In this issue, Shampa Saha culls out some recipes tailored for Gardenians who may find it difficult to cook elaborate meals. These are easy to cook chicken dishes, the perfect dishes to be served on even the busiest of days. To save time, try out theserecipes in just 15 minutes. Relish them during the exam periods. Who says cooking requires time? Spare yourself the hassles of making orders for food every time you are short of time.
BUTTER CHICKEN:Ingredients
Chicken – 300 grams, clean and cut
into small pieces
Cinnamon – 2 pieces
Salt – Add to taste
Cashew and almond paste – a handful,
ground smoothly
Ginger and garlic paste – 2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tspn
Chilly powder – 2 tspns
Coriander powder – 1 tspn
Onion – one, finely chopped
Butter – 3 tspns
Oil – 2 tspns
Tomato puree – 2 tomatoes blended
smoothly
Directions
Fry onions in 2 tspns oil until it turns light brown. Add cinnamon and let it fry. Then add ginger-garlic paste along with a little water. Stir continuously. While stirring, add turmeric, chilly, coriander powder with salt and mix well. Pour in tomato puree, cashew and almond paste. Mix well with water. When it starts to boil add the chicken. Then add sufficient water for the chicken to boil. The gravy should be thick or make it according to your taste. Before switching off the gas, add butter. Your butter chicken is ready and tastes yummy. Whenever possible, have parathas as accompaniments.
PS: The total time does not include the time spent boiling chicken.
MASALA CHICKEN: Ingredients
Chicken – 800 grams medium pieces
Coriander leaves – 1cup finely chopped
Black pepper – 1 tspn
Turmeric powder – 1\2 table spoon
Green Chilies – 4
(Green chilies can be increased
or toned down according to
individual taste)
Ginger-garlic paste – 2 table spoons
Onion – 2 medium sized finely chopped
Butter (or ghee) – 2 table spoons
Salt – Add to taste
Finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
Directions
Grind together all the ingredients i.e. coriander leave black pepper, turmeric powder, green chilies, ginger garlic paste (this need not to be pasted off course but be mixed with other ingredients) and onion with salt to make thick paste. Then make cuts on the chicken pieces and rub this paste into the chicken pieces. Keep it aside and by the time the chicken gets soaked in the paste, heat the butter or ghee in a deep frying pan. Drop in the chicken pieces and sauté on medium flame for about 12 minutes. Now, cover the pan and cook on low flame for another 3 minutes or until the chicken pieces are tender and soft and all the liquid has
evaporated. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. This can be well served with ghee rice or plain rice.
PS: The taste will be even better if you keep chicken pieces rubbed with the paste for a long
time, at least 30 minutes. The time is not included in the preparation.
his cosy restaurant made its humble appearance on May 9th, 1965. Mr. Haroon, the Towner and the founder of ‘The Only Place’ explained to us over lunch that the main intention of starting the eatery was for the American Peace Corps volunteers who were weary of the spice-laden Indian food which they found a bit difficult to digest. ‘The Only Place’ came to their rescue by whipping up scrumptious meals that the westerners love even today, mostly because of its ‘home-made’ taste and freshness. The restaurant is equally famous among Indians and Mr. Haroon fondly remembers the youth of the early days who even bunked classes to pay a visit to this food joint! This popularity continues even today. The restaurant gets filled up by meal time and if you aren’t early enough to grab a table, the wait can be rather long.
The Only Place is one of our favourite picks because of the laidback, fresh ambiance it offers
just as you enter. One instantly forgets that it is situated in the heart of the busy city. Surrounded by the shade of trees and wooden benches, the place gives out the charm and
cosy feeling of being in one’s own home. The hustle and bustle is rarely apparent since most diners come there to relax and truly enjoy the meal. The clientele is mainly those from the western world but many locals also have made a habit to frequent the place.
“The Only Place is one of our favourite picks because of the laidback, fresh ambiance it offers just as you enter. One instantly forgets that it is situated in the heart of the busy city.
The food at ‘The Only Place’ deserves to be bragged about. Not only is the food delicious, but it is also made using the freshest products available, which includes the simple yet scrumptious hamburger. Mr. Haroon has travelled the world in search of authentic recipes and has adopted them at his restaurant with the hope of serving the best to his customers. The ‘Philly Cheese Steak’ in particular is a delicacy from Philadelphia in the USA and is a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. The Paprika Chicken, The Fiery Chicken, The Moussaka, The
Barbeque Chicken, and the array of Pasta dishes all have something special in them that never disappoint the customer. Basically, there is no one particular dish that we can recommend because despite several visits to this restaurant and having tried out many dishes, we still find everything irresistible. One this is for sure, you will never be disappointed with ‘The Only Place’ if you are a lover of western food. The restaurant however hasn’t forgotten the Indian food lovers. For those who crave an Indian meal, it offers delicious spread of the same.
It truly feels as though ‘The Only Place’ is a concoction of all good things rolled into one. The mouth watering food, generous portions, the ambiance of being at home, the very affordable prices and the friendly waiters who are very ready to help you choose the best dish that suits your mood and taste. We recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants to just unwind, get away from the hassles of everyday life and just sit back and have a good, hearty meal.
Maneshka Silva & Ashley Alleluya
BA (Journalism, Psychology &
English)
|
