Dum Ka Champ

There's a little confusing but fun story behind this dish. For few years now, my Dad has been telling us that his favorite dish is Tawa Boti. When he finally got to eat it, he realized that Tawa Boti was not the dish he was missing but couldn't recall the dish he likes. After having a conversation between me, him and my sister; my sister thinks that this might be the dish he is missing.

It is very similar to the Tawa Boti recipe I posted earlier, mainly with the ingredients used. The taste of the gravy is quite similar as well. The difference is that this dish uses ground meat, has potatoes and cooking method is different from Tawa Boti.

We all have long forgotten about this dish for many years but since after that conversation, I've been craving for this. We're not even sure of the real name for this dish but my sister vaguely remembers it as Dum Ka Champ (or Kabab). She told me how to prepare it so that I can test it out.

Since my Dad's Birthday is coming up, I thought of dedicating this dish for him.
"Happy Birthday Daddy:)"...

Dum Ka champ

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

For Patties

For Gravy

2 teaspoons Cumin Seeds 2 inch piece Ginger - cut in chunks 5 cloves Garlic - cut in chunks 4 Thai Chilies or any Green Chili - cut in chunks 1/4 cup Onion - roughly chopped 2 tablespoons Fried Onions (I use store bought) 20 ounces Ground Beef (I used extra lean) Salt to taste 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder 1/2 teaspoon Cumin Powder (optional) 1 Large Egg - lightly beaten 3 tablespoons Oil

1/2 cup Yogurt 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder 2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder 1/2 teaspoon Salt (adjust to taste) 2 Russet Potatoes - cut into 1/4 inch rounds 1 large Onion - cut into 1/4 inch rounds 2 medium Tomatoes - cut into 1/4 inch rounds 1/3 cup Mint Leaves - roughly chopped 1/4 cup Cilantro - roughly chopped (optional) 2 Thai Chilies - cut in half lengthwise

Directions:
For Patties

1. In food processor, pulse cumin seeds few times to crush them a bit. Add ginger, garlic, Thai chili and process until very finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and keep aside.
2. In same food processor, add onion and grind until very finely chopped. Transfer to the bowl with ginger, garlic and chili.
3. Add remaining patties' ingredients except egg and oil to the bowl and mix well with hand. (I pulse the meat mixture few times in the food processor after mixing with hand)
4. Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal portions and shape each portion into patties about 3 inches wide and 1/2 inches thick.
5. Heat a large pan with oil over medium heat. Once hot, lightly coat the meat patties with beaten egg and pan fry till lightly golden for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, flipping once. Remove from oil and keep aside.

For Gravy

1. In a small bowl, combine Yogurt with 1/2 cup of water, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Whisk well to smooth it out.
2. In the same pan used above, wipe out some oil leaving a thin layer coating at the bottom.
3. Place each ingredient in the pan in a single layer with few tablespoons of yogurt between each layer, starting with potatoes at the bottom, meat patties, onion rings, and finally tomatoes on top.
4. Pour remaining yogurt mixture over the top, cover with a tight lid and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes undisturbed.
5. After 30 minutes, check to see if potatoes are tender. If there is too much water, increase heat to medium and let it evaporate partially covered or uncovered for about 5 minutes. (Keep in mind that potatoes will soak up water later so don't over evaporate it)
6. Once you've reached the desired consistency of liquid and potatoes are cooked through, top it up with mint, cilantro and Thai chilies. Let sit covered for about 5 minutes before serving.
7. Serve hot with Chapati or Naan.

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Eli Palat (Sour Dal with Salted Dry Fish and Drumsticks)

I'm not sure where the name 'Eli Palat' comes from and it seems likes every family has their own versions and names for this dish. At the end, when we describe the dish, we all know what we're talking about :). It is somewhat similar to Sambar (South Indian Dish) but has salted dried fish and we usually make it a bit sourer than Sambar. You can say it is a combination of Dal and Achin Hin. You can basically add as many or little variety of vegetables as you like but few of the ingredients are necessary for the distinct flavor of this dish. Ingredients such as salted dried fish (Ng Chaut in Burmese), eggplant and vegetable drumsticks are a must for this dish, whereas, vegetables such as okra, carrots, potatoes, winged beans, long beans, bottle gourd and white radish can also be added but will also work without them.

I have used frozen Drumsticks because fresh ones were not available at that time. Frozen ones come pre-cut, ready to use and do not need to be thawed. Drumsticks can be found in Indian grocery stores.

For a complete meal, we like to serve this with some Red Chili Pound, Fried chicken or Beef, Rice and some fresh cut vegetables such as Cucumber, White Radish or Cabbage.

Eli Palat (Sour Dal with Salted Dry Fish and Drumsticks)

Serves: 4 to 6
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 cup Chana Dal/Split Black Chickpeas
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons Oil
2 teaspoons Cumin Seeds/Jeera
1 teaspoon Brown Mustard Seeds/Rai
1/2 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds/Methi
2 cups Onions - finely chopped
3 ounces Salted Dried Fish
1 large stem Curry Leaves (about 1/4 cup loosely packed)
2 cups Tomatoes - finely chopped
1 tablespoon Ginger - grated or finely chopped
2 tablespoons Garlic - crushed or finely chopped
2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin Powder
13 ounces Eggplant/Brinjal - cut into 1 inch cubes
12 ounces Vegetable Drumsticks (fresh or frozen) - if fresh scrape outer fiber layers with knife and cut into 2 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup Tamarind Pulp (adjust to taste)
1 Jalapeno or Any Green Chili - cut in chunks
1/4 cup Cilantro - roughly chopped
1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
4 Hard Boiled Eggs - shelled and cut in half

Optional Vegetables:
2 cups Long Beans - cut into 2 inch pieces
1 small Carrot - cut into 1 inch cubes
4 Okras/Lady Fingers - cut stem tip and cut into 2 inch pieces
*Combination of any other vegetables such as Potatoes, Winged Beans, Bottle Gourd and White Radish

Directions:

1. Pressure cook Dal over medium low heat with 3 cups of water and a pinch of salt for 4 whistles or 6 minutes after cooker starts steaming.
2. Turn off heat and keep aside until all pressure/steam has been released for about 10 to 15 minutes. Open cooker and stir with wire whisk to crush & smooth it out. Keep this aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cook for few seconds until mustard seeds start to pop.
4. Add onion, salted dried fish and sauté for few minutes until onion is wilted.
5. Add curry leaves and stirring frequently, continue cooking until onion is lightly golden brown.
6. Reduce heat to medium and add tomatoes, ginger, garlic, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and stir well. Cover and cook for few minutes until tomatoes are crushed.
7. Add eggplant and drumsticks along with long beans, carrots and any other vegetable (if using). If it is getting dry, add some water.
8. Stir well, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until eggplants are soft.
9. Increase heat to high, add crushed Dal, tamarind pulp, and about 6 cups of water, cover and bring it to a boil
10. Once it comes to a rolling boil, add Okra and salt to taste.
11. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer partially covered for 15 to 20 minutes or until all vegetables soft and cooked through adding more water to adjust consistency as required.
12. Garnish with Jalapeno, cilantro and garam masala powder. Turn off heat and cover the pot and leave it covered for about 5 minutes.
13. When ready to serve, place couple of hard boiled egg halves in a serving bowl and pour over liquid & vegetables, and serve hot.

Note:

• To cook without pressure cooker, place Dal in a bowl and wash with few washes of water. Fill enough water to cover Dal by couple inches and let it soak for at least 4 hours. Wash one more time and transfer to a pot. Add salt and enough water to cover it by few inches. Cook uncovered over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it is not scorching at the bottom of the pot. Cook until dal is tender adding more water as required.
• Amount of tamarind used for this dish will depend on the sourness of the tamarind itself and the amount of water used in making the pulp. Add few teaspoons at a time and adjust according to your desired sourness of the dish.  

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Dal

We made Dal at home quite often while growing up. My Dad always says that Dal completes a meal. This is a basic Dal that my Mom used to prepare. It is a versatile recipe and can be prepared in a variety of different ways. If you're short with some ingredients, you can still prepare Dal. For instance, you can use both tomato and onion to flavor Dal but if you're out of one, you can still prepare with the other.

We usually prepare it with a blend of four types of Dals but you can still prepare it by using only one type such as Toor or Chana Dal.  Keep in mind that Chana Dal takes much longer time to cook then Toor Dal. Curry Leaves give a very good aroma to the dish but if you're unable to find it, you can skip this ingredient. Curry Leaves can be found in most of Indian and Pakistani grocery stores.

I cook Dal using a pressure cooker so I do not need to soak them in water. However, without pressure cooker, you will need to soak and boil for longer time. I like to serve Dal with rice, some vegetable and meat dish.

Dal

Click on above image to enlarge

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
Dal Base
1/4 cup Oily or Palin Toor Dal (Split Yellow Pigeon Pea)
1/4 cup Chana Dal (Split Black Chickpeas)
1/4 cup Moong Dal (Split Yellow Moong Bean)
1/4 cup Masoor Dal (Red Lentil)
1 teaspoon Salt

Seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons Cumin Seeds
1 tablespoon Ghee or Oil
1 teaspoon Brown Mustard Seeds (Rai)
1 cup Onion - finely chopped
1 stem Curry Leaves – remove leaves and discard stem
1 cup Tomato – chopped
1 tablespoon Ginger – grated or finely chopped
1 tablespoon Garlic – crushed or finely chopped
2 teaspoons Red Chili Powder
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
1/2 teaspoon Cumin Powder
1 large Jalapeno or any Green Chili - cut in big chunks
1/4 cup Cilantro - finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
Salt to taste

Directions:
Dal Base

1. Combine all Dals in a pressure cooker pot and wash with few washes of water. Add 3 cups of water, salt and pressure cook over medium low heat for 4 whistles or 3 to 4 minutes after cooker starts steaming.
2. Turn off heat and keep aside until all steam has been released for about 10 to 15 minutes. Open cooker and stir with wire whisk to crush and smooth it out.
3. Add 3 1/2 cups of water; stir and bring it to a boil.

Seasoning

1. While Dal is boiling; in a separate skillet over medium high heat, add cumin seeds and let it toast till fragrant and few shades darker.
2. Add ghee or oil and mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds pop, add onion and cook stirring frequently until onions are translucent.
3. Add curry leaves and cook until onions are lightly golden in color.
4. Add tomato, ginger, garlic, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Stir well and add some water if it is too dry.
5. Continue cooking for few minutes until tomatoes are crushed.
6. Pour this mixture to the dal pot and mix well. Season it with salt, and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes adding more water (if required) for desired thickness of dal.
7. Garnish with Jalapeno, cilantro and Garam Masala Powder; turn off heat and cover pot immediately. Let it sit for 5 minutes covered. Stir well before serving.

Note:
To cook without pressure cooker, combine all Dal in a bowl and wash with few washes of water. Fill enough water to cover Dal by couple inches and let it soak for at least 4 hours. Wash one more time and transfer to a pot. Add salt and enough water to cover it by few inches. Cook uncovered over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally to make sure it is not scorching at the bottom of the pot. Cook until dal is tender adding more water as required.

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Kheema Paratha (Ground Meat Stuffed Flatbread)

Kheema Paratha is basically a flat-bread that is stuffed with ground meat mixture. In Burma, when we use the word Paratha, we are referring to flour based (instead of whole wheat) flaky, layered and crispy type of Paratha, also known as Lacha Paratha or Roti Canai in some other parts of the world :). It is mostly sold by road-side vendors and usually in the evenings, people either set up cooking area in-front of their restaurants or just in some corner of the road and start making and selling these. There are different varieties of fillings that you can order but the meat filling is mostly made with beef. You can choose from meat only, meat and egg or egg only. The meat version goes really well with some sour salad or even with just a wedge of lime. Sometimes, I like to order egg only version and sprinkle some sugar on top or spread condensed milk and eat it as a sweet dish.

Back home, people usually don’t make these at home mainly because it requires some skill in making these types of Parathas. Not only does the dough need to be quite smooth and elastic but the actual technique of pulling the dough paper-thin, requires some skills. It is certainly not impossible to make it at home, but back then at that time; when fresh Parathas are so readily available, why would anyone bother making them at home :).

That being said, now that I’m living in a totally different environment, I would love to make these from scratch one day. For now, I’m using the frozen Parathas and so far they have worked out pretty well for me. I don’t like to use oil when cooking the Parathas because I think the frozen Parathas already have enough oil in them. The filling used here is pretty versatile and can be used to fill; puff pastries, Samosas or spring rolls. I’ve used ground turkey below but you can make with any type of ground meat; such as, chicken, beef or lamb. However, you might have to use more or less spices depending of the type of meat used.

Kheema Paratha

Makes: 6 Paratha
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 to 45 minutes

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon oil
5 cloves (about 1 tablespoon) garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger – grated or finely chopped
Black pepper to taste
1/2 cup cilantro – finely chopped
1/2 cup mint – finely chopped
1 Jalapeno or any green chili – finely chopped (adjust to taste)
1/2 cup red onion – finely chopped
6 frozen uncooked plain Paratha (I use, Kawan brand) – keep at room temperature in one layer for about 15 minutes before using

Directions:
Filling

1. Combine ground turkey with chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, mix well and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a wide pan over high heat, and add garlic and ginger. Stir for few seconds and be careful not to let it burn.
3. Add ground turkey mixture and stir well to combine. Stir frequently and break up the meat with spatula to prevent big lumps. Continue to cook on high heat until the meat starts to brown.
4. Add black pepper at this point and make necessary adjustments according to taste. Stir for few more seconds and turn of the heat and remove pan from the heat.
5. Add chopped cilantro, mint and jalapeno and mix well to combine.
6. When the meat mixture is quite warm but not hot anymore, add the chopped onion and mix well. Let this mixture cool completely before warping in the Parathas.

Wrapping and cooking the Parathas

1. On a smooth surface or countertop, place one Paratha and roll it out as thin as you can without breaking or tearing approximately about 11 inches in diameter. (I use the back of a round tray as surface for rolling the Parathas.)
2. Place about 1/2 cup of filling in the middle of the rolled Paratha and shape the filling into approximately 5 x 6 inch rectangle.
3. Fold over the bottom and top of the Paratha circle to the center. Fold over the sides to the center as well. You will end up with a rectangle shaped Paratha at this point.
4. Place the Paratha on a sheet of plastic that comes with the Paratha package, keep aside or in fridge while wrapping the remaining Parathas.
5. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium to medium low heat. Place one paratha, seam side down and cook for about 5 minutes in total flipping once or twice until both sides are golden brown in color and crispy.
6. Keep the cooked Paratha on a wire rack in a warm place. Continue to cook the rest of the Parathas and serve hot with wedges of lime and onion salad.

Note:

• You can also add an egg during the wrapping process. After placing the filling in the center, crack one egg open and lightly spread the egg with a fork over the filing. Wrap the Paratha as stated above and cook.
• While cooking the Parathas, sometimes, I like to open up the top folds, and brown the inner side for few minutes and fold back to its shape so that it can thoroughly cook inside.
• If frozen Paratha are too hard and breaks when you roll, leave it out few minutes longer for easier rolling. If they are out too long, it will be too soft, so put back in fridge or freezer to chill them a bit. 
• You can lightly grease the work surface if Parathas are sticking or too soft.

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Tawa Boti

Tawa Boti is a specialty dish of my mom. She used to make this for us every now and then. It is always served with freshly made chapati and it is one of my favorite dishes of childhood. Although I’ve cooked this dish many times and did improve over time, I’m still not able to make it as good as hers. Nonetheless, it is still a tasty dish and I enjoy eating it.

Tawa Boti

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 20 to 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Marinating Time: 30 minutes to overnight

Ingredients:
For Marinate:
1 lb bone in or boneless chicken – cut into bite size pieces
2 inches of ginger – grated or finely chopped
7 cloves of garlic – pressed or finely chopped
3 Thai chilies or any green chili – minced or finely chopped (adjust to taste)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala powder
1/3 cup plain yogurt
Salt to taste

Other ingredients:
2 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) or butter
1 medium onion – finely chopped
1 medium onion – cut into 1/4 inch rings
1 large or 2 medium tomato – cut into 1/4 inch circles
Salt to taste
3 Thai chilies or any green chili – slit it lengthwise while stems intact, for garnishing
1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves for garnish
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala powder for garnish

Directions:

1. Mix all the marinate ingredients and let chicken marinate for 30 minutes to overnight.
2. In a large skillet, heat ghee on medium high heat. Add chopped onions, pinch of salt and sauté for few minutes until onions are lightly golden brown.
3. Add marinated chicken, stir well, cover the pot and cook for a minute or so to brown the chicken. Cook for few more minutes covered, stirring occasionally so that chicken is browned on all sides.
4. Once brown, reduce heat to low, add couple tablespoons of water, if needed, cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, for about 15 to 20 minutes.  
5. Increase heat to medium and add onion rings, cover the pot again and cook for about 5 minutes.
6. When onion is almost wilted, add tomato, cover and cook for further 2 to 3 minutes until tomatoes are slightly soft. Taste and add salt if required.
7. Garnish with green chilies, mint leave and sprinkle Garam Masala powder. Cover the pot immediately and let sit for a minute before serving.
8. Stir once and serve hot with Chapati, Naan or Paratha.

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Chicken Korma

Chicken Korma is an easy and delicious dish. This is a dry version that my mom used to make and is usually paired with Dal, rice and some vegetables. Traditionally, it is made with good amount of oil and because of the amount of oil used; this dish can be kept in room temperature for about a day. It can be served warm or room temperature, so it is a good dish for picnics, the Burmese way.

It is good to use bone-in chicken as it will taste better, but boneless chicken will work as well. Dark or white meat of the chicken will depend on your preference. Because it is cooked on low heat, the chicken is quite tender.



Chicken Korma

Serves: 2 – 3
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 to 40 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lb bone-in chicken – cut in big chunks
1 tablespoon ginger – grated or finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic – crushed or finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon white vinegar
2 tablespoon oil
Whole spices – 2” cinnamon, 4 cardamom, 3 cloves, 1 star anise, 1 big bay leave, 4 peppercorns
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons water

Directions:

1. In a pot, combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Cover the pot with lid and cook on very low heat.
3. Chicken will produce enough water on its own.  Cook until all water has evaporated and chicken has cooked through.
4. Serve with Dal and steam rice.

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Falooda

Falooda is one of the favorite drinks we grew up with. There are different versions in different countries but below is the version we make back home in Burma. Although we don’t use rose syrup (mostly because we don’t get it there) I’m using it here because it is easier to make and I like the taste of it. In USA, you can easily get rose syrup in Indian or Pakistani stores. Back home, we use liquid rose essence, sugar and red food coloring instead of the rose syrup.

This is a fun drink for kids because while serving, they can add any ingredients they like, as much as they like making it to their taste. It is served chilled so prepare ahead of time.



Falooda

Makes: 2 very tall glasses or 4 regular glasses
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Preparation Time: 5 to 10 minutes
Chill for 2 to 4 hours

Ingredients:
4 cups whole milk
6 tablespoons rose syrup (if not available, Rose essence, red food color and sugar can be used to replace this)
Half of 7 gram packet of red or green Agar Agar powder (I use Swallow Globe brand from Asian Market)
1/4 cup small sago or tapioca pearls – colored or white
3 teaspoon basil seeds
Vanilla or strawberry ice cream

Directions:
Milk
In a heavy bottom pot, bring milk to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes stirring often to make sure that milk is not scorching at the bottom.  At this point, if using rose syrup, add little at a time and adjust according to taste.  If you don’t have rose syrup, add rose essence, sugar to taste and red food coloring for milk to be light pink.  Prepare milk a little sweeter than your taste since other ingredients are sugarless.  Turn of the heat, let the milk cool and chill in fridge.
Agar Agar
While the milk is boiling, in a separate pot, combine 450 ml of water and 1/2 packet of Agar Agar powder. Bring this to a boil over medium heat and pour the mixture into a bowl or a container, let it cool and chill in fridge to set. Before serving, cut it into match stick size pieces.
Sago
In a pot, bring about 6 cups of water to a boil and add sago pearls. Stir and reduce heat to medium low and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on half covered pot, stirring occasionally. Sago will turn transparent when cooked.  Drain and rinse with cold water and keep aside.
Basil Seeds
In a bowl, combine basil seeds with about 2 cups of water and keep aside till ready to serve.  It will take about 10 minutes to fully expend.  Drain water before using.

How to Serve:
Individual serving: Take a tall glass and add prepared agar agar, sago, basil seeds and pour milk 3/4 full. Add some ice and top it up with a scoop of ice cream.

Serving to a crowd: In a pot, mix all prepared ingredients with milk except for ice cream. Pour the milk mixture in serving glasses, add some ice and top it up with a scoop of ice cream.

Note: Lod Chong (Tapioca noodles) can also be added. Most of the Asian grocery stores have ready to use Lod Chong. If using dried version, boil per packet instructions. This is not a traditional ingredient but some people like to add this to Falooda.

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Akha Murgi (Whole Chicken Curry)

Akha Murgi is a special occasion dish that I grew up eating. It is not a difficult dish to make but does require a little preparation. I got this recipe from my sister and this is my first time making it. It turned out better than expected. The chicken was falling apart tender and moist. The taste was little sweet and savory at the same time. This brings back good old memories.

Traditionally, it was cooked on stove top and heated charcoals were placed on top of the pot to give even heat from top and bottom. Dough from wheat flour is also used, to seal the edges of the pot so that it is air tight and no steam will escape. Technically, it is not a curry because it is prepared without much gravy. It is somewhat in between curry and a roast. I’ve made few changes by using oven for cooking, foil for sealing the pot and made it with a bit more gravy (more like curry) since I’m not preparing many other dishes to accompany this. Serve with some rice, naan and light salad.

Akha Murgi (Whole Chicken Curry)

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 30 to 40 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Marinating Time: 2 hours to overnight

Ingredients:
1 whole skinless chicken – 3 to 4 lbs
1/2 lb baby potato – boiled - divided
3 eggs – boiled and shell removed -divided
Few drops of yellow food coloring
3 tablespoons of clarified butter (ghee) or butter -divided
3 tablespoons of oil -divided
1 1/2 to 2 medium onions – chopped
Whole spices (4 cardamom pods, 2” cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, 4 cloves, 1 star anise, 5 pepper corns)
3 tablespoons of raisins
3 tablespoons of whole cashew nuts

For marinate:
1 inch ginger – peeled and cut in pieces
9 cloves of garlic
4 Thai chilies or 1 Serrano pepper – roughly chopped (adjust to taste)
4 teaspoons cumin seeds – rinsed with water and drained
3 tablespoons white poppy seeds – lightly toasted
10-15 cashew nuts – grind to powder
Few drops of yellow food coloring or few strands of saffron soaked in 1 tbsp of water
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Remove any innards from the chicken, rinse with cold water inside out and pat dry with paper towels. Poke the chicken gently with sharp knife in few places. Don’t over poke the chicken as it might fall apart when cooked. Just poke a little, here and there.
2. In a food processor or blender grind ginger, garlic, chili, cumin and poppy seeds to a fine paste. Transfer the grinded paste to a big pot or container and add the remaining marinate ingredients and adjust according to taste.
3. Add chicken to the marinate paste, rub all over inside and out with the marinate paste and let it marinate overnight or at least 2 hours in the fridge.
4. When ready to cook, rub the boiled potatoes and boiled eggs with yellow color. Stuff, 2 to 3 of the potatoes and 1 boiled egg into the cavity of the marinated chicken.  Cross the chicken legs, tie with a string and tug the wings.  If there is chicken neck attached, tug it into the cavity. Tie the whole chicken with one long string, wrapping across few times starting from the legs all the way up to the wings. This will prevent the chicken from falling apart to pieces while cooking. Set this aside.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Heat an oven proof pot large enough to hold the chicken, on medium high heat and add 1 1/2 tbsp butter and 1 1/2 tbsp oil. When hot, add whole spices and stir. Add chopped onion and pinch of salt and stir. Continue to cook stirring occasionally until onions are slightly brown.
7. Add the chicken along with marinate paste. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook for few minutes. Every few minutes, stir and flip the chicken few times. Do this for about 2 to three times.  If chicken it not oozing out any water, or if it is too dry, add little water.
8. Once chicken is lightly browned on all sides, seal the pot with aluminum foil, cover with the lid and bake it in the preheated oven, for total 1 hour.
9. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp of butter and sauté raisins and cashew nuts on low heat until cashew nuts are light golden color. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel.
10. In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp of oil and fry the remaining potatoes and 2 boiled eggs till golden brown on all sides. Drain on paper towel and keep aside.
11. After 40 minutes of baking the chicken, remove from oven and add fried raisins, cashew nuts, potatoes and eggs to the pot. Stir once, seal and put back in the oven and continue cooking for the remaining 20 minutes.
12. Serve with Naan or Paratha, Pulau (rice) and Salad.

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