HIMACHALI FRIED MINT CHICKEN.

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What are your favorite memories of your recent vacation? Here in India we had a week long vacation to celebrate the greatest and grandest festival of the year. It’s amazing how people of all religions and culture become part of this grand fest.

I remember some years back,I got the opportunity to visit the beautiful city of Darjeeling,on the way we ate in shacks, trying to get the taste of the local cuisine, it’s impossible to have that taste in big hotels or restaurants because fusion and the constraints of taking care of the calories plays havoc with the authenticity and the real flavor of the land.

There was this particular Recipe I got fond of but back then I was naive ,with no particular interest in cooking, let alone it becoming my passion. So never tried to write it down or ever tried making it.

Suddenly  a year back, I was watching the repeat telecast of an old Food program on NDTV, The name of the program was “Kaccha Rasta” The host or anchor was the legendary  Aditya Bahl. And he was talking about how this recipe is native to Himachal Pradesh and how he was going to try to replicate those flavors.

Here I was watching this show after so many years after that memorable trip and how Aditya was cooking that very recipe I had fallen in love with ❤ Is it a coincidence? Do you believe in coincidence and destiny? Whatever it was, I knew God has given me another opportunity to know and learn this recipe and to treasure it.

Now after cooking it several times, I have made this unique, flavourful, mouthwatering  dish a staple at my place.  It’s one of the “Go -to” Dish which is easy-to-make and good to impress  the guest, as well as  comforting and easy on your tummy,as it is made in “Mint”.

Ingredients :

• Chicken : 1 kg
• Curd : 3 to 4 tablespoon
• Mint leaves : 4 to 5 twigs.
• Cinnamon powder : 3/4th teaspoon.
• Green chilies : 2 to 4 ( Or according to the heat you require)
• Salt : To taste
• Ginger and garlic: finely chopped
• Black pepper: 1/4h teaspoon
• Ghee : 2 to 3 TBSP (Any oil or butter of your choice)
• Garam masala powder  : 1TSP
• Turmeric  : 1/4th teaspoon.

PREPARATION:

• Take the chicken, thoroughly wash and keep it aside to drain the water.
• Make mint chutney of all the Green masala.
• In a pan, heat the ghee,add the bay-leaf, 1 to 2 Big black  cardamom, when it crackles add the chicken, stir and add enough water to  cook the chicken. Close the lid for 10 to 12 minutes.
• When the water is nearly  evaporated, add the mint chutney, salt,turmeric, black pepper  and the garam masala and nicely stir. Again close the lid for 3-5minutes.
• Remove the lid, check the consistency, once you get a gravy like consistency,Add the cinnamon powder, stir, switch off the flame.
• Garnish with fried onions ,coriander and serve hot with naan, roti or bread of your choice.

HIMACHALI FRIED MINT CHICKEN.

Recipe by Lina@tikkazndcurriez. Course: Blog, MainCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy, Quick

Servings

03

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

35

minutes

Himachali Pahadi Chicken OR Mint Chicken is a cuisine which warms the heart with it’s flavourful taste,it’s a culinary delight for Chicken enthusiast. It transports you to the misty mountains with it’s freshness and delightfulness. The ease with which you can make this dish,I can genuinely promise you it’s going to be staple in your kitchen.
Also Do try my Butter Chicken Recipe, it’s flavourful.

Ingredients

• Chicken : 1 Kg

• Mint twigs : 4 to 5 twigs

• Ginger : 1 inch finely grated

• Garlic: 5 to 6 pods finely chopped

• Coriander : 1/2 bowl,finely chopped
  Turmeric :1/4th teaspoon.

• Garam Masala powder: 1TSP

• Cinnamon powder : 3/4th teaspoon

• Black pepper powder : 1/4th teaspoon

• Curd : 3 to 4 TBSP (tablespoon)

• Ghee : 2 to 3 TBSP (you can use clarinated butter or olive oil)

• Honey :1 TSP (teaspoon-optional)

• Fried onions : 2 TBSP

• Green chilies : 2 to 4 OR (According to the heat or Spice you require to your taste likening)

Directions

• Clean the chicken thoroughly under running water and keep it aside to drain.
• In a mixer grind all the wet ingredients together like Ginger, Garlic, Green chilies (grind it if you like heat in the chicken or you can even add later at the preparation stage) Mint and half of the coriander.
• Now take the chicken and cover it with the paste or green chutney from the mixie.
• Apply curd too and nicely brush the chicken with these ingredients and keep it covered.
• In a pan take ghee and heat it on medium flame, add the bay leaf, black cardamom and green chilies if not added to the mixie.
• Now add the marinated chicken to it, you can add the remaining curd and a little water and let it cook for roughly about 10 minutes. Remove the lid,check the thickness of the gravy, if it is watery cook for some more time till you get gravy like consistency.
• Check if the chicken is tender, now at this stage you can add all the dry masala powders and salt, You can also add the remaining ghee and honey if you want at this stage.
  
• Check the saltiness, spice level, sweetness and tenderness of the chicken, see how you like the gravy, very thick or a little runny.(Optional – You can completely dry the gravy to get a dry chicken dish like a starter dish )
• Add cinnamon powder, stir the chicken well and garnish with fried onions, coriander and serve hot with your favorite bread,rice or appetizers.

Notes:
1. Marinate chicken for a better experience.
2. Don’t overcook the chicken to retain its juicines and to avoid making it fall apart.
3. Use Fresh mint to give it that amazing Pahari (mountain)freshness.
4. You can use cilantro or Parsley or Spinach to give a twist to the dish profile.
5. You can use any meat to substitute chicken.
6. You can use Tofu instead to make it Vegan.
7.You can use Greek Yogurt instead of regular to give it a more creamier base or to make a creamier sauce

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