Chicken and Corn Soup 

I am extremely thrilled by the fact that the winter season is just round the corner! Which means that we get to have hot beverages and soups while all bundled up in blankets. So I thought I would share with you one of my soup recipes. Chicken and corn soup is a very basic and easy soup to make. It is delicious and healthy. You can serve it as an appetizer or along with the main course, or you can also enjoy it while in your bed like I did. I will also share some other soup recipes with all you out there soon. Till then try this chicken and corn soup and tell me in the comments how it turned out for you! 

What you need

Chicken without skin and boiled ( 1 whole leg & breast piece each) 

Canned sweet corn 1 can

Chicken stock 4 cups

Egg 1 whole

Corn flour 5 tbsp

Chinese salt 1 tsp 

Black pepper 1 tsp 

Salt as per taste

Method

1. To make the chicken stock put your chicken pieces in hot water. Add salt and bring to boil. Then cover it and let it simmer on medium heat for 30 - 45 mins. You can also add some extra bony parts of chicken to make good quality stock. 
2. When the chicken is tender enough, take it out of the stock and shred it using your hands once it has cooled. 
3. Now reheat the stock and add in as much water as you want, depending on how much soup you want to make. Bring to boil.
4. In a food processor, blitz the sweet corn it it's own water. Don't make a complete paste, you should be able to see whole corn. Make a grainy paste. 
5. In the boiling stock add the shredded chicken and the sweet corn mixture. Cook it for 10 - 15 min. 
6. Mix corn flour in 5 tbsp of cold water. Pour it into the soup gradually while stirring. You would see the stock starting to thicken up. If you feel like the soup is just the right consistency, don't add any more of the cornflour mixture. If it is not thick enough make some more cornflour mixture and add it to the soup till you get the desired thickness.
7. Add chinese salt and black pepper. Add some salt if needed.
8. Beat one whole egg and pour it gradually into the soup while stirring really well. Leave it on low flame for 5 min.
9. Serve immediately with soy sauce, hot sauce and vinegar. 

Chicken Chilli 

When it come to Chinese cuisine, I am a huge Chinese food lover. Getting the flavors correct in making a Chinese dish is very crucial, or else you would end up with an entirely different dish - which might not taste so good. Now no one would want that, right? South East Asian cuisine is really different from Chinese cuisine. The sauces that are used are not really popular in our cuisine. What i am saying is we are not used to the traditional, pure Chinese cuisine. A lot of people make their own versions of Chinese food, which has a desi touch in it. When I first wanted to make Chicken Chilli, I read through various versions of this dish. I tried out many, but the recipe I am going to share with you is by far my favorite one. It is my own version which I made up after trying out a couple of other methods. This dish is of Pakistani Chinese Cuisine which is an adaptation of Chinese cuisine as per Pakistani tastes.
It might take a little bit of effort in preparing it, but trust me it is totally worth it once it is done. The crunchy chicken pieces are my absolute favorite in the whole dish. Do share with me in the comments what is your favorite element of the dish, when you prepare it at home!

What you need for Chicken Chilli :

For Marination 

Chicken (thighs/breasts)  300 grams
Vinegar 1/2 tsp
Sugar 1/2 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste 1 tbsp
Black pepper 1/2 tsp
Cold Water 1/2 cup
Salt 1/2 tsp

For Batter

Corn Flour 1/4 cup
All purpose flour 1/2 cup
Baking Power 1/8th tsp
Oil 2tbsp

For Sauce

Spring onion 1 large
Capsicum 2 large
Onion 2 medium size
Ginger chopped 1 tsp
Garlic chopped 1 tsp
Chilli garlic paste 2tsp
Soya sauce 3 tbsp
Salt 1/3 tsp
Sugar 1/2 tsp
Black pepper 1 tsp
Cornflour 1 tsp
Water 1/4th cup

Method for Chilli Chicken

1. Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Marinate chicken in salt, vinegar, sugar and 1/2 cup cold water and leave it in fridge for  for 1 to 2 hours. This step helps the chicken to be moist and juicy and not get dry when it's cooked.
2. Meanwhile cut the capsicum in pointed triangles and onion in bulb like shape. Also chop ginger garlic and spring onions. Cut the green and white part of spring onions separately.
3. After 2 hours add 2 tbsp oil and black pepper to the chicken. Leave it for another 15 min. 
4. Then add the corn flour, all purpose flour, baking flour and oil to the chicken. Leave it for another 15min. This will create a batter for the chicken.
5. Deep fry the chicken pieces coated in marinade until golden brown on medium heat.
6. Next create the thickener for your sauce. For that mix 1 tsp of cornflour and mix it in 1/4th cup of water. Leave it aside until needed.
7. In a wok heat up 2 tbsp of oil on high heat. Add the white part of green onion that you had cut earlier. Also add in chopped ginger and garlic. Stir for 2 - 3 mins. Then add the onion and capsicum. Toss it and leave for a couple of mins. 
8. Add the thickener to the vegetables. Also add soy sauce, salt, sugar to balance the flavor and lots of black pepper. Stir it and reduce it till half.
9. Now turn the flame off and leave your sauce for 5 min for the steam to pass. (This is important or else if you add the chicken when the sauce is very hot, the chicken will become soggy and will not be crispy) Finally add the chicken which we had fried earlier and toss it well. 
10. Garnish it with the green part of the spring onion. Serve with fried rice.

FRIED RICE:

What you need:

1. Rice 1 cup
2. Chicken fillet (cut in small cubes)
3. Carrot 1 large
4. Capsicum 2 medium
5. Cabbage small 
6. Soy Sauce 1 tbsp
7. Vinegar 1 tbsp
8. Hot sauce 1 tbsp
9. Red chilli flakes 1 tsp
10. Black pepper 1/2 tsp
11. Chinese salt 1/4th tsp (optional)

METHOD

1. Boil the rice till it is almost cooked through, in salted water. Drain it.
2. While the rice is boiling, thinly slice the carrot, capsicum and the cabbage.
3. Take a wok and saute the chicken in 5 -6  tbsp of oil. Add chilli flakes and salt as per taste.
4. As the chicken is cut in small cubes it will be cooked rather quickly. At this stage add in the vegetables and saute them. 
5. After a couple of minutes add all the sauces, black pepper and Chinese salt. Toss everything together on high heat.
6. After you see that the vegetables are half done add the boiled rice. Mix everything together.
7. Cover it and leave it on very low flame for 5 to 10 minutes. 
8. Serve with the chilli chicken!  

ENJOY!

NOTE:

1. If you want a healthier version of this dish, you can shallow fry the chicken instead of dry frying it in making the chili chicken. But by doing so the chicken will not be crispy let it is when deep fried.
2. You can also serve the chilli chicken with vegetable fried rice. Just don't add the chicken and start with sauteing the vegetables. You can also add vegetable cube or chicken cube if you want to enhance the flavor. If you do use cubes, add less salt in the vegetables as the cubes already contain salt.
   
   
   PHOTO CREDIT - RJ PIXELS

Baked Chicken with Vegetables

There are days for me when I feel like making something for dinner that is both scrumptious and of course easy to make. That is when my recipe for baked chicken is a life saver for me.
Now, when it comes to baking.. I get pretty lazy. I just don't want to spend hours preparing a baked meal. I mean it is okay doing it sometimes, but not always. So, I have some of my own versions of baking recipes. Using them which I make perfect meals without putting in much effort - and this dish is one of those recipes.
This is a recipe that you can enjoy with your family and friends. Be it a lazy Sunday or a weekday, I make this dish very often. And let me tell you, if you are new at cooking and want to impress people, then you can definitely make this dish and gain a lot of praise.

INGREDIENTS: 

6 pieces             Chicken (thighs, drumsticks & breast)
6 large                Potatoes
6 large                Onions
2 -3                    Carrots
1 whole              Garlic
2 large                Lemons
4 - 5                   Green chilies
1 - 2 tbsp            Dried or fresh rosemary
1 - 2 tbsp            Dried or fresh thyme
1 tbs                   Crushed pepper
1 tsp                   Black pepper
3 - 4 tbsp            Olive oil

METHOD:

1. Wash chicken and pat it dry. In a small bowl mix all the herbs, spices and salt. Squeeze the lemon juice and 2 to 3 table spoon of olive oil in it. Mix the marinade well.
2. Using a brush, coat the chicken individually with the herb and spice mixture. If you have time marinate it for 2 hours. It will help the chicken to be more moist once it is baked. But if you don't have time, just move on to the next step. (The chicken would still be pretty tender)
3. In a baking dish, put your potatoes, carrots and onions. Cut the potatoes and carrots in wedges, so that they cook faster. Add in whole peeled garlic cloves and whole green chilies.
4. Season the vegetables will salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme as per your taste. Drizzle olive oil generously. Now add in the chicken along with the vegetables and bake it for minimum 60 minutes on 180 C temperature. (Note that every oven takes different timing. Bake the chicken till it is cooked through)
5. Serve the dish with plain rice boiled in chicken stock. Bon appetit!

Grilled Green Chicken with Veggies 

When you come home after a long hard day, no one has the energy to cook something that would take hours in the kitchen to prepare. If you are looking for a recipe that would be delicious, healthy and above all less time consuming, then you my friend have come to the right place. Who doesn't want a mouth watering, succulent piece of chicken for their dinner?! All you need is to get hold of some ingredients from your kitchen, and you'll have a complete meal in no time. Just follow the easy steps and you would end up with grilled chicken and some side vegetables that you can prepare for yourself and your entire family. 

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks)     4 pieces    
Coriander                                                           Half a bunch
Mint leaves                                                         Half a bunch
Green chilies                                                      6 to 7
Yogurt                                                                  Half a cup
Potatoes                                                              2 large
Carrots                                                                1 large
Capsicum                                                            2 medium sized
Red chili powder                                                1 teaspoon       
Olive oil / vegetable oil                                      6 to 7 tablespoons
Black pepper                                                       As per taste
Salt                                                                        As per taste

(This recipe can serve two persons)

METHOD:

1. Clean, wash and grind your coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chilies. Take a separate bowl and beat half a cup of yogurt until smooth. Add salt, red chili powder and two table spoons of olive oil into the yogurt and mix well. Now add the green mixture into the yogurt and mix well.
2. Using a brush, rub all the yogurt mixture on the chicken pieces individually. Be careful, don't use bare hands in marinating the chicken as the green chilies can burn your hands.
3. For even better results leave the chicken pieces to marinate in the mixture by putting them in a zip lock bag or a by covering it with cling wrap.
4. If you do not have enough time to marinate, you can cook the chicken right away. Take a non stick griddle pan (or any ordinary pan) and heat it up. Place all the chicken pieces on the grill pan on medium heat. 
5. Turn the pieces after 4 - 5 minutes. Once both the sides get a light brown color lower the heat and cover the griddle pan with aluminium foil or a lid so that the heat cannot escape. 
6. After 15 minutes  turn the chicken pieces and cover it again with a lid or foil. Once the chicken is cooked remove it from the pan.
7. In the same grill pan, add in the sliced capsicum and carrots and saute them with a table spoon of oil. Don't add a lot of additional oil as there will already be a lot of chicken flavors in the pan. Season the veggies with salt and black pepper. Don't overcook the vegetables and remove them from heat.
8. Slice the potatoes in circular shapes and put them in boiling salted water until they are half done. Drain them. Now in the same griddle pan add a couple of table spoons of oil and saute the potato slices. Keep them on heat until they get the grill texture on each side. Remember not to add in all the potato slices together, or else they won't get the golden brown color and will tend to break. 
9. Serve the mouth watering grilled chicken pieces and vegetables with plain white rice or naan and raita.