Chicken cutlets

Hey everyone.. Chicken cutlets today.. Why is this post labeled - fitness? Because runners like motivation, even if it is motivation to cook.

Fig.1. Chicken Cutlets

Do you sometimes lose the motivation to do some particular thing?

I have gone through this before.. in different areas at different times. Loss of motivation to work.. to run.. to cook.. to clean.. basically anything that requires effort could be a target here. Usually I can figure out exactly what is the reason.

But that doesn't change the fact that I don't feel like doing it right now! And most reasons simply cannot be fixed.

Usually, however, there is no option in these things. You have to work. You have to cook. You have to run. You have to do whatever it is that is the task at hand. And do it well too! But sometimes.. it is possible to just push it to later..

"Later" is Lady Slackalot's favorite word! It really is a polite way of saying "No." ;) If I avoid cooking long enough, we will have to get take-out. :D And yes.. sometimes it's ok. But if I actually have the time and energy, and still avoid it.. avoid it too many times, then it's time for the cheer-leader to come out and motivate! We are our own cheer-leaders. And if we have to do something, we really might as well enjoy doing it!

How do you motivate yourself?

What do I do when I don't feel like working? I go and sit amongst a lot of people who are busy at work! Like a public library. I try to hang out with people who like their work. People who are successful at their work. I try to mix it up a little, try something new in the task. I create deadlines for myself. And worst comes to worst, if I find I do not meet my own deadlines, I make them public! I tell my family and friends and sometimes announce it on the blog too.. that I will do so-and-so thing.. run or walk so many miles this month.. etc.

I do this for work, for running, for cooking, chores, errands,.. a lottttt of things! And usually it works. (Again, there is not much option. Something better work!)

Last few days I found myself not cooking. :( I did the usual. I spoke with my friends and family swapping recipes and dinner ideas. I browsed and read through your blogs (hanging out with people who enjoy the task and are successful at it!) Told myself that I will make so-and-so dish on Sunday.. (setting deadlines). Finally I told my Mom that I have not been cooking!! (Making things public, and how!) That combined with Bong Mom making chicken meatballs (new for me) finally worked!!

I went and got ground chicken (fresh ingredients, the ultimate deadline) and made chicken cutlets!!!!!!!! Yay!! Not only that, I also took pictures! Waah-waah, shabbash beti!! :D

And to seal the deal, (further making things public)... mujhey mere blog ki kasam, I will post at least 3 more food recipes this month. Total public commitment! Ab bachkey kahan jayegi! We meet Lady Slackalot head-on and tell her to get out!

Continuing the drama just a little longer.. (where else but on my blog will we find so much detailed procedure for how to deal with "getting-bored"-ness..)

My thanks to all you bloggers and blogger friends! Reading your blogs is far more fun than cooking or writing my own! But it sure helps me do both! :) Also thanks to my readers.. It's hard for me to believe how many of you read my posts.. even the fitness ones!! Just seeing you check in and find my lonely turtle sitting there with stale old rasgullas gave me a good kick in my... Well, thanks you all! I will do my best! 

Ingredients:
Ground chicken - 1 pound
Onion - 1 small, finely chopped
Ginger - 1 inch piece, finely chopped
Garlic - 3 large pods, finely chopped
{Cloves - 2 + Cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch} Grind to powder (coarse powder with mortar-pestle is good enough).
Mint + coriander leaves - a few sprigs each, finely chopped
Green chili - 1 finely chopped
Jeera (cumin seed) powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Dhania (Coriander seed) powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam Masala - 1/2 teaspoon or could even skip
Kasoori Methi - 1/2 tsp crushed between your palms <-- Sandeepa has added this, I skipped it this time
Egg - 1 well beaten
Oil - 1 table spoon
Salt to taste
Bread crumbs - 2 slices of bread, toasted and ground into crumbs.
Rava (semolina) - about 1/3 or 1/2 cup

Procedure:
1) Saute onion till cooked. Let this cool.
2) Beat egg well, add ground chicken and salt. Mix well. Add and mix the onions from step 1, ginger, garlic, jeera powder, dhania powder, cloves+cinnamon powders, chopped mint, coriander, green chilies, kasoori methi, oil. Keep aside for 15 minutes or so.
3) Then add bread crumbs and mix well. Ideally I guess that should be enough and one should be able to lump small portions of this mixture into cutlets and fry/bake. But at this point somehow my cutlets were still fairly sticky (happens to me for other such cutlet recipes too, maybe I should add more bread crumbs).
4) So I ended up rolling the cutlets in some rava. That made them not stick to my frying pan/baking pan. See what works for you.
5) These can be fried on the frying pan with minimal oil. Sandeepa has also suggested baking them in the oven.

As per her idea, I also froze a whole bunch of them in a flat single layer on a plate in the freezer (covered with press-and-seal wrap). Once they are frozen it is easy to pry them off the plate and store them all in ziplock bags in the freezer.

Cheers and happy cooking!