Butter Chicken

Ingredients

1. Chicken - 5 thigh pieces (boneless & skinless)
2. Almond powder - 4 tbsp
3. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
4. Plain Yoghurt - 1/2 cup
5. Garam Masala - 1 & 1/2 tsp (cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom)
6. Onions - diced 1 cup
7. Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
8. Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
9. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
10. Red Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Tomato paste - 1 tbsp
12. Milk - 2 & 1/2 cups
13. Deggi Mirch - 1 tsp (Kashmiri Paprika which gives color but not hot on the palate)
14. Butter - 4 tbsp
15. Salt - 1 tsp
    

Process:

Mix 4 tbsp of milk with the almond powder to make a paste. Keep aside.
Dice chicken thighs into bite size pieces. Add to it 1/2 cup of plain yoghurt, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp garam masala. Mix well. Marinate for 3-4 hours.
Melt 1 tbsp butter and fry marinated chicken pieces. Meanwhile, boil the onion. When cooked, drain and grind into paste. Now melt 2 tbsp butter and add the onion paste into it. Fry for 5-6 minutes. Add ginger and garlic paste - continue frying - add coriander powder and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and cook for a further minute. Add 1/4 tsp chilli powder and 1 tbsp tomato paste and cook on high flame for 6-7 minutes. Add 1 tsp garam masala. Now add the almond paste and continue frying till the oil separates.
Add the chicken pieces followed by 2 cups of milk and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Set aside in a serving dish. Put 1 tbsp of butter in a separate pan and let the butter melt on low heat. Take off from heat and put Deggi Mirch - stir and pour it on top of the serving dish.
Garnish with fresh cream (optional)

Achari Murg (Pickled Chicken)

Ingredients

1. Chicken - 800 gms cut into pieces
2. Mustard Oil - 10 tbsp
3. Ginger paste - 2 tbsp
4. Garlic paste - 2 tbsp
5. Curd - 1 cup
6. Chilli powder - 2 tsp
7. Turmeric powder - 1tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Dried whole red chilli - 4-5
10. Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
11. Onion seeds (Kalaunji) - 1/2 tsp
12. Fenugreek seeds (Methi) - 1 tsp
13. Cloves - 5-6
14. Green Cardamom - 3-4
15. Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1 tsp
16. Onion - chopped 2
17. Vinegar - 2 tbsp
18. Asafoetida (Hing) - a pinch

Process:

Lightly grind together green cardamom, cloves, cumin, fenugreek, onion seeds and mustard seeds in a mixer grinder to form a coarse powder. Heat oil, add whole red chilli, a pinch of asafoetida, chopped onions and fry till the onions are golden brown. Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes. Add chicken, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and saute for further 5 minutes on high flame. Beat the curd, add it and mix well. Reduce heat and cook till chicken is tender. If required add little water. When the chicken is cooked and the gravy is thick add the vinegar. Simmer for 2 minutes and serve hot with chapatis/rotis.

Zafrani Murg (Saffron Chicken)

Ingredients

1. Chicken - 750 gms
2. Salt to taste
3. Garlic paste - 2 tsp
4. Yoghurt - 2 tbsp
5. Red Chilli paste - 1 tsp
6. A pinch of saffron soaked in 2 tbsp of milk
   
7. Cashew nut paste - 5-6 tbsp
8. Oil - 4-5 tbsp
9. Bay leaves - 2-3
10. Cloves - 4-5
11. Onion paste - 2 tbsp

Process:

Take the chicken pieces in a bowl. Add salt, yoghurt, and red chilli paste. Mix well. Heat oil in a kadai or wok. Add bay leaves, cloves and onion paste. Saute for a few minutes and add the garlic paste once the onion becomes brown. Now add the marinated chicken pieces and cook till chicken is tender. Now add the cashew paste along with the saffron in milk. Reduce heat and mix
well for a minute.
Zafrani Murg is ready to serve.

Spinach Chicken

Ingredients

1. Chicken(skinned) - 500 gms
2. Spinach - 250 gms
   
3. Onions - 2 chopped
4. Ginger - 1 inch
5. Garlic - 2 clove
6. Cloves - 3 - 4
7. Cinnamon - 1 small stick
8. Green Cardamom - 2-3
9. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
10. Red Chilli powder - 2 tsp
11. Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
12. Green Chilli - 4-5
13. Tomatoes - 1 big
14. Kassori Methi powder ( Fenugreek powder) - 1/2 tsp
15. Curd - 2 tbsp
16. Coriander leaves (chopped) - 2 tbsp
17. Salt to taste
18. Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp(Chat masala is a masala, or spice mix, used in Indian cuisine. It typically consists of amchoor (dried mango powder), cumin, Kala Namak, coriander, dried ginger, salt, black pepper, asafoetida and capsicum)
19. Lemon juice - 2-3 tsp
20. Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp (The composition of garam masala differs regionally, with wide variety across India. Some common ingredients are black & white peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves, long pepper (also known as pippali), black cumin (known as shahi jeera), cumin seeds, cinnamon; black, brown, & green cardamom, nutmeg, mace, star anise and coriander seeds.)
21. Oil - 1-2 tbsp

Process:

Make a paste of the Spinach, ginger and garlic in a food processor. Heat oil, add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves along with chopped onions. Saute for 3-4 minutes, add ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, kassori methi, chopped tomatoes, chopped green chillies, curd and continue the saute for sometime or till the oil separates. Now add chicken pieces, coriander leaves, salt, chat masala - cover and cook until chicken is tender. Add spinach paste, lime juice - simmer for 5 minutes without covering. Garnish with slit green chillies and chopped tomatoes.

South Indian Chicken

Ingredients

1. Chicken 1 & 1/2 inch pieces 800 gms
2. Oil - 2 tbsp
3. Garlic - 5-6 cloves finely chopped
4. Ginger - 1 inch piece finely chopped
5. Curry leaves - 12-15
6. Onion - 2 medium finely chopped
7. Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
8. Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
9. Red Chilli Powder 1 tsp
10. Black peppercorns - 10 (crushed)
11. Tomatoes - 3 medium (chopped)
12. Salt to taste
13. Fresh Coriander leaves chopped- 2 tbsp

Process:

Heat oil in a Wok or Kadai. Add garlic, ginger, curry leaves, onion and saute till they begin to change color. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and stir. Add chicken and continue stirring.
Add crushed peppercorns and saute for 5 minutes. Next add tomatoes and salt - mix and add a little water. Add coriander leaves and mix. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or till chicken is tender.
Garnish with fried curry leaves and serve hot.