Brazilian Lemonade

A refreshing, delicious and at the same time a simple drink as the name suggests- lemonade but though the name is so actually here lemons are not being used. Instead fresh green lime is the main ingredient. Hence it's also known as Brazilian limonada. The tartness of the green lime and the creamy sweetness of the condensed milk go hand in hand leaving you so fresh after having this drink.

Grab some fresh juicy green lime, preferably the seedless ones with thin and soft skin. Cut off the ends and cut each lime into one eighths. Put them into a blender. Pour down chilled water. Add sugar and the secret ingredient of this lemonade which makes it different from the usual lemonades...condensed milk. Give the blender 4- 5 pulse shots and strain the lemonade. Keep your glasses ready filled with ice cubes and slices of lime. Pour the strained lemonade into the glasses and have them immediately. So refreshing this drink is that you will be back to refill your glass! The only drawback of this drink is that, you can't make it ahead and keep for long. Make it and serve it immediately!

Ingredients

• 2 lime
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup condensed milk

Method

• Cut the ends of each lime and cut them into one-eighths.
• Into a blender add the lime, measured water, sugar and condensed milk. Pulse 4 to 5 times and stain through a mesh. Do not blend it for too long, or you will end up with a bitter tasting lemonade.
  
• Fill your serving glasses with ice and sliced lime. Pour the strained lemonade into the glasses and serve immediately.

Honey Chicken

Honey chicken, a favorite take out dish which can be replicated at your home so easily and it tastes much better than the restaurant one. Chunks of crispy batter fried chicken tossed in a sticky sweet glaze is purely irresistible when served on a bed of piping hot noodles or fried rice. I have tried several versions of honey chicken but found this to be the besttt!  If you haven't tried it yet, then do try out this version...it's really lip smacking!

Some points that have to kept in mind while making this dish

• Preferably use tender chicken breasts or boneless thighs to make this. And if you are using the breast, slice the breast horizontally through the middle and then cut into small cubes.
• In the batter mix, while adding water, add ice cold water- this makes the batter light and as an end result you will get  chicken which is crispy out and at the same time soft and juicy inside.

Ingredients

250 gm boneless chicken breast or thighs

Marination

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper powder(preferably white pepper, I have used her black pepper as I didn't have white pepper in stock)

1 1/2 Tbsp water

For the honey sauce

2 1/2 Tbsp tomato ketchup

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp honey

1 1/2 Tbsp water

For the batter

1 egg

salt to taste

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup corn flour

6 Tbsp all purpose flour

5 Tbsp chilled water/ice water

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Method

• Cut the chicken into small bite sized cubes and marinate it with all the ingredients under 'marination'. Refrigerate the marinated chicken for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile mix all the ingredients mentioned under 'for the honey sauce' and keep it aside.
• In a bowl, except oil, add all the remaining ingredients mentioned under 'for the batter' and whisk well.
• Once everything is mixed well , add the oil also and whisk very well until you get a smooth consistency batter.
• Now take the marinated chicken cubes and add it into the batter. Mix well, so that the batter coats each and every chicken piece well.
• Heat enough oil for frying. Fry the chicken pieces one by one in small batches. Fry each batch for exactly one minute and remove and keep aside.
• Once you have fried all the chicken pieces, then into the same oil add all the fried chicken pieces in one go and fry till golden brown(keep turning them around in the oil). Fry for at least 4-5 minutes on a medium heat. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside.
• Now in another pan, heat the prepared honey sauce. Once it starts to bubble add the fried chicken pieces and toss well so that each and every chicken piece is nicely coated with the sauce. Remove from heat and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds.
• Serve hot with noodles or fried rice.

Spicy Potato Stir Fry

Cooking is really a stress buster many a times but sometimes the thought of what to cook for the day creates a lot of stress too..lol..There are certain days when you are in a full mood to do an elaborate cooking and those are the days you experiment on various cuisines and recipes that you have saved or kept aside to try out 'one day'. On the other hand there are days when you get really irritated at the thought of what to cook for the day, the days when you just don't feel like lagging around for a long time in the kitchen or rather days when just feel like ordering food from out and just laze out on your couch. During this covid struck period, when ordering food from out is also something we all feel a bit hesitant to do, you are left with no choices but to cook something for your family, then, on such days  make this spicy potato stir fry or potato mezhukupuratti. It's such an easy recipe and the aroma that spreads in the house while making this dish makes me really nostalgic. Potato cubes getting roasted in an onion and chili paste in the lovely coconut oil is just heavenly. My favorite combination to go with this potato stir fry is curd rice/thayir sadam. The spiciness of the stir fry goes well balanced with the cool curd rice..a really yummy combination. Though I thought of making curd rice with it as usual, later on I changed my mind and served it with some moru curry/ yogurt based curry, rice and pappad.

Check out how to make this potato roast that basically requires just three main ingredients- potatoes, onion and chili powder.

 

Ingredients

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into one inch cubes

1 large onion, roughly chopped

2-3 tsp kashmiri chili powder(adjust the chili powder as per your taste)

3-4 Tbsp coconut oil

salt to taste

Method

• In a saucepan , bring plenty of water to a rolling boil.
• Add the potato cubes, and allow them to boil for just two minutes on high heat. Remove the potato cubes and keep aside.
• Coarsely grind the roughly chopped onion and chilli powder and keep aside.
• Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add the coarsely ground  onion paste. Fry for two minutes on medium low heat.
• Now toss in the potato cubes and mix well.
• Cover and cook on a low heat until the potatoes get cooked.(Keep mixing in between)
• Once the potatoes are soft and cooked, add salt to taste and mix well.
• Cover and cook again for two minutes more.
• Open, mix well and fry for a few seconds more.
• Serve hot with rice / curd rice / bread

Easy Nutella Icecream

Never attempted to make icecreams at home, as I used to have a feel that its a herculean  task and the taste never would reache anywhere near to the store bought one, until I made this one! An utterly delicious creamy nutella icecream, that can made by kids too. Yes, my younger one is the one who makes this icecream at home, whenever we crave to eat it. It's that simple and tasty! You can whip it up in just five minutes and then freeze!

Ingredients

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup nutella

1 1/2 Tbsp melted butter(room temperature)

Roasted and crushed  nuts(optional)

chocolate syrup(optional)

Method

• Into a bowl add the melted butter, nutella, vanilla extract and condensed milk. Mix everything well and keep aside.
• In another large bowl, add the whipping cream(should be really cold) and whip with a hand mixer until you get soft peaks.(You can beat with a whisk if you don't have a hand mixer)
• Now slowly add in the nutella condensed milk mixture and flod everything well, slowly, until everything is mixed well.
• Transfer into a freezer safe container and freeze for 6 to 8 hours or until set.
• Scoop out delicious and creamy  nutella ice cream into serving bowls .Drizzle some chocolate syrup and sprinkle chopped/ crushed nuts on top and serve.