Coriander Yogurt Rice with Dry Chilli Chicken

This combo is not unusual for us, because for one, regular curd rice is an absolute no-no if not accompanied by non-veg. So at home mum would make curd rice with a mutton roast. Then during my spinster days, my curd rice would be accompanied by chilli chicken, because that used to be the take home dinner. If you want to try the option of a take home curd rice and chilli chicken, then I'd reckon getting it from Dolphin bar situated in Frazer town. Of course, there's much more than just curd rice at Dolphin bar, everything on their menu is a must - have!.  But you wouldn't want to get it all by yourself, the bar is a dark and dingy place with groupies of men, gulping down hard liquor and 'women' are a visual treat if you know what I mean (wink).

These recipes are from Ramani Aunty's book called Sadya - Meals for Four

Coriander-Yogurt Rice


Ingredients
Rice - 1cup
Butter - 1tbs at room temperature
For the yogurt mixture
Yogurt - 3/4cup
Milk - 1 1/2tbs
Lemon Juice - 1tbs
Asafoetida powder - 1/2tsp
Salt to taste
To temper
Olive Oil - 1 1/2tbs
Mustard seeds - 1/2tsp
Green Chillies - 2 finely chopped
Ginger - 2cm finely chopped
Chopped Coriander  - 1/2cup

Cook the rice in plenty of water until very soft. Drain thoroughly. Mix in butter to the hot rice. Gently fold in the combined yogurt mixture ingredients.
In a small pan heat oil, sprinkle mustard seeds and allow to burst. Saute the the green chillies and ginger in it.Finally add coriander leaves. Add in the rice mixture Spoon in individual molds. If preferred serve cold.

Dry Chilli Chicken


Ingredients
Chicken Breasts - 250gms cut into cubes or strips
For the Marinade
Gram Flour - 1/3cup
Five Spice Powder - 1tsp (mixture of Powdered cinnamon, fennel, star anise, cloves and szechuan pepper)
Chilli Powder - 1/2tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/4tsp
Salt - 1/4tsp
Vinegar - 1tsp
Egg - 1 small lightly beaten.
To saute
Butter - 1 1/2tbs for frying
Oil - 1tsp
Green chillies- 3 cut into thin rounds
Minced garlic - 1tsp
Minced ginger- 1tsp
Sieved Fresh Tomato pulp - 1/2cup
Soy Sauce - 1tbs
Salt to taste

Pat dry the chicken pieces and combine the marinade ingredients and marinate chicken for 30minutes. Heat the butter into a wok and stir fry the chicken for 3-4minutes until cooked and browned on all sides. With a slotted spoon remove onto a plate. Heat with 1tsp oil in the wok, the chillies ginger and garlic without browning. Add the tomato pulp, soy sauce and salt and bring to a gentle boil. Return the fried chicken to the sauce and stir till the chicken is well coated. Serve hot.

Double CHOC Brownie

Double chocolate, double indulgence, double the delight!

Ingredients:

Sugar - 1 1/2cups

Dark chocolate - 200gms melted

Vegetable oil - 1cup

Vanilla Essence - 2tsp

Eggs -4

Flour - 1 3/4cup

Baking powder - 1tsp

Chocolate glaze 

Dark Chocolate - 18gms

Vegetable Oil - 2tsp

Place the sugar, chocolate, oil, eggs, essence in a bowl and whisk to combine. Sift the flour and baking powder to the chocolate mixture and mix well to combine. Pour mixture into a greased and lined 20cm square tin and bake for 40minutes in a preheated oven at 180C until firm to touch. Cool in the tin, then cut into 5cm squares and place on a wire rack. To make the glaze, place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and heat, stirring until chocolate melts. Stir in oil. Spoon glaze over the brownies and stand until set.

After they were set I put the brownies into the refrigerator owing to the present heat.

My second entry for Divya's event The Best Brownie Event

Chorizo and Cheese Quesadillas

At Goa, I remember eating goan sausages with some pan roasted potatoes. Ever since, its been on my mind to use these Indian Chorizos. The recipe I had for a quesadilla seemed just do it all...loved it. Just wish
I wasn't lazy to make the guacamole, but did have some preserved salsa to pair with. All in all a nice meal.

Ingredients:

Mozzarella Cheese - 115gms grated

Cheddar Cheese - 115gms grated

Chorizo (Or Goan Sausages) - 225gms cooked (outer casing removed), or ham diced

Green chillies - 2 de-seeded and finely chopped

Spring onions - 4 finely chopped

Salt and pepper

Flour Tortillas - 8

Guacamole and Salsa to serve

Place the cheese, sausages, spring onions, chillies, salt and pepper to taste in a bowl and mix together. Divide the mixture between the tortillas. Fold the tortillas in half. Brush a large non-stick pan with oil and heat over medium heat for over 4-5minutes until the underside is crisp and lightly browned. Cut each tortilla into a quarter and serve accompanied with guacamole and salsa.

Cinnamon Blondies~A Reason to smile!

Subhash, Su, Raj, Madhu, Tj and Myself have had some impeccably awesome fun when we worked together as Researchers....wonder what we were researching - we were Market Researchers, with data fed into PowerPoint presentations, lengthy transcripts and much more. Though everyone is split up and we are all in different parts of the world, the weekend saw TJ and Raj for dinner at moi place for our catch up sessions and hearty laughters. And of course, friends cannot leave without having to enjoy some goodness can they?

Ingredients:
Butter - 1cup
Brown sugar -1cup, generous
Egg - 1
Egg yolk - 1
Self Rising flour - 1cup
Ground Cinnamon - 1tsp

Preheat the oven to 180C, and line the base of a square 18cm tin with parchment paper. Place the butter and brown sugar in a pan over low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Cook, stirring for an additional minute. The mixture will bubble slightly but do not boil.Let it cool for 10minutes. Stir the egg and egg yolk into the mixture. Sift in the flour and cinnamon and stir until well blended. Pour the cake into the prepared cake tin and bake for 20-25minutes. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then run a knife around it the edges of the cake to loosen it. Turn the cake out into a wire rack and peel off the parchment paper. Let cool completely. When cold cut into squares.

Am sending this across for Divya's Brownie Event.

Whole Wheat Almond Eggless Cookies~ A Sweet Punch

A recipe accompanied by a video demo makes things way too simplistic. The cookies are wholesome goodness, without the guilt. And without a doubt, they'd go well for your evening tea. Using every ingredient within your pantry is the best reason you'd want to have a go at baking these awesome cookies. Throw in some chocolate chips or raisins and you'd have your own twist to the whole thing.

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour - 1cup
Sugar - 1/2cup
Salt - 1/4tsp
Sliced almonds - 1/4cup
Green cardamom seed coarsely powder (ilaichi) - 1/2tsp
Unsalted butter  - 1/2cup (8 tablespoons or 4oz)
About 2 tablespoons of milk or as needed.


Pre heat the oven to 160C. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt, sliced almonds and cardamom powder well. Next add soft butter and milk to the flour mixture to make dough. Dough should be very soft. Divide the dough into about 24 equal parts and make them into balls. Press each ball between your palms lightly; every piece should be about 1/2” in thickness. Place the dough balls on an un-greased cookie sheet about inch a part. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes or until cookies are lightly gold brown. After they become lightly golden brown remove the cookie sheet from the oven. Let the cookies cool down for two to three minutes before taking them off the cookie sheet. 

Peas Pulao with Fish Mapas

Fish  mapas is a coconut milk based curry which goes well with a pulao, plain rice, roti.. I had veena and little ivona home, so when you have the best people coming over to spend time with you. You want to be able to give them the best too. Before she and her little one came over I ensured I had summed this up, so as to be able to talk at length and not get caught in the kitchen.....

Fish Mapas

Ingredients:

Seer Fish - 1kg and cut into 2inch pieces

Onions - 2 medium thinly sliced

Curry leaves - 2 stalks

Green chillies - 4 sliced, slit

Red Chili Powder - 1 1/2tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/4tsp

Coriander Powder - 2 tsp

Ginger and garlic paste - 2tsp

Tomato - 2 medium diced

Mustard seeds - 1tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2tsp

Coconut milk - 1 cup thick

Mix the chili, turmeric, coriander powders together in a little water. Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard sees, then add the fenugreek sees. Saute the onion, and curry leaves till onion becomes transparent. Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute for two minutes. Then add the powders and fry for another minute. Add the diced tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are softened and the powders are well combined. Add about 1/2cup water and bring to boil. Gently lay the fish  and cook over a low flame for a few minutes and pour in the coconut milk and bring to a light simmer. Take care not to boil the curry.

Peas Pulao

Ingredients: 

Long grain Basmathi Rice - 2cups cooked

Onion - 1 big, finely chopped

Peas - 1cup, blanched

Cloves - 4-5

Black Cardamom - 2

Cinnamon - 1 2inch piece

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves - a handful

Into a heavy pan, pour in some oil and saute the onions till light brown. Add a couple of cloves, a piece of cinnamon and 2 black cardamoms and let it saute till the flavors are released. Then add in the blanched peas and quick it a quick stir. Add the rice and carefully mix the rice and peas. Add salt and then add the coriander leaves. Take it off the flame, put the lid on and give it 5 minutes to rest. Serve the rice with the hot mapas.