Homemade Ginger Garlic paste

Ginger garlic paste is essential & ingredients in every Indian Kitchen. The paste is simple fresh ginger, fresh garlic, mashes into a paste and diluted with a little bit of water & salt.  Ginger garlic paste is typically fried and used with other ingredients in most of the dishes.  This is simple to make & keeps well in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks.  

Ingredients :

1. Ginger pieces - 1/2 cup
2. Garlic - 1/2 cup
3. Salt - 1 tsp
4. Oil - 1 tsp

Method :

1.   Wash & peel the skin of ginger.  Allow them to dry completely.  

2.   Peel the skin of garlic and set aside.

3.   Grind together ginger, garlic, salt & oil to smooth paste.  Do not add water while grinding.

Store them in a clean & dry container.

Chicken curry - Andhra style

Ingredients :

1. Oil - 3 tbsp
2. Bay leaf - 1 no
3. Cardamom - 5 nos
4. Cinnamon - 2 stick
5. Cloves - 3 nos
6. Onion - 1 large sized
7. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
8. Chicken - 500 gms, cut into pieces
9. Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Green chillies - 2 nos
12. Curry leaves 
13. Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
14. Cashew nuts - 16 nos
15. Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp
16. Milk - 1 cup
17. Kasoori methi - 1 tbsp
18. Garam masala - 1 tsp
19. Coriander powder - 2 tsp
20. Coriander leaves for garnishing
21. Water as required

Method :

1.   Soak cashew nuts and poppy seeds in a cup of milk for 1 hour and grind them to smooth paste.  Keep aside.

2.   Heat oil in a pan, add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, green chillies, curry leaves and sliced onion.  Saute till tender.

3.   Add ginger garlic paste & turmeric powder.  Saute. 

4.   Add chicken, chilly powder, coriander powder & cashew paste.  Add enough water & cook till done.

5.   Add kasoori methi & garam masala.  Cook for few more mins.  Garnish it with coriander leaves.  

Serve with rotis / rice.

Homemade Pizza dough

You won't believe how easy and simple to make pizza dough at home.  This dough can be refrigerated for three days or stays in the freezer for couple of weeks.  

Ingredients :

1. All purpose flour - 2 1/2 cups
2. Dry yeast - 1 3/4 tbsp
3. Salt - 1/2 tsp
4. Sugar - 1/2 tsp
5. Olive oil - 4 tbsp 
6. Luke warm water - 1 cup (or little more)

Method :

1.  In a bowl, mix yeast and sugar in the lukewarm water.  Set aside for 10 mins.

2.  Combine & mix together flour, salt, 3 tbsp of olive oil & yeast dissolved water.  Knead the dough until smooth & elastic for around 5 mins.

3.   Grease the dough with oil and cover the bowl.  Set aside in warm place for atleast 2 hours.  After 2 hours, dough should be double in size.

4.  Knead the dough again & roll them.

Happy baking :)