Parsi cuisine is all about comfort food that is an absolute delight for non-vegetarians. From chicken and mutton dhansak to berry pulao, Parsi dishes are simple yet flavourful. They can be cooked for any simple meal of the day or find a place in an elaborated festive menu without seeming out of place. The snacks or starters are as stellar as their Mains, and their desserts can remind one of simpler times.
However, not many meat-eaters in the country may be aware of Parsi delights, much less prepare them and cook them at home. These are usually available at the handful of Irani cafes that are still thriving in certain countries’ pockets. Parsi snacks are especially delicious, and they can be enjoyed with a cup of hot, piping Irani chai.
Today, we’re looking at a quintessential Parsi snack – Chicken Farha. This deep-fried chicken appetizer has a separate fan base for its mélange of very desi flavors, coupled with juicy, boneless chicken thighs.
The chicken’s marinade is made from a handful of our most popular flavoring agents, including ginger, garlic, coriander, and garam masala. Chicken farce is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside and just oh-so-satisfying for every chicken lover out there.
Once you bite into this desi fried chicken snack, you will forget all about the American fried chicken. What’s more? It’s a typical monsoon snack that is ready within minutes, and that can be prepared using common ingredients available in all Indian kitchens.
Indian Cooking Tips: Here’s a recipe for Parsi Chicken Farcha from Chef Pawan Bisht of Verandah Moonshine in Delhi-
1. Take fresh chicken boneless thighs and skin and clean them properly. Cut it into small 50 gram pieces.
2. In a bowl, prepare the marinade using fresh lemon juice, fresh garlic and ginger paste, coriander powder, garam masala, salt, pepper, and chilies to taste. Add the chicken to the marinade and let it rest for about 20 minutes.
3. Prepare the coating using whisked eggs and red chili powder. On a separate plate, take bread crumbs or toasted semolina.
4. Take the marinated chicken and coat it alternatively with the eggs and the bread crumbs until a thick coating is formed.
5. Deep fry the chicken pieces until deep golden-brown and then serve with chutney.
For the full recipe and quantities of ingredients, click here. This chicken farce is a recipe that you can quickly prepare for tea-time or prepare as starters for a get-together over dinner at your house. Happy cooking!
For most people, mornings are usually busy. Whether you have an office to attend to or have to get your kids ready for school, morning hours can turn out to be quite taxing. During those rushed morning hours, it’s not very easy to prepare an elaborate meal, especially when you are looking forward to a healthy one. One kitchen ingredient that is both healthy and satiating as sooji or semolina.
Also known as Rava, sooji is widely used in several healthy preparations; upma is one of the quickest and easy delights. However, while preparing upma, one has to spend a considerable amount of time roasting sooji, an essential step. To save time and effort, just dry-roast sooji in advance and store it in an air-tight container. You can use dry-roasted sooji in pumas, halwas, etc. Just make sure that you’re storing the dry-roasted suji in an air-tight container to avoid any contact with moisture.
