Stuffed Chicken Steaks with Coconut Sauce

The other day I saw this recipe on TV and I just wanted to try it so so so badly!! it looked so good just watching it made my mouth water.

This one is rich in spices but has a rather simple preparation. Chicken breasts are marinaded and then stuffed with cottage cheese and herbs and broiled in hot water that has been tempered with spices. The sauce is prepared separately and topped on the cooked chicken just before serving.

I loved the result. However I was not satisfied with the stuffing. The original recipe called for pomegranate seeds and chopped onion in the stuffing along with other things but personally I didn't like the taste of the hot pomegranate and soggy onion. In fact the onion turned the pomegranate into a pale shade of purple and it looked quite strange so it's best avoided. It is a rich dish, but if you want it really light avoid the cheese in the stuffing and you can have this without the sauce. It's lovely and light without the sauce and the cheese and still great in taste.




What you need:

For the Marinade:
4 chicken breasts, pounded and flattened
1½ tbs ginger paste
1½ tbs garlic paste
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin seeds powder
juice of half a lemon
Salt as per taste


For the stuffing:
1 cup cottage cheese, crumbled
¼ cup grated cheese (any one that melts really well)
2 tbs coriander leaves
½ tsp chopped green chilies
juice of half a lemon
Salt as per taste


For the broil:
4-5 sticks of cinnamon
4-5 green cardamoms
1 tsp mace powder
a few black peppercorns
2 tsp of clarified butter or oil


For the Sauce:
½ cup cashews
½ cup dessicated coconut
1 tbs butter or oil
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
½ cup whisked yogurt
½ tsp fennel seed powder
½ tsp green cardamom powder
a pinch of mace powder
a pinch of nutmeg powder
1 tsp chili powder
1½ tsp black cardamom powder
Salt as per taste


What you need to do:

1. Marinade: marinade the chicken breasts with the spices listed for the marinade. Keep aside for 30 minutes.

2. Stuffing: Mix all the ingredients for the stuffing and divide into four parts. Lay it on each marinaded chicken breast and join edges of the chicken. Secure with toothpicks.

3. Broil: Heat the clarified butter/oil in a large deep bottomed dish and add the listed spices. When spices splutter, pour about 1½ cups of water into the dish and immediately place the stuffed chicken breasts. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil and cook over a low heat for 20-25 minutes till well done. Add more water if needed.

4. Prepare Sauce: Dry roast the cashews and dessicated coconut till browned and then puree with a little water. In a wok heat the oil/butter, add ginger, garlic and when it browns add the yogurt and salt and let it cook for a while. Then add the cashew and coconut paste and rest of listed spices and saute for 5 min. In the end add 3-4 tbs of the water left behind after the steaks have broiled and stir well.

5. Serve: Place the chicken breasts on a dish and pour the gravy over it. Enjoy!






That's how the original version looked from inside.. but the onions and pomegranate seeds are not mentioned in the modified and better version listed above. This dish was a real winner.