Murgh Highway/ Spicy Chicken Curry Cooked in Small Restaurants besides Highway/ Dhaba Style Chicken Curry

The small restaurants beside highway are generally known as Dhabas in our country, India, which mostly serve local cuisine and open 24/7.These serve as truck stops also. Since many Indian truck drivers are of Punjabi descents and punjabi food and music is quite popular out India,  the word dhaba has come to represent any restaurants that serve Punjabi food especially the heavily spiced and fried punjabi foods. Moreover, the food available there is very inexpensive yet it has a homemade touch.Though in the matter of hygiene these restaurants are not upto the mark and the ambience is very rustic but recently many highway dhabas are practising these norms too.

Whenever, we go to a long drive through highways we never miss the chance to enjoy our food at those small roadside restaurants. The Naan ( Open Oven Baked Indian flat bread) and the spicy chicken curry are my most favorite food out there. But unfortunately I never tried to make that chicken curry at home though I knew that they prepare this chicken with very simple and easily available ingredients and in a very simple way too. But this time I couldn't restrict myself from preparing this chicken highway curry or dhaba style chicken curry while I saw one of my food lover's friend had prepared it and posted the pic in a social networking site. I adopted the recipe from her and with few modifications I made it at home and it nevertheless to mention that the curry was just fingerlicking good.


Here, I am going to describe the detail recipe of Murgh Highway/  Spicy Chicken Curry in Small dhabas beside highway or Dhaba Style Chicken Curry.


Ingredients:

• Chicken:800 gms.
• Potato: 2 Large (diced)
• Onion:250 gms ( chopped)
• Tomato:3/4 (Grated)
• Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp.
• Grated Garlic:1 tsp.(keep it separately for marinating chicken)
• Red Chilli: 2 ( adjust the number of the red chilli according to your taste)
• Cumin Seeds: 2 tsp.
• Coriander Seeds:1 tsp.
• Black Peppercorn:1 tsp.
• Green Cardamoms: 2/3
• Dried Fenugreek Leaves:1 tsp.
• Turmeric Powder:1 tsp.
• Red Chilli Powder:1 tsp. ( adjust according to your taste)
• Black Pepper Powder:1 tsp.
• Garam Masala Powder: 1 tsp.
• Bay Leaves:1
• Oil: 6 tbsp of mustard oil ( you may replace it with any other refined or vegetable oil too.)
• Salt: As per taste
• Vinegar: 2 tsp.
• Water: 400 ml.

 Process:

• Dry roast 1 tsp cumin, cardamoms,coriander seeds and the black peppercorn till brown and fragrant.Coarsely grind the spices.
• Marinate the chicken with vinegar, grated garlic, 2 tbsp of mustard oil and pepper powder and keep it inside the refrigerator for 30 mins to one hour.
• Slightly fry the diced potatoes with little oil,salt and turmeric powder and keep them aside.
• Heat oil in a kadhai and add the red chilli, bay leaves and 1 tsp cumin seeds.
• When the cumin begins to splutter at the chopped onion. Saute until the onions become translucent. 
•  Add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder,coriander powder and salt.
• Saute for one minute and add the tomatoes.
• Saute until the masala is well cooked and oil starts to release from the sides.
• Add the chicken and the potatoes and mix with all the spices very oil.Cook for more 5/6 minutes until the the chicken and the potato are covered by the spices.
• Broil the water and pour into the kadhai and then cover it with a lid and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Remove the lid and add the roasted spices.
• Cook till the gravy is reduced to almost half and the potatoes and the chicken are cooked very oil.
• Broil the fry fenugreek on a hot griddle and crush them over the curry.
• Sprinkle the garam masala powder over it.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with onion and green chilli salad along with naan , roti, chapati ar paratha.

                                      Enjoy Your Food....!

Vegetable Navratna Korma ( Nine Gem Curry)...!

Navratan Korma / Navratna Korma is a vegetarian dish made with vegetables , paneer ( Indian Cottage Cheese) and nuts. Navratan means nine gems and it is common for the recipe to include nine different vegetables. Basically the dish has its roots in the Mughlai Cuisine of Modern day India & Pakistan. Classically a korma is defined as a dish where meat or vegetables are properly braised and then cooked with water , stock and yoghurt / cream. In Kerala lots of coconut milk is usually added to the curry. But in true Mughlai cuisine fashion, cream or cashew nut paste is added to form the gravy.

Here the basic recipe of vegetable Navratan Korma.

Ingredients:

• Vegetables: 2 Cups (Approximately) I used diced carrots, french beans, potatoes, cauliflower, and peas. You may add any other vegetables of your choice too.
• Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese): A few cubes.
• Cashew nuts: 10-15 ( Soak them in warm milk for 10-15 mins and then ground to a smooth paste).
• Raisin:8-10 (Optional, I didn't use).
• Onion: 2 medium ( smooth paste)
• Ginger: 1" ( fine paste)
• Garlic: 4/5 Cloves ( paste or crushed)
• Tomato: 2 medium (boil the tomatoes in water for 5-10 minutes and blanched them and then make a smooth paste) . You may use ready made tomato puree too.
•  Ghee ( Clarified Butter): 2 tbsp.
• White oil: 1 tsp.
• Low Fat  Fresh Cream: 1 Cup
• Water: 1 1/2 cup
•  Salt: To taste
• Sugar: 1/2 tsp
• Black Peppercorn: 4
• While Garam Masala: 1 Cinnamon Stick, 2-3 Cloves and 4/5 Cardamoms.
• Red Chilli Powder : 1 tsp.
• Turmeric Powder :1 tsp.
• Coriander Powder :1 tsp.

 Process:

• Heat 1 tsp of white oil in the wok and fry the paneer pieces slightly until little brown with a pinch of salt.
• Take them out of the wok and keep separately.
• Now heat little more oil in the same wok and fry slightly the chopped vegetables with salt and turmeric powder. Keep the vegetables separately.
• Now heat ghee/clarified butter in the wok and add the whole garam masala along with the black peppercorn until the aroma comes out.
• Then add the onion paste and fry until translucent. 
• Add the ginger garlic paste and mix well.
• Add all the spice powder (turmeric, chilli,  coriander ) and mix thoroughly.
• Add the pureed tomato and stir to mix it with all the spices.
• Now pour the yoghurt into the wok but don't forget to best it with a tsp. of water before adding into the wok.
• Add the cashew nut paste and give a good stir . Cook on low heat for 5-8 minutes.
• Add the fried vegetables.
• Mix them with all the the spices and cook until oil separates from sides.
• And salt and sugar and one and a half cup of water into kadhai.
• Cover and cook until the vegetables are cooked yet firm.
• Uncover and add the fried paneer pieces.
• Stir and cook for half a minute only.
• Bring it to boil and finish with fresh cream
• Serve hot garnished with chopped  dry fruits of your choice.

                        Enjoy Your Food...!