Hello Fall! Welcome to this time of the year where we crave for cozy curries and soups. Today I am sharing with you one such recipe which has been a recent family favorite, Afghani Chicken Curry!

Afghani chicken curry & kebabs are popular Middle Eastern dishes which are been spoken about a lot by friends n family back in India. It gained a lot of attention in my hometown mainly because of the influence Gulf countries have on the state Kerala due its large working-class presence, and the many Arabic restaurants in the state serving these dishes.

If you have ever tried Afghani chicken curry at restaurants, the first memories which comes to you is the rich taste of the curry. A combination of cream, yogurt, ghee and cashew nuts, makes for its rich and mildly spiced gravy. The dish requires minimal prep work unlike Indian curries; no onion sauteing (which takes forever to brown, I know!), just put everything in a blender, blend to prepare the marinade, and marinate the chicken in it. Pan fry to brown the chicken on both sides, and finally simmer it in the reserved marinade for the final touch. The taste of the dish is well-balanced with, chicken which is unbelievably moist, juicy and delicious, and a velvety gravy.

This recipe has been adapted by referring various sites as I was unable to find its authentic version, and includes my own modifications. My family and friends have enjoyed this dish a lot, and I’m equally happy that it turned out well.

Afghani chicken goes best with Naan, Chapathi, Malabar Porotta, or any bread of your choice. You can also serve it with rice which tastes pretty good too.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

Interested in other Middle East / Arabic recipes? Check these out;

1. Hummus
2. Roasted Chickpeas Hummus Wrap
3. Beetroot Hummus
4. Mediterranean Chicken Pita Wrap

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

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Afghani Chicken Curry

Afghani Chicken Curry … Creamy, Rich, and Delicious! A comfortingly delicious dish made with simple pantry ingredients, and a definite crowd pleaser.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Arabic, Mediterranean

Keyword afghani chicken, arabic, chicken curry

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken pref. bone-in
• 1 medium sized onion (roughly chopped)
• 6 garlic pods
• 1 inch sized ginger piece
• 3 green chilies
• One big handful of cilantro
• 7 cashews (soaked in warm water for 15mins)
• ½ of a lemon’s juice
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp ghee/unsalted butter
• ½ cup yogurt
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• Salt (as required)
• Oil (as required)
• ¾ cup water

Instructions

• In a blender, prepare the marinade into a smooth base by grinding together onion, garlic, ginger, green chilies, cilantro, soaked cashews (discard water), lemon juice, kasuri methi, garam masala, pepper, ghee, yogurt, and salt. Add heavy whipping cream and mix well.
• Marinate the chicken in the prepared marinade for 6-8 hrs, preferably overnight for the flavors to blend well.
• Heat oil in a pan on a medium flame, to panfry the chicken. Prior to placing the chicken in the pan, squeeze out the juices of the marinade from the chicken and reserve it. Panfry the chicken on both sides until you start seeing brown spots.
• Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a plate and add the reserved marinade back to the pan along with bay leaves.
• Allow it to cook on a medium flame and once it has boiled for 2 mins, add the cooked chicken and water. Check for the seasoning, close the lid and allow it to cook on a low flame for 15 mins.
• Open the lid and give it a final stir, top with cilantro leaves. Serve with Naan, roti or Rice.

The post Afghani Chicken Curry appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Butter Chicken is one of the most popular Indian curries favored by people around the world. This mildly spiced creamy chicken curry is well suited for any occasions and served in all kinds of eateries; right from roadside dhabas to top end restaurants!

Being an exotic dish, preparing butter chicken is always an exciting cooking experience in my kitchen. The core ingredients which make this recipe stand out are; a generous portion of garam masala which lifts the masala flavors, and the use of Kashmiri chili powder which provides color and adequate heat, not making it too spicy either. I have modified the recipe slightly from the traditional take, but trust me… it doesn’t compromise the taste.

Tomatoes / Tomato puree: The creamy tomato-based sauce is another highlight of this recipe, and to prepare it I personally prefer to use tomato puree. You could instead make your own with medium sized ripe tomatoes, sautéed with onions, and then ground to make the thick sauce. One last extra step would be to then sieve the sauce through a strainer to make it silky smooth.

Serve this butter chicken with naan, roti (any flatbread), or rice, to make a perfect weeknight meal!

Interested in other Chicken Curry recipes? Check these out;

1. Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
2. Mughlai Chicken Curry
3. Pepper Chicken
4. Chicken Stew
5. Chicken Ularthiyathu / Dry Roasted Chicken

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

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Butter Chicken

Creamy, Luscious Restaurant Style Butter Chicken / Murgh Makhani in a delectable silky sauce, perfect to go with Naan, Roti, or Rice

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword butter chicken, chicken curry, indian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the marination

• 1.5 lb chicken (pref. boneless, cut into small pieces)
• 1 tbsp kashmiri chili powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• Salt (as required)

For the gravy

• 2-3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large onion (cut into small cubes)
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ inch sized ginger
• 15 oz can tomato puree (check notes)
• 1 tbsp kashmiri powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves, crushed)
• 1 cup milk cream
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 cup water
• Oil (as required)
• Salt (as required)
• Cilantro leaves (chopped, garnish)

Instructions

• For the marination: Marinate chicken with the ingredients listed under marination for 30 minutes.
• Cook chicken: Pan fry chicken on both sides in little oil until they are tender.
• Prepare the gravy: Into the same pan, add 1-2 tbsp butter and when it starts melting, add onion, ginger, garlic and pinch of salt. Sauté until they turn translucent.
• Add the tomato puree and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Follow by adding kashmiri chili powder, garam masala and sauté for another 2 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool completely. Once cooled, blend into a fine paste.
• Pour the blended mix back into the pan and stir in low flame for 2 minutes.
• Add water and allow it to boil by closing the lid. Once the gravy starts boiling, add the cooked chicken pieces and mix well.
• Add milk cream, dried fenugreek leaves (crushed between your palm), and sugar. Stir and allow the gravy to bubble up in a low flame.
• Once the gravy starts boiling, simmer it for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and garnish with cilantro leaves. Top with 1 tbsp butter, cover the pan, and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
• Serve with naan, chapathi or rice.

Notes

1. You can use fresh tomatoes instead of tomato puree; saute 4 tomatoes along with onions, then grind it into a thick paste, and finally sieve to make a fine silky-smooth paste.
2. Adjust the spice levels of this dish to your choice by adding regular chili powder instead of Kashmiri chili powder.

The post Butter Chicken appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Food is a great medium to understand culture. It brings people, nations, and their traditions together. Even when language is a barrier, food makes it easy to communicate. With just the first bite, it brings back memories, evoke emotions, and just like any other Kerala recipe, this dish is also dear to me as it is for many Malayalees around the world.

Kerala is a state blessed with plenty of coconut trees, and so naturally coconut is an integral part of its food. Be it curries, stir fries, even sweet and savory breakfasts, we love to add coconut in everything for that matter, to give the extra kick and flavor. This dish is one among the popular recipes from Kerala, which transforms a simple chicken curry into a mouthwatering variation with a rich delectable sauce made with coconut milk.

The curry is not as light as the Kerala Style Chicken Stew, but leans towards a creamy masala gravy while not overpowering with spices. And because of that, it makes a great combination with Kerala breakfast sides like Appam and Idiyappam, or even with steamed rice, roti, or naan. And leftovers if any can be refrigerated in an air tight container for upto two days. Straight from my Amma’s kitchen, this dish always turns out to be a hit when the recipe is followed to the tee.

Do try out this recipe and lemme know how it turns out in the comment section below.

Interested in other Kerala style chicken curry / roast recipes? Check these out:

1. Chicken Ularthiyathu / Dry Roasted Chicken
2. Pepper Chicken
3. Chicken Stew
4. Appam (which makes a great combination with this chicken curry)

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag @pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

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Kerala Style Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk

Rich n Juicy Chickencooked in an Aromatic Creamy Gravy! This Kerala Style Chicken Curry with CoconutMilk is a Foolproof Keeper and every Malayalee’s favorite …!!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, Kerala

Keyword chicken curry with coconut milk, kerala chicken curry

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the marinade

• 2 lb chicken (bone – in preferred)
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp pepper powder
• Salt (as required)

For the gravy

• 2 large onion (thinly sliced)
• 2-3 green chilies (slit)
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tomatoes (medium sized, cubed)
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ¾ cup thin coconut milk
• ½ cup thick coconut milk
• ½ tsp pepper powder
• 2 sprigs of curry leaves
• ½ cup water
• Salt (as required)
• Oil (as required)

Instructions

• To marinate chicken: Marinate the chicken with garam masala, pepper powder, turmeric powder and salt, set aside for 15 - 30 mins.
• To prepare masala: Heat oil in a pan on medium heat and add sliced onions, one sprig of curry leaves, green chilies and pinch of salt. Sauté until onions are caramelized slightly. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell disappears.
• Follow by adding tomatoes and sauté until they turn mushy. Reduce the heat to low and add the spice powders; chili, turmeric, coriander and garam masala. Sauté for another 2 minutes.
• Add the marinated chicken and mix well with the masala. Place the lid and cook on a medium flame for 3 mins.
• Open the lid and add ½ cup water, allow the curry to boil. Check for the seasoning.
• Adding coconut milk: Once the curry starts boiling, add thin coconut milk. Allow the chicken to cook in it for 10-15 minutes. Stir in between while cooking.
• Add pepper powder and mix well. Once the chicken is cooked and the gravy is slightly reduced, bring the flame to a low and add thick coconut milk. Allow the curry to heat up a bit, but ensure not to boil the curry once thick coconut milk has been added. Check for the seasoning.
• Garnish: Top with curry leaves and mix well. Place the lid, turn off the flame and allow it to sit for 15 mins.
• Serve: Serve hot. The curry goes well with Appam (hoppers), Idiyappam (string hoppers), Puttu, Steamed Rice or Roti / Naan.

Notes

1. You can adjust the heat of the curry according to your spice levels, by varying the quantity of chilli powder and green chilies used.
2. Usage of coconut oil is recommended for all authentic Kerala recipes.

The post Kerala Style Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Indian cuisine is predominantly known for its wide variety of dishes and tastes across its length and breadth, with each of its 29 states having their own cuisines, and Mughlai cuisine holds one among the top position in Indian food. The cuisine was developed by the people of the Mughal Empire but has had a very significant influence in Indian cooking with its popularity in the Northern parts of India & Pakistan, and also in Hyderabad.

My memories of this dish go back to those beautiful days at Hyderabad, It was from Sahib Sindh Sultan, the famous “train themed restaurant” where we tasted the royal “Murgh Mughlai”.

The Mughlai dishes vary from mild to spicy, their curries being exquisite, rich and loaded with nuts, cream, spices and curry powders, all in a perfect balance of flavours. Their recipes include lamb, chicken, pulao, vegetarian dishes and even desserts. Mughlai dishes are prepared for special occasions, and also served in upscale restaurants as the dish of the emperors. Some of their famous dishes include Mughlai Biriyani, Kadhai gosht, Kebabs, Shahi Tukra and a lot more.

Enjoy the Royal feast..!!!

Interested in other Chicken Curry recipes? Check these out;

• Butter Chicken
• Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk
• Pepper Chicken 
• Dry Roasted Chicken / Nadan Chicken Ularthiyathu
• Chicken Stew

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare.

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Mughlai Chicken Curry

Treat yourself to the royal taste of the Mughals with this Mughlai Chicken Curry… Creamy & Rich, loaded with Nuts and Spices.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword chicken curry, mughlai, mughlai chicken curry

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Akhila

Ingredients

To marinate chicken

• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt (as required)

For the curry

• 10 cashews (soaked in water)
• 1.5 lb chicken (cleaned and cut, bone-in preferred)
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½ inch sized ginger
• 2 green chilies (slit)
• 2 medium sized onion (roughly sliced)
• 1 to mato (roughly chopped)
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp chili powder
• Spices: cardamom (2), cloves (2), bay leaf (1), cinnamon (1 inch stick)
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• Ghee/butter/oil (as required)
• ¼ cup milk cream
• Salt (as required)
• ½ cup water (plus more)

Instructions

• Marination: Marinate chicken in turmeric powder, garam masala and salt for 30 mins.
• Cashew Paste: Soak cashews in warm water, and grind them together into a fine paste by adding little water.
• Making gravy paste: Heat a heavy bottomed pan with a little oil and add ginger, garlic and green chilis, saute until they are fragrant. Add sliced onions and saute until they are translucent and slightly browned. Add turmeric powder, chili powder and coriander powder, saute for 2 mins.
• Followed by adding tomato, saute until they turn mushy.
• Allow this mix to cool completely, grind it into a smooth paste by adding little water.
• For the curry: Into the same pan, heat ghee/butter/oil, add spices; cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and cumin seeds; saute until they are fragrant. Add the grinded onion tomato paste and saute for 2 mins.
• Add marinated chicken pieces, mix well with the paste and cook for 2 mins. Followed by adding cashew paste along with little water (1/2 cup), stir and mix well. Check for the seasoning, cover and cook the chicken for 10-15 minutes on low flame by stirring occasionally until the gravy starts thickening and chicken is cooked.
• Top with the milk cream, mix well and check for the seasoning.
• Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro leaves and slivered almonds.

The post Mughlai Chicken Curry appeared first on Pepper Delight.