eu zusht mane...eat then haga!

pilau also Pilaf, or alternatively polao, pilau, pulao or plov

There are many special dishes, some time they are national or regional. Ilsha Khichuri, Morog polao, kacchi birwani are famous

Chicken Tikka Chasni

Follow a regular Chicken Curry recipe.

When adding all the spices, along with the spices, add these items except the Lemon Juice in it as well before adding the washed Chicken pieces into the pot.

1. 1/4 cup Mango Chutney (depends on you if you want sweet or spicy)

2. 1/2 cup Tomato Ketchup/Catsup

3. 1/4 cup Lemon Juice (use this only to marinate the Chicken pieces, 1 hour is good).

4. 1/2 cup Mint (Don't use fresh Mint, use Jarred Mint Chutney, it's easier, but if you prefer using fresh Mint, make sure it's the leaves only and it's blended in a smooth paste like an Aioli.)

My mother's Chicken Curry recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds of washed Chicken meat or pieces feeds 3-4 people, depends on your food intake.

SPICE MIX FOR CHICKEN CURRY

1/2 tablespoon Turmeric Powder

1/2 tablespoon Cumin Powder

1/2 tablespoon Coriander Powder

1/4 tablespoon Chili Powder

1/4 tablespoon Garam Masala

STAPLES:

1 cup raw Onion cut, minced would be nice, blended would be nicer

2 tablespoon of minced Garlic, blended Garlic is even nicer

2 tablespoon of minced Ginger, blended Ginger is even nicer

IF YOU WANT MORE FLAVOR, YOU CAN ADD THESE ITEMS:

2 sticks of Cinnamon sticks

2 pieces of dry Bay Leaves

5 pieces of crushed or opened Cardamom pod with seed

5 pieces of Cloves

5 pieces of whole Black pepper

Also, Corn Oil, Safflower Oil, Olive Oil, Canola Oil, Vegetable Oil, Edible Mustard Oil or whichever Edible Oil that you can actually cook with. You can also use Ghee (Clarified Butter).

3 Cups of Water for saucy-ness.

Before you start cooking, submerge the cut Chicken pieces into a bowl with the lemon juice for an hour for best taste.

After 45 minutes start cooking, because preparation might take 15 minutes and by that time you would want to wash up the Chicken and add it into your pot full of curry sauce.

In a pot, add 1 cup of cooking oil. Make sure pot is big enough to fit two pounds of Chicken in. A nice big deep dish skillet would be nice and flexible to work with; even a Wok would be nice.

1 minute later, add the onion, garlic, and ginger in the pot with the cooking oil. 1 minute later, with a long wooden spoon about 1 foot long, play around with the onion, garlic, and ginger, because you don't want them to turn dark brown, but golden brown. Your target is to make it golden brown.

Then, add salt to taste. My mother always measures in her salt (not Kosher Salt), but without Iodine, about 1/2 tablespoons in measurement. Depends on you, maybe you eat less salt, who knows. Say that the curry came out very salty to your taste, you can always add cubed potatoes in with a cup of water, simmer the curry for 15 minutes more, and the salty taste will go away.

After the salt is added to the golden brown sauteed onion, garlic, and ginger in the oiled pot, you can add all the spices one by one (turmeric, chili, cumin, coriander, and garam masala). With a wooden spoon sautee the items so that it doesn't burn or turn black, you don't want that. Once it turns black, you can't go back to freshness, unless you throw out the whole thing and start all over again. You don't want to do that. Just keep patience and steady.

Add the other ingredients such as Cardamom Seeds and Pods, Cloves, whole Black pepper, Cinnamon sticks, and Bay Leaves in. Only for extra flavor, you can add them, you don't have to. You don't have to because Garam Masala has these ingredients already, but then again, if you still want extra flavor and want your whole kitchen smelling ridiculously with the aroma of Indian spices.

Then, add the Mint, Mango Chutney, and Ketchup.

Sautee for a minute, add then add a cup of bottled or tap water into the mixture in the pot.

Again, sautee with the wooden spoon, playing with the curry sauce, around the pot, in the middle, make sure nothing sticks to the pan/pot.

1 minute later, add in the washed lemony cut Chicken pieces. Swirl the Chicken pieces around the pot, blending and mixing with the Curry sauce, until you see a simmering action going on.

After the Curry simmers, add in 2 more cups of water (hot or cold water doesn't matter as long as the water is either tap water or bottled water, whichever you prefer as long as it is sanitized).

Cook for a good 30 minutes, then if you see the sauce is simmering, with a wooden spoon sautee the Chicken with the Curry sauce and leave it for an additional 15 minutes.

If you feel that Chicken is edible or if it's at 165 degrees Fahrenheit, then Bon Appetit. Have a good meal with either Naan bread, Roti, Polao, White Rice, Parboiled Rice, Brown Rice, whatever Rice, up to you which you prefer.

Our family gathers with Jasmine Rice and Chicken Curry. Tastes so delicious!