresh red chilies, fresh turmeric, ginger, coriander powder, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom pods, grated nutmeg, and desiccated coconut.

8. Heat a separate pot and add 2-3 tablespoons of oil. Add the thinly sliced garlic and sauté until pale gold.

9. Sauté the paste in the oil until the oil releases.

10. Add about 4 cups of the Yakni broth to the sautéed paste. Once it boils, add 1 cup of coconut milk. Keep stirring.

11. Finally, add the shredded chicken and about 1 cup of shredded cabbage. You can also add few whole bird eye chilies at this point if desired. Simmer for 10 minutes.

12. To assemble, put some rice in a bowl, top it with the chicken broth. Add potato crisps, fried cashews, and raisins.

13. Garnish with a squirt of lime.

Enjoy your meal!

AYAM BAKAR KEMIRI AKA PAN ROASTED CANDLENUT CHICKEN.

main meal

AYAM BAKAR KEMIRI.
PAN ROASTED CANDLENUT CHICKEN.

This is one dish which is made at least twice a month at home. The creaminess of ground candle nuts, the caramalisation of kecap manis, The Heat of the Sambal it’s served with, balance with herbed rice so well. A very easy dish to make and eat. 😊. Make a side dish of TUMISAN. ( Indonesian stir fry vegetables) and you are  sorted for a comfort meal.
Try and use thigh pieces of chicken, with or without the skin.

THE PASTE.. (A)
10 candle nuts.. Lightly sautéed.
12 cloves garlic
6 shallots
2 cms fresh turmeric
1 inch pc ginger
1 tbsps coriander seeds, slightly roasted.
Grind the above ingredients with 1/4 cup oil.
Add 1/4 cup water if needed for a smoother paste.
Put this paste in a nonstick pan and cook on low fire till it’s  completely dry.

Now..
In a bowl, take about  8 medium size chicken thigh on bone.
Add..
1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp mushroom powder or msg(1/2 tsp)
1 tsp of black pepper powder.
1 tbsp oyster sauce.
Paste of candle nuts…( A)
Rub the chicken well, cover and keep aside for an hour.

Now take a non stick pan,
Put the chicken pieces along with the marinate and cook till 80 percent done, while flipping periodically.
Add about half cup water, mix and cover for few mins, till the water is almost finished, and chicken is cooked.
Now add 4 tbsps of kecap manis, 1 heaped tbsp of margarine.
Mix and cook till gravy is thick and coats the chicken. Serve with fresh chillie Sambal,  some cucumber, and white rice.
Finger licking good.

** in lieu of candle nuts maybe cashewnuts will do.
** if you don’t have kecap manis, try mixing soya sauce and honey together.
**This recipe is adapted from a local Indonesian you tube channel..  Mrs Devina.
I have just tweaked it a little.

My dinner plate

NASI KUNING JAWA

main meal

NASI KUNING JAWA

Nasi kuning(or yellow rice) comes from the regions of jawa. Traditionally made during festivals and especially birthdays.
In case it is made for a birthday, rice cooked with turmeric, herbs and coconut milk will be packed into a cone shaped mould and then inverted onto a base of rice in the form of a circle . The rice is then surrounded by various other food items, such as tempe( fermented soya cake), chicken, fish, fresh basil and cucumber. The person whose birthday it is slices off the top of the cone onto a plate without the rice disintegrating.. I  have done a miniature nasi kunning plate to show you all.

Normally at home, we just put the  rice, sprinkle some fried peanuts and fried onions, and surround with tempe, chicken in red sauce or tofu potato in red sauce, and sayur acar.( pronounced achaar) Fresh sweet basil is a must along with cucumber slices. Best eaten with hand.
We can call this an Indonesian thali. Recipe is slightly long, but fairly easy to make. Do try it and enjoy.

YELLOW RICE
Soak 2 cups of jasmine rice for 30 mins.
Drain.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add 1 stick cinnamon, 2 fresh bay leaves, 4 kaffir lime leaves, 1 stalk of lemon grass( only bottom white part, bashed)
.
#( incase you don’t gave fresh herbs, use star anise, tej pata and cinnamon)

Saute for a few mins and add drained rice.
Add 100 ml thick coconut milk
And  100ml of water
Mix well, add 2 tbsps grated fresh turmeric and salt to taste.
When liquid dries up, transfer rice to a steamer and steam for 15 to 20 mins. Done. Keep warm.

AYAM MERAH( RED CHICKEN)
300 gms of boneless chicken..cubed
2 tomatoes .. cut into quarters
12 shallots
4 garlic pods..do not cut
4 garlic pods cut fine.
4 red chillies.
2 kaffir lime leaves
Lime juice
Salt and sugar to taste.

Take a pan, add chicken, tomatoes, whole shallots, whole garlic, and red chillies. Add 1/4 cup of water, cover and cook till everything is soft.
Remove chicken and keep aside.
Coarsely grind the cooked tomatoes, onions, garlic and red chillies.

Heat 2 tbsps of oil
Add chopped garlic and 2 kaffir lime leaves. Saute for few mins
Add the red paste and cook till oil seperates.
Add the chicken back, season with salt and a little sugar.
Lastly add  a tbsp  of lime juice.
Keep aside.

TEMPE ORIK
300 gms tempe, cut into small batons
( can use potato or paneer)
Deep fry and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan
Add 6 sliced garlic pods( slice, do not chop)
10 sliced shallots
1 inch bashed ginger
2 green chillies, cut at a slant
2 red chillies cut at a slant
Saute for few mins, till onions turn golden brown.
Add the fried tempe( or potato or paneer)
Stir fry
Add 2 tbsp of kecap manis( or honey)
1 tbsp tamarind paste.
Salt to taste
Stir quickly and shut flame.
Keep aside.

SAYUR ACAR( VEGETABLE ACHAR)
1 carrot.
5 french beans
1 cucumber, unpeeled and seeds removed
( cut all 3 above mentioned vegetables into medium batons)
10 shallots cut into 2

Grind together with little water
3 roasted candlenuts or 4 cashews
1 inch pc  fresh turmeric
1 inch ginger
4 garlic pods
4 shallots.

Heat oil in a pan, add paste and saute well.
Add carrots, french beans, shallots, and cucumber…saute well, add 1/4 cup water and cook till vegs are done,and no water remains. Vegs should retain  a bite. Shut fire and add salt, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 tbsp of vinegar.  mix well.
Done. Keep aside..

OTHER INGREDIENTS
sliced cucumbers
Thai basil leaves
Dried or roasted peanuts
Fried onions.

Assembling
Take a plater, line with a  banana leaf.
Pile rice in the center.
Surround with tempe orik, cucumber slices, red chicken,  sayur acar, basil leaves, sprinkle peanuts and fried onions . And serve.
Can serve red chillie sambal too with some fryums.

SATE LILIT AYAM/CHICKEN

main meal, snacks

SATE LILIT

Sate, or satay, is a beloved dish in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
Every province will have Thier own versions of it. Sate are loved by one and all, easily available and  almost all food stalls will serve these. Meat is normally skewered, Roasted and served with a peanut sauce.

Todays recipe is a Balinese version of Sate.
Sate lilit means wrapped around, not skewered, much like our desi  kebabs, only difference is, the meat is wrapped around slightly bashed lemon grass stalks, so you can imagine the intense fresh flavours. These Sate are not served with any peanut sauce. But served with a raw chiliie onion Sambal called Sambal matah.
Do try this simple and tasty recipe

SATE LILIT**

**Ingredients:**
– 300 g finely minced chicken
– 4 red chillies
– 3 candle nuts (slightly roasted) or cashew nuts
– 3 shallots
– 2 cloves garlic
– 1 tsp chicken seasoning powder
– 1 stalk lemongrass (bottom white part only), finely chopped
– 1-2 tbsp oil
– 4 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
– 2 tbsp freshly grated coconut
– 1.5 tbsp thick coconut milk
– 1 tsp salt
– 12-14 lemongrass stalks, trimmed and lightly bashed

**Instructions:**
1. Grind the red chillies, candle nuts, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, and chicken seasoning powder into a paste without using water.
2. Cook the paste in a pan with oil over low heat until the oil separates and the paste is dry.
3. Mix the cooked paste with minced chicken, chopped kaffir lime leaves, grated coconut, coconut milk, and salt.
4. Take small portions of the chicken mixture and wrap them around the bashed lemongrass stalks.
5. Grill the wrapped chicken on a lightly oiled non-stick pan.

**SAMBAL MATAH**

**Ingredients:**
– 4 red chillies, finely chopped
– 5 shallots, minced
– 3 kaffir lime leaves, minced
– 1 lemongrass stalk (bottom only), minced
– Salt to taste
– 1/2 tsp sugar
– 2 tbsp very hot oil
– Lime (for finishing)

**Instructions:**
1. Combine all the finely chopped ingredients in a bowl.
2. Mix in salt and sugar.
3. Pour hot oil over the mixture and mix well.
4. Finish with a squeeze of lime.

Enjoy your Sate Lilit with Sambal Matah!

My Indonesian lunch plate for lunch

AYAM SERUNDENG/ FRIED CHICKEN

main meal

AYAM SERUNDENG

Se..run..deng, refers to crispy floss. Normally the residue left behind after boiling chicken which has been cooked with ground spices and herbs. The chicken is removed after its tender and the  stock is further cooked till all water evaporates…Reverse cooking😊. This residue is then deep fried or sauted  untill its crisp.
Normally this is sprinkled over the fried chicken and served with steamed jasmine  rice, chillie sambal and some lalapan( salad)
We all relish  eating  this with our hands, as  the Indonesians do..Eating food with the hands is much favoured here.
Now, crisp floss itself can be made differently using 2 or 3 main ingredients..
Coconut, galangal or candlenuts.
Today I will share the coconut and galangal one .

I whole chicken with skin , cut into 10 pieces. Or use thigh, breast, anything.

3 kaffir leaf pairs.
3 fresh bay leaves
2 stalks of lemongrass…cut into 4 to 5 pieces, bashed.
60 grams galangal …grated.
1 bowl grated /scraped coconut.. about 150 grams.
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp mushroom seasoning or msg
2 tsps or to taste salt.

FOR THE PASTE..GRIND FINELY
2 inch piece ginger
2 inch piece fresh turmeric
10 shallots
  8 garlic cloves
5 candlenuts or cashewnuts
1 tbsp corriander seed powder.
1 tsp white pepper powder
  1/4 cup oil


Take a sauce pan or wok,  add the ground paste and saute till fragrant. After 5 mins add the fresh herbs kaffir lime leaves, bay leaves, lemon grass.
Saute for a while.
Add 1 tsp sugar
About 2 tsps salt.
1 tsp mushroom seasoning or msg

Add the chicken pieces, mix well and add  2 cups of water..bring to a boil.
Add the grated galangal and mix well.

Once mixed properly, add grated coconut.

and let chicken cook completely

The water should reduce to a thick gravy.

Remove chicken pieces and keep aside.
Cook the gravy till really dry.

Heat oil in a wok, flash fry the cooked chicken .

In the remaining oil, add the semi dried gravy.. and fry on medium heat till light golden.. Remove and keep aside. This is the floss or Serundeng.
Stir constantly so the semi solids don’t burn.
○ It took me about 15 mins to fry the floss, when the bubbles started disappering while floss was being fried and the colour was golden, I removed it on a strainer. It will be slightly soft, but should become  crisp upon cooling. This can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and used as a topping .

To serve,  put the chicken on a platter, sprinkle floss/ serundeng on top.

We enjoy eating this with steamed rice.
Labu siam ( chayote) stir fried, some spicy sambal, and a lalapan( salad) of cucumber and fresh lemon basil.
Try eating with your hand and relish every bite.

FUYUNGHAI aka fried vegetable omelette

main meal, snacks

FUYUNGHAI

This super easy egg dish is probably known to most of us. Probably invented by some innovative house wife who wanted to use up the vegetables and meat in her refrigerator. 😊
Very easy to make and comes together very quickly.
There is no hard and fast rule to make this, but its good to follow some guidelines. Its a basic Fried Egg omelette with some vegetables and protein tossed in, and some flour to bind it all together.
This dish is almost on all menus in old fashioned chinese restaurants in Jakarta. Here it is served with a sweet and sour tomato sauce. Fried till the outside of fuyunghai is crisp while the inside is soft . It is normally served with white rice. Do try this recipe😊

1/3 cup finely chopped carrots
1/3 cup finely chopped cabbage
1/4 cup finely chopped spring onions
100 gms very finely minced chicken
50 gms prawns minced.
3 eggs
4 heaped tbsps cornflour
2 heaped tbsp flour..maida.
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp chicken seasoning..
1 tsp black pepper powder
1/4 tsp msg or sugar.
( I added finely chopped bird eye chillies for an extra punch)

Mix all this together in a bowl.

Heat about 400ml of oil in a wok or frying pan. On medium heat, pour in half the egg batter, Keep splashing oil on it( as we do for Poories) .let cook on one side till crisp, gently turn over and fry till crisp. ( used two spatulas to do it gently).

Put into a platter, cut into wedges or squares.
Pour hot sauce on it.
Serve with rice for a complete meal or just as a starter.

Sauce..
Blanch 3 tomatoes
Blend in a mixer, and strain.

Now heat about 2 tbsps of butter.
Add 1 sliced onion
2 tsps minced garlic
Add 2 tsps sugar
And saute till onions become limp.
Add about 1/3 cup boiled green peas( I used frozen).
Pour in the tomatoes puree, season with , salt to taste, 1/2 tsp pepper.
Add about 2 tbsps of tomato ketchup.
1/4 cup water. Now add 1 tsp of vinegar.
Check seasoning and add some cornflour slurry to slightly thicken the sauce. The sauce shd be sweet and sour, so please adjust seasoning.

This Recipe is for 2 Fuyunghai.
Enough for 4 ppl people.😊

Pepes Ayam aka Indonesian steamed chicken.

main meal

PEPES AYAM

I have been wanting to share this amazing recipe for sometime now.
PEPES refers to food, mainly chicken, fish or tofu, marinated in spices and steam cooked in  banana leaves.( something like the parsi patra ni machi) The marinade will include fresh herbs, and mostly lemon basil, which is the star here. Some tart flavours like green  tomatoes or BLIMBING WULUH( Also known as bilimbi, tree sorrel . This is an edible sour fruit.) , truely bring out the freshness of this dish.
So these pepes are normally eaten hot with steamed rice. . You can either wrap them in rectangles and seal the edges with a toothpick, or pack them like pyramids. Will add a video in comments section.

Fun facts..
Kemangi or lemon basil is a very close cousin of our tulsi.
Its mostly served in a lalapan, which is a raw salad consisting of torn cabbage leaves, green or red tomato wedges and Daun kemangi..these are eaten raw with any cooked chicken or meat dish.

Today I have used both..green tomato as well as Blimbing wuluh. Just for your idea. The main idea is to add tartness to the pepes.


Ingredients

1 chicken  with bones cut into small pcs
( about 700 gms) I cut the chicken into 12 pieces…

Marinate with  juice of 1 lime, 1 tsp salt and  1/2 tsp of black pepper.

Keep aside for 15 mins.

CHOP AND GRIND TOGETHER

10 pods garlic
12 shallots
8 candlenuts or about 10 cashewnuts
6 red chillies
1 inch piece of fresh turmeric
1 inch piece of galangal.
1/4 cup oil.
Blend untill its a fine paste.

Now take a wok, add this paste and another 1 to 2 tbsps of oil, saute on a low heat till cooked, fragnant and colour changes from yellow to reddish brown.
Cool this paste. Which will now look dry.
Once cool, mix in the chicken along with the marinade. Add some salt, msg( if using) and  coat the chicken pieces nicely.  Add the spring onions and all the basil leaves, mix properly . Ready to pack.

OTHER INGREDIENTS ..
Big squares of banana leaves
2 to 3 stalks of spring onions cut into chunks
Some lemon grass, bashed and cut slantingly.
Some fresh bay leaves.
And lots of Daun kemangi aka lemon basil or thai basil . These basil leaves are small and very fragrant. About 50 gms of leaves and tender stem.
2 or 3 green tomatoes cut into wedges.
( or use blimbing wuluh aka blimbi fruit)
Bird eye chillies as needed.


To assemble.

Take 2 sheets of banana leaves one on top of the other( check comments section for photos).
Put one or 2 fresh bay leaf
Add sliced lemon grass, top with chicken pieces, along with spring onions, basil leaves.
Again top with green tomato wedges and some bird eye chillies.
Pack the banana leaf in such a way that there should be no leakage of juices.

Steam these packets for about 30 to 40 mins.

Have hot with steamed jasmine rice.

You can make indivual packets with one or 2 pieces of chicken inside.

I got 6 packets of pepes.





Capcai ( chaap chai)

main meal

CAPCHAI
Pronounced.. chaap chai.

This is a simple stew, which we eat regularly at home. Especially when we have been eating out a lot. A very simple healthy non spicy dish which is really tasty.
Have it accompanied with egg fried rice to make a one dish meal. A very forgiving dish, which makes use of a lot of vegetables…( good way to clear out your fridge.😊)
You can make it vegetarian, or add chicken, or prawns.  Just make sure to cut the vegetables at a slant. So they can cook evenly and fast.

3 options to have this dish.
1.. Poured over fried rice.
2.. Poured over a mix of boiled noodles and deep fried boiled noodles.( also called IFUMIE) similar to chopsuey.
3. Poured over fried or steamed wontons( including a picture in comments.)

Just make sure its made on a high flame. And try to make  it near serving time, so the vegetables look fresh and not limp. Vegetables  should have a crunch..

1 carrot..peeled, sliced at a slant .
1 potato , peeled , quartered and sliced  at a slant.
4 baby corn, sliced at a slant.
1/2 cup of broccoli flowerlettes .. soaked in salted water.
1/2 cup pakchoi or mustard greens roughly chopped.
10 snappeas…baby sweetpeas whole.
1 big dry shitake mushroom ( boil in water untill soft).. then sliced.( retain about 1 cup of the water)
1 onion cut into big cubes
1 bell pepper..green or red or yellow, cut into big cubes.
1/2 cup quartered mushrooms( fresh or tinned)
1/2 cup chinese cabbage roughly chopped.
OPTIONAL…I ADDED SILKEN TOFU.
2 to 3 tbsps vegetarian oyster sauce.
2 tbsps sesame oil
1 tsp white pepper powder
Salt to taste.
1 tsp mushroom seasoning or MSG.
About 2 heaped tbsps cornflour mixed with some water to make a slurry..use as required.

To be ground to a paste..
3 seedless red chillies
6 garlic pods
1 inch piece of ginger.

Heat 2 tbsps oil in a pan and add the paste. Saute till fragrant and add the white pepper and salt.
Now add carrots, potato, corn, mushrooms and mix. ( IF ADDING CHICKEN , ADD NOW, BONELESS CUBED )

Add  3 cups of HOT WATER.( including reserved water from shitake mushrooms)
Let the vegetables boil for about 5 mins, and add the oyster sauce, sesame oil, msg.
Now add onions, bell pepper, snap peas, chinese cabbage , pok choi, and broccoli.

Bring to a rolling boil for few mins only. 
Now add enough cornflour slurry to thicken the stew. Check seasoning and serve immediately.


CHICKEN BOXING/CHICKEN LOLLYPOP WITH SALTED EGG CREAM SAUCE

snacks

Chicken boxing/lollypop  with salted egg cream sauce.

Salted eggs are also know as TELUR ASIN in Indonesia, and are found in most south Asian countries. We can say pickled eggs.
Usually Duck eggs  are soaked in brine for  about 15 days ,sometimes the eggs are covered with a damp charcoal paste. But mostly they are soaked in brine. The salt thus penetrates the shell to give a salty flavour to the eggs, the whites have a gelatinous texture, while the yolks normally get a rich umami flavour. Once out of the brine,
, they need to be boiled or steamed. When using the eggs, they just need to be cut in the middle, and the egg scooped out.
Todays recipe uses the yolks of the eggs, to give us a delicious creamy sauce.
Do try this out if you can.
Salted eggs are also sometimes made with normal brown hen  eggs.

These egg yolks have a rich umami flavour and taste amazing.

6 boiled salted duck eggs, cut into half and yolks removed.
( whites can be added to any other dish..maybe fried rice).

4 cloves garlic..finely chopped.
5 bird eyed chillies finely chopped.
2 sprigs of curry leaves , most chopped finely..some left whole.
1/3rd  to 1/2 cup of  milk.
1 tsps sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ajinomoto.
3 tbsps butter.
1 tbsp oil.
1/4 tsp turmeric powder.

In a bowl, add the egg yolks and mash with the back of  a spoon, untill its a fine paste.
In a pan add the  oil and butter and  the garlic, chopped chillies, curry leaves, salt, pepper, sugar, ajinomoto. Mix for a minute. Now add the mashed egg yolks, and mix. The mixture will start foaming.
Add the  milk , mix well and  once heated through
. Pour into a bowl . Sauce is ready.

For boxing chicken aka chicken lollypop.
About 10  chicken wings, the ends discarded, cut into 2 at the joint, , here I have used only the front drumettes.   Give a cut the bottom of the drumette and pull back the meat  and form sort of a ball. .( pictures in comments)

Grind 4 cloves garlic, and a little ginger with salt and pepper to taste., add a squirt of lime juice., mix this paste with one egg and whisk. Tip in the chicken, after few mins remove chicken from egg mixture, shake off excess, and roll in corn flour.  Deep fry.
Serve these wings with salted egg sauce.

☆.you can also serve this sauce with  small pieces of fried chicken. Or even french fries

☆Salted egg chips are really trending now.
Have shared some pictures in comment section.
☆.. to those who cannot find salted eggs easily,,please do try with normal boiled egg yolks.
☆ using cornflour to dust the chicken makes  it crispy as there will be no formation of gluten.

SINDHI PHOTE BHUGO CHICKEN / CARDAMOM CHICKEN.

main meal

SINDHI PHOTE BHUGO CHICKEN.

Today’s recipe is SINDHI PHOTE BHUGO CHICKEN, cardamon/Elaichi chicken.
After someone asked me for an authentic sindhi recipe for phote bhuga TEEVARN( mutton), I went straight to the source of my sindhi recipes, MY MOTHER. While I was on a short trip to India. Sadly Mom’s health has detoriated as well as her memory. But she immediately could recall this recipe, and told me. In fact I asked her if we could add tomatoes, she said not at all.😊 so this recipe is more like a stew with a strong cardamon flavour and peppery undertones.A very light on the tummy dish.

Memories of my mom making this super fragrant dish( phote bugo teevarn) on sundays for my grandparents are so clear. My mom is a masterchef of sindhi delicacies, but sadly cannot cook any longer at the grand age of 90. But I am so thankful to have learnt most of my sindhi cooking from her.

Pls try it and have this accompanied by parathas and tawa toasted bread. The simplicity of this dish is what makes it so special.
The last time I made it was years ago for my mother in law , but with mushrooms. ( vegetarians please note).

500 gms chicken with bone( 6 good size pieces) make slashes on the chicken.
2 tsps of freshly ground cardamon with skin
4 to 5 whole cardamons..lightly bashed.
2 tsps freshly ground black pepper.
1 tsp shah jeera
1/4 tsp turmeric powder.
1/4 tsp garam masala
1.5 tsps salt.
3 cups water.
Finely cut corriander leaves with stems.
3 tbsps oil
2 tbsps Wheat flour mixed with 1/2 cup cold water.
( DO NOT USE CORNFLOUR).
Heat oil in a pressure cooker, and add the shah jeera, whole cardamons and the powdered cardamom. After a few seconds add the chicken and start sauting for at least 10 mins. The cardamom will start sticking to the chicken, keep going. Now add the corriander leaves, black pepper powder, turmeric and salt, mix for another 5 mins. The combined flavours of corriander, pepper and cardamom are amazing. Add the water and close lid. After 3 whistles, shut the flame and let the cooker cool down.
Open the lid and bring the chicken to a boil. Add the wheat flour slurry and simmer for a few more minutes.
Serve hot, sprinkled with black pepper and corriander.
Serve with parathas, and tawa toasted bread.or pao.