Monday, 26 May 2008

Coco Chicken :)



Couldn't come up with a better name than this :D..Coco chicken is a type of chicken curry made with Coconut and coriander paste...creamy,yummy easy to make chicken curry...here goes the recipe,


Ingredients:

For marinade,
Chicken - 500gm (Clean and cut into pieces)
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 large pinch
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as required

For Coco paste,
Freshly grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Coriander - 1 bunch (clean and chop finely)
Cashews - 1 tbsp
Khuskhus seeds - 1.5 tsp
Milk - 1 small cup
Onion - 1 (sliced)
Green chillies - 6-7 (chopped)
Oil - 2-3 tsp

For the curry,
Onion - 2 (sliced)
Salt - as required
Garam masala powder - as required
Oil - 1 tbsp
Coriander - for garnish

Method:

1. Marinade the chicken pieces with all the ingredients listed under marinade for 30min.
2. Meanwhile prepare the paste with all the ingredients listed under coco paste as follows.
3. Soak cashews and khuskhus seeds in warm milk for 5min
4. Heat 2-3 tsp oil in a kadai. Add the onions and green chillies.
5. Saute until the onions turn transperent. Remove from heat and let it cool.
6. Take this sauted mixture, soaked cashews and khuskhus along with the milk, grated coconut and chopped coriander intlo a blender and grind into a smooth paste. Set this paste aside.
7. Now for the final curry preparation heat 1 tbsp of oil in a thick bottomed kadai.
8. Add the sliced onions and saute till transperent.
9. Add the marinated chicken, coco paste and mix well.
10. Adjust salt and garam masala powder if required.
11. Cover and cook on medium flame for 15-20min mixing occassionally.
12. Finally garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve hot with roti or rice.

Sunday, 11 May 2008

Tofu in Tomato Onion Gravy



This recipe is a close replica to our yummy paneer butter masala.

The recipe is quite simple and easy. Doesn’t take more than 30 min from scratch.

Preparation time: 5min
Cooling time: 5min
Cooking time: 10+10min

This recipe serves 4 people.

Ingredients:

1.Cashew nuts – 10
2.Water – 100ml (lukewarm)
3.Oil – 30ml (2 small tbsp)
4.Onions – 2 (medium sized) – Chopped
5.Green Chillies – 6 (adjust to taste) – Chopped
6.Tomatoes – 500gm (cut into chunks)
7.Cinnamon stick – 1 inch piece (break into pieces)
8.Cloves – 5
9.Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
10.Salt – 1.5 tsp (adjust to taste)
11.Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
12.Paprika powder – ½ tsp
13.Semi-skimmed milk – 150ml
14.Tofu – 350gm (cubed)
15.Coriander – 1 tablespoon (chopped finely) – to garnish

Method:

1.Soak the cashew nuts in a 100ml of warm water.
2.Meanwhile heat a kadai and add 1 small tbsp of oil.
3.When the oil is heated up, add the chopped onions and green chillies.
4.Saute for 3-4 min until the onions turn transparent.
5.Now add the tomato chunks and cook for few min, until the tomatoes turn soft.
6.Turn off the heat and cool for 5min.
7.Take this mixture in a blender, add the soaked cashews along with the water and grind to a paste.
8.Clean the kadai and wipe off with a towel. Place it on the stove and add 1 small tbsp of oil.
9.When the oil is heated up, add cinnamon pieces, cloves, ginger garlic paste and roast until the raw smell leaves.
10.Now add the ground paste, salt, garam masala, paprika powder and milk, bring to boil.
11.Finally add the tofu cubes and cook for 2min and turn off the heat.
12.Garnish with chopped coriander

Serving Suggestion:

Serve hot with rotis/parathas/rice/Jeera rice.

Monday, 5 May 2008

Spicy Rosemetta Rice


I brought home some oregano for baking and was left with some more of it. So tried this simple recipe and it turned out very fragnant, yummy and appealing...I've used Rosemetta rice, but this can be made with normal sona masoori or basmati rice too...

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

Rosemetta Rice - 1 cup (wash and soak in 4 cups of water)
Oregano - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Black peppercorns - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 2 (finely chopped)
Coriander - 2 tsp (chopped)
Salt - as required
Ghee - 2 tsp

Procedure:

1. Take the Rosemetta rice along with the soaked water in a deep bottomed vessel. Cover and bring to boil.
2. When the rice starts to boil, add some salt and cook on medium for 10-12min.
3. Drain the water and spread the boiled rice in a plate (grains should be seperate).
4. In a small kadai, heat the Ghee.
5. Add cumin seeds, peppercorns, green chillies and saute for abt 2min.
6. Add the oregano and chopped coriander, mix well. Cook for about 1min.
7. Turn off the heat and add this mixture to the cooked rice.
8. Mix well and serve with any curry or on its own.


Friday, 25 April 2008

Palak Paneer


This is one of my favourite items in the restaurant menu...I've tried it few times before, but could never make it to my satisfaction...few weeks back I tried this again, this time I've added some paprika and milk and the taste, texture, consistency was so good..I do not prefer to grind the palak to a paste, hence this looks a bit different from the one we get in hotels..Here goes the recipe,


Ingredients: (for 3 people)

1. Spinach - 3 cups (finely chopped)
2. Paneer cubes - 250gm
3. Onion - 1 (Sliced)
4. Tomatoes - 2 small (cut into chunks)
5. Green chillies - 6 (chopped)
6. Ginger garlic paste - 2tsp
7. Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
8. Salt - as per taste
9. Paprika powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Cashew nuts - 1 table spoon (soaked in warm water for 5min)
11. Oil - 2 tbsp
12. Ghee - 2 tsp
13. Milk - 150ml
14. Cinnamon stick - 1 inch long (break into pieces)
15. Cloves - 4

Procedure:

1. Take a wide bottomed kadai and heat 1 tbsp of oil.
2. Add the cinnamon pieces, cloves and fry for 30 sec.
3. Now add the onions, green chillies and saute until the onions are transperent.
4. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell leaves.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes turn soft.
6. Turn off the heat and let this mixture cool.
7. Take this mixture in a blender. Add the soaked cashew nuts and grind to a smooth paste. Set this paste aside.

8. Now in a kadai (you can use the same original one) heat the remaining 1 tbsp of oil.
9. Add the chopped spinach and fry until the raw smell leaves (takes about 5min)
10. Now add the grinded paste to this roasted spinach.
11. Add salt, garam masala powder, paprika powder, milk and cook on medium for 5min. Add water if required.
12. Take 2 tsps of ghee in small kadai and heat it.
13. Fry the paneer cubes until golden brown.
14. Tranfer the paneer cubes into the gravy, mix well.
15. Cook on low for 2 more min and turn off the heat.

Serve hot with rotis/parathas.


Saturday, 19 April 2008

Biscuit Brittle!!!


How does the title sound? Last time, during my visit to Hyderabad, attamma made this extremely easy to make, tasty dessert and me being a person with a sweet tooth, immediately fell in love with these cute biscuit brittles...I also found these on Nags Blog, attamma avoided cocoa powder, but I added this and followed Nags' recipe coz I loved to have chacolate color for my preparation.

Recipe is extremely easy, even kids can prepare this :D

Ingredients: (for 2 Bsicuit Brittles)
1. Marie Biscuits (I used rich tea biscuits) - 8
2. Milk - 1/2 cup
3. Coffee powder - 1 tsp
4. Unsalted butter - 1 tbsp
5. Powdered sugar - 1 tbsp (you can add more for extra sweetness)
6. Cocoa powder - 1tsp

Procedure:

1. Warm up the milk in Microwave and mix the coffee powder.
2. Now dip each Biscuit in this milk and stack 4 of them one above the other in a plate.
3. Make 2 such stacks.
4. In a bowl take the butter and warm up for about 30sec in the microwave.
5. Mix powdered sugar, cocoa powder with the butter and make a thick liquid like paste.
6. Pour this liquid over the 2 biscuit stacks and see that this paste covers all the stack uniformly.
7. Place the plate in the freezer for 1hr.
8. Break into 2 or more pieces and enjoy.

Store them in the normal refrigerator to consume later. Do not freeze them for more than an hr, orelse you'll have to test your teeth later :)


Sunday, 13 April 2008

Baby Corn - Aloo Mughlai Curry



I've made this dish following a Khaana Khazaana kind of program - Aha Emi Ruchi in Mana Telugu TV channel. Tasted so good with rotis, so can't wait anymore to post this here. Thanks to Vijaya Rao (the lady who shares these recipes)...Here goes the recipe (I've used baby corn instead of paneer)


Ingredients:
1. Potatoes - 2 (Peel cut into cubes)
2. Baby Corn - 400gm (I used canned babycorn)
3. Onion - 1 large (chopped)
4. Tomatoes - 2 (cut into chunks)
5. Green/Red long chillies - 4 (sliced length-wise)
6. Milk - One cup
7. Garam masala - 1 tsp
8. Salt - to taste
9. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
10. Cinnamon stick - 1 inch (break into tiny pieces)
11. Black Peppercorn - 10 (optional)
12. Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Take water in pan, add the potato cubes and boil for about 5min. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a wide bottomed kadai. Fry these boiled potato cubes for 5-6min until they turn to light brown in color. Remove the potato cubes and set aside.
3. In the same oil add the baby corn and fry for about 2-3min (you can skip this step). Remove from oil and set aside.
4. Now add the cumin seeds, cinnamon pieces, peppercorn. After 30sec add the onion and chilli pieces.
5. Saute until the onions turn transperent.
6. Now add the tomatoes, salt, garam masala powder and milk.
7. Cover and cook for 5min, till the tomatoes turn soft.
8. Remove the lid and add fried potatoes, baby corn and mix well.
9. Cook for another 2min and turn off the heat
10. Serve hot with Rotis/chapathis


Wednesday, 9 April 2008

Chinese Egg Fried Rice


I haven't been updating this blog since a while...lots n lots of other avagations are keeping me busy all these days..anyways I made few tasty dishes over the previous couple of months, took photographs and saved them in my lappy...I'll try to post them one by one over the next few days..this chinese egg fried rice turned out so good that hubby dear carried all the rice I made, to his work place to share with his colleagues...Recipe is simple..

Ingredients:
Rice - 4 cups (pre-cooked and refregirated for 2 hrs - cold rice doesn't stick and hence is good for fried rice items)
Eggs - 4
Grated Carrot - 2 table spoons
Boiled Peas - 1/2 Cup (Frozen will do - soak them in warm water for 10min)
Onion - 1 (sliced length-wise)
Salt - to taste
Pepper powder - to taste
Soy Sauce - 1 table spoon
Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat a wok and add a teaspoon of oil.
2. Break the eggs into the wok, stir well. Fry for about 2min and set this scramble aside.
3. Heat the remaining oil in the same wok, add the sliced onions and saute for about 3-4min.
4. Now add the grated carrot and peas. Fry until the raw smell leaves.
5. Add the Soy sauce and mix well.
6. Now add the cold rice and egg scramble and mix thoroughly.
7. Finally season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

My other version of Egg fried rice is here