Chicken Curry Pic: Priya Q

My impression about ‘ bachelors cooking’, let alone cooking complicated stuff was corrected by Q’s cousins …Akki and Arju… While Arju was secretive about his pepper chicken recipe; the flamboyant Akki was more than happy to share his recipe for his signature chicken dish ….. i have to admit it was absolutely finger licking good!

Chicken –  1 kg
Onion  (big) – 4-5 nos – sliced
Tomato – 2 nos – cubed
Ginger – 2 inch piece
Garlic – 1 pod
Green Chili – 5-8 nos
Coriander Powder – 4 tsp
Red Chili powder – 3-5 tsp
Tumeric – 1 tsp
Chicken Masala – 3-5 tsp
Coconut milk – 1 cup
Coconut Oil / Cooking oil
Coriander leaves / cilantro – for garnish
Salt to taste

1. Wash chicken and sprinkle about 1 tsp of salt and keep aside
2. In a wok fry 2 tsp coriander powder, 2 tsp chili powder, ½ tsp turmeric and 3 tsp chicken masala powder in 1 tbsp of coconut oil and remove off fire
3. Marinate chicken with the above fried spices
4. Grind coarsely ginger, garlic and green chilies and keep aside
5. In a wok heat oil and fry onions and saute well
6. Add remaining chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric and chicken masala
7. Now add the ginger-garlic-chili paste and fry well
8. Add tomatoes and saute
9. Add marinated chicken and mix well and cook for about 5 minutes
10. Add ½ cup water, close the lid and cook on low flame and bring to boil
11. Add coconut milk and cook for about 5 minutes
12. Check for seasoning
13. Garnish with coriander leaves / cilantro
14. Serve with rice / bread

Till next time ….happy cooking!

Chickpeas Curry Pic: Priya Q

Successful experiment by fluke is how I would describe this recipe. I had soaked chickpea the previous night and my maid didn’t turn up the next day. I was not in a good mood with so much of unexpected work thrown at me. Least to mention the chickpea I had planned for breakfast with some steaming puttu. So instead of usual recipe I decided to go an easy route…and it turned out quite delicious )

Black Chickpeas – 2 cups (soaked overnight)

Chilli powder – 1 tsp + a pinch

Turmeric – 1/2 tsp + a pinch

Coriander powder – 3 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil

Onion – 1 no. (big sized – sliced fine)

Coriander leaves for garnish

1. Pressure cook chickpeas with a pinch of turmeric and chilli powder till soft and done
2. Soak the masalas in few drops of water. Masala should be nicely damp
3. In a pan add few tsp of oil and add mustard seeds when hot
4. Once they splutter add the soaked masalas and fry for few seconds
5. Add sliced onions and fry for few minutes
6. Add the cooked chickpeas into the above pan and mix well
7. Season and garnish with fresh coriander

Now wasn’t that simple!!? It tastes simply delicious. Serve it with out of rotis / bread

* the onions will be quite crisp and add a different texture to the dish

Till next time….happy cooking!

Adai Pic credit: Priya Q

Call it multigrain dosa or crepe / pancakes from South of India. Adai is a healthy meal that you can serve to your family for breakfast / brunch or even dinner….

Rice – 1/2 qty
Combination of lentils, moong beans, moong dal etc – ½ qty

Whole Black Pepper – ½ tsp (optional)
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Asofoetia – a pinch
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Green chili – 2-3 nos
Fresh Coriander leaves – 3 tbsp
Onion – 1 nos (roughly diced)
Coconut shavings – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

1. Soak overnight rice and lentils etc
2. Grind to fine paste along with other remaining ingredients. Your batter is ready (you can grind it coarse as well)
3. Heat a griddle and with the help of a round, deep ladle pour the batter. Spread it with the help of the back of the rounded part of the ladle to get a round dosa
4. Drop a little oil on top
5. Flip and cook on the other side on low heat till light golden brown
6. Serve hot with your favorite sauce / yogurt – pickle / yogurt- green chili / or just have as is!

* you can also add black chickpeas. However grind it separately and later combine with rice and lentils paste.

A friend of mine has say this — In Palghat Iyer lingo it is called ‘Malabar adai’… it is had with green chillies crushed into nice thick curd (yogurt) with a pinch of salt. Alternatively you can also have it with avial... There is another variation of this made with black urad dal (whole) mixed with rice. Experienced hands ‘pat’ a ball of the maavu (dough) on to a hot tawa… accompaniment, same as above! Thanks Harish for the info!

Kadhi Pic credit : Priya Q

This yogurt based curry is quite a delicacy. Perhaps, that is why we have so many variations to it! from punjabi kadhi to gujarati kadhi to sindhi kadhi…. I have already shared with you the recipe for the Kerala style version of it…. here’s the punjabi version of it…which we learnt during our stay in the North of India.

Is yogurt and curd one and the same? Well, the only difference I could make was that the plain yogurt is creamier than curd. So, me thinks that plain yogurt is good to go for this recipe!

For pakoras

Gram flour (besan) – 1 cup
Chili powder – 1 tsp
Carom seeds (ajwain) – ½ tsp
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Salt to taste
Onions – 2 medium sized (finely sliced)Water
Oil for frying

Curd or plain yogurt – 2 cups
Gram flour (besan) – 3 tbsp

Turmeric  – ½ tsp

Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Dry red chili – 2 nos
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Onion – 1 nos (finely chopped)

Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Salt to taste
Garam Masala – a pimch

1. Combine all ingredients for pakoras to get a semi liquid consistency (it should not be runny)
2. Heat oil and with the help of a spoon drop in small portions of batter into the oil
3. Fry till golden brown. Take it out on an absorbent paper
4. Combine yogurt, turmeric and gram flour. Keep aside
5. In a thick bottom pan heat 2 tsp of oil. Add mustard and let it splutter
6. Add fenugreek seeds, chili, and curry leaves
7. Add the prepared yogurt mixture and bring it to boil
8. Add salt and pakoras
9. Simmer the burner. Sprinkle garam masala and close the vessel
10. Serve with cumin rice

*for Cumin rice : Heat a tbsp of oil / clarified butter (ghee); add 2 tsp of cumin seeds followed by whole black peppercorns and sliced onions. Saute. Add basmati rice (washed and soaked for 20 minutes) and water. Once the water boils add salt; simmer the burner and close lid.

for 2 cups of rice you need 4 cups of water.

Egg Snack Pic credit: Priya Q

My mom is always upto some culinary experiment and when I visited her last time I found Egg snack being served albeit as a side dish. Me thinks you can serve this as your cocktail snack and it will be a sure hit with your friends and relatives!

Hard boiled eggs – 3-4 nos
Potato – 3 big nos (boiled and mashed)
Coriander / Cilantro – 4 tbsp (finely chopped)
Bread crumbs – 5 tbsp
Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 2 tsp
Dry mango powder / Chat Masala – 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

1.    To the mashed potato add all ingredients and mix well
2.    Cover the hard boiled egg with the  prepared potato mixture
3.    Press the mixture nicely with your hands so that it doesn’t crumble while frying
4.    Rest for sometime
5.    Heat oil for frying in a deep thick bottom pan
6.    Fry in batches the prepared eggs
7.    Drain extra oil on an absorbent kitchen tissue
8.    Cut into half each fried egg with a sharp knife to get an even two halves
9.    Sprinkle chat masala and chilli powder as garnish
10.    Serve hot with your favorite sauce

till next time….happy cooking!

Absolutely love the smokey flavor of the roasted baingan (aubergine / eggplant) used for this recipe. I had some how forgotten to post the recipe for Baingan Bharta till someone recently asked me for it! So here goes….:)

Baingan Bharta ...Pic Credit - Priya Q

Baingan (brinjal) – 1 big sized
Onions – 2 medium sized (finely chopped)
Tomato – 1 big (finely chopped)
Ginger – ½ inch (finely chopped)
Garlic – 3-4 flakes (finely chopped)
Green chilli – 1 nos (finely chopped)
Coriander / Cilantro – for garnish (finely chopped)
Cumin Seeds – ½ tsp
Chilli powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric – ½ tsp
Dry Mango Powder (Aamchur) – ¼ tsp (optional)
Salt to taste

1. Roast the aubergine directly over flame along with its skin
2. Keep changing sides for even roasting
3. Dip the aubergine in cold water (this helps in easy removal of the charred skin)
4. Remove skin and mash the aubergine nicely
5. In a pan heat oil and add cumin; once you get the cumin flavor add onions, ginger, garlic and green chilli and fry well
6. Add tomatoes. Keep frying
7. Add turmeric, chilli powder and mix well
8. Add the mashed aubergine and salt
9. Fry well till the aubergines nearly leave sides and you get a nice aroma
10. Add dry mango powder and stir well
11. Keep stirring in intervals so that the aubergines don’t stick to the pan and get burnt
12. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves
13. Serve with roti / naan or any other Indian bread

Till next time….. happy cooking!

Homemade baby food recipes

Palak Rice

Take equal quantities of rice, chopped spinach (palak) and Grated Cottage cheese (paneer)

1. Add ½ tsp of cumin seeds to ½ tsp ghee and let it crackle
2. Add rice and sauté for about 3 minutes
3. Add spinach, paneer, salt and 1 cup of water
4. Pressure cook for about 2-3 whistles
5. Serve with fresh yogurt

Till tomorrow….happy cooking!

Now if you already have tried your hand at making dosa (Indian pancakes)…lets move one step ahead and make its with some filling…yeh just like French Galette . You can be creative with your filling cooked spicy mutton / chicken to paneer (cottage cheese) and soya! Use what you like or comes to your mind.

Here, I have used potatoes. The standard Masala Dosa you would get in any South Indian restaurant across India served with chutney and sambar.

And if you have some left over masala (potatoes) you can either have it with hot puffed pooris or just make a plain quick sandwich For the recipe of potatoes and poori…click here

A restaurant in Kochi called Pai Brothers is famous for its 57 varieties of dosas…yes you read that correct 57 different filling for each dosa…so what’s stopping you from getting creative?

Till next time…. happy cooking!

image: Priya Q

During my spinster days I either liked to cook exotic stuff and not cook at all at times! This is a non spicy chicken recipe which I used to make it quite often then. This dish will not only suit the taste palettes of my European friends but also my Indian friends who am sure are going to love it! So this weekend why not try out this recipe? …don’t forget to give me a feedback though!

Chicken – 1/2 kg (cleaned and cut into pieces)

Cloves – 4 nos

Cinnamon – 2 tsp

Green cardamom – 4 nos

Bay leaf – 2 nos

Star anise – 1/2 number (3 petals)

Dry red chili – 2-3 nos

Carrot – 1 no. big (cubed)

Beans – 50 gms (chopped)

Cauliflower – 3/4 cup (florets)

Bean Sprouts – 1 cup

Coconut milk – 100 ml

Cornflour – 1/2 tbsp

• Grind to a fine powder – cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom, bay leaf and star anise
• Cook chicken along with 2 cups of water, 1/2 tsp salt and red chillies and ground spices. If cooking in a pressure cooker wait for 2 whistles and turn off the gas. Keep it aside to cool
• Except Cauliflower, add all the vegetables including sprouts to the chicken and cook on low flame
• Cauliflower takes less time to cook so add when the other vegetables are half done
• Add coconut milk and cornflour. Stir
• Add salt to taste
• Serve hot with rice

Till next time….happy cooking!

photo credit: Photo_Mind

Shahi means ‘royal’ and paneer is cottage cheese in Hindi. Litellay transalated its a royal dish made out of paneer. Its a great accompaniment with Indian breads. Make it for lunch or dinner or at your Indian evening part thrown for friends. You are sure to get lots of praises, I asuure you…so do try it out

Paneer (cottage cheese) – 250 gms (cubed)
Curd (Plain Yogurt) – 1/4 cup (Beaten)
Milk – 1/2 cup
Tomatoes – 3 nos big (finely chopped)
Onion – 1 no. big (sliced)
Ginger – 1/2 inch (finely chopped)
Green Chilies – 2-3  nos. (finely chopped)
Cardamoms – 2-3  nos (crushed)
Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder – 1/2 tsp
Tomato Sauce / Ketchup – 2 tsp
Ghee (clarified butter) / butter – 3 tsp
Water – 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

For Garnishing

Fresh cream – 3-4 tsp

Grated cheese – 2 tsp
1 tsp Coriander Leaves, chopped

1. In a frying pan, heat 1 and 1/2 tsp of ghee. Add onion, ginger, green chili and cardamom and fry for about 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes.
3. Add the beaten curd and cook further for 5 minutes. Add water and allow it to cool.
4. Blend this mixture in the mixer until smooth.
5. In a pan heat the remaining ghee and add the blended mixture,spices and tomato sauce.
6. Boil the mixture until it turns to thick gravy.
7. At the time of serving, heat the gravy. Add milk and paneer cubes and allow it to boil for about 3 to 4 minutes.
8. Garnish it with chopped coriander, grated paneer and fresh cream.
9. Serve hot with naan or chapati (Indian bread)

Till next time…happy cooking!