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

Spice it up: Tangy Chicken

And I'm Back!! :) Yes, after a good long break back home, I'm back to cooking and blogging. Oh how I missed this! In these past few months I realized how much I enjoy doing this.

But I have been doing well and happy to share the good news of the birth of our little bundle of joy, our new addition to our small family, our precious baby girl, Michelle. Life has changed so much after she has arrived, new schedules, altered sleep patterns, a whole new routine altogether; stressful, but definitely worth it I have to say especially when you see that innocent little smile :) I was at home all these months enjoying all the pampering and little Michelle had so many people around her all the time; she misses everyone tons.

But it feels great to be back in Bangalore, starting a new life with our little bubble. The last 2 weekends were hectic with all the unpacking and general settling down. Reju was awesome, worked from home for 2 weeks and just started going to work this morning. He was so helpful, did so much, poor thing. Thanks Reju, we love you too much. What would I have done without you?!

When all the settling down madness was over, I thought it's high time I got back to the world of blogging. Though it’s going to be a challenge with Michelle around, I sure am going to try posting recipes whenever I find time.

Gosh it's HOT in Bangalore and the frequent power cuts have been really really painful. Will surely try posting some refreshing cool recipes that will ease out the summer heat, soon.

We had a good time on Saturday with our cousins Asha, Santosh and their little munchkin, Nia. Dinner was simple and Asha brought in some lovely beef cooked with carrots and potatoes. Since I was craving to get in the kitchen and cook up something, I decided to go with this easy chicken recipe which was given to me by my Mommy, world's awesomest cook!!!! I love this dish for it's simplicity and it can be cooked in a jiffy. With a baby on board, we need to get things done really fast. And this dish definitely works well.

Today's recipe is a tasty chicken dish which is a convenient quick-fix when you have unexpected guests. The combination of the chicken, aromatics and ketchup makes this dish so soothing to the soul. On the weekends I enjoy taking time and preparing a good hearty meal. And very often I let my imagination take control and start playing with ingredients. And of course it had been sometime since I last made a full meal for guests and I was craving it. I had bought some fresh chicken and checked out what else my pantry would give (I have to really start getting through the stuff in there ... I can feed a small country with the contents!). Well I found a few things that I could use.

Today's post is very special to me. I dedicate it to my dearest Mom, (that explains the picture above) who has always been wonderful, sacrificing so much for her family. We love you mama, and we know that there is nothing that we can do to make up for all that you have done for us all these years. These past few months you were wonderful, you took care of Michelle and me so beautifully. And Dada, no we haven't forgotten you either, you were great too. Thanks cartloads for everything. And as I write this, I am emotional yet happy that we are blessed with such loving parents who are always there for us, come what may.

Can't wait to meet Dada and you this weekend. Love you loads. And Ma, thanks once again for yet another yummy recipe. We absolutely loved it.

And so hoping that the weather gets better soon, I leave you with this great recipe of shallow fried hot, spicy, gingery and garlicy chicken glazed in a yummy ketchup mix. Honestly, you will really find the flavors of these ingredients bursting into your mouth. The combination works well and that addition of ketchup rounds the entire dish up very well. I would recommend a simple rice dish like a Pulav/Jeera Rice or hot phulkas with this as anything else will take away the aroma and fragrance of the main dish. And we do not want to do this, do we?

So here we go….

Ingredients

10 to 12 pieces of Chicken; cut into medium or small pieces (refer notes)

1 Big Onion (small one) or 7 to 8 shallots/pearl onions; finely chopped (optional)

1 or 2 Green Chillies; slit lengthwise (adjust as per spice tolerance)

1/4 to 1/2 cup of Tomato Sauce & Hot & Sweet Sauce (all put together in equal quantities)

1 to 1 1/2 tsp of Paprika (you can use Kashmiri Mirch)

2 sprigs of Curry Leaves

Refined Oil

Ingredients for Marination

1/2 to 3/4 tbsp Ginger & Garlic paste

1 to 1 1/2 tbsp of Tandoori Masala (refer notes)

Salt - to taste

Method

Wash and clean the chicken pieces and pat dry with towel. Make small gashes on the pieces and marinate it with the ingredients listed under "Ingredients for Marination". Let it rest for atleast 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.

Pressure cook the chicken pieces and keep aside.

Heat oil in a wok; throw in the slit green chillies and curry leaves. Saut'e for a few minutes. Throw in the chopped onions along with enough salt (add more paprika or Kashmiri mirch at this time if you like it spicy) and saut'e till light brown. (if using onions) Now add the cooked chicken pieces and toss for a few minutes. (2 to 3 minutes approx.) To this mixture, add the sauces, turn the flame to high and stir continuously till masala coats the chicken completely and the sauces dry up. Check for salt and adjust as desired.

Ta da ....your dish is ready. Wow! Ever heard of so many different flavors harmonizing so well together? My hubby, Reju was quite pleasantly surprised and almost literally licked his plate clean. I hope our cousins enjoyed the lovely combination of chicken, tandoori masala and ketchup! I was worried that it might have been too exotic for them. (I mean the combination of ingredients)

Notes:

1. Make sure the chicken is cut into small or medium sized pieces with light gashes or pricks on them so that the chicken is coated well with the gravy enhancing the flavor of the whole dish. My pieces were big, but small or medium is always better.

2. You can use any Tandoori Masala available in your local grocery store. I made my own. Here is how I prepared my very own (first attempt) Tandoori Masala:

Ingredients

2 tbsp Garam Masala

2 tbsp ground Cumin (since my ground cumin seemed very strong, I reduced it to 1 & 1/2 tbsp)

1 1/4 to 1 1/2tbsp coriander powder (if your powder is strong, add only 1 tbsp)

4 tsp Paprika (you can use Kashmiri Mirch)

2 tsp Kasuri Methi /Dried Fenugreek Leaves

1 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder ( I used a heaped 1 tsp because we like spice)

Method

Combine all the ingredients listed above using a spoon or blender and store it in an airtight container.

Notes: It stays fresh for 4 to 6 weeks.

Recipe Courtesy: My lovely mother.

An Emotional High: Chicken 65 - Southern Style Fried Chicken

I had a quiet and lovely birthday yesterday which was well spent with Reju. It's such a blessing these days that workplaces have become so flexible that they can connect from anywhere in the world and still work! Awesome. So, Reju decided to work from home yesterday and I was overjoyed to have him around. We also had a yummy dinner at a restaurant called the "Four Seasons" quite close to home. We gobbled up some authentic Hyderabadi Dum Biriyani which is the restaurant's signature dish. It definitely was one of the best Mutton Biriyanis we ever had. I have to say a dish with a lot of finesse. Totally satisfied my love for Biriyani!

I was so overwhelmed by all the calls and text messages I received on my birthday, made me feel extremely special. Thanks a ton everyone.

I was watching "Love Bites With Joey", a new culinary show hosted by supermodel Joey Mathew who hails from Kerala. Though I don't really follow her show very regularly, I happened to stumble upon one of the episodes where she was cooking up a lovely Southern spread for family and friends. One particular dish caught my eye and that was Joey's version of Chicken 65 - Southern Style Fried Chicken.

Being a Foodie my element is Food and so do not ask how an irresistible dish like this can send me into day dreams of munching onto well roasted chicken. It just happens! Within a few seconds of watching the show, I had imagined what tonight's dinner would be. Thank you Joey.

This dish is simple and tasty - the type we will often enjoy on a weeknight, quick to prepare but full of flavor. The pressure cooker takes care of most of the cooking, where it is cooked with a variety of spices and aromatics and then roasted to bring out maximum aroma and flavor.

A good chicken dish once in a while is something I adore. Chicken is versatile, tastes wonderfully juicy if cooked to perfection and can be used in soups, salads or as a whole dish.

A medley of roasted chicken and spices aromatized with the ever flavorful coconut oil, to me it comes close to heaven! Of course this dish is very popular and there are so many different versions of it. This recipe however is slightly different from the ones I have tasted earlier and has a lovely rustic flavor attached.

Chicken cooked in it's own juices and roasted to perfection, it truly is Delicious!

Ingredients

Chicken (with bone; cut into large pieces) - 1 kg (refer notes)

Big onion - 1 (large)

Ginger - 1 medium size chunk

Garlic - 4 cloves

Salt and Pepper - to taste

Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Curd - 400 gms (refer notes)

Water - 2 tbsp

Coconut oil - just enough to shallow fry the chicken pieces (refer notes)

Method

Grind together onion, garlic and ginger in a blender into a fine paste. (refer notes) Keep aside.

Make a marinade base by mixing together the curd, ground onion mixture, red chilli powder, salt, cumin powder, coriander powder and pepper powder.

Make light gashes on the chicken pieces and soak them in the marinade for 20 to 30 minutes. (overnight marination is the best)

Take a pressure cooker with water (refer notes) and arrange the chicken pieces in it. Cover and pressure cook till the first whistle comes through. Remove from heat and let the chicken cook in the residual steam for a few minutes.

Open the lid of the pressure cooker and check if chicken is cooked. Reduce any gravy that is left in the cooker till the chicken is dry.

Heat oil in a pan. Arrange the semi-cooked chicken pieces on the pan and roast (refer notes) on medium to high heat till it browns evenly all over. Remember this is simple shallow frying and roasting and hence do not overdo the oil because this will make it too greasy and unappealing.

Notes:

1. You can use any cut of chicken and cut according to desired size. (breast, thigh, with bone etc...) I love using chicken on the bone because I think it is plump, tasty and juicy.

2. You can also use yoghurt instead of curd, whichever is available. If you are using yoghurt, lightly beat it before preparing the marinade.

3. You can use any refined oil also to fry up the chicken pieces. But of course like I always say, coconut oil enhances flavor. The quantity of coconut oil can be adjusted according to your liking. If you are using a good quality non-stick pan, you can use less oil and the frying would be just fine. For the very health conscious, grilling this moistly marinated chicken would be a good option.

4. If you find that your onion, garlic and ginger need a little moisture to initiate the grinding or blending process, add a little curd into it.

5. Water can be added into the pressure cooker if you are frying the chicken in about half an hour after marination. If you decide to marinate your chicken pieces overnight, it is not necessary to add any water while cooking it in the pressure cooker.

6. Fry the semi-cooked chicken in batches of 4 to 5 pieces (adjust according to size of pan) to ensure even browning of all the chicken pieces.

We enjoyed this dish very much where all the brilliant flavors come together and harmonize so well. The light crispy crust and succulent chicken offer a feast for the eyes and the flavors of the spices, aromatics and coconut oil highlights the tastebuds so exquisitely. Thumbs up from my man too, he enjoyed the delicious flavors of the dish.

Enjoy and bon appetite!

Recipe Courtesy: Love Bites With Joey, NDTV Good Times

Spicy Mutton Roast

It has been a while since I made mutton at home. As you already might know, lamb or mutton is a very famous meat in Kerala. Most people are very enthusiastic about dishes involving lamb. It is rich, soothing and just makes you happy at the end of the meal. Christmas is a season to be jolly, and also eat, eat and eat! Be it an authentic traditional spread or a creative fusion of dishes from different parts of the world, Christmas always involves a lot of tasty delicacies, mutton or lamb (in any form) being a constant on the menu.

Getting good quality mutton is always an issue in Bangalore. Best to buy it from a good store. Luckily for me, there is this beautiful cold store called “New Frosty’s” that sells any kind of meat, poultry and seafood under the sun! Hurray! So I bought some fresh tender mutton from this store, expressly cut them into medium size pieces and put together this dish… Fried onions to a golden brown to produce that slightly sweet and caramelized flavour, paired it with fragrant and flavourful spices that takes this dish to the next level. The flavour of lamb, onions and spices blends in to make this exotic treat.

I got this recipe from mariasmenu.com, Thank you Maria for this lovely dish. I love it because it never goes wrong and is simply awesome.

Serve it up with hot rotis, parathas, or plain rice and succumb to the magic it weaves.

Ingredients

Mutton (cut into medium sized pieces) - 1 kg

Big Onion (finely sliced) - 4

Ginger & Garlic paste - 3 tsp each

Shallots/Small/Pearl onion (coarsely crushed) - 6

Red Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tbsp (adjust as per spice tolerance)

Turmeric powder - 3/4 tsp

Garam masala - 1 1/2 tsp

Fennel (perumjeerakam) powder - 1 tsp

Water - 1/4 to 1/2 cup

Salt

Oil (preferably coconut oil)

Curry leaves

Method

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add sliced onions. Saut'e till onions turn golden brown. Add ginger & garlic paste along with crushed shallots/small/pearl onions and curry leaves and saut'e for a few minutes.

Mix the spice/masala powders with a little water or oil to make a semi-thick paste. Add this spice/masala paste to the onion mixture and saut'e till raw smell disappears and oil separates. Once oil has separated, add the mutton pieces and salt. Mix well and saut'e for 5 minutes. Now add water. Cover and cook till done. (15 minutes approximately) Once cooked and pressure has released, open the lid of the pressure cooker. Make sure the gravy is thick, if there is any excess gravy, reduce it to a semi-thick consistency. (retain 1/4 to 1/2 cup of gravy approximately in the curry)

To roast the mutton, transfer the curry to a non-stick pan and fry on a low flame till it is roasted well. (roast till moist or dry as per your taste)

And here you have yet another Christmas special, Spicy Mutton Roast, a dish packed full of flavour and can be prepared in a jiffy. You might think this dish too simple, but believe me it will be an instant hit! I guess sometimes the simple things in life produce the best results.

Notes:

If the pressure cooker is non-stick, you can do the roasting process in the cooker itself.

Do not add more than 1/2 cup water to cook the mutton.

If you want the roasted mutton to be dry, do not retain any gravy after cooking the mutton, let it evaporate completely.

Source: mariasmenu.com

Kozhi Piralan

Wow, it's December already! In a few weeks, it will be X'mas and New Year!! Feels like it was only yesterday that it was New Year's eve! Every week seems to be simply whizzing by...

As I already mentioned I got to spend a few days at both (Reju & myself) our homes over the last one month and have returned with a few good tried and tested yummy home recipes! :) So watch out, authentic recipes from different parts of India and other places are coming your way which will help make your life easy while hosting an elaborate dinner menu.

I always have chicken stocked and stacked away in my freezer because we have it atleast twice a week. Today's recipe was a combination of comfort and nostalgia, reliving flavours from my childhood and very easy to make. This chicken dish is my mom's creation and has always remained a real winner among all of us. Spice masalas and the subtle yet fresh taste of the pearl onions makes this dish a treat to your palate and leaves you wanting for more. The simple elements and ingredients of this dish makes it an even bigger hit!

So here we go, a simple and tasty chicken recipe with flavours from my hometown Kerala. I have shared below the way I cook them and I hope you will enjoy this as much as we did. Have a good weekend.

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 kg

For Marination

Shallots/Small/Pearl onions (finely sliced) - 18 to 20

Big onion (finely sliced) - 1/2 of 1 big onion

Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves

Green chilli (slit lengthwise) - 1

Curry leaves

Kashmiri Chilli powder - 2 tbsp

Pepper powder - 1 to 1 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Garam masala - 1 & 3/4 tsp

For Masala

Big onions (finely sliced) - 2 (big)

Oil (preferably coconut oil for enhanced flavour)

Method

Make small gashes on the chicken pieces and marinate it with all the ingredients listed under "For Marination". Let it rest for 1/2 an hour at room temperature.

Cook the marinated chicken in a pressure cooker with 2 tbsp water till almost done. (after the first whistle, reduce the flame to low and keep for a minute and then switch off flame) Once pressure releases, open the lid of the cooker and separate the chicken pieces from the gravy. (make sure you have 1/4 to 1/2 cup of gravy. If in case, you have more gravy than required, reduce it to the desired quantity.) Leave it aside to cool.

Heat oil in a wok and saut'e finely sliced big onions till it reduces in quantity. Drain oil and keep aside. In the same wok, add a little more oil if necessary and fry the chicken pieces till golden brown on both sides. Add the saut'eed onions into the chicken and stir continuously till onions turn golden brown. At this point, add the gravy and toss the chicken on a high flame. Stir till the gravy reduces and coats the chicken well. Switch off flame and serve hot with rice/chapathi/appam.

Source: Mama

Chicken Roast

Roast as you know is any meat/chicken or fish in a semi-thick gravy. And chicken roast can be made with different gravies. The difference between the gravies are the ingredients used to make them. I would call the most basic one to be of onion and tomato. The variations from the basic is when consistency and richness is changed by addition to the basic. Fresh cream, coconut milk, cashewnuts or poppy seeds ground to a paste etc are to name a few. I will continue to update my blog with the variations in future.And today I am sharing a slightly different roast which centres itself around shallots and red chillies without the usual addition of spices. The shallots and red chillies really enhances the flavour of this dish and hits our senses so to speak. Potato and chicken have always been thick friends and here the crispy potatoes and onions makes this chicken roast absolutely mouth watering.

This roast not only looks luscious but is packed with awesome flavour. It's definitely worth a try. We absolutely enjoyed this dish and I hope you do too. Have a fun weekend :)

Ingredients

Chicken - 1/2 kg

Whole Red Chilli (seeded) - 12 (refer notes)

Shallots/Small/Pearl onions - 110 gms

Ginger - 1 medium piece

Garlic - 8 to 10 cloves

Vinegar - 3/4 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Potato (thinly sliced into rounds) - 1

Big Onion (finely sliced) - 1

Cashewnut - few

Oil

Method

Marinate chicken in 1 tbspn vinegar, 1/2 tspn turmeric and a little salt for 1 hour. Soak red chillies in 1 tbspn vinegar mixed with 1 tbspn of water after taking out the seed and leave it for a while to soak. (split chili in half and tap it to get the seeds off).  Add a little water to the vinegar. Crush the ginger, garlic, shallots and the soaked red chillies and add the mixture to the chicken and cook for 20 min on medium fire. Heat oil in a pan and on medium fire shallow fry the chicken and set aside. Once all the chicken pieces are fried (read golden brown on both sides) pour the gravy into the pan and cook till oil clears the pan. Pour the gravy on top of the fried chicken. Decorate with fried potatoes, onions and cashew nuts.

Last weekend, we had an awesome time at Chikamagalur. We stayed at a beautiful homestay there called Thippanahalli Homestay. A lovely weekend getaway nestled in a scenic coffee estate. We had a relaxed holiday and saw quite a few interesting sights. Here are a few pictures of the interesting stuff we came across there.

Amazing right?! Yup...and these antiques had very interesting stories to tell.

Hara Bara Chicken/Green Masala Chicken

Bangalore is simply beautiful now with fresh rains and cool weather and we are enjoying it thoroughly.

I got this recipe from a cookery show I watched the other day and decided to try it because it was different from the normal chicken curry prepared in coconut milk or any creamy gravy with loads of spices. The chef said she always bagged first place in cooking competitions for this particular dish! And so I thought, why not give it a shot!

And I did! And what came out was definitely a good good dish. Very refreshing, light, easy to cook and yummy. The freshness of the coriander is the highlight of this dish. And as is the nature of chicken, it absorbs all the flavour and makes it succulent. The simple aromatics and hot green chillies have done a fantastic job in taking this simple dish to a new level.

This chicken dish can be made in a jiffy. An ideal preparation to make when you are in a hurry. And if you follow the recipe to the T, you will have a very tasty Hara Bara Chicken!

I thought it was perfect for the weather yesterday and a couple of rotis with this dish was icing on the cake!

Ingredients

Chicken - 1/2 kg

Big Onion (finely sliced)- 2 (medium)

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil

For Masala Paste

Coriander leaves - 1 bunch

Green Chilli - 3 to 4 (adjust as per spice tolerance)

Ginger - 1 big piece

Garlic - 8 cloves

Pepper corns - 1 tsp

Method

Wash and clean the chicken and cut into medium size pieces. Keep aside.

Grind all the ingredients listed under "For Masala Paste" into a coarse paste and keep aside.

Heat oil in a wok and add sliced onions into it. Saut'e onions till very soft and has reduced. (fry it till you observe a tinge of brown here and there) Once the onions are done, add turmeric powder, salt and chicken and saut'e for 5 minutes till the pink colour of the chicken disappears. Cover and cook on a low flame till the chicken is tender. (do not add any water, let it cook in it's own juices) Stir in between. Now add the ground masala paste and stir till all the masala coats the chicken well and is almost dry. Serve hot with rotis. Enjoy!

Notes: If you find the dish too spicy, reduce the number of green chillies. The original recipe calls for 8 chillies, but I have reduced it to 3 to 4.

Make sure the masala is not ground to a very smooth paste. It should be coarsely ground, that adds to the flavour.

This dish has gravy that is quite dry as you can see in the pictures. It tastes better like that. But make sure it stays moist and doesn't dry out completely.

Chicken Varuval

Over weekends, you will agree we all like to have some special food to enjoy family time. Two weeks back I got this recipe from a cookery show I watched on T.V and decided to prepare it on our special day. I like experimenting with chicken because it beautifully adapts with a myriad of flavors. You add lemon juice or herbs or garam masala or whatever you can think of and chicken, like a sponge will absorb and blend with it to make a delectable dish.

So here is how I cooked Chicken Varuval.

Ingredients

Chicken - 1/2 kg

Big Onion (diced) - 2 (big)

Tomato (diced) - 2 (medium)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red Chilli powder - 1 tbsp

Curry leaves

Coriander leaves

Oil

For Masala mix

Cinnamon (roasted & powdered fine) - 1 piece

Cloves - 4

Cardamom - 3

Coriander powder - 2 tbsp

Cumin powder - 1 tbsp

Fennel seeds (roasted & powdered) - 1/2 tsp

Coconut pieces/Thengakothu - 3 tbsp

Dry chillies - 3 to 4

Ginger (sliced) - 1 tbsp

Garlic (sliced) - 1 tbsp

Method

Grind all the ingredients under masala mix (Do not add water) into a dry paste and keep aside. (you can dry roast the solid spices first and then grind for smooth and easy grinding)

Heat oil in a wok and saut'e onions till light brown. Add curry leaves and tomatoes and saut'e till oil separates. Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder and saut'e till raw smell goes away. Now, add the chicken and combine well till all the masala is coated on the chicken. Cover and cook for 10 minutes without any water. Once the chicken is cooked, add the dry masala mix paste and mix well. Keep stirring till the raw smell of the masala goes away. The chicken pieces should be coated well with the masala. This dish has a dry consistency. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Kerala Prawns Fry

Prawns has always been a favourite among both of us and the good thing is whenever I have made a dish with prawns, it turns out well. Reju as you know is not a very "Fishy" person but he loves prawns and this dish is now one of the most sought after items at home!

You know I always wonder how the famous saying "Stomach is the way to a man's heart" is so true! Good food definitely is one of those things that makes them happy.

Anyway getting back to the recipe, this dish is definitely one that will be licked clean off the plate. My heart warms over just talking about it. We loved it, hope you enjoy it too.

Serve with Rice or Chapathi.

Ingredients

Tiger Prawns - 250 gms

Red Chilli powder - 2 to 2 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 to 2 1/2 tsp

Ginger & Garlic paste - 2 tsp

Curry leaves

Big Onions (finely chopped) - 2

Lime juice - 1 tbsp (or vinegar - 1 tsp)

Kokum/Kodampuli - 1 piece (soaked in water; to be used to clean the prawns)

Method

Clean, de-vein and wash the tiger prawns with kokum/kodampuli. Prick the cleaned prawns gently with a fork. Marinate it with red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, ginger & garlic paste, salt and vinegar. Let it rest for a few hours (I keep it overnight)

Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add onions and curry leaves and fry till golden brown. Now, add the marinated prawns and saut'e till it gets coated well with the masala. Cover and cook the prawns till done on a low flame. When cooked, take off the lid and fry till dry and masala gets coated on the prawns. Serve hot as an appetizer or snack or as a side to go with rice or warm rotis.

Crispy Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken - 10 pieces

For Marinade

Green Chilli sauce - 1 tbsp

Tomato sauce - 1 tbsp

Chilli Garlic sauce - 1 tbsp

Soya sauce - 1/2 tbsp

Pepper powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

For Batter

Maida - 1/2 cup

Corn flour - 1/2 cup

Red chilli powder - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp (as per spice tolerance)

Eggs (beaten) - 1 (optional)

Salt - to taste

Pepper - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp

Ajinomoto - a pinch

Water - just enough to for a semi-thick batter

Method

Make gashes in the chicken and marinate the chicken pieces with the ingredients mentioned under marination. Keep aside for 2 to 3 hours. (if you are keeping it overnight, keep it in the refrigerator)

Make a semi-thick batter with the ingredients mentioned under batter. Heat oil in a wok. Once the oil is hot and bubbling, dip the chicken pieces in the batter and deep fry till golden brown. Serve piping hot as a starter or as a side-dish to go with some lovely rice or noodles.

Source: Mom

Soto Ayam

Authentic chinese food is always so colourful and looks exotic. My love for this food though goes beyond the colour and how it looks. I am addicted to chinese food! But to tell you the truth, I haven't really experimented much with chinese food in my kitchen because the one or two times I tried, it wasn't very successful :(

This dish though is not an authentic chinese dish, more of a chinese-malay dish, but has it's origin from Malaysia. This was something my mom used to make on a weekend. Weekends were the time when she would always cook something special for us, oh and I must say, she used to cook up a storm. We used to just gobble up all that she made and this was one dish we all loved. My mom grew up in Brunei and spent a lot of wonderful years there as a young girl. She always had such interesting stories to tell us about the Sultan of Brunei, the lovely people and of course most importantly the yummy food! Her descriptions of the food was so mouth watering! She would talk about the umpteen number of small open air food stalls which would serve food ranging from hot soups with wantons to delicious spicy noodles and different varieties of rice. Food in Brunei has got a lot of influence from Malaysia because the Malay population constitutes a large part of the population there. (atleast at the time when my mum was there) So this dish is a re-creation of the Soto Ayam my mom used to enjoy at the busy open air food stalls there with a few changes here and there! In a nutshell, her version of Soto Ayam. And she definitely nailed it, I must tell you.

This dish is usually served with a simple chicken soup, white rice (basmati rice) and crispy chicken (batter fried chicken). The chicken soup is poured into the rice with a dash of soy sauce and eaten with the rest of the accompaniments and this is a complete balanced meal.

Light and full of flavour, this dish is an absolute hit. I know you only have my word to go by but try it for sure, you will not be disappointed.

Ingredients

Chicken (cooked & shredded) - 250 gms

Chicken stock - 3 to 4 tbsp

Dry red chillies - 4 to 5

Garlic - 5 to 6 cloves

Shallots - 5 to 6

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Pepper - as per spice tolerance

Salt - to taste

Ajinomoto - a pinch

Spring Onion - small bunch

Method

Pound garlic, ginger, shallots and dry red chillies and keep aside.

Heat oil in a wok and add dry red chillies, garlic, ginger, shallots and turmeric. Saut'e until onions turn light brown. Add the cooked chicken along with pepper and salt and saut'e for a few minutes. At this stage, add the chicken stock and cook on a low flame for a few minutes. Finally, add a pinch of ajinomoto and spring onions and toss for a few more minutes and switch off the flame.

Serve with basmati rice, chicken soup and crispy chicken.

Notes: Cook the chicken with pepper, salt and a piece of ginger because ginger enhances the flavour of the chicken as well as the stock.

Source: My Mom