Chicken Mince Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Sometimes I am not sure how to feel about the lockdown. Back in March of last year when DD came home and had to miss her graduation, we walked around as if on egg shells fearing if we will trigger something that is going make her feel bad. Talking philosophy and saying that she is probably better off than a lot of other people did not really help.

Time is a good healer, that phase of her life passed. We are the lucky winners of having her around for longer because of these unusual circumstances. DH with his running group experimenting new cuisines, DD with her new found need to learn cooking before she sets off into the world by herself has made mealtimes interesting. She enjoys baking, not just cakes and cookies but also meals. This stuffed poblano was one such effort.

Cooking like everything else has its own set of unique rewards. It is a creative process that gets you more and more involved in it, the more involved you get in it, the more you want to try new things to please yours and your family's taste buds.

This recipe was made earlier in the fall when there was fresh Poblano peppers. Here is my pitch for trying to eat local and patronize your local farmer :) What covid has exposed is that even in the richest country in the world there are people who cannot feed their kids and are going to bed hungry. The other problem simmering underneath but has now been exposed is the lack of access to local food systems.

Whichever corner of the world you are in, be aware of the local farmers, support them and eat locally. The further we get away from our local food systems the further we risk our health and well being. When health is lost no amount of wealth is worth it! If all of this is not reason enough for fresh vegetables, just the taste should convince you :)

Recipe in pictures,

Bake the cleaned Poblano peppers for about 5 minutes.
Prepare the chicken.
Prepare the sauce and bake the chicken stuffed peppers for another 5-6 minutes.

A fantastic light meal that is ready in just a few steps. If you do not have Poblano peppers feel free to use Bell Peppers.

Chicken Mince Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Preparation Time:20 minutes
Cooking Time:30 minutes
Ingredients

1. 10-15 Poblano Peppers
2. 1 lb chicken mince
3. 3-4 green chilies finely chopped
4. 2-3 garlic cloves or 1/2 tbsp of garlic powder
5. 2 tsp ginger powder or 1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
6. 1 cup of finely chopped onion
7. Salt to taste
8. 2 tsp of oil
9. 1 1/2 cups of grated pepper jack cheese.
For the Sauce
10. 1/4 cup of onions
11. 1 garlic clove minced
12. 2 tsp of red chili powder
13. salt to taste
14. 1 tsp of oil
15. 1 cup of chopped tomatoes.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F. While the oven is preheating finish cooking the chicken and cleaning the poblanos.
2. In a wide mouthed pan or cast iron pan, heat oil, when hot add in the onions and chopped green chilies. Saute till they are translucent.
3. Add in the ginger and garlic and saute for a minute.
4. Add in the minced chicen chicken, add salt and cook for about 8-10 minutes till the chicken is cooked. Set aside.
5. Slit the Poblano peppers ut keep the stems intact. Remove the seeds insides with a spoon. Wash and dry completely.
6. Take a cookie shet and line with parchment paper. Spray the pobalnos with oil and let them bake in a pre heated oven for about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
7. Now take each poblano and stuff 2 tbsp of the chicken into the pepper. Top it with a tbsp or so of the grated cheese. Arrange them on the cookie sheets with space between each pepper.
8. Bake for another 5-8 minutes till the cheese melts.
For the Sauce
9. In a sauce pan, heat oil, when hot saute the onions and minced garlic and when start to turn brown, add in the tomatoes, salt and red chili powder.
10. Cook till the tomatoes have reduced to a saucy consistency.

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Coimbatore to Srinagar - Third Stop - Barshi - Konkan Chicken Recipe

It has been exciting, this virtual travel. As a result we have added a bunch of places that we should travel to and most importantly the foods we should enjoy. My idea of travelling is all about food. Staying in a all inclusive resort kind of crimps my food craving. Most of these resorts crater to a non native Western palate and the food gets to be kind of blah after the first day.

The best vacations are when we visit places and are able to eat at the local eateries, interact with locals and check out the small eateries which do native food best. So what I have learnt during our travels is eating in smaller places will teach you much about the local cusinie than the larger more posh ones.

Travelling across India should be fun for any food enthusiast. The focus of my dream trip will just be visiting places and eating local food, no trying to cram toursit attractions into the schedule. Travel leisurely and eat our way through all the places.

The recipe chosen was a chicken recipe and by doing a bit of research on the ingredients we decided on Konkan chicken. The bright vibrant colors of the curry with the roasted coconut was delicious. The ingredients seems elaborate but it is fairly simple process.

Recipe in pictures,

ingredients along with the roasted dry masala spices.
masala paste and cooked chicken.

Delicious!

Konkan Chicken Recipe
Preparation Time:20 minutes
Cooking Time:30 minutes
Ingredients

1. 2 lbs of chicken
2. 1/2 cup of finely diced onions
3. 2 tsp turmeric powder
4. 1/2 tbsp coriander powder
5. 1/2 tbsp kashmiri chili powder
6. handful of coriander leaves
7. salt to taste
8. 1 tbsp oil
Dry Roast Powder Masala
9. 1 tsp pepper corn
10. 2 tsp coriander seeds
11. 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
12. 1 tsp poppy seeds
13. a small piece of cinnamon sticks, few cloves, star anise, and cardamom
14. 3-4 red chilies
15. 2 tbsp coriander seed
Masala Paste
16. 1/4 cup chopped red onion
17. 5-6 garlic cloves
18. 1 inch ginger

Method

1. Cut, wash chicken and coat with turmeric and set aside.
2. In a saute pan, saute the ingredients other than coconut under the Dry Roast Powder Masala till they turn golden. Remove.
3. Lower the flame and saute the coconut till it is nice and golden brown but take care not to burn. Mix and set aside.
4. Cool and blend to a powder.
5. Now heat a tsp of oil in the pan and saute the onions till it translucent, followed by the ginger and garlic and saute them till they are golden brown. Cool and blend to a paste.
6. In a wide mouthed pan add a tbsp of oil, saute the onions and when translucen, add turmeric, coriander powder, kashmiri chili powder. Mix it well.
7. Add in the chicken and saute till the outer edges start turning brown.
8. Add half of the roasted and powdered masala powder, the blended onion, ginger, garlic paste. Mix well.
9. Add a cup of water and let it cook.
10. Once the chicken is almost cooked add the rest of the powdered masala powder.
11. Add coriander leaves and turn off the heat.

Got some of th best aromas when it was being cooked. Serve with rice or any Indian bread Like what you are reading? Subscribe!

Gongura Chicken - Sorrel Chicken - Sour and Spicy Chicken

We visited Jamaica for a short trip. As we were driving from the airport to where we were staying the bus driver pointed to this big red bucket which was an advertisement for KFC. The bus driver immediately said, Jamaican chicken is far better than US chicken - not pumped with hormones. Another bus driver said KFC is short form of 'keep from cooking' and while in Jamaica jerk chicken is what we should eat and it was the best. Just my kind of people who want to eat real food. It is also sad how the rest of world views American food as pumped with additivies and hormones.

There is also a campaign in Jamaica which asks 'What is in our food?' the billboards of which are everywhere. To be aware of what is in the food we eat and where the food is sourced from is probably good resolve to take for the new year - yah mon :) Of all the many things that Americans do well, cooking food and eating real food is not what they do best.

Hope all of you had a good Christmas celebration and are enjoying the holidays. The best part of the holidays is time spent with family and friends cooking and eating simple but homey foods.



I did not grow up eating Gongura/Sorrel and have always assumed that Gongura needs to be made into a paste for it to be a eaten. While blending is required for a few of the recipes, there are some where the taste comes from cooking the leaves and leaving them as they are. This Gongura chicken recipe being one of them. This is lot easier with no blending and such. The ingredients are simple and the cooking process easy.

I normally do not precook the chicken before adding them to the sauce but here the chicken is cooked before it is added to the masala. If you are worried that all the flavor will be lost don't be, we would add just the right amount of water for the chicken to be cooked so not to throw away any of the excess liquid.

Here is the recipe in pictures,

Cook the chicken with some turmeric and tiny bit of water. While that is cooking, sauté the onions, ginger and garlic, the powders and the tomatoes till they are mushy.
Add in the chicken and cook till the masala is well coated. Add in the gongura leaves.
Cook till the gongura leaves are nice and mushy and till the desired consistency is reached.

It is really a simple recipe and for the time spent your taste buds will be overwhelmed and happy.

Gongura Chicken
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 lbs of chicken (I usually uses thighs and legs cut into smaller pieces)
2. 1/2 cups of finely chopped red onions
3. 2 ripe tomatoes chopped
4. 3-4 garlic cloves chopped
5. 1 inch piece of ginger grated
6. 6-8 green chilies slit
7. 3-4 cups of loosely packed gongura leaves
8. a handful of coriander leaves roughly chopped
9. salt to taste
10. 4 tsp of turmeric powder
11. 1/2 tsp garam masala powder - powdered cinnamon, cloves, star anise and fennel seeds
12. 2 tsp each of chili powder, coriander powder and 1/2 tsp cumin powder<


13. seasonings : curry leaves and cumin seeds


14. 1 tbsp. oil

Method

1. Wash the gongura and spread it on a kitchen towel to remove any excess moisture. Do this while the masala is getting cooked.
2. Wash and clean the chicken and cut them into bite sized pieces, meat with bones tend to be tastier. Cook till the chicken is mostly cooked with 2 tsp of turmeric powder and just a tbsp. of water for about 8 minutes. While this is happening,
3. In a wide mouthed pan, add oil let it get hot, add in the seasoning cumin seeds and curry leaves. Add the garam masala powder and very quickly,
4. add in the onions and green chilies and let the onion sauté till they are nice and brown.
5. Add in the ginger and garlic and sauté for a minute more, be careful because the grated ginger tends to burn. Add in the coriander leaves
6. Add the coriander, cumin and chili powder and sauté for about 30 seconds and then add in the tomatoes, salt and sauté till the tomatoes are nice and mushy, about 4-5 minutes.
7. Add in the chicken with whatever moisture is in the cooked chicken. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.
8. Add in gongura leaves and continue to mix it in. The leaves should wilt and get sort of mushy. Continue to sauté till the required consistency is reached. This should take about 6-8 minutes.
9. Note: If you want a drier consistency sauté for a while longer till you get the desired texture.

This tastes absolutely delicious with some steamed rice. Like what you are reading? Subscribe!

Highway Chicken Curry - Turban Tadka's recipe

Late winter, spring and early summer are perhaps the busiest in a farm. Starting seeds, preparing the field for new planting and transplanting, there is never an idle moment. While later winter and early spring are the best to work outside, summer brings with it rewards but absolutely abysmal working conditions with the heat, humidity and bug menace. Every time you cook or eat be sure to give good thoughts for farmers and all the field workers who have made that possible. And last but not the least don't forget to patronize your local farmer. Nothing compares to fresh produce.

Though this blog has been pretty idle the kitchen has not been. Have been cooking a lot of greens and fresh produce. Just have not found the time to sit and write.

Today's recipe is of an easy chicken dish. This recipe is based on Turban Tadka's Highway Chicken Curry. With a few ingredients but great taste. If you have some really juicy ripe bright red tomatoes you will be very happy with the results. Though I cooked this curry near the fag end of winter. The tomatoes were ones I had frozen last summer. Freezing tomatoes has saved me from buying the tasteless tomatoes that usually abound in the winter time in the grocery stores.

This is also a reminder to buy summer tomatoes and freeze them for winter.



Here is the recipe in pictures,

Get the onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes ready along with the chicken.
Heat oil in the pan and add the whole spices. Add in the onions and green chilies and saute till translucent.
Once the onions are sauted add in the ginger and garlic and saute for a couple of minutes. Add in the spice powders and saute for a couple of minutes on medium heat.
Add the tomatoes and saute till the they become mushy. Add the chicken.
In medium heat cook till the chicken is cooked. Add salt and coriander leaves and cook till the desired consistency is reached.

Delicious but a very rustic and simple chicken curry is ready.

Highway Chicken Curry
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients

1. 2 lbs of chicken with bones cut into bit sized pieces
2. 3/4 cup of chopped (or sliced) red onions
3. 1 tbsp of grated fresh ginger
4. 4-5 garlic cloves chopped
5. 4 green chilies slit
6. 1 - 1 1/2 cups of finely chopped tomatoes
7. 2 tsp of turmeric powder
8. 1/2 tbsp of black pepper powder
9. 1 tbsp of red chili powder
10. 1/2 tbsp of coriander powder (I used chicken masala powder)
11. 1/4 tsp of cumin powder (if not using chicken masala powder)
12. handful of chopped fresh coriander leaves
13. Seasonings: cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, fennel seeds and curry leaf
14. 1/2 tbsp of oil

Method

1. In a wide mouthed pan (kadai) (I prefer my Visions Dutch oven) add oil, when hot add the whole spices.
2. Add in the onions and green chilies and saute till they are translucent (about 4-5 minutes). Add the ginger and garlic and saute for 2 more minutes. Take care not to burn the ginger.
3. Add in the spice powders turmeric, black pepper, chili, coriander and cumin if using or chicken masala powder. Mix it gently.
4. Add in the chopped tomatoes and saute in low medium heat for about 5-6 minutes till the tomato is completely mushy.
5. Now add in the washed and drained chicken and saute for a couple of minutes and let it cook for 6-8 minutes till the chicken is completely cooked. Add salt, coriander leaves and cook till the desired consistency is reached another 3-4 minutes or so.

Serve with rice or any Indian flat bread.

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Chicken Do Pyaza - Chicken in two Onions

The reason I chose to make this particular chicken dish is not because there are as many explanations for the name as there are recipes. The trigger for me wanting to cook was seeing this recipe here on Munaty Cooking. Not too many ingredients and quick and easy method of cooking.

The translation for do pyaza is two onions, the origins of which are from during the Mughal rule in India. This one is different from the usual rich dishes from the Mughal cuisine. Variations of this dish exist in several South East Asian cooking. All this means is onion is added during two stages of cooking. Adding onion powder along with all the spice powders or a tiny bit of onion paste to increase the masala. The dish can be garnished with fried onions once cooked before serving.

Here is the recipe in pictures,

Wash and marinate the chicken in turmeric. Cut the onions and garlic and grate the ginger.
In a pan heat oil and add in the whole spices. Add the onions and saute till they become translucent.
Add the spice powders and mix. Add the chicken pieces and cover and cook.
Once the chicken is completely cooked open the lid and saute on low flame.
Turn off the heat when the desired consistency is reached.

Chicken Do Pyaza
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 lbs of chicken cut into bite sized pieces
2. 2 medium sized red onions sliced
3. 4-5 garlic chopped
4. 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
5. whole spices: star anise, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, cardamom (optional) and curry leaves
6. 2 tsp black pepper powder
7. 2 tsp turmeric powder
8. 2 tsp coriander powder or 3 tsp chicken masala powder
9. 1 tbsp onion powder (optional)
10. 2 tsp cumin powder
11. 2 tsp red chili powder
12. 4 slit green chilies
13. 1 tbsp oil
14. salt to taste

Method

1. Wash and clean the chicken, completely drain the water and marinate in some turmeric. Set aside.
2. In a wide mouthed pan add oil followed by the whole spices and let it saute for a minute or so.
3. Add in the chopped green chilies and the onions and saute till the onions turn nice and translucent.
4. Now add the garlic and grated ginger and saute for a minute more.
5. Add in the turmeric, coriander or chicken masala powder, cumin, pepper, onion and red chili powders.
6. Add in the chicken and mix it in well. Cook for about 8-10 minutes with a lid. At this stage the chicken should mostly be cooked and there should be a lot of liquid. Add more sliced onions at this point if needed. I did not.
7. Now open the lid, add in salt and continue till the desired consistency is reached, takes about 5-8 minutes. Garnish with fried onions if desired.
Serve with rice or any Indian bread.

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