Pitta Sandwich

Son returns home after a long day at school. Son sees mother waiting for him at the door step. The conversation follows...

Son: "Hello amma, whats for dinner?"

Mother: "Your favourite chicken roast."

Son: With a sad face "Oh the same chicken we had last night?"

Mother: A little surprised "But you enjoyed your meal yesterday."

Son: "Yes I like it, but can't have the same today. Please amma, make something different."

Mother thought she could have the evening off from the kitchen, but her son made her think twice. Suddenly a quick recipe stroke her mind to best use the left over roast chicken.

Shredded chicken with pitta bread


Things you need

Shredded chicken-250gms
Onion(thinly sliced)-2
Green pepper (thinly sliced)-1
Coriander leaves to garnish
Oil-4 tbps
salt as per taste

Method

Heat a pan, add oil and saute the onions till they are translucent. Add the shredded chicken and the sliced green pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Make sure that the pepper is crunchy. Season with salt and garnish with coriander.

This dish would go best with pitta bread or chappati, salad and cheese spread.


Note
(As the chicken is already spicy, no extra spices are added. In this recipe the left over tikkas, kababs, fried chicken can also be used instead of roast chicken. You may add spices depending on your tastes.)

The son comes to the table for dinner. He looks at the food and smiles and hugs mother. Thank you amma.

Though we sometimes get very frustrated cooking all day, watching the kids enjoy their meal is a great satisfaction.

Roast Chicken (Indian Style)

Ingredients

Whole chicken(skinned) - 1.5 kgs

To Marinate

• chilli powder-2 tbsp
• coriander powder-2 tbsp
• Ginger-Garlic paste-2 tbsp
  
• garam masala-1 tsp
• chicken masala-1 tbsp
• turmeric powder-1 tsp
• unsweetened yogurt-5 tbsp
• lemon juice from 1 lemon
• vegetable/sunflower oil-3 tbsp
• salt to taste.

To Bake

• salad potatoes
• onions
• green pepper
• baby carrots
• butter -10gms

Method
Clean the chicken & pat dry. Slit the flesh so that the spices are thoroughly spread over it. Marinate with lemon juice, salt & a tbsp of chilli pwd and leave it for an hour. Now mix the rest of the ingredients from the marinate's section and rub it all over the chicken and leave it for about 5 hrs in the fridge. (you may also leave it over night to cook the following evening, longer you marinate the taste enhances).

To Bake
Preheat the oven to 200c. Place the chicken in a baking tray. Cover it with an aluminium foil and bake it for about 30 mins. Turn the chicken over and add the left over marinade. At this stage you can add potatoes and cook again for 30 mins (covered). Add the rest of the vegetables, spread the butter & bake the chicken uncovered this time for about an hour until the color changes to dark brown (turning over once and basting with the drippings).

Accompanying dip

• garlic-1 clove
• boiled potato-1
• mayonnaise-3 tbsp
• salt if required

Dip preperation
Grind all the above ingredients to a fine paste. Add a little water to smoothen the dip as per your liking.

Stepping stones into my culinary world

My interest towards cooking started during my early college days. I would try a few during my holidays ,there were flops ofcourse hits too. My parents & siblings were the best judges. With this experience I was boastful I could manage my culinary skills after marriage, as the famous proverb says "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Later I realised to win my man's heart I needed a Ph.D in my cooking techniques :). He was & still is my best and worst critic. Thus my dedication to cook only increased with time and to mention the least my family lives to eat rather than the other way round :). My best critic is also ecstatic to try various cuisines.

I have learnt from others and used my own variations through these years. In this blog I am trying to bring forth recipes that I have contrived.