Crispy Baked "Masala" Chicken

This is my take on a healthy version of Crispy Fried Chicken with a touch of Indian Spices. Baking yields the same crispness and the drumsticks are juicy on the inside just like the deep-fried ones but without the added calories.Definitely worth giving a try.

Ingredients:

• 8 pieces Chicken Drumsticks

For the Marinade:

• 1 cup Thick Yogurt
• 1/2 cup Buttermilk
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 tsp Chicken Masala Powder (Available @ Indian Stores. I used "Sakthi" Brand. Any Brand would do)
• 1 tsp Cracked Pepper
• 1 tsp Cumin Powder
• 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt or less
• 1/4 tsp Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Dried fenugreek leaves(Kasuri Methi), crushed

For Dredging/Coating:

• 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Cracked Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder/Cayenne Powder
• 1/2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves, crushed

Procedure:

• Remove the skin from the drumsticks.Make small slits with paring knife on the flesh.
• Mix all the ingredients under "For Marinade" and pour them into a big ziploc bag.
• Add the chicken pieces inside and let it sit in the refrigerator for atleast 4 hours. Overnight is better.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix all the ingredients under "For dredging/Coating" and spread it in a wide shallow pan.
• Coat/Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour and shake off the excess.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray the foil with oil.
• Arrange the chicken pieces on the tray and bake at the lower rack for ~40-45 minutes turning the chicken midway.

• Broil the drumsticks for 5 minutes for an extra crispy skin if desired.
• Serve warm.

Makes 8 Crispy drumsticks.

Enjoy!

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Leftover gets a Makeover-1: "Meatless" Ragu,"Circle of Love" Roti Pizza and Caption Contest

Well, this is for all the vegetarians who wonder what an authentic Ragu tastes like..what I mean is that this comes close enough. So what went into the making of this Meatless version? Those "Dhal" Fritters that I had made and posted about a couple of days ago.Yeah,the Fennel,spices and the Split Chickpea makes the Dhal Fritters a convincing stand-in for the "ground meat portion" of the Ragu.

Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Spaghetti - For 2 people
• Dhal Fritters - 6 #s, Crumbled(Recipe here)
• Kidney beans - 1/4 cup, cooked or canned
• Onion - 1/2, large, chopped
• Garlic - 3-4, small cloves, minced
• Tomato Basil n Garlic Sauce(Pasta Sauce) - 1 cup, Homemade or Store-bought
• Dry Red Wine(I used Sebastiani "Sonoma Country" Merlot) - 1/4 cup (Water can be substituted)
• Cracked Pepper and Salt  - for taste
• Olive Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

• In a skillet, heat the oil and add garlic and onion. Saute until onions are browned.
• Add the crumbled dhal fritters and the sauce.
• Bring it to a boil and just when its thickening add the red wine and let it simmer.
• Enjoy with Pasta.

Makes ~2 Servings

Enjoy!

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Fast Fusion Pizza

This is a pizza that uses Mexican Tortilla for base, Italian Pasta Sauce as pizza sauce and Indian Cottage cheese(Paneer) as one of the toppings. Taste-wise, I can think of only one thing - Utterly Yum! And it takes "Under" 15 minutes to make. Yup, you read that right dears.Not trying to fool you, what with this being Fool's day and all. And if you are a fan of thin crust pizza(Read New york Style) then you will certainly love this.Hey, I am not biased and I am equally fond of deep dish pizza(Chicago Style) and anything else that remotely resembles a pizza.This makes its way to "International Pizza Pie Incident" Party held at Jeroxie's space.

Ingredients:

• Tortilla - 2 (Wheat or Plain)
• Paneer - 1/2 cup, cubed and shallow-fried in a tbsp of oil
• Spinach - a handful
• Mozzarella Cheese - a handful, shredded
• Red Onion - 1/4, Cut into rings
• Garlic Powder - a dash
• Cumin Powder - a dash
• Salt for taste
• Pasta Sauce - 2 tbsp
• Olive Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
• In a skillet, warm the tortilla and place them one-over-other in an oven proof pizza-pan.
• In the same skillet, add a tbsp of olive oil, Wilt the spinach with garlic powder, cumin powder and little salt.Toss the onions real quick and set aside.
• Layer the top of tortilla with Pasta sauce, wilted spinach, paneer and onions.
• Top it with Mozzarella cheese and bake for 7-8 minutes,til, the cheese is melted and the edges of the crust begins to brown.

Makes 1 Serving

Note:

• Any Flat Bread can be used - Wheat Roti, Maida Roti, Pita. If using Pita, just use one.

Enjoy!

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