Cooking shows such as Hell’s Kitchen, MasterChef, Cooking with Paris Hilton , and Top Chef continue to keep millions of viewers glued to their television sets. While these shows undoubtedly sport great entertainment value and serve as a great source of inspiration, celebrity chefs are not above having poor food safety habits , especially when it comes to chicken, according to a report by the University of Kansas. In order to avoid potentially grave consequences due to poor handling of chicken, basic guidelines such as the following should be followed at all times.
Don’t Wash Your Chicken Before Cooking It Often when you watch celebrity chefs in action on TV you will see them rinsing their raw chicken before cooking it. While this may seem like a good idea, it actually isn’t. Rinsing raw chicken can result in the juices and the bacteria it contains, being splashed on a number of things including nearby work surfaces, food, utensils, and yourself. Although present-day chicken processing procedures do limit the risk of potentially harmful bacteria, an effort should always be made to avoid cross-contamination.
Keep Your Cooked Chicken in the Fridge It is imperative to put cooked chicken in the fridge to prevent it from spoiling. In fact, you should put it in while it is still warm to prevent the growth of bacteria such as e Coli, salmonella, and staphylococcus. Make sure though that your chicken is warm (below 35°C/95°F) and not hot as putting hot chicken in the fridge can result in it spoiling faster due to the air in the fridge warming up. Not being able to distinguish between ‘warm’ and ‘hot’ is likely also where the age-old rumor comes from of never putting warm food in the fridge.
Don’t Reuse Tools that have Touched Raw Chicken Savvy chefs may be proficient at multitasking but, unfortunately, this often results in them neglecting a few very basic food safety rules. One of these rules involves avoiding cross-contamination with raw chicken at all costs. When handling raw chicken, never use any cutting boards, pots and pans, utensils, and other kitchen implements or surfaces if they have been in contact with raw chicken. Wash every item that could possibly have been in contact with raw chicken properly before using it again. This includes your hands, which happens to be the most overlooked of all kitchen ‘implements’. Chicken is a very common ingredient in countless restaurants and households. While it is extremely versatile and also typically budget-friendly, it is important to always follow food safety guidelines to prevent cross-contamination and potential illness.
Article contributed by Cindy Cummings
A delicious lunch combo recipe perfect for a lunch box. Coconut Milk Rice and Egg Peas Masala. Recipe with video.
This combo of pulao and egg peas masala can be put together in under one hour and is a favorite as the coconut milk adds a nice richness to the pulao. I use store bought coconut milk if I am in a hurry and it just works fine. If you have home made coconut milk, use a combination of first pressed milk and second pressed milk for making the recipe.
If you want to avoid eggs in the recipe, you can substitute it with steamed potatoes or soya chunks.
Here are the things you can buy online for making this recipe. 5 Liter Pressure Cooker – https://amzn.to/3J8uGZF Stone Flower Spice – Kalpasi https://amzn.to/3GlOKGh Basmati Rice Regular – https://amzn.to/3IUeD1S Basmati Rice Aged – https://amzn.to/3s2Vjsp White Granite Pan with Lid PFOA Free https://amzn.to/3xa5q2A Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder / Lal Mirch Powder https://amzn.to/3GDQAT9 Potato Masher – https://amzn.to/3DLPViM
Here is the video of how to make Coconut Milk Rice and Egg Peas Masala – Thengai Paal Soru and Muttai Pattani Masala
Coconut Milk Rice – Thengai Paal Soru
1.5 cups basmati rice 3 tablespoon groundnut oil 2 bay leaf 2 cloves 1 small piece kalpasi (st one flower / moss) 1 star anise 3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds 2 sprigs curry leaves 1 cup onions, sliced 1 tablespoon ginger and garlic paste 4 green chillies, slit 1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped 1.5 teaspoon rock salt 1/2 teaspoon garam masala 2 tablespoon mint leaves, chopped 2 tablespoon coriander leaves, chopped 1 cup thick coconut milk 2 cups water
Egg Peas Masala – Muttai Pattani Masala
2 tablespoon coconut oil 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 3 sprigs curry leaves, chopped 1 cup onions, sliced 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste 2 green chillies, chopped 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder 1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder 1.5 tablespoon coriander powder 1 teaspoon rock salt 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1.5 cup tomatoes, finely chopped 3 tablespoon coriander leaves, chopped (divided) 1 cup green peas 1/2 cup water 5 eggs, boiled
Coconut Milk Rice
Wash and soak the rice in water for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Use good quality basmati rice and the links for the same can be found above. Take a pressure pan ( I have used a 5 liter pressure pan) and add in the oil. Add in the bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, kalpasi, star anise and fennel seeds. Saute for a few seconds. Add a few curry leaves. Add in the sliced onions and the ginger garlic paste. Add in the green chillies. If you like a spicy pulao, adjust the green chillies according to your taste. Saute till the onions are soft. Once the onions are soft, add in the chopped tomatoes and the salt. Add in the garam masala. Mix well to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and cook till the tomatoes are mushy. Add in the mint leaves and the coriander leaves. Saute for a minute. Add in the coconut milk and the water. We have used 1.5 cups of basmati rice and 1 cup of coconut milk and 2 cups of water. Since coconut milk is a little thick, 2 cups of water is necessary for the pulao to cook. Else it might scorch at the bottom. Mix well. Let it come to a boil. Add in the soaked and drained rice to the pressure pan. Cover the pressure cooker with a lid and let it cook for 2 whistles or 5-6 minutes on a medium low flame. After the said time, remove the cooker from heat and wait for the pressure to settle. Once the pressure settles, open the cooker and mix gently. The coconut milk rice is ready.
Egg Peas Masala
Take a pan and add in 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Coconut oil is very flavourful and aromatic in this masala. If you do not like coconut oil, you can use any oil you like. Add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and the curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds. Add in the sliced onions and the ginger garlic paste. Add in the green chillies. Adjust the green chillies according to your taste. Saute till the onions are soft. Add in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, coriander powder and rock salt. Add in a little sugar to balance the taste. Saute for a few seconds. Add in the finely chopped tomatoes and finely chopped coriander leaves. Cover the pan with a lid and cook till the tomatoes are mushy. Mash with a potato masher so the tomatoes are mushy and form a thick masala. Add in the green peas. Add about half a cup of water for the green peas to cook. Cover the pan with a lid and cook till the green peas are soft. In the meantime, hard boil the eggs and set aside. peel the shell and make little gashes on the egg so the masalas can penetrate. Add the prepared eggs to the pan. Mix well to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for two more minutes so the egg masala can penetrate into the egg. Finally sprinkle little coriander leaves and remove the pan from heat. Egg Masala is ready.
- Author: Suguna Vinodh
- Prep Time: 15m
- Cook Time: 45m
