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Cooking Meat on a Weeknight! - Chicken Fry

Dr. Mom's Healthy Tips:

  • Essential Amino Acids: Essential amino acids are amino acids that our body cannot make and so we need them in our diet. Meat is a complete protein which has all 9 essential amino acids. Any deficiency in these essential amino acids can lead to muscle break down, so for this reason I would cook meat at least twice a week when my children were young. Vegetarians, don't worry! Although legumes alone do not have all 9 essential amino acids, you can ensure you get these amino acids by combining legumes with grains.

  • Food Safety: While shopping for poultry, look for antibiotic-free poultry. Hormones are not allowed in poultry farming. It is also important to know where your meat is coming from (I get my meat from an Amish meat market).

  • Cooking Tips: Be careful not to char meat when cooking as charring is linked to inflammation.

 

Chicken fry is my husband's favorite dish, so I make it quite often! I save time by cutting and marinating the chicken over the weekend. Then, all I have to do on a weeknight is fry it and serve! After a long day at work, its nice to sit down and watch him savor this meal.

 

Chicken Fry

Total Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

  • Meat & Vegetables

  • 6 pieces boneless chicken thighs (may substitute with chicken breast)

  • 1 medium onion, sliced

  • 1 green chili pepper, sliced

  • Oil

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • Spices

  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

  • 1/2 tablespoon chili powder**

  • 1/2 tablespoon salt **

  • 1 teaspoon turmeric

  • 1 tablespoon garam masala

  • 1 inch cinnamon

  • 2 cloves

  • 2 cardamom seeds

  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

  • Herbs

  • 10-12 mint leaves

  • Nuts

  • 1 tablespoon shredded coconut

  • Handful of cashews

** Flavor is an expression of your personality; therefore, while rough guidelines on salt and chili measurements have been given, please do tailor them to your own tastes or dietary tolerance.

Directions:

  1. Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes and mix with ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, salt, turmeric, and garam masala. Marinate for at least 1 hour (for best results, marinate overnight).

  2. In a frying pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, onions, and green chili pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, until soft. Transfer to a bowl.

  3. To the same frying pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, and cumin seeds.

  4. Once mixture begins to bubble, add the marinated chicken and fry turning occasionally for 15-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked.

  5. Add onions mixture, mint, and shredded coconut and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

  6. Add cashews, cover pan, and turn off heat. Let sit for at least 10 minutes.

Time-Saving Option:

  • When I'm low on time, I just add the marinated chicken pieces to 1 tablespoon of oil and fry it for 15-20 minutes, until fully cooked. Since the chicken has already been infused with the spices, this quick option is quite delicious too!

 

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