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Indian BBQ Masala Chicken Recipe & Sainsburys Magazine Front Cover Feature

- monicasawhney 4 Comments

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Earlier this year, I was approached by the lovely people at Sainsburys Magazine in regards to a feature on spice inspired recipes for the Summer barbeque season for their July issue. I decided to write a recipe inspired from my Punjabi roots and created a Barbeque Masala Chicken recipe that is packed full of flavour and spice and is great cooked on the barbeque or on the grill. This recipe features a marinade made from yoghurt, fragrant Indian spices and pureed deep fried golden onion to add delicious depth. Sound like your kind of thing? Then, check out the recipe below. I also made a recipe for a simple yet satisfying Indian salsa made from radish and red onions which is refreshing and light and serves as a great accompaniment to the spicy masala chicken.

I am delighted to announce that my recipe was featured on the front cover of the magazine which I am thrilled about! The feature also included mouth watering recipes by last years Masterchef winner Shelina Permalloo, Private Chef and Indian food writer, Maunika Gowardhan and Persian food writer and Supper Club host, Sabrina Ghayour so be sure to grab yourself a copy of this month’s issue!

high res 2The sun is supposed to be making an appearance this weekend so all the more reason to haul out the BBQ and get grilling. Check out my recipe below and facebook or tweet me your thoughts.

Serves 4

What we need

For the Masala Chicken:
250ml vegetable oil for frying
1 onion, thinly sliced4 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1/2 lime
50g root ginger, peeled & grated
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled & grated
1 whole green chilli, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander
4 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp sea salt
4 skinless chicken breasts
For the Salsa:
200g radishes, finely sliced
1  small red onion, thinly sliced
2 large ripe vine tomatoes, finely diced
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
a small handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

How to:

1) Pour the oil into a wok so it’s 3-4 cms deep and heat. Deep fry the onions on a medium-high heat for 6/7 minutes or until they  turn golden brown. Turn off the heat and leave to cook until fully golden. Remove from oil using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Leave to cool.
2) Put the onions, olive oil, lime juice, ginger, garlic, green chilli, tomato puree and coriander into a food processor. Blitz until thick paste forms and transfer to a mixing bowl.
3) Stir in the yoghurt, paprika, turmeric, garam masala and sea salt.
4) Add the chicken breasts and turn in the marinade until well coated. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
5) Light the barbeque. For the salsa, put the radishes, tomatoes, onion, black pepper, lime juice and coriander in a bowl. Season with salt to taste and toss together.
6) Barbeque the chicken for 20-25 minutes, turning regularly, until cooked through. Serve with  the Indian salsa.

Spicy Potato and Mushroom Curry

- monicasawhney 9 Comments

This dish is perfect if you’re looking to cook something wholesome and nutritious but don’t want to sacrifice on flavour and taste! I love the combination of vegetables in this recipe-the meatiness of the mushrooms combined with the comforting potatoes marriages together wonderfully to create a delicious and satisfying dish. I’ve also added peas to add a little bit of colour and slight sweetness. The beauty of this recipe is that how customisable it is. If you’re not a huge fan of mushrooms, you can omit them (potatoes and peas is a very popular Punjabi dish!) or you can even replace with paneer.

I cooked this dish in a pressure cooker and it literally  took5 minutes. However, it can be cooked in  a normal pan too and this is the recipe I’ve written below for you.

With Autumn around the corner and the temperature dropping slightly, served with some hot chapatis, this dish is a great “warmer-upper”! Try it out and comment or tweet at me to let you know what you think @thespiceclub.

Serves 4

What we need:
3 tbsp olive oil
3 medium potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
250g button mushrooms, halved
1 cup peas
1 tsp cumin seeds
Pinch of asafoetida (optional)
1 tbsp ginger, grated
1 green chilli, finely chopped
2 tbsp yoghurt
3 plum tomatoes with 2 tbsp juice
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp paprika
1tbsp kasuri methi (optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Handful fresh coriander

How we do:

  • Heat the oil in a pan. Once hot, add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. When the seeds begin to sizzle add the ginger and chilli. Stir for 1-2 minutes until they begin to turn slightly golden. Now add the yoghurt and mix well.
  • Add the plum tomatoes and mash well. Add the salt, garam masala, paprika, turmeric, kasuri methi and fresh coriander and stir together. Cook on medium heat.
  • When the oil begins to separate, add the potatoes, mushrooms, peas and enough water to just cover the vegetables.
  • Bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and put the lid on.  Let it cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes become tender.
  • Best served with hot chappatis!

Vegetarian Shammy Kebabs

- monicasawhney 11 Comments


As much time has passed, I thought I would return with a mouth watering recipe in order to make up for the hiatus at blogging! This recipe is one that has been tried and tested at many family dinner parties and always go down a storm. Before you go on, I’d recommend that you take a peek here at unclutterer, because that’s where I found half the essentials I needed. Shammy kebabs are usually made with minced lamb and channa dal and although this recipe is a vegetarian twist to the traditional one, they are still meaty in texture and delicious! Let me know what you think and tweet a pic to @thespiceclub with your results!

Makes 12 kebabs

What we need:

½ cup channa dal lentils
½ cup soya granules
1 slice of white bread or 2 challah buns
½ cup boiled potatoes mashed
1/4 tbsp gram flour
1 green chilli, chopped
½ cup fresh coriander, chopped
½ cup carrots, grated
2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
2 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
Oil for frying

How we do:

  • Soak the channa dal lentils overnight
  • Grind the bread in a food processor to form bread crumbs and place in a mixing bowl
  • Drain the lentils (do this well so there is no excess water)and grind in a food processor
  • Add the ground lentils to the breadcrumbs. Now add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix well together until it begins to collect together. Knead for 2-3 minutes until you have a firm dough.
  • Separate into little balls then pat slightly to make round kebabs, approx 7cms wide and 2cms thick.
  • Heat the oil on medium. Once hot, add the kebabs one at a time and be careful not to overcrowd (I fried 3 at a time in a small wok). Once golden on one side, turn them over until golden on the other. (NB-You can also shallow fry on a flat griddle with a little drizzle of oil if you prefer)
  • Drain on a paper towel and serve hot with mint or tamarind chutney!