Chicken Kali Mirch

 

Ingredients:

500 G. Chicken (curry cut)
1 Onion (finely chopped)
2 Fresh green chili’s (chopped)
1 in. Ginger (fine chopped)
4 Pods Garlic (chopped)
1C. Yogurt (whisked)
½ Tsp. Garam masala powder
½ Tsp. Cumin powder
½ Tsp. Coriander powder
1 Tsp. Cinnamon powder
4 Tbsp. Oil
4 Cloves
1 Tsp. Black pepper corns (crushed)
3 Green cardamoms (crushed)
¼  C. Coriander leaves (chopped)
1 Tsp. Kasuri methi
1 Tbsp. Lemon juice
½ Tsp. Honey
½ C. Water
Salt to taste

Recipe:

Heat oil in a pan & add cinnamon powder, green cardamom, cloves & pepper corn. Once fragrant, add chopped onions, ginger – garlic, chilies and cook for 7-8 minutes.

Add the cumin powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder & mix well.

Stir in the chicken pieces and sear on high flame for 5-10 minutes.

Now add the yogurt & mix evenly coating the chicken pieces.

Add water, kasuri methi, lemon juice, honey & keep stirring while the gravy simmers, approximately for 5-6 minutes or till the chicken is cooked.

Once the chicken looks cooked, garnish with chopped coriander & serve hot with roti’s, naan or parathas.

Dal Palak – Indian Style Lentil Curry with Spinach

Ingredients:

½ c. Chana Dal (split chickpeas)
¼ c. Masoor dal (pink lentils)
2 c. Spinach (chopped, you can use frozen too)
1 Tomato (chopped)
1 Onion (chopped)
2-3 Green chilies (chopped)
2 tb. Coriander (chopped)
3 tb. Ginger (chopped)
1 tsp. Cumin seeds
¼ tsp. Asafoetida powder
¼ tsp. Turmeric powder
1 tsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
Oil
Salt

Recipe:

Begin with washing the lentils and pressure cook until done. Keep aside.

In a pan heat some oil and add cumin seeds, chilies, ginger and sauté for a minute or two.

Add onions and cook until slightly golden. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and continue cooking over medium heat.

Add all the spices and cook until oil begins to separate.

At this stage add the spinach and cook until it becomes soft and stops releasing water.

Once done, add the cooked lentils and mix well.

Adjust the thickness of the curry by adding water as per your liking.

Check for salt and simmer for 5-6 minutes on slow heat.

Garnish with coriander and serve along with some rice

 

 

 

 

Chicken Handi

The traditional recipe requires a clay cooking pot as it enhances the flavor. However, cooking the same in a regular pot works just fine too.

Ingredients:

500 Gr. Chicken (cut into medium pieces)
½ C. Cashew nuts (plain, unsalted)
1 Onion (finely chopped)
1 Tomato (finely chopped)
2 Fresh green chili’s (Slit)
½ in. Ginger (julienne)
2T. Ginger Garlic paste
¼ ^th C. Coriander leaves (chopped)
¼ ^th C. Mint leaves (chopped)
1C. Yogurt
1T. Chili powder
¼ ^th T. Turmeric powder
½ T. Garam masala powder
½ T. Coriander powder
4Tbs. Oil
2 cloves
½ in. Cinnamon stick
2 green cardamoms
Salt to taste

Recipe:

Start by soaking the cashew nuts in hot water for 15-20 minutes. Drain and grind them into a paste. Add yogurt and continue to grind. Set aside.

Heat oil in a cooking pot & add cinnamon, green cardamom, and cloves. Once fragrant, add chopped onions and cook till golden brown.

Add the ginger-garlic paste and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes.

Stir in the chopped tomatoes, julienne ginger and cook till the oil separates. Now add the chicken pieces, chopped coriander, mint leaves and sauté over medium heat.

Add the turmeric powder, red chili powder & coriander powder. You can adjust the salt at this stage.

Now add the ground cashew – yogurt paste, garam masala powder and slit green chilies. Give it a nice stir evenly coating the chicken.

Keep stirring while the gravy simmers, approximately for 5-6 minutes or till the oil starts to separate.

Once the chicken looks cooked, garnish with chopped coriander & julienne ginger.

Serve hot with roti’s, naan or parathas.

Creamy Spinach Penne Pasta

Ingredients:

250 Grams penne pasta, cooked
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Onion, finely chopped
5C. Fresh spinach, washed, dried & chopped
1/2  C. Basil, finely chopped
1T. Olive oil
1T. Butter
2C. Cooking cream
1C. Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 T. Salt
1/4 T. ground black pepper

Recipe:

Start by cooking the penne pasta. Drain and keep aside.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large pan over medium heat.

Sauté the onions, garlic, salt, and pepper until lightly browned.

Add cooking cream and parmesan cheese, and continue to cook the sauce on low heat until slightly thickened.

Now add the spinach, cup by cup and keep stirring gently until it wilts.

Once the sauce is ready add the basil and cooked pasta to the pan and stir to coat.

Garnish with some more parmesan cheese and enjoy the delicious creamy spinach pasta.

Chicken Soup in Coconut Milk

Ingredients:

1/2 Chicken Breasts (skinless, trimmed and sliced)
2-3 Pcs. Lemon Grass (sliced)
2-3 Pcs. Galangal (sliced)
2 Pcs. Kaffir Lime Leaves
1T. Lemon Juice
1T. Fresh Chillies (chopped)
1/4C. Onion (quartered)
1/4C. Oyster Mushrooms (roughly chopped)
1T. Sugar
1T. Fish Sauce
1C. coconut Milk

Recipe:

Boil coconut milk in a pot and stir in lemon grass, galangal & lime leaves.

Add the chicken pieces along with mushrooms and onions in the pot and stir.

Add fish sauce, sugar, lemon juice and chilies.

Bring to a boil and turn of the heat. Soup is ready to be served.

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

4Pcs. Chicken Breasts (skinless & trimmed)
1T. Lemon Juice
2T. Honey
2T. Mustard Sauce
2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
1T. Olive Oil
1/2T. Cayenne Pepper
Salt & Pepper – as per taste

Recipe:

Toss the chicken pieces with lemon juice and set aside.

Combine all the other remaining ingredients to form a marinate.

Coat the chicken pieces with the marinate and refrigerate for few hours. For best results marinate overnight.

Grill the chicken on medium-high heat until done.

Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Kra-Pao)

This is a very popular Thai dish and one of my favorite. You can see a lot of vendors preparing this dish in the streets. I love it with chicken however; beef, pork and sea food options are also available. This dish is best served with rice and a Thai style crispy fried egg!

Ingredients:

1C. Chicken Breast (bite size pieces)
¼ C. Shallot (fine sliced)
5 Garlic Cloves (minced/fine chopped)
4 Thai Chilies (fine sliced/chopped)
1T. Oyster Sauce
1T. Dark Soy Sauce
½ T. Light Soy Sauce
½ T. Fish Sauce (optional)
½ T. Sugar
½ C. Holy Basil Leaves
Cooking Oil

Recipe:

Start with the stir fry sauce. Combine Dark soy sauce, Oyster sauce, Light soy sauce, Fish sauce (if using) & sugar in a bowl. Stir well and keep aside.

Heat oil in a wok; add shallot, garlic and chilies – stir fry for 30 seconds. Once fragrant, toss in the chicken pieces and continue frying.  (For the bite size chicken pieces it generally takes 2-3 minutes to cook)

Add the earlier prepared sauce and keep stir frying for 30 more seconds.

Throw in the holy basil, combine it well and turn off the heat.

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At this stage you would be probably drooling!
So serve and enjoy!

Cabbage & Coconut Stir-fry

Ingredients:

4C. Cabbage (shredded)
6-8 Potatoes (small to medium size)
2 Green chilies (sliced and deseeded)
3-4 Dry red chilies
1T. Cumin seeds
1T. Mustard seeds
1T. Lemon juice
2T. Desiccated coconuts (lightly toasted)
4T. Coriander (chopped)
2T. Oil
Asafoetida (a generous pinch)
Salt & Pepper

Method:

Start with preparing the potatoes for the recipe. In a pot of boiling water add salt and cook potatoes for 10-12 minutes. Peel and lightly crush. Set aside.

In a pan heat some oil and add dried red chilies along with mustard, cumin and asafoetida. Smoke till fragrant. Once the seeds began to crackle, toss in the cabbage and sliced green chilies.

Make sure the cabbage gets coated with spices and oil nicely. Add the potatoes and continue tossing for few minutes. Add salt and pepper according to your taste.

Once it combines, throw in the toasted coconut, chopped coriander and lemon juice. Give it a final toss to combine.

Serve hot as a side dish.

The key here is the crunch in the cabbage. Don’t overcook!

Brazilian Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

300G. Chicken breast (fine shredded)
2T. Olive oil
2 ½ C. Vegetables (chopped, I used carrots, peas, sweet corn & beans)
½ C. Spring onion (chopped)
¾ C. Rice
10C. Chicken broth
4. Eggs (white separated)
1. Onion (chopped)
3. Garlic cloves (minced)
¼ C. Coriander (chopped)
Salt & pepper

Method:

In a pot add olive oil and sauté onions with garlic till fragrant. Add the shredded chicken and cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the chicken starts turning white, add the rice and roast along for few minutes.

Now add the chicken stock, chopped vegetables and check for seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover the pot. Let it simmer till the rice is cooked.

Once the rice is done add the chopped coriander and egg whites while stirring it.

Pour it in a bowl, garnish with a lime slice and enjoy!

Cauliflower Risotto

Ingredients:

1C. Arborio rice
½ C. White wine
2C. Vegetable stock
2T. Parmesan – Romano (grated)
1T. Lemon Juice
3T. Olive oil
Saffron (optional)

Ingredients for Puree

1 Cauliflower head (minced)
1 Onion (chopped)
6-8 Basil leaves
1C. Water
3T. Butter
Salt & Pepper

Ingredients for Garnish

2T. Garlic (minced)
3T. Cauliflower (minced)
3T. Mushrooms (chopped)
2T. Red bell pepper (chopped)
2T. Green bell pepper (chopped)
2T. Spring onion (chopped)
1T. Olive oil

Method:

Start with preparing the cauliflower puree. In a pan add the butter, basil leaves and onions. Once the onions start to sweat, stir in the cauliflower and season with salt & pepper. Cook the cauliflower on slow – medium heat without turning it brown. Add a cup of water if required. Once cooked properly let it sit for few minutes and puree using a blender. Set aside.

Take another pan and prepare for the garnish. Drizzle few drops of olive oil once heated add the garlic, spring onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and cauliflower. Saute for 6 – 7 minutes and reserve for later use.

Heat a flat pan on medium heat. Add some olive oil, once hot add the Arborio rice. Toast the rice till fragrant and then stir in the wine. Once the wine is absorbed add the vegetable stock. Keep on stirring to avoid sticking at the base. Also, you can add a dollop of butter to emulsify the rice. Add the lemon juice, cover and cook. Once the rice is almost done add the cauliflower puree and stir. This is the time when you will add the saffron, if using. Remove from the heat and add the grated cheese. Stir to mix the cheese evenly. Check for seasoning.

Pour some hot risotto in a plate, top it up with some prepared garnish and serve hot.

Creamy Cottage Cheese

Ingredients:

250G. Small Curd Cottage Cheese
1T. Ginger – Garlic Paste
2 Green Chili (deseeded, finely chopped)
1C. Red Bell pepper (finely chopped)
½ C. Green peas
2 Onions (chopped)
1 Tomato (chopped)
1T. Cumin seeds
¼ T. Garam Masala
¼ T. Turmeric Powder
½ T. Red Chili Powder
1T. Coriander Powder
¼ C. Milk
1T. Lemon Juice
2T. Fresh Coriander (chopped)
Oil
Salt

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Allow them to crackle.
Add chopped onions, chilies, ginger-garlic paste and saute for few minutes.

Now add the chopped tomatoes and bell pepper. Give it a quick stir and cook till they turn soft.

Add garam masala, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and salt to taste, stir.

Once fragrant add the milk and mix.

Stir in the cottage cheese, green peas, along with the lemon juice and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with the bread of your choice.

Tip: Any type of cottage cheese can be used for this recipe. Crumble or grate it before use.

Mixed Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

½ C. Corn Kernels (frozen or fresh)
1 Carrot (peeled & chopped)
1 Onion (finely chopped)
4-6 Beans (finely chopped)
2T. Spring Onions (chopped)
2T. Cauliflower (small florets)
2T. Peas
1T. Cornflour
2C. Water
2C. Vegetable Stock
½ T. Sugar
¼ T. Oregano Seasoning
Salt & Pepper
1T. Butter

Recipe:

In a pot melt some butter & sauté all the vegetables except the spring onions. Around 3 – 4 minutes.

Meanwhile stir the cornflour in 1 cup of water and leave aside. Make sure there are no lumps.

Now in the pot with the vegetables add the stock and water. Once comes to a boil allow to simmer for few minutes.

When the water in the pot is reduced, stir in the cornflour mixture. The soup will start to thicken at this stage. Add the sugar, pepper and check for salt. Let it simmer for 5 more minutes.

Garnish with spring onions, oregano seasoning and serve hot.

Egg & Shrimp Calzone

Ingredients:

2C. All purpose flour
2T. Yeast
1T. Sugar
2T. Olive oil
2T. Peas
2T. Sweet corn
3 Eggs (room temperature)
1 Shallot (chopped)
2 Green Chilies (chopped)
3 Garlic Cloves (minced)
10-12 Shrimps (diced)
Salt & pepper
Cornmeal or semolina (to sprinkle)

Recipe:

Start with activating the yeast. In a bowl add one cup of warm water, yeast & sugar, stir and leave aside till it foams.

Heat some oil in a wok. Saute garlic, chilies & shallot. Once fragrant add eggs and scramble to medium consistency. Now add the shrimps, peas & corns, continue cooking till the shrimps turn pink. Check for seasoning and don’t overcook. Set aside to cool.

In another bowl combine flour, a pinch of salt & yeast mix. Knead the dough till soft and smooth. Leave to rise for 1-2 hours in a warm place.

To bake the calzones preheat the oven at 200°C and sprinkle the baking sheet with cornmeal or semolina.

Divide the dough into 8 equal parts and roll each out to a 5 – 6 inches disc. Divide the filling between half of each disc, leaving some space to seal. Brush the edges with water and crimp the edges to seal.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and serve.

 

Mix Vegetable Keema

Ingredients:

1C. Cauliflower (Grated/minced)
1C. Beans (chopped)
½ C. Mushrooms (chopped)
1 Carrot (chopped)
½ C. Green peas (boiled)
2 Tomatoes, medium sized (chopped)
1 Onion, medium sized (chopped)
1 Green chili (chopped)
1 Black Cardamom
1” Cinnamon stick
½ T. Red chili powder
½ T. Turmeric powder
½ T. Garam masala powder
1T. Coriander powder
2C. Water
¼ C. Yogurt (beaten)
2T. Coriander (chopped)

Recipe:

In a pan heat some oil and add cardamom and cinnamon stick. Once fragrant add onions, ginger garlic paste and saute.

Add the chopped tomatoes, beaten yogurt and all the spices, stir and cook till the oil separates.

Now add all vegetables except green peas along with water and salt.

Cover and cook till all vegetables are cooked well. Once the mixture is dry add the peas and chopped coriander.

Give it a stir. Check for salt and serve hot with parathas or chapatti.

Stuffed Okra