Kids’ Favorites : Crispy Baked Crumb Chicken : Finger-licking Good!! :)

And I’m back again today with another quick and tasty dish which is sure to be on your menu every week starting today. I have been happy these past few days. The reason being my sister and her two lovely kids are in India on vacation and will be coming to Bangalore in a few days. (her hubby couldn’t make it though, “we miss you terribly Acha”) We haven’t met in almost four years!!! I am thrilled. I am just looking forward to getting together and chilling out as a family.

Today’s post is dedicated to them. “This one’s for you Sharon, Sam and Josh. And Chitta is so making this for you Sam and Josh. You sure are going to love it.”

Moving on to the recipe, this is one dish I haven been wanting to share with all of you for so long. A classic example of how junk can be made healthy too!

Crispy Fried Chicken – a classic kids’ favorite. We have all had it at some point of our lives. (leave alone my vegetarian friends of course) So many fast food chains sell these like hotcakes. However what I do not like is all that oil that goes into deep frying. And also these frozen stuff coated in something that is supposed to be breadcrumbs. There certainly is a way to optimize this favorite to a healthier meal. So how did I do that? I BAKED the crumb coated chicken! And the end-result is soft, succulent, flavorful chicken with a lovely golden and crunchy coating on the outside. Yes my friends say good-bye to deep frying and a warm welcome to baking good old crispy chicken! Served with a side of freshly prepared coleslaw, oh this meal is heavenly!!! This recipe is a tweaked version of my good friend's Southern Fried Chicken which is a delicious crispy fried chicken dish. I have made it a healthier dish which can be made very often for the whole family and also have used different herbs and spices to suit our palate.

So, as the season is just perfect to munch away on some crispy chicken I leave you with this amazing recipe of juicy, flavorful and crunchy chicken which is baked and is finger-licking good! Sooooo Good!!! Your kids will absolutely love this dish. My one and a half year old daughter devours this in minutes. :) Enjoy

Ingredients

800 grams Chicken (on the bone); cut into medium size pieces

2 Eggs

3 tablespoons of Milk

Refined oil

Ingredients for the Dry Spice Rub

1 tablespoon Paprika or Kashmiri Chili powder (adjust as per spice tolerance)

1 teaspoon Cracked Pepper (adjust as per spice tolerance)

1 tablespoon Garlic powder or 6 to 7 cloves of freshly crushed Garlic

1 tablespoon Onion powder (optional)

Salt; to taste

Ingredients for the Seasoned Crumbs

1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups of Plain Flour

1 cup Breadcrumbs

1 cup Corn Flakes; coarsely crushed

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of Garlic powder (if you don’t have garlic powder leave out this ingredient)

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of Onion powder (optional)

1 tablespoon Paprika or Kashmiri Chili powder (add more if you like it nice and spicy)

1 teaspoon Pepper (adjust as per spice tolerance)

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of Dried Rosemary

Salt; to taste

Method

Wash and clean the chicken and pat dry with a kitchen towel to absorb all moisture. Make deep gashes on each piece and marinate it with the ingredients listed under “Ingredients for the Dry Spice Rub”. Keep aside for at least an hour.

Take a large mixing bowl and mix together all ingredients listed under “Ingredients for the Seasoned Crumbs”. Make sure to mix through well so that all the ingredients are combined evenly. Keep aside.

Take another bowl and beat together the eggs and milk. Keep aside.

Preheat oven at 180 degree Celsius.

Drench the marinated chicken pieces one by one in the egg and milk mixture and coat well with seasoned crumb mix. Give it a little pat and a shake to hold the crust together and repeat the same procedure (dipping and coating with seasoned crumb mix) a second time. Arrange the crumb coated chicken pieces on a greased baking tray.

Drizzle a little oil on each piece of chicken and bake in the oven. Bake for five to seven minutes at 200 degree Celsius and then turn down the heat back to 180 degree Celsius and bake for fifteen minutes.

After fifteen minutes, take out the baking tray with the chicken and drizzle some more oil on each piece. This step is crucial to avoid drying of the chicken. It helps to keep the chicken moist and succulent. Once some more oil has gone onto each piece of chicken, place the tray back in the oven and bake till you get a nice golden crispy crust on the outside and the meat is juicy and cooked through.

Serve this Crispy Baked Crumb Chicken which has rested for a minute or two with some deliciously Creamy Cabbage and Carrot Coleslaw.

Recipe adapted from : The Perfect Southern Fried Chicken by Amritha Shivakumar of Cucumbertown

For Love's Sake... Indonesian Noodles with Chicken and Shrimp

I have to tell you I have an intense carnal love for noodles. Out of the blue, an image, an image of me twirling noodles with a fork (I wish I could say chopsticks and show off, but I have no clue how to use it!) pops into my mind and refuses to budge. There are times when I crave these thready, slurpy satisfaction. My love began during my childhood when my mom would cook up delicious home-style Chinese Noodles almost every week. I loved it and I pigged out. I was happy at the end of a huge bowl of those flat thready stuff! :)

It is Valentine's Day today and I have for you a special recipe for the occasion which will dazzle your significant other! The dish I have for you is a spicy Indonesian Noodles with Chicken and Shrimp which trumps everything. Super easy to put together and just delicious. Most of the ingredients I have used today can be found in anybody's kitchen.

This dish is not the pump your adrenalin, let's go skydiving kind you want to share with your Valentine. Nor is it a one that says, you are sooooo awesome and I will die, just die, without seeing you every moment of the day.

It is however a one that you want to put on the table, for supper after a whole day’s work, look at your partner and just smile. Because, the sparkle in your eyes is saying so much.

This Valentine’s Day, I decided to showcase this sumptuous Indonesian style Chinese Noodle dish which is not only tasty but a soul satisfying dish. For those of you who plan to have a quiet day at home and haven’t decided what to make this Valentine’s Day, here is the perfect one pot meal for your loved one and you.

While I go enjoy my rest of the day with the hubby and little munchkin, I wish you a good day too. Happy Valentine’s Day once again :)

Ingredients

280 grams Egg Noodles

Vegetable or Refined oil

350 grams boneless Chicken Breasts; cut into bite size cubes

Scallions or Spring onions

2 Red onions; diced

5 to 6 Garlic cloves; crushed

80 to 90 grams of Pak Choi; cut into quarters (refer notes)

5 to 6 Dry Red chillies; coarsely crushed (refer notes)

1 Green chili; slit lengthwise

1 tablespoon Ginger; finely chopped

100 grams raw Shrimp; cleaned and de-veined

3/4 teaspoon Sugar

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoon Light Soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoon Vegetable/Chicken/Beef stock

Salt and Pepper; to taste

Cilantro or Coriander leaves; to garnish

Method

Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions and drain well. (coat noodles with oil to prevent sticking if not preparing the dish immediately)

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet (frying pan), add the chicken cubes and stir-fry for a few minutes or until chicken turns golden brown and is cooked through.

Add the scallions, onions and garlic and fry for a few minutes. Now add the pak choi, green chili, crushed red chili and ginger and fry for a few minutes. Add the fresh shrimp and fry for a few minutes till shrimp is cooked through. (you can even cover and cook if needed) Sprinkle over the sugar, soy sauce, stock and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the noodles and heat, stirring, until steaming hot.

Once done, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve immediately.

Notes:

1. You can also use fresh spinach leaves instead of pak choi. I used spinach this time as I didn’t have any pak choi in my pantry.

2. The chili flakes lifts the dish to a whole new level. FYI, this dish is spicy, so feel free to reduce the quantity of chili used in the recipe if it doesn’t suit your palate and stomach!

Recipe Courtesy: Food Lovers Chicken (tweaked the original recipe to use our local produce and ingredients and tasted awesome)

Daring Bakers, Say Cheeeese :) Delicious Home-made Pizza

This pizza is heartfelt. It is all about a salute to finding the balance between indulgence and healthy and along the making it as made from scratch as possible. A homemade thin crust pizza topped with shredded spiced chicken, caramelized onions, mozzarella and cheddar cheese and bell peppers is just the perfect, yummylicious weekend dinner or even breakfast, I say!

Who doesn’t love pizza! But, alas, things so good are hardly ever good for you. Now, exactly what about the pizza is bad? Oh, the gallons of grease, and piles of cheese, you say; all good tasting but sadly artery clogging stuff. But, what if you could actually control all that to the normal and acceptable levels? If you could with some extra effort ensure that a pizza slice is as good-for-you a meal as any other that you make at home, would you do it? Of course, without compromising on the flavor etc. etc....

If you are willing to go that extra bit, then you are in for a happy, happy surprise! I made pizza at home. Yes, from scratch. What else did you expect from me?! The base, the sauce, the toppings, the whole nine yards. I really would not have even considered making the pizza base at home if not for browsing some of my favorite food blogs, in particular Sanaa’s ‘Easy Pizza Dough’ recipe on Cucumbertown. She makes bread-making sound so easy that I decided to give it a chance. And it was worth it! Thanks a ton Sanaa. My other inspiration to try out this delish pizza was a fab baking tray gifted by our loving aunt, Mommy. Mommy is an excellent cook (though I haven’t tasted her food yet, maybe the next time you visit us Mommy?) and a beautiful person. The day she gave us the tray I was determined to cook up something interesting using the same. “Mommy, the tray was lovely, thanks to you the pizza turned out extremely well”.

I have not attempted to make any yeast-bread at home at all. Until now... Once I set about it, I was really surprised to see how easy it was. It’s quick to prepare and an excellent on-the-go-meal option and I assure you it is worth every minute. It made me wonder why I thought all this was a painful process in the first place. But, well, happily I have been corrected of my faulty notion. And, from this day forward, I swear to give any other yeast bread more than a passing shot in my kitchen!

So, once the dough was all set, I rolled it out into an oval shaped base, topped it up with some delicious stuff and used very less cheese and hence no grease making it healthy! Simple, rustic and absolutely divine…so what are you waiting for, go ahead and make this scrumptious pizza for your family.

Simple, clean flavors… that's the way I like it...

It was delicious! So, I can really have it more often than before and with my own choice of toppings! Yippee! :)

Ingredients for the Pizza Base

2 cups All Purpose Flour

2 1/4 teaspoon Dry Yeast (refer notes)

1 teaspoon Sugar

1 teaspoon Salt

1/4 cup Water

2 tablespoon Olive oil

Ingredients for the Pizza Sauce

4 large Tomatoes; diced

4 cloves of Garlic; finely chopped

1 small/medium size Big Onion; finely chopped

1 tablespoon Tomato paste

2 teaspoon Oregano; fresh or dried (I used dried)

1 teaspoon Basil; fresh or dried (I used dried)

1/2 teaspoon Pepper; freshly milled (adjust as per spice tolerance)

1 teaspoon Paprika

2 1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Red Chilli flakes (optional)

Salt; to taste

Ingredients for Caramelized Onions

3 to 4 large size Big Onions

1 tablespoon Butter

1 teaspoon Sugar

Salt; to taste

Apple Cider Vinegar or Water; just enough to soften the onions (refer notes)

Ingredients for the Topping

I used 250 grams of shredded chicken sautéed with a few spices like paprika; freshly sliced bell peppers and of course cheese. (a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar) [Please refer notes for more ideas]

Method to prepare the Pizza Base

Dissolve the dry yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water. Let it rest till slight bubbles form. Now add sugar, stir and keep aside for 4 to 5 minutes or till the mixture turns frothy.

Take a wide mixing bowl and add all the ingredients (including the dissolved yeast) into it. Combine all the ingredients and gently knead with fingertips until a slightly sticky dough forms. You don’t have to work your arm by kneading too much. Just get the dough together. Transfer into an oiled bowl and turn the dough so the oil coats it. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let it rise for about 25 to 30 minutes or until doubled in volume.

Method to prepare the Pizza Sauce

Heat the oil in wok and add chopped garlic and onion into it. Sauté till the onions turn light brown. Throw in the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, salt, pepper, spice powders and chilli flakes (optional) and sauté till tomatoes turn soft. Cover and cook for a few minutes till tomatoes turn very soft and mushy and water has evaporated. Cool the mixture and blend to a smooth puree.

Method to prepare Caramelized Onions

Heat butter in a broad pan and when the butter melts add the onions into it. Add enough salt and sugar and sauté on high heat till onions turn a lovely golden brown. Stir continuously to avoid onions sticking to pan. At this time pour cider vinegar or water little by little to soften the onions. This process is called deglazing. Repeat this process till onions turn soft and water has completely dried up. (your onions must be a beautiful golden brown and should be soft and sticky)

Method to prepare the Pizza

Punch down the prepared dough and knead lightly until it forms a ball. Transfer to a floured surface.

Roll the dough into a circle, rectangle, oval or any desired shape, flouring it as you go. Once rolled out to desired shape, transfer the base to a greased baking tray lined with parchment/greaseproof paper (optional). Slather on some pizza sauce and throw in the shredded chicken, caramelized onions, bell peppers and grated cheese.

Preheat oven at 100 degree Celsius for 10 minutes. Bake the pizza in the preheated oven at 200 degree Celsius for about 15 minutes. The base will turn a lovely golden brown.

Sprinkle a pinch of chilli flakes and oregano on top and serve them hot or warm. Yum yum yum…

Notes:

1. If you are using instant yeast in place of dry yeast, just throw it directly into the pizza dough while preparing it, so that makes the process easier. But please don’t go hunting for instant yeast because dry yeast works out just fine and is not difficult at all. Just takes a few extra minutes, that’s all.

2. You can always use cider vinegar to deglaze your caramelized onions but I used water and it worked out just fine.

3. You can use any topping of your choice. Some yummy options are sausage (chicken/pork/beef), pepperoni, chicken franks, beef mince, spinach, basil leaves, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, jalapeno peppers, fresh onions and tomatoes, any kind of grilled or prepared leftover chicken from day before’s dinner or lunch…. Oh the options are too many! Of course cheese goes without a say, anything is ok I guess, mozzarella, cheddar, goat’s cheese, feta, anything really.

Here are a few links that helped me get going to prepare this tasty pizza:

Easy Pizza Dough: http://www.cucumbertown.com/recipes/easy-pizza-dough

How to Quickly Caramelize Onions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt_0e72fs9M

Summertime Indulgence: South Indian Chicken Biriyani

Ah! Finally after several failed attempts at making the ever popular Biriyani, here is an excellent recipe for a delicious Chicken Biriyani. As I have mentioned earlier, Biriyani has been my all-time favorite dish; serve it to me any time of the day and I'm ever-ready to gobble it all up.

Biriyani is typically a special occasion dish, for many reasons. This dish is particularly known for its many layers of flavors that slowly develop and meld together. So, it’s a multi-step process that requires much love in many installments over a long cooking time. Also, those flavors and the aromas from the dish come from a blend of spices that are typically not used in everyday cooking and are pricier, hence adding to the special feel…

The concept of the Biriyani came from Persians. Originated in Persia it was brought to India by travelling Iranian merchants. It is a flavored rice dish made with alternating layers of rice and meat. The meat is cooked separately in a thick sauce/curry/gravy and then arranged between layers of rice and the whole assembly is then cooked very slowly to infuse flavors throughout the dish. When the Mughals conquered Northern India, they introduced much of their cuisine to the populace. As their rule spread further South, most Indians were exposed to the delicacy and it took a firm place in every Indian’s heart. And, then, every region of the country adopted the dish as its own and lent a distinctive flavor and taste to it by modifying the ingredients as also the method based on the indigenous cuisine.

Over time, a distinctive difference developed between the Biriyani as it is served in North India (that is only a slightly modified version of the Persian original) and that in the South, especially, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which, has been significantly modified to suit the Southern Palate.

The good thing about the Biriyani is that the components can be made ahead and it tastes even better the next day as the flavors have more time to develop.

Spices have always been precious and festivals are occasions to indulge and splurge. Accordingly, food on these special days is enhanced in flavor, aroma and richness by various spices and ingredients indigenous to the country like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and Basmati rice and those introduced through the ancient spice routes such as saffron, dried fruits and nuts.

Although, every family makes its own version, and I'm sure they are all yum, I share with you today my Amma's (my lovely mum-in-law) awesome recipe for the flavorful Chicken Biriyani. Amma's Biriyani always tastes lovely and she prepares it with all kinds of meat like Mutton, Beef etc... and all of them taste delicious. My search for a good Biriyani came to an end when I first had Amma's tasty Biriyani but it took me a lot of attempts to get it right! Thanks a ton Amma for so patiently teaching me this yummy dish.

Biriyani is an informal meal, typically eaten family style with the whole family gathered around a giant plate piled high with flavored rice and flavorful meat. That's a fantastic way to eat it, everyone digging in, laughing and enjoying the meal.

I served up my Biriyani with a chilled Raita - Crunchy Corn and Raisin Delight, Date and Lime Pickle and Pappads. This dish is quick and easy but at the same time elegant and bursts with flavors. I dedicate today's post to Amma, my loving mum-in-law. "Amma, I can't wait to make it for you when you come and stay with us in Bangalore" :)

Ingredients for Chicken

1 to 1 & 1/4 Kg Chicken or 14 to 15 pieces of Chicken; cut into pieces

6 to 7 medium size Big Onions; finely sliced

6 & 1/2 inch piece Ginger; ground to paste

17 to 18 cloves Garlic; ground to paste

8 to 10 Green Chillies; crushed (adjust as per spice tolerance)

4 to 5 medium size Tomatoes, finely sliced (refer notes)

4 to 5 tbsp Curd

10 to 12 Cashew nuts; ground to a fine paste with a little milk (optional)

1/2 cup Coriander leaves; finely chopped

1/4 cup Mint leaves; finely chopped or juice extracted

8 to 10 Cloves

4 to 5 Cinnamon sticks

6 pods Cardamom

2 to 3 petals of Star Anise

1 tsp Turmeric

Salt; to taste

Ghee/Oil (refer notes)

Ingredients for Rice

2 & 1/2 cups Basmati Rice; washed, cleaned and soaked in water for 1/2 an hour

5 cups Water

1 clove

1 inch piece of Cinnamon stick

3 pods of Cardamom

1 Bay leaf; coarsely crushed

1 petal of Star Anise

1/4 to 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

A pinch of Turmeric

Salt; to taste

Ghee/Oil (refer notes)

Ingredients for Garnish

15 to 18 Cashew nuts

15 to 18 Golden Raisins

1 medium size Big Onion, finely sliced

Ghee; for frying

Method for the Chicken Curry

Grind all the spices - cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom and star anise to a coarse or fine powder. Keep aside. This is the spice mix for the chicken curry/sauce/gravy.

Make light incisions on the chicken and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker or a wok and add the finely sliced onions into it. Sauté till onions reduce in quantity. (do not let the onions turn brown) Remove the onions from the pressure cooker or wok and keep aside.

Into the same cooker, add ginger & garlic paste along with crushed green chillies and sauté till raw smell disappears. Throw in the ground spice mix and stir till raw smell goes away. At this time add the sliced tomatoes, enough salt and turmeric powder and sauté for a few minutes. (do not wait for the oil to float, just a few minutes of sautéing will do) Now toss in the sautéed big onions and combine well. Switch off the fire and add the curd, chicken pieces and finely chopped leaves into it. Cover and cook till chicken is cooked through. Reduce the gravy till it is a thick gravy consistency; residual gravy will be used later in the dish. Once done, add the cashew paste into it and (if you are using it) let the chicken rest for a while; about 1 hour should be perfect. (refer notes)

Method for the Rice

Drain the soaked rice and keep aside.

Heat ghee/oil in a pressure cooker and fry the spices - cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf, star anise and fennel seeds) for a few minutes till the aroma comes through. Add the basmati rice and stir constantly on a medium flame for 5 minutes till rice turns glossy and starts crackling. (this helps to avoid the rice stick to each other) Now pour water, turmeric powder and enough salt and combine till everything is mixed well. (make sure you add enough salt but do not overdo it as the chicken has salt in it too) Close the pressure cooker (do not put weight) and wait for high steam to come. Once high steam appears, after a minute reduce the flame to low or sim and cook for exactly 5 minutes. Once done, switch off flame and open lid after 1/2 an hour. (Timing of cooking is crucial in this procedure of cooking rice, so make sure you follow the above mentioned timings to the T to get the perfect consistency and texture of the Biriyani)

Separate the rice with a fork without pressing it too much. (refer notes) Keep aside.

Now take a large rice pot or any vessel and grease it with ghee/oil. Layer the rice and chicken mixture; begin with a layer of rice followed by chicken and repeat layers with rice as the final and top-most layer. (refer notes) Add drops of ghee between each layer. (on each layer of rice before arranging the chicken pieces) Place the rice pot or vessel on the fire and keep on gentle sim for a few minutes till the Biriyani is set well and gravy is incorporated well into the rice.

Method for Garnish

Heat ghee in a pan and fry onion, cashew and raisin and keep aside.

Garnish the Chicken Biriyani with fried onion, cashew and raisin. Cover the Biriyani pot after adding the garnish for a few minutes before serving.

Serve hot with fried pappads, dates chutney and a cool raita. And there you have it, awesome Chicken Biriyani…..

Notes:

1. In case you do not have tomatoes in your pantry you can add 1 ¼ cups curd instead.

2. You can either add ghee or oil to your Biriyani; of course, ghee brings out the authentic flavor of Biriyani. I use a mixture of ghee and oil so I don’t overdo both!

3. If you do not have the time to let the chicken rest, that’s fine, you can add it immediately into the basmati rice and continue cooking your Biriyani. But letting the chicken rest enhances the overall flavor of the dish.

4. I have cooked the rice in my own style of cooking basmati rice since I find this an extremely easy method. But you can choose your most convenient method of cooking the same.

Recipe Courtesy: My lovely mum-in-law, Amma

In the Kitchen with a Plate of Spicy Singapore Chicken Noodles

I have to tell you, I have an intense carnal love for noodles. Out of the blue, an image, of me twirling noodles with a fork (tried my hand at chopsticks but never mastered the art; though my mom is an expert at using these) pops into my mind and refuses to budge. There are times when I crave these thready, slurpy satisfaction so much I tend to display withdrawal symptoms if I don't get my fix!

My love began during my childhood in Kerala, when we would have yummy noodles prepared by my mum or at times eat out at a Chinese restaurant. (where they served more Indian-Chinese, I would say) I never ordered the fried rice, always the delicious Mixed Noodles which I would douse with the chilli vinegar and spicy sauce. I loved it and I pigged out. I was happy at the end of a huge bowl of those flat thready stuff! :)

To this day, a bowl of it makes me happy. When cravings hit, the easiest and quickest solution is, of course, instant noodles, of which, there is always a supply at home. (Reju’s favorite midnight meal when his tummy is full and yet shockingly hungry for absolutely no reason!) However, it isn't healthy or well… nourishing. And, that's where this yummy Singapore Chicken Noodles trumps everything. Easy to put together and just scrumptious, I may have just found a healthy way to feed my addiction! :-))

Today’s dish is so yummy that you wouldn’t want to put your forks down. A very spirited and flavourful noodle dish. I love the bold flavors and the fiery combination of noodles and curry powder. The flavors of pungent curry powder, salty notes from soy sauce and the heat from the chilli will explode in your mouth. There is nothing elegant about this dish, but there is everything downright scrumptious to it. It’s simply the best standby meal, ready in minutes with ingredients you are sure to have in your pantry.

I’d like to say a huge Hi! and welcome to everyone who’s visiting my little space for the first time. It’s great to have you all over and hope you’ll stay around for more. Maybe you’d like to get to know me better, or just browse through a few of my recipes, grab a cup of tea and enjoy. Hope you are ready to join me on my crazy roller coaster ride.

More fun news to come later, so stay tuned.

Ingredients

Egg Noodles - 1 pkt

Vegetable oil or Peanut oil (whichever is available) - 1 and ½ tbsp

Chicken Thigh fillets (trimmed and thinly sliced) - 500 to 600 gms (refer notes)

Vegetables - julienned (refer notes)

Big Onion (halved and thinly sliced) - 1 (medium)

Shallots (finely sliced) - 4 to 5

Green chillies (slit lengthwise) - 1 to 2 (adjust as per spice tolerance)

Ginger (finely sliced or chopped) - 1 small piece

Garlic (crushed) - 3 cloves

Spring onion - 2 to 3 sticks (leaves separated)

Curry powder - 1 tbsp (refer notes)

Chicken stock - 2 to 3 tbsp

Soy sauce - 1 to 2 tbsp

Brown Sugar - 1 tsp

Pepper (freshly ground) – ¼ tsp

Salt - to taste (if necessary)

Method

Cook the noodles as per instructions on the packet. Drain and keep aside. Cook the frozen peas in boiling water for a few minutes. Run under cold water to retain the fresh green colour and set aside.

Cook the chicken in the pressure cooker for upto 1 whistle. Switch off flame and open immediately. (refer notes) Cut the cooked chicken into thick strips. Keep aside.

Heat a wok over a high heat. Add a little oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the chicken pieces and stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes till moisture has evaporated and chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a plate.

Into the same wok, pour in some more oil (if necessary) and add the green chillies, big onions, shallots, spring onion bulbs, garlic and ginger and sauté till onions soften. Throw in the bell peppers, carrots, peas and sprouts. Add the veggies one by one, according to the time it takes for it to cook. Make sure you cook each vegetable a little, like a couple of stirrings before you add the next. Once the veggies are done, add the soy sauce, sugar and cooked chicken into the wok and stir fry 2 minutes or until heated through. Now add the cooked noodles along with the curry powder and pepper and toss till combined well. Check for salt and add if necessary. (don’t overdo the salt because the curry powder and soy sauce may have enough) Gently toss or sauté the noodles to avoid noodles from breaking. Pour in the chicken stock and stir fry on high heat for a few minutes till moisture has evaporated completely and the noodles turn glossy. Add chopped spring onion leaves and toss. Switch off heat and serve hot.

Notes:

1. It is not necessary you use only chicken thigh fillets for this dish. Feel free to use any cut of chicken that is available in your refrigerator. If you are using chicken on the bone, make sure you remove all bones.

2. Veggies used in the dish are: Carrot - 1, Frozen Green Peas - 3/4 cup, Red or Green Pepper/Capsicum (seeded, deveined and thinly sliced) - 1, Bean Sprouts - 3/4 cup.

3. Curry powder is a blend of up to 20 different herbs and spices, including the commonly used: cardamom, chillies, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, mace, nutmeg, pepper, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, saffron, tamarind and turmeric. (which gives curry its characteristic golden color) In Indian cooking curry powder is freshly ground each day (making it far more flavorful and pungent than the mixes sold in the store) and comes in "standard" and "hot" versions.

Storage and Availability: Curry powder quickly loses its pungency. It will keep for 2 months in an airtight container. It is available all through the year in any supermarket.

4. You do not need to cook the chicken in a pressure cooker. You can always do it directly in the wok while sautéing the chicken pieces and toss till cooked through.

5. For best results, make sure you use good quality egg noodles.

Stir Fried Noodles - Soul Comforting

I have always loved Chinese food and still am head over heels in love with it! Back home, while I was growing up, my mum made sure she cooked up a delicious Chinese meal atleast once a week. During my younger days, I used to be an extremely poor eater, but Chinese food in any form was something I absolutely never refused!

This love and craving for Chinese have led me to trying out some of the dishes at home. Experimenting with Chinese cooking have not always resulted in happy endings but this time it turned out pretty well. Phew!! For those of you who love Chinese, this dish tastes great and will definitely nip your craving for Chinese food in the bud!

It was a lot of fun to make and it turned out delicious. The simplicity and fresh flavours involved made me realize why it is such a popular go-to meal. I had a pack of egg noodles and a few bottles of sauces lying in my pantry. Then I scrounged around in my veggie rack and took out everything I needed. I knew I had some shredded chicken and beef and home-made stock in my refrigerator and a plan started coming together. All the flavours worked great resulting in this lovely stir fry. This dish was a simple and quick meal to put together. If you don’t have all the veggies or meats I put in my stir fry, try using what you have on hand. This is what makes preparing a stir fry so fast and easy. And so I went to work trying to remember the ingredients (recipe passed down from my mama) added into the dish. I rolled up my sleeves, got out my wok and started the comfort procedure.

Today's recipe is my mum's version of a simple Chinese stir fry with noodles and a host of other ingredients. I made it over the weekend. It's easy and yet quite tasty. You can do a whole lot of variations with different sauces, meats and veggies. Most of the ingredients I have used today can be found in anybody's kitchen.This quick stir fry is a healthy fast food that you can make at home. A perfect recipe for a lazy day in the kitchen and is sure to be a kiddies’ hot favorite.

While I go enjoy the rest of my day cooking and reading and doing all the things I love, I wish you a good day too.

Ingredients

Noodles (Egg) - 1 pack (200 gms)

Egg (beaten with a pinch of pepper and salt) - 2

Chicken (cooked & shredded) - 1/2 cup

Beef (cooked & cut into bite size pieces) - 1/2 cup

Veggies (julienned) - 1 cup (refer notes)

Big Onion (finely sliced) - 1 (medium)

Scallions/Spring Onion (finely chopped) – 7 to 8 (chop up the leaves and keep aside)

Ginger (finely chopped) - 1 small piece

Garlic (crushed) - 3

Green chillies (slit lengthwise) - 1 to 2 (adjust as per spice tolerance)

Red Chilli paste (refer notes)

Chicken/Beef stock (optional) - 1/4 cup

Soya Bean sauce - 1 tbsp

Green Chilli sauce - 1 tbsp

Red Chilli sauce - 1 tbsp

Pepper - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method

Cook noodles as per instructions on the cover. Keep aside. (refer notes)

Heat oil in a large wok. Pour in the beaten eggs, scramble them and keep aside. (you can also prepare an omelette and cut into thin strips for better presentation) Into the same wok, pour in some more oil and add chopped ginger, crushed garlic, spring onion bulbs, finely sliced onions and green chillies. Saut'e till onions turn translucent. Throw in the veggies one by one. Add each vegetable according to the time it takes for it to cook. Make sure you cook each vegetable a little, like a couple of stirrings before you add the next.

Once all the veggies are cooked, add the sauces and mix well. At this time, add the cooked noodles along with pepper and salt and toss well on high flame till steam comes. (2 to 3 minutes approximately) If you are adding leafy vegetables like cabbage and spinach leaves, add it at this time so that it does not get overcooked. Add the red chilli paste and saut'e well. Now add the shredded chicken and beef and stir till combined well. (gently toss or saut'e the noodles to avoid noodles from breaking) Check for salt and add if necessary. Pour in the stock along with scrambled eggs and toss on high flame for a few minutes. Add chopped spring onion leaves and toss.

Switch off flame and serve piping hot. And there you have it – Spicy egg noodles with crisp vegetable, eggs and meats. After you have eaten a huge portion, you just sit back and this satisfying and comforting feeling takes over.

Enjoy! I'm sure you will love it.

Notes:

1. You can add veggies of your choice. These are the veggies I used - Carrot, Beans, Capsicum, Cabbage and Baby Spinach leaves.

2. To prepare Red Chilli Paste: Soak 3 to 4 red chillies in hot/warm water for 15 minutes. Drain water and take out some of the seeds (optional) and grind into a coarse paste with a hint of vinegar.

3. I add a little oil into plenty of water to cook the noodles and run it under cold water once cooked. I then splash some oil to keep the noodle moist.

4. You can add ajinomoto (about ¼ tsp) to help enhance flavour of the dish. When I need to add a little spark to the noodle I do that sometimes. On a regular basis, I prefer to avoid.

Source: Mum

Soul Food - Hariyali Chicken Biriyani

You have not celebrated a festivity if you have not celebrated the Indian way! I shall be so bold and state the fact. Indians love grandeur and splendor, especially us Keralites, and being a warm hospitable lot we splash out on celebrations and festivities whenever the occasion allows us to. However, Indian weddings are the most extravagant and lavish festivity one can ever experience.

It's been a while since I've attended an Indian wedding, a typical mallu wedding to be specific but my memory is filled with rich vivid pictures: a kaleidoscope of colors with such unique and glamorous flair. Splashes of glorious gold, opulent orange, ravishing red, a burst of marvelous mauve, brilliant blue and gorgeous green radiate the exhilaration and liveliness.

Indian marriage ceremonies are very ritualistic, often beginning days before the actual wedding. Pre-wedding ceremonies are a lot of fun and really the perfect excuse for more partying. Syrian Christian weddings in Kerala are vibrant, exhibiting splendid elegance. Most weddings within our community don't have pre-wedding ceremonies or any such rituals but are often loads of fun with jam-packed homes, filled with loving and awesome family - brothers, sisters, cousins, friends.....

The actual wedding ceremony is a very solemn affair but is followed by festivities through the day. Once the formal ceremonies are complete, it is finally time to indulge in mouth-watering food. Indian weddings (be it any community) offers opulent and lavish food preparations and guests are treated to a magnificient variety of dishes.

Biriyani is a dish that is made in almost every country of the world and each place has it's own version to show off. The same goes with Kerala. Each place in Kerala boasts of it's one-of-a-kind biriyani and I must say every version of this yummy dish is tasty yet distinct in flavour. This wonderful dish, the biriyani is probably one of the most widely served dishes at Kerala weddings and guests enjoy this hearty meal with a host of other tasty delicacies.

One dish I personally enjoy is rice prepared in a typical Biriyani-style well known to the Indian sub continent. Flavours of spices, coriander and mint leaves, chicken/mutton/beef to name just a few bring texture and colour.

Anyway, though I talk very highly of "The Biriyani", unfortunately all my attempts at making a good biriyani have always left me feeling extremely disappointed and dejected. Today's recipe however is adapted from various biriyani recipes from different people, cook books, food shows etc. It does not boast of any authentic credits or recipe, doesn't use the traditional biriyani cooking style but is a definite must-have! This may sound like quite a fancy thing to make at the end of a working day, but it is fabulously easy and quick and every ingredient would be found in your pantry and refrigerator if it is well stocked.

Succulent chicken, subtle spices and herbs, and cartloads of aromatic flavour, this rice dish is irresistibly good.

Have a great day and happy cooking! :)

Ingredients

For Marination of Chicken

Ginger & Garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Lemon juice - juice of 1 lime

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - a pinch

For Biriyani Rice

Basmati Rice - 2 cups

Chicken (cut into medium size pieces) - 1/2 kg

Cinnamon - 1 big piece (1 inch approx.)

Cloves - 5

Cardamom - 5

Bay leaf (coarsely crushed) - 1

Star anise - 1 small petal

Salt - to taste

Yoghurt - 5 tbsp (heaped)

Water - 4 cups (refer notes)

Ghee/Oil

For Coriander-Mint Chutney

Coriander leaves - 1 cup

Mint leaves - 1/2 cup

Coconut (grated) - 4 tbsp

Green chillies - 2 to 3 (adjust as per spice tolerance)

Ginger & Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Lemon juice - 2 tbsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Salt - a pinch

For Garnish

Cashew - 15

Raisin - 15

Big Onion (finely sliced) - 1 (medium)

Method

Make gashes in the chicken pieces and marinate with ingredients listed under "For Marination of Chicken". Let it rest in the refrigerator for atleast 2 to 3 hours. Overnight marination in the refrigerator is the best.

Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 1/2 an hour. Drain and keep aside.

Preparation of Coriander-Mint Chutney

Grind all ingredients listed under "For Coriander-Mint Chutney" into a coarse paste. Keep aside.

Preparation of Chicken

Heat oil in a wok and add the chicken pieces to it. Saut'e for a few minutes on medium heat till the chicken pieces loses it's pink colour. Reduce flame and cover and cook till almost done. (20 to 25 minutes approx.) Keep aside stock or gravy from the cooked chicken pieces.

Preparation of Biriyani

Heat ghee/oil in a pressure cooker and fry the spices (cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf and star anise) for a few minutes till the aroma comes through. Add the basmati rice and stir constantly on a medium flame for 5 minutes till rice turns glossy and starts crackling. (this helps to avoid the rice stick to each other) Now throw in the cooked chicken pieces along with the coriander-mint chutney and yoghurt. Spread the chutney and yoghurt evenly on the rice. Pour water and left-over chicken stock and enough salt and combine till everything is mixed well. (do not overdo the salt because the chutney and marinade also consist of salt) Close the pressure cooker (do not put weight) and wait for high steam to come. Once high steam appears, after a minute reduce the flame to low or sim and cook for exactly 5 minutes. Once done, switch off flame and open lid after 1/2 an hour. (Timing of cooking is crucial in this procedure of cooking rice, so make sure you follow the above mentioned timings to the T to get the perfect consistency and texture of the biriyani)

Preparation of Garnish

Heat ghee in a pan and fry onion, cashew and raisin and keep aside.

Separate the rice with a fork without pressing it too much. (refer notes) Garnish with fried onion, cashew and raisin.

Notes:

1. Adjust the quantity of water according to the stock you get after cooking the chicken. The whole dish requires only 4 cups of liquid. Too much water or liquid will leave you with soggy biriyani.

2. I have cooked the rice in my own style of cooking basmati rice since I find this an extremely easy method. But you can choose your most convenient method of cooking the same.