Honey Glazed Dragon Chicken

Ingredients

For marination

250 grams boneless chicken cut in small cubes

2 tablespoon corn flour

1 egg white

1 teaspoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon garlicpaste

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon chili sauce

1/2 tablespoon vinegar

Salt as required

For the Gravy

1 teaspoon garlic chopped

1 teaspoon ginger chopped

1 small capsicum of your choice cut in squares  

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoon tomato sauce

1 teaspoon chili sauce

1 teaspoon chili flakes

1 1/2 tablespoon honey

Oil as required

Salt as required

Spring onions for garnishing

Method

Marinate the chicken pieces with all the  ingredients under marination and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.

Fry the marinated chicken pieces and keep aside.

In a bowl mix soysauce,tomatosauce,chilisauce and keep aside.

Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan

Saute chopped garlic and ginger until light brown.

Add all the sauces and stir.

Add chili flakes ,salt and mix well.

Add the fried chicken pieces to the gravy and stir for a minute. 

Make sure that the chicken pieces are well coated with sauce.

Add honey and give a good stir.

Add capsicum, mix well and turn off the flame.

Garnish with chopped spring onions.

 

Bhindi Masala

Ingredients
1/2 kg ladiesfinger, sliced diagonally
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
1/2 tsp black sesame seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 green chillies, slit
2 tomatoes, chopped
oil
salt
Method

• Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the sliced onions until golden brown. Drain onto a kitchen paper and keep aside.
• In the same oil fry the sliced ladiesfinger in batches until slightly brown and crisp. Drain this also onto a kitchen paper and keep aside.
• Now to the same oil(add more if required) add the chopped garlic and sesame seeds and saute for a few seconds.
• Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and 1 tsp water(to prevent the powders from burning) and fry well for a minute or two.
• Add the tomatoes,salt and green chillies and cook till the tomatoes turn mushy and oil starts to separate from the sides. This will take around 5-7 minutes.
• Now add the fried ladies finger and onion and mix well. Serve immediately.

Teekha Murgh

Ingredients
3-4 Tbsp mustard oil/ vegetable oil
1 tsp kalonji/nigella seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 Tbsp garlic chopped
200 gm onion chopped
150 gms tomatoes chopped
1 tsp ginger chopped
2-3 green chillies chopped
2 Tbsp curry leaves
1 kg chicken, cut into small pieces or boneless chicken cut into small cubes
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp red chilli powder
1 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp cumin powder(roasted)
salt to taste
1 pinch black salt
2-3 tsp fresh coriander leaves chopped
1 tsp chopped mint leaves

Method

• Heat oil and add the kalonji and fennel seeds. Once the aroma of these seeds comes out add the chopped garlic and saute for a while.
• Add the chopped onion, tomato, ginger and green chillies. Stir fry until onion turns brown.
• Meanwhile, fry the curry leaves until crisp. Crush and keep them aside.
• Add the chicken, tomato paste and mix well. Saute for 3-4 minutes.
• Add all other dry spices and mix well.
• Cover and cook on low flame for 10 minutes.
• Add the fried and crushed curry leaves and mix well.
• Serve garnished with coriander leaves and mint leaves.

Dates Sesame Ladoo

Ingredients

1/2 cup white sesame seeds

4-5 soft dates,deseeded and chopped

1/4 cup desiccated coconut +1 tablespoon for garnishing

1 tablespoon honey

Method

• Dry roast sesame seeds in a pan until it turns light brown colour.
• Keep aside to cool.
• In the same pan add dessicated coconut,stir for 30 seconds and turn off the flame.
• Crush sesame seeds in a grinder for 3-4 seconds.(Better to use pulse option in the grinder).
• In a bowl add sesame seeds,chopped dates, desiccated coconut and honey.
• Mix well  using hand .
• Take a small amount of mixture and roll it in hand to form a ball / ladoo shape.
• Roll the prepared ladoos in the remaining desiccated coconut. 
• Store in an air tight container.

Double Ka Meetha

Double Ka Meetha is a Hyderabadi sweet easily prepared with simple ingredients.An apt dish to serve soon after a spicy meal.It is particularly prepared during the festive month of Ramadan and on Eid.

Ingredients

6 slices of bread

2 1/2 cups milk

350 ml milk maid

1 cup water

1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

1/2 cup sugar

Few dry fruits and nuts of your choice(I used cashew,raisins and almonds)

Saffron,a few strands

Ghee for frying bread and nuts

Method

• Remove edges of bread,cut it diagonally.
• Toast the breads in a non stick pan .
• Deep fry all the bread pieces in ghee on low flame and keep aside.
• Fry the cashew,raisins and almonds in ghee and keep aside.
• Make sugar syrup in a sauce pan adding water,sugar and cardamom powder.
• Heat milk along with milkmaid and few saffron strands in a  deep nonstick pan and cook uncovered until it becomes thick.(Don't forget to stir in between)
• Dip the fried bread pieces in sugar syrup and arrange them in a dish
• Pour the milk over the bread pieces.
• Sprinkle fried nuts on top along with few saffron strands.
• Serve hot/cold.

*Instead of frying bread in ghee you can toast the bread,cut it diagonally and brush with ghee on both the sides.

If you like to serve the dish hot, bake in  an oven proof dish at 180 degree Celsius for 5-6 minutes.

Dim Kosha/ Spicy Egg curry - Bengali style

A Bengali style egg curry that goes well with chappathi, nan or any other Indian bread. Roasted boiled eggs in an onion and tomato based gravy. Bengali dishes usually use mustard oil but somehow here none of us seem to fall at ease with the taste of mustard oil, so here I have used vegetable oil. To go for the typical Bengali taste you can use mustard oil.This is indeed spicy, so please adjust the spice levels as per your taste buds.

Recipe adapted from here

Ingredients

4 hard boiled eggs

1 medium tomato, chopped fine

1 large onion, chopped very fine

1 tsp ginger paste

4-5 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder

1 bay leaf

2 green chillies slit

salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp garam masala powder

1/4 cup water

 4-5 Tbsp mustard oil/ vegetable oil

Chopped cilantro, for garnishing

Method

• Deshell the hard boiled eggs and keep aside.
• Make a paste with a little turmeric powder, pinch of chilli powder and salt. Smear the eggs with this mixture.
• Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan and roast the smeared eggs until golden brown on all sides. Keep aside.
• In another pan heat the remaining oil.Add the sugar and caramelise it.
• As the sugar caramelises add the crushed garlic, bay leaf and green chillies.
• Saute until garlic turns slight brown in colour.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until mushy.
• Add chopped onion, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and cumin powder. Saute well and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the ginger paste and saute again. Saute until the oil starts to leave from the sides.
• Now add the roasted eggs and mix well so that the masala coats the eggs well. Cook for 3-4 minutes on low flame.
• Add water and increase the flame and cook until the gravy thickens. 
• Turn off, sprinkle the garam masala powder and chopped cilantro.

Cabbage Urad Dal Vada

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup urad dal (soaked in water for 2 hrs)
1 1/2 - 2 cups grated cabbage (can increase or reduce the quantity)
2 tablespoon rice flour
1 medium onion chopped
2 green chilies,chopped
2 sprigs of curry leaves,chopped
1 tablespoon ginger chopped
A pinch of asafoetida
Salt as required
Oil for frying

Method
Add some salt to the grated cabbage,Mix well and keep for 10 minutes.(This is done to bring out excess water from the cabbage)
Grind urad dal to a smooth thick paste with out adding much water.
Squeeze out excess water from the cabbage.
Add cabbage,onion,green chilies,curry leaves,ginger,asafoetida,rice flour and salt to the urad dal paste and mix well.
Heat oil in a kadai.
Wet your hands with water and shape a small portion into a small ball.
Make a hole in the middle  using your thumb.(You can wet your fingers with water whenever the mixture sticks to your fingers)
Carefully drop into the hot oil and fry until golden brown.
Serve hot with sambar/chutney.

Potato Vada Thalassery Style

 

Ingredients

For the masala

2  medium potatoes boiled and mashed

1 medium onion chopped

2 green chilies chopped

2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

2 cloves of garlic chopped

2 teaspoon mustard seeds

teaspoon turmeric powder

2 tablespoon oil +oil for frying

Salt to taste

For the batter

1 cup maida (I used self raising flour)

1/2 cup wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon asafoetida

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Water as required.

Method

Heat oil in a pan

Splutter mustard seeds.

Add onion,green chilies,coriander leaves, garlic and saute  for 2 minutes.

Add turmeric powder,salt and stir.

Mix  the mashed potatoes,cover and cook on low flame for 3-4 minutes and turn off the flame.

Once the mixture cools, make lemon sized balls out of it.

In a separate bowl add maida,wheat flour,asafoetida,salt and turmeric powder.

Gradually add water and check the consistency (the batter should not be too thin).

Heat oil in a kadai for frying.

Dip the lemon sized balls in this batter .

Deep fry  and drain on to a tissue paper.

Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

*Since it is a  Thalassery version of potato vada I chose maida /wheat flour for the batter .This can be substituted with besan.

Vegetable Korma

Ingredients

1 carrot,chopped

8-10  beans,chopped

1/4 cup frozen green peas

1 small potato chopped

2 tablespoon grated coconut

1/4 - 1/2 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup water

2 cloves of garlic

3-4 shallots 

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Salt to taste

For tempering

2 tablespoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 shallots finely sliced

2 dried red chilies

Method

Cook all the chopped vegetables in a pan adding  water,salt and turmeric powder.

Grind  grated coconut,shallots,garlic,cumin seeds with little water to form a smooth paste.

Add the paste to the cooked vegetables and stir well.

Cover and cook on low flame for 3 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, mix well and turn off the flame.

Add 2 tablespoon of coconut oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.

Add shallots and saute until it turns brown.

Add dried red chili, stir well and turn off the flame.

Pour the seasoning over the cooked vegetable korma and stir well.

Serve hot with chapati.

*You can use any vegetables of your choice.

Semiya/Vermicelli Pulav

Ingredients

1/2 carrot chopped

1/4 cup frozen green peas

4-6 shallots chopped

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 tablespoon urad dal

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 1/2 teaspoon eastern chicken masala

1 green chili chopped

1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste

170 grams roasted vermicelli

2 tablespoon sunflower oil

3 1/2 cups water

A pinch of asafoetida

Salt to taste

Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Method

• Heat oil in a non stick pan.
• Splutter mustard seeds  and  add urad dal.
• Stir until it turns golden brown.
• Add asafoetida,green chili,shallots,ginger garlic paste and saute for 2-3 minutes.
• Add turmeric powder,chicken masala,tomato paste and stir for a minute.
• Add chopped carrot, green peas and give a good stir.
• Add water and required salt.
• Once the water starts boiling add the roasted vermicelli.
• Cover and cook on low flame stiring occasionally until it is done.
• Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot.

Healthy Banana Bread

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

1 1/2 cup wheat flour

4 tablespoon milk

4 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/2 teaspoon cardamom and nutmeg powder

A pinch of salt

Method

• Pre heat the oven at 180 degree Celsius.
• Grease a loaf tin.
• In a bowl,mash bananas with a fork.
• Add all the above ingredients  and mix well with a wooden spoon.
• Transfer the mixture to the loaf tin.
• Bake at 180 degree Celsius for 35-40 minutes.
• Cool completely before slicing.

Garlic Capsicum & Cheese toast

For those little picky eaters who pick out the capsicum pieces even from their favourite pizzas. Here is the way to get this vegetable  from getting picked out! 

Great for kids school packs or as an evening snack.

 

 Ingredients
5 slices of bread
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic
1/2 capsicum
1 green chilli(half will also do if you don't prefer so spicy)
1 cup shredded mozarella cheese
1 teaspoon oregano
1-2 tablespoon tomato ketchup
salt as required

Method

• Cut each bread slice diagonally and keep aside.
• Grind butter, garlic, capsicum, salt and chilli together into a smooth paste.
• Spread this paste on each bread slice.
• Sprinkle the mozarella cheese and oregano on top of this.
• Dot with tomato ketchup and bake in a preheated oven just until the cheese melts.

Butterscotch Pudding

Ingredients

2 3/4 cup full fat milk

1 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 large egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoon butter

whipping cream for garnishing

crushed nuts of your choice.

Method

• Simmer 2 1/2 cup of full fat milk in a saucepan until it starts getting foams around the edges.
• Meanwhile,in a heatproof bowl whisk 2 large eggs and 1 large egg yolk.
• Add dark brown sugar and continue whisking.
• Add salt,cornstarch,1/4 cup milk and whisk for 2 minutes.
• Pour the above hot milk gradually to the  mixture and whisk nicely in between.
• Pour the content of the bowl back to the saucepan and put it back on the heat.
• Keep stirring on low flame for about 3-5 minutes until it gets nice and thick (mayonnaise consistency).
• Turn off the heat and strain it to a bowl to get rid of any lumps.
• Add 3 table spoon of butter along with vanilla extract and give a good stir.
• Pour into the pudding bowl and refrigerate once it cools down.
• Serve with whipped cream and sprinkle some roasted nuts of your choice on top  . 

Recipe courtesy: Joy of baking

Dragon Chicken

Ingredients

250 gms boneless chicken, cut into thin strips

1/4 cup plain flour

1/4 cup cornflour

eggwhite of 1 egg

1/4 tsp pepper powder

1/2 + 2 tsp soya sauce

1 1/2 tsp ginger paste

1 1/2 tsp garlic paste

2 tsps chopped celery

1 tbsp chopped cashewnuts

3 dry red chillies, slit 

1 small capsicum, sliced thin

1 onion sliced thin

1 carrot, sliced into matchsticks

1-2 tsp kashimiri red chilli powder

2 tbsp tomato sauce

1-2 tsp chopped spring onions

1/4 tsp sugar

oil as required

salt as required

Method

• Make a thick batter with flour, cornflour, egg white. pepper powder, 1/2 tsp soya sauce and salt adding water as required.Marinate the strips of chicken in this batter for at least 20-30 minutes.
• Shallow fry the chicken until golden brown and keep aside.
• In the same pan, add the chopped cashewnuts and fry until brown. Remove the fried cashewnuts and keep them aside.
• To the same pan add the ginger paste, garlic paste and saute for a minute.
• Now add the celery and red chillies. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
• Add capsicum, onion and salt. Saute till the onions become soft.
• In a separate bowl, mix the kashmiri chili powder, soya sauce and tomato sauce. Add this sauce mix to the sauteing onion and capsicum. 
• Mix well, add the chicken, carrots and fried cashewnuts. Check salt and add as required.
• Mix everything well and cover and cook on  a low flame for 2-3 minutes or until the carrots are cooked.
• Open, sprinkle the sugar and mix well. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot.

Mampazha Pulissery

Ripe mangoes cooked in a yoghurt coconut based gravy. This dish is perfect during the mango season when ripe mangoes are avalilable in plenty.
Ingredients
3-4 small ripe mangoes
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek powder(dry roast the fenugreek/uluva/methi and powder)
1/2 teaspoon grated jaggery or sugar
1/2 teaspoon ghee(optional)
1-2 sprigs of curry leaves
salt to taste
To grind
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 cup sour yoghurt
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1-2 green chillies
 To temper
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
2-3 whole red chillies, broken into pieces
few curry leaves

Method

• Peel the mangoes and cut into pieces. If the mangoes are the small variety you can add the mangoes as such(slightly crush the mangoes and add).
• Cook the mangoes well with turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt in little water.If the mangoes are not very sweet you can add the jaggery or sugar.
•  Mix in the ghee and stir well.(This step is optional, but it enhances the taste. You can skip it if you wish to.)
• Meanwhile grind the coconut, cumin and green chillies with the yoghurt into a fine and thick paste.
• Add this to the cooked mango mixture and mix well. Before it begins to boil, remove from the stove and keep aside. 
• Add the sprigs of curry leaves and sprinkle the roasted and powdered fenugreek. Keep this aside.
• Now for the tempering, heat the coconut oil and splutter the mustard seeds. Add the red chillies and curry leaves. Pour this on the prepared mango curry.Cover immediately.
•  Let the dish remain covered for 15 minutes atleast before serving so that the flavours are infused well.
• Serve with steamed rice.

Dal Makhani

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup whole black gram/urad dal
• 2 heaped tablespoons rajma/red kidney beans
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/4 cup fresh cream
• 1 Tablespoon kasoori methi powder
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 large tomato chopped
• 1 tablespoon oil
• salt

 

Method

• Soak the whole urad and rajma overnight or for 6-8 hours.
• Pressure cook the urad dal and rajma in the same water with salt, red chili powder and half of the chopped ginger for 2 whistles or until the dal and rajma are cooked and soft.
• Heat oil and butter in a thick bottomed pan. Add the cumin seeds. Once it starts to brown add the chopped onion and saute well until the onion turns golden brown.
• Add the chopped garlic, remaining chopped ginger, little salt(as salt is already added to the dals) and tomato. Saute well until the tomatoes are mashed and oil starts to layer on the masala.
• Add the cooked dal and rajma to this(Don't add the water remaining in the cooked dals). Crush the dals lightly with back of the ladle to give a creamy texture to the dal.
• Add the water remaining in the cooked dal and some more if required. Mix well and allow this to simmer on a very low flame for 15 minutes.(Keep stirring in between).
• Add fresh cream and garam masala. Mix well and allow to simmer for 5 minutes more.
•  Crush the kasoori methi  between the palms of your hand and add it to the simmering dal. 
• Garnish with a dollop of fresh cream on top and serve hot with chappathi, nan or parathas.

Bread Tarts

A perfect tea time snack as well as a great tiffin treat for the kids school pack. The variations in the filling is purely upto your instincts. You can add chicken, carrots, broccoli, paneer, tofu or any other stuffing as per your choice. This is something that the kids will truly love.

Ingredients
8 slices bread
2 tablespoons chopped capsicum
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons pitted and sliced black olives
2 tablespoons sweet corn
1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped fine
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt to taste
butter for brushing
grated cheddar cheese or shredded mozarella
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup

Method

• Grease a muffin tray with butter and keep aside.
• Remove the crusts from the bread slices. Roll each bread slice with a rolling pin to flatten them.
• Now stuff each slice into the cavities of the muffin tray. Brush the insides of the bread slices with melted butter.
• Bake these in a preheated oven for 7-8 minutes(200 degree C)or until crisp. Remove from oven and keep aside.
• Now in a pan heat oil. Add the onions and capsicum and saute well on a high flame for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the green chillies and saute well. Finally add the corn, salt and lemon juice and switch off the flame.
• Fill this mix into each of the pre prepared bread tarts.
• Top each tart with grated cheese, sliced olives and drizzle the tomato ketchup on top.
• Heat this in the oven for 2 to3 minutes, just so that the cheese melts.

Bread tarts are ready!!

Chicken Thoran

Ingredients

 500 grams chicken breast chopped into small pieces

1 cup shallots sliced into half

1- 1 1/2 cup grated coconut

2 sprigs curry leaves

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

2 tablespoon kashmiri chili powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon cuminseeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 tablespoon urad dal

2-3 dried red chili

Coconut oil as required

Salt to taste

Method

• Crush the coconut with cumin seeds in a grinder and keep aside.
• In a pan, mix chicken with ginger garlic paste,shallots,chili powder,turmeric powder and salt.
• Add 1/4 cup water to the above mix,cover and cook on medium flame for approximately 15 minutes.
• Once the dish turns to a semi gravy consistancy add grated coconut and curry leaves.
• Cover and cook for 10 more minutes and turn off the flame.
• In a seperate pan,pour some coconut oil.
• Splutter mustard seeds,urad dal,dried red chilies.
• Saute for a minute and add  chiken.
• Stir on medium flame until the dish dries completely.
• Serve hot with Rice/Chapati.

Green Peas Pulao

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup basmati rice
1 onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves. chopped
1 1/2 cup boiled green peas or frozen green peas
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
1/4 cup chopped mint/pudhina leaves
3 green chilies, finely chopped
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste

Method

• Wash and soak the rice in water for half an hour. Drain and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add the chopped onion and garlic and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the drained rice and stir fry the rice until light pink in colour.
• Add 3 cups of hot water(the water should be hot else the rice will be sticky), salt and mix well.
• Let this boil until most of the water is absorbed.
• Now lower the flame to the minimum and cover and cook until the rice is almost cooked.
• At this stage add the peas, coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chillies. Mix gently.
• Cook for some more time until the rice is fully done.
•  Serve hot with a spicy side dish and a raita.