Feel Good Food – Orange Chicken – Simple Recipe

Feel Good Food

ORANGE CHICKEN

Simple Recipe

by

VIKRAM KARVE 

Are you feeling “Low” – in a Blue Mood...? 

That’s how I am feeling right now. 

Hungry and Lonely in Wakad. 

I need to “feel good”. 

So – I am going to do something to cheer me up and brighten my spirits. 

I am going to cook myself an Orange Chicken. 

Even if I don’t cook it – just thinking about it is making me “feel good”

Let me tell you the recipe for this marvellous hot tangy chicken dish, innovative, passionate, something different, and breathtaking in its simplicity, which is guaranteed to warm your insides, zest up your palate, lift your spirits, pep you up and fill you with cheer. 

(Disclaimer: Please try this recipe at your own risk. Apart from the ingredients mentioned – the main ingredient is LOVE – so make it with lots of Love)

Go to your neighbourhood supermarket or store, pick up a one kilogram packet of frozen jointed chicken pieces and a few cartons of fruit juices 

(For this recipe – we will use orange juice – but – I’ll tell you a few recipes with other juices too – and I am sure you will innovate and discover new recipes of your own). 

Okay – you will need one juicy lemon – a 100 gram packet of butter – a teaspoon of cornflour – a spoon of red chilli powder – and – a bit of salt and pepper – that’s all.

First – thaw the chicken pieces – squeeze the lemon over it – add chilli powder – salt and pepper – mix well – and – let it marinate for an hour or two.

Heat the butter in a pan and fry the marinated chicken on low heat till the chicken is nicely cooked and dry. 

In case the chicken starts to stick while cooking – add some lemon juice – and add dollops of butter from time to time. 

Oh Yes – do taste and confirm the taste is right while cooking – and add salt/pepper seasoning as required.

Cover and let the chicken cook for sometime (but keep an eye on the chicken while it is cooking) 

But – at the end of the cooking – the chicken must be golden brown and dry from outside – and succulent and tender from inside.

Now – let us make the “orange sauce” while the chicken is cooking. 

In a saucer – make a paste of cornflour with a little orange juice.

Boil a large glass of orange juice on high heat – and – when it becomes about half the quantity – briskly stir in the cornflour paste – and – keep stirring till it thickens – and then – pour the bubbling hot syrup over the hot cooked chicken.

If you want to indulge in some passionate foodie romance – ignite your foodie date – eat the tangy zesty orange flavoured chicken hot and fresh with your loved one – all cuddled up and romantic. 

Yes – I like to have this zesty dish with fresh soft buns or milk bread or freshly baked hot pav.

Remember – you must finish off the dish in one go – nice and hot. 

The dish it loses its “pepping-up” effect if it is re-heated. 

(By the Way – the word “Dish” refers to the Orange Chicken).

Try this zesty dish whenever you are in the blue mood – and see for yourself – how you cheer up and feel good. 

Happy Eating. 

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved. 

Disclaimer: Please try this recipe at your own risk after doing due diligence.  Apart from the ingredients mentioned – the main ingredient is LOVE – so make it with lots of Love

Revised Version of My Recipe FEEL GOOD FOOD – ORANGE CHICKEN posted online earlier in this blog at urls: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2011/05/feel-good-food-orange-chicken.html  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2012/01/hungry-and-lonely-in-wakad-time-for.html 

FEEL GOOD FOOD - Orange Chicken

Feel-Good Food

ORANGE CHICKEN

by

VIKRAM KARVE

Feeling Low, in a blue mood? 

Here is something to cheer you up and brighten your spirits.

I’ll tell you a marvellous hot tangy chicken recipe, innovative, passionate, something different, and breathtaking in its simplicity, which is guaranteed to warm your insides, zest up your palate, lift your spirits, pep you up and fill you with cheer.

Go to your neighbourhood supermarket or store, pick up a one kilogram packet of frozen jointed chicken pieces and a few cartons of fruit juices [we’ll use orange juice for this recipe, I’ll tell you a few recipes with other juices too, and I am sure you will innovate and discover new one’s of your own]. Okay, you’ll need a juicy lemon, a 100 gram packet of butter, a teaspoon of cornflour, a spoon of red chilli powder and a bit of salt and pepper, that’s all.

First thaw the chicken pieces, squeeze the lemon over it, add chilli powder, salt and pepper, mix well and let it marinate for an hour or two.

Heat the butter in a pan and fry on low heat till the chicken is nicely cooked and dry. [In case the chicken starts to stick while cooking add some lemon juice and dabs of butter from time to time]. But at the end the chicken must be golden brown and dry from outside and succulent and tender from inside – oh, yes, do taste and confirm while cooking!

While cooking the chicken, side by side, in a saucer, make a paste of cornflour and a little orange juice.

Boil a large glass of orange juice on high heat and when it becomes about half the quantity, briskly stir in the cornflour paste, and keep stirring till it thickens, and pour the bubbling hot syrup over the hot cooked chicken.

If you want to indulge in some passionate foodie romance, ignite your foodie date, eat the tangy zesty orange flavoured chicken hot and fresh with your loved one, all cuddled up and romantic. Remember, you must finish it off in one go, nice and hot. The dish it loses its pepping-up effect if re-warmed. (The word "Dish" refers to the orange chicken).

Try this zesty dish whenever you are in the blue mood and see for yourself how you cheer up and feel good. 

Happy Eating.

VIKRAM KARVE  

About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures(2008) and is currently working on his novel. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 14 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts. 

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com

Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve

Vikram Karve Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve

Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm

Email: vikramkarve@sify.com          

vikramkarve@gmail.com 

Fiction Short Stories Book

COCKTAIL : Short Stories about Relationships By VIKRAM KARVE

http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-8191091844?affid=nme

http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm

http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html

Foodie Book:  Appetite for a Stroll

http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

HOW TO MAKE PUNE STYLE TEA - Amrut Tulya Chaha

A CUP OF TEA 

Pune Style

HOW TO "COOK" AMRUT TULYA CHAHA

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Pune is a Tea Town.

Yes, when I was a small boy, in the 1960s, Pune [or Poona as it was known then] was a “TEA TOWN”.

During those days, in Pune, everyone drank tea, except some quirky upaas type aunts who always insisted on sweet milky jaiphal spiced coffee and were “fasting” most of the time on yummy delicacies like Sabudana Khichadi and Wade, Rajgire, waryache tandul, healthy fruits, nourishing milk, calorie-rich pure ghee sweets and similar lip-smacking upasasache padartha.

By the way DALDA, quite popular in those days, made from hydrogenated oils was quite mysteriously “permitted” for upaas as it was considered to be “ghee”.

At home, tea was made in typical Puneri manner as described in my blog post recipe  A Cup of Delicious Tea

Outside your home, there were chiefly two types of tea for the laidback discerning gourmet Punekar to relish – AMRUT TULYA CHAHA at the ubiquitous Amruttulya Tea Shops at every nook and corner of Pune, and the peerless IRANI CHAI served by the numerous Irani Restaurants all over Pune city and camp like Café Naaz, Lucky, Good Luck, Volga etc. Indeed Amrut tulya Chaha and Irani Chai are an important aspect of the culinary heritage of Pune.

Irani Chai is the most rejuvenating beverage I have ever had. They keep the steaming rich tea brew and hot milk in separate containers and mix it in just the right proportion to get the terrific inimitable gulabi Irani Chai.

Drench in a fresh soft bun-maska, place it on your tongue, and close your eyes – aren’t you in seventh heaven? Even a cup of piping hot Irani Tea by itself is sheer bliss. 

 

Of my favourite Irani Restaurants, Naaz, Lucky and many others have disappeared, and only Good Luck remains.

Amrut Tulya Chaha tea shops too are fast vanishing too like the one nearest to where I lived on Tilak Road in Sadashiv Peth in the 1960’s next to Ashok Bakery which also disappeared a few years ago. Further down the road past SP College towards Maharashtra Mandal there still exist the legendary Ambika and New Ambika Amruttulyas -- a friend of mine used to say that the morning tea was superb in one and the evening tea in the other.

It’s really sad. The culture of Pune is fast changing. The youngsters don’t drink tea anymore – it’s infra dig, isn’t it?

The young and the restless prefer Coffee. No, not the peaberry-plantation filter coffee served by the Udipi Restaurants which we used to love, but the expensive stylish international coffees served at posh Baristas, CCDs, and high-falutin coffee shops proliferating rapidly all over Pune.

Just imagine, the other day I couldn’t get a cup of decent tea in a multiplex, but there were plenty of varieties of coffee all around.

Hey, it seems I am rambling away and have gone off on a tangent, so let me not digress from our main topic – The Art of making Amrut Tulya Tea.

Amrut means Nectar, and Tulya means Comparable, so “Amrut Tulya” means “Comparable to Nectar” and indeed, true to its name, Amrut-Tulya Tea is comparable to nectar –  sweet, ambrosial, like the elixir of life!

I loved watching Amrut Tulya Chaha being prepared. Amrut Tulya Tea is not brewed in the traditional Tea service style. The Tea is “cooked” in front of you in a brass vessel and as the vessel ages it becomes “tastier” and tastier with time.

I love the “special” chaha.

Milk and water are boiled together, with plenty of sugar, masala [comprising crushed cardamom, ginger], and tea leaves, stirring continuously to make sure it doesn’t overflow.

Come, my dear Tea Lover, let me tell you how to make Amrut Tulya Chaha - The Art of making Tea – Pune Style. 

Assemble the following Ingredients for Two Cups of Amrut Tulya Tea “Special Chaha”.

If you live in Pune, get the famous CTC+OP “Family Mixture” Tea Powder from your favourite “Tea Depot” in the heart of Pune City. Or you may use some good Assam CTC Tea.

By the way, the acronyms are: CTC – Crush, Tear, Curl; OP – Orange Pekoe; BOP – Broken Orange Pekoe.

Full Cream Buffalo Milk [I like Chitale or Sane dairy]

Fresh Water

Sugar

Fresh Ginger Crushed [Better still you can crush the juicy fresh ginger with the chimta directly in the water-milk concoction to let the ginger juices flow out and blend in smoothly]

Cardamom – peel, crush and powder the pods

Before you start, dear reader, here is a note of caution: Please remember that Amrut Tulya Tea is not your traditional Masala Chai so please don’t add any Tea Masalas or spices like clove, cinnamon, black peppercorns or herbs like gavati chaha (lemon grass), tulsi leaves etc. and neither is it the “khada chamach” or “cutting” Chai so please don’t boil away to glory – remember, you must achieve Amrut Tulya Chaha of just the right consistency...!  

Now let us start “cooking” amrut tulya tea – we will make two cups, one for you and one for me.

In a brass vessel [or stainless steel, if you can’t get a brass vessel] mix one cup of water and one cup of milk.

Add four teaspoons of sugar.

Put on the stove on medium heat.

Squeeze in a bit of fresh crushed ginger and add a pinch of cardamom powder and the freshly crushed peel.

Lightly and lovingly stir the concoction, let it warm, and bring to a boil.

Smartly add two teaspoons of tea powder and keep stirring gently to ensure the boiling concoction does not spill over.

Keep boiling till the tea attains beautiful bright golden-orange colour – the moment you see a reddish tinge, give the heavenly brew a loving last stir, twirl the vessel, and sieve the Amrut Tulya Nectar Tea, your Special Chaha, directly into the cups.

You can drink it from the cup, or better still the saucer sucking and pulling in the yummy liquid with your lips and let it deliciously emulsify on your tongue for that heavenly elevating feeling.

Sip the delicious tea slowly and mindfully, roll it on your tongue, let it mingle in your palate, close your eyes, absorb, discern the flavour, the rich taste, relish every sip lovingly.

Amrut Tulya Chaha is truly lip-smacking tasty and soul-refreshing – blissful ambrosia, an experience of nectar – you can take my word for it.

Now you know why they call this refreshingly delicious and nourishing tea Amrut Tulya “comparable to Nectar” Chaha.

Cheers...!!! Enjoy your cup of special Amrut Tulya Nectar Tea.

A CUP OF TEA 

Pune Style

HOW TO "COOK" AMRUT TULYA CHAHA

By

VIKRAM KARVE

VIKRAM KARVE

© vikram karve., all rights reserved. 

 

VIKRAM KARVE educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU and The Lawrence School Lovedale, is an Electronics and Communications Engineer by profession, a Human Resource Manager and Trainer by occupation, a Teacher by vocation, a Creative Writer by inclination and a Foodie by passion. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles in magazines and journals for many years before the advent of blogging. His delicious foodie blogs have been compiled in a book "Appetite for a Stroll". Vikram lives in Pune with his family and pet Doberman girl Sherry, with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com  

Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: http://karvediat.blogspot.com

Professional Profile of Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve 

Foodie Book APPETITE FOR A STROLL :  http://books.sulekha.com/book/appetite-for-a-stroll/default.htm

Email: vikramkarve@sify.com

© vikram karve., all rights reserved. 

The Art of making Tea

HOW TO MAKE TEA

By

VIKRAM KARVE


I love tea.

You too love tea but don’t know how to make a good cup?

Let me tell you how to make tea.

Get some good Assam CTC Tea [CTC is an acronym for Crush, Tear and Curl]. CTC teas have a granular appearance and the fact of the matter is that if you are really interested in a Stimulating, Refreshing and Invigorating cup of traditional Indian Tea, Orthodox Leaf Teas [the OPs, the BOPs, et al] just don’t fit the bill – you need CTC tea to brew your strong, bright and full-bodied cup of milky Chai which looks deliciously appetizing – a lively reddish orange colour, not the dull muddy brown colour you get when you add milk to tea made from leaf teas the orthodox “teapot” way.

Take two cups of fresh water [one for you and one for me!] in a stainless steel vessel. Add four teaspoons of sugar. Put on the stove, cover with a lid and boil. Once the water starts boiling, remove the lid and boil for one and a half minutes – yes, exactly one and a half minutes!

Now briskly add two teaspoons of CTC Tea leaves, one teaspoon for each cup – the boiling water will suddenly erupt, and surge up, like a volcano, so smartly switch off the flame before it spills over and quickly cover tightly with the lid. Brew for five minutes till the liquor is full-bodied and the infusion is complete.

Have ready some freshly boiled full cream buffalo milk – yes, fresh creamy buffalo milk is a must – in Pune, I prefer Chitale’s. First pour in some hot milk in the cup, and through a strainer, pour in the rich tea brew and till you get beautiful reddish orange colour. Remember – always pour tea into milk, never milk into tea. This is the secret of the appetizingly attractive bright lively carroty red colour as it facilitates the perfect blending of the strong rich full-bodied intense tea liquor tea brew with the creamy white milk without producing any bitterness.

Now, go ahead, relish every sip, and enjoy your cup of ambrosial divine rejuvenating tea.

And do tell us how you liked it.



VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2008
Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

vikramkarve@sify.com

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve