Pakistani style Spinach and chicken curry - Palak Chicken

Palak gosht was cooked a lot in my mother’s household during the winter season. I never liked what meat did to the spinach. While living in London, once I had Palak chicken at one of the Pakistani restaurants and loved it. Later I tried my own version at home and have not looked back ever since. My brother O who was studying at University of Warwick during that time, became the guinea pig for my cooking experiments.

My palak chicken not just got a high approval rating from him but I also got a request to make some palak chicken for him to take along to Warwick. For the year he was there, I used to make a stack of food for him and freeze it which he would take along to eat for next 2 weeks. A quarter in to the year, I started getting phone calls from his Pakistani and Indian class mates with specific requests for food, followed by thank you phone calls.

I wasn't thrilled to find out that O’s flatmates were eating all of his home cooked food. My firsthand experience taught me that the one thing that you miss the most while living away from home is the home cooked food. I quietly doubled the food he took to Warwick. Things sisters do for little brothers!!! Last night O called me from his office and asked me if I could make some palak chicken for him. I am always happy to fulfill such farmaish. We had it with boiled rice.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

Chicken – ½ kilo (6-8 pieces)

Fresh Spinach – 1 kilo (You can use frozen if fresh is not available)

Tomatoes – 4 Medium sized (make a puree with 2 green chilies)

Fresh Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp (heaped)

Mustard Seeds – 1 tbsp

Dried Whole Chilies - 4-5

Roasted Cumin seeds – 1 Tbsp (crushed)

Roasted Coriander seeds – 1 Tbsp (crushed)

Crushed Red Chilies -1 tsp (Adjust to taste)

Salt – 1 tsp (adjust to taste)

Oil : 6 Tbsp

Method:

1. Wash the spinach and steam it in a large pan. Once steamed, puree it with the hand blender. Put aside.
2. Heat the oil and add ginger garlic paste to it. Cook till its changes color.
3. Add mustard seeds to it. Let it cook for a minute till you can smell them. Add the dried red chilies and cook for 10 secs. Add a dash of water to stop it from burning.
4. Add cumin and coriander seeds. Cook for 30 sec.
5. Add chicken and cook for 5 -7 mins till it completely changes color.
6. Add tomatoes, salt and crushed chilies and cook till the water dries.
7. Now add pureed spinach. Cook till the water dries and the oil comes out on the side.

I love serving this with boiled basmati rice. This also pairs well with homemade chappati – flat bread.

 

Chicken Haandi

My recent work trip to Pakistan took me to Multan (Located in the South of Province Punjab), a city I have only passed through as a kid while my father was posted at Bahawalpur many years ago. So I took this opportunity to go all touristy in Multan and did some serious sohan halwa, multani chappals, blue pottery shopping binging. What joy! 

As a kid I remember our house always had a continuous supply of Multan’s famous sohan halwa and Kushaab’s dooda. It was regularly served with tea & shami kebabs to the guests visiting us. Somehow these two items were so much part of my childhood while growing up in Pakistan. Which explains why I bought a ton of sohan halwa from Multan.  I also visited the shrines of Bahauddin Zakaria & Shah Rukhn- e – Alam and was in awe of the architectural marvels these shrines are despite their age. The city indeed was a pleasant surprise. I also ended up having the best ever Karahi at Ramada Multan. I am still in the process of reverse engineering it and will share the recipe if I succeed. I look forward to going back to Multan and enjoy some more sohan halwa in near future.

On my arrival at my base camp - Rawalpindi, my mother in law had prepared an incredibly delicious chicken Haandi for me. She was kind enough to show me this simple and delicious recipe in her kitchen. This dish is cooked in a traditional Pakistani clay pot called Haandi. This can be served with Chappati - Flat bread or Naan.

(I have not used clay haandi- traditional Pakistani clay pot for cooking this recipe simply because of the difficulty in photographing the food inside a haandi.)

Ingredients:

Chicken – ½ kg (boneless)

Onions – 1 cup (make a paste in blender)

Garlic – 1 tsp. (paste)

Ginger – 1 tsp. (paste)

Oil – 4 Tbsp.

Salt – ½ tsp. (adjust to taste)

Chili powder – ½ tsp. (Adjust to taste while keeping in mind the use of green chilies in the recipe)

Cumin – 1 tsp. (crushed)

Dried whole Coriander – 1tsp (crushed)

Water – ½ cup

Lemon Juice – ½ lemon (large)

White Vinegar – 1 Tbsp.

Green Chilies – 1

Fresh Coriander for Garnish

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan & add the onion paste.
2. On high heat let it change color to pink. It will take 5-7 minutes.
3. Now on medium heat add half of ginger & garlic. Also add cumin & coriander. Cook for another 1-2 mins.
4. Add boneless chicken, half of the green chili, salt, red chili powder, remaining ginger/garlic and mix. Cook till it chicken changes color. Lower the heat.
5. Now add ½ cup of water and let the chicken simmer for 1-2 mins.
6. Now add the vinegar and lemon juice. Mix and cook till the water reduces to half, the oil has separated on the side and the smell of vinegar has disappeared from the food. It will take about 5-7 minutes on low heat.
7. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and green chilies. Pair it with Tandoori Roti and Mint Chutney.

Kashmiri Chicken Curry

During the long summer school holidays in Pakistan, as we roamed around the beautiful Northern areas of Pakistan for summer vacations – Muzaffarabad – The capital of Pakistan’s side of Kashmir would be one of the stops. Hotels were less in number in that area back then so the government guest houses were the place to stay on such trips. Regardless of which part of northern areas one went, the government guest houses would have one thing in common – A Kashmiri cook or Khansama as it’s called in Pakistan. Those trips were the reason for my delicious encounters with Kashmiri chicken curry. The curry was eaten with equally divine steaming hot wood oven cooked tandoori rotis. One could smell pine trees in the rotis. For most of us who have had Kashmiri cooks at home, we have eaten Kashmiri chicken curry at homes many times. I learnt to make it from our Kashmiri cook as well. 

I have often wondered why Kashmiri men were such good cooks. I haven’t quite found the answer yet. The same Kashmiris from Mirpur who had gone to UK as labor in 1960-70s to fuel UK’s textile revolution have ended up establishing UK’s most famous desi food restaurants and Pakistani food franchises. I must also acknowledge that we Punjabis are utterly grateful to the Kashmiris for introducing us to the most amazing Shabdegh – Slow cooked sweet & savory lamb & turnip curry. This dish is cooked in a clay pot sealed with dough over low heat all night long.  In the morning the meat is falling off the bone and melts in the mouth!

This post is to remember the beauty of our Kashmir, the smell of pine trees, the long summer holidays on road and the divine curry that makes me smile every time i think about it. 

Here is my version of Kashmiri Chicken Curry. I love to serve it with Naan, chappati - Home made flat bread or Rice pulao.  

*Cooking Utensil – Pressure cooker.

Ingredients

Chicken – 8-10 medium sized pieces – 1 kg

Onions – 3 large - chopped

Tomatoes – 1 cup fresh puree

Ginger/Garlic – 1 tsp heaped.

Potatoes – 3 medium sized – medium diced

Oil – 4 tbsp

Cinnamon – 3 1 inch sticks

Black Cardamom – 2-3 whole

Cloves – 5-6 whole

Cumin seeds– 1 tsp heaped – lightly crushed in pestle mortar (I dry roast my cumin seeds)

Coriander seeds– 1 tsp heaped – lightly crushed in pestle mortar (I dry roast my coriander seeds)

Chili powder – ½ tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric – ¼ tsp

Salt – 1 tsp – adjust to taste if needed more.

Water - 3 cups.

Roasted Cumin seeds – ½ tsp crushed for dusting on curry

Fresh Coriander – chopped handful for garnish.

Method:

1. On medium heat, warm the oil in a pressure cooker and gently fry the onions. A pressure cooker saves time in breaking down the onions in to a paste. Once the onions are gently browned, add a cup of water and give it a pressure for 5 mins. 
2. The same can be done without a pressure cooker as well but it will take more than 30 mins. The water is added in intervals to break down the onions. Then it is dried, onions are mashed up and then the process is repeated again till the caramelized onion paste is formed.
3. Going back to the pressure cooking: Once the pressure is done, add whole cloves, cinnamon & cardamom to the water and onions mixture. Dry the water completely and mash the onions till it becomes a paste.
4. Now add chicken, tomato paste, ginger/garlic paste, dried coriander seeds, dried cumin seeds, salt, chili powder, coriander powder & turmeric to the onion paste.
5. Cook on medium heat for 5-8 mins till the chicken changes its color and the liquid from tomato puree dries up. The oil should separate from the gravy.
6. Now add diced potatoes and cook further for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Don’t let the onion paste burn.
7. Add 2 cups of water to the mixture. Mix and let it boil on a high heat. Once boiled, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer(cover the pan) and cook for 25 mins till potatoes are thoroughly cooked, curry has thickened and the oil starts floating on the top of the curry. If the curry has thickened too much for your taste then add ½ cup of hot water and let it simmer for 2-3 mins.
8. I love to add a dusting of roasted & crushed cumin seeds on the curry along with fresh chopped coriander leaves before serving.

* If you don't have a pressure cooker then let the onions and garlic ginger cook in oil, as it changes color add a bit of water and make a paste of it in liquidizer. Pour it back in the cooking pan and dry the water till oil comes out on the sides and follow the step # 3 on wards.

Lahori Murgh Channay – Lahori Chickpea and Chicken Curry

I was introduced to Lahori Murgh Channay after i moved to Lahore in 2003. My Lahori work colleagues somehow made it their mission to feed (Read: force feed) the new girl with authentic Lahori food. Those who know Lahore would know that no other urban city in Pakistan can compete and match the Lahori hospitality. Lahoris show their love and affection towards outsiders and visitors by feeding and overfeeding them with the best of the punjabi food which is rich, meaty & spicy.  

My Lahore born mother's cooking is clearly inspired by Punjabi food due to her roots. I am sharing this recipe from my mother’s kitchen where i have also added my two cents. This is a must try with boiled basmati rice or Roghni Naan.

Ingredients:

Oil – 6 Tbsp

Chickpeas – 600 gms (cooked)

Chicken – 450 gms (6-8 pieces)

Onions – 3 Medium (finely chopped)

Tomatoes – 4 Medium (Pureed)

Garlic/Ginger – 1 Tbsp

Cumin – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds(Rai)– 1 tsp

Fenugreek Seeds (Methi Dana) – 1 tsp

Nigella Seeds(Kalonji) – 1 tsp

Green chili – 1 medium

Red chili – 1(Use more green chili or chili powder if you cannot find fresh red chili)

Chili Powder – ½ tsp (adjust in accordance with the use of green & red chili)

Cumin Powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric – ¼ tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp (adjust as per your taste)

Water – 700 ml

Fresh Curry Leaves –  few (if you can find them)

Amchoor – Dried Mango powder – 1 tbsp (optional)

Method:

1. Heat Oil in the pan and fry onions till light brown.
2. Add ginger/Garlic paste. Cook for 30 sec.
3. Now add chicken and cook it for 3-4 minutes till the chicken changes its color.
4. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, nigella seeds, fenugreek seeds. Cook them for about a minute. Deglaze the pan with 100 ml of water. It ensures that the seeds don't burn.
5. Add tomato puree, salt, chili powder, turmeric and Cumin Powder. Cook till the water dries up and oil comes out on the sides.
6. Add drained chickpeas, one green chili and a few leaves of Curry Leaves (optional) and mix thoroughly.
7. Add 700 mls of water,  mix it and let it boil on high heat for 5-7 minutes.
8. Now reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cover the pan.
9. Take a cup of chickpeas from the pan and mash them in a plate with a fork. Add the mashed chickpeas to the curry. This will thicken the gravy.
10. Simmer for around 20 mins till the curry has reduced to about ¾ of the water and has thickened.
11. Once you remove the pan from heat, you can add a tablespoon of dried mango powder to give the curry a slight tanginess. The curry tastes fabulous without Dried mango powder as well.
12. Garnish with fresh Coriander.