Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar!

Amir Khan’s cute smile and charm and of course “pehla nasha” is what comes to all our minds when we think of this phrase but let’s face it this phrase has more to it than just our evergreen teen flick. I’ll tell you what comes to my mind when I hear this phrase, it reminds me of competition. I participated in a competition a few days back and its called Masterchef India Season 3.

After hours of waiting in a huge queue with more than 2000 people, it wasn’t about how talented a cook you are, at that point it was about patience and enthusiasm. I was enthusiastic about meeting the man who rules every homemaker’s heart and kitchen, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. I was honored and privileged to meet a man who is truly God sent, a person who serves goodness not food, the one and only Chef Vikas Khanna and the person who lends inspiration to a lot of people like me who’ve been inspired by family cooking, Chef Kunal Kapoor. I guess a lot of ladies and gents were star struck but a lot of them also came with a passion and I spent my valuable time interacting with my co-contestants. It comprised of a humble dadi ma who had a lovely Bengali accent and had made “kasundi chingdi” and “mishti doi”, a gorgeous Physiotherapist, full of life and charismatic, a beautiful Sindhi mother, who introduced me to “Dhingri”, a traditional Sindhi dish. By the end of level 1, my fellow contestants were uber confident id reach level 2 and what a cracker I did get through to level 2 with a loud cheer with Eshita, the physiotherapist and Jyotiji, the lovely mother of two. After a long and tiring day it was my mom’s comforting hug that came to my rescue and it was finally Home Sweet Home. Sunday evening was spent in anxiety and I was sure there was no level 3 happening for me. Next I woke up to Jyotiji’s cheerful voice and she congratulated me saying, “Oh! You got selected for level 3” when I hadn’t received any calls from the Masterchef crew. I was humbled to see her confidence in me.

Well I said to myself, life goes on and Monday was taking its own mundane course when my landline and cell phone rang at once. The landline had my dad on the line and the cell phone had the Masterchef organizers…well it was a level 3 shortlist call…can you take a guess what happened next…I was jumping and hooting with tears in my eyes. Level 3 at ITM IHM was a wonderful wonderful experience, I met some of the most passionate and beautiful people of this country; the bold and beautiful Minahil aka Yogita, our chemistry was a house on fire within seconds, the gorgeous Leena aunty, she’s going to teach me how to ace cheesecakes, the charismatic Aditya, a musician, a freaking machine…he made a prawn curry in 20 minutes, a lip smacking one mind you, and a travel and food junkie Veni, she has a Bong Connection! And last but not the least, the experience of facing a panel of 8 judges with Rajeev Lakshman being one of them and getting that feeling ki boss Todi Nakhio post the interview. FANTASTIC is the word!

All I’d like to say is it’s not about winning or losing, it’s about the experience. How amazing it is to meet people who are like minded, who have that drive and passion, people who are simple and who serve their goodness on a plate. I feel humbled and privileged to have met a few of the most genuine and talented amateur cooks of the country.

So guys I’d like to share with you my celebrity recipe Chicken Zaikedaar! It is something I tried to put together for the big daddy auditions.

Ingredients

(5 portions)

·         Chicken- 750gms

·         Khus khus- 1 tbsp

·         Cashew nuts-handful

·         Sesame-1 tbsp

·         Green chillies-3

·         Oil-2-3 tbsps

·         Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp

·         Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp

·         Onions, thinly sliced- 2 medium

·         Ginger paste-1 tbsp

·         Garlic paste- 1 tbsp

·         Turmeric powder- 1 tsp

·         Red chili powder- 1 tsp

·         Dried red chillies- 2-3

·         Curry leaves-8-10

·         Coriander powder-1tsp

·         Cumin powder-1tsp

·         Tomato, finally chopped- 1 medium

·         Curd-3-4 tbsp

·         Tandoori chicken masala- 2 tsps

·         Golden fried onions and fresh coriander, to garnish

Marinade

·         Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp

·         Turmeric powder- 1tsp

·         Red chili powder- 1tsp

·         Oil- 2tsp

·         Salt, to taste

Method

1.       Marinate the chicken with the ingredients for the marinade, massage well and refrigerate for at least an hour.

2.       Dry roast the khus khus and sesame and soak in some warm water for 2-3 minutes.

3.       Grind the khus khus and sesame soaked in water, the cashew nuts and the green chilies to a fine paste.

4.       Heat some oil in a pan. Add the cumin and the mustard seeds, once they begin to crackle, add the curry leaves and the dried red chilies.

5.       Add the onions and sauté till slightly brown.

6.       Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for some time.

7.       Now add all the dry spices and fry till the fat starts separating.

8.       Add the tomatoes and sauté the masala.

9.       Meanwhile, sear the chicken in some oil and transfer it to the masala and see that the masala gets coated on the chicken nicely. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

10.   Add the khus khus, sesame and cashew nut paste, some water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

11.   Now season the curry with some salt, add the curd, and stir well. Also add the tandoori chicken masala and cover and cook for 10 minutes.

12.   Serve it hot, garnished with the fried onions and fresh coriander.

Special notes

·         Roasting your whole spices or ingredients that you want to grind into a fine paste, always adds a distinct flavor to your dish.

·         The tandoori chicken masala can be replaced with some homemade aromatic garam masala.

·         Keep adding water as per your taste because the curry eventually reduces down to a thick masaledaar one.

·         The cooking time can be reduced to half if you want to serve it quickly, the long simmering only adds more flavor.

·         Keep an eye on your onions when you are frying them, you don’t want to burn them.

·         The golden fried onions are popularly known as birista in most muslim households.

Cheers to Masterchef India 3 and every person who was or is a part of it!

P.S- the organizers were so wonderful, they did a commendable job! J