Spicy dry chennai style Chicken fry

We always feel happy when the DH cook for us especially during the weekends.  After a long time, I was finally relieved from cooking this weekend.  Pravin filled my kitchen full of aroma by making this spicy dry chicken fry & served it with fried rice.  He made it very simple by marinating the chicken in the spicy masala & shallow fried it till dry.  It tasted simply delicious & its the time to agree that he is good cook !!!

Ingredients :

1. Chicken - 1 kg
2. Onion - 1 small sized
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Chilly powder - 2 tsp (to spice)
5. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
6. 1/2 Lemon juice 
7. Salt to taste
8. Garam masala - 1 tsp
9. Oil - 2 tbsp

Method :

1.   Grind the onion to smooth paste.  

2.   Marinate the chicken in grounded onion paste, turmeric powder, chilly powder, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, garam masala & salt to taste for atleast one hour.

3.   Heat oil in the frying pan, add the marinated chicken & fry them over medium flame till cooked and dry.

Serve with rice.

Mutton Brain Curry

One among the few dishes, which I like to eat but not to cook is this Mutton Brain Curry.  Rarely, we get mutton brain here and this weekend pravin was very fortunate to get them.  Very rich & heavy dish taste great with rice and chapathis too.  Pravin made it very simple with little ingredients yet taste simply delicious.  Leftover if any, can be used as a stuffing inside the cutlet.  

Ingredients :

1. Mutton brain - 2 nos
2. Oil - 2 tbsp
3. Cinnamon stick - 1 no
4. Cloves - 2 nos
5. Onions - 4 nos
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Chilly powder - 2 tsp (to taste)
8. Salt to taste
9. Corriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

1.   Clean the brain (remove the outside thin layer).

2.   Heat oil in the pan, add cinnamon stick, cloves & finely chopped onions.  Saute till tender.

3.   Add turmeric powder, chilly powder & salt to taste.  Cook for 10 mins over low medium flame.

4.   Finally, add the brain.  Cover & cook till done   (Don't mix the curry frequently)

5.   Garnish it with corriander leaves.

Serve with rice or rotis.

Crispy Ladies Finger Pakoda

This time pravin wants something different in ladies finger, but he doesn't want either semi or curry form.  Finally, I tried this crispy pakodas with okra & to my surprise it taste very delicious.  Very crispy perfect for simple jeera rice or BBB rice.  Yum :)

Ingredients :

1. Ladies fingers - 500 gms (slit lengthwise)
2. Oil for deep frying
3. Salt to taste
4. Besan (Gram flour) - 2 tbsp (may be little more)
5. Rice flour - 2 tbsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Chilly powder - 2 tsp
8. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
9. Garam masala - 1/4 tsp (optional)

Method :

1.   Combine all the ingredients together - Gram flour, rice flour, turmeric powder, chilly powder, ginger garlic paste, salt, garam masala & ladies finger.  

2.  Mix it well (without adding water).  Deep fry them in the medium flame oil till crispy & golden grown on either side.

Serve warm.

Pumpkin Dal Curry

Simple to make yet taste delicious.  Most comfort & healthy dish which can be served with both rice & chapathis too.  Even channa dal can be used instead of moong dal.  My son likes to have this with rice & lotz of ghee.  It taste yum :)

Ingredients :

1. Yellow pumpkin - 250 gms
2. Moong dal - 1/4 cup
3. Oil - 1 tbsp
4. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
5. Urad dal - 1 tsp
6. Green chillies - 3 to 4 nos
7. Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
8. Garlic pods - 3 nos
9. Onion - 1no
10. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
12. Corriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

1.   Cook the pumpkin.  Keep aside.

2.   Cook the moong dal and keep aside.

3.   Heat oil in the pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, green chillies, curry leaves, garlic & finely chopped onions.  Saute till tender.

4.   Add cooked pumpkin & moong dal.  Add grated coconut & salt to taste.  Cook over low flame till done.

5.   Garnish with corriander leaves.

Serve with rice & rotis.

Chocolate & Cherry Pound Cake

Very soft, moist & delicious chocolate cake with cherries & drizzle of chocolate glaze is perfect to serve with tea.  Even strawberries can be used instead of cherries.  Best treat for chocolate lovers :)

Ingredients :

1. All purpose flour - 2 cups
2. 1 Jar morello cherries
3. Chocolate custard or pudding powder - 1 cup
4. Baking powder - 2 tsp
5. Sugar - 175 gms (to taste)
6. Vanilla sugar - 1 sachet
7. Eggs (medium) - 5 nos
8. Oil - 150 ml (I used sunflower oil)
9. Buttermilk - 125 ml
10. Grated chocolate - 100 gms

For the glaze :

1. Milk or dark chocolate - 100 gms
2. Cooking oil - 1 tsp

Method :

1.   Grease the baking pan with flour & butter.  Preheat the oven to 180 C.

2.   Drain the cherries.  Mix the flour, custard powder, baking powder & sieve.  

3.   Add & whisk together the sugar, vanilla sugar, buttermilk, eggs & cooking oil until you have obtained a smooth mixture.

4.   Carefully fold the chocolate flakes & cherries.  Now put the batter in the greased pan & bake it for 50 to 70 mins or until done.

5.   Leave the cake to rest in the mould for about 10 mins, then remove it & put on a cake rack to cool.

6.   To make the glaze, break the chocolate into pieces & melt with the cooking oil over the low flame.  Pour over the cake & leave the glaze to set.

Serve with tea & sprinkle some icing sugar before serving.

Sweet Appam

Wish you all happy diwali.  This diwali is something special for me.  Everytime we go to India to celebrate this special occasion.  But this time, we celebrated it here with nombu.  We do lotz of prayers & fasting till late evening.  We need to make athirasam or some jaggery sweet for the pooja.  This time I made sweet appam & it turned out extremely delicious & soft.  Very easy & simple to make.  

Ingredients :

1. Wheat flour - 1/ 2 cup
2. Jaggery - 1/2 cup
3. Water 
4. Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Dessicated coconut - handful
6. Riped banana - 1 no (Smashed)
7. Sesame Seeds - 2 tsp
8. Nuts ( cashewnuts) - 1 tbsp

Method :

1.   Dissolve the jaggery in the water & filter it.

2.   Combine all the ingredients together & add water if necessary till you get the idly batter consistency. 

3.   Heat oil in the appam pan & pour the appam batter.  Cook till golden brown in either side.

Serve warm.

Minced Mini Chicken Kebabs

Minced chicken kebab or reshmi kebabs is a quite popular dish in India.  Once the mixture is ready, I realised the skewers are out of stock.  Finally, I made it as a mini version & used toothpick which finally turned out extremely good and attractive.  I served it with onions which work wonderfully on the barbecue. 

Ingredients :

1. Minced Chicken - 500 gms
2. Fresh ginger (finely chopped) - 1 tsp
3. 2 garlic cloves, chopped
4. 3 green chillies, chopped
5. Fresh corriander leaves, chopped - 1/4 cup
6. Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Cardamom & mace powder - 1 tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. oil / butter 
10. Juice of 1/2 lemon
11. Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp

Method :

1.   Mix together the minced chicken, ginger, garlic, chillies, corriander leaves, black pepper powder, cardamon & mace powder and salt to taste.  Chill it for 2 to 3 hrs.

2.   Divide the mixture into portions and shape each one round a skewer, squeezing the meat gently with wet hands so it adheres to the skewer.

3.   Grill the kebabs or shallow fry them for 10-12 mins, turning constantly & brushing regularly with oil or butter.

4.   Sprinkle some chaat masala & lemon juice before serving.

Serve with onions.

Sweet Boli with Pineapple sooji stuffing

Last friday, I invited my friend for lunch & made pineapple kesari for dessert.  Saturday morning, I want to try something new and finally, I decided to make the boli with the leftover delicacy & it was extremely tasty.  Pravin had it with ghee & warm milk and my son had just like it.  

Ingredients :

For the dough :

1. All purpose flour (Maida) - 1 cup
2. Salt - 1/4 tsp
3. Water for kneading
4. Oil or ghee 

For the stuffing :

1. Ghee - 2 tbsp
2. Nuts (Raisins, cashewnuts, almonds) - handful
3. Semolina / Sooji / Rava - 1/4 cup
4. Pineapple essence - 1 tsp
5. Sugar - little less than 1/2 cup (to taste)
6. Water -  3/4 cup
7. Pineapple chunks (optional)

Method :

1.   For the dough :  Combine all the ingredients & knead the dough till smooth.  Cover & keep aside for atleast 1/2 hr.

2.   Heat ghee in the pan, add the nuts followed by rava (semolina).  Roast till light golden brown & add sugar.

3.   Meanwhile warm the water & add the pineapple essence to it.  

4.   Now add the water to the roasted semolina & pineapple chunks.  Cover & cook till done.

5.   Allow the stuffing to cool.   Shape the dough to round balls & roll them like rotis.  Stuff the sooji & seal the edges.  Roll them like CD discs & cook them on low flame.   Add oil/ghee arround the edges for more flavour.

Serve warm.

Indo-chinease Vegetable Fried Rice

Yesterday, I cooked a simple, nutritious, comfort & healthy dish for our lunch box.  Healthy way of adding vegetables to our daily routine.  Especially, Indo-chinease fusion is most delicious & versatile cooking I like.  Either semi-dry or dry variety can be served with this. 

Ingredients :

1. Basmati rice - 2 cups
2. Vegetables (thinly sliced) - 1 cup (carrot, capsicum, beans, spring onions)
3. Olive oil - 1 tbsp
4. Ajinomoto - a pinch
5. Green chilly - 2 no (slit lengthwise)
6. Light soya sauce - 1/2 to 1 tsp
7. Vinegar - 1 tsp
8. Salt to taste

Direction to cook :

1.   Cook the basmati rice with salt & a tsp of oil.  Cool it.

2.   Heat olive oil in the pan, add ajinomoto, green chilly & vegetables.  Cover & cook on medium flame till cruncy & done.

3.   Add soya sauce & cook for couple more mins.

4.   Add the rice, vinegar & toss it gently.  

5.   Garnish it with spring onions.

Serve with semi or dry curries.

Aloo Kheema Matar

When it comes to sunday menu, I preferably cook something which goes both with rice for lunch & with rotis for dinner.  Aloo kheema matar is most delicious curry prepared with minced meat & spicy masalas.      Even capsicum can be added instead of matar (Green peas).  Most exotic curry can be used as a stuffings for the sandwich too.

Ingredients :

1. Minced meat (mutton or beef)  -  500 gms
2. Oil - 1 tbsp
3. Cinnamon stick - 1 no
4. Cardamom - 1 no
5. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
6. Onion - 1 no
7. Green chilly - 1 no
8. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Green peas (Fresh / frozen) - 1/4 cup
11. Potato - 1 medium sized
12. Tomatoes - 1 no
13. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
14. Yoghurt - 1/2 cup
15. Salt to taste
16. Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
17. Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
18. Corriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

1.   Heat oil in the pan, add cinnamon stick, cumin seeds & cardamom.  Add finely chopped onion, ginger garlic paste & green chillies.  Saute till tender.

2.   Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, tomato, minced meat, yoghurt & salt to taste.

3.   Add chopped potatoes & green peas.  Cover & cook till done.

4.   Finally, add garam masala powder & black pepper powder.  Cook for 2 more mins.

5.   Garnish it with finely chopped corriander leaves.

Serve with rotis or rice.

Delicate German Apple Cake

Most popular  german apple cake taste delicious with tea.  Perfect for kids & healthy too.  Instead of apple even plums, apricot, cherries can be used.  Cake looks shiny & fluffy once baked.  By spreading apricot glaze adds more flavour to the cake.  Last week I was invited to my friends house for lunch & I baked this cake just for them.  It was delicious :)

Ingredients :

For the toppings :

1. Butter - 4 tbsp
2. Apples - 2 nos

For the sponge :

1. Softened butter - 125 gms
2. Sugar - 1 cup
3. Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
4. A pinch of salt
5. Lemon extract - few drops
6. Eggs (medium) - 3 nos
7. All purpose flour - 2 cups
8. Baking powder - 2 tsp
9. Milk -2 tbsp

For the apricot glaze :

1. Apricot jam - 2 tbsp
2. Water - 1 tbsp

Method :

1.   Grease the baking pan & preheat the oven at 180 C.

For the toppings :

2.   Melt the butter in a small pan.  Peel the apples, cut into quarters, remove the cores & cut lengthwise.

For the sponge :

3.   Sieve the flour & baking powder.

4.   Whisk the butter until soft & add vanilla essence, salt & lemon extract.  

5.   Whisk in the eggs one at a time.  Mix in the flour mixture alternating with the milk.  Transfer the mixture to the greased pan & smooth to make it even.

6.   Arrange the apple quarters on the sponge mixture & pour the melted butter over the apples.  Bake for about 45 mins or until done.

7.   Rub the apricot jam through a sieve.  Add little water to it & bring it the boil.  Pour on the cake immediately after taking it out of the oven.   Allow the cake to cool.

Serve with tea.

Vegetable sandwich with mint flavour

Vegetable sandwich is my most comfort & healthy breakfast menu.  I prefer atleast once a week with little variation.  Especially, with the left over mint chutney & some cooked vegetables in hand makes my breakfast very delicious.  I like to add some cheese slices if served immediately.  Rich, healthy & heavy dish would be perfect for kids snack box too.

Ingredients :

1. Bread slices ( I used Italian sandwich bread ) 
2. Mint chutney for spreading
3. Tomato ketchup
4. Onion -  thinly sliced
5. Tomatoes - thinly sliced
6. Boiled potatoes - sliced
7. Semi- cooked capsicum - sliced
8. Cucumber - sliced
9. Cheese sliced (optional)

Method :

1.   Cut the bread slices & spread the mint chutney in one slice and tomato ketchup in the another bread slice.

2.   Now arrange the cooked vegetables & cheese slice between.  Serve.

Enjoy :)

NOTE :

1.   For preparing mint chutney :  

                Heat 1 tsp of oil in the pan, add 1 tsp of urad dal, 1 inch ginger piece, 2 red chillies, 1 cup mint leaves & 1/2 bunch corriander leaves.  Grind them to fine paste adding salt to taste.

2.   If serving immediately, I prefer not to toast the bread slices, otherwise the bread slices needs to be toasted.

Avial

Avial is a traditional recipe prepared almost in every household in kerala.  Most popular & important dish in most of the festivals & celebrations. Very nutritious & fulfilling side dish prepared with lotz of vegetables of our own choice.  Some makes it dry or with a little gravy - It's really ur own choice.  Vegetables are cooked in the spicy coconut gravy & coconut oil  taste delicious with variety rice.  

Ingredients :

1. Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
2. Cut vegetables ( yam, raw banana, carrot, beans, potato, drumstick, snake gourd) - 2 cups
3. Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
4. Green chillies - 3 to 4 nos (adjust to ur spice level)
5. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
6. A pinch of hing
7. Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
8. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
9. Sour curd - 1/2 cup
10. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Salt to taste

Method :

1.   Cook the vegetables with salt & enough water till tender.  

2.   Grind the coconut, green chillies & cumin seeds to a fine paste.

3.   Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves & a pinch of hing.  Add the ground paste & cook for 5 more mins on low flame.

4.   Add turmeric powder, cooked vegetables & curd.  Cook for 10 mins on medium flame.  Now add the remaining coconut oil.

5.   Adjust the salt if required & switch off the flame.

Serve warm with rice or appam.

Potato stuffed Bread rolls

Very easy to make & perfect appetizer / snack taste great with green chutney and tomato ketchup.  Any kind of stuffings like chicken masala, meat masala, vegetable mixture can be used for this dish.  I made potato masala for stuffing this time.  Perfect for kids snack box.  Sometimes, I use some leftover masalas for stuffing.  It taste simple superb :)

Ingredients :

1. Bread slices - 5 nos
2. Oil - 1 tbsp
3. Onion - 1 no
4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
6. Boiled potato - 2 medium sized
7. Salt to taste
8. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
9. Corriander leaves - 1 tbsp
10. Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Method :

1.   Heat oil in the pan, add finely chopped onions.  Saute till tender.

2.   Add turmeric powder, chilly powder & smashed potato.  Add salt to taste.

3.   Add garam masala, corriander leaves & lemon juice.  Cool.

4.   Remove the side brown part of bread & dip it in the water.  Squeeze the excess water between the palms gently.

5.   Place a tbsp of potato mixture over the damp bread and roll & seal the edges of the bread in such a way that the filling does not come out.

6.    Repeat the same process for making more rolls.  Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry on a medium flame till golden brown.

Serve it with ketchup.

Sweet Tamarind (Imli) chutney for chaat

Sweet & Sour imli chutney is very essential for many varieties of chaat items like bhel puri, pani puri, papadi chat, dahi puri & samosa.  Easy to make & a dash of chutney makes the dish more delicious and exotic.  Refrigerate & use it for 10 days.  

Ingredients :

1. Tamarind pulp - 100 gms
2. Water - 2 cups
3. Jaggery - 200 gms (depends on how sweet u required)
4. Black salt - 1 tsp
5. Saunf powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Roasted Cumin powder - 1 tsp
7. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
8. Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
9. Salt to taste

Method :

1.   Dissolve the tamarind pulp in water & bring it to boil.  Cook for 10 mins.

2.   Add jaggery powder, black salt, cumin powder, saunf powder, red chilly powder, garam masala & salt.  Cook on low-medium flame until it becomes thick.

Refrigerate & use when required.

No Bake Biscuit Cake

Simple to make!!   delicious to taste!!   Looks like baked!!   Need few ingredients!!   Less time!!   Perfect dessert !!   Everybody will like this !!!!!!

What more description needed to explain about this no bake biscuit cake, It just taste simply awesome.   Butter biscuits (I used) are dipped in the milk with chocolate sauce in between & almonds sprinkled on top is what this dessert is all about.  Different versions exist across & this what I made it recently.   It tasted just like chocolate torte & unknown guest can't believe it was made with biscuits.  Perfect for kids snack box menu.   

Ingredients :

1. Butter biscuit (or Marie biscuit) - 1 packet
2. Butter  -  6 oz
3. Sugar  -  10 oz
4. Cocoa powder - 4 tbsp
5. Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
6. Eggs - 2 nos
7. Milk - 1/2 cup
8. Almond flakes for garnishing

Method :

1.   Take a pan & boil the water in it.  Mix the butter, sugar, cocoa powder & eggs in a bowl.  Place the bowl over the boiling water & cook.  Keep stirring continuously.  (We will cook the chocolate mixture in the steam of boiling water.)

2.   Cook till it forms a smooth paste & thick consistency.  Remove from heat & add vanilla essence.  Allow it to cool.

3.   Grease the pan with butter & wax paper.  Now dip the biscuits in the milk & arrange them in the pan.  Spread the chocolate sauce as the second layer.  Repeat the steps alternating with biscuit & chocolate sauce till done.

4.   Finally, sprinkle the almond flakes & refrigerate it for atleast 2 hrs preferably overnight.



Cut them in slices & Serve.

Lemon Seed Cake

Every time I visit book shop, I make sure to add a one to my "baking books" collections.  A year before I bought a book on baking cakes and pravin wants me to bake this lemon seed cake.  It's been almost a year I keep on postponing his wish & finally the day arrived to bake this cake and celebrated my birthday last month.  This time pravin surprised me with lotz of gifts the whole day & finally he felt satisfied and worth buying this wonderful book on cake baking.  He enjoyed till his last bite of cake.  It just melted inside & taste awesome !!!

Ingredients :

1. All purpose flour - 1 1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp
2. Cornflour - 1 tbsp
3. Baking powder - 1/4 tsp
4. Butter - 175 gms
5. Castor sugar - 200 gms
6. Lemon zest (grated) - 1/2
7. Eggs (lightly whisked) - 3 eggs
8. Hot water - 1 tbsp
9. Caraway seeds - 2 tsp

Method :

1.   Preheat the oven to 160 C.  Lightly grease and flour a bundt pan.

2.   Sieve flour, cornflour and baking powder.  

3.   Cream butter and sugar, stir in grated lemon zest.  Beat in eggs, adding a little sifted flour mixture to prevent curdling.  Fold in remaining flour.

4.   Meanwhile, pour hot water over caraway seeds & add to cake mixture.

5.   Pour into prepared tin and bake for 50 mins or until well risen and golden.

Serve with tea.