Sesame Fennel Chicken ( Zero oil) By Aparna Bose
How about starting a day on a healthy note?! Sharing today a super awesome and super easy ‘zero oil’ recipe with you all — Sesame Fennel Chicken. However, to call it zero fat would not be right, as it has yoghurt and chicken pieces with little fat on them.
Aparna Bose is a home cook and also the Proprietor of Gograshe – a food catering organization.
INGREDIENTS
Chicken- 500gms
Sesame – 2 tbsp
Fennel – 1 1/2 tbsn
Methi powder- 1/2 tspn
Cinnamon powder- 1/4 tspn
Blackpepper – 1/2 tspn
Asafoetida -a generous pinch
Salt – as required
Sugar- 1/2 tspn (optional)
Ginger – 1/2 inch (grated)
Garlic – 6 to 8 cloves
Tomato- 1 medium(chopped)
Yoghurt- 4 tbspn
Onion – 2 medium (chopped)
Coriander – 1 tbsp ( chopped)
Mint leaves- 1 tbsp ( chopped)
Green chillies- as required
Dried red chillies – optional
Water- Half cup.
METHOD
* Heat a pan or kadhai. Dry roast the sesame and fennel seeds. Keep aside about a teaspoon to sprinkle on the finished product before serving.
* Now, to the roasted sesame and fennel seeds keep adding one by one , methi powder, green chillies, ginger, garlic, onion, black pepper, cinnamon powder, asfoetida. Stir for a minute or two on a medium flame and add the chopped tomatoes and yoghurt. Cover the pan and let the whole mixture simmer on a low flame till the onions and garlic cloves are soft , almost mushy.
* Cool the masala and blend it smooth in a mixie/ grinder.
* Marinate the chicken pieces (breast piece or curry cut) with this paste and refrigerate for atleast an hour.
* After an hour or so take out the chicken and pressure cook with half cup of water for upto 3/ 4 whistles on a high flame.
* Once the steam/ pressure has escaped, open the cooker, pour the chicken pieces alongwith with the gravy in a pan and cook on a low flame (covered) until the fat separates from the chicken and yoghurt . At this stage you may add two – three dried red chillies to enhance the flavour.
* After the gravy has attained the desired consistency, turn off the flame, sprinkle the chopped coriander and mint leaves , followed by the roasted sesame and fennel seeds. Keep the pan or serving bowl covered for at least 10 minutes for the flavours to blend.