Curry leaves Chutney

Earlier in the week, at the height of a very stressful day, I had a bit of a breakthrough moment and ever since then I feel like I've had a fire lit underneath me. Yesterday evening we had a change from our regular days and we were off for some grocery shopping during which I ended up buying gourmet ingredients. Obviously this means that I have interesting ambitions with cooking in the coming days.I am raring to go, so watch this space.

Here I have a recipe for a not very common Chutney/Dip which pairs wonderfully with pancakes and breads. It is made out of Curry leaves. Not everyone's choice. But it seems to be loved mainly by the South Indians. It makes use of a few vibrant ingredients and delivers an awesome flavor. I made it last weekend for breakfast along with Rice pancakes. We loved it. So speed up your breakfasts with these exciting dips and watch this space for more amazing recipes.

INGREDIENTS:

1cup fresh curry leaves
2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)
1 1/2 tsp urad dal/ black gram lentils
4 red chillies
1 tsp cummin seds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
Pinch of fenugreek seeds
1/8 tsp of turmeric powder 
Pinch of asafoetida
Pinch sugar
Little tamarind
1.5 tsp oil
Salt to taste

 

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Wash the curry leaves thoroughly , drain the water and keep aside

 

 

2) Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add urad dal, cummin , mustard , asafoetida and fenugreek seeds.

3) Once cumin seeds starts to splutter add red chillies and saute if for a min. Then add sesame seeds and fry for a minute till they become fluffy. Transfer it then to a plate.Once it cools grind to a fine powder.

4) In the same pan add 1/2 tsp of oil and the curry leaves and fry for 1-2 minutes . Switch off the flame.

5) Once it cools add the curry leaves to the above grinded powder with turmeric powder, tamarind,salt,sugar and grind to a fine paste.

6) Transfer it to a serving bowl. Mix and serve it with pancakes.

 

Fattoush

Ready to beat the heat? Then this tangy Lebaneese salad is a tasty choice. This is a great recipe for a quick summer supper. There aren't many ingredients and doesn't take much time!

Fattoush is basically a Lebaneese dish. It adds all the flair your dinner deserves. Fattoush is so popular in the middle east that you will surely find it in most 5-Star hotel menu books. It in fact deserves to be on the banquet tables of royal courts. And it is terribly  effortless to make - Just gather the right ingredients, and your favorite salad is a snap to make—and super tasty, too!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Romaine lettuce, torn in pieces
1 cucumber
A few tomatoes,seeded and  diced
1 raddish sliced (white or red color)
Green onions sliced
A hand ful of chopped Italian parsely and a hand ful of fresh mint
A green pepper diced (optional)
2 small pita breads
Olive oil for frying the pita breads

For the dressing:

2 small lemons, juiced
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 generous tsps of Sumac ( Sumac is a an Arabian spice that gives a tangy flavor to dishes) you can substitute with vinegar or lime juice if you can't find sumac in your place.

2 or more cloves of garlic mashed in a dash of salt in a mortar. If this salt is not enough, you can add more salt in the salad according to taste.

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Chop all the vegetables for the Salad. Mix them in a bowl.

2) Heat olive oil in a wok . Cut the pita breads into small rectangular pieces and deep fry them in the hot oil.

3) Mix these deep fried bread pieces with the salad vegetables.

4) Now prepare the dressing - Mix all the dressing ingredients well and pour the dressing into the salad bowl and mix well.

5) Serve the salad as it is or you can chill it for a while in the refrigerator and serve .
 

 

 

Chicken Burritos

It's Sunday morning and I'm feeling reflective and incredibly content. After a refreshing weekend and back to work for another long 5 day week, I feel determined and energetic to do something new . But I'm busier than I've ever been and all of it is thanks to my blog. It may not make me overly popular in some arenas occasionally, and it surely keeps the energy factors high, but I wouldn't change it.

 

And now I have again brought in Mexico into my Kitchen. After shortlisting a few Mexican dishes, I have made it a point to regularly to try each one even though most of them are almost similar. And this time Chicken Burritos was my weekend choice.

 

Just thinking of these makes me salivate: these toasted Mexican Rolls have the perfect more-ish mixture between thin crisp crust and gooey yielding middle.

This has many strings to its bow: it can also serve as a vegetarian alternative to the Holiday Meat, it gussies up a plate of cold leftover grills; it adds the right balance of mellow warmth and tang to any plain wintry dish; it is a good whole meal on days when you just feel fleshed-out.What's more, they're pretty well instant to make. This is a real culinary sensation. A Truly Mexican fiesta and you will surely taste the extra flavors in these rolls.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tsp red chilli flakes   

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 cup green, red and yellow capsicum cut lengthwise 
1/2 cup carrot juliennes

1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1 sachet any seasoning mix  

1/2 Kg skinned chicken breast halves (2 to 3), cur into small chunks.

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 jalapeño chile, seeded and minced

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese   

1 tablespoon lime juice   

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tomato, seeded and chopped

1 bunch (about 4) spring onions thinly sliced

4 flour tortillas warmed

2 cups finely shredded cabbage

1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt to taste

HOW TO MAKE:

1)  Whisk together seasoning, red chilli flakes, oregano, garlic salt and cumin powder in a medium bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat.

2) In a shallow pan, heat oil and add the chicken into this and shallow fry until slightly golden.

3) At this stage, add the vegetables (capsicum, carrot)  into the leftover marinade in the bowl and mix well.

4) Now add these coated vegetables to the chicken in the pan and continue to stir fry until chicken is fully golden.

5)  Switch off stove now and mix the rest of the ingredients (except tortillas, cream and cheese) with these fried items and keep aside.

6) Now spread each tortilla on a flat surface. Spread some sour cream on each one.  Top with the fried mix. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese liberally on each tortilla.

7) Roll each tortilla and fold it well so that the stuffing doesn't fall out.

8) Sprinkle some olive oil on each tortilla roll.

9) You can either shallow fry this on the griddle or you can use the oven to grill or bake them until they are light golden.

10) Enjoy a Mexican dinner with Mexican Salsa.

 

Gosht Achaari

A cursory scroll through this site will make it clear to anyone that I've got a bit of a 'thing' for luscious mutton gravies. This is in fact my third mutton gravy dish for the month and I'm pretty sure it won't be the last. I have been finding a good number of mutton gravies replete with various combination of spices producing a variety of flavors and acting as great side dishes for our dinners. I have been trying them out regularly and cannot stop myself from generating bursts of aroma in my kitchen playing with amazing combination of spices. Even seeing this written down is making me feel hungry in equal measures. 

This time I went on to try the Ghost Achaari dish. This is usually my first choice when we are eating out. Somehow the restaurant flavours pleases me. And I was mighty pleased when I found this recipe while I browsed recently.

Now off to the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

1 kg Mutton/chicken (small pieces)
1/2 Yogurt
2 Onion medium, sliced
4 Tomato medium, peeled
1 tbsp Ginger & Garlic Paste
2 tsp Red Chilli powder
Salt  to taste
1/2 cup Oil

To grind:

1 tsp Onion seeds
3 tsp fennel seeds 
2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Black cumin (black/shahi zeera)
2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds

HOW TO MAKE:

1)  Marinate meat/chicken with ginger, garlic, chilli powder, salt and yogurt for 2 hours.

2) Heat the oil in a pan, add onions and fry till golden. Add the marinated mutton and fry for 5 minutes.

3) Add the tomatoes and fry for 2-3 minutes. Then add the ground spices and continue to fry for another 2-3 minutes.

4) Add water now and continue to cook on low heat until meat is tender and water is fully dried.

5) Serve after garnishing with finely chopped coriander leaves.

 

No bake pinwheel cookies

Wondering what can be made for today's tea time? Something that is very easy and doesn't need cooking or baking? Then you are on the right page. Because, here I have the world's easiest cookies for you.

 
With just a little finger work and refrigeration, these cookies are a breeze to make. And the ingredients are the ones on every pantry shelf. They're soft, sweet, and surprisingly versatile. These double colored gems brighten up any tea time table. A sure palate cleanser. The secret ? Chocolate. We all love Chocolate and this combination is delicious. Can be made in a jiff. Definitely a keeper. So get ready for a hearty party.

Off to the recipe now:
 
INGREDIENTS:

1 packet Marie Biscuit
2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
5 tbsp Powdered Sugar
2 tbsp Butter
4 tbsp Milk

Filling:

Cream butter and sugar, keep this aside.

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Add the marie biscuits in the mixer grinder and powder them fine. You can sieve them also.

2)  Mix in cocoa powder and 2 tbsp powdered sugar and make into a dough by adding milk.

3) Roll out the dough into a rectangle shape. Spread the filling evenly. Leave some space at the edge.

4) Now, roll from one end to form a log shape. Make sure you roll it really tight and seal any cracks as you roll.

5) Cover the log in butter paper or aluminum foil and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Cut into 1 inch pinwheel cookies and serve.

 

Chicken puffs

I am always in the mood to experiment on Thursday nights and most of what I try comes out pretty decent . Last Thursday was no exception. I had some puff pastry square packet waiting for attention in my fridge and I decided to attack them for dinner and that means I was supposed to be using my new oven again for baking. Quite excited about it.

I accompanied it with some spicy stir-fry soup. Strange combo, you'd think. It was excellent, especially the use of the stir-fried vegetables which I think had made it to the top 10 list of things I'd like to eat every other day.

Anything stir-fried produces an aroma which immediately triggers a terrific appetizing reaction in me. From noodles to fried rice and soups and side dishes, stir-fried stuff is something that I love to cook everyday. I have noticed that Chinese and Thai food has many dishes that ought to be stir-fried and they all taste heavenly.

Coming to today's recipe- I usually keep a packet of puff pastry squares in the freezer or a loaf of sandwich bread handy to prepare rolls or quick-fix pizzas or plain puffs with a filling for entertaining or whenever you fancy a delightful bite. So get ready to bite into buttery puffs and for me they are the best bakes on the block.

Once you prepare the filling, the oven looks after the rest of the work and you can relax while they get baked. Vegetarians can omit the chicken and use more vegetables or potatoes for a vegan dish.

INGREDIENTS:

For the filling:

2 cups chicken, pressure cooked to 2 whistles and shredded

2 tablespoon oil

2 cups onion, finely sliced

1 ½ medium tomato, chopped

1/3 cup coriander, chopped

handful curry leaves, torn to small pieces

1 green chili, sliced

1/3 cup green beans, finely sliced

1/3 cup carrot, finely grated

3 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1 ½ tsp chili powder

1 ½ tsp garam masala powder

pinch turmeric

1 ½ tsp coriander powder

1 tsp pepper powder

Juice of one small lime

Salt to taste

 

HOW TO MAKE:

For the Filling:

1) Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a frying pan and add onions and stir-fry until the onions become translucent and a bit brown.

2) Add ginger–garlic paste, sliced chili and curry leaves and cook for 1 minute, before adding the tomatoes. Cook tomatoes until they look soft.

3)  Then add carrot and bean and stir-fry for 2 minutes. 

4) Add in turmeric, coriander, chili, fennel and pepper powders and cook for 1 minute more. Season with salt.

5) Now, tip in the minced meat; add garam masala and lime juice and stir fry everything together for 3-4 minutes adding some water to keep it moist.

6) Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and switch off the stove.

For the Puffs:

 

10 square puff pastry, thawed (I generally use Alkaramah)

1 egg, beaten

Filling, as needed

How to make :

 

1) Thaw the pastry squares, separating the sheets and laying them on a tray lined with parchment paper, at room temperature. Thaw until completely and evenly moist, but not dry. Maximum of one hour usually. 

2) Preheat the oven to 200^oC.

3) Trim the sides of the pastry with a sharp knife, to make smaller squares.

4) For rectangular shapes, spread the mixture lengthwise over half of the dough to within ½ inch of edges. Then, fold dough over the filling, and pinch or press the edges together to seal. Use a fork, if you like.

5) For triangular shapes, place the square puff and upon it place the filling diagonally. Fold it over for the triangular shape and use a fork to seal the edges.

6) Arrange the puffs on a baking tray and brush the beaten egg on each puff.

7) Bake in a pre-heated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden color.

8) Serve hot.

 

 

Crustless Mini Quiches/Cheesy Omelette muffins

My weaknesses are mainly savory - think salt and vinegar crisps or cheese and biscuits - but there are times when my body craves for some glucose and I hunt down my kitchen for some sweet crispies .
Hot chocolate on the side is always worth considering, but just - just! - by itself this is sublime succor. This is my way of assuaging my appetite, appeasing my need or, perhaps more accurately, feeding my addiction.
 
But then for a strong breakfast or a healthy one, I like spreading out savories along with a bowl of fruits and a milk dessert to puddle over into a balanced spread.
 
And eggs is the Number .1 ingredient that a healthy breakfast demands. From plain omelettes or sandwiches or a bull's eye fry, eggs brighten up a breakfast or a brunch with just the right amount of calories to kick-start the day.
 
From quite a while, I have been eyeing Quiches but had not tried out any. Recently I came across a recipe while browsing and I could not stop myself from trying this out because I felt it was quite easy and will be well received by my family. And then it turned out to be a super hit and is demanded regularly.

The recipe is as follows:

INGREDIENTS:

4 eggs , well beaten
1 small onion finely chopped
Few leaves spinach chopped
1 small tomato finely chopped
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 pinch turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 small green chili finely chopped
2 tbsp. fresh coriander leaves finely chopped
Salt to taste
1/4 cup grated cheese
2 tbsp. oil or butter for greasing the pans

HOW TO MAKE:

1)  Preheat the oven to 375 degree F / 190 degree C.2. Grease the cupcake tin with melted butter, set aside.

2)  In a mixing bowl beat the eggs and add onion, tomato, spinach, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, green chili, fresh coriander, salt and cheese. Stir everything until well combined.

3) Pour the mixture equally in the size of your cupcake tin.

4) Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, depending on the size of your cupcake tin.

5) Once done remove and allow it to cool for few minutes before removing them from the tin.

 

Spicy Stir-Fry Soup

I have a clear soup recipe here with a good amount of vegetables and some spice. Best for the winter months. So before I am late and winter ends everywhere, I decided to post this recipe here.

INGREDIENTS:

3 whole red chillies broken into pieces
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 tsp Oil
1/2 cup spring onions finely chopped(white part only)
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced red/green capsicum
1-2 baby corns sliced
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
4 cups hot water
1 tbsp thinly sliced spring onions(green part only) for garnish

HOW TO MAKE:

1) In a small bowl, soak red chilies in ½ cup of hot water for 20 minutes. Drain the water leaving behind 1 tablespoon.

2) In mixer, add red chili along with 1 tablespoon of water and garlic. Blend into smooth paste. Set aside.

3) In a deep nonstick pan, heat oil, add the chili-garlic paste and saute on medium flame for a few seconds.

4) Stir in chopped spring onion whites, cabbage and red bell pepper (capsicum). Saute for 1-2 minutes.

5) Add lemon juice, sugar and salt. Mix well.

6)  Pour 3½ cups of hot water, mix well and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3- 4 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

7) Serve hot garnished with spring onion greens.

 

Nihaari Ghost

What’s for dinner? The answer might be as simple for us with a usual side dish or a gravy accompanied with Rotis or breads - OK, I am talking about the busy week nights when we have little time for elaborate cooking. So I knead the flour for the Rotis and cook up a nice gravy or a quickly cooked stew.

This is my daily routine soon after I reach home after a long day at work. And then I fix a quick salad and start the pre-preparations for the next day's breakfast and lunch so that my mornings are not very hectic with a long list of work to do. If I miss doing my pre-preparations, mornings are surely a nightmare.

A working woman's life goes this way. I wait for the weekends for the tidying up and vacuum cleaning and the laundry. And the most exciting part of the weekend is the time to try out new dishes which are shortlisted earlier.

So here I have a traditional meat dish from Pakistan - a real spicy one. This dish is a deeply delicious expression of what can be done with the best aromas from the seasonal spices. It is rich in flavors and spice, rich with aroma and vibrant in color.

The basic Nihaari curries from Pakistan are quite spicy, but here I have reduced the spice content as I am not a big fan of spicy food. And it has a rich aroma with the use of rose water and saffron ,thus categorizing this into a royal side dish.

Saffron helps give the dish a vibrant color and imparts a rich look to it. Enjoy it with Rotis or Naans.

INGREDIENTS:

1 kg meat
2 Tbsp refined oil
3-4 green cardamoms
1 tsp whole cinnamon
2 black cardamoms
2-3 bay leaves
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 cup water
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garlic - fried and ground
1 tsp onions - fried and ground
3 Tbsp yoghurt - beaten
2 tsp rose water
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp nutmeg-cardamom powder
1/2 tsp saffron - soaked in water
Salt to taste
Wheat dough for steamed cooking
Fresh coriander and ginger juliennes - to garnish

 

HOW TO MAKE:
 

1) Heat oil in a pan and add green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom and bay leaves.

2) Add the meat and saute till lightly fried. Add salt and turmeric and mix well. Pour in the water, cover the pan and cook. 

3) When it starts boiling, add ginger- garlic paste, coriander powder, red chilli, garlic paste and onion paste.

4) Mix well and add yoghurt, gulab-jal, garam masala, nutmeg and cinnamon powder and saffron.
Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.

5) Now transfer the meat in a heavy bottom pan and strain the gravy.

6) Cover the pan and seal it with the wheat dough and cook on slow fire.

7) Once done, garnish with fresh coriander and ginger juliennes and serve.

 

Banjari Ghost

This is another side dish that helps you to explore the authentic flavours of Rajasthani spices infused in juicy mutton pieces. This one will dazzle at your dinner table and pairs beautifully with Rotis/Breads. A good option for dinner and parties.

So sink your teeth into succulent meat with a terrific combination of royal and intense flavors. Can also be categorized into a spicy treat. Quite yummy with a bit of freshly roasted and crushed coriander seeds.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbs Oil
1/2 Kg mutton
2 onions sliced 
Whole garam masala - 2 sticks cinnamons, 2 cardomoms, 1 bay leaf, 3-4 cloves
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp coriander seeds- roasted and crushed
150 gm yogurt
6 whole red chillies

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Heat oil, add sliced onions and saute till they turn brown.

2) Then add ginger-garlic paste, whole garam masala, red chilli powder, salt, turmeric, coriander powder.

3) Add yogurt and mutton.

4) Add coriander seeds and allow them to cook.

5) Garnish with pounded coriander seeds and whole red chillies.

 

Cheesy White sauce Macaroni

Typically stay away from white sauce? Yes, I used to until I ended up eating the Macaroni in white sauce recently.

My impression about the white sauce was that it would take long to cook and I had conveniently arrived at a conclusion that it may not fetch me the desired results . But then after coming across a few recipes here and there, I made up my mind to give it a shot. And then there surely is no looking back. And the cheese in it is so yummy that it gives you a kick of energy as you gulp it down.Try this tasty version of macaroni made out of white sauce and prepare to change your mind. 

Please note here that you can use any pasta you like. Not just Macaroni. Feel free to try this with spaghetti and other pasta shapes too.

INGREDIENTS:

For the White Sauce:

1 tbsp Butter
1 tsp Garlic minced
2 tbsp Cornflour or all purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 tsp thyme(optional)
Salt to taste
1tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp red chilly flakes
2 cubes grated cheese

For the Macaroni:

100 gms Macaroni
1/2 bowl grated cheese
1 tbsp butter/oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup Chopped vegetables - red, yellow & green bell pepper, carrots julienned, broccoli, spring onions, baby corn.
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp thyme


HOW TO MAKE:

The White Sauce:

1) Heat  1tbsp of butter in a pan and add garlic and sauté for a minute.

2) Once its done add  corn flour/ all purpose flour sauté for a second let it not turn brown. Add 2 cups of milk and stir it continuously to avoid lumps.

3) Once the mixture starts thickening add  oregano, thyme, salt, pepper powder and chilly flakes.

4) Add  2 cubes grated cheese and mix well and keep aside.

White sauce

The Macaroni:

1) Bring water to boil and cook Macaroni as usual until soft and drain it.

2) Heat oil/butter in a pan and add in the chopped vegetables. Stir fry them and sauté them for just a minute.

3) Add in salt & pepper and mix well. Switch off the stove.

4) At this stage, take an oven proof dish and spread one layer butter, then a layer of boiled macaroni , cover it with a layer of white sauce, den a layer of the sautéed vegetables.

5) Cover with grated cheese and sprinkle oregano , pepper, red chilly flakes, salt and thyme . I also garnished with tomato rounds for a more colorful look.

6) Heat this in a microwave or bake in  a convection over for about 4/5 minutes or till the cheese melts completely. Serve hot