Chicken Pad Thai

Chicken Pad Thai

( Pad Thai has become a widespread staple food and is one of Thailand's National dishes. This can easily be a favorite for those who like subtle flavors in their food)

Ingredients : 1 chicken breast , 1/2 tbspn fish sauce , 1.5 tbspn soy sauce ,

1.5 tbspn brown sugar , 2 eggs , 8-10 sprigs of spring onion ,

3-4 cloves of garlic , salt to taste , 2 tbspn roasted unsalted crushed peanuts ,

1/2 tbspn chilly flakes , 2 tbspn , 2 tbspn sprouts . Thai Flat rice noodles

Procedure :

To make the thai sauce : Take 1 tbspn tamarind pulp and add little water to get a liquid consistency. Add brown sugar , 1/2 tbspn soy sauce and mix well.

Marinade small pieces of chicken in 1 tbspn soy sauce , 1 tbspn corn flour and salt to taste.

Boil a pot full of water and soak the flat rice noodles for about 5-7 minutes.

Make scrambled egg (Qty 2eggs) in a nonstick pot and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic , whites of the spring onion , sauté for a minute . Then add the marinated chicken and stir fry adding little water at a time . Add1/2 the Thai sauce to the chicken and mix well... Once the chicken is cooked , add the scrambled egg, cooked noodles , rest of the Thai sauce, crushed peanuts, sprouts and onion greens .

Serve hot with a garnish of crushed peanuts sprouts and lime wedge on top...

Variation : With the same procedure you can stir fry veggies of your choice to make a Vegetarian version of the same. You may add Tofu or just exclude egg to suit your preference.

Sesame Chicken

SESAME CHICKEN

A different take on the traditional way of making sesame chicken. Normally made unbreaded this one has a bread crumb coat that makes it crusty and delicious.

Ingredients :

1 chicken breast , 2 tbspn bread crumb , 2 cloves of garlic ,

1/4th tspn dry red chilly flakes , 3 tbspn dark soy sauce ,

1 tspn vinegar , 1 tspn grated ginger , Salt to taste ,

1/4th tspn toasted sesame seeds , 2 stems of spring onions chopped,

1 green chilly finely chopped. 1 tbspn corn starch.

Procedure :

Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes . Add Salt to taste , 1 tbspn soy sauce , dry red chilly flakes , mix well , and let marinate for 15-20 minutes. Heat a tbspn full of oil in a nonstick pan Coat the chicken with bread crumb and lay the chicken flat till you see the bottom browning. Cook for about 7-8 minutes turning the chicken from time to time for even cooking and browning. Once cooked set aside on a paper towel to get rid of excess oil.

Heat oil in a wok . Add chopped garlic and the white end of the spring onion finely chopped . Saute for a couple minutes . Add the corn starch and stir well. Add soy sauce , vinegar , 1/4th cup water or chicken stock and stir well. Add the grated ginger , green chillies , salt to taste and stir well. Let it come to a boil till the corn starch turns the sauce translucent. Once the sauce is cooked Add the chicken pieces and mix well. Place it in a serving bowl and garnish with roasted sesame and the green of the spring onion.

Chicken Tikka.

CHICKEN TIKKA

A delicacy in most of South Asia , is usually boneless and made in a clay based oven called "Tandoor". It can be served as a side or some love to relish as an Entree.

Ingredients : (serves 2 as a side)

1 chicken breast , Lemon Wedge and Cilantro / Coriander to garnish

For Marinade : 1 tbspn yogurt , 1/2 tspn grated ginger ,

2 cloves grated garlic , Salt to taste , 2-3 drops red food color ,

1/2 tspn Parampara Tandoori Chicken Masala,

1/2 tspn Everest Chicken Tikka Masala , 1 green chilly finely chopped.

Procedure :

Cut the chicken to bite size pieces and place them on a paper towel so that the excess moisture is absorbed.

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and coat the marinade all over. Cover and place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes so that the chicken absorbs all the flavors.

IN A PAN : Heat a nonstick pan on medium high heat and place the chicken pieces flat on the hot surface . Do not grease the pan at this time. Just cover the pan and let the chicken cook for about 3-4 minutes. This releases all the moisture in the marinade and the steam helps cook the chicken from inside. Remove the lid and turn the heat to high. This will let all the relelased moisture evaporate. Once all the moisture is gone drizzle about 2 tbspn oil all over. This prevents the pieces from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Let that side get the char and then turn the tikkas for browning. Serve hot with cilantro on top and lemon wedge on the side with a condiment of your choice.

IN AN OVEN : The other way to cook the tikkas is in the oven. Place them on a skewer in a preheated oven and let cook at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. Make sure you turn them from time to time so that they cook evenly.