Spicy Chicken Butter Roast

This is a simpler version of the famous "Mangalorian Chicken Ghee Roast". My dear Mangalorian friends, please forgive me. I used to be at Mangalore for about two years and really love this cuisine. Even here at U.S., we do have few friends who make awesome Mangalorian food (sorry I do not have consent to publish names... :-)).

And then there was "Sabu" who used to create magic with cooking. Poor mallu IT guy is probably caught in the wrong job... hehe... He once made chicken ghee roast and no one ever dared to attempt it again as he set the benchmark so high. "Sabu", if you are reading this, the offer is still on nd we are ready to bet all-in on your restaurant venture. :-)

Anyways, one day after the office hours I felt like having chicken ghee roast and guess what half of the ingredients were not at home. Being the lazy guy as always, I tried to make with what I had t home and it turned out to be really good. This was the recipe that I cooked.

Try it out... Enjoi...

Preparation time: 20 Mins.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 40 Mins. (Plus 4 hrs. of marinating)

Serves: 3

Spice level: Medium

Ingredients:

1. Butter - 6 Tbsp. (Melted)

2. Salt to taste

3. Curry Leaves - 8

4. Coriander Leaves - for seasoning (chopped)

For Marinating:

5. Chicken - 1 Lb. (clean and cut into small pieces)

6. Yogurt - 3/4 Cups

7. Lemon Juice - 1 Tbsp.

8. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp.

9. Salt - 1 Pinch

For Dry Masala:

10. Dry Red Pepper - 7 (Long)

11. Cumin Seeds - 1/2 Tsp.

12. Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 Tsp.

13. Whole Garlic - 9-10 Cloves (Peeled)

14. Coriander Powder - 1 Tsp.

15. Black Pepper Whole - 4

16. Tamarind - 1 Tbsp. (Soak 1 small piece of tamarind in 1 tbsp. water or dissolve 2 drops of tamarind paste in 1 tbsp. water)

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, mix chicken with yogurt, lime juice, turmeric powder and salt until the chicken pieces are evenly coated with the marinate. Keep it covered for atleast 3 hrs. (Overnight preferred).

2. Roast the dry masala ingredients (except the tamarind) one after the other and add it into a grinder.

3. Once all the ingredients are added to the grinder add tamarind and grind it for about 5 mins. until it becomes a smooth thick paste.

4. Get the masala paste off the grinder jar and set aside.

5. Add 3 tbsp. water into the same grinder jar and switch on the grinder for a min. This cleans the grinder and also helps collect every particle of the masala. Set aside the masala water.

6. Heat 3 tbsp. butter in a frying pan and add chicken to the pan. Fry the chicken for about 20 mins. on high-med flame until the chicken is three-fourth cooked.

7. Remove the chicken pieces along with the gravy and set aside.

8. Add the remaining (3 tbsp.) butter into same pan and let it heat.

9. Add the ground masala mix into the pan and fry it for about 5 mins. or until the butter separates. Stir occasionally and make sure it does not burn.

10. Add the curry leaves, chicken pieces along with gravy and the masala water.

11. Cook for about 10 mins. on low flame until the chicken is fully cooked and nicely coated with the masala.

12. Get it off the flame, garnish with coriander leaves. Serve warm with rice/roti.

Murghi Aloo Curry (Chicken Potatoes Curry)

Recipe and picture courtesy Sheji Shakeer. It's again a very simple dish and awesome gravy dish to go with rice.

Talking of meat and vegetables (or even potatoes), I remember one of my Muslim friends from Delhi region used to always tell me that they traditionally put some kind of vegetables while cooking meat curries. Actually, thinking about it it makes a lot of sense - it's a way of force feeding hardcore non-vegetarian with some vegetables... But, whenever we try such a curry, we end up having chicken as one serving and potatoes as the leftovers... Crazy meat-eaters... hehe.

Try it out... Enjoi...

Preparation time: 20 Mins.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 40 Mins.

Serves: 5

Spice level: Medium

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 2 Lb.

2. Potatoes - 3-4 (Quartered)

3. Onions - 5 (sliced)

4. Tomatoes - 4 (Chopped)

5. Ginger garlic paste - 2 Tbsp.

6. Red chilli powder - 2 Tsp.

7. Coriander powder - 1 1/2 Tsp.

8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp.

9. Salt - 2 tsp.

10. Cloves - 4-5

11. Cardamom - 2

12. Cinnamon - 1 inch piece

13. Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp.

14. Whole black pepper - 6

15. Green chillies - 5-6 (Small, Chopped)

16. Oil - 4-5 tbsp.

17. Water - 2-3 Cups

18. Fresh coriander for garnishing

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan.

2. Add onions and fry for about 10 mins. until golden brown.

3. Take out the onions with slotted spoon and let it cool on a paper kitchen towel.

4. Grind together fried onions and tomatoes and sauté it in the same oil in which onions was fried.

5. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste and cook for about 5 mins. or until till water dries and oil separates.

6. Add chicken and cook on high heat for 5 minutes.

7. Add water and bring it to boil.

8. Cover and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.

9. Add potatoes, cumin seeds, cloves, black cardamom, whole black pepper and cinnamon. If the gravy is too thick add a bit more water.

10. Cook for another 10 minutes over low flame.

11. Add green chillies and cook for about 4 minutes or till potatoes are soft.

12. Sprinkle fresh coriander and get the pan off the flame. Serve warm with cooked rice.

Balti Chicken

If you are really hungry and craving for a chicken dish, then this is exactly what you try. It's really easy and all the ingredients are available at home most of the time. All of these without compromising the flavor and taste…

By the way, Balti are the people of Baltistan (Pakistan (Kashmir, Gilgit–Baltistan), Kargil, India and small pockets in Karachi, Rawalpindi, Islamabad & Lahore). Probably this recipe origiated there.

Try it out... Enjoi...

Preparation time: 20 Mins.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 40 Mins.

Serves: 3

Spice level : Medium

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 1 Lb. (Boneless preferred, Cleaned and Cut into cubes)

2. Yogurt - 1 1/2 Tbsp.

3. Ghee or vegetable Oil- 2 Tbsp.

4. Red Onions - 1 1/2 (Large sized, Thinly sliced)

5. Tomatoes - 2 (Sliced)

6. Black pepper corns - 3

7. Cardamom Pods - 2

8. Cinnamon Stick - 1 Inch piece

9. Kashmiri Chilli powder/Paprika - 1 Tsp.

10. Garam Masala - 3/4 Tsp.

11. Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 Tbsp.

12. Cilantro leaves - 1 1/2 Tbsp. (Chopped)  plus extra to garnish

13. Green Chilles - 1 (finely chopped, may use 2 based on the spice level)

14. Lime Juice - Squeezed from one half of a lime

15. Salt - 1 Tsp. (or to taste)

Preparation:

1. Heat the ghee/oil in a wok or large heavy bottom pan.

2. Add onions and cook over medium heat for about 10 mins. or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

3. Add the sliced tomatoes, peppercorns, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, chilli powder, garam masala, ginger-garlic paste and salt. Cook for about 5 mins. stirring constantly.

4. Add chicken and cook for 5 mins. or until well coated in the spice paste, stirring constantly..

5. Turn the flame to low, add yogurt and mix it until all parts well coated.

6. Simmer the pan covered, stirring occasionally, for about 20-25 mins. or until the chicken pieces are cooked and soft.

7. Stir in the chopped cilantro, green chilles and lime juice. Let it cook for 1 min.

8. Turn off the flame, transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve warm with bread/roti/chapathi.

Spicy Goat/Lamb Liver Fry

Liver fry might sound gross to few, but trust me it's really soft and delicious if cooked the right way. And the below recipe does exactly that - cooking it the right way. It's a tried and tested recipe and I can get so many to vouch for me. It's really delicious.

Try it out... Enjoi...

Serves: 3
Spice level: Medium

Preparation time: 30 Mins.
Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 1 Hr.

Ingredients:

1. Goat/Lamb liver - 1 Lb. (Cleaned and cut into medium sized cubes)
2. Milk - 4 Tbsp.
3. Red Chilli Powder - 1 Tbsp.
4. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tbsp.
5. Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 Tbsp.
6. Salt - 1/2 Tbsp.
7. Coconut Oil/Veg. Oil - 3 Tbsp.
8. Ginger - 2 pods/ 15 Cloves (Slivered and minced)
9. Curry Leaves - 2 twigs (including the stems)
10. Red Onion - 1 (thinly sliced)

Preparation:

1. Add cleaned and cut liver into a bowl along with milk. Let it stay there for about 5 mins. Drain the milk and wash the liver with clean water. Treating the liver pieces with milk helps in reducing the bitterness.
2. Marinate the liver pieces with chilli powder, turmeric powder and ginger-garlic paste. Coat all the pieces evenly with the marinate and leave it covered in the refrigerator for about 20 mins.
3. Heat oil in a large frying pan.
4. Add garlic and sauté it for 1 min.
5. Spread the garlic pieces evenly on the pan and layer the curry leaves over it.
6. Reduce the heat to simmer and layer the marinated liver pieces over the curry leaves. Let it cook covered for about 5 mins.
7. Flip the liver to pieces to cook the other side and leave it on simmer covered for another 5 mins. You will see water oozing out from the meat. Increase the heat to medium and cook covered for another 10 mins (flipping the liver pieces occasionally) until the liver pieces are three fourth cooked.
8. Add the onion on top of the meat and cook for about 15 mins. stirring and flipping occasionally until the onions are cooked and well blended.
Note: Make sure not to overcook the liver pieces as it becomes rubbery and hard if overcooked.
9. Get the pan off the flame and serve the dish warm with Roti/Chappathi.

Pineapple Sorbet

Sorbets are ice-cream like without the airy fluffiness and dairy products. Few of you reading this knows it's the second part that makes me really happy... ahem... ahem...

Anyways, it's a great treat which is harder than ice cream but a lot more flavorful. This one made of pineapple is ever more delicious.

Try it out... Enjoi...

Serves: 9

Spice level: --

Preparation time: 20 Mins.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 7 Hrs.

Ingredients:

1. Pineapple - 2 Cups (fresh, chopped)

2. Lime Juice - 1 1/2 Tbsp.

3. Sugar - 3/4 Cup

4. Mint Springs for garnish

Preparation:

1. Blend pineapple and lime juice in a blender or mixer for about 5 mins. until smooth.

2. Add sugar to the blender and blend for another minute until the sugar dissolves.

3. Pour the mix into a freezer safe container. Keep it covered in the freezer for about an hour or until the outside is hard and slushy inside.

4. Get the bowl off the freezer, mix it with a whisk until smooth.

5. Keep it back in the freezer covered for another 5 hrs. or until its firm.

6. Remove the sorbet off the freezer, garnish it with mint and serve it in an ice cream bowl.

Caramel Chocolate Shortbread

This is a layered dessert that involves different cooking techniques (baking, boiling and double boiling) which would leave the cook satisfied. Fortunately my wife was the cook here and I was the eater... hehe...

It's a very yummy dessert which you should try... Enjoi...

"Shortbread is a type of biscuit which is traditionally made from one part white sugar, two parts butter, and three parts flour (by weight). Shortbread is so named because of its crumbly texture." - Wikipedia

Makes: 12

Spice level: --

Preparation time: 25 Mins.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 2 Hrs.

Ingredients:

For Base (shortbread):

1. Unsalted Butter - 1/2 Cup + extra for greasing

2. All-purpose Flour - 1 1/4 Cup

3. Superfine Sugar (confectioners’ Sugar) - 1/4 Cup

For filling (caramel Filling):

4. Butter - 7 Oz or 14Tbsp

5. Sugar - 1/2 Cup

6. Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1 Cup

For Topping (Chocolate Topping):

7. Bittersweet Chocolate Square - 7 (broken into pieces)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 deg. F.

2. Grease a 9 inch square baking pan with butter and line parchment paper over it. Set aside.

3. Using a hand mixer blend butter, flour and sugar in a mixing bowl until well combined for 2 mins.

4. Press the mixture into the baking pan evenly using a wooden spatula or spoon.

5. Bake for 20-25 mins. or until the top is golden brown.

6. Meanwhile, add the filling ingredients (butter, sugar and condensed milk) to a sauce pan and heat it gently until the sugar is dissolved.

7. Bring the mixture to boil and simmer for 6-7 mins. stirring constantly until it's thick.

8. Remove the shortbread from the oven and pour the filling over it evenly.

9. Let it cool for about 10-15 mins.

10. Keep the pan in the refrigerator for about 40 min. or until the the filling is firm.

11. Double boil the chocolate squares to make the topping. (Simmer water in a sauce pan and place chocolate squares a heatproof bowl over the sauce pan until the chocolate squares are melted).

12. Remove the chocolate from the heat and let it cool slightly.

13. Spread the topping evenly over the shortbread and let it cool in the refrigerator until fully set (about 1 hr.)

14. Once fully set, remove the shortbread from the pan and cut it into squares. Serve chilled and store in a cool place.

Brinjal/Eggplant Coconut Curry

This is a traditional Malabar curry not crazy popular, but it's my Mom's favorite. It's creamy and tasty but always tastes a lot lot better when Mom makes it with love... :-).

Try it out... Enjoi...

Serves: 4

Spice level: Mild

Preparation time: 20 Mins.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 30 Mins.

Ingredients:

1. Coconut Milk - 3/4 Cup (Thick)

2. Whole Mustard - 1 Tsp.

3. Dried Red Chilli-pepper - 3

4. Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 Tsp.

5. Water - 1 Cup

6. Brinjal/Eggplant - 1 Lb. (Small, cleaned and cut into small cubes)

7. Veg. oil - 2 Tbsp.

8. Curry Leaves - 10

9. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp.

10. Green Chilli - 1

11. Salt - 1/4 tsp.

Preparation:

1. Add brinjal with water, turmeric, salt and green chllies into a sauce pan and cook covered for about 10-15 mins. or untill the brinjals are soft and cooked.

2. Reduce the flame to simmer and mash the brinjal using a thick wooden spoon.

3. Add coconut milk and cook until it starts to boil. Get the pan off the flame and keep aside.

4. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in small frying pan and add mustard to it. When the mustards start to sputter add fenugreek seeds. dried red peppers and curry leaves. Sauté for about a half minute.

5. Get it off the flame and mix it with the brinjal curry to season it. Serve it warm with rice/roti/bread.

"Baba's" Egg Fried Rice

My 3 year old named this fried rice (she calls me Baba)... :-) She loves it. This is very simple fried rice and does not look any fancy. But if you are dad (or a mom) and your kid is bored of eating the same staple you have to try this. It's so easy that you could make it every now and then.

Try it... Enjoi...

Serves: 4

Spice level: Mild

Preparation time: 20 Mins.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 40 Mins.

Ingredients:

1. Rice - 1 Cup (cleaned, I used Basmati rice but you could use any white rice)

2. Water - 2 Cups

3. Veg. oil - 1 Tbsp.

4. Salt - 1 Pinch

5. veg. oil - 2 Tbsp.

6. Garlic - 5 Cloves (minced)

7. Ginger - 1/2 Tbsp. (minced)

8. Red Onion - 1 (small, cut into small cubes)

9. Green Chilli - 1 (Slivered)

10. Egg - 2

11. Salt - 1 Tsp.

12. Black Pepper Powder - 1 Tbsp.

13. Carrot - 1 (Shredded)

14. Red Bell Pepper - 1/2 (Cut into small cubes)

15. Vinegar - 1 Tsp.

16. Soya Sauce - 4 Tbsp.

Preparation:

1. In a pot boil 2 cups of water and add rice along with 1 tbsp. oil and salt.

2. Cook the rice for about 15 Mins. or until the rice is cooked. Strain the rice and spread it over a clean dry surface so that it doesn't sick to each other.

3. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a large sauce pan and sauté garlic for 2 mins.

4. Add ginger and green chillies and sauté for another 2 mins.

5. Add onions and sauté for about 5 mins. or till the onions are translucent.

6. Crack open the eggs into the pan and stir it constantly to form small egg particles (very similar to scrambled egg).

7. Add salt and pepper to the pan and cook for 2 mins.

8. Add the vegetables (carrots, bell peppers and probably green peas or beans) and cook for 5 more mins. or until the veggies are soft.

9. Mix in rice, vinegar and soya sauce and sauté for another 5 mins or until the rice, sauce and veggies are well combined.

Note: taste the rice and if it’s too bland add a little bit more soya sauce.

10. Get the pan off the flame and serve it warm with Chinese gravy dishes.

Egg Chilli

One day I had a craving for Chinese food, but was too lazy to drive. All I had at home was eggs and launched a wide recipe hunt for a Chinese recipes using egg. I wonder why I do that always because I spend more time searching for the recipe than it would have taken to go get meat. I found this simple recipe on web and decided to give it a try adding my own twist to it... and it was very much worth the effort.

The best part about this recipe is that it uses the most common ingredients, which you would find at any home... and it's really tasty.

Try it out... Enjoi...

Serves: 4

Spice level: Mild

Preparation time: 20 Mins.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 30 Mins.

Ingredients:

For Omelet:

1. Egg - 5

2. Black Pepper powder - 1/2 Tbsp.

3. Salt - 1/4 Tsp.

4. Veg. Oil - 1 Tbsp.

For Batter:

5. Corn flour - 1 Tbsp.

6. All-purpose flour - 1 Tbsp.

7. Soya Sauce - 1 1/2 Tbsp.

8. Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 Tsp.

9. Water - 1/4 cup

10. Veg. oil - for frying

For Gravy:

11. Garlic - 4 Cloves (Fresh, Minced)

12. Red Onion - 1 (Medium, cut into cubes)

13. Green chillies - 3 (chopped)

14. Red Bell Pepper - 1/2 (Cut into cubes)

15. Vinegar - 1/2 Tsp.

16. Soya Sauce - 1 Tbsp.

17. Tomato Ketchup - 1 Tbsp.

18. Veg. oil - 2 Tbsp.

19. Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Beat eggs with salt and pepper.

2. Heat ½ tbsp. of oil in a medium sized non-stick frying pan. Pour half of the egg mix into the pan and cook it for 2 mins., flip it and cook for another 2 mins. Remove the egg omelet from the pan and set aside. Repeat the same process with remaining egg mix.

3. Once both the omelets are done cut it into thin strips and set aside.

4. Mix all the ingredients mentioned for batter (except oil) in a large mixing bowl to make a thick batter. Note: add water in parts so that the batter does not get too thin.

5. Add the egg pieces into the bowl and mix well slowly so that the batter is coated evenly over the egg pieces.

6. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the batter coated egg pieces until golden brown. Remove the fried egg pieces off the oil using a slotted spoon and set aside.

7. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a wok or non-stick pan and sauté garlic for 2 mins. or until the garlic is lightly fried.

8. Add onions and green chillies into the pan and cook for 5 mins. or until the onions are transparent.

9. Add bell peppers along with the egg pieces and sauté for 2 mins. or until the bell peppers are soft.

10. Mix in soya sauce, tomato ketchup, vinegar and a pinch salt into the pan and sauté for 5 more mins. Note: soya sauce is salty and hence add a small level of salt.

11. Get the pan off the flame and serve it warm.

Simple Veg. Pulav

Another veggie recipe from our dear sister Sheji Shakeer. Me being a hardcore non-veg., I am really happy that our sister is filling up the gap and providing some awesome recipes for the veggies...

Try it out... Enjoi... 

Serves: 4

Spice level: Medium

Preparation time: 30 Mins.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 45 Mins.

Ingredients: 

1. Cooked rice - 2 Cups 

2. Carrot - 1 (shredded)

3. Green Beans - 10 (Cut into small pieces)

4. Green Bell Pepper - 1 (Cut into small cubes)

5. Green Chillies - 3 (slit) 

6. Red Onion - 1 (large, sliced lengthwise)

7. Cinnamon - 1 Piece

8. Cardamom - 4

9. Cloves - 3 (lightly crushed)

10. Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp.

11. Garlic - 1 tsp. (minced)

12. Salt - 2 tsp.

13. Coriander Leaves to garnish

14. Ghee (or veg. oil) - 2 Tbsp.

Preparation:

1. Cook the rice and set aside. Do not overcook the rice that it gets sticky.

2. Heat the ghee or oil in a wide pan, add onions and sauté for about 7 mins. or until the onions start to brown.

3. Add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and stir fry for another 3 mins. or until the onions turn to a darker shade of brown.

4. Add the minced garlic and fry for another few seconds.

5. Add all the shredded vegetables, green chillies and mix well with salt.

6. Cook covered over a low flame for about 5 mins. or until the vegetables are soft.

7. Mix in the rice into the pan along with chopped coriander leaves.

8. Turn off flame and keep it partially covered until ready to serve.

Palm Seeds Milk Shake

We found canned palm seeds while shopping thru the aisles of a Chinese grocery store. I am not sure how common this seed is. But the picture on the can resembled tender coconuts and we decided to try making the tender coconut drink we usually make substituting with palm seed... and it was simply awesome...

Try it out... Enjoi...

Makes: 2 Cups (12 Oz. each)
Spice level: --

Preparation time: 7 Min.
Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 10 Min.

Ingredients:

1. Palm Seed - ½ cup
2. Milk - 3 cups
3. Sugar - 3 Tbsp.
4. Ice Cubes - 3

Preparation:

1. In a blender, blend palm seeds, milk and sugar for about 3 mins. until well-blended and creamy.
2. Add ice cubes and blend for another minute. You could add more milk you like it lighter or thinner. Serve chilled.

Kinnathappam (Traditional Malabar Steamed Bread)

Kinnathappam is a traditional Malabar recipe that dates back centuries. Malabarians now in their 50's get nostalgic when talking about this dish - they go back to their fond childhood memories of kinnathappam being served as breakfast by their Moms with lots of flavor and love. This dish is rarely served as a breakfast now-a-days, but it's so important not to forget our roots.

Try it out... Enjoi...

Serves: 4
Spice level: --

Preparation time: 25 Min.
Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 1 Hr.

Ingredients:

1. Basmati Rice - 1 Cup (cleaned and soaked in water for about 4-5 Hrs.)
2. Egg - 1
3. Shredded Coconut - ½ cup
4. Jaggery - 5 Pieces (about 5oz.)
5. Cardamom - 3 (powdered)
6. Cumin Seeds - ¼ Tsp.
7. Salt - 1 Pinch
8. Ghee - 4 Tsp. + 2 Tsp. for frying
9. Cashew nut - 10 (slivered)
10. Raisins - 8

Preparation:

1. Add jaggery to a sauce pan with boiling water and let it dissolve completely. Get the jaggery syrup off the stove, strain it using a fine mesh strainer (to remove all residues) and set aside for about 10 min to cool.
2. To a grinder/mixer, add rice along with jaggery syrup and grind it to a fine paste. This might take a while, but make sure there are no solid rice particles once it’s ground.Batter should be not too thick and not too thin.If you feel batter is watery add a few spoons of all purpose flour in to it.
3. Add egg, coconut, cumin seeds and salt into the grinder/mixer and mix well. Set aside the batter.
4. Fry the cashew nuts until golden brown in a small pan with 1 tsp. of ghee. Add raisins to the pan and fry it as well.
5. Add the fried cashews and raisins along with the ghee used to fry it to the batter and mix well.
6. Boil water in a steamer. A pressure cooker could also be used for the same, but without the weights.
7. Grease the steamer plate/vessel with 4 tsp. of ghee and pour in the batter.
8. Cover the vessel with aluminum foil and place it in the steamer.
9. Steam it for 25-30 mins. or until the top is firm.
10. Get it off the steamer and flip it to a serving plate. Serve it warm after cutting it to square/diamond slices.

Palak/Spinach Pakora

Another version of pakora that's very popular in the Kashmir area of Pakistan. Spinach typically stands for green and healthy, but this dish could be an exception and could make a non-spinach lover a spinach lover (in an unhealthy way... hehe...)

Try it... Enjoi…

Makes: 20
Spice level: Medium

Preparation time: 20 Min.
Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 30 Mins.

Ingredients:

1. Chick Pea Flour (Basin) - 1 Cup
2. Rice Four - 1 Tbsp.
3. Spinach - 1 Cup (finely chopped)
4. Red Onion - 1 (small, thinly chopped)
5. Ginger - 1 Tsp. (finely chopped)
6. Green Chilli - 3 (finely chopped)
7. Curry Leaves- 8 Leaves (finely chopped)
8. Coriander Leaves - ¼ Cup (chopped)
9. Chilli Powder - 1 Tsp.
10. Turmeric Powder - ½ Tsp.
11. Black Pepper Powder - ¼ Tsp.
12. Garam Masala Powder - 2 Pinches
13. Salt to taste
14. Baking Powder - 2 Pinches(Optional)
15. Water - 1 Cup
16. Oil to fry

Preparation:

1. Mix well ingredients 3 thru 13 in a mixing bowl.
2. Mix in chick pea flower, rice flour, baking powder and mix well with water to make a medium thick consistency.
Tip: Make sure to add water in small portions, mix well and check the consistency before adding more water.
3. Heat oil in frying pan, take small balls of a mix in a spoon and deep fry it till golden brown. Serve it warm.
Tip: Do not make the batter balls too thick that it doesn't fry evenly.

Chops Masala (Spicy Lamb Chops)

An easy delicious recipe from our neighbor Rabia Abdullah. She experiments a lot with cooking and to-date we regret for not meeting her earlier (a huge miss for a foodie). Anyways, better late than never and hopefully we can make-up for the lost time... hehe...

Lamb chops are an excellent way to start a feast (or rather a heavy luxurious feast). God knows where it originated and no one really cares... Grab a piece, bite into it and ...... (there are no words to express the feeling).

Serves: 2

Spice level: Mild

Preparation time: 20 Mins.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 40 Mins.

Ingredients:

1. Mutton chops - 1 Lbs. (cleaned)

2. Yogurt - 1 cup

3. Oil - 1 cup

4. Coriander - 1 cup (chopped)

5. Lime Juice - squeezed from 3 limes

6. Green chilies - 4 (chopped)

7. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp.

8. Red chili powder - 1 tbsp.

9. Black pepper - ½ tbsp. (crushed)

10. Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat a large bottom heavy pan and add mutton chops, ginger garlic paste, yogurt, red chili powder and salt. Note that there is no water added in this recipe.

2. Bring the mix to boil and let it cook covered on simmer for about 50 mins or until the excess water in the chops is evaporated. Make sure to stir it occasionally with a wooden spoon.

3. Add oil, black pepper, lime juice, green chilies and mix well and let it cook for another 10 mins.

4. The chops off the stove to a serving bowl, garnish it with sliced coriander and serve warm.

Blueberry Lassi

"Boom!!! That's a lucky break!!!" I wanted to make strawberry lassi but there weren't any strawberries home and hence thought of using blueberries instead.It turned out to be better than strawberries... in fact it was one the best drinks I ever had. You should try it...

Makes: 2 Cups (12 Oz. each)
Spice level: Easy

Preparation time: 7 Min.
Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 10 Min.

Ingredients:

1. Sugar - 1/4 cup
2. Cardamom - 2
3. Blueberry - 1 cup (fresh)
4. Yogurt - 1 cup
5. Ice Cubes - 4

Preparation:

1. Powder sugar and cardamom in a grinder or using a mortar.
2. In a  blender, blend blueberries, yogurt and sugar-cardamom powder for about 2 mins.
3. Add ice cubes and blend for another minute and that's it. Serve chilled.

Garlic and Parmesan Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are the perfect appetizers for any party. They come in a variety of flavors and spices from the hottest to sweetest. The one below is a mild spicy kid-friendly version specially made for my three-year old. She said "Baba, it's yummy... I need more..."  Try it out and enjoi...

Makes: 4 Wings (2 pieces each)

Spice level: Mild

Preparation time: 30 Min.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 1 Hr. 10 Mins.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken Wings - 1.2 Lbs. (4 wings, separated at joint, cleaned and dried)

2. Water - 3 Cup

3. Vinegar - 1/8 Cup

4. Soya Sauce - 1/8 Cup

5. Bay Leaf - 1

6. Salt - 1/8 Cup

7. Dried Thyme - 1/2 Tsp.

8. Dried Oregano - 1/2 Tsp.

9. Garlic - 3 Cloves (minced and ground with a pinch of salt)

10. Crushed Red Pepper - 1 Tbsp.

11. Olive Oil - 1 1/2 Tbsp.

12. Black Pepper Powder - 1 Tsp.

13. Bread Crumbs - 1 Tbsp. (fine)

14. Parmesan Cheese - 1/2 Cup (finely grated, in parts)

Preparation:

1. Boil water in a deep sauce pan with vinegar, soya sauce, bay leaf, thyme, oregano and salt.

2. Add chicken to the pan and bring it to hard boil and let it boil for 15 mins.

3. Using a slotted spoon remove the chicken pieces off the pan and let it cool for 15 min. on a cooling rack (or some slotted plates or strainer).

4. Mix olive oil, garlic, red peppers, black pepper and bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl.

5. Add chicken wings into the bowl and toss it well the spices.

6. Split the cheese in three parts and one part at a time to the bowl and mix well.

7. Grease a baking tray with oil and spread the wings over it with some space between each wing. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese lightly over each wing.

8. Pre-heat the oven to 450 deg. F

9. Bake the chicken wings for about 20 mins. until it’s perfectly cooked. Get it off the oven and serve it warm.

Cantaloupe - Orange Juice

Cantaloupe and orange - what's common? Yup, the color - orange and orange... hehe... That's why I thought of mixing them; but surprisingly these two blends with each other so nicely. It's tangy and sweet... Try it to yourself...

Makes: 2 Cups (12 oz. each)
Spice level: --

Preparation time: 20 Min.
Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 20 Min.

Ingredients:

1. Cantaloupe - 1/2 (seeded and cubed - about 3 cups)
2. Orange Juice - 1 Cup (freshly squeezed)
3. Sugar - 2 Tbsp.
4. Ice Cubes - 4

Preparation:

1. Blend cantaloupe, orange juice and sugar for 3 mins.
2. Add ice cubes and blend for another min. and we are done. Serve chilled.

Garlic Sauce

This is a very popular dip in Mediterranean cuisine. I like the garlicky taste so much that I use it as a dip for crackers too... Try it out...

Serves: --
Spice level: --

Preparation time: 20 Mins.
Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 20 Mins.

Ingredients:

1. Garlic - 3 Cloves (chopped)
2. Lime Juice - 5 Tbsp. (in parts)
3. Canola Oil - 14 Tbsp. (in parts)
4. Egg White - 1

Preparation:

1. In a food processor/blender, grind garlic for a min. It will not be finely ground. No worries, it will get there.
2. Add 4 tbsp. oil, 2 tbsp. lime juice and grind for another couple of minutes.
3. Add egg whites and process for 2 more minutes.
4. Keep on adding 2 tbsp. oil and 1 tbsp. lime juice through the top into the food processor and continue blending. Continue adding oil and lime juice until it nice and creamy. It took me 14 Tbsp. of oil and 5 tbsp. of lime juice to get it to the right consistency.

Spicy Chicken Roast

This is a spicy version of the traditional chicken roast and is inspired from the Thanksgiving Turkey Roast recipe. It's pretty popular among my friend circle after I introduced them to this. 

The best part is that it's so simple and easy that you cannot go wrong with this. Believe me, it’s restaurant quality. Try it out.

Serves: 4

Spice level: High

Preparation time: 20 Min.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 2Hr. 30 Mins.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 3 Lb. (whole, skinned)

2. Red Chilli Powder - 3 Tsp.

3. Turmeric - ½ Tsp.

4. Black Pepper Powder - ½ Tsp.

5. Lime Juice - Squeezed from half lime

6. Veg. oil - 2 Tbsp.

7. Salt to taste

For stuffing:

8. Red Onion - 1 (small, cut in cubes)

9. Garlic - 6 cloves

10. Lime - 1 (cut in cubes)

Preparation:

1. Clean the chicken and wipe it dry with a paper towel. Make deep cuts at fleshy parts like the breast/thighs if the chicken is large.

2. Mix ingredients 2 thru 8 in a large mixing bowl until well combined.

3. Add chicken to the mixing bowl and spread the spice mix evenly over the inside and outside of the chicken.

4. Coven the bowl with a plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours (I prefer refrigerating overnight).

5. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.

6. Get the chicken off the refrigerator, place it on a baking tray and stuff it with the onions, garlics and limes. Do not overstuff.

7. Tie the legs together with a string, drizzle or spray the outside of the chicken with a little oil and place it in the oven.

8. Check if the chicken is cooked at every half hour and drizzle it with oil if it’s dry (you can reuse the oil dripping from the tray itself). Typically it takes about 2 hrs. to cook. You could use a meat thermometer to check if the chicken is cooked (the temperature on the chicken would show around 165 deg F).

9. Get the chicken off the oven, remove the stuffing (discard the stuffing as it won't be tasty) and serve it with Garlic sauce/hummus and bread. 

Spicy Fried Egg

Innovative Indian snack for the new cooks. Very easy to make and really tasty. You need to have an Idly cooker though (I think it should work with a steamer too, but need to try). Enjoi...

Makes: 3
Spice level: Medium

Preparation time: 10 Min.
Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 20 Mins.

Ingredients:

1. Egg - 1
2. Chilli Powder - 1 Tsp.
3. Turmeric Powder - ½ Tsp.
4. Fennel Seed Powdered - ¼ Tsp.
5. Salt to taste
6. Oil to fry

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, mix the chilli powder, turmeric powder and fennel powder with a pinch of salt and set aside.
2. Crack open one egg at a time onto an idly plate and let it cook in the idly cooker covered for about 5 mins. The eggs would be nicely cooked and hard by this time. Using a spatula remove the eggs on a plate.
3. Coat the cooked eggs with the chilli powder mix.
4. Heat oil in  a frying pan and shallow fry the spicy eggs for about 1-2 mins. on either sides. Remove it onto a serving plate and serve warm with Tea.

Chilli Pakoda

Pakora with a twist.  Pakoras are very popular across India. It's a very simple and spicy snack available at almost all food stalls and it goes so good with a cup of hot tea. It's really hard to stop eating after trying one... Enjoi...

Makes: 20

Spice level: Medium

Preparation time: 20 Min.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 30 Mins.

Ingredients:

1. Green Sweet Pepper - 3 (long, chopped)

2. Carrot - 1 (grated)

3. Red Onion - 1 (small, finely chopped)

4. Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1 Tsp.

5. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp.

6. Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 Tsp.

7. Salt - to taste

8. Corn Flour - 3 Tbsp.

9. All-purpose flour - 3/4 Cup

10. Gram Flour (Basin) - 1/2 Cup

11. Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup (chopped)
12. Water - 1 Cup

Preparation:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients well to make a medium thick batter.
Tip: Make sure to add water in small portions and mix well and check the consistency before adding more.adding water again.

2. Heat oil in frying pan, take small balls of a mix in a spoon and deep fry it till golden brown.

Basbousa

"Basbousa is a sweet cake made of cooked semolina or farina soaked in simple syrup. It is found in the cuisines of the Eastern Mediterranean under a variety of names." - Wikipedia

My wife made this for a potluck and it was an instant hit. It's sweet but not too sweet... it's light and fluffy too... Try it out...

Makes: 8 in. x 12 in. Loaf
Spice level: --

Preparation time:  25 Mins.
Cook time (incl. Prep. time):  1 Hr.

Ingredients:

1. Unsalted Butter - 1 Cup
2. Sugar - 3/4 Cup
3. Vanilla Extract - 1 Tsp.
4. Eggs - 2
5. Greek Yogurt - 1 Cup
6. Fine semolina - 1 1/2 Cup
7. Baking Powder - 1 Tsp.
8. Baking Soda - 1/2 Tsp.
9. Salt - 1 Pinch
10. Pistachios to garnish

For Syrup:

11. Water - 1 Cup
12. Sugar - 2 Cup
13. Rose Water - 1 Tbsp.

Preparation:

1. Sift together semolina, baking powder and baking soda until well combined and set aside.
2. Beat butter, sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt until light and fluffy using an electric mixer.
3. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined.
4. Add yogurt and beat until well blended.
5. Stir in the sifted semolina mix and mix well.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.
7. Grease a baking pan (8 in. x 12 in.) and line it with parchment paper. Pour the prepared bake mixture to the pan, level the top and bake it for about 35 mins. or until a tooth pick comes out clean while pricked into the center of the cake.
8. Meanwhile prepare the syrup in a sauce pan by boiling water and sugar together. Once the sugar is completely melted get the pan off the flame and stir in the rose water.
9. Pour the syrup evenly over the cake once you get the cake off the oven. Let it cool completely and cut it into square and serve it garnished with pistachios.

Indian Style Chilli Chicken

This recipe comes all the way from Dubai from our dear sister Sheji Shakkeer. She is an awesome cook and a very nice person. As most of you know, chilli chicken has its root from Chinese cooking. The indian version is as good as the Chinese version (I would say better, but don't want to hurt anyone's feelings).

This is the version that's served at most road side small restaurants (thattukada) across Kerala. Such a yummy dish that you would keep going back to those restaurants just to have it. Try it out and enjoi...

Serves: 4

Spice level: Medium

Preparation time:  30 Mins.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time):  1 Hr.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken Thighs - 1 Lb. (boneless, clean and cut to 2 inch cubes cubes)

2. Egg - 1

3. Corn flour - 1 Tbsp.

4. Soya Sauce - 4 Tbsp.

5. Veg. Oil - 1 Cup

6. Dry Red Chillies - 4

7. White Onions - 2 (Large, cut into 1 inch cubes)

8. Fresh Garlic - 2 Tbsp. (Finely minced)

9. Hot Water - 2 Cups

10. Tomato Ketchup - 2 Tbsp.

11. Green Bell Pepper - 2 (Seeded, cut into 2 inch cubes)

12. Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. In a large mixing bowl add chicken, corn flour, soya sauce and egg to the chicken and mix well. Keep aside for 15-20 minutes to marinate.

2. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a deep pan on high heat. Add dry red chillies, onions and fry until the onions are translucent.

3. Add garlic and fry for a minute.

4, Add the soy sauce and tomato ketchup, stir often and fry for another minute. Take off from stove and keep aside.

5. Heat the remaining oil in another deep pan on high flame.

6. Fry the marinated chicken in small portions until it is golden. Remove the fried chicken cubes from oil with a slotted spoon and add it straight into the pan with the onion-garlic-sauce mix. Repeat the process until all the chicken is fried and in the sauce.

7. Once all the chicken is fried and moved to the sauce, heat the pan with 'sauce' and chicken on high heat and cook for 3-4 mins.

8. Add 2 hot water and cook till chicken for about 5-7 mins. until the chicken is tender and cooked.

9. Add green bell peppers and cook for 2 mins.

10. Meanwhile, mix corn flour with 5-6 tbsp. cool water in a small mixing bowl and mix well to make a smooth liquid.

11. Add the corn flour mix to the pan with the Chilli Chicken and stir well.

12. Cook until the gravy thickens and remove it off the heat and serve in warm with plain boiled rice or chappati.

Bhindi Raitha

"Raita is an Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi condiment made with yogurt and used as a sauce or dip." - Wikipedia

Thanks to Sheji  Shakkeer for sharing the recipe. This looks great and surely tastes great. Try it out.

Serves: 4

Spice level: Mild

Preparation time:  15 Mins.

Cook time (incl. Prep. time):  25 Mins.

Ingredients:

1. Okra (Lady’s Finger) - ½ Lb. (cleaned and cut into small roundels)

2. Yogurt - 2 ½ Cups

3. Green Chilies - 2

4. Dry Red chilies - 3

5. Mustard Seeds - 1 Tsp.

6. Fresh Grated Coconut - ½ Cup

7. Curry Leaves - 1 Stem (Leaves off the stem)

8. Oil - 2 Tsp.

9. Oil for Frying

10. Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. In a grinder, Grind Coconut, Green Chilies and Mustard Seeds coarsely.

2. Heat Oil in a frying pan and sauté the okra pieces until it becomes dry and crisp.

3. Remove fried okra off the flame and mix it with the ground coconut mix in a mixing bowl.

4. Heat Oil in a frying pan and add Mustard seeds and let it splutter.

5. Add Red Chilies and Curry leaves and sauté for about a min.  Add this seasoning along with yogurt and salt to the mixing bowl with okra and mix well.  Serve with Phulka/Roti or Rice.