Flatbread

Makes 4 medium pieces

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 25g butter
• 90 ml  milk
• oil, for shallow frying

Procedure:

1. Combine the flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Heat the butter and milk on low heat until the butter is completely melted.
3. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the milk into the middle. Start bringing in the flour from the sides.
4. Once all the flour is incorporated, you should have a soft dough. Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes on a floured surface until the dough is stretchy.
5. Wrap the dough in glad wrap and let it rest for at least half an hour. The dough can be stored at room temperature in this state for up to 2 days (provided the weather is reasonably cool).
6. Divide the dough into 6 balls. Roll out each ball on a floured surface as thin as possible.
7. Heat some oil in a large fry pan on medium-heat heat and fry each piece for about 40 seconds to 1 minute. It will start to bubble straight away and it's ready to flip when the edges are golden-looking and the centre looks less floury. The easy way to check is by simply lifting up the edge and peaking underneath.
8. The flatbread can be served hot with dips or stored for making wraps or pizza. They can be stored in clingwrap for a day or so.





For 6 medium pieces the measurements are:
or 4 large for kebabs (each dough ball weights 90g)

1.5 cups flour
135 ml milk
37g butter

Ricks Stein Chicken Chettinad

SERVES 4

For the spice blend

1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder


For the chicken
50ml vegetable oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
5cm piece cinnamon bark
1 tbsp very roughly chopped dagarful or an extra 3cm piece cinnamon stick
150g shallots, diced
Handful of curry leaves
700g skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 5cm pieces
20g/4 cloves garlic, finely crushed
20g/4cm ginger, finely grated
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
100ml water

Boiled basmati rice to serve

RECIPE NOTE

If using dagarful, sort through it and remove and discard any pieces of bark first.

Method

For the spice blend, put the spices in a spice grinder and process to a powder.
For the chicken, heat the oil in a sturdy frying pan or karahi over a medium heat, add the fennel, cinnamon and dagarful and fry for 1 minute. Add the shallots and curry leaves and fry for 10 minutes until the shallots are softened and golden. Add the chicken and stir around for 1-2 minutes, then stir in the garlic, ginger, sugar, salt and all of the spice blend, and fry for 2 minutes. Add the water, and cook for about 10–15 minutes, stirring often and adding more splashes of water if needed to stop it sticking to the pan, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thick and reduced and clinging to the chicken. Serve with boiled rice.

Achari Chana Pulao

Achari Chana Pulao/ Achari Chole Pulao or Pickle spiced chickpea rice is a brilliant twist in bringing out the pickle flavour in the rice and channa (chickpea) cooked together spiced with achar (pickle). Chana or the Chickpeas or Kabuli Chana when cooked, taste extremely good, is nutritious and a healthy option. This rice based preparation is tangy, highly aromatic and pickle flavoured pulao that most of us can't resist without.

Ingredients:

Chickpeas, soaked overnight and boiled - 1 cup
Oil - 2 tbsp
Rice - 2 cups
Onion, finely sliced - 1 big
Green chilies (slit) - 4-5 nos
Bay leaves - 2-3 nos
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Kalonji seeds (onion seeds) - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - ½ tsp
Garam masala, freshly ground - 2 tbsp
Hing - a pinch
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Haldi powder - ¼ tsp
Mustard powder - 1 tsp
Chili powder - 2 tsp
Mango pickle - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Mint leaves - few
Coriander leaves, finely chopped - few

Method:

Take a pan and add some ghee. When the ghee gets hot, add bay leaves, mustard seeds and when they crackle, add fennel seeds, kalonji, cumin , fenugreek seeds and fry till you get a nice aroma lingering around the room. Add coarsely crushed garam masala, sliced onions and sauté the onions are transparent. Add salt, green chillies, hing, turmeric, ginger garlic paste, cook well until the raw flavours are gone. Add garbanzo beans and cook in this masala.

In a separate bowl take some yogurt, add mustard powder, coriander powder, chilli pd, mango achaar and mix well. Mix this yogurt spice into the channa masala and mix well. Add the soaked basmati rice (soak rice for at least 1-2 hours and drain the water off). Spread the rice evenly over the channa masala and pour about 4 cups of water for 2 cups of rice and add salt, finely chopped mint leaves and coriander. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over slow flame till the rice is cooked and done. Once done, serve piping hot.

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