IntroductionHunting for spicesAsiya’s Top Tips for Achieving a Great Chicken Curry TasteRECIPES Chicken Tikka MalaiChicken Masala CurryChicken with SpinachChicken KormaChicken KarachiChicken Hara Masala CurryChicken Green PeasChicken Mix Vegetable CurryChicken AchariChicken HaleemChicken Degchi KebabChicken Kofta CurryChicken Minced MeatChicken Minced Meat with CapsicumChicken Dum MasalaChicken Coconut CurryChicken PaneerChicken Minced With Bitter GourdChicken Boneless CurryChicken Makhani CurryChicken DesiSpecial RecipesAsiya’s Fragrant Brown Rice ChickenRaita (Flavored Yogurt)Roti (Indian bread)Indian Sandwich BreadFried ChickenClever Tips for Quick Chicken Curry Cooking:More tipsAbout The Author

IntroductionEvery country has its own special dishes, with their uniqueflavors and delicious serving ideas and particular dishes forspecial occasions and festivals. All the dishes composed by mycountry folk bring out the very best from the raw ingredientsfound in our region. They bring a unique quality to our dishes,making them special. Behind every dish in this book, we canconsider the massive teamwork that has been shared overhundreds of years.

Today, with globalization, most of the raw food products areavailable almost everywhere in the world. Curiosity gets thebetter of us and we want to explore and discover all thedifferent tastes. It is an exciting adventure open to all.

I am going to share the finest dishes from my land in thisbook, along with fun serving ideas. If you have a true passionfor tasting the great and the new, then this book is for you.

Pakistan is a wonderland, well known for its spices and itscolorful and tasty curries. Pakistani food is healthy, keeps youactive and above all, it is less fattening. We believe that it isdue to some of the spices used in our cooking which help tokeep the food light and digestible.

Some people tend to spoil the quality of the dish by addingtoo much oil or not balancing the spice quantities. I assureyou, it is not rocket science. You just need to keep theamount of the oil as low as possible. I promise you that yourdishes will not resemble boiled vegetables and meat. As for thespices, you just need to know the intensity of flavor andaroma of each spice. It is actually very similar to preparing acake.

When you begin your curry adventure, follow my simple recipeinstructions to the letter. Once your curious taste buds cannotice the changing flavors as quantities of the spices change inthe different recipes, you will eventually be able to play with theingredients without following my recipe instructions.

If your taste buds are always hunting for something new and

tasty, then these Indo – Pak recipes are perfect for you. I amgoing to share only the best and favorite centuries-old localdishes with you. My lovely mom will be sharing her knowledgeand expertise in these dishes. She will be preparing the dishesand just before eating them, I am going to capture thedelightful, mouthwatering and exciting dishes with my cameraso that I can share the visual delight with you too.

Our journey begins with shopping for the raw ingredients. Theshopping list consists mainly of chicken, vegetables and avariety of colorful spices. I do not do a lot of planning; I letmy nose and eyes lead me to find the very best in eachrecipe.

The best thing I like about Lahore is its climate. It is not easilyexplained, but living here has a special spark to it. Everyonewho visits Lahore feels the same sense of living in a big city,yet still close to nature.

How lonely you can sometimes feel, when you are in a remotearea and you miss the buzz of the big city. On the otherhand, when you are living in a crowded and packed city youcan feel as if you have drawn your soul away from the lure ofnature. Lahore gives you the flavor of both worlds and justlike our cuisine, our land never ceases to pleasantly surprise.Are you ready to delve into this gastronomic wonderland? It istime for your spicy adventure.

Hunting for spices

I am back from shopping with my spicy treasures. I cannotsmell the spices yet because they are all tightly packed. It isgood to buy spices in tightly packed cellophane packets becausethey maintain the aroma and flavor of spices. I did not buyyoghurt or butter, although we use it in our cooking. That isbecause we make our own.

I have gathered some fine spices. I bought some ground spicesbecause it is difficult to grind them yourself. Turmeric, forexample, is so hard that only industrial grinding machines areefficient for grinding. The domestic electric grinders are notgood enough for such tough grinding.

Having said that, some people do grind them at home. Mymom ground her own spices with a stone grinder, in the past.It is quite hard work, but I have to admit that freshly groundturmeric smells and tastes so good in the food.

Fresh is best. Most of the curry dishes only require up to halfa teaspoon of turmeric powder, so if you have packet spicesyou will have a lot left over. However, there are some brandsthat maintain their good quality, without artificial additives. Ifyou prefer easy cooking to ground freshness, why not usethem?

There are some spices that I recommend buying in theiroriginal state. They are easy to grind and if you keep them ina pan for a few seconds before you grind them, grinding iseven easier. Spices such as black cardamom, cinnamon, staranise, coriander seeds, carom seeds, mace, and the well-knownblack pepper, all smell so great and zesty in the food whenthey have been freshly ground.

We have the custom of adding leaves to our dishes. I do notmean garnishing; we use leaves for cooking curry and rice.The most well-known, are bay leaves and curry leaves. Forheavier dishes with meat, vegetables, oil and rice, we usuallyinclude mint leaves every time. It lightens the dish and makesit very much more digestible. For garnishing, we often use

freshly chopped coriander leaves. Most people here are notfamiliar with parsley at all because we do not use it.

When choosing a chicken, we prefer using fresh rather thanfrozen. We buy chicken from our local butcher, not far fromour home. Who can refuse fresh chicken, and buy frozeninstead? That, especially when you can buy a chicken that hasbeen cleaned and chopped in the way you wish.Before showing you how to prepare Pakistan's finest chickencurry dishes, I am going to share some important tips withyou, especially important for novice curry cookers. Take thetime to read them. They are there to help you successfullyprepare your curry dishes.

Asiya’s Top Tips for Achieving a Great Chicken Curry TasteCooking curry is an art. There are some very delicate pointsthat you have to take care of, to obtain a flavorful chickencurry taste. Beginners usually make some very commonmistakes. I know this from my own experience.The first time I made curry was after watching a cookingprogram. I was so enthusiastic and decided that I wouldprepare it straightaway with no help. I asked my mom to leaveme to cook on my own.We had watched the show together and mom knew that thechef had not explained some important points. She tried to tellme that the way he had cooked the dish would leave a badgarlic smell, and the chicken would not be thoroughly cooked.However, I took no notice and the kitchen was mine that day.After following the recipe instructions, step-by-step, throwing inthe ingredients and happily mixing them together, my resultingcurry was nothing like the delicious looking outcome the chefhad had! My mom has been cooking since she was a smallchild and knows exactly what works and what does not, andas hard as it is for me to admit it, I should have listened toher.Now, many years after that first experience, through trial anderror, I have finally perfected my craft. In this book, I amgoing to share the specific things you should pay specialattention to, including my mom's special tips that you justcannot go wrong with.I want to eliminate all the guesswork and mystery from thesePakistani curry dishes for you, so that you will be successfullypreparing them for many years to come. I have preparedsome important points for you to bear in mind. I highlyrecommend that you read them before you attempt any of thechicken curry dishes in this book.1. Whichever curry dish you try, it is always a good idea tofry the chicken first; three tablespoons of oil is enough for awhole chicken. Lightly fry the chicken until the skin is cooked.Set the fried chicken aside while you follow whichever recipeyou are preparing. This is to avoid having a dominant smell ofchicken in your curry.2. Some people do not like tomato skin in the curry. For atasty smooth curry, boil the tomatoes and remove the skin.Alternatively, you can use a mixer to make a smooth curry

paste.3. To avoid the irritating strong smell of garlic, whenever youadd garlic, also add roughly three tablespoons of water andcover the pan instantly, for a few seconds. This way you get anice blended flavor of garlic in the curry.

4. If you add yogurt, potatoes, and onions together in a singlecurry dish, bear in mind that these things naturally make thetaste mild. In that case, you can increase the quantities of thebasic curry spices just a little, such as salt, red chili pepper,and black pepper. With practice you will learn how much ofeach spice to add. By experimenting with different quantities ofspices, you will eventually obtain a perfect taste that suits yourtaste buds.

5. Perhaps, at the end of cooking, the curry sauce is toothick, or a guest unexpectedly appears just as you are aboutto serve up, or if a curry was not completely finished in onemeal, and you plan to use it for the next meal but it is notenough, you will have to not surprisingly, add water. There area few things you have to be careful about:

a. Add as little water as possible to maintain the good tasteand rich flavors.

b. If you want to add more water, first boil the water in aseparate pan. Boil the water twice before adding it to thecurry.

c. If you do not have time to boil the water separately, first,add as little water as you can, say ¼ cup of water. Then mixit well into the curry, and as bubbles appear, add a little morewater. Gradually add the rest. Allow the curry to boil up to thetop of the pan. I prefer the curry to boil at least twice but Itry my best to achieve at least six boils. During this processconstantly stir the mixture and make sure the water is mixedwell into the curry. It should eventually look like no water wasadded, and the consistency of the curry should be the same aswhen it was originally cooked. Alternatively, you can do it theway my mom and many of my aunts do: they add water,bring it to the boil and then lower the heat to minimum. Thenthey leave it for five minutes, or until the mixture looks smooth

with oil on top.

Many beginners think that food display is everything, and youoften hear on cookery shows that display is very important.Display does have its place, but you should taste your currybefore you transfer it to the serving dish. Some people thinkthat you can dip your finger in the hot curry to taste and testit, but I say you should avoid such an unhygienic practice, asthere might be some dust from the salt or other spices onyour hand, and you may misjudge the taste of your curry.I have also seen people put a little drop of curry on the lidand taste it. I used to do this too, but with time, I have learntthat with such a small quantity, the taste buds sometimes donot give you the correct information. You need a fair quantityto taste it properly. When my mom cooks for parties, shetakes out three to four tablespoons of curry for tasting. Shealso prefers someone else to taste it as well, and I am alwaysthe first to volunteer!Also, remember that you have to check if the meat isthoroughly cooked. You can taste it. Alternatively, try pressing itwith the tip of a spoon; cooked meat has less or no elasticity,whereas uncooked meat will immediately take back its shape.The recipes may tell you to cook the meat for fifteen minutesat the end and serve. To achieve the best results, closely followthe instructions.Finally and most importantly, “served hot” means piping hot.After you have taken an extremely hot dish to the dining table,by the time people start eating, it will very slowly cool down. Ifit was not piping hot to start with, people may find it cold,when they take their second helping. In most of the currydishes, you will find that the final explanation for cooking curryis that the oil separates from the mixture.When I see oil that has started to separate, I turn off theheat. When I am about to serve, I cook the curry at a highflame and stir it to avoid burning. Then as the oil separates, Icook it a little more and serve it very hot. In this way, I heatit longer than usual and the curry stays hot until the end ofthe meal.

RECIPESChicken Tikka Malai

Chicken is the favorite meat of the people here, and thisspecial dish, Chicken Tikka Malai is a real treat. It is a uniquecurry with barbeque chicken. It is a richly flavored curry. Thisis the kind of dish that can bring a spark of happiness toyour family home from work or school. This dish requiresabout a day in advance for preparations.Recipe outline:1. Marinate chicken2. Grill it3. Make curry paste and season it4. Add grilled chicken to the curryHeat level: MildTaste level: DeliciousType: Thick smooth creamy curryIngredients for Chicken Tikka Malai:1 pound chicken (breast piece, chopped)½ cup cream1 cup yogurt

3 tablespoons oil1 tablespoon garlic paste1 tablespoon ginger paste3 tablespoons tomato paste2 red chili peppers (grounded)1 tablespoon black pepper (grounded)2 inch piece cinnamon1 Black cardamom4 Cloves (grounded)1 tablespoon cumin seeds (grounded)1 teaspoon salt (or according to taste)½ teaspoon turmeric powder (grounded)2 tablespoons coriander seeds (grounded)1 piece mace (grounded)1 star anise1 bay leafCoriander leaves and fresh green chilies for garnishingDirections Chicken Tikka Malai: Put half of the quantitymentioned above of cinnamon, cumin, coriander, salt, blackpepper, red chilies, mace, and cloves, and mix in yogurt. Addchicken to the mixture. Place it in a cool place and marinatefor two hours.Apply oil on barbecue sticks. Thread the meat pieces onto thesticks. Place the sticks in a pre-heated oven at 350 Fahrenheitfor a while and then grill until the meat is cooked.(Alternatively, barbecue it).

Preparation of gravy: Put oil in a hot pan and add bay leaves,star anise, and cardamom seeds. Add ginger and garlic pasteand cook for five minutes. Then add tomato paste and seasonit with remaining half of salt, red chili powder, black pepper,and mace, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, and coriander powder. Thistime also add turmeric powder. Cook it for a minute then addthe barbecued chicken to the gravy. Pour in the cream andmix. Cover the pan and cook at low heat for twenty minutesor until the gravy is smooth and the meat is cooked.Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and fresh green chili.This recipe serves two people.Exciting serving ideas:Serve this delicious Chicken Tikka Curry with boiled rice.Serve it with bread.Serve lemon wedges with it

Chicken Masala Curry

Chicken and ginger in curry make an ideal combination. Thezesty taste of this curry can change your mood and reviveyou. You do not need to serve salads, or lemon or any suchthing with Chicken Masala Curry. I prefer to keep it plain toget the pure flavor of the chicken curry. The chicken meat hasthe flavor of the spices in it, which is enough to revive one’smood. Above all, the cooking process is simple and easy. Youhave an excellent meal to eat without much hard work.Recipe outline:1. Fry chicken in flavored oil2. Make curry paste3. Mix both and cookHeat level: Low to mediumTaste level: Only vegetarians can dislike this dish. It is verytasty.Type: Thick smooth gravy except for ginger sticks.Ingredients for Chicken Masala Curry:1 pound chicken3 tablespoons oil4 tomatoes (medium size, chopped)

8 ounces onions (chopped)6 garlic cloves (chopped)1 inch piece Ginger (chopped)1 fresh green chili (optional)Fresh coriander leaves1 teaspoon black pepper¼ teaspoon or more red chili powder½ teaspoon turmeric powder1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon ( grind 1 inch piece)1 brown cardamom2 green cardamoms2 bay leaves4 cloves2 glasses of waterDirections for Chicken Masala Curry : Heat oil in a pan andadd bay leaves, cloves, brown cardamom, and greencardamoms. Add the chicken and fry it in this flavored oil.(Caution: As you add the chicken, cover the pan with the lidfor a few seconds to avoid splashes of hot oil). Stir whennecessary. Fry for five minutes at medium heat. Remove thechicken and spices from the oil with a strainer spoon andplace everything on a plate. (I prefer to put it in a refrigeratorwhile preparing the gravy) .Preparation of gravy: Put the chopped onions in the same oiland fry, until the edges turn golden. Add the chopped garlicand ginger. (Note: Save some chopped ginger pieces forgarnishing). Fry it for a few seconds at medium heat and addchopped tomatoes. Stir and add a glass of water. Cover thepan and cook. As the tomatoes become soft, remove it fromheat. Allow it to cool, and then blend everything well in amixer. Transfer the paste back into the pan. Cook until thepaste becomes thick. Season it with salt, red chili powder,turmeric powder, black pepper, cumin powder, and corianderpowder. Cook it at high heat for five seconds and keep onstirring. Add the chicken and a glass of water. Cover the panand cook it at low heat for twenty minutes.When the chicken is cooked and the gravy is thick, transferthe curry to the serving dish. Garnish with coriander leavesand chopped ginger. Sprinkle with chili seeds and choppedgreen chilies if desired. The given quantity serves two people.

Exciting serving ideas:Enjoy the tasty Chicken Masala Curry with Indian bread orbrown rice.Serve it as a main dish for a memorable meal.Serve it with pita bread (Arabic bread)Serve garlic sauce or ketchup with it.

Chicken with Spinach

This is a tasty and healthy dish. It is very common here andin many regions, it is considered as a must on a party menu.I consider it as a healthy dish when I see it on the diningtable, but I always eat a lot more than I expected! Everyone,including myself, praises this dish.Recipe outline:1. Boil spinach and grind it.2. Fry chicken3. Make curry paste4. Mix chicken curry paste and water5. When meat is cooked add chicken and cook againHeat level: MildTaste level: Very tasty and healthy. From my observation, 8out of 10 people like it very much.Type: Thick green curryIngredients for Chicken with Spinach:1 pound chicken1 pound spinach2 tablespoons oil½ pound onion½ pound tomatoes2 garlic cloves½ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon black pepper¼ teaspoon red chili powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds1 teaspoon ground cumin seedsWater as neededDirections for Chicken with Spinach: Chop the spinach leavesand put them in a deep bowl. Add water and stir with yourhand. Leave it for a few seconds. All the dust in the spinachwill settle down on the base of the bowl. Transfer the spinachto another bowl with your hand and discard the remainingwater. Add clean water and repeat the process. This is a veryessential and easy way of cleaning spinach.Put the spinach and a glass of water in a pan and boil.Transfer the spinach, using a strainer spoon, to a foodprocessor. Blend it a little and place it aside for later.Heat the oil in a pan. Keep the heat from low to medium.Add the chicken and cover the pan instantly to avoid splashesof oil. After a few seconds, lift off the lid. (For safetyprecautions, I prefer to transfer the pan to an unlit stove). Usea large spoon and stir the chicken. You might find it sticky,but turn the chicken over and let it cook evenly. There is noneed to cover the pan again as the temperature of the chickenand the oil is the same now. Use a strainer spoon to save theoil in the pan and transfer the cooked chicken onto a plate.Keep it aside.Add chopped onions and chopped garlic into the same oil.Cook it and when the edges turn golden add choppedtomatoes. (Boil the tomatoes and remove the outer skin beforechopping, if you wish). Cover the pan for a few seconds. Thenremove the lid and stir frequently. As it turns into a paste,season it with salt, black pepper, red chili powder, turmericpowder, ground coriander seeds, and ground cumin seeds. Stirthe mixture well at medium heat. Then add the chicken and aglass of water. Cover the pan and cook it at low heat. Whenthe liquid has disappeared from the mixture, add the spinach.Cover the pan and cook it for ten more minutes or until theoil separates. The given quantity serves three people.Exciting serving ideas:Serve naan with it.Flavored yogurt goes well with this dish.Serve with tomato ketchup as well.

Chicken Korma

This simple curry tastes delicious with brown rice. It is a festivedish. In this dish, we cook the meat in yogurt. Chicken kormais rich with spices. We keep it simple but for special days, weadd almonds and other nuts.Recipe outline:1. Make curry paste2. Fry chicken3. Mix both4. Add yogurt mixed with spices5. Cover the pan and cook againHeat level: Medium to hotTaste level: Good. 8 out of 10 people like it.Type: Not too thin or thick, smooth curryIngredients Chicken Korma:1 pound chicken2 tablespoons oil1 cup yogurt½ pound onions (chopped)4 garlic cloves (chopped)1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon black pepper½ teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder1 teaspoon cumin seeds¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon1 cardamom3 green cardamoms1 mace1 star anise2 cloves10 peeled almonds (optional)1 bay leaf½ glass of waterDirections for Chicken Korma: Heat the oil in a pan. Add theonion and garlic to fry. When their edges become golden,transfer the onion and garlic to a food processor with the helpof a strainer spoon and blend. By using a strainer spoon, wekeep the oil in the pan. Fry the chicken in the same oil untilcooked on all sides. As the color of the chicken changes, addthe onion and garlic paste. Add a glass of water and cover thepan. Cook at low heat.Meanwhile, beat the yogurt and add the salt, black pepper, redchili powder, turmeric powder, cumin seeds, cinnamon,cardamom, green cardamom, mace, star anise, cloves, and bayleaf. Mix everything well and add the yogurt mixture to thechicken. Also, add almonds. Now cover the pan and cook at alow heat until the meat is tender and the oil separates. Thisserves three people.Exciting serving ideas:Serve this delicious korma with rice and bread.Ideally serve it with brown rice.Serve with Russian salad

Chicken Karachi

Everyone here likes chicken Karachi and it is my personalfavorite as well. Tomatoes and chicken together complementeach other very well in this dish. This curry not only looksdifferent from other curries, but it also tastes different. Its gravyis thick and chunky. You taste it once and you dream about itand wish to eat it again.Recipe outline:1. Fry chicken and add seasoning2. Add ginger, garlic, and tomatoes3. First cook at low flame with a covered pan4. Then at high flame, constantly stirringHeat level: Low to mediumTaste level: Too tasty. According to my observation, 10 out of10 people like it.Type: Thick and chunky curryIngredients Chicken Karahi:1 pound Chicken (without skin and washed)3 tablespoons oil6 tomatoes (medium size, chopped)1 tablespoon ginger paste1 tablespoon garlic paste (or use 3 or more chopped garliccloves)1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon red chili powder½ teaspoon turmeric powder1 teaspoon cumin seeds1 green chili pepper (chopped)1 cup water (optional)Small quantity of coriander leaves for garnishingDirections for Chicken Karahi: Put oil in a pan. Add thechicken and cook at medium heat. Fry it and add salt, blackpepper, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and ground cuminand coriander seeds. Cook for half a minute; then add theginger and garlic paste. Now cook for two minutes at mediumheat. Then add the tomatoes and green chili pepper. Addwater and cover the pan or just cover the pan and let themeat cook in its own water. Cook it at low heat for twentyminutes.When there is no water left, press the tomatoes with a largespoon and cook it on medium to high heat. Keep stirring andwhen the oil separates switch off the heat. Take the excess oilout with a spoon (optional). Garnish with coriander leaves andserve hot.Exciting serving ideas:Eat by itself, with fried toasts, Lebanese bread, or with Indianbread.Plain or flavored yogurt enhances the taste.

Chicken Hara Masala Curry

This is very much an adult’s choice of a curry dish, I wouldsay. The chicken is cooked in herbs that we normally only usefor garnishing. This dish has a very different and unique taste.Though I like the rich herbal scent of this dish, some peoplelove to eat it while some do not. It is worth trying. You couldserve it as a side dish when you prepare it for the first time.Recipe outline:Fry chickenMake curry pasteMix curry paste and chickenAdd seasoningGrind herbs with yogurtAdd tomatoes and cook everythingHeat level: MildTaste level: Quite goodType: Rich green curry.Ingredients Chicken Hara Masala Curry:1 pound chicken3 tablespoons oil3 onions (medium size)½ tablespoon garlic paste1 tablespoon ginger pasteHandful of mint leaves

Handful of coriander leaves1 green chili pepper1 chopped tomato½ teaspoon salt (or according to taste)½ teaspoon turmeric powder½ teaspoon cumin seeds1 teaspoon coriander seeds1 inch piece of cinnamon1 brown cardamom2 ground cloves½ teaspoon black pepper½ cup yogurtDirections Chicken Hara Masala Curry: Put oil in a pan andfry the chicken. Transfer the chicken to a plate with a strainerspoon and add chopped onions in the same oil. Fry until theedges turn light brown. Then add the ginger and garlic paste.Chop the chili pepper and add (if you prefer less spicy food,do not chop it). Cook for one minute. Then add the chickenand season it with salt, turmeric powder, cumin seeds,coriander seeds, cinnamon, brown cardamom, cloves, and blackpepper.Put mint leaves, coriander leaves, and yogurt in a foodprocessor. Grind well and add this mixture to the chicken. Addone chopped tomato and cook the mixture at low heat fortwenty minutes. Serve it hot.Exciting serving ideas:Serve this rich green curry as a side dishServe with green chilies, spring onions, and radish

Chicken Green Peas

This curry has a very mild taste. Mothers cook it for their kidsand it is the kids who enjoy it the most. It is also veryeconomical and saves time too, because a little quantity isenough for two meals. The reason for this is its thin curry.Recipe outline:1. Fry chicken2. Fry green peas3. Make curry paste (or add homemade curry cubes forinstant cooking)4. Add seasoning, cook5. Mix chicken, green peas, curry past, and water.6. Cook againHeat level: MildTaste level: Very refreshing dish with a scent of fresh greenpeas. From my observation, 9 out of 10 people enjoy eating it.Type: Quite thin curryIngredients for Chicken Green Peas:1 pound chicken8 ounces fresh green peas8 ounces onions (medium size, chopped)4 garlic cloves (medium size, chopped)4 medium size tomatoes (medium size, chopped)4 tablespoons oil1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper½ teaspoon red chili powder½ teaspoon turmeric powder½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds½ teaspoon ground cumin seeds1 cinnamon stick1 brown cardamom1 star anise2 cloves2 ½ glasses of waterSmall quantity of coriander leaves for garnishingDirections for Chicken Green Peas: Put oil in a deep pan andadd the chicken. Stir to cook it evenly on all sides. Then takeout the chicken leaving the oil behind. Use the same oil to frythe fresh green peas. Then take out the green peas with astrainer spoon and leave aside. Add the chopped onions to thesame oil. Add some more oil if necessary. When you find aslight change in the color and the edges turn golden, add thetomatoes and garlic. Cook it at medium heat and add a littlewater if necessary. Cook until it turns into a paste (or grind itin a food processor for fast cooking).Once it looks like a smooth paste, season it with salt, red chilipowder, and turmeric powder. Also, add cinnamon, browncardamom, cloves, and star anise. Cook it at medium heat forone minute and keep stirring. Then add the fried chicken andfried green peas. Cook it at medium heat for two minutes. Addtwo glasses of water. Cover the pan and cook it at mediumheat until little water is left (approximately half a glass of wateris left). Or cook at medium flame in a pressure cooker untilthe first whistle.Transfer the prepared chicken green peas curry in a servingdish. Season it with powdered black pepper, ground coriander,and cumin seeds. Sprinkle some finely chopped corianderleaves. Serve it hot.Exciting serving ideas:Naan, Indian bread, and pita bread, all go well with this dish.Enjoy this curry with boiled rice.

Chicken Mix Vegetable Curry

Everyone likes eating fresh vegetables, and when we flavorthem with chicken, the vegetable curry tastes even better. Youcan add more variety of vegetables, such as cauliflower andcapsicum.Recipe outline:1. Add chicken and vegetables in oil2. Cook and stir3. Add seasoning4. Cook at low flameHeat level: Medium to highTaste level: Good and healthy. This is a mouth-watering dishwith fresh juicy vegetables and whenever you eat it, you find itto be tasty and you eat more than you expected. According tomy observation, 7 out of 10 people say it is a very tasty curry,after they eat it, and they conclude it is a very healthy andrefreshing dish.Type: It has less and thick gravy with chunks of freshvegetables.Ingredients for Chicken Mix Vegetable Curry:1 pound chicken8 ounces potatoes (chopped)8 ounces carrots (chopped)

8 ounces green peas8 ounces onions (chopped)1 tablespoon garlic paste8 ounces tomatoes (chopped)4 tablespoons oil1 teaspoon salt (or according to taste)½ teaspoon turmeric powder½ teaspoon red chili powder½ teaspoon ground cumin seeds½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds1 teaspoon black pepper1 green chili pepperSome water if necessaryDirections for Chicken Mix Vegetable Curry: Put oil in a pan.Set the heat to medium and add the chicken, green peas,potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, garlic paste, and onions. Cook it forten minutes and continuously stir it with a spoon.Add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, ground cuminseeds, ground coriander powder, black pepper, and green chilipepper. Cook it for a minute. (Add some water if necessary).Cover the pan and cook on low heat until chicken andvegetables are tender.Exciting serving ideas:Serve it with lemon wedgesServe it as a tasty and healthy side dishEat it with a spoonServe with Indian bread

Chicken Achari

This is the kind of dish that one can dream about and wish toeat every day. However, I suggest you do not make it aneveryday dish because it is very rich in spices. Although it isvery tasty, an excess of anything is bad. Try it at home andtaste this unique, one of the best-flavored curries, and thensave this dish for special days only. If you do not cook curryvery often at home, then this is the dish you should choose.I remember when I first tasted it; I stopped after the first biteand kept it in my mouth to judge the amazing flavors. “It isreally fabulous! But what is it?” and I was told that it waschicken achari. The word “acha”r means pickle and in thisdish, the spices, normally used in pickle, are added which givesit a unique rich flavor. Some people add pickle itself to thechicken instead of spices, which I think is the wrong thing todo. You will never achieve the true flavor that way.Recipe outline:1. Fry chicken2. Add all the spices3. Stir and cook4. Add yogurt5. CookHeat level: Medium to high.Taste level: Very strong spice flavors but delicious and unique

taste. It is worth trying. In my opinion, 9 out of 10 people likeit and remember it as a great dish.Type: The gravy is thick with small chunks of spices.Ingredients for Chicken Achari:1 pound chicken4 tablespoons oil1 cup yogurt1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds1 teaspoon ground fenugreek seeds1 teaspoon onion seeds1 tablespoon ground coriander seeds1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds4 cloves1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon black pepper½ teaspoon turmeric powder1 teaspoon red chili powder½ teaspoon ground cinnamon1 black cardamom1 tablespoon green mango powder2 tablespoons lemon juiceDirections for Chicken Achari: Fry the chicken in the oil. Add,partially ground fennel seeds, partially ground fenugreek seeds,onion seeds, ground coriander seeds, ground cumin seeds,cloves, salt, black pepper, turmeric powder, red chili powder,ground cinnamon, black cardamom, and grounded greenmango powder. Cook it for one minute at medium heat andkeep on stirring.Beat the yogurt and add it to the chicken. Cover the pan andcook it at low heat until all the spices stick to the chicken andthe oil separates. Add lemon juice and serve hot.Exciting serving ideas:Add this dish to your menu for parties

Chicken Haleem

This is a very delicious dish. Although not so easy to cook,people prepare it on special occasions and on a daily basis.The reason for this is the richness of the pulses and meatmuscles; together they make a wonderful bond. Wheneverpeople make this dish, they make it in huge quantity. Theyoffer it to neighbors and to relatives as a good will gesture.This dish itself creates a festive atmosphere.Recipe outline:1. Cook the pulses, wheat, and rice to make a thick paste.2. Marinate chicken3. Make curry paste4. Mix chicken and curry paste5. Cook it6. Add tamarind water and cook7. Add pulses paste and serveHeat level: Medium to highTaste level: Absolute joy to eat. According to my observation,10 out of 10 people love it.Type: Extremely thick curryIngredients for Chicken Haleem:2 pounds chicken½ cup yellow chick peas½ cup mung pulse½ cup red lentils

½ cup mash pulse½ cup rice½ cup wheat seeds1 pound tomatoes (chopped)1 pound onions (chopped)4 tablespoons garlic paste4 tablespoons ginger paste½ cup chopped ginger1 cup yogurt1 cup oil1 cup tamarind3 teaspoons salt2 teaspoons turmeric powder2 teaspoons red chili powder2 teaspoons black pepper2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds2 teaspoons ground cumin seeds1 brown cardamom (grind its seeds)1 teaspoon cinnamon powder½ teaspoon ground cloves½ teaspoon ground star anise½ teaspoon ground maceHandful of coriander leavesWater as neededDirections for Chicken Haleem:Put all the pulses, rice, and wheat seeds in a deep pan. Adddouble the amount of water to the mixture. Cover the pan andcook at medium heat. When everything is cooked, grind it in afood processor. The other option is to cook it until it turns intoa thick paste. Keep this mixture aside.Beat the yogurt and mix salt, turmeric powder, red chilipowder, black pepper, ground coriander seeds, ground cuminseeds, brown cardamom (ground seeds), cinnamon powder,ground cloves, ground star anise, and ground mace. Marinatethe chicken in this for two hours and keep it in therefrigerator.Put the oil in a pan and add the onions. Fry them until theyturn light brown in color. Take out half a cup of onions andtwo-tablespoons oil, and save it for garnishing. Add ginger andgarlic paste into the remaining oil and cook for half a minute.Then add the tomatoes. Cook it at medium heat. When thetomatoes become soft, press them with a large spoon to make

a paste. Alternatively, grind the mixture in a food processor.Add the marinated chicken to this paste and cook on low heatuntil the oil separates and the gravy sticks to the chicken.Put tamarind into a bowl and add a cup of water. Mix it witha clean hand to separate the pulp from the seeds. Remove theseeds and add the tamarind water to the chicken. Stircontinuously and cook it until the meat tears into musclethreads. At this stage, add the pulses paste. Mix everything andtransfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with fried onions and oil.Exciting serving ideas:Once you taste it, you cannot resist eating it with a spoon.You can serve it as a thick soup in winter.Serve with lemon wedges.Serve it hot with pita bread or plain Indian bread.Serve with chopped ginger, and chopped green chili peppers.

Chicken Degchi Kebab

This dish has fried kebabs in thick gravy. It is rich in flavorand is a chicken curry of its own kind. If you are fond ofkebabs then this curry is for you.Recipe outline:1. Make meat kebabs2. Fry kebabs3. Make paste4. Add seasoning5. Cook6. Mix gravy and kebabs7. CookHeat level: MediumTaste level: Excellent tasteType: Thick smooth curryIngredients for Chicken Degchi Kebab:1 pound chicken breast (minced)4 tablespoons oil2 medium sized onions (chopped)1 tablespoon garlic paste1 tablespoon ginger paste1 green chili pepper2 tablespoons yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice2 medium sized tomatoes1 teaspoon salt (½ teaspoon for meat and ½ for curry)¼ teaspoon red chili powder (1/8 teaspoon for meat and 1/8for curry)½ teaspoon turmeric powder1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds (½ teaspoon for meat and ½for curry)1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds(½ teaspoon for meat and½ for curry)1 teaspoon black pepper (½ teaspoon for meat and ½ forcurry)1 stick of cinnamon1 brown cardamom2 green cardamoms1 star anise2 cloves1 egg1 cup waterCoriander leaves for garnishingDirections for Chicken Degchi Kebab:Put the minced meat in a bowl. Add the egg, lemon juice, salt,red chili powder, black pepper, and ground cumin and groundcoriander seeds. Mix everything well. Take a small quantity ofmeat each time with the help of a tablespoon and form it intoa desired shape -- round, oval, cylindrical, or square.Put oil in a pan and fry these kebabs. Turn the kebabs over.The cooked kebabs will turn a dark brown color on all sides.Once the chicken kebabs are cooked, transfer the oil toanother pan.Heat the oil in the new pan and add the onions. Fry them,and as the edges turn light brown in color, add the gingerand garlic paste. Cook for a minute and add the choppedtomatoes. As the tomatoes become soft, press them to make apaste. (Use a food processor if you want a smooth paste).When it looks like a paste, add the yogurt, tomatoes, salt, redchili powder, turmeric powder, ground cumin seeds, groundcoriander seeds, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, greencardamoms, star anise, and cloves. Mix everything with a spoonand cook for five minutes.Boil a cup of water and add to the gravy. Add the chickenkebabs and chopped chili pepper. Partially cover the pan and

cook on low heat. As the gravy becomes thick and the oilseparates, garnish with chopped coriander leaves.Exciting serving ideas:Eat it with your favorite breadMake a fresh salad to serve with it

Chicken Kofta Curry

This curry is very similar to Chicken Degchi Kebab. The maindifference is that we add fried kebabs in Chicken DegchiKebab, whereas here we add uncooked meat to the curry. Themeatballs are cooked in the gravy itself.You can see other small differences in the recipe. Honestly, mytaste buds cannot tell the difference between the two. The onlydifference I find is that the kebabs in Chicken Degchi Kebabare juicier, but if I have to choose one from the two, I willchoose Chicken Kofta Curry, because I feel that the meatballsin Kofta Curry are tender.Recipe outline:1. Roast gram flour2. Add it to meat3. Add seasoning4. Make small meatballs5. Make curry paste6. Add seasoning7. Cook8. Add meatballs to the gravy9. Cook againHeat level: Medium to highTaste level: Good taste. From my observation 9 out of 10people like it.Type: Thin and smooth gravy with meatballs

Ingredients for Chicken Kofta Curry:

1 pound chicken breasts (minced)4 tablespoons oil4 medium sized onions (chopped)1 tablespoon garlic paste or finely chopped2 medium sized tomatoes (chopped)½ cup yogurt1 chili pepper (mild)1 egg2 tablespoons gram flour1 teaspoon salt (½ teaspoon for meat and ½ for curry)½ teaspoon turmeric powder½ teaspoon red chili powder ( ¼ teaspoon for meat and ¼for curry)1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds (½ teaspoon for meat and½ for curry)1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds (½ teaspoon for meat and ½for curry)1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (½ teaspoon for meatand ½ for curry)1 stick of cinnamon1 brown cardamom1 cloveSmall quantity of coriander leavesDirections for Chicken Kofta Curry: Put gram flour in a pan.Roast it at low heat and stir constantly. When its color turnsone shade darker, add this gram flour to the minced meat.Add salt, red chili powder, black pepper, ground corianderseeds, and ground cumin seeds. Also, add one chopped onion,a small quantity of coriander leaves, and one chopped chilipepper. Mix all this in with the minced meat and grind themixture. Make small balls with the mixture.Put the oil in a pan and add the onions. Fry until the edgesbecome light brown. Add the garlic paste, cook for a minuteand add the chopped tomatoes. Cook for two minutes. Put theyogurt in a food processor and add this onion mixture. Blendit well and transfer the mixture to the pan again. Add the salt,turmeric powder, red chili powder, black pepper, ground cuminseeds, ground coriander powder, brown cardamom, clove,cinnamon, and star anise. Cook for a few minutes. When thegravy becomes thick and the oil separates, add two glasses ofwater. Boil and add the meatballs. Cook on medium heat untilthe gravy is thick again and the meatballs are cooked. Oil will

separate again. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.Exciting serving ideas:Serve with brown or boiled rice.Serve with Indian bread.Serve this curry soup with fork and spoon.

Chicken Minced Meat

This curry is tasty, healthy, and light. You can eat it with aspoon or any kind of bread. It is very easy to prepare.Recipe outline:1. Make curry paste2. Add minced meat3. Add seasoning4. CookHeat level: MildTaste level: Fabulous tasteType: Minced meatIngredients for Chicken Minced Meat:1 pound chicken3 tablespoons oil2 onions (medium sized, chopped)2 tablespoons garlic paste2 tablespoons ginger paste2 tomatoes (medium size, chopped)½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon turmeric powder½ teaspoon red chili powder½ teaspoon ground cumin seeds½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds½ teaspoon black pepper½ teaspoon ground black cardamom½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves1 cup yogurtSmall quantity of coriander leaves for garnishingDirections for Chicken Minced Meat: Fry the chopped onionsin oil until the edges become golden. Add the ginger, garlicpaste, and stir for half a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes.Cook at medium heat and stir constantly. Add the chickenminced meat. Season with salt, turmeric powder, red chilipowder, ground cumin seeds, ground coriander seeds, blackpepper, ground brown cardamom, ground cinnamon, andground cloves. Mix everything well, add the yogurt, and mixagain. Cook in a covered pan at low heat until the meat iscooked and dry. Now stir continuously and cook at medium orlow heat, until the oil separates. Serve it hot with freshchopped coriander leaves garnishing.Exciting serving ideas:Make sandwiches with this curryServe with tomato ketchupServe it at a high tea partyPut it in Indian bread, add mayonnaise and make a curry roll

Chicken Minced Meat with Capsicum

This minced meat curry is cooked in such a way that itabsorbs the rich and juicy flavor of the capsicum.Recipe outline:1. Make thick paste2. Add minced meat3. Add seasoning4. Cook5. Add capsicum6. Cover and cookHeat level: Mild to hotTaste level: Fresh and tasty. I wonder who could actuallydislike it.Type: Minced meatIngredients for Chicken Minced Meat with Capsicum:2 pound chicken4 capsicums (medium size, chopped)4 tablespoons oil4 tomatoes (medium sized, chopped)2 onions (medium sized, chopped)2 tablespoons garlic paste1 cup yogurt1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red chili powder1 teaspoon turmeric powder1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds1 teaspoon ground black pepperDirections for Chicken Minced Meat with Capsicum: Heat oil ina pan and add the onions. Fry until the edges are golden.Add the garlic paste and chopped tomatoes. Stir and cook fora minute at medium heat. Add the minced meat and yogurt.Stir and mix everything well. Season with salt, red chili powder,turmeric powder, ground cumin seeds, ground coriander seeds,and ground black pepper. Mix again and cook for a minute atmedium or high heat. Add the capsicums, now cook in acovered pan at low heat until the meat and capsicums are softand the mixture is dry. Remove the lid and stir for a minuteor more until the oil separates from the mixture. Serve hot.Exciting serving ideas:Serve with hot Indian breadServe flavored yogurt with it

Chicken Dum Masala

The meat in this curry is tender and delicious. It is easy tocook and easy to eat.Recipe outline:1. Add spices into water2. Boil3. Add the chicken4. Cook until no water remains5. Add oil6. Cook7. Add yogurt and cook againHeat level: Mild to hotTaste level: Mouthwatering and deliciousType: Thick curry with small chunks of spicesIngredients for Chicken Dum Masala:1 pound chicken4 tablespoons oil1 cup yogurt1 teaspoon salt½ teaspoon turmeric powder1 teaspoon red chili powder1 teaspoon ground black pepper1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds1 brown cardamom1 stick of cinnamon2 cloves1 star anise1 small piece of mace spice4 glasses of waterDirections for Chicken Dum Masala: Put water in a deep panand add the salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, groundblack pepper, ground coriander seeds, cumin seeds, browncardamom, stick of cinnamon, cloves, star anise and macespice. Boil and add the chicken. Cook at high heat partiallycovered. Cook until there no water remains. Add the oil andcook until the chicken is light brown in color. Beat the yogurtand add to the chicken. Mix and cook at low heat. Stiroccasionally, and cook for ten minutes, or until everything lookssmooth and the oil separates. Garnish with chili seeds andcoriander leaves if desired.Exciting serving ideas:Serve it as a side dish at a birthday bash or any small party.Serve it as a full meal dish with Indian bread, and flavored orplain yogurt.

Chicken Coconut Curry

It is delicious, unique, and I would say a special curry dish. Ifyou are fond of fresh coconut, just like me, then you can noweat it as a main course in your meal.Recipe outline:1. Fry chicken2. Add seasoning3. Fry again4. Add coconut and cream5. CookHeat level: MildTaste level: Crispy thick gravyType: Thick curry with crushed coconutIngredients for Chicken Coconut Curry:1 pound chicken2 tablespoons oil1 fresh coconut1 cup cream½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon turmeric powder½ teaspoon red chili powder½ teaspoon black pepper½ teaspoon ground cumin seeds1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

1 brown cardamom seeds (grounded)½ piece of star anise (grounded)½ piece of mace (grounded)2 pieces of cloves( grounded)Directions for Chicken Coconut Curry: Heat the oil in a panand add the chicken. Stir and fry on all sides. As its colorchanges, season with salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder,black pepper, ground cumin seeds, ground coriander seeds,ground brown cardamom, ground star anise, ground mace, andground cloves. Again, fry the chicken with all these spices.Grind fresh coconut and add to the chicken. Also, add thecream and mix everything well. Cover the pan and cook at lowheat. Check and stir occasionally. When everything is dry,remove the lid and stir. Cook until the oil separates. Serve hot.Exciting serving ideas:Eat with breadServe it with boiled rice

Chicken Paneer

This chicken curry dish is full of cheese chunks. Themoderately melted cheese makes the curry rich and flavorsome.Recipe outline:1. Fry chicken2. Add seasoning3. Stir and fry again4. Add milk5. Cook6. Add cheese7. Cook againHeat level: Very mildTaste level: Fantastic tasteType: Thick cheese curry

Ingredients for Chicken Paneer:1 pound chicken50 g cheese2 tablespoons oil½ teaspoon salt (or according to taste)½ teaspoon turmeric powder½ teaspoon red chili powder1 teaspoon black pepper1 glass of milk

Small quantity of coriander leavesDirections for Chicken Paneer: Heat the oil in a pan. Add thechicken and fry until the color changes on all sides. Seasonwith salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and black pepper.Fry for two minutes and then add the milk. Cover and cookat low heat until the chicken is dry and soft. Remove the lid,stir and cook at high or medium heat. As the oil separatesfrom the chicken, add the pieces of cheese and cover the pan.Cook for five minutes at low heat. Garnish with corianderleaves and serve hot.Exciting serving ideas:Eat with dry toasts or pita bread

Chicken Minced With Bitter Gourd

This is a tasty and healthy food. The strong flavor of bittergourd and the soft minced meat curry mix together and forma wonderful tasteRecipe outline:1. Wash the salted bitter gourds2. Fry them3. Fry onions4. Cook minced meat5. Add the bitter gourds and onion6. Cook againHeat level: Mild to hotTaste level: From my observation, 8 out of 10 people like thisdish and I just adore it.Type: Dry curry

Ingredients for Chicken Minced Meat with Bitter Gourd:1 pound chicken minced meat½ pound bitter gourd½ pound onions½ pound tomatoes½ cup oil1 teaspoon garlic1 cup yogurt2 teaspoons salt½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon red chili powder1 teaspoon black pepperDirections for Chicken Minced Meat with Bitter Gourd: Peeland chop the bitter gourds. Season with a teaspoon of salt.Scrub and wash so the bitterness should diminish. Wash twiceso that no salt remains.Fry them in the oil until the edges become golden or lightbrown. Take the bitter gourds out with the help of a strainerspoon, and in the same oil, fry the onions. When the onionslook soft and the edges are golden, take them out with astrainer spoon, and put aside.In the oil, add the red chili powder, turmeric powder, blackpepper powder, and a teaspoon of salt. Keep the heat low.Cook for a second and then add the minced meat. Cook for aminute and add the yogurt and chopped tomatoes. Cover thepan and cook at low heat. Check and stir occasionally. Whenthe mixture looks dry, mix in the fried bitter gourds and friedonions. Cover the pan again and cook at low heat for fiveminutes. Serve hot.Exciting serving ideas:Serve with ketchup.Serve with any kind of bread. It tastes good with pita breadand Indian bread.Make some fresh salad and add a few drops of vinegar and afantastic companion for this dish will be ready

Chicken Boneless Curry

A common belief is that a curry dish has gravy in it. In ourlocal language, we call it ‘saalan’. It varies from extremely dryto very thin curry. Basically, anything that is served as a maincourse, and that can be eaten with bread or rice is calledsaalan. Here is an example of a dry saalan.Recipe outline:1. Grind spices2. Fry chicken3. Season and cook4. Add yogurt5. CookHeat level: Spicy and hot. (Do not add green chili pepper if itis to be eaten with a fork).Taste level: Rich in flavor, luscious taste.Type: Almost dry curryIngredients for Chicken Boneless Curry:1 pound chicken½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon red chili powder½ teaspoon turmeric powder1 green chili pepper mild, finely chopped (optional)2 teaspoons black pepper (freshly grounded)

1 inch piece cinnamon stick (freshly grounded)1 brown cardamom (freshly grounded)1 green cardamom (freshly grounded)4 cloves (freshly grounded)1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds1 star anise (freshly grounded)1 piece mace (freshly grounded)1 cup yogurt2 tablespoons oilDirections for Chicken Boneless Curry: Heat the oil in a pan.Add the chicken and fry for five minutes or until the colorchanges on all sides. Season with the salt , red chili powder ,turmeric powder , green chili pepper, black pepper, cinnamonstick, brown cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, ground cuminseeds , ground coriander seeds , star anise, and mace. Nowcook it for five minutes at medium heat.Beat the yogurt and add to the mixture. Cover the pan andcook at low heat. The chicken will cook in its own water.When a little water remains, remove the lid and cook at lowheat. Stir occasionally until no water is left and the meat istender.Exciting serving ideas:Serve with some fresh salad and vinegar toppingServe lemon and tomato wedges with itEat it with a fork or roll it in Indian breadFill pita bread with it, with salad and mayonnaise and enjoy itwith your friends.

Chicken Makhani Curry

In this tasty dish, the chicken is cooked in butter. The mildnessof the butter and the richness of spices make a contrast, andwith every bite, you taste both of the great flavors.Recipe outline:1. Make curry paste (or add three to four cubes ofhomemade curry paste for instant cooking)2. Fry the chicken3. Add yogurt4. Cook5. Serve with butter toppingHeat level: Very mildTaste level: Thick buttery yummy curry. No one could dislike it.Type: Thick, smooth, and butteryIngredients for Chicken Makhani Curry:1 pound chicken½ cup melted butter1 onion (medium size, chopped)1 tablespoon garlic paste1 tablespoon ginger paste2 tomatoes (medium size, chopped)2 tablespoons lemon juice1 cup yogurt½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon turmeric powder½ teaspoon red chili powder½ teaspoon black pepper½ teaspoon ground cumin seeds½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds1 cinnamon stick1 brown cardamom2 cloves1 star anise1 mace1 bay leafSmall quantity of coriander leaves for garnishingDirections for Chicken Makhani Curry: Fry the onions in a panuntil the edges are golden. Now add the ginger and garlicpaste. Add the tomatoes and cover the pan. When everythingis soft, fry for a few seconds, then take it out with a strainerspoon and fry the chicken in the same oil. When the colorchanges on all sides, add the yogurt. Cook for fifteen minutesor more until the chicken is tender and the mixture is smooth.Remove it from the heat, and spread butter on the top.Garnish with coriander leaves.Exciting serving ideas:Take out the solid spices from the dish before serving.Accompany it with buttered Indian bread

Chicken Desi

I have named this chicken curry as ‘desi’. ‘Desi dish’ means avery common, simple, ancient local dish. This is the simplestand the most common way of cooking chicken curry. In myhome too, we mostly cook chicken in this way. It has noparticular name; we call it ‘chicken saalan’, or you may call it‘chicken curry’.Recipe outline:1. Fry the curry leaves (optional)2. Make curry paste3. Add seasoning4. Add chicken5. Cook6. Add the yogurt7. Cook againHeat level: Mild to hotTaste level: Good tasteType: Thickness can be adjusted easily.Ingredients for Chicken Desi:1 pound chicken4 curry leaves2 tablespoons melted butter½ pound onions (finely chopped)

½ pound tomatoes (finely chopped)5 garlic cloves (finely chopped)½ cup yogurt½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon turmeric powder½ teaspoon red chili powder½ teaspoon black pepperDirections for Chicken Desi: Fry the curry leaves in meltedbutter. Add the chopped onions. Fry them at high heat; stiroccasionally. When the onions look soft, add the chopped garlic.Fry again. Now the mixture will start to change its color. Addthe tomatoes, reduce the heat to minimum, and cover the pan.The tomatoes will give water and the mixture will turn into achunky paste. Now add the salt, turmeric powder, red chilipowder, and black pepper. Stir for a minute and add thechicken. Fry the chicken at medium heat, until oil separates.Now add the yogurt, cover the pan, and cook at low heat.The cooked chicken will have thick curry with tender meat.You can adjust the thickness of the curry according to yourwishes.Exciting serving ideas:This works well as a daily mild food at home.It is a full meal and you can eat it with any kind of bread.Chop onion, tomato, cucumber, and capsicum into large chunkypieces. Garnish with mint leaves and squeeze some lemon juiceon top. Serve this quick salad with this simple chicken curry,and enjoy.

Special Recipes

Asiya’s Fragrant Brown Rice Chicken

Ingredients:1 pound chicken1 pound rice½ cup oil or melted butter1 medium size onion2 medium size tomatoes1 tablespoon garlic paste1 tablespoon ginger paste1 chili peppers (mild)1 mace1 star anise¼ teaspoon red chili¼ teaspoon turmeric powder2 tablespoons coriander seeds1 stick cinnamon1 teaspoon cumin seeds1 cardamom2 cloves1 teaspoon black pepper2 teaspoons salt1 bay leaf2 liters or 8 cups of waterDirections:

Pour four cups of water in a pan and add the corianderseeds. Boil for about five minutes. Pour the water into adeeper pan through a strainer to remove the coriander seeds.Season with red chili powder, turmeric, bay leaves, cardamom,salt, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, cumin seeds, mace, andstar anise. Add the chicken. Cover the pan and keep it atmedium heat for half an hour or more.Put oil in a deep pan and add the chopped onions. When theedges become light brown, add the tomatoes, ginger and garlicpaste. Stir constantly and cook until it transforms into gravy.Take the chicken from the water with a strainer spoon andadd it to the gravy. Cook it well until the color of the meatchanges to light brown. Add the flavored water along with thespices.Wash the rice and soak it in water for ten to fifteen minutes.As the water boils, add the rice. Cook it at high heat, until alittle water remains -- approximately one cup of water. Nowadd the un-chopped chili pepper and cover the pan. Cook atvery low heat for ten to fifteen minutes. The cooked riceshould be dry with no traces of water remaining. When therice is cooked, stir it with a spatula to reduce some of thesteam. This will stop the cooking process and prevent the ricefrom sticking together.Serve this brown rice very hot. Serve a chicken curry dish withit if you wish.

Raita (Flavored Yogurt)Ingredients:

2 cups yogurt1 tablespoon cooking oil¼ teaspoon black cumin fruit4 coriander seedsPinch of saltPinch of black pepperSeeds of 1 green chiliDirections:Beat the yogurt and add the salt and black pepper. Keep itaside.Heat the oil in a pan at low heat. Add the black cumin fruitand coriander seeds. Cook it for a few seconds. As you hearthe sizzling of the oil, remove it from the heat. Transfer theflavored oil to the yogurt mixture. Sprinkle in some green chilipepper seeds and stir. Chill it in the refrigerator for some timebefore serving. Serve this flavored yogurt with rice and curries.

Roti (Indian bread)

Ingredients:3 cups FlourWater as needed (roughly 1 cup)A pinch of SaltDirections:Put the flour in a deep mixing bowl. Add a pinch of salt. Keepthe water nearby in a bowl. Add some water to the flour andmix using your hands. Wet your hands from time to time andknead the dough. Avoid adding too much water. When it issmooth, leave it for a few minutes. Then wet your hands againand knead. Cover with plastic or a plate to store it in therefrigerator for later.Separate the dough into equal parts and make small balls. Rollthe first ball on a rolling board. Sprinkle flour whenever neededto avoid stickiness. Roll until it is thin enough. Some people likethin bread while some prefer thick; it is completely a personalchoice. However, bear in mind that too thin bread can turnout to be crispy, whereas too thick can remain uncooked.

Place the bread on a preheated flat pan and turn the heat tothe minimum. As it cooks on one side, turn it over with a thinspatula and turn the heat to the maximum. Cook on bothsides. Press the bread with a thick fabric to cook evenly.

Another option:

Indian Sandwich Bread

While rolling the bread put some topping and cover it withanother bread. Roll it up and coat with butter while cooking.Try mashed potato filling or radish filling and do not forget tomix salt, red chili powder, and black pepper into the fillingmixture.

Fried Chicken

Ingredients:2 pounds chicken1 cup oil4 glasses of water1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon red chili powder½ teaspoon turmeric powder1 teaspoon black pepper1 teaspoon cumin seeds1 teaspoon coriander seeds1 cardamom1 cinnamon4 cloves1 star anise1 mace1 bay leaf5 to 6 curry leavesHalf cup lemon juice2 onions (medium size)4 garlic cloves2 inch piece ginger2 medium size tomatoes

Directions: In a deep pan add the chicken, oil, water, salt, red

chili powder, turmeric powder, black pepper, cumin seeds,coriander seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, mace,bay leaf, curry leaves, lemon juice, onions, garlic clove, ginger,and tomatoes. Cook at medium heat until no water remains.Take out the chicken. In a deep pan, heat the oil and add thechicken. Fry the chicken evenly on all sides.

Clever Tips for Quick Chicken CurryCooking:

Cooking is an art, especially cooking in an organized fashion ,but it is not difficult to learn. When you are cooking at home,people expect you to serve the meals on time.

Nevertheless, every day is not always an easy day. Things cropup in life. Perhaps you are sometimes tired or you have alarge workload that you bring home to complete. Unexpectedguests may turn up and you have some extra cooking do.These things happen and you need to be ready for them.

Even when you plan to have a relaxing day in front of thetelevision, you have to eat. In all these situations, you may nothave a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. My quick cookingtips can save you time. The amount of work remains justabout the same, but it just takes some organization to cutdown on the time the work takes.

Most of the curry recipes have the same basic paste madewith onions, garlic cloves and tomatoes. You can prepareenough paste for three, four, or more dishes at the same time.Freeze the paste and take out just what you need when thoseunexpected guests arrive or you just are not in the mood forcooking.

You just have to take the paste out of the freezer and leave itin room temperature for 5 minutes. As it begins to soften, youcan cut off what you need.

Alternatively, and perhaps an easier option, you can use an icecube tray for freezing your paste. For one pound of chicken,you require 3 to 4 sauce cubes. If you like a lot of sauce oryou prefer your sauce thick, add two more cubes.

Fry the chicken and the sauce cubes. As they melt, add theseasoning. Cover with a lid and cook until the meat isthoroughly cooked and the sauce is smooth. If you use apressure cooker, allow the mixture to cook until the firstwhistle.

You can follow almost any recipe and use the sauce for rapidcooking.

Now, how do you cut down the time to make the sauces? Ican explain an easy way of doing that too:1. Put water in a pressure cooker.2. Half the onions, remove their skin and place them in astrainer.3. Remove the skin from the garlic cloves and crush them.Place the garlic in the same strainer.4. Wash the mixture and drain off the water; then transfer itto the pressure cooker.5. Cut the tomatoes from the middle outwards and add to thepressure cooker.6. All the mixture should be nicely covered with water.7. Close the lid on the pressure cooker and cook for 5minutes. When you take off the lid there should be a littlewater left.8. Transfer the mixture to a food processor. Blend. Your pasteis ready.9. Now all you have to do is freeze it and it will be ready forwhen you want to make curry at a later date.

The paste is homemade and has no added preservatives. It willbe the next best thing to fresh. It is a handy second option.

I have another method for cooking curry that takes longer, butit needs far less attention on your part. Sometimes you haveother work to do and do not have much time to spend in thekitchen. At such a time, put all the basic ingredients into adeep pan with a thick base. Cover the pan, set the heat to theminimum, and leave it to gently cook for 30 to 40 minutes.Set a timer with an alarm as a reminder and you can get onwith your other work.

At the end of the cooking, the sauce should be thick and themeat thoroughly cooked. If necessary, leave it to cook another5 to 10 minutes.

As this method is longer, it requires planning prior to themealtime. If you have less time, you can put all the ingredients

in a pressure cooker and cook on medium heat. This type ofcurry tastes good. Do not worry; you will not be compromisingon taste or quality.

A note of caution: Do not use this method if you are going tobe sleeping. Do not leave the pan on the stove if you aregoing out, for example. Someone should be there to check onit, from time to time.

More tipsUse a sharp knife and practice using a chef's rapid choppingstyle. There are a number of helpful chopping and peelinggadgets that you may find worthwhile trying out to makepreparation easier and quicker.

When you cook curry in large quantities, you will, of course,need to increase the measurements of ingredients in ratio toeach other.

Add a little extra oil to facilitate stirring and speed up thecooking process. At the end of cooking, if there is some oil leftin the curry mixture, carefully remove it with a spoon. Onlyadd extra oil when you are cooking large quantities. It isessential that you remove the excess oil at the end of cooking.

I hope you enjoyed your curry cooking experience. I havedone my best to keep it simple and quick for you. Read therecipes and look at the photographs of each dish to see whichone tempts you first. Your journey is up to you now.

I am going to conclude this Pakistani recipe collection with atraditional myth shared among the Pakistani people. It is saidthat an emperor's wife, Nor Jahan composed most of theknown recipes. She wisely used the local spices and herbs,combining them to bring out new flavors. She taught her chefshow to prepare these new creations and discoveries. Nor’srecipes spread throughout the land and have remained famous,with their original names, to this day.

About The AuthorAsiya’s mom cooked all these recipes following traditionalage-old methods from her homeland. Asiya has captured thedishes and provides you with beautiful, photographs. Justlooking at the illustrations will encourage, inspire and tempt youto discover these authentic recipes.

Asiya has made every effort to bring you a fascinatingcollection, using exciting ingredients. She not only shares thesedelights with you, but also provides guidance on the essentialingredients, including the spices and how and where to obtainthem, along with some clever tips for quick chicken currycooking. These tips are there to facilitate your cooking andsave you time.

Following her guidance and practical information you will beproducing delicious and subtle dishes for your family andfriends to share from Chicken Tikka Malai to Chicken DegchiKebab and Chicken Coconut Curry and so much more, in notime at all. The dishes in this book are a joy to present toyou and you will be impatient to present them and will enjoydoing so.

In Asiya’s words “Cooking curry is an art, but she shows youhow this art can be developed and improved”. You will easilybecome a true artist, following her tips and advice, and creatingdishes that not only taste and look so colorfully good, but arealso healthy for you and less fattening too!

A special request from AsiyaONE LAST THING… When you turn this page, Kindle will giveyou an opportunity to rate this book and share your thoughtson Twitter and Facebook. If you believe this book is worthsharing, would you take a few seconds to rate it so yourfriends can learn more about this book?Thanks in advance!Asiya Bajwani