Tag: chicken

Exploring Laos: Mastering Fried and Grilled Chicken

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A lot of people don’t realize that in Laos they make a mean fried chicken. It’s a speciality. They also make an amazing grilled chicken. While similar to the Thai, Gai Yang; which makes sense since they are neighbors. It’s got its own unique flavor, and uses copious amounts of black pepper. 

In Southeast Asia they grow some of the best black pepper anywhere. The most famous is the Kampot pepper from Cambodia. Almost destroyed during the Khmer Rouge regime, it is making a comeback and is well worth searching out. 

Ingredients: 

3 Tbsp Oyster Sauce 

2 Tbsp Fish sauce

2 Tbsp low sodium Soy sauce 

1 Lime, juiced 

4 cloves Garlic, pressed or grated. 

1 Tbsp coconut Sugar or Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp ground Black Pepper 

½ cup (35gms) finely chopped Cilantro/Coriander. Stems are fine too. 

3 lbs. (1.35kg) Chicken, 2 lbs if using boneless. I personally prefer boneless skinless thighs. 

Preparation:

Combine all your ingredients to create your marinade. Pour over the chicken and let it marinade for at least 24 hours. 

Shake off any excess marinade and grill over charcoal, or it also works well in the air fryer.

Garnish with cilantro/coriander, if desired. Serve with coconut rice. You can find this recipe in the blog.

Homemade Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

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Chicken Tikka Masala is probably one of the most popular dishes in most Indian restaurants. It’s actually not that challenging to make and your homemade will be better. The list of spices can be daunting, but you only need to buy them once and these spices are used frequently in many Indian dishes. They can be found in your local Indian grocery, or easily ordered online. I like to store mine in glass containers. If you want them to last even longer, then buy whole spices and grind them as needed. A dedicated coffee grinder is perfect for this.

Marinade for Chicken:

1½ lbs. (700 grams) Chicken, skinless boneless chicken thighs. 

1/4 cup (120 ml) Yogurt, plain 

2 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder, mildly hot, but more for color.

1 teaspoon Garam Masala 

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder

1 teaspoon Coriander powder

1 teaspoon Cumin powder 

1 teaspoon Salt

1 tablespoon Lemon juice

1 tablespoon Kasuri Methi aka dried Fenugreek leaves

1 tablespoon Oil

Onion, Garlic, Ginger Paste:

1½ cups (150 grams) Onions 

4-5 cloves Garlic 

2 inch piece of Ginger root, peeled 

Masala Sauce:

3 tablespoons Oil (or ghee)

1 teaspoon Salt

2 teaspoons Garam Masala

1 tablespoon Coriander powder

1 to 1½ teaspoon Cumin powder

1 to 2 teaspoons Sugar

1 1/2 cup tomato puree or blended Tomatoes. 

1/4 cup water, use as needed to keep from burning, but you don’t want it soupy. 

1 tablespoon Kasuri Methi aka dried Fenugreek leaves. 

For Garnish

3 tablespoons Coriander leaves/Cilantro (fine chopped)

Preparation:

Prepare your marinade mixture and allow the chicken pieces to marinade for at least a few hours.

Make your puree by adding the onion, garlic and ginger into a mini blender/ food processor. Grind it in stages until it’s a smooth paste. 

Sauté your onion, ginger garlic paste in 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil. Cook it until the harsh smell is gone. Then add your ground spices for the sauce and cook them gently until they smell fragrant.

Add your tomatoes and cook until the mixture thickens slightly.

Preheat your oven to 475°, and place your chicken into the oven for 8 to 9 minutes. Then use the broiler to sear it for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. You want to watch it carefully. 

Remove chicken from the oven and add into the thickened sauce along with the fenugreek leaves. Cook for a few minutes until the chicken is fully done. 

Finish with your chopped coriander/cilantro and serve with basmati rice and/or naan bread.