So, how’s your summer coming along? This crazy hot weather is painful, but still I am enjoying the sunshine days to the fullest with outdoor activities, barbecues, and summer drinks. The best thing about summer is being able to cook outside on your grill, having friends and family at your place, late nights parties, hearty conversations, laughter n joy… enjoying every moment to it’s best, till it lasts before fall arrives. Isn’t that just awesome?
Talking about grill parties, my first choice to cook would be definitely kebabs. They not only look and sound fancy but are one among my favorite dishes of the summer. Remind me of Chicken kebab… I’ll die for it! And this summer since my mint and cilantro plants from my vegetable garden have flourished and grown abundantly, I’ve decided to try my hands on a Green Chicken Kebab, fresh and organic as it can get.

Hariyali Chicken Kebab / Green Chicken Kebab is a famous North Indian delicacy which is gaining popularity all around the world. The dish is juicy and delicious, and you can actually taste mint and cilantro in it. The ease of preparation with minimal ingredients is it’s highlight, quite different from the usual Indian recipes. Of course, the key to a perfect juicy chicken is the right cooking temperature but sometimes the pre-preparations do matter in making your chicken delicious.

This recipe follows a two phase marination process, I know that sounds a lot but trust me it’s worth it. The first marinade is a simple lemon n pepper rub which allows the meat to breakdown, retain its moisture, and infuse the flavours into the chicken. This also helps the second marinade to be absorbed better along with its yogurt-oil base which results in a juicy dish. Coming to the duration of the marination, the longer the better, and if time permits I would recommend overnight. Follow the preparation as is, and you can stop worrying about all your common kebab nightmares.

Bonus: Did you know that you could use your kebab leftovers to make a delicious dinner? Refrigerate and later serve your kebab bites (shredded) as a filling in your roti / naan / tortilla rolls along with shredded cabbage drizzled with lemon juice, fresh tomatoes & cucumbers… a perfect and easy weeknight dinner!

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Green Chicken Kebab/Hariyali Chicken Kebab

Juicy n Tender Chicken Kebab flavored with Cilantro and Mint… a Mouth-Watering Appetizer for your Summer Grill Party…!! 

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Indian

Keyword kebab

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 cup cilantro leaves (+ extra for garnish)
• 1 cup mint leaves
• 3-4 green chilies
• 1 tbsp pepper
• ½ of a lemon squeezed
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp oil (plus extra)
• ½ cup yogurt (check notes)
• salt (as required)
• skewers
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• Lime wedges

Instructions

• Clean and slice the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Marinate with lemon juice, salt and pepper for 30 mins.
• In the meantime, prepare green paste by grinding cilantro leaves, mint leaves and green chilies to a fine paste.
• Pour it to a large bowl, add garam masala, ginger garlic paste and yogurt. Mix well and check seasoning.
• To the lemon marinated chicken, add the green paste and mix well. Allow the chicken to be marinated in it for 3-4 hours, preferably overnight in the refrigerator. If refrigerating, remove the chicken from the refrigerator an hour prior to grilling so as to bring it to room temperature.

Oven method

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil.
• If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 mins before grilling. Remove the wooden skewers from water and wipe it with a kitchen cloth.
• Apply some oil to the skewers which helps to slide the chicken easily after cooking. Shake excess marinade from the chicken and thread it into the skewers without crowding it. Baste with some oil using a brush and cook the chicken for 10 minutes by placing them in the middle of the oven rack. Halfway through the cook, flip the chicken and brush with some oil and cook for another 15 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 2-3 minutes until you see charred sides on the chicken. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165-degree F.
• Serve along with shredded cabbage drizzled in lemon and garnish with cilantro leaves. Squeeze lime juice before serving.

Pan Method

• You can pan fry the chicken by adding a little oil and cooking it on a medium flame for 10-15 mins until the chicken is fully cooked and lightly charred on the edges.

Notes

1. Adjust green chilies according to your spice level. You can also substitute green chilies with jalapenos.

2. You can substitute plain yogurt with greek yogurt.

The post Green Chicken Kebab / Hariyali Chicken Kebab appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Tandoori dishes are an Indian Delicacy. They are spicy, smoky, packed with a mix of versatile spices & cooked to perfection, making them always a Winner Dish!! The word “tandoori” is not the name of any dish; it’s in fact a method of cooking. Tandoori refers to traditional Indian style baking/cooking in a tandoor oven, which is a cylindrical shaped clay oven, fired with charcoal or wood and can reach temperatures up to 600 degree F.

The marinade for a tandoori masala is a mix of different spices including garam masala, along with yogurt and lemon juice. The main meat/protein ingredient should be marinated in it for a few hours to absorb the flavors and tenderize. It is then cooked vertically using skewers in a tandoor or horizontally on a grill. The fat and juices from the meat drip onto the hot coal creating a smoky environment perfect for a tandoori recipe. The cooked dish would have a charred coating, but the meat inside would be tender with a distinct aroma from the smoked spices. Tandoori recipes are considered as one of the healthiest foods as it is fat free. Originally, tandoori dishes were a delicacy found only in the royal kitchens with varieties like in naan, chicken, lamb, fish, paneer and vegetables. Down the years it started trickling to restaurants and onto the streets, in fact tandoori dishes gained its widespread popularity through street food stalls, night markets, bazaars, and dhabas. It has also gained immense popularity throughout the world and is a well sought-after dish in Indian restaurants globally.

Having a traditional clay oven at home is not easy, but you can still cook a wonderful tandoori dish in a conventional oven using the right spices and grilling/broiling methods. For this recipe, the Salmon is marinated in a homemade masala and is kept for a few hours (overnight preferably), cooked on both sides and finally broiled until it is charred and smoked on the surface. This dish tastes best with a bowl of basmati rice mixed with fried raisins and cashews, and cucumber yogurt raita. The sweetness and crunchiness from the raisins and cashews, along with the cooler cucumber raita, complement the smokiness and heat from the tandoori salmon, creating the perfect balance of flavors.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking!!!

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Tandoori Salmon with Rice and Cucumber Raita

Salmon in a Yogurt flavored Tandoori Masala… Served on a bed of Fragrant Basmati Rice and Cucumber Raita…! Healthy n Delicious Protein meal. 

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword salmon, tandoori salmon

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 16 minutes minutes

Total Time 31 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the Tandoori Salmon

• 6 salmon fillets
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp chili powder (add 1 tsp more if u like spicy)
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (crushed)
• ½ of lemon juice (squeezed)
• 3 tsp yogurt
• 1 tsp oil
• Salt (as required)

For the Rice

• 2 cup basmati rice
• 3 cups water
• Salt (as required)
• 1 tbsp ghee / butter
• ¼ cup cashews
• ¼ cup raisins
• Chopped fresh cilantro leaves (garnish)

For the Cucumber Raita

• 1 cucumber (peeled n chopped)
• 1½ cup yogurt
• Chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Salt (as required)

Instructions

For the Tandoori Salmon

• Marinate the salmon with ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin, garam masala, fenugreek leaves, lemon juice, yogurt and salt for 4-5 hours (or at least 2 hrs).
• Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and spray cooking oil.
• Line the marinated salmon on the tray and bake for 10 minutes in the oven. Then turn up the heat to a broil and cook for 5-6 minutes until it starts to char on the surface.

For the Rice

• Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes and drain the water completely. Cook the rice in water and salt till the water is completely absorbed. Keep aside.
• In a small pan, add ghee and fry cashews and raisins until they are golden. Add to the rice and fluff with a fork, garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.

For the Cucumber Raita

• Mix everything together and adjust seasoning.

Notes

1. Make sure to keep an eye on the salmon while broiling to prevent it from burning.

2. You can also prepare this recipe with a store bought tandoori masala from your local Indian/Asian grocery store/World Market, or prepare it at home yourself as per the instructions above.

3. The garam masala I have used has been bought from an Indian store (Sakthi garam masala). You can also use a homemade masala which is preferable.

The post Tandoori Salmon with Rice and Cucumber Raita appeared first on Pepper Delight.

“Super Quick Appetizers” – that’s a new mantra I’ve started to preach and I’m so excited to share this recipe, you guys are surely gonna love it! Grilled pineapple on skewers along with other veggies/meats is quite popular and commonly available across restaurants throughout the world. But this sweet version of pineapple with brown sugar and a glaze of cinnamon has become my favorite, and I’m so happy to have stumbled on to it.

My memories of a similar variant of this dish go all the way back to my Hyderabad days. It was our wedding treat which my husband hosted for his friends at Absolute Barbeque, a restaurant chain famous for its Indian Wish Grill buffet. Among all the spicy grilled meats & vegetables served, the waiter brought us a big metal skewer stacked with grilled pineapples; I was hesitant initially and quite apprehensive on how a sweet appetizer would taste. But right from the first slice, every bite of it was a revelation!! The acidity and sweetness from the pineapple, and the aromatic flavours of the cinnamon soothes your tongue from all the spicy food you ate so far, and gently resets and preps your appetite for the delicious food to be served ahead.

After leaving Hyderabad I totally forgot about this dish and last summer while planning for a barbeque party, my husband and I were thinking for something unique and all of a sudden he remembered this. Our first attempt was a huge success, everyone loved it. I did experiment this dish many times thereafter with varying oven temperatures; the more it caramelizes, the tender and juicier it becomes! The natural sweetness of pineapple along with brown sugar and the aroma of cinnamon make it a wonderful appetizer, a treat which both kids and adults enjoy.

You can also try out this recipe in an outdoor grill as well as in an oven, by following the cooking times properly. When grilling outdoors or broiling indoors, ensure to keep an eye as the pineapple can get burnt easily. These grilled pineapples can be served as appetizers, snacks or even as fruit dessert.

Do you guys have any other Pineapple grilling ideas? Lemme know in the comments section below.

Enjoy this Summer Grilling…!!

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Grilled Pineapple with Cinnamon and Brown Sugar

Tender, Juicy n Caramelized… Grilled Pineapple with Cinnamon and Brown Sugar…!! A Super Quick Appetizer to kick of your Party.  

Course Appetizer, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword grilled pineapple, summer

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 23 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 pineapple
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon

Instructions

• Peel and slice the pineapple into ¼ inch thick round steak slices. You can remove the core of the pineapple if you don’t like it.
• Mix cinnamon and brown sugar, and marinate the pineapple. Keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a grill pan or baking tray, arrange the marinated pineapple slices and bake for 15 minutes. Lightly brush or baste the left over marinade at regular intervals.
• Turn the heat to broil, bake each side for 2 minutes until it starts to caramelize. Keep an eye while broiling to prevent burning.
• You can also use an outdoor grill; baste and grill until you see caramelized grill marks on each side.
• Serve warm.

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