Daddy's simple chicken fry

 My Dad is one of those guys who is not comfortable in the kitchen, totally not his fault, his grandma i.e is my great grandma was a fabulous cook and then that was taken over by his wife my mom, who is a fantastic cook :)... these were the famous words ofmy nainamma(Dad's mom).

I remeber growing up we would try makingsomething whenever mom was not around and always ended up creating a disaster, but made lot of happy memories...this one time me, dad and my cousintried making mutton and ended up putting lot of chilli powder as it did not look as red as the the way mom made. In the end we ate scrambled omlette that day

About this chicken recipe...Dad and one of his cousin had to spend somwtime away from home due to work..and both dudes :) wanted some home cooked meal...and this was what mom taught dad..and till this date this is the only dish dad can whipout...and mion you its as finger licking as it looks :)

Ingredients

Chicken                                - 1lbs or abt 500gms

Red Chilli powder                 - 1tsp

Corriander/Dhania Powder   - 1tsp

Turmuricpowder                   - 1/4 tsp

Lime Juice                            - 2 tbsps

Ginger-GarlicPaste               - 1 tsp

Onions                                 - 1 small chopped finely

Curry leaves                         - 6 to 8 leaves

Oil                                       - 3 to 4 tbsps

Green Chillies                       - 3 to 4 slit length wise

Salt                                      - to taste

Kothmir/Cilantro                  - for garnish

Preparation

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and Marinate it with all the ingredients except onions, curry leaves oil and green chillies. Marinate it for atleast about 1/2 hrs

Heat the oil in a pot/pan

Add the curry leaves, green chillies let it splutter

Add onions and green chillies, cook for 3 to 4 mins

Add the chicken and fry it till done(can add a little water or stock)

Check for the seasonings)

Garnish with lots of kothmir/cilantro.

Simple and ready to eat in a jiffy. Makes a good Starter

Aloo & Tofu Biryani

Today is sunday which means lots of non veg being prepared at home. Today mom made chicken biryani.......and just to get away from temptation (cause i have turned vegetarian) I made this vegetarian biryani with the ingredients found at home. Must say tastes as good as the non vegetarian biryani.


Ingredients:

Tofu : 200 gms cubed and fried
Potato : 2 medium sized, cubed and fried
Onions : 2 small sized sliced abd fried
Mint : 1 big bunch
Coriander : 1 big bunch
Green Chillies : 5 to 6
Basmati Rice : 3 cups
Turmeric : 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon : 1 inch stick
Cloves : 4
Ginger Garlic paste : 1 tbs
Bay leaves : 2 or 3
Shahijeera : 1/2 tsp
Salt : To taste
Lime juice : 1
curd : 3 tbs
ghee : 1/2 tsp



Preparation:

Take 3/4th portion of coriander & mint leaves, to this add the cinnamon and cloves, 4 green chillies and grind to paste. To this paste add the curd, ginger garlic paste ,turmeric, fried potato & tofu, salt and marinate it for abt 30 mins. In some water add some salt for the rice , shahijeera, bay leaves and par boil the rice, strain the water from the rice. In a nonstick wide dish coat the base with little ghee (1/2 tsp) first put in the marinated tofu and aloo, on that a layer of rice and then place the remaining green chillies coriander, fried onions, lime juice and then cover with another layer of rice . Now cover the container and cook it on high flame for 3 to 4 mins and then on low flame for ant 8 mins. Serve this with raitha, onion rings and lime.

Recipe By: Pavithra Arcot
Posted by: Pavithra Arcot

Mushroom Mutter & Paneer Masala

Here's another paneer dish, for people who are dieting they can use tofu instead. This is pretty easy to make and tastes like restaurant style paneer. Serve this with Roti or rice.



Ingredients:

Paneer : 500 gms (fried in oil)
Onions: 4 to 5 medium sized ground to paste
Tomatoes : 4 to 5 medium sized ground to paste
Green Chillies: 6 to 7 slit
Tomato Puree: 1oo ml
kasuri methi : 4 tbs
Mushroom : 200 gms
Peas : 200 gms
garam masala : 2 tsp
Oil : 4 to 5 tbs
Turmeric : 1 tsp
Red chilli powder : 2 tbs
coriander powder : 2 tbs
sahijeera : 1 tsp
Salt : to taste
Ginger garlic paste : 1 tbs


Preparation :

Heat oil in a kadai to that add sahijeera once it splutters add the onion paste and saute untill light brown to this add the ginger garlic paste and the kasuri methi. Once the oil leaves the side add the green chillies , mushrooms, peas and saute for a min or two to this add the turmeric, Coriander and Red chilli powder and tomato paste and get to a boil. Now add the fried paneer, garam masala and salt to taste. Add some water to it and cook until done. Garnish with fresh coriander. Serve this with hot roties, onions and lime.



Receipe: Pavithra Arcot
Posted by: Pavithra Arcot

Mixed Veg Semiya

My cousin was home and she loves to snack all the time, she needed something to eat and I though will make her something healthy so made this.

Ingredients:

MTR Vermicelli: 2 cups
Onion: 1 medium chopped
Carrot: 1 1/2 grated
Sprouts: 5 tbs (any i had methi so used it)
Tomato: 1 medium chopped
Green Chilli: 3 slit
Mint: 3 tbs chopped
Coriander: 4 tbs Chopped
Lime: Juice of 1
ginger garlic paste: 1/2 tsp
Oil: 3 tsp
Salt: To taste
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp


Preparation:

Take a wok or a kadai in that heat oil, add onions and saute untill translucent, to this add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric and saute . Now add the carrot, green chillies, sprouts, mint & chopped tomato saute untill tender . Add the vermicelli and salt and fry for atleast 2 minutes now add sufficent water and cook it till done. Add the lime juice and coriander and serve it hot.
You can add as many vegitables as you want to this like capcicum, peas, corn , potato.





Receipe: Pavithra Arcot
Posted by: Pavithra Arcot

Kheema Vada/Minced Meat Patties

These have been the all time favorite in the family and my ammama (maternal grandmother) could make this in a jiffy and also made different kinds of non veg as well as vegetarian vadas and no one could make out the difference whether it was a veg or a non veg dish which always kept us guessing what was the main ingredient she used. Miss her as well as her cooking a lot.

Ingredients:

Kheema(Mutton) :1/2 Kg
Onions: 4 medium 2 (finely chopped) and 2 (sliced)
Green Chillies: 10
Mint Leaves: 1 bunch
Coriander: 2 bunches, 1 finely chopped
Cinnamon: 1 1 inch piece
Cloves: 4
Ginger Garlic Paste: 2 tsp
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
Coconut: 1/2 a coconut
Puttnal pappu: 3 tbs powdered
Egg: 2 for binding
Salt: to taste
Oil: Frying

Preparation:


Boil the kheema with turmeric and water, there should be no water left and the kheema should be 3/4th cooked. In a kadai take abt a 1 tsp of oil and in that saute the 2 sliced onions along with the mint leaves, 1 bunch of coriander, the Cinnamon, green chilles, cloves and then grind it to a paste. Grind the boiled Kheema as well separately but do not make it into a paste it shouls still be coarse. Grind the coconut as well but without water. Mix Kheema, the sauteed paste and the coconut and to this add the finely chopped onion, 1 bunch of coriander, eggs, puttnal pappu powder and salt. Shape them into vada and deep fry them. Serve it hot with your choice of sauce or mint chutney.

Recipe by: Mrs Sarala Padmarao
Posted by: Pavithra Arcot

Methi Sprouts Salad

Went grocery shopping yesterday an found some methi (fenugreek) sprouts . So made a healthy salad with it and must say was not bitter and was tasty as well.

Ingredients:

Methi Sprouts: 150 gms
Onion: 1 medium sized, finely chopped
Cucumber: 1/2 finely chopped
Mint Leaves: 1 tbs finely chopped
Coriander: 2 tbs finely chopped
Green Chilli: 1 slit and chopped(optional)
Lime: 1 tbs juice
Salt: to taste


Preparation:

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl and add serve it as soon as you make it. This is a very good meal when you are maintaining a healthy diet. You can also make this with yogurt/curd and not add the lime in it. This is a very good summer meal which is filling as well as lite on the
Stomach.

Recipe by: Pavithra Arcot
Posted by: Pavithra Arcot

Mango Pickle

It is summer time and one of the things the house wives do is pickle the mango as it is seasonal. I always wait for this season as the mango pickle is just so yummy with rice cant resist it at all.


Ingredients:
Mangoes: 25 big sized(pickle mangoes)
Ginger paste: 1 Kg
Garlic paste: 1 kg
Garlic pods: 1/2 kg
Sesame(Til) oil: 2 1/2 ltrs
Mustard (rai) powder: 100 gms
Fenugreek(methi) powder: 100 gms
Cumin (Jeera) powder: 50 gms
Turmeric powder: 100 gms


Preparation:

Cut the mangoes in chunk size pieces and wipe it with a clean cloth so that there is no extra moisture. Now weigh the mango pieces, for every 1 Kg of mango pieces add 1/4 Kg of salt and 1/4 Kg of chilli powder(u get it separately for pickles).




Tempering:

Take a big kadai or wok and heat the complete oil and then turn off the heat and in that add 75gms of mustard seeds, 50 gms of fenugreek seeds, 25 gms of Cumin seeds and abt 2 tsp of asefoetida(hing) powder. Once they splutter add the ginger garlic paste and mix thoroughly(tip: add the ginger garlic paste in little amounts so that the oil does not spill). Once this mixture is cold add the magoes, salt, garlic pods, chilli & tumeric powder and mix well. Keep this mixture aside for 3 days and then shift it into a clean and dry jar(tip: while shifting pls check the salt and then pls sprinkle some salt in the end of the jar as well). This pickle stays for a year untill the next mango season.


Recipe by: Mrs Malathi Ramaswamy
Posted by: Pavithra Arcot