Amrita Raichand

Women are known to be born leaders. It becomes all the more amazing when women lead with beautiful examples at every step. It is amazing how women have explored so many aspects of their career. Today, women are just not restricted to being a housewife or a mother, they are much more. The icing on the cake is when you come across women who are sheer magicians at what they do. There is one such woman who is a chef, TEDx speaker, writer, former actor, fitness enthusiast and a mother. She likes to call herself ‘a mommy chef’! The magic she puts into her food and everything she does certainly sprinkles some magic dust on everyone.

The beautiful and vivacious, someone who constantly bubbles with optimism, Chef Amrita Raichand was born in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. Despite losing her father at the age of 3, she grew up under the protective love and guidance of her fiercely independent mother and protective brothers which helped metamorphize her into the gorgeous human she is today. She has had a diverse line of career choices up to her sleeve. Amrita holds a double major in Economics and Commerce and has a six-year degree in Bharatanatyam. From being a teacher at a kinder garden school to holding a diploma in marketing management and computer graphics, Amrita has excelled at everything that she took up.

Excellence came naturally to Amrita yet she wasn’t able to pursue culinary arts or dance as a profession as these were not very recognised then. She aced her stint in acting, however, soon realised that it was the culinary world that was her real calling.

We all don a new personality after becoming mothers. Our responsibility as a mother pushes us to explore all the possible opportunities. Something similar happened with Amrita. Being someone who follows clean eating practices, Amrita took it upon herself to cook for her little bundle of joy when she became a mother.

Trust mothers to create magic out of food and create recipes that have never been heard before. Amrita started experimenting with various types of foods to feed her fussy toddler and soon landed the show ‘Mummy ka Magic’.  After being widely appreciated for her show, she decided to make this hobby a profession an acquired certification from one of the best culinary schools in the world – Sunrice, The Global Chef Academy, Singapore. There, she pursued an advance culinary course to hone her skills further.

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Quinoa Stuffed Chicken

Method:

• To prepare the filling, heat oil in a wok, add the chopped garlic and onions to it and cook until translucent. Then add the chopped peppers and sauté till partially cooked. Now add the boiled quinoa or the cooked brown rice and sauté for a few minutes on high flame. Adjust the seasoning and take it the wok off the flame. Allow it to come to room temperature.
• Now take the chicken breast, remove the supreme and clean it properly. Remove any excess fat. Butterfly the chicken with a sharp knife and flatten with a meat hammer to flatten it out. Marinate with salt, pepper and thyme.
• Once the filling is cool, add the cheese and mix well to bind the filling. Fill the marinated chicken breast with the prepared filling and close the chicken breast tightly.
• Put some almond flour and the roasted & crushed makhana in two separate plates and whisk an egg in a bowl. Season all three with salt, pepper and chilli flakes.
• Now coat the prepared chicken breast first with the almond flour, then dip in the egg mixture and finally coat the chicken evenly with the Roasted crushed foxnuts. Once the coating is done, refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
• Now heat oil in a deep pan and fry the stuffed chicken breast on low heat till cooked through and golden brown. Remove on a kitchen paper, Slice the chicken evenly and serve along with tartar sauce.

– by Chef Amrita Rai Chand