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Authentic tandoori chicken

Authentic tandoori chicken

Authentic tandoori chicken
Authentic tandoori chicken

Tandoori chicken is my favorite Indian food. Tandoori Chicken is named after the cylindrical clay oven in which the dish is traditionally prepared, called a tandoor, which commonly gets up to almost 500-degree F in temperature. Western chefs have had to modify the cooking method, either grilling or roasting the chicken. This recipe roasts the chicken in the oven and achieves fabulous results.

The secret to making juicy, tender and bursting Tandoori chicken are Greek yogurt and Garam Masala. The yogurt makes the chicken tender and moist while the Garam Masala gives the iconic aroma and flavors. Bake the marinated chicken in the oven at high heat (400 degrees F). The heat will seal in juice inside the chicken.

The long list of spices garlic, onion, ginger, paprika, turmeric, garam masala, cayenne pepper and juiced lemon in our tandoori chicken marinade, don’t feel intimidated! They are simply spices, no more difficult to utilize than any other common spice on your spice rack. The more Indian food you cook, the more familiar these will become to you.

The original Tandoori Chicken is usually quite spicy. Kashmiri chile powder is used to give it heat as well as give it it’s reddish hue. In my version, I used food coloring to create color, although paprika and turmeric create nice coloring as well.

  • 2 pounds chicken legs no skin (8 legs)
  • 2 cups greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon yellow food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon red food coloring
  • 1 lemon juiced

Clean the chicken

Add the rest of the ingredients to the chicken and mix well (I use a zipper bag and just sort of squish it all around).

Let marinade in the refrigerator for at LEAST 8 hours, preferably 24 hours.

Remove the majority of the marinade before cooking the chicken.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and cook on a sheet pan for 25-30 minutes.

Authentic tandoori chicken
Authentic tandoori chicken

Serve warm

Note:

  • If you don’t have an oven, preheat grill to get a surface temp of about 450. For a charcoal grill, ignite a chimney starter full of lump charcoal and burn until the edges of the coals look ashy, about 15 minutes. Clean and oil. Let rest at room temperature until grill is ready.
  • Place chicken legs on the grill. Arrange the chicken pieces skin side up over the cooler part of the grill.  You will want the meaty end towards your heat source to cook them through. Close the lid and smoke the chicken for 45 minutes. Turn the chicken every 10 -15 mins
  • Move the chicken to the hot side of the grill, and grill, uncovered, turning and moving the chicken regularly to manage flare-ups, until lightly charred on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes.
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Chicken Jollof pasta

Chicken Hot-dog Jollof pasta

For this chicken and hotdog jollof pasta, I cooked Elbow macaroni in a rich, flavorful and well-seasoned tomato stew made with chicken and hotdog. About twice a week, my mom makes this for my kids and the love it. This recipe of is crazy good and fun to make.

We all have Elbow macaroni in our pantry. The Elbow macaroni can be cooked on the stove on in the microwave until it is soft or “Al dente. Elbow macaroni can also be use for mac and cheese, pasta salad…

  • 1 chicken cut into pieces
  • 1 tablespoon ginger 
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 allspice
  • 3 tablespoon garlic
  • 3 thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cube
  • Salt

Marinate the chicken with the thymes, ginger, cloves, all spice, garlic, cube and salt overnight.

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 Sliced onion
  • 6 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
  • 2 tomatoes purée
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 cube
  • 4 hotdog in 2
  • 1 packet of pre-cooked macaroni (250g of elbow pasta)

Heat the Oil and sear the chicken. Remove and set aside.

Add the onion and fry for 4 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and tomato.

Stir soup and add remaining cube and the chicken, lower flame, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. 

Add the hotdog and cook for 2 min and add the macaroni. Salt to taste and cook for 1 min.

Serve warm.

Notes:

  • Because I use fresh tomato and canned tomato, I add a pinch of baking soda to balance out the acidity.
  • To cut down the cooking time, the chicken can be pressure cooked.
  • It’s really easy to make to precook the pasta. For a box of Elbow macaroni, bring approximately 6 liters of water to a boil and add salt. Once the water starts to boil add the Elbow macaroni [Follow the instruction on the box for the timing]. Put a lid on the pot and give some room for the steam to escape. Use a spoon to stir the noodles so they don’t clump together as they cook. Bring back to a boil and cook for 7 minutes [1 minutes less than the time indicated on the box, because the Elbow macaroni will cook further in the tomato sauce]. Drain the Elbow macaroni. I add a little oil to avoid that the noodle sticks together.
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Fried chicken drumsticks

Fried chicken drumsticks (orange brine)

10 chicken drumsticks

1 liter water plus ice

1 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves

1.5 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons ginger

1 tablespoons black pepper

1 bay leaves

The zest of 1 orange

The juice of 1 orange

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot. Stir until the sugar & salt dissolve. 

Add the chicken and Refrigerate for 16-24 hours.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place the chicken, one piece at a time, in the oil. The oil should cover the chicken pieces almost completely and it will bubble gently as the chicken cooks. 

Continue to fry the chicken until the skin is golden brown. The exact amount of time you’ll need depends on the temperature of the oil, but the aunties left their chicken in for about 15-20 minutes (a long time!) with the oil over lower heat. 

Remove from the oil and set on paper towels to drain excess oil. Repeat in small batches until all the chicken is fried.

Curly Fries

2 large potatoes

Vegetable oil, for deep frying

Kosher salt

For the potatoes: Spiralize the potatoes into fries and soak in water in a container for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Drain the fries and pat dry,

Heat about 3 inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat to 365 degrees F.

Cook the fries in batches until golden and crispy, about 2 minutes per batch. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

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No Buttermilk Skillet-Fried Chicken

No Buttermilk Skillet-Fried Chicken

2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoon salt

8 pieces chicken thigh

Wash and thoroughly dry chicken pieces and place in single layer in pan

Mix all the dry ingredients

Sprinkle flour over chicken in pan. Toss chicken to coat well in flour.

Heat up the oil in a cast iron pan and place chicken pieces, skin side down in hot oil.

Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until skin is pale golden brown. Turn chicken over and cook for 10 minutes on second side. Turn chicken pieces once more, reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook approximately 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken to paper towel lined plate and allow to drain for about 5 minutes.

Crispy Roasted Potatoes

2 pounds (1 kilo) white potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 tablespoons good quality olive oil or canola oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 200°C | 400°F. Lightly spray a baking sheet or tray with cooking oil spray.

Arrange the potatoes on the sheet in one layer, and add the oil and salt. Toss until the potatoes are well coated and seasoned.

Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, while flipping occasionally, until crisp and golden.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and season with a little extra salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over with parsley and serve immediately

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Powder Foufou recipe

Fufu (foofoo, fufuo, foufou or foutou)

The foufou (fufu or foutou) is usually obtained by pounding yam, cassava or boiled plantain. But I’m going to take a shortcut: the powdered foufou flour!

Fufu (Powder) is a white fermented carbohydrate food, produced from cassava, plantain, yam. Unlike the traditional product, which is in normally obtained in wet form and highly perishable, the mechanized product is presented in dried flour form. It’s a great substitute for the pounded fufu.

4 cups of fufu flour

6 cups of water, everything depends on the consistency you want

Boil 2 cups of water and add the mixture

Cook until the liquid turns into a paste.

Test: wet your hand and touch the dough … if it sticks to your fingers, cover and cook longer.

As soon as it is cooked remove from the heat and put in a ball.

Foufoui dessi or “sauce (white) of foufou”

1 chicken (1 onions, 6 cloves of garlic, 1 ginger teaspoon, 1 bouillon cube, 2 cloves, 2 allspice)

Smoked fish

Vegetables (okra, eggplant, tomatoes, green pepper)

Salt and pepper

Put in a large saucepan the chicken cut into pieces with enough water to cover the meat, the bouillon cube and the seasoning. Bring to a boil and keep on the heat for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on whether the chicken is more or less hard).

Cut the aubergines in 2, the tomato …

Add the eggplant and okra

Add 4 teaspoon of foufou

Once the meat, eggplant and okra cooked add the tomato, chilli,fish. Cook for 10 minutes and season to taste

Serve with foufou

Enjoy your meal !

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Attiéké & Fried chicken

AttiékéAttiéké & Fried chicken

 

1 ball of Attiéké

1 or 2 large tomatoes

1 big onion

Salt to taste

1 cube Maggi (optional)

African pepper (optional)

Oil

Some water

Place Attiéké in a microwave-safe dish.

Add 1/2 cup of water and salt to Attiéké.

Allow the semolina to absorb all the water.

Microwave for 5 minutes (repeat by adding 1/4 of water until desired consistency)

Fried chicken

8 pieces of chicken with skin (wing or thigh)

240 ml vinegar (1 cup)

2 egg

250 g flour (2 cups)

2 teaspoons black pepper

3 teaspoons of salt

4 teaspoons of garlic powder

4 teaspoons of onion powder

1 teaspoon of paprika

Mix the vinegar with a liter of water and salt. Add the chicken and let rest for an hour.

Drain all the water

Beat the eggs 

In a large bowl, put the flour

Add salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika

Mix well

Dip the piece of chicken in the mixture with the egg

Roll it well in the flour so that it is well covered everywhere

Tap it to remove the excess

Repeat the soaking in the egg and then in the flour

Fry 12 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the pieces

Once a beautiful golden color is obtained, it’s perfect

Cut the fresh tomato, the African pepper, the fresh onion into thin cubes.

On a medium heat , in a saucepan, heat the oil and add the onion.Cook for 10 mins

Add tomatoes, cube taste and add salt if necessary.

Serve Attieke with the tomato mixture and the fish

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Yellow rice with shrimp and braised Chicken

Yellow rice with shrimp and braised Chicken

4 Tbsp butter 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 tsp turmeric 

1/4 tsp cumin 

1 tsp ginger 

2 cups uncooked long grain jasmine rice 

3 cups Water (or chicken broth)

2 cup cleaned shrimp

1 onion

1 cube

Salt to taste

Add the butter, onion, Shrimp, garlic, turmeric, cumin, cube and ginger to a medium sauce pot. Sauté over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, or just until the onion has softened.

Add the dry rice to the pot. Stir and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes to slightly toast the rice. You may hear a slight popping or crackling noise as the rice toasts.

Add the water and place a lid on top, increase the heat to high, and bring the pot to a rolling boil. As soon as it reaches a full boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer (with the lid in place) for 20 minutes.

After letting it simmer for 20 minutes, turn the heat off and let it rest (do not remove the lid) for an additional 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

 

For the chicken:

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp ginger

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 cup olive oil

1 cube

Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.

Combine the lemon juice, salt, pepper, ginger, garlic powder and olive oil. Whisk well. 

Marinate the chiken and refrigirate for 4 hours.

Cook for 20 minutes, uncovered. Lower oven temperature to 375F and cook for another 20-25 minutes, or until chicken reaches 160F.

For a crispier skin, broil chicken for a couple of minutes!

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Paprika-Yogurt Baked Chicken

Paprika-Yogurt Baked Chicken

1 chicken cut in pieces

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 Tbsp sweet paprika

1 cup plain yogurt 

4 Tbsp garlic

2 Tbsp ginger

1 teaspoon salt

Put pieces of the chicken in a zip-lock bags, and add the marinade. Zip closed and knead the bags until the chicken is well-coated with marinade. Open bags slightly, squeeze out most of the air, and zip closed again. Refrigerate 12-24 hours. If serving this for dinner, I usually make the marinade and start the chicken soaking the evening before.

Turn the bags and knead the marinating chicken once or twice while it’s in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to cook, take the chicken out of the refrigerator, line a large roasting pan with foil, lay a rack over the pan so air can circulate under the roasting chicken, and pre-heat your oven to 425. 

Once the oven is hot, put the pan with the chicken in the oven, and leave the door closed. Turn the chicken pieces once after 30 minutes of cooking time, then roast for another 25 to 30 minutes, or until slightly charred on the second side. Poke one with a skewer to make sure the juices run clear.

Remove the chicken to a warm platter and serve 

 

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Ivorian Alloco recipe and braised chicken

Ivorian Alloco recipe and braised chicken

Alloco (Aloco or Alloko) are Ivorian fried plantains. Alloco is also consumed in Benin, Nigeria (Dodo), Democratic Republic of Congo (Makemba), Togo (Amanda) and Ghana (Kelewele). The Alloco is served with crushed chilli, braised chicken, braised fish and boiled eggs. In Ivorian capital, the Alloco is sold in the Allocodrome.
Alloco (Aloco or Alloko) is a popular Ivorian dish made from fried plantains. Sliced plantains are sliced and fried in peanut oil. Some recipes include ginger, cayenne pepper, salt, onion, anise, clove or cinnamon. I used peanut oil but other uses palm oil. I served my alloco with braised chicken.

Some ripe plantains

A little salt

Oil for frying

Peel and cut the plantains into cubes.

Then salt the bananas.

Heat the oil in a large skillet and fry the plantain until each side is golden brown.

Remove and place them in a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

6 chicken legs

1/3 cup cilantro

1/3 cup fresh oregano

1/3 cup onions

4 garlic cloves

2 red hot chili pepper (or substitute with 1/2 a teaspoon of red pepper flakes)

3/4 cup oil

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp black pepper (or to taste)

1 cube

Bend all the spices together all of the ingredients and set aside.

Place the chicken legs in a medium bowl, add the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least several hours, or better yet, overnight and up to 24 hours.

Preheat the grill to 300F at the grate level. Basically, the grill should not be very hot.

Grill chicken legs over direct heat, flipping frequently, about every 3 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and internal temperature has reached a minim of 165F.

Let the chicken rest for 3 minutes and serve with the alloco

 

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Fried Chicken Feet

Fried Chicken Feet

10 Chicken Feet

4 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon ginger

1 bouillon cube

Salt

Clean the chicken feet (remove claws)

 

Slow cook the chicken feet for about 1 hours in a little fat or lard until they feel soft and flexible to the touch.

Set fryer to 350°F and drop in the precooked and declawed feet. Be sure to keep fryer covered while the chicken feet give off any remaining water

Once golden brown, pull feet from the fryer and place in a mixing bowl or plate lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil.