Roasted Chicken in Spinach Sauce

Roasted Chicken in Spinach Sauce

This preparation is certainly a healthy way to good food. Spinach has tremendous amount of nutritional goodness. It’s low in calories and fat but good in vegetable protein. It contains huge amount of vitamin A, K, C and Folate and is a good source of Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc and Manganese. So, weight watchers, go green with this leafy vegetable.

So, when combined with Chicken, Spinach makes a unique, healthy, light and of course delicious platter. Roasted Chicken in rich Spinach gravy or sauce is yet another great dig for food lovers. Here’s the way to prepare it:

Ingredients Needed:

Chicken pieces (preferably breast): 4;
Spinach Leaves: 2 bunches;
Coriander Leaves: 1 bunch;
Green Chili: 2;
Curd: 1 tbs;
Ginger-Garlic paste: 1 ½ tsp;
Garam Masala Powder: 1 ½ tsp;
Lemon Juice: 1 tbs;
Red chili powder: 1 tsp;
Salt: To Taste,
Oil: As needed

How To:

Wash the chicken pieces and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Clean the Spinach and Coriander leaves properly; cut the stems out. Blanch the spinach for 3-5 minutes.
Put the blanched spinach, coriander leaves, green chilies and salt together in blender and make a fine purée.
Take the chicken pieces and marinate with the ginger-garlic paste, green purée, red chili powder, garam masala powder, curd, lemon juice and salt (if needed). Put the marinated chicken in fridge covered for at least 30-40 minutes.

Now it’s time to roast/fry the chicken.

For Microwave users:
Pre heat the oven in 180 degrees. Then grill the chicken pieces for about 20-22 minutes each side, brushing oil at an interval of 10 minutes. The trick is not to let the masala get burnt. So when putting the chicken inside the oven, slightly scrape out extra masala and then grill; you can happily ad up those residual masala after the chicken it done, it brings the saucy flavor! Gill both the sides until done properly. Don’t overcook; it makes the chicken harder and less juicy.
Once done, serve hot with sliced onion, carrots, tomatoes, beetroots and lemon juice.

For Tawa/Frying Pan users:
Heat a very little amount of oil as the chicken itself contains fat.
Put the marinated chicken pieces and cover with lid; cook in a slow flame for about 20-25 minutes. Check and keep stirring the pieces in between. Don’t use all the marinating masala at one go; just let the chicken cook and add the masala eventually; it will help the masala retain the sausy texture and avoid getting charred. Sprinkle with water often to create the steam and cook them covered until done completely.
Once done, serve hot with sliced onion, carrots, tomatoes, beetroots and lemon juice.

Spaghetti Mushroom Bolognese

No introduction needed; yes it is yet another classic Italian Pasta recipe for you all. This time, it’s the easiest one: Spaghetti Bolognese with mushroom for some added taste.

Spaghetti Mushroom Bolognese

Ingredients needed:

Spaghetti pasta: ½ pack;
Mushroom: 5-6, cut into slices;
Tomato: 2 big;
Onion: 1 Big, chopped o sliced in thin strips;
Garlic: 3-4 cloves, chopped;
Olive: 6-7, cut into slices;
Olive Oil (any veg oil will do): 1 tbs;
Water: for blanching the tomatoes and to boil pasta;
Salt: to taste;
Dry Herbs: To Taste;
Grated Cheese: 1 Tbs (optional)

How to:

Start with boiling the spaghetti till al dente (done but not remain a little firm inside) and blanching the ripe red tomatoes. Add salt to boil the spaghetti.
While doing the pasta would take around12-15 minutes, blanching tomatoes would take only two minutes or so. Set aside the boil spaghetti. Before boiling, just make crisscross cut lines at the head and bottom of the tomatoes with a knife as it makes peeling out the skin easier. Take care not to let the tomatoes turn soggy. Cool them. Peel the tomatoes and chop them coarsely.
Now put extra virgin olive oil in a large pan and add chopped garlic. Fry for one minute and then add the onion slices. Fry till translucent.
Now put the blanched and chopped tomatoes in the pan and cook until the tomatoes get softened and mushy.
It’s time to add up the mushroom slices. Fry properly without adding extra water as mushroom itself contains lots of water. Let them get dried up apparently.
Put the spaghetti. Stir and mix well with the masala. Now add salt and mixed herbs as per needed.
Slice up the olives and add in. Coat well. Sprinkle the grated cheese all over and serve with Garlic Bread.

French Beans Usili Recipe

It’s a classic south Indian styled French beans side dish preparation. Ever since I’ve started living in Mangalore, I never stopped trying out my culinary experiences with those vast yet distinctive southern delicacies. Usili is a very light and healthy preparation that needs no major kitchen props making it a super easy yet delicious dry dish. Here’s the whole story goes:

French Beans Usili 

Ingredients needed:

French Beans: 15-20 cut in small pieces;
Toor Daal (Sambar Daal): ¾ cup, soaked for an hour, just use warm water;
Red Chilies: 2-3;
Asafetida (Hing): A Pinch, to get the flavor use Hing powder;
Oil: 2 tbs;
Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp;
Dry Red Chili: 1;
Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp;
Salt: To Taste;
Curry Leaves: A generous handful of

How To:

Wash and cut the beans in small pieces; boil water in a deep pan and put the beans in water and boil for 5-7 minutes adding some salt.
Now drip out the water from the daal and coarsely grind with 2-3 red chilies. Be careful about using water as little as possible, otherwise it would make a batter or coarse paste.
Now heat up 1 tbs oil in a large skillet. Fry the coarse dal mixture adding some salt and turmeric powder; keep it in mind that frying this mixture properly would take 9-10 minutes, so be patient and keep stirring at an interval.
When the dal gets fried, add the boiled Beans into the pan and quickly fry for another 2-3 minutes. Now heat another tbs of oil in a smaller pan (seasoning or tadka pan will do) and put mustard seeds, red chilies, hing and curry leaves one by one. Let the seeds pop up, switch off the burner and put all the tadka in the daal Mixture.  Check seasoning and serve with Rice, Chapati, Raita or any type of Dosa.

~post by Jinia Roy