Wednesday 14 November 2018

Jeera Chicken.



Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful


Guys, I have been trying to post this recipe all day.

And finally, now, I'm able to sit down properly and send it out to all of you.
The fairy lights are twinkling and I am having 30 minutes peace with coffee (my second because it's one of those days), a chocolate orange breakfast roll (recipe coming soon!) and a little blogging.

This recipe for jeera chicken has been ready to go since the weekend and all I needed to do was write out this intro. I planned on doing it first thing this morning but then wanted to make the most of the little natural morning light we have these days to shoot those aforementioned chocolate orange rolls. I managed to fill, roll and set them aside to rise. 
While they were rising, my 2-year-old niece turned up. She was wearing a beautiful green dress and was in the mood to cause mayhem. Mayhem was caused and in the meantime, my aunt and cousin turned up. Then, three more aunts turned up with another one on the phone. Batches of pakoras were fried and munched as everyone discussed village life in Pakistan whilst watching this channel (a real gem especially if you are Punjabi).
Everyone has gone now and the chocolate orange rolls were baked and frosted. A chicken mince and cauliflower curry is on for tonight's dinner. The kitchen which looked like a bomb had hit it has been cleaned and I have a few minutes of peace before the rest of the day's activities begin. I will take these few minutes to share the recipe for jeera chicken with you all. It's from the Grenfell Tower cookbook which I have been gradually cooking my way through these past few months. Packed with cumin and green chillies, this curry is lovely with hot flatbread or rice.

A Simple List of Ingredients:
1. Cumin Seeds
2. Vegetable Oil
3. Red Onions
4. Green Chillies
5. Ginger
6. Turmeric Powder
7. Salt
8. Chicken Breasts or Chicken Thighs
9. Plain Yoghurt
10. Garam Masala
11. Lemon Juice
12. Fresh Coriander

Bismillah, let's begin!

We start with the main flavouring of this recipe - the jeera (cumin seeds). I wouldn't usually have thought of putting them with chicken but they really worked in this recipe.

In a large cooking pan over medium heat, toast 2 tablespoons Cumin Seeds until they are fragrant and golden.

Remove them from the pan and set aside until needed.

Next, take 6 medium Red Onions. You can use white too.

Peel and thinly slice the onions.

Heat a Few Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil in the pan over medium heat. Once hot, add in the sliced onions.

Gently fry the onions until they are golden and soft - about 10 minutes.

Then, add the toasted cumin seeds back to the pan.

Along with the green chillies. This is the main spice in the curry. The original recipe called for 40g Green Chillies which for me was 14. Sounds like a lot but for us, it was ok. You may definitely reduce them as you please.

Finely slice the green chillies. I left 5 chillies as they were and took the seeds out of the rest.

Add the sliced chillies to the pan.

Next, take 60g Ginger.

Peel and crush the ginger before adding it to the pan.

Stir-fry everything for a few minutes.

Add in 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder and 1 teaspoon Salt.

Stir-fry until fragrant.

Time for the chicken! I used 2 large Chicken Breasts which I cubed. The original recipe used 8 Chicken Thighs, bone in and skin off. Feel free to use either.

Add the chicken to the pan.

And, stir-fry until it is no longer pink. This should take about 5 minutes.

Drizzle in Vegetable Oil if the pan is too dry.

Then, turn the heat right down and add in 300g Plain Yoghurt, at room temperature.

Stir well until the chicken pieces are submerged in the yoghurt. You may add 200g more yoghurt if you like.

Turn the heat right down and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 30-35 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.

Once cooked, you may notice that the sauce looks like it has split. Don't worry, give it a good stir and it will be fine.

To finish, add in 1 tablespoon Garam Masala.

Pour in the Juice of 1/2 Lemon.

And, stir in a Handful of Fresh Coriander, finely chopped.

This jeera chicken is delicious with hot pitta or rice. Enjoy!

Jeera Chicken.

a yoghurt based chicken curry with plenty of cumin and green chillies.

Prep Time: About 30 minutes.
Cook Time: About 1 hour.
Serves: About 6 people.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Cumin Seeds
Few tablespoons Vegetable Oil
6 medium Red Onions, peeled and thinly sliced
40g Green Chillies, thinly sliced (this was 14 chillies for me - 5 with seeds and the rest without)
60g Ginger, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
2 large cubed Chicken Breasts OR 8 Chicken Thighs, bone in and skin off
300g Plain Yoghurt, at room temperature
1 tablespoon Garam Masala
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
Handful Fresh Coriander, finely chopped

Fry the onions:
  • Into a large cooking pan, place the cumin seeds and heat over a medium heat. Toast the seeds until they are fragrant and golden. Take the seeds out and set aside.
  • Add the vegetable oil to the pan and let it heat up. Add in the sliced red onions and gently fry until the onions are golden and soft - about 10 minutes.
Add the spices and chicken:
  • To the onions, add the toasted cumin seeds, chopped green chillies, and crushed ginger. Stir-fry for a minute. Add in the turmeric powder and salt. Fry until fragrant. 
  • Add in the chicken and cook for 5 minutes until it is no longer pink. Drizzle in more oil if the pan is looking dry.
Time to simmer:
  • Turn the heat right down and add in the yoghurt. Stir it in until the chicken is submerged in the sauce. Add more yoghurt if you need to. 
  • Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook over a low heat for 30-35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Serve:
  • Give the curry a stir. The sauce will look like it has split but will be fine once you've given it a good stir.
  • Stir in the garam masala, lemon juice and fresh coriander. Check the salt and adjust as needed.
  • Serve with hot flatbreads or rice.
{adapted from Together: Our Community Cookbook}

Keep me in your duas please, and enjoy your jeera chicken!

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!


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