Set up three large shallow bowls in an assembly line. Put the flour in the first bowl; beat the eggs in the second bowl; and mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh herbs in the third bowl.
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge the first chicken breast in the flour and shake off the excess until just a light coating remains. Next, dip the chicken in the egg mixture and turn to coat evenly, letting any excess egg drip off. Finally, dredge the chicken in the bread crumb mixture, turning a few times to coat well. Set breaded chicken on a plate and repeat until all of the chicken breasts are breaded.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the first side is golden brown. Flip and continue cooking until done, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Note: If chicken breasts are large (8 or more ounces), it’s best to cut them in half once they are pounded out. Alternatively, you can cut them in half horizontally before pounding.
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ cup flour
3 large eggs
Olive oil, for cooking
1½ cups homemade or store-bought marinara sauce, best quality such as Rao’s or Victoria
6 oz fontina, shredded (about 1½ cups)
3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
Instructions
Using kitchen shears, trim off any white tendons at the ends of the tenderloins. Using the palm of your hand, gently flatten the tenderloins so that they are an even ¼-inch thickness. Season the chicken all over with 1¼ teaspoons of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper.
In a large shallow bowl, combine the panko, ¾ cup of the Parmigiano Reggiano, the oregano, the thyme, the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix well, making sure there are no clumps of cheese.
Place the flour in another shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in a third bowl. Set up a breading station in this order: flour, eggs, panko. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean up. Dredge the chicken in the flour, coating evenly; dip in the eggs, letting any excess drip off; then dredge in the panko mixture, turning and patting to adhere. Place the breaded chicken on the prepared baking sheet. (The recipe can be prepared up to this point, covered, and refrigerated up to 8 hours ahead of time.)
Preheat the broiler and set an oven rack about 4 inches from the heating element. Bring the marinara sauce to a simmer over low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking (with store-bought sauce, I find a generous pinch of sugar and fresh basil go a long way). Cover and keep warm.
Line another baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment for easy clean up; set aside. In a large nonstick skillet, heat about ⅛ inch of oil over medium heat until shimmering. Place 5 or 6 tenders in the pan in a single layer and cook until the first side is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Place the cooked chicken on the prepared baking sheet. Cook the remaining chicken in the same manner, adding additional oil only if necessary. You may need to lower the the heat as you go, so that the chicken doesn’t brown before it is cooked through.
Sprinkle the fontina and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano over the center of the chicken tenderloins, leaving the sides bare so that they remain crispy. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the marinara sauce over the cheese, again leaving the sides bare so that they stay crispy. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.
Toss the chicken with the soy sauce in a large, shallow bowl. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove the chicken from the soy sauce, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Transfer the chicken, skin side down, to a cold 12-inch nonstick skillet. Set the soy sauce aside.
Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the skin is crisp and dark golden, 8-10 minutes. While the chicken is browning, whisk the coconut milk, vinegar, sugar and pepper into the soy sauce.
Transfer the chicken to a plate and discard the fat in the skillet. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel. Pour the soy sauce-coconut milk mixture into the pan; add the garlic and bay leaves. Return the chicken to the skillet, skin side up, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 35 minutes, or until the chicken registers 175 degrees. Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep warm by tenting loosely with aluminum foil.
Fish out the bay leaves and skim any noticeable fat off the surface of the sauce. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (if it is too assertive, add a few tablespoons of water and/or a bit more sugar). Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the scallions. Serve with rice. (Note: if you’d like the skin to be extra crispy, place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and broil for a few minutes before serving.)
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin and fat (see note)
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, halved and cut into ¼-in-thick slices
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1¾ cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons honey
2 large or 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick coins
½ cup Greek cracked green olives, pitted and halved (see note)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
Combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside. Zest the lemon. Combine 1 teaspoon of the lemon zest with 1 minced garlic clove; set aside.
Season both sides of chicken pieces with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pan over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke. Brown the chicken pieces skin side down in single layer until deep golden, about 5 minutes; using tongs, flip the chicken pieces over and brown the other side, about 4 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a large plate; when cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard. Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they have browned at the edges but still retain their shape, 5 to 7 minutes (add a few tablespoons of water now and then if the pan gets too dark). Add the remaining minced garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spices and flour and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, honey, remaining lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the chicken (with any accumulated juices) back in, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the carrots, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender-crisp, about 10 minutes more.
Stir in the olives, reserved lemon zest-garlic mixture, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice; taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Serve with couscous.
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3½ to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess skin (see note)
2½ teaspoons salt, divided
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces bella or cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 red bell peppers, cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
¾ cup dry red wine (see note)
2 cups chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire-roasted or regular diced tomatoes
¼ cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon honey
Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Blot the chicken with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Season the chicken all over with 1½ teaspoons salt and the pepper. Place the flour on a large plate. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour, coating all over.
Heat the oil in a large (5 or 6-qt) Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed, high-sided large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown half the chicken in a single layer, skin side down, until golden and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip and brown on the other side for 1 to 2 minutes more. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a large plate; set aside. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat.
Return the pot to the stove and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onions to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are softened and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Do not brown. Add the mushrooms and peppers and increase the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the veggies just begin to soften.
Add the wine and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until the wine has mostly evaporated, 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, sage, rosemary, oregano, honey, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken and any accumulated juices from the plate back to the pot and spoon some of the sauce over it. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through or registers 165°F – 170°F on a meat thermometer.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked chicken to a plate. Gently simmer the sauce for a few minutes, or until it is thickened to your liking. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Using a fork and knife, pull the skin off of the chicken and discard. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices back to the pot and simmer, uncovered, for a few minutes, spooning the thickened sauce over the chicken. Garnish with parsley, if using, and serve.
3 (300 g) capsicums preferably different colours, diced into bite-sized pieces
5 tablespoon (75 ml) white vinegar
Fresh coriander for garnish
Instructions
In a pan, add the oil/ghee. Add in the onions and fry on a medium-high heat, stirring regularly to ensure the onions brown evenly.
Once the onions are beginning to turn golden (between 10-15 minutes) add the garlic, ginger and green chillies. Fry this for a few minutes.
Add in the tomatoes and tomato puree. Turn the heat up to high and fry the mixture until most of the water dries out, the oil begins to separate and the mixture looks jammy.
Add the chicken pieces and all the spices. Fry these on high heat, stirring regularly to ensure the chicken does not burn and is coloured evenly. Continue to fry this for about 10 minutes.
Add about ⅓ cup of water, cover and allow the chicken to cook for about 20 minutes.
Add in the vinegar and the diced capsicum. Stir through, then turn the heat down to low and allow this to cook for between 5-10 minutes, covered with the lid. The capsicum should remain crunchy.
Finish off by stirring in some chopped coriander before serving.
4 tablespoon (50 g) cornflour or rice flour or a mix of both
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1.5 teaspoon cumin powder
1.5 teaspoon coriander powder
0.25 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon dried fenugreek kasoori methi
2 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2.5 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander leaf
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 green chillies sliced finely
1.1 lb (½ kg) raw chicken cut into bite-sized pieces
Oil for deep frying
Instructions
In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the oil and chicken.
Add in cold water, a very small amount at a time, mixing each time until the mixture becomes thick and resembles PVA glue. If in doubt, keep things on the drier side.
Mix in the chicken pieces
Preheat some oil in a frying pan or karahi.
Once the oil is hot, drop in some pieces of chicken, ensuring you don’t overcrowd the pan. Turn them over a few times whilst they fry, to ensure they brown evenly. Once the pakoras become golden brown, remove using a slotted spoon and drain over a colander lined with tissue before serving immediately.
3-4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper add 3 initially then add the 4th teaspoon towards the end if you feel like you want a stronger flavour
1 teaspoon salt
0.5 teaspoon cumin powder
0.5 coriander powder
0.6 cups (150 g) full fat yogurt
Fresh coriander and green chilli for serving
Instructions
Heat the oil in a wok/karahi style pan. Add the finely diced onions and fry over a medium to high heat until the onions begin to turn golden.
Add the garlic, chicken and spices. Fry everything until the chicken no longer remains pink.
Add the yogurt. Stir everything together and continue to sauté the mixture until the yogurt concentrated into a thick, jammy paste, looks glossy and the oil begins to separate around the edges.
Add half a cup of water, bring to a boil and then cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.
Once the time is up, uncover the curry and then cook over a medium to high heat for 5 minutes, until the curry begins to look glossy and the oil separates around the edges. You can dry it out till it is your desires consistency or alternatively keep the gravy a little thinner.
Serve garnished with fresh coriander and green chillies.
1 medium sized chicken, bone in, curry cut (1 medium chicken = about 700g-1kg or 1.5-2.2lbs)
3 teaspoon salt or to taste
0.5 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 teaspoon coriander powder
4 small tomatoes chopped
For the Chana Dal
1 cup (190 g) chana dal (split chickpeas) (washed and soaked in water for at least 30 minutes before using)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
For the Tadka
½ cup oil
1 ½ (165 g) medium onions, finely sliced
2 tablespoon cumin seeds
4 dried red chillies
Instructions
Start by putting all the chana dal ingredients to boil on a medium high heat with lots of water. Cook these until they are just cooked through, but still holding their shape. Reserve the cooking water.
Separately, heat oil in a deep pot and add the chopped onions. Fry till these are translucent and lightly turning gold.
Add the garlic, all the spices and the chicken. Fry this all well until the chicken begins to brown.
Add the chopped tomatoes, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Once the simmer time is up, uncover and add in the chana dal, as well as about one cup of the reserved water.
Bring it all to a boil, then cover and simmer again on low for 20 minutes. You will likely need to add more water, so keep checking and topping up the water if necessary. Remember, this curry has a tendency to absorb a lot of water, therefore keep the curry a bit more liquid-y than appears to be enough.
Once the the curry is ready, start on the tadka. Heat up the tadka oil in a small frying pan on a medium heat and add the onions. Stir the onions constantly, allowing them to become a golden colour. Once you’re at a light golden shade, add the cumin and dried red chillies. Continue to fry and stir until the onions become a dark golden. Immediately take off the heat and pour the oil over the Chicken Dal.
2.5 lb (1 kg) boneless chicken chunks preferably thigh
3.5 lb (12) medium tomatoes chopped
¾ cup (185 ml) double cream
3 teaspoon salt or to taste
2.5 teaspoon red chilli powder or to taste
3 teaspoon cumin powder
3 teaspoon coriander powder
0.5 teaspoon turmeric
5 pods green cardamom
Coriander for garnish
green chilli for garnish
Instructions
Heat up oil in a pan. Add the minced garlic and ginger and sauté for 1-2 minutes on high, till they are golden.
Add the chicken pieces and cardamom pods. Continue to sauté this on high heat till the chicken is no longer pink and is lightly browning, about 5 minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes and all the spices. Continue to stir on high heat. The tomatoes will release a lot of their moisture, but you must continue to stir..
Continue to sauté till all the moisture has dried out and the tomatoes cling to the chunks of chicken, as shown below.
At this point, add the double cream. Once again, sauté this till it dries down till how it looked like in step 4.
Garnish with coriander, green chilli, long strips of ginger and a drizzle of cream.
