Dubai - Why not whip up these great dishes for an Iftar at home.
CHICKEN MALAI TIKKA
INGREDIENTS
Photos/Supplied
Boneless chicken cubes 500gm
Thick yogurt 100gm
Fresh cream 100gm
Fresh ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
Green chili paste.....................2 tsp
Black pepper powder 1 tsp
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Coriander leaves (garnish)..2 tsp
Lemon juice 1 tsp
Oil 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Cornflour 1 tsp
METHOD
1) Prepare the marinade using all the ingredients mentioned and apply it to the chicken pieces. Keep it refrigerated for 2-3 hours.
2) Take a skewer, grease it well with oil, and put chicken pieces to it one by one in a pan. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and gently place chicken skewers over it and fry on moderate heat on both sides first and then cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes on medium heat or until done.
3) Once the chicken is cooked well, hold the skewers over direct flame. That will give a nice coat of brown colour spots on the chicken and the flavour will come out very well.
4) Take a lump of heated coal in a small bowl, place it on the pan with the chicken, and close the lid and leave it for 5 minutes. It will give a nice smokey flavor to the tikka.
5) Transfer it to the serving plate and enjoy.
STUFFED CHICKEN WITH EGG MASALA MALABAR STYLE
INGREDIENTS
Whole chicken, skinned and cleaned – 1 medium
Oil as required
FOR MARINATION
Lemon juice from half a lemon
Kashmiri chili powder..4 to 5 tsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Water as required
Pepper powder 1 tsp
Garam masala 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
Saltt o taste
METHOD
1) Combine all the ingredients with sufficient water to form a smooth paste.
2) Rub the marinade onto the chicken.
3) Cover and refrigerate overnight
or at least for 6 hours.
FOR EGG MASALA STUFFING
Hard boiled eggs 2
Onion sliced 1 large
Green chilies, cut vertically... 3 -4
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Ginger-Garlic paste 1 tsp
Kashmiri chili powder 1/2 tsp
Garam masala1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Coriander leaves................ 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Oil as required
Cashew nuts 1 tsp
Raisins 1 tsp
METHOD
1) Heat ghee in a pan, add cashew and raisins. Saute it for some time, and remove it.
2) Add onion, green chilies, curry leaves, and ginger-garlic paste. Saute until the onion turns golden.
3) Now reduce the flame to low and add Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and salt to taste. Saute for few minutes or until raw smell goes.
4) Next, add fried cashew and raisins with boiled eggs.
5) Stuff the chicken. Firstly, place the eggs into the cavity and then the onion mixture. Tie the chicken legs together using kitchen twine. When done, keep it aside.
FOR THE GRAVY:
Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri chili powder 1 tsp
Onion, sliced 2
Green chilies, chopped 4
Ginger-garlic paste 2 tsp
Curry leaves few
Tomato, sliced 2 medium
Salt to taste
Coconut milk 1 cup
Oil as required
METHOD
1) Heat oil in a pan, add onion, green chilies, and curry leaves. Saute until the onion turns golden brown.
2) Add ginger-garlic paste and saute until raw smell is no longer there. Add tomato and cook until it turns mushy.
3) Reduce the flame to low and add all the powders, salt to taste, and coconut milk.
4) Boil it.
5) Finally, place the marinated chicken into the coconut gravy and slow cook it, covered for 30 minutes.
6) After 30 minutes, take out the slow-cooked chicken, fry it for 10 minutes in a pan. You can also bake it according to your liking.
NOTE
You can serve this chicken with rice Pathiri (pancakes made with rice flour).
KUNAFA PANNA COTTA
INGREDIENTS
Milk 1 whole cup
Heavy whipping cream 1 cup
Granulated sugar.............. 1/3 cup
Cardamom powder....... 1/2 tsp
Gelatin....... 1 tbsp
A pinch of salt
Kunafa dough....... 1½ cup
Butter........4 tbsp
Grounded pistachios and rose petals for garnishing
Honey or sugar syrup (optional)
METHOD
1) Stir the gelatin powder into the bowl of milk. Let it stand for 5 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, boil the whipping cream with sugar. Cook on low heat for some time, and then add the milk-gelatin mixture to it. Cook on low heat until gelatin is completely dissolved (make sure not to boil it)
3) Add cardamom powder and mix well. Pour into cups and refrigerate for 2 hours.
FOR THE KUNAFA
1) Take a pan, melt butter and add Kunafa dough, and roast till it turns golden. Let it cool down, or you can bake the Kunafa dough with butter in the oven.
2) Once the panna cotta is set, layer the Kunafa on top of it. Garnish with pistachios and rose petals.
FOR ROSE SYRUP
Sugar 1/2 cup
Water 1/2 cup
Lemon juice few drops
1) In a medium saucepan combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool, and then add lemon juice and rose essence.
2) Finally pour the sugar syrup or honey on top and serve.
Recipes courtesy Shameema Abdul Shukoor, a Dubai-based food blogger, recipe developer, food photographer and stylist. An engineer by profession and a food photographer by passion, Shameema hails from the southern Indian state of Kerala. Shameema is a passionate traveller, baking enthusiast, art lover and a loving mom! Find her @my_pinchofwow