Delicious tandoori stuffed chicken legs

Cooking is an art and science of making the food more palatable with the application of heat. Human beings learnt to cook by chance when a piece of meat that fell into an open spit fire tasted good and was easy to chew. Since then, numerous innovations have taken place in the field of cooking as it evolved into its modern form today.

Culinary techniques were improved with the introduction of earthenware, domestication of live stock and the cultivation of edible plants, which ensured a more dependable supply of raw materials. Various cooking techniques like fired clay oven, boiling, stewing and later on frying and baking were introduced. To summarise cooking had evolved and is still evolving with newer advancements beings introduced in cooking, making food more economical, safe, nutritious and innovative than ever before. The below recipe is from one of the oldest cooking methods involving charcoal fired clay oven called tandoor.

Stuffed chicken legs

Ingredients

Chicken leg 8 no

First marinade

Lemon juice 1 tbsp

Red chilli powder 1 tsp

Salt  To taste

Second marinade

Hung curd 1 cup

Ginger garlic, paste 2 tbsp

Cheddar cheese, grated 2 tbsp

Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Corn flour 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder a pinch

Coriander leaves, chopped 2 tbsp

Mustard oil 2 tbsp

Salt  to taste

For stuffing

Chicken mince 100 gm

Onion  1 no

Cumin seeds 1/3 tsp

Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp

Green chilli, chopped 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves, chopped 2 tbsp

Salt  to taste

Black pepper to taste

Mustard oil 1 tbsp

Cheddar cheese, grated 2 tbsp

Method

Wash and pat dry the chicken legs and make slit lengthwise keeping the other side intact.

Mix the ingredients of the first marinade and marinate the chicken legs and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To prepare the stuffing heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, when they splutter, add chopped onion.

Sauté the onion till translucent, add ginger garlic paste and green chilli and sauté till onion turns golden brown.

Add chicken mince and other remaining ingredients and stir fry for 6-8 minutes until the chicken is almost cooked.

Remove from flame and add grated cheese and keep aside.

Make space for filling in the chicken legs with fingers and divide the stuffing into equal portions.

Fill the chicken legs with stuffing and keep aside.

In a separate bowl combine all the ingredients required for the second marinade.

Hold each chicken leg carefully and spread the marinade all over and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Cook the stuffed chicken legs on greased grill or skewer them and cook in charcoal fired tandoor till the chicken is cooked.

Baste with clarified butter and serve hot with choice of bread and sauce.

Note: You can also make your own filling and make your signature stuffed kebabs.

Sprouting

Sprouting is a process of turning the grains and legumes into living plants with more nutrients available for our bodies to use and make them easier to digest. The live plants obtained after sprouting are generally called sprouts. The sprouting process reduces the anti-nutrients, which cause problem with digestion as it breaks down the complex starch into more digestible enzymes that aid digestion.

After sprouting the legumes cook well and faster than the dried legumes. To sprout the legumes wash them and keep them soaked overnight. Drain the water and place a piece of cloth on the neck of the jar and keep it upside down to remove excess moisture, next day rinse the legumes and return again to the draining position, repeat again, you can sprinkle some moisture again on the sprouts to keep them moist.

The sprouts are ready when you can see little tails that are about the same length as the original grain legume. Like any other fresh produce that is consumed raw or lightly cooked, sprouts carry a risk of food-borne illness.

Seeds and grains need warm and humid conditions that are also ideal for the growth of bacteria and salmonella and E coli. So it is always advisable to blanch the sprouts before consumption to avoid the chances of contamination and other related food borne illness.

Mixed sprouts salad

Ingredients

Moong dal sprouts 1/2 cup

Black peas sprouts 1/2 cup

White chickpeas sprouts 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves, chop 2 tbsp

Green chilli, chop 1 tsp

Lemon juice 2 tbsp

Olive oil 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Chat masala 1/2 tsp

Black pepper to taste

Method

Wash and soak the lentils overnight.

Keep then covered with damp cloth for another 2-3 days to allow the germination.

Once sprouts are ready, prepare the other ingredients as mentioned.

Combine all the ingredients in a salad bowl.

Toss to combine well, serve in a salad bowl.

exe.chef@horizonmanor.com