Full disclosure — I’m a Middle East kid, a third culture kid to be exact, and my love for Lebanese cuisine runs deep, second only to desi food. Fattoush Salad and Saudi Champagne are my two absolute favorites, and the day I figured out how to make both at home, restaurant style, changed everything. Now I always have pita chips in the house. Because Fattoush emergencies are real ok

To give my new cooks an intro, Fattoush is a Middle Eastern Salad extremely popular in the region, it’s like Kachumber in a Desi house or Caesar Salad in the West. Everyone knows it, everyone loves it! It has a colorful salad base with lots of vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, and it has a dark, zesty, sweet, and tangy salad dressing made with pomegranate molasses. And the star of the show, it has these crazy crispy pita chips on top that OMG I kid you not, changes Salad “crunch” meaning.

Ingredients

Fattoush is definitely a regional dish, and while the veggies are very basic, you will need some specific ingredients for the dressing. Here’s what you need:

For the Salad

A fattoush salad is essentially a “tossed salad,” so there aren’t any hard rules for what vegetables you can add to it. The most common in restaurants are romaine lettuce, radishes, capsicum, cucumber, onions, tomato, fresh mint, and parsley. Pick your favorites or whatever you have at hand and just roll with it.

For the Dressing

• Sumac – A red lemony spice powder commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking – Just use extra lemon juice if you don’t have this.
• Pomegranate Molasses – This is pomegranate juice concentrate that gives the fattoush dressing its characteristic dark color and flavor. This one is UNSKIPPABLE for the perfect fattoush dressing, yeah, sorry! Check the ingredients label to see if it has sugar listed in the ingredients. If there isn’t any added sugar, you will have to add honey or a sweetener of your choice to the dressing. You’ll find them in the ethnic section of your grocery store or just run into your local Arab grocery store.
• Dried Mint – Add aroma, but you can work without it too.
• Salt and Pepper – Of course
• Olive oil – Very important for any salad, really
• Lemon Juice – For the acid.

For Pita Chips

Use the real Khubs to make pita chips at home by deep frying or air frying. Here’s a little secret: if you are unable to get your hands on the authentic khubs, buy samosa leaves instead, cut them into pieces, and fry! That is a much better alternative to buying thick pita bread, which won’t crisp up how we want it to.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Instructions

Let me walk you through the steps in this simple pictorial.

Step 1a: To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a jar and put a lid.

Step 1b: Shake the jar 5 to 10 times or until you see a smooth dressing. Set aside.

TIP: If you are like me and have fallen in love with the dressing, make a large batch of the dressing in one go and just place it in the fridge for instant fattoush.

Step 2: Cut up the khubs/pita into thin strips and then small 1/2 inch squares.

Step 2: You can airfry or bake the pita chips by spreading it out on the pan, drizzling some olive oil, and baking for 5 minutes or until golden brown.

TIP: Separate the layers of khubs before or after cutting to make sure they aren’t stuck together. This is to ensure that you get nice crispy chips

Step 2: OR you can fry them in medium-hot oil for 2 minutes tops.

Step 2b: Allow your pita chips to cool down and set aside.

Step 3a: Toss all the sliced/chopped vegetables in your salad bowl.

Step 3b: Give it a good toss.

Step 3c: Add your salad dressing.

Step 3d: Top with homemade pita chips and serve.

What to serve with Fattoush

It’s crazy how this Middle Eastern salad pairs so well with Desi and Western food! My family especially loves it with Fish Tahiri and raita. Here are some top-tier fattoush pairings:

• Serve it with Desi barbecue like Chicken tikka, Malai Boti, or Bihari Tikka
• Pairs so well with mild rice dishes like Malai Boti Pulao and Matar Pulao
• Serve it with a full roast chicken like Lahori Chargha or Chicken Sajji
• I love making Fattoush as individual mini servings for high-teas.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Salad-y Recipes for you to try:

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help! And of course, If you try this recipe, I’d loveeeee to see it or simply hear about it! Hit me up in the comment section below and I’ll get back to asap! Happy Cooking!

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Fattoush Salad

A Middle Eastern tossed salad topped with crispy pita chips and a dark, sweet and tangy dressing

Course Appetizer, Salad

Cuisine Mediterranean/Middle Eastern

Diet Halal

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 57kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

• 5-6 whole Romaine Lettuce leaves or any available salad leaf
• 1-2 whole Radish
• 6-7 whole Mint leaves
• 1 medium onion
• 3 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 1 whole cucumber
• 1/2 medium tomato
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper optional
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds

Salad Dressing

• 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon sumac see notes
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper or powder
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey optional- see notes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried mint leaves optional

Topping

• 1/2 piece Khubs or Pita bread
• dash olive oil

Instructions

• To make the pita chips, use the piece of khubus that you have at hand and cut it into small square 1/2 inch pieces. Separate the layers of khubs to open it up.
• For a traditional deep frying method, put the chips in a frying pan with atleast 1 to 1 cm of cooking oil. Heat the oil to a medium and add in your chips in batches without crowding the pan. Fry for a minute or 2 or until you see the chips turn light golden brown in color.
• Use a spider or a slotted spoon to remove the chips from the oil and onto a plate lined with paper towel. You can seasoning it with salt and pepper if you like, but thats totally optional
• To airfry or bake, put the pita chips onto a baking tray and drizzle olive oil generously. Use your hands or spoons to mix up the pita chips to make sure they are coated with some oil. Spread them out on the tray and bake at 180℃ or 375℉ for 3 to 4 minutes or until a good chunks of them turn light golden. Remove from the oven and leave on the counter for 10 minutes to allow them to cool down and crisp up. They wont change color but they will still be cripsy.
• To make the dressing, add all the ingredients in a jar with a tight lid and shake until you see an even dressing.
• Chop up all the vegetables into small cubes and slice the radish thinly.

Assembly

• Toss all the prepared vegetables into the salad serving bowl.
• Drizzle the salad dressing all over it and give it a good toss.
• Top with crispy pita chips. Serve as an appetizer or a side salad.

Notes

• If you are using pomegranate molasses made from pure pomegranate juice, then it may not be sweet, and you will have to add just a dash of sweetener like honey, maple syrup, stevia, or sugar. You may also get sweetened pomegranate molasses, in which case, you can skip the sweetener. Check the label on the back of your bottle to see which one you have. 
• Sumac is a red lemony spice powder. If you don’t have it at hand, skip it and use the zest of a lemon instead.
• You can fry or bake the pita bread in advance and store it in containers for weeks. You can also make the salad dressing in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 
• Assemble the fattoush when you are ready to eat. But you can chop up the veggies in the morning or the night before when needed. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 57kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 154IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.2mg

The post Fattoush Salad With Pita Chips appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

OK, full disclosure, I use these croquettes as a way to sneak in vegetables into my diet that my family and I don’t like to eat. So yeah, this recipe came into being out of NECESSITY more than anything else!

I cooked up these croquettes right after my chicken and vegetable kebabs went viral on IG. And well, they are here to stay, my friend! Pss.. You can also load veggies in your nuggets, just btw (I do that in my chili parm nuggets too)

Ingredients

Don’t get overwhelmed with the list. I promise you these are simply things you probably already have in your pantry.

• Vegetables – I use this recipe as an excuse to eat all the veggies that I generally don’t like on their own. So broccoli and cauliflower are always part of the mix. Feel free to use any hard vegetables of your choice. Customise as you want!
• Potatoes – All croquettes need a potato base. I’ve used regular white potatoes PLUS a sweet potato to up the nutrition.
• Shredded Chicken – For the shredded chicken in this recipe, you can use any leftover rotisserie chicken from last night. Or, you can boil some with the potatoes.
• Coating – Like all croquettes, this one also needs a crumb coat. You’ll need flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs. I also add sesame seeds for extra crunch and nutrition.
• Cheese – Use any fresh high-protein cheese of your choice. I went with cottage cheese. You can use Feta, cream cheese, or mascarpone. Just adjust the salt level if using salted cheeses.
• Seasonings – Apart from salt and pepper, I use homemade dahi bara masala for this recipe, which you can buy from the store or use chilli flakes, roasted cumin seeds, and coriander seeds instead.
• Binder – I use breadcrumbs in the croquette base to give it binding.
• Other – For taste, I also add cilantro leaves, garlic, and onions

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Instructions

Let me show you a simple step-by-step pictorial for this recipe.

Step 1: Boil potatoes and chicken together or separately with garlic, salt, and pepper.

Step 2: Peel the potatoes and add them to a large bowl.

Step 3: Mash the potatoes.

Step 4: Use a food processor to chop all the listed vegetables and herbs. Keep it as fine or as chunky as you like.

Step 5: Add all the chopped vegetables to the mashed potatoes.

Step 6: Shred chicken in the food processor and add it to the mashed potatoes.

PROTIP: Use the food processor to shred the chicken instead of doing it manually to save time and effort.

Step 7: Add in your cheese. (feta, cottage, ricotta, or any of your choice)

Step 8: Add in all the seasonings.

Step 9: Combine everything with your hands to make a uniform croquette mix.

Step 10: Take a tablespoon of the mixture and shape it in one of your preferred ways.

Step 11: Coat the croquettes in flour, then eggs, and lastly, breadcrumbs.

Step 12: Fry at medium flame in oil until crispy and golden brown in color.

Please note: Purple Cabbage bleeds in the kebabs and turns them slightly pink. I didn’t have a problem with that, so I went ahead and used it. If you think your kids or family may have issues, best to avoid them altogether.

Serving Suggestions

Serve hot with your favorite sauces on the side. I like to pair mine with garlic mayo or hot honey ranch (both recipes in my E-book)

Here are some more fun ways to use your croquettes and turn them into a meal:

• Eat with yellow rice and yogurt
• Serve with dal chawal (rice and lentils)
• Make wraps out of it with mayo and veggies
• Use for paratha rolls.

Variations and Substitutions

This recipe is generally on the spicy end ( my brown folks can ignore this comment). Here are some variations for you to try

• Nuts and seeds – I add sesame seeds with the bread crumbs to up the nutritional value, but feel free to add some chopped nuts or seeds of your choice into the croquette mix as well.
• Meats – Make this recipe with shredded beef, mutton, or lamb.
• Heat – I’d categorize this recipe as spicy for a non-brown person, so feel free to reduce the heat a bit if you like.
• Coating – Try using cornflakes instead of bread crumbs for an extra crunch.
• Spring rolls – You can use this croquette mix as a filling for puff pastry, spring rolls, or samosas.
• Potatoes – I’ve used a combination of white and sweet potatoes for this recipe. You can use just one variety as well.
• Binder – I use breadcrumbs to counter the added moisture in the croquettes. You can use cornstarch, oatmeal, or tapioca flour, too, as a substitute.

Storage

The croquette mix can last in the fridge for about a day or two. So you can make the mix a day before and roll it and coat it the next day in front of the TV or something.

Freeze the croquettes in an airtight box. To freeze in a ziplock bag, make sure you freeze the croquettes individually first. They can last for upto 2 months in the freezer.

Expert Tips

• I used whatever vegetables I had in the fridge. Please note
• Use parchment paper in the tray that you freeze your kebabs in to avoid them getting stuck to the pan
• This is a great recipe for “clean-your-fridge” day.
• Freeze the croquettes individually in an open tray. Once they harden, add them to ziplock bags to avoid them getting stuck to each other.
• Purple cabbage leaves tend to turn the croquettes pink (avoid it if you don’t want that)

Frequently Asked Questions

More Nutritious Deliciousness

Here are some more potato-chicken-veggie mash-ups that have the ability to be full meals!

Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help! And of course, If you try this recipe, I’d loveeeee to see it or simply hear about it! Hit me up in the comment section below and I’ll get back to asap! Happy Cooking!

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Chicken Vegetable Croquettes

They are high on protein, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Freezer-friendly, customizable, and perfect as a snack, appetizer, or side dish with rice

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Fusion Food, International

Diet Halal

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 30 servings

Calories 80kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

Croquette Mix

• 3 medium potato 300 gm
• 1 medium sweet potato 150 gm
• 300 gm chicken breast
• 1 whole garlic peeled and cloves seperated.
• 2 1/2 cup chopped vegetables of your choice (see notes)
• 1 medium onion
• 1 cup cottage cheese 200 gms
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs 1 slice
• 2 tablespoon dahi bara masala
• 1 tablespoon salt or to taste
• 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1 small bunch of coriander

Coating

• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup sesame seeds optional
• Oil for frying

Instructions

• Boil chicken and potatoes in water along with a teaspoon of salt and 5 garlic cloves. See notes.
• Peel the boiled potatoes and add them to a large bowl. Mash them until smooth.
• Shred the chicken in the food processor and add it to the potato bowl.
• Use a food processor to chop all the listed vegetables and herbs. Keep it as fine or as chunky as you like. Add them to the potato bowl.
• Add the rest of the ingredients for the croquette mix. This is the best stage to do a taste test and adjust seasonings.
• Knead the croquette mix into a dough. Take a tablespoon of the dough and shape it with your hands into a cigar, a ball or a patty.
• Place all the shaped croquettes on a tray, ideally lined with parchment paper.
• Prepare 3 shallow plates, one with the flour, one with the eggs beaten and one with the breadcrumbs mixed with sesame seeds.
• Roll the croquettes first into the flour, then dip them in the beaten egg and finally roll them through the breadcrumbs and sesame seed mix, making sure they are completely covered. Place them on a plate or tray until ready to fry. You could also put them in the freezer directly at this point if you wish to fry them later.
• Add any neutral oil to a pot so that it’s at least a couple inches deep and heat it over medium high heat. Fry the croquettes in oil for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown on all sides.
• To airfry, put the croquettes in an air fryer sprayed with oil and bake for 375°F-400°F (190°C-200°C) for 10-15 minutes until golden brown, flipping them halfway through if needed.
• Serve with your favorite chutney or sauces.

Notes

• Use leftover shredded chicken if you have any instead of boiling more.
• You can use just one type of potato for this recipe as well.
• Use any vegetables you have at hand. For this recipe, I prefer carrots, cabbage, bell peppers, cauliflower, and broccoli. 
• Use cornstarch or oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs in the croquette mixture if you need a substitute. 
• The croquettes last for upto 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1082IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Crispy Chicken Vegetable Croquettes appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

Have you heard of Egg drop soup? Its a soup that has egg ribbons as you add the egg to hot liquid. This recipe has those egg ribbons and an extra something in the form of corn and chicken. Let’s go!

The moment the temperature drops, I’m all about slurpy comfort food—think my lentil oats bowl piled high with crispy toppings. Chicken corn soup is a total warm hug in a bowl, perfect for cozy days, especially when I’m not in the mood for the bold, fiery punch of my Hot and Sour Soup (that one’s strictly for spice lovers). 💛

Ingredients and Substitutes

You need very few ingredients to put this soup together. Let me walk you through it a little:

• Chicken Broth/Stalk – Homemade chicken broth is always the best option, in terms of flavor, nutrition, and freshness. As alternatives, you can use store-bought chicken stock or dissolve chicken bouillon cubes in water.
• Shredded Chicken – I use shredded chicken that is left over from my batch of chicken broth. You can boil a chicken breast in some salted water to get instant shredded chicken. Or wash and use any chicken that’s left over from last night’s dinner.
• Corn – Half of the corn used here is going to be whole Kernels for bite and texture. The other half of the corn will be creamed to make a smooth paste and add flavor to the soup.
• Seasonings – Salt, black pepper, white pepper, and garlic powder.
• Thickening agent – Like most soups, I’ve used cornflour/cornstarch slurry to thicken this soup. As a substitute, you can use arrowroot flour or tapioca flour. You can’t tell the difference.
• Egg – Beaten eggs add those beautiful flowers or ribbons to the soup that it is iconically known for. You can use whole eggs or egg whites, based on your preference.
• Garnish – For desi-style restaurants, you will always find soy sauce, hot sauce, and green chilies cut up in vinegar, served as the three condiments for this soup. A little spring onion on top, too, to make it pretty.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Instructions

Here is a simple pictorial to show you how easy it is to pull together this soup in under 20 minutes!

Step 1: Heat up the chicken stock/broth in a stock pot until it starts to boil.

Step 2: Add all the seasonings and shredded chicken to the pot.

Step 3: Cream half of the corn to make a paste and add the creamed corn and corn kernels to the soup.

Step 4: Stir all the ingredients and allow the soup to simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 5: Make a slurry of cornstarch with water and add it to the soup while stirring.

Step 6: Cover the soup and let it thicken for 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 7: Reduce the heat to low. Beat eggs in a bowl. Drop it in the soup while stirring the soup.

Step 8: You will get egg ribbons in the soup. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot.

Note: To create beautiful egg ribbons, do these 3 things
– Keep the heat low
– Drop your beaten eggs slowly from some height.
– Stir the soup with a spoon from your other hand simultaneously.

Serving

The chicken corn soup is served hot, garnished with spring onions and 3 condiments on the side:

1. Soy sauce
2. Hot sauce
3. Vinegar with green chilies sliced and added to it.
4. Toasted sesame oil (optional)

In restaurants, they bring it out with lovely prawn crackers. I love pairing it with fried rice and dragon chicken to make it a meal. On my low-carb days, I go with my chicken shashlik sticks and this bowl of goodness.

Variations

This soup is the simplest, basic, and most delicious version of a chicken corn soup there is. Feel free to experiment and make it your own! Here are some great variations for you to try

• Vegetarian- Use tofu and vegetable broth instead of chicken and chicken stock to make it a vegetarian soup. You can also add more vegetables or mushrooms to this recipe to load up on the fibre.
• Toppings– Pakistani street-style soups are sometimes served with slims, which are basically local spicy potato chips, which go really well, might I add!
• Texture – You can cream all the corn if you don’t like corn kernels in your soup.
• Noodles – Add ramen or egg noodles to the soup while it’s simmering to make noodle soup.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Comfort Recipes on the blog

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help! And of course, If you try this recipe, I’d loveeeee to see it or simply hear about it! Hit me up in the comment section below and I’ll get back to asap! Happy Cooking!

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Chicken Corn Soup

This Chinese chicken corn soup is a cozy, comforting egg drop soup made with tender chicken, sweet corn, and silky egg ribbons. A mild, warming and freezer friendly.

Course 30 min meals, Soup

Cuisine Chinese/Indo Chinese, Indian, pakistani

Diet Halal

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 59kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

• 1 Litre Chicken Broth see notes
• 1 cup shredded chicken see notes
• 1/2 cup canned corns whole
• 1/2 cup corns blended with water to make paste
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 teaspoon black pepper powder or crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon White pepper powder optional
• 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1 tablespoon White Vinegar
• 4 tablespoon Cornflour mixed with water to make a slurry
• 1 whole Egg Beaten

Toppings and Garnish

• Soy Sauce
• Vinegar with green chilies sliced in it.
• Hot Sauce
• sliced spring onion

Instructions

• Add your chicken broth and a litre of water into a large stock pot and heat at medium to high flame on the stove.
• Once your broth starts to boil, add all the seasonings, shredded chicken, corn kernels and corn paste. Allow to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and add your cornflour slurry while stirring to avoid any lumping.
• Allow the soup to thicken. Add more cornflour if you want your soup to be thicker.
• Serve hot, garnished with green onions and condiments on the side.

Notes

• Chicken stock substitute
  To use chicken bouillon cubes instead of chicken stock, follow this ratio
  2 cubes for 1 Litre of Water. 
  Do NOT add salt of your own while using stock cubes. Taste the soup, then decide if you need more salt, as the stock cubes are always high in sodium. 
• Thickening Agent
  Use Arrowroot or tapioca flour if you don’t want to use cornflour
• You can freeze the leftover soup. To reheat it, simmer it on the stove with a splash of water. You may have to add more thickening agent again. 

Nutrition

Serving: 10serving | Calories: 59kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 713mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.4mg

The post Chicken Corn Soup appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

Yakhni is usually made in a South Asian house when we want something hot and soothing (or when one of us is sick, so the whole house drinks it, iykyk). Use this broth as a base for my Hot and Sour Soup recipe, or add it to pea pulao (matar pulao) for added nutrition.

Ingredients

The ingredients used here are super basic. Let me walk you through some key points and substitutes.

• Chicken – The best options of chicken here are going to be bone-in chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken carcass. The bones add flavor and nutrients to the broth. Chicken wings are a great option, too. I don’t recommend broth made from boneless chicken; you’ll get the broth, but lose the depth of flavor provided by the bones.
• Whole spices – The bay leaf, garlic, black peppercorns, and red chilies are all essential for flavor and aroma. The bay leaf and garlic help in combating the raw poultry smell.
• Onion – Use any that you have at hand, yellow, white or red.
• Vinegar – This helps in breaking down the collagen from the chicken and releases more nutrients into the broth. I suggest white vinegar for this recipe, but feel free to use your favorites.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Substitutions

• Black peppercorns – Use crushed black pepper or powdered black pepper
• Whole red chilies – Use crushed red chili flakes or powder.

Instructions

I’ve put together all the steps in a simple pictorial for you to see how easy this is to make.

Step 1: Add the chicken to a stock pot and turn on the heat to medium.

Step 2: Sear the chicken in the pot until the surface becomes white and most of the water from the chicken has evaporated.

Step 3: Add all the whole spices and onion.

Step 4: Add water and vinegar. Turn the heat to high and allow the water to start boiling.

Step 5: Skim the froth and impurities off the top with the tea strainer or slotted spoon.

Step 6: Reduce the heat to low, cover the broth, and let it simmer for 2 hours or more.

Note: Searing the chicken first (with or without oil) in the pot reduces the froth or scum that rises to the surface.

How to serve Chicken Yakhni

Chicken Yakhni is traditionally served hot in cups with black pepper and salt sprinkled, along with a lemon wedge on the side. Another way to serve it is in a bowl, with the chicken pieces added back to it as a whole or shredded, garnished with cilantro, black pepper, lemon, and salt. It is also used in pulaos or in recipes that call for chicken stock, such as soups.

Here are some amazing recipes you can use Chicken Yakhni in:

• Use to cook the rice in Shahi Chicken Pulao.
• Use in place of water in Pea Pulao (Matar Pulao)
• Use as a base for Chicken Hot and Sour soup.
• Use as the base for Chicken Corn Soup
• Use in place of water in Spicy Lentil Oats porridge (khichdi)

Storage

Strain your yakhni through a fine colander or a muslin cloth. Use the chicken pieces and shred the chicken to use with this soup or for other recipes. When the yakhni cools down, it forms a layer of fat on the top, which can be removed if you want.

The yakhni can be stored in the fridge for a week easily. If you’d like to consume it later, best to freeze it. It can last in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Variations

I’ve given you the most basic and easiest chicken broth to whip up. You can use this broth as a base for Pakistani recipes as well as Asian and Western cuisine. There are so many variations and fun things you can do with it. Here are some great options for you to try.

• Deeper flavor – Sear the chicken and caramelize the onions in 1 tablespoon of oil before adding the remaining ingredients. Seal in the chicken juices and brown its surface. This will create a much deeper and richer flavor.
• Vegetables – Add celery, carrots, or cauliflower to turn this broth into a chicken vegetable broth and make it more nutritious.
• Spicier – Add red chili flakes, and crush black pepper to give your broth a spicy kick.
• Flavor – Add other aromatics like fennel seeds, cumin seeds, and green cardamom.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Recipes like this

Here are some more comfort food recipes on the blog:

Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help! And of course, If you try this recipe, I’d loveeeee to see it or simply hear about it! Hit me up in the comment section below and I’ll get back to asap! Happy Cooking!

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Chicken Yakhni or Broth

This Pakistani Chicken Yakhni or Broth is made with whole spices and bone-in chicken to create a simple gold liquid, which is comforting to have on its own or use in other recipes.

Course Chicken Recipes, How To’s

Cuisine Continental, pakistani

Diet Gluten Free, Halal

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Servings 2 Litres

Calories 531kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

• 500 gm Bone-in Chicken see notes
• 4 whole Bay leaf dried or fresh
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 4 whole Dried red chili
• 1 medium onion cut in half
• 10 whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 4 Litres Water

Instructions

Stove Top Instructions

• Place your chicken in a 5-liter stockpot or any deep saucepan with a lid. Turn on the heat at medium-low and allow the chicken to release some of its liquid. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes of until the chicken surface turns white.
• Add all the remaining ingredients in the pot and allow the water to come to a boil.
• Now use a skimmer or a strainer to improve any impurities or froth that comes up to the surface.
• Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Let this chicken broth simmer for 1 to 2 hours. You can leave it for longer if you have the time.

Instant Pot Instructions

• Chuck all the ingredients directly in the inner pot of the pressure cooker. Pour the water over the scraps. You can add more water, but DO NOT let the water reach above two-thirds of the way full.
• Place the lid on the Instant Pot with the vent knob pointed towards "sealed".
• Select the high pressure cook function and set it for 1 hour.
• Once cook time has elapsed, turn off the Instant Pot and allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes. Quick-release any remaining pressure manually.
• Carefully lift the lid, allowing the steam to escape away from you.

To Serve

• Yakhni (broth) is traditionally enjoyed as a hot, clear soup, often sipped from cups. When serving it as a drink, add lemon wedges along with a sprinkle of black pepper and salt.
• If serving the yakhni with chicken, shred the cooked chicken from the recipe, return it to the broth, and finish with vinegar and black pepper.
• Use it in place of broth/stocks in other recipes.

Storage

• To store the broth for later use, strain it through a fine sieve and allow it to cool completely. Transfer the cooled broth to airtight containers and refrigerate or freeze as needed.
• The cooked chicken can be shredded and stored separately or left in the broth. the broth can be used in any recipe that calls for chicken stock or broth.

Notes

• Chicken – Use bone-in chicken to create a rich, nutrient-dense broth. Use the whole chicken carcass for this recipe. The cut of your chicken doesn’t matter. You can also use the bones of your leftover rotisserie chicken. You can skip the searing step if you are using it and start with step two. 
• The broth can last for a week in the fridge and upto 2 months in the freezer.
• For variations, you can add vegetables of your choice or other spices like fennel seeds, cumin seeds, or green cardamom. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2serving | Calories: 531kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 208mg | Sodium: 1463mg | Potassium: 632mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 911IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Traditional Pakistani Chicken Yakhni (Chicken Broth Recipe) appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

Ok, full confession, I need to trick my brain into eating better. I make the tangy lentil oats sometimes, or the delicious bottle gourd curry (lauki ki bhujia) on my vegetarian days of the week. Keeps my nutrition in check with zero compromise on flavor or deliciousness.

These oats khichdi or masala oats are my go-to on days I need to eat mindfully. Made with simple Pakistani/Indian spices, they are such a perfect base to add toppings to and make into a whole meal, like you do with poke bowls (More on this later)

Ingredients

Here are a couple of pointers and notes about the ingredients.

• Oats – There is no restriction as to what kind of oats you use in this recipe. Steel cut, rolled, or quick. Use any oats you have at hand.
• Lentils – I make this recipe with yellow lentils, but feel free to experiment and use others that you like. Masoor dal or red lentils also work!
• Tomato – I use fresh tomatoes, but tomato puree or canned tomatoes work for this recipe just as well.
• Chilies – This oats khichdi uses three kinds of chilies: whole (green), crushed, and powder (red). It doesn’t pack as much heat as you think it would, so I won’t term this recipe as too spicy.
• Ghee – Ghee or butter gives it more than oil would, but you are welcome to use any option you like: Ghee, butter, or oil.
• Fried onions – Brown fried onions are used as a garnish here. Simply brown fry 1 to 2 onions in oil and remove them, and set aside. You can also buy pre-fried onions from any Asian grocery store or fry onions at home.
• Other Garnish – Lemon juice, some ghee, and cilantro. Lemon juice really adds that kick to this recipe. You can also do add-ons like chilli oil or chat masala (optional)

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Instructions

I’ve put together all the steps in a simple pictorial for you to see how easy this is to make.

Step 1: Fry cumin seeds and green chilies in ghee/oil in a deep pan at medium heat.

Step 2: Add tomato, garlic ginger paste, and spices.

Step 3: Add a splash of water and let the tomatoes cook until mushy when pressed with the back of a spoon.

Step 4: Add oats and yellow lentils.

Step 5: Add water and allow it to come to a boil.

Step 6: Cover with a lid and let it cook for 40 to 50 minutes at medium low heat.

Step 7: Stir occasionally at 10-minute intervals.

Step 8: At the 40-minute mark, check the thickness of the khichdi. Cook longer if you want a thicker version, or turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Garnish with crispy fried onions, lemon juice, a dollop of ghee or butter and cilantro. Serve hot!

Variations and Toppings

The beauty of this oats khichdi is that it is the ideal base to create customized pokebowl-style Mains. You can create so many different versions with just the same recipe. For added nutrition, you can also try adding chicken broth or stock instead of water to cook the khichdi.

Here are a couple of topping ideas for you to try:

• Leftover chicken, shredded or fried.
• Any other sauteed protein, like lamb chunks or beef.
• Achaar or pickles
• Pickled or fresh sliced onions.
• More green or red Thai chilies
• Sautéed vegetables like carrots or peas.
• Fried crisps like pappad, chips, or tortillas.
• Masalas like chaat masala, dahi bara masala, or paprika.
• Sauces like Harissa or Schezuan Sauce would go beautifully with this recipe.

Like I said, make it your own, bruh! The topping possibilities are endless. Personally, I use this as a fridge clean-up opportunity. IYKYK.

Expert Tips

• Use a heavy-bottom pot or pan to avoid your khichdi from burning.
• Always allow the Khichdi to cool down for at least 10 minutes before serving to allow it to thicken on its own.
• For a more haleem-like consistency, use a Haleem Ghotni (Wooden Hand Masher) from time to time when the Khichdi is cooking. (Haleem is a meat and lentil South Asian porridge)
• Add raw chicken while frying the cumin seeds to create a more Haleem-like Khichdi.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Vegetarian Recipes:

Looking for other vegetarian recipes? Try these:

Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help! And of course, If you try this recipe, I’d loveeeee to see it or simply hear about it! Hit me up in the comment section below and I’ll get back to asap! Happy Cooking!

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Spicy Oats Khichdi

Made with yellow lentils and oats, these spicy masala oats khichdi is low-carb and hits the spot. Make it soupy or thick like porridge or Haleem; you control how the dish turns out.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, pakistani

Diet Halal, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 252kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup ghee or oil
• 1/2 cup oats steel cut, rolled or instant oats
• 3/4 cup yellow lentils moong dal – soaked in water for 10 minutes
• 2 whole tomatoes chopped into cubes
• 1 tablespoon garlic ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon turmeric haldi
• 2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 2 teaspoon cumin seeds zeera
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
• 3 whole serrano green chilies sliced
• 4 cup water

Garnish

• Lemon Juice
• 1 cup brown fried onions
• cilantro leaves
• butter

Instructions

• In a deep pot, add ghee, cumin seeds and chopped green chilies. Saute at medium flame for a minute.
• Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric, red chili powder and flakes, and garlic ginger paste.
• Add a splash of water and allow the spices to temper and tomatoes to soften up. This will take 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add soaked yellow lentils and oats, along with 4 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil and cover with a lid.
• Let the oats and lentils cook at medium heat for 40 minutes. Stir occasionally at 10 minute intervals.
• Turn off the heat after 40 minutes and let the oats rest for 10 minutes. This time allows it to thicken up a little bit. Adjust your seasoning at this point. Add more water if you'd like a more soupy consitency.
• Serve garnished with cilantro, a dollop of butter or ghee, and brown fried onions.

Video

Notes

• This oats khichdi can last 3 to 4 days in the fridge. You can also freeze it for upto a month if you don’t garnish it. To thaw, put the frozen khichdi directly into a pot with 1 cup of water and let it cook. 
• You can also add chaat masala or paprika powder as garnish. 
• To create your own oats khichdi bowl, use this recipe as base and add any protein/vegetable as toppings and create a poke bowl style dinner. Here are a couple of topping options:   
         – Shredded or fried chicken or any other protein of choice.
         – Pickled onions
         – Achar or pickles
         – Fresh Spinach or any other greens of your choice.
         – Sliced red or green chilies. 
         – pappar or any other crisps for crunch. 
         – fried garlic chips.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 875mg | Potassium: 424mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 622IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Spicy Oats Khichdi appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

These simple, delicious Peri-Peri Chicken Livers are Portuguese in origin. They are super popular amongst South Africans, and I thaaaaaaank Nando’s, on behalf of the rest of the world, for introducing this absolutely finger-licking deliciousness to us.

They are saucy, spicy, tangy, and I loveeee love loveee that I can just make this up for lazy dinners when I don’t wanna be in the kitchen for more than 20 minutes.

Also, FYI, my favorite pastime is to find Restaurant foods that I love and then make them at home with nutritious alternatives. It’s cheaper and healthier and gives me my power back, you know? Like my P.F. Chang’s Dynamite prawns or the cult favorite Saudi Champagne are on top of that remake list.

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need a handful of things to make this recipe. But the food police in me won’t give you many substitutions since we are aiming for the real “Nando’s taste”. (Soooorryyyyyy)

• Chicken livers – Wash them and cut them into smaller pieces. Fresh chicken livers always taste better.
• Spices – Coriander powder, paprika, black pepper, and salt.
• Peri Peri Sauce – No substitutions here, amigos. Im sure other brands have peri peri sauce on the market, but I went ahead and used the Nando’s one. So now the trick is to use the one that has the right spice level you like. I went with the Medium, because there are other spices too in the recipe. And I’d say it turned out on the spicier side. So if you’d like it to be less spicy, I’d suggest going for the garlic Peri Peri sauce.
• Garlic and Onion – Any onion would do, no issues. Garlic and onion are going to be finely chopped. This is probably the only cutting needed in this recipe.
• Cream – This recipe calls for cooking cream because its light and thin. But you can substitute with regular thick cream and simply add water to dilute (more later)
• Tomato paste – You have wiggle room here. You can use ketchup if you are out of paste.
• Oil and Butter – The Nando’s chicken livers are creamy, buttery, and spicy. Safe to say this recipe uses both oil and butter. But I’d let it pass if you are out of butter. Use oil only instead.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Instructions

I’ve put together all the steps in a simple pictorial for you to see how easy this is to make.

This is a simple recipe with only 10 minutes of cook time.

Step 1: Add oil and butter to a large skillet or pan. Toss in chopped onion and fry at medium heat until they turn translucent.

Step 2: Add minced garlic to onions and saute for a minute.

Step 3: Add chicken liver, spices, tomato paste, and lemon juice to the pan and saute them.

Step 4: Cook the liver till all the liquid evaporates and you can see oil separating on the sides.

Step 6: Add peri peri sauce and cream. Mix well and cook for 1 minute.

Step 5: Garnish with chopped parsley and some extra butter.

Expert Tips

• Give the chicken liver an acid treatment for about 5 minutes before cooking. You can use lemon or vinegar to do so. This removes any residual smell or odor from the liver.
• Fresh Liver always tastes better than frozen. That is true for all organ meat, really. Other than taste, even nutritionally, it is always better to go for fresh liver and cook it the same day.
• Kitchen scissors are better for cutting the slippery livers.

Serving and Pairing

Traditionally, these creamy Peri Peri chicken Livers are served with baked bread, and more authentically, the Portuguese rolls. Serve it with any bread or loaf of your liking, with butter and lemon on the side.

If you are serving this as an appetizer, then a nice apple chicken stir fry and fried rice as the main course would pair really well with it. You could also do a mild soup like the chicken corn soup, or grilled chicken and salad as the main. I’ve also served it as individual canapes for parties, and they turn out amazingggggg.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help! And of course, If you try this recipe, I’d loveeeee to see it or simply hear about it! Hit me up in the comment section below and I’ll get back to asap! Happy Cooking!

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Peri Peri Chicken Liver

This is a Portugese style, chicken liver recipe, made with cream and peri peri sauce. It's delicious, spicy and is served with buns of your choice.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Continental

Diet Halal

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 402kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

• 450 gm Chicken Liver cut into smaller pieces
• 5 cloves Garlic minced
• 2 tablespoon Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Butter Added in 2 increments
• 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice Added in 2 increments
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Salt or to taste
• 1 teaspoon Black pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
• 1 table spoon Tomato paste
• 1/3 cup Peri Peri Sauce (medium) or to taste
• 3/4 cup Cooking Cream

Instructions

• Add half of the lemon juice to the wash chicken liver asnd set aside.
• In a large skillet or pan, add oil and half of the butter. Add onions and sautee them until they turn translucent.
• Now add garlic and chicken livers to the pan.
• Add all the spices, leftover lemon juice, tomato paste and remaining butter.
• Stir fry the livers for 3 to 4 minutes or until all the moisture evaporates and you can see oil seperating on the sides.
• Add peri peri sauce. Cook for a minute.
• Add cream and cook for another minute.
• Garnish with parsley and serve hot with Portugese rolls or any buns of your choice.

Video

Notes

• Treat chicken liver with vinegar or lemon juice for 5 minutes before cooking to remove any smell.
• If you don’t have cooking cream, use any normal fresh or thick cream and add water to it. (for 100 ml of thick cream, add enough water to make it into 3/4 cup of cream)

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 439mg | Sodium: 900mg | Potassium: 460mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 13584IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 11mg

The post Nando’s Peri Peri Chicken Livers appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

If this is barbecue season in your area, you have found the perfect recipe to try. We love grilling! Mutton chops and chicken shashlik are my other barbecue favorites.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’d know I love creating fusion recipes. This chicken malai boti also inspired a Malai Pulao Rice that I think you’ll love.

What is Malai boti

For my literal peeps, “Malai” means cream and “boti” means chunks of meat. The “cream” is to signify the color and the marination of this chicken, and also the soft, silky texture of this barbecue. A lot of restaurants also list it as Murgh malai tikka.

The chicken gets its characteristic white appearance from cream and yogurt, and specifically no use of red spices. You can make it on the outdoor grill or tandoor, which is how it is traditionally made. But if you are like me, then do it in a pan or the oven!

Ingredients

Most ingredients are pretty basic. Here are some notes on the key ingredients.

• Chicken – There is no preference for using a specific part of the chicken or cuts. They are traditionally made in boneless chunks in restaurants, but I’ve made malai boti using small bone in chicken pieces too. Works both ways!
• Spices – Malai boti is known for its characteristic white color on the inside, while charred and grilled on the outside. The spices used make sure to not add color to the chicken. We use
• Cream – Cream is the “malai”, so quite the namesake of this recipe. Use any thick or table cream available to you. For my readers in South Asia, you can also use actual malai (the thick yellow clotted cream that settles on top of cool non-homogenized milk)
• Tenderizer – The restaurant style malai boti gets it melt-in-your-mouth texture by adding a tenderzier. Chicken, doesn’t take long to tenderize so this is only for texture purposes. I used raw papaya paste as used traditionally. As substitutes, you can use tenderizer powder or kiwi paste.
• Green Chili & Lemon – Use serrano or Thai green chilies to pack heat. Skip the chilies to reduce the heat.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

NOTE: Most recipes you see online will have coriander leaves as one of the ingredients for malai boti. That’s a BIG NO NO. Coriander leaves give a greenish color to chicken and are not used in restaurant-style malai boti.

Instructions

I’ve put together all the steps in a simple pictorial for you to see how easy this is to make.

Step 1 – Add green chilies and yogurt to a blender.

Step 2 – Blend until smooth.

Step 3 – In a bowl, add the chicken to the chili yogurt mix.

Step 4 – Add all spices, seasonings, and tenderizer to the bowl.

Step 5 – Marinate the chicken well. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.

Step 6 – After 30 minutes, thread the chicken onto a metal or wood skewer.

Step 7 – Grill the chicken malai boti on a non-stick skillet or pan at medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until charred on the outside.

Step 8 – Additionally, you can give coal smoke.

This Malai Boti is a star on its own. Serve hot with a good green mint chutney on the side and sliced onions and lemon wedges. Oo lala

Expert Tips

• Marination: These malai boti have a characteristic melt-in-your-mouth silky texture because of the papaya paste in the marination. If you aren’t going to grill the chicken right away, skip the papaya paste from the marinade. This is important! Chicken tends to tenderize very quickly. It only needs 30 minutes to 2 hours with papaya paste. So if you plan to marinate your chicken overnight, skip the papaya paste, and only add it when you are threading the chicken before grilling.
• Soaking the skewers: If you are using wooden skewers, soak them for 20 minutes in water before using them. This tip prevents the skewers from burning when you grill them.
• Giving Coal flavor: A coal infusion upgrades our malai boti to a restaurant-style style authentic version!

Pairing & Variations

• Make rolls with homemade parathas.
• Serve with kachumbar salad and yogurt on the side.
• Serve on a bed of pulao rice, or make the fusion version of this recipe, Malai Boti Pulao
• A nice bhuni daal (lentils) and roti would be finger-licking good.
• Use as a sandwich or wrap filling, or even a pizza topping!

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Barbecue Recipes and more

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

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Chicken Malai Boti

Marinated in a characterstic creamy white spice mix, this barbecue chicken is packed with flavor and tender to bite.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Diet Halal

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

resting time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 646kcal

Author Wajiha

Equipment

• 2 pieces of coal in a small steel bowl or liquid smoke to add smoky flavor to chicken.
• 8 to 9 wooden or metal kebab skewers optional

Ingredients

• 1 kg boneless chicken cut in medium size cubes
• 125 ml fresh cream or table cream use any thick cream of your choice
• 6 whole serrano green chilies stem removed
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder zeera
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder dhaniya
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder all spice powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder
• 2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon garlic ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon raw papaya paste or meat tenderizer (see notes)
• 1/2 cup oil for greasing or grilling

Instructions

Chicken Marinade

• Add yogurt and green chilies to a blender. And blend until you get a smooth paste.
• In a large bowl, add all ingredients listed under "chicken marinade". Marinate the chicken, cover the bowl and set aside for at least 20 minutes. (see notes)
• Thread the boneless chicken onto a wooden or a metal skewer. Stack onto a tray or platter.

Cooking Methods

• Stove Top Grilling – Heat a grillpan or a non-stick skillet at medium high heat greased well with oil. Place the malai boti skewers and let it grill for around 5 to 6 minutes. Flip the sticks over and grill for another 5 minutes. Remove for pan and place in the serving tray.
• Airfryer or Oven –  Prepare your baking tray by spraying with oil or grease it with butter. Place your chicken skewers on the tray and spray oil on top of the skewers too. Bake at 240℃ (460 ℉) for 7 minutes. Take out the tray and flip them over and bake for another 7 minutes. You can also open the broiler for the last one minute of the cooking to give malai boti a charred look.
• Outdoor Grill – Grill as you would with any other barbecue. Coat with oil while flipping skewers over.

Notes

• This recipe uses papaya paste as a meat tenderizer. It makes the chicken super soft. And only requires 30 minutes to 2 hours to work. If you plan to marinate the chicken overnight or for longer, skip adding the papaya paste until the very end. 
• Substitution for papaya paste – Store-bought meat tenderizer or 1 teaspoon of crushed kiwi. 
• Wooden Skewers – Soak them in water for 30 minutes before using, to prevent burning of the skewer ends. 
• If you are making the malai boti at home, in the pan, you can give it coal smoke at the end to give it a barbecue aroma. You can use liquid smoke to do this, or heat up a piece of coal on the stove and place it in a glass or steel cup inside the chicken, drizle oil, and cover the chicken for 5 minutes to infuse the coal smoke.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 646kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 196mg | Sodium: 1468mg | Potassium: 972mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 554IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Chicken Malai Boti appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

With this recipe, I tip my hat to my Bihari roots. Crispy aloo bhujia fry is a popular dish in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India (where my dadi is originally from). And now I make it in my very Pakistani home and love it just as much. You can pair it with dal chawal, or have it with paratha roti or any flat bread of your choice. A chutney on the side and you have the perfect meal!

Ingredients

Here are a couple of pointers and notes about the ingredients.

• Potatoes – Use the potatoes that you are most comfortable cooking with. This is a very easy and forgiving recipe.
• Spices – Whole red chili, cumin seeds, and turmeric are the spices that add flavor to this recipe. They are used in very little quantities only to add some fragrance and subtle flavor.
• Oil – Any neutral oil works. You can also go for olive oil or ghee.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Instructions

I’ve put together all the steps in a simple pictorial for you to see how easy this is to make.

Step 1: Cut the potatoes into 4 thick wedges.

Step 2: Slice the potatoes into thin sections.

NOTE: If you don’t want to do it manually, you can use a mandolin or a slicer to make thin potato slices.

Step 3: Add oil, cumin seeds, and whole red chilies to a skillet or wok. Fry at medium flame for a minute.

Step 4: Add sliced onions.

Step 5: Allow the onions to fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until translucent.

Step 6: Add sliced potatoes.

Step 7: Add spices and mix.

Step 8: Cover the lid of the skillet for 10 minutes and reduce the heat to low.

Step 9: Remove the lid and adjust the salt.

Step 10: Finish cooking immediately or fry bhujia for another 5 minutes at high heat to create some crispy pieces of potatoes at the bottom of the pan.

Variations

Giving the visitor ideas on how they can change this recipe to better suit their dinner guests, or their cultural cuisine, is a great way to increase the chances they will make the recipe

• Spicy – This recipe is generally mild heat-wise. To pack more heat, add chopped up serrano green chilies or more red chili flakes.
• Other Vegetables: I have added sliced carrots and peas in the past to this recipe, which works beautifully.
• Tomato: For a more saucy/wet bhujia, you can add chopped tomato to the onions in the beginning. For a more curry-style potato, try my aloo ki tarkari (potato curry), eaten at brunches.
• Egg: Once your bhujia is ready, create a little space on the skillet and add an egg, topped with salt and pepper.

Top Tip

• DO NOT be heavy-handed with seasonings on this recipe, especially with salt. The potatoes tend to get oversalted very quickly. If in doubt, add less seasoning in the beginning and adjust later towards the end.
• A mandolin or a slicer is better if you want even thin slices.
• This potato fry is made essentially in steam and oil. If you’d like it to be crispy or CRISPIER, let it fry for longer, tossing it once or twice. An additional 5 minutes in the pan will give you a nice golden, crispy potato base and soft potatoes on top. Mix ’em up and you have the perfect combo of both.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Recipes on the blog

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help! And of course, If you try this recipe, I’d loveeeee to see it or simply hear about it! Hit me up in the comment section below and I’ll get back to asap! Happy Cooking!

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Aloo Bhujia

Quick South Asian recipe made by frying potatoes in oil and simple spices.

Course 30 min meals

Cuisine Indian

Diet Halal

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 3 servings

Calories 300kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

• 1 large onion sliced
• 2 medium potatoes peeled
• 2 teaspoon cumin seeds zeera
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 4 whole button red chilies dried
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder haldi
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes or to taste
• 4 tablespoon cooking oil or ghee

Instructions

• Cut your potatoes into 4 equal wedges. Slice those wedges cross-sectionally as thin as you can. Set aside.
• Add oil to a wok/karhayii or skillet. On medium heat, add cumin seeds, whole red chilies to the oil.
• Add sliced onions and saute till the onions become translucent.
• Add the potatoes and remaining seasoning to the skillet and stirfry for 2 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to low and cover the skillet with a lid. Let the potatoes cook for 10 minutes.
• Remove the lid and check one potato slice to see if its cooked.
• Now you can finish cooking here or stirfry the potatoes for another 5 minutes at medium heat to get some bits to get crispy and golden on the bottom.
• Garnish with coriander and serve hot with roti, or dal and rice.

Notes

• DO NOT be heavy-handed with seasonings on this recipe, especially with salt. Add less seasoning and adjust later towards the end.
• A mandolin or a slicer is better if you want even thin slices.
• This potato fry is made essentially in steam and oil. If you’d like it to be crispy or CRISPIER, let it fry for longer, tossing it once or twice. An additional 5 minutes in the pan will give you a nice golden, crispy potato base and soft potatoes on top. Mix ’em up and you have the perfect combo of both.
• For more variations, try adding sliced carrots. 
• This bhujia is best eaten fresh and loses its crispiness if refrigerated. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 400mg | Potassium: 699mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 21IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Crispy Aloo Bhujia fry appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

Bihari kababs and Chicken tikkas are both super popular Indo-Pakistani barbecue delicacies. Bihari kababs come from the land of Bihar, made traditionally with beef. Their key traits are subtle spice levels and silky smooth melt-in-mouth protein texture. So naturally, I just hadddd to create a fusion recipe, yaáll know how much I love that. Taking the characteristics of the Bihari kababs, I made a spice blend, fit for a gorgeous chicken tikka!

This tikka is such a great example of South Asian recipes where even low spice levels bring about super flavorful dishes, just like the great Balochistani Chicken Sajji or the subtle crispy aloo bhujia. Ok, I am tooooo excited! Let’s begin!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here are a couple of pointers and notes about the ingredients.

• Skinless Chicken – For a proper tikka cut you either need breast pieces with wings attached or whole chicken legs. You also have to deeply score the chicken along the lengths to allow the marinate to seep in.
• Neutral Oil – Any vegetable oil, ghee or butter will do.
• Spices – Salt, red chili powder, cumin powder, black pepper, and garam masala powder.
• Fried Onions – Crispy brown fried onions are easily available in any Indian Pakistani grocery store, if you don’t want to fry it yourself. I usually fry some at home, takes around 5 minutes. You can use my crispy fried onions tutorial if you have questions.
• Yogurt
• Ginger garlic paste
• Meat Tenderizer – see “Tenderzing the chicken” section below
• Optional – Coal for smoke and roasted poppy seeds. Both are flavor and aroma enhancers and are easily skippable if you don’t have them on hand.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Tenderizing the Chicken

The chicken texture for this tikka is super soft and more like kababs. To achieve this texture you need to add a meat tenderizer to the chicken.

• Raw papaya paste – This is the best, tasteless option out there. You simply buy a jar of green papaya paste or whip up some at home. This will give you the exact texture we are going for.
• Meat tenderizers. 1/2 teaspoon of a meat tenderizer will also get the job done.
• Yogurt and Vinegar – This is a weak tenderizer. You need overnight marination for this combination to work on the chicken muscle fibers.

IMPORTANT TIP: Once you’ve added the papaya paste or meat tenderizer to your chicken, DO NOT marinate for more than 2 hours. If you prefer longer marination times, go for yogurt and vinegar instead.

Instructions

I’ve put together all the steps in a simple pictorial for you to see how easy this is to make.

STEP 1 Wash and pat the chicken dry. Deeply Score the chicken pieces along their length.

STEP 2 Combine all ingredients for the tikka marinade in a blender.

STEP 3 Make a smooth paste.

STEP 4 Marinate the chicken for 1 hour making sure all the cuts are deeply penetrated

STEP 5 Layout the chicken onto a lined baking tray.

STEP 6 Bake for 20 to 25 mins at 180C or 375F, flipping halfway through. Glaze with any leftover marinade when flipping.

PROPTIP: Turn on the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes towards the end to get that nice grilled/charred crispy bits.

Expert Tips

Here’s a recap of all the things that’ll make you ace this recipe:

• Score the chicken pieces deeply to allow the marination to penetrate through.
• Don’t throw away any leftover marinade. Glaze it on the chicken when you flip it over.
• If you are baking the tikka, turn on the broiler for the last 1 to 2 minutes to give it that charred crispy top.
• If you are marinating the chicken in advance for a barbecue party, skip the meat tenderizer and only add it 30 to 40 minutes before grilling or baking.
• Go for bigger chicken cuts for this recipe to give it the proper chicken tikka feel.
• Glazer the chicken with oil after once ready, to prevent it from drying out.

Pairing and serving suggestions

Honestly, it works perfectly as a stand-alone dish. Serve it with sliced onions and lemon on top with mint green chutney on the side. Damnnnnn, I am salivating. But on days, you feel like having “meals” type meals, here are some classic suggestions

• Pair with a homemade paratha, roti, or naan.
• If you are leaning towards flatbreads, a side of aloo ki tarkari (potato curry) or cholay ka salan (chickpea curry) would go perfectly with it.
• To keep it low-carb, pair it with a hearty nice salad like my evergreen kachumbar salad.
• A simple pea pulao/ matar pulao and yogurt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Similar Recipes for you

If you liked my Bihari tikka, you will love these Pakistani Chicken recipes.

Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help! And of course, If you try this recipe, I’d loveeeee to see it or simply hear about it! Hit me up in the comment section below and I’ll get back to asap! Happy Cooking!

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Bihari Chicken Tikka

A Bihari masala style marinated, melt in your mouth chicken, grilled or baked in the oven

Course 30 min meals, Chicken Recipes, dinner, HEALTHY RECIPES

Cuisine Fusion Food, Indian, pakistani, South Asian

Diet Halal

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Resting time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4 pieces

Calories 166kcal

Author Wajiha

Ingredients

• 4 pieces Chicken legs with thighs, skin removed and cuts along the length of the pieces. around 1 kg chicken
• Oil for cooking
• 1 piece coal for smoke

Chicken Marinade

• 1 large onion sliced and fried golden or 1/2 cup or prefried onions
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 2 teaspoon cumin seed powder roasted is even better
• 2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 2 tablespoon raw papaya paste or 1/2 teaspoon meat tenderizer.
• 1 tsp roasted poppy seeds optional
• 2 tablespoon oil

Instructions

• Wash and pat your chicken dry. Add cuts along the lengths of your chicken pieces.
• Add all the ingredients of the marinade to a blender. Make a smooth paste.
• Marinate the chicken pieces in the heavy marinade, covering all the slits. Cover the chicken and let it marinade for 2 hours not more. (If you wish to marinate longer or overnight, then skip the papaya paste)
• Remove the chicken from the fridge atleast 30 mins before you plan to cook it.

Cooking Methods

• On a BBQ grill –

  This is pretty straightforward. You fire up your grill and grill on both sides till it's nice and charred.
• Pan frying.

  Pan fry the pieces on a grill pan at high heat on both sides for about 4 mins each. Then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and let it cook for another 10 minutes. You can smoke coal at this point if you like.
• Baking and air frying-

  Preheat oven to 180 ℃ or 375 ℉. Grease a pan with oil or butter and place your chicken pieces on it. Coat the chicken with oil as well. Bake for 20 mins, 10 mins on each side. You can glaze the pieces with oil or leftover marinade when you flip them over. Broil for 1 minute towards the end for a nice charred finish. You can smoke it with coal at this point if you like.
• Serve with some extra lemon slices to squeeze on top, onion slices and mint chutney.

Notes

• The spice level of Bihari Chicken tikka is mostly moderate, you can add more red chili if you’d like a high spice level. 
• You can prepare all types of chicken cuts with the same marination. Reduce the salt to 1 tsp if using small boneless cubes.
• For a dairy-free recipe, you can substitute yogurt with 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of vinegar.
• Raw papaya paste makes the chicken super tender and gives you an authentic Bihari chicken texture. DO NOT leave the chicken uncooked for more than 4 hours the marination has papaya paste.
• If you don’t have the paste, then marinate your chicken overnight to allow the lemon and yogurt to soften the chicken. 
• You can use the same recipe on fish fillets

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 67g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 1199mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 368IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 0.3mg

The post Bihari Chicken Tikka appeared first on Butter Over Bae.

To be honest, this is literally the ONLY salad in Pakistani and North Indian cuisine, that has a proper name and a dressing. Otherwise, growing up, for most of us, salad pretty much meant, sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions on a plate.

What is Kachumber Salad?

The word Kachumber, (pronounced as Ka-choo-mer), means “pounded” or grounded. As the name suggests, common vegetables like onions, tomato, and cucumber are chopped up and tossed together to create this salad. This is literally the only salad that has an actual name in the Pakistani and North Indian cuisine. Otherwise, salads per se don’t really exist, and the vegetables are usually just eaten in “bhujia” or dry curry form, like the lauki ki bhujia “bottle gourd curry”.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Every family has their own favorite veggies and their own preferred dressing for this salad. I’m going to put up the one most commonly eaten in restaurants and at home.

• Cucumbers – This is the essential of a kachumber salad, which is sometimes also called the “cucumber salad”. You can peel the cucumber or leave it on for crunch. I personally prefer leaving it on, and only peel if my cucumbers are extra bitter.
• Onions – I use red onions because I like how they taste. You can use shallots or yellow onions too.
• Tomato – You need firm, juicy, ripe tomatoes for this recipe to make sure that they don’t squish when being chopped finely. Use any tomato you have at hand, as long as they are juicy and red.
• Seasoning – This recipe uses a very basic, lemon, salt, and pepper seasoning. But I am going to give you some fun add-ons at the end if you feel like spicing things up!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

Variations and Add-ons

This is the fun part, where you take an average Joe (not the serial killer kind) (shoutout YOU fans) and make it your own.

• Make it Spicy
  Pack your salad with heat by adding just a dash of cayenne pepper powder or sliced up Thai chilies.
• Add more vegetables
  Add any favorite or seasonal vegetable to this salad. My personal favorite add-ons are carrots, radishes, and sometimes bell peppers.
• Flavor enhancers
  For a fancier salad dressing, try adding chaat masala, which is a very popular spice mix to add to this salad. Or try roasted cumin seed powder or a pinch of garam masala powder. They all add warmth and subtle heat to the dish. I love adding dahi bara masala to my kachumber sometimes. You can also try adding a small clove of finely chopped garlic.
• For Crunch
  Although the vegetables add the perfect crunch to this recipe, try topping it off with crispy pappar, crushed chips or peanuts.
• Fruit and Carbs
  Kachumber Salad with Mango and/or pomegranate are apparently popular add on in a lot of restaurants during summers. I haven’t been daring enough to try it, but maybe you can. Chickpeas is another favorite to add to your kachumber. My recommendation would be to add chickpeas and chaat masala together for a perfect hearty snack.
• Kachumber Salad with Yogurt
  For recipes like tahiri or biryani, it is common practice to make a kachumbar raita, where this salad is mixed with beaten yogurt to make a sort of loaded raita.

Ofcourse, the best kachumbar salad version for you, is the one that your palate eventually falls in love with.

How to make Kachumber Salad

The only real skill you need for this salad is, your chopping. And honestly you can bypass that too, if you have a hand chopper, like this Easy Pull Food Chopper and Manual Food Processor. There is no right or wrong way to chop this salad, go with whatever size and shape you prefer.

STEP 1 – Chop up all the vegetables by a knife or a chopper

STEP 2 – Toss all the vegetables in a bowl

STEP 3 – Prepare the seasoning seperately

STEP 4 – Pour the seasoning all over the salad and mix.

Top tip

Only add the dressing to the vegetables when you are ready to eat. The salt releases water from the vegetables and you’ll get a lot of liquid floating at the base of your salad if you let the dressing sit in the salad for hours.

Recipe FAQs

What to Serve with Kachumber Salad

Oh, everything! It literally goes well with everything I kid you not. But fine, I’ll give you some sweet pairing option

• Fried fish, daal chawal (lentil rice)
• A good roast chicken and palak raita! Yummm
• On the side of a pulao and a kebab like the chicken cheddar kebab
• Served with freshly grilled chicken tikka
• Of course, who can forget, A classic chicken biryani
• Honestly, I enjoy it as a dip for my tortilla chips, when I am watching my calories

More Salad Recipes

I love pairing these salads with my mains. See for yourself

Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help! And of course, If you try this recipe, I’d loveeeee to see it or simply hear about it! Hit me up in the comment section below and I’ll get back to asap! Happy Cooking!

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Kachumber Salad

This is a traditional Pakistani/North Indian salad made with onions, tomato and cucumber with a simple dressing and a whole lot of variation options

Course Salad

Cuisine Indian, pakistani, South Asian

Diet Gluten Free, Halal, Low Calorie, Vegan

Prep Time 7 minutes minutes

Total Time 7 minutes minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories 50kcal

Author Wajiha

Equipment

• 1 manual chopper optional

Ingredients

• 1 medium red onion or any onion you prefer
• 1 small tomato
• 2 medium cucumbers
• 2 to 3 fresh salad leaves of your choice optional

Salad Dressing

• 1/4 teaspoon table salt or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

• Finely dice all the vegetables and salad leaves into around 1/4th cubes
• Toss the chopped vegetables into a bowl and mix well.
• Prepare the salad dressing by combining the salt, black pepper and lemon juice.
• Pour the salad dressing over the vegetables and mix. Serve immediately.

  To serve later, keep the salad dressing seperate, and only pour when ready to serve.

Notes

• The cucumbers can be used peeled or unpeeled, based on your preference. But I’d recommend to peel the cucumbers if they are bitter.
• Your chopping can be done with a knife or a simple hand chopper
• Do not add the dressing to your salad if you aren’t ready to eat. Keep the dressing separately, if you are preparing the salad hours before having it.

Variations and ad-ons

• Spices – Just a dash of cayenne pepper powder or sliced-up thai chilies to pack heat. 
• Other vegetables and fruits – Any seasonal or favorite produce. Popular options include carrots, radishes, bell peppers, mango and pomegranates. 
• Flavor enhancers – Chaat masala, garam masala powder, or roasted cumin seed powder. Minced chopped garlic
• For Crunch –  pappar, crushed chips, or peanuts.
• Yogurt

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 377mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 241IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Simple Kachumber Salad Recipe appeared first on Butter Over Bae.