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.
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.
Step 2:
Add onions, ginger, garlic, salt, chilli, coriander, turmeric and garam masala powders.
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.
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.
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.
Serve hot with chapati or naan on the side.
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
