A week ago, we happened to meet our dear friend Alka over the lunch. Alka tends to twist foreign dishes in a desi manner, and we totally love it!

She was preparing a Chinese dish with a Punjabi tadka! You know what we mean, right?

She cooked fried rice with chili chicken chunks. Mmmm. Okay let’s get started with the recipe already!

Ingredients:

• Boiled & steamed chicken chunks
• Vegetable oil
• 4 medium size onion
• 6-7 garlic cloves
• green chili (small and big)
• red, yellow and green capsicum
• Salt to taste
• Red chili powder

And Alka’s secret paste!

Heat the oil and add onion to it. Each onion must be cut into 4 pieces only. When they turn brown, add the chopped garlic and fry again.

Add the 3 kinds of capsicum and the 2 kinds of chilies. Remember to chop them in equal shapes to add to the beauty.

Saute for 2-3 mints.

Alka then adds salts and her secret paste to it.

“I am not going to reveal the paste’s recipe. However, I can tell you it’s few ingredients – it has tomato, fried onion, fried cumin seeds, etc, etc, etc. (laughs)”

Add the chicken pieces to it and fry for 3-4 minutes.

Add red chili powder.

Add water and cover it for 5 mints.

“My husband loves what I cook. We enjoy inviting people over for brunch, lunch and dinner. I love doing main course, cocktails, mocktails and desserts.”

“Let me taste if the masala is right. Isn’t it a super quick delicious treat? I should participate in ‘Farah Ki Daawat’.”

Tada, here is the chili chicken chunks by Alka!

So, while the chicken cooks, let’s us learn Alka’s recipe of Handi Rice.

Cook the rice beforehand. Take a handi and heat oil in it. Add chopped onions.

When they turn golden……add veggies like spring onion stem, capsicum, carrots, beans, etc. Fry well.

Add mashed paneer which was previously put in a bowl full of water & a pinch of turmeric powder. Stir well.

Add salt to taste and garam masala. Alka prefers her mom’s home cooked garam masala.

1 or 2 spoons of soya sauce, depending on how dark you want your rice to look.

Put off the flame and just stir for some more time. Add the cooked rice in the handi.

Finish the look with chopped coriander and paneer-remains!

Look at the dish, watered our mouth all over again!!!

“I have been cooking since I was in class 10. I used to watch my mother cooking for a big joint family without grudging. She is an inspiring woman and has given me the spirit to prepare meals for my family every single day.”

“I look forward to write a cookery book filled with secrets from my mother’s kitchen. I think even I have got many secrets to share!”

Amen to that, Alka. After the scrumptious meal, she even treated us with dessert. Sigh!

Tell us if you liked her recipe!

Photographer – Shashank Tyagi