Grandmother Azra Syed’s Special Heirloom Chicken Semini Recipe

This is a special and highly requested family favorite chicken recipe from the expert grandma herself.

Close Up of Chicken Semini and (Lauki) Bottle Gourd vegetable after plating (2020)SOCH Outreach Foundation

Chicken Semini

One of Azra Syed’s heirloom recipes, Chicken Semini, is by far the most requested dish to be made by her children and grandchildren! 

Mixing spices and chicken (2020)SOCH Outreach Foundation

The Dish

Azra Syed’s mother's Chicken Semini is a firm favorite at the dinner table. 
The coal smoking at the end of the cooking process adds an extra wow factor to an already mouth-watering dish.

Pouring cooking oil (2020)SOCH Outreach Foundation

Ingredients:



½ kilo / 1 pound cubed Chicken (breast or thigh pieces)
¼ cup cooking oil
2 tbsp brown onions
1 tsp ginger puree
1 tsp garlic puree
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp garam masala powder 
1 cup whipped yogurt
1 tsp garlic puree
1 tsp cumin, roasted and pounded
4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 green chillies chopped
1 small piece of coal
1 small metal bowl or piece of foil

Method:

Step 1:

Heat the oil in a pan.

Pouring cooking oil, 2020, From the collection of: SOCH Outreach Foundation
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Frying onion, 2020, From the collection of: SOCH Outreach Foundation
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Step 2:

Add onions, ginger, garlic, salt, chilli, coriander, turmeric and garam masala powders.

Coriander powder, 2020, From the collection of: SOCH Outreach Foundation
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Adding turmeric, 2020, From the collection of: SOCH Outreach Foundation
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Adding Garlic paste, 2020, From the collection of: SOCH Outreach Foundation
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Frying onion (2020)SOCH Outreach Foundation

Step 3:

Fry briefly before adding water as needed, to prevent burning the spices

Preparing spices (2020)SOCH Outreach Foundation

Step 4:

Cook down the spices till onions are soft and oil floats to the top.

Adding chicken (2020)SOCH Outreach Foundation

Step 5:

Add chicken pieces

Cooking chicken till tender (2020)SOCH Outreach Foundation

Step 6:

Fry the chicken on high heat

Step 7:

Once the chicken is opaque, add a little more water to the chicken and cook till tender, and a thick gravy is left over. Turn off the flame.

Cooking chicken till tender, 2020, From the collection of: SOCH Outreach Foundation
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Smoking chicken with coal, 2020, From the collection of: SOCH Outreach Foundation
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Step 8:

Place a piece of foil or a small metal bowl in the chicken pan. Heat the coal directly on the stove until it is heated and smoking. Place the coal in a metal bowl or on a piece of foil, and add a few drops of cooking oil to the coal. Smoke will be produced immediately, so cover the pan and leave for 5 minutes to infuse.

Cooking chicken till tender, 2020, From the collection of: SOCH Outreach Foundation
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Smoking chicken with coal, 2020, From the collection of: SOCH Outreach Foundation
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Preparing yoghurt mixture (2020)SOCH Outreach Foundation

Step 9: Add Yogurt

Remove the metal bowl, and discard the coal. Beat the yogurt with the cumin, garlic, salt, coriander leaves and green chillies.

Mixing yoghurt with chicken (2020)SOCH Outreach Foundation

Add to the chicken just before serving.

Step 10:

Mix the Yogurt thoroughly with the chicken curry.

Chicken semini, 2020, From the collection of: SOCH Outreach Foundation
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Chicken semini, 2020, From the collection of: SOCH Outreach Foundation
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Serve hot with chapati or naan on the side.

Chicken semini, 2020, From the collection of: SOCH Outreach Foundation
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Side topshot of Chicken Semini dish, with fresh chapatis, 2020, From the collection of: SOCH Outreach Foundation
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Credits: Story

Produced by SOC Films 
Project Director: Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy
Producers: Syed Ayub , Sameer Khan
Project Manager: Huma Shah
Director of Photography: Murtaza Ali
Photography: Karim Baig , Murtaza Ali
Photography Editor: Karim Baig
Additional Video & Photography: Khurram Victor
Exhibits Writer: Nazia Latif , Sameer Khan
Exhibits : Syed Ayub , Sameer Khan
Art Direction : Rahat Niazi  
Associate Producer : Asad Pabani
Video Editors: Nina Zehri, Farhad Jamali 
Color Grade: Sourath Behan
Additional Video Editing: Mishal Adhami 
Sound Design: Sameer Khan
 
 
 
 

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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