Monday, April 20, 2009

Pepper Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

Boneless Chicken - 2 lbs cut into small pieces
Oil (any) - 3 tbsp
Onion - 3 medium thinly sliced
Curry leaves - a handful (You can get this only in the Indian store)
Tomato -1 cut into pieces (or you can you any canned tomato 1-2 tbsp
Green chillies - 2 slit (spicy ones from the Indian store)
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Freshly ground black pepper - 1 tbsp
salt - as per taste
water - 1/4 cup
Cilantro - about 2 tbsp chopped for garnish.

PREPARATION:

Heat oil in a pan. Add onions, curry leaves and green chillies and fry for couple of minutes. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add tomato, chicken, salt, pepper and water and mix well. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and let it cook on medium flame for about 20-25 minutes, stirring ocassionally. Do not add more water. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with cilantro. Enjoy with rice, paratha, tortilla, chapathi or naan.

Chicken curry

INGREDIENTS:
Oil (any) - 4 tbsp
Chicken - About 2 lbs
Onion - 2 medium size cut
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Spices (Mix of 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, 1 cardamon and fennel seeds)
Chili powder - 3 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
Cumin powder - 1 tbsp
salt - as per taste
turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Crushed tomato - 3-4 tablespoons (Add more for more gravy)
water - About 2 cups
Cilantro - 2 tablespoons chopped for garnish

PREPARATION:

Heat oil in a pan. Add the Spices and onion and fry for couple of minutes. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Now add the crushed tomato, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric and salt. Add chicken and mix well. Add water, mix well and cover with a lid. Cook for abuot 35-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked on high flame stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary.
Transfer to serving dish and garnish with cilantro. You can have the chicken as a side dish for rice, tortilla, chapathi or naan.

Chenna curry (Chick peas gravy)

INGREDIENTS:

Chick peas - 1 can rinsed and drained
Oil (any) - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon - 1 stick
Onions - 1 medium chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Crushed tomato - 3-4 tablespoons (you can add more if you want more gravy)
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
turmeric - 1/4 tsp
salt - as needed (about a tsp)
Cilantro - about 1 tbsp chopped (for garnish)
water

OPTIONAL - YOU CAN ADD STORE BOUGHT CHENNA MASALA AND OMIT THE CINNAMON STICK, CHILI POWDER, CORIANDER POWDER AND TURMERIC.

PREPARATION:

Heat oil in a pan. Add cinnamon stick and the onions. Fry for couple of minutes until the onions turn translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Now add crushed tomatos, chili powder, coriander powder and salt. Add about 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Cover with a lid, simmer and let it cook for about 10-15 mins stirring once in between. Switch off the stove, transfer to serving dish and garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy with tortillas, chapathis or bread!!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Carrot Raita

This is a very simple and healthy dish. Goes well with rice or paratas or chapatis or dosai or idli...

INGREDIENTS:
1. Carrot - 1 big grated
2. Plain yogurt - 1 cup
3. salt - as per taste

For seasoning (Optional):
1. Extra Virgin olive oil (EVOO) - 2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
3. Urad dhal - 2 tsp
4. Curry leaves - 4-5
5. Red chilli - 1

1. Mix the grated carrots with yogurt and salt. Add little water if the raita is thick. Season if necessary (Heat oil in pan, add mustard, urad dhal, red chilli and curry leaves). Tastes good even without seasoning.

Methi Paratha

I used Methi leaves from my vegetable garden to make these parathas!!

INGREDIENTS:
Wheat flour (Atta) - 1 cup
Methi leaves - 1 handful washed and cut into small pieces
Onion - 1/2 cut into very small pieces
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Extra Virgin olive oil (EVOO) - 2 tsp
salt - as per taste (about 1 tsp)
water - as needed

PREPARATION:
1. Heat EVOO in a small pan and add cumin seeds. Then add onions and fry for a minute. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, methi leaves and little bit of salt and fry for a minute. Add this fried mixture to the flour, add more salt and water and make the dough.
2. Make small round balls and roll the dough using rolling pin.
3. Heat griddle (tava) and fry the parathas one by one using very less oil for one side alone.
4. Voila! the parathas are ready! Makes about 8 medium-sized parathas.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Tandoori Chicken

This is a popular Indian chicken dish, which is cooked in a clay oven called a tandoor. Although the authentic tandoori flavor is very difficult to achieve in conventional ovens, this version still makes an exceedingly tasty dish.

INGREDIENTS:
4 chicken quarters
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp grated fresh ginger root
1 garlic clove, crushed
11/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt as needed
few drops of red food coloring
2 tbsp corn oil
mixed salad green and lime wedges to garnish

PREPARATION METHOD
1. Skin and rinse the chicken quarters, then pat dry on paper towels. Make two slits in the flesh of each chicken quarter, place in a dish and set aside.

2. Mix together the yogurt, garam masala, ginger, garlic, chilli powder, turmeric, coriander, lemon juice, salt, food coloring, and oil and beat together well.

3. Cover the chicken qauartes with the spice mixture and leave to marinate for about 3 hrs.

4. Transfer the chicken pieces to an oven-proof dish. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for about 30-40 mins.

5. Remove the chicken form the oven, transfer to serving dish and garnish with salad greens and lime wedges.

Spicy Fish Patties

These tasty fish patties can be made slightly larger and served as fish burgers, or shaped into small balls and serverd as a cocktail snack.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound skinned haddock, salmon, cod or tilapia
2 potatoes boiled and mashed
4 scallions, finely chopped.
4 green chilles, finely chopped
2 inch piece fresh ginger root grated
fresh cilantro and mint leaves chopped
2 eggs
bread crumbs for coating
vegetable oil for shallow frying
salt and ground black pepper
lemon wedges to garnish
chili sauce or sweet chutney

METHOD:
1. Place fish in a lightly-greased steamer and cook for 10 minutes, until opaque and cooked through. Remove the steamer from the heat and leave the fish on the steaming tray to cool.
2. Flake the fish with a fork and place in a large bowl. Add the potatoes, scallions, chilies, ginger, cilantro, and mint, seasoning and 1 egg and mix well. Beat the remaining egg in a shallow bowl.
3. Shape the mixture into patties. Dip the patties in egg, then coat in bread crumbs. Heat oil and fry the patties until golden brown. Serve with chili sauce or chutney. Garnish with lemon wedges.