Kheema Bhindi ( Okra Stuffed with Spicy Chicken Mince ) (Ramadan Special)

The holy month of Ramadan has commenced and the hogging fever has kicked in with full frenzy. Looking at the luscious photographs on social media, I cannot help feeling nostalgic about my Hyderabad days. Haleem and Biryani topped the list as did a plethora of butter/ghee dripping chicken dishes. But having crossed the threshold of thirty, one needs to deal with the stark reality of a slower metabolism. The days of carefree hogging have been left behind and a smart diet is now my prime focus area.

I have always admired the Bengali diet which makes it a point to include veggies and greens even when there is a yummy fish curry or mutton curry on the plate. Since any given person can only eat a certain volume of food, including vegetables reduces the amount of animal protein/fat consumed and hereby the overall calories consumed. Plus one gets a lot of fiber ( it adds bulk and signals the brain that one is full ) and vitamins too. Of course, a lot depends on the preparation method too. For example, lightly sauteing the vegetables or grilling them adds lower calories than what would be added if one curried the same set of vegetables. I will be doing a complete blog post on 'healthy eating' in the near future so watch out this space.

Getting back to the 'Kheema Bhindi' that I prepared as a part of the Ramadan Series, it can be served as a delicious and slightly more healthy starter as compared to the Kheema samosas or the Kheema pops. Okra being a highly fibrous vegetable helps in alleviating constipation, a common complaint when people gorge on oily and meaty dishes. Plus, it is all too easy to cook. For this preparation, pick ones that are tender  and large enough to hold a good portion of the kheema.

Read on for the recipe -

For the Chicken Kheema -

• Minced Chicken - 200 gms
• 1/3 cup finely chopped tomatoes 
• 1 small onion
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder
• 1/5 tsp garam masala
• 3 tsp oil
• salt to taste

Others -

• 15-16 nos Okra
• 4-5 garlic flakes (thinly sliced)
• onion rings for garnishing
• lemon wedges for garnishing

Preparation - Grind the onion, garlic and ginger into a coarse paste.


Cooking - Heat 3 tsp oil in a pressure cooker.  Add the onion-ginger garlic  paste and saute till raw smell goes off.

Add the powdered masalas and saute for 1 min.

Add the chicken kheema and turn up the flame for 2-3 mins. Let it brown a bit.

Once it starts to stick to the bottom, add the chopped tomatoes. Stir fry till the tomatoes are somewhat mushy.

Add very little water, sprinkle salt and close the lid. Cook for 1 whistle.

Once steam has escaped, open the lid. Carefully remove 1-2 tsp of the oil that would have separated. This can be used later to pan fry the okra.

Put the kheema back on the flame and cook it a little more till it just dries out. Leave aside to cool down.

Wash the okras and pat dry. Put a slit along the length and remove the seeds. Stuff about 1 - 1 1/2 tsp kheema into each one.

Heat a pan. Add the oil that one had removed earlier from the kheema. Add the garlic flakes and fry till fragrant. Remove the garlic from the pan.

Place the okras carefully on the pan, sprinkle a tiny bit of salt over them and cook on medium to high flame till just done. The okras should retain a slight crunch.

Remove from the pan. Serve immediately.

Sticky Chicken Bites ( New year Special Collaboration with ADollpofthat and Potpourri)

It's new year eve and friends have gathered at your place for a drink. Since everyone is in a mood to party and chill, the focus is generally not on the food. Thus while one can say goodbye to an elaborate menu which can actually prove obstructive to all that partying, finger foods are definitely high on everyone's list. Providing something to munch on along with the drinks and in between while shaking a leg to some peppy chart-busters is what a host should be doing.

But since it is that time of the year when everyone wants a break and long hours in the kitchen seem irksome even for most of the hosts, I am sharing this simple chicken starters recipe that is easy, quick and definitely lick-worthy. Got this recipe from rasamalaysia.com and give it a simple twist. Read on for my version -

(Don't forget to scroll down and check the White Sauce - Chick-o-cheese Croquettes with Tandoori Dipping Sauce and Orange and honey chicken recipes from my very talented blogger friends Parinaaz and Saswati for the New Year's Collaboration !)

Preparation Time - 25 -30 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup chicken cubes
• oil for deep frying
• 1 tsp chili flakes 
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tsp demerara sugar

For batter -

• 1 egg white
• 3 tbsp maida
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tsp oil
• 2 pinch baking powder
• salt to taste
• 1/3 cup cold water to add to the batter

For the sticky sauce -

• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp vinegar
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 2 tsp honey

Preparation - Take all the ingredients mentioned under 'for batter' into a mixing bowl. Beat it lightly to get a smooth batter without lumps.

Wash and dry the chicken pieces using a paper towel. 

Take all the ingredients mentioned under sticky sauce (except for garlic) into a cup. Mix well.

Cooking - Heat sufficient oil for deep frying small batches of chicken.

Take each chicken piece, dip into the batter coating it on all sides and add to the hot oil. Fry on medium high flame for 3 mins max till a golden color develops. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Take 2 tsp oil in another skillet. Add the chopped garlic and chili flakes. Fry till garlic is golden. 

Add the sauce and allow it to thicken. Drop in the fried chicken bits. Toss on high for a minute or two.

Finally drizzle with sesame seeds and demerara sugar.

Serve immediately.

Note - One can also opt for coarsely ground peppercorn instead of chili flakes.

Some more fabulous recipes -

White Sauce - Chick-o-cheese Croquettes with Tandoori Dipping Sauce

Click here for recipe link !!




Orange and Honey Chicken

Blog link Here . Recipe link to be updated in a while !!

Chicken 65

Chicken 65 is perhaps one of the most loved chicken dishes ordered as a starter. Both my South Indian and North Indian friends like it equally. Not to mention any foreigners that I have come across. Spicy and tangy this one is bound to have you asking for seconds.

Among all the stories that abound of its origin, I believe the one that says ' It was the 65th item on the menu of restaurant in Chennai and that the year was also 1965. Hence the name stuck' . However my husband believes that it is made from chickens who are 65 days old. Another version has it that 65 ingredients go into the making of this dish. But even if I tried i could not go anywhere beyond 35 ( had even started imagining some exotic spices by then ). Stories apart, even the flavor changes from region to region and restaurant to restaurant. The best I have ever sampled came from a modest place called 'Dhawat' in Hyderabad.

While it is usually distinguished by its fiery red color, I chose to omit food coloring and went with Kashmiri red chillis. These are a natural coloring agent and have been used since long time in Indian cooking. Read on for my version :

Preparation Time - 30 mins ( Plus 2 hours for marination )

Ingredients -
For the marinade - 200 gm chicken breast (use thigh if you prefer), 1 egg white, 1 tsp GG paste, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/3 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, juice of half lime or 1 1/2 tsp lime juice, 1 tsp corn flour, 1 tsp maida/all-purpose flour, salt to taste.

For the saute - 1 tbsp chopped garlic, 10-11 cashews, 3-4 dry Kashmiri chillis (or use any other medium spicy one), 2 sprigs curry leaves, 3-4 green chilli (seeded and slitted), 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, 2 tsp tomato sauce.

For the paste - 1 tsp cornflour, 3 tbsp yogurt, 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder, salt to taste. (Add a few drops of red color is using)

Oil for deep frying.

Preparation - Cut the Chicken into small pieces ( 3 cm X 2 cm X 1 cm ). Wash and pat dry with paper towel.
Whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade. Add chicken pieces and mix.
Keep aside for 2 hours.

Whisk together all the ingredients for the paste. Add a little water to thin if required.

Cooking - Heat sufficient oil in a wok. Bring up the flame. Once it reaches the right temperature, add 6-7 marinated pieces and lower the flame. Fry with regular stirring so that it gets cooked uniformly. Once done ( 3 mins or less ), remove and keep aside.

Add another batch of chicken and repeat. Fry all the remaining chicken in the same manner.

Heat another wok. Add 2 tsp oil to it.

Add the cashews, fry for 30 seconds and remove from wok.

Add the green and red chillis along with curry leaves. Then add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.

Add the yogurt paste and saute for 1-2 minute.

Add the fried chicken pieces and saute on medium to high till all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from flame.

Garnish with the chopped coriander and fried cashews. Serve hot as a starter or side.

Mustard garlic chicken

Cost of preparation: 40-45 rupees
Cooking Time Required: 15-20 mins

Ingredients: Chicken pieces ( 250 gm ), onion ( one small, optional ), garlic ( 15-17 pods), mustard powder ( 1 tsp ), curd ( 1 tsp ), ginger garlic paste ( 1 tsp ), tomato sauce ( 2 tsp ), chilli powder ( 1 tsp ), asafoetida ( 1/2 tsp ), turmeric ( 1/4 tsp ), salt, oil ( 3-4 tsp ).

Preparation: Cut the chicken into even sized pieces, wash and add salt, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste , mustard powder, curd and chilli powder. Allow to marinate for 4-5 hours.

Mince the garlic and onion.

Cooking: Heat a wok. Pour in the oil. Add the minced onion and garlic. Stir fry for 1 min.

Add the marinated chicken pieces. Stir at regular intervals. Cook uncovered till the chicken is almost done.

Add the tomato sauce . Stir for a minute or two.

Dissolve the asafoetida in 2-3 tbs water. Sprinkle half of it over the chicken. Remove from the wok after 2 minutes.

Serve with tomato sauce and mint chutney.


Mint chutney preparation : Grind 2 bunches of corianader leaves, 1 inch tamarind, 3-4 garlic cloves, green chutney and salt along with 2-3 tbs water.

I am sending this recipe to Dr Sameena's 'Chicken Recipe Event'.