Chicken in Green Sauce (Hot & aromatic Green chutney)

Ingredients:
Chicken 800 gm
Green chillies 4-6/ as per taste
Coriander leaves 1 cup
Mint leaves 1/2 cup
Onions 4 medium chopped
Garlic 8 cloves paste
Ginger 2 inches paste
Lemon juice 4 tblspn
Coriander powder 2 tblspn
whole red chilli 2
Curry leaves 1 string
Salt to taste
Oil 1 tblspn

Preparation:
Grind together roughly chopped 2 green chillies, garlic, ginger, coriander leaves, mint leaves, curry leaves(5-6) and salt.
Prick the cleaned chicken legs and breast pieces well.
Add this mixture to the cleaned chicken pieces along with lemon juice and marinade for about 1/2 to 4 hours (as per your time available.)
Heat oil in a wok or kadai. Add cumin seeds and red chilli.
When they begin to change colour add onion and turmeric powder and a little salt.
Add curry leaves. (optional)
Fry till the onion turns soft and brown. Cook in low-medium heat with the lid covered.
Add the marinated chicken, small green chillies and mix well.
Add coriander powder and mix well.
Add salt to taste and garam masala powder and mix again.
Add half a cup of water and mix.(optional depending on the quality of chicken - I did not require to add water)
Cover and cook on medium heat for eight to ten minutes. Lower the heat and cook for another eight to ten minutes or till the chicken is cooked.
Serve hot along with rice.

Prawns in spiced Indian sauce (a curry from Goa)

This is a speciality of Goa made with king prawns cooked in a variety of Indian spices.


INGREDIENTS:


Prawns 2 cups (Vegetarians could choose to use Mushroom to follow the same recipe.)
Turmeric powder 1 tblsp
Salt to taste
Coriander seeds 1 tblsn
Cumin seeds 1 tspn
Whole dry red chillies 5
Cinnamon 2 inch stick
Cloves 5-6
Black peppercorns 15
Garlic paste 2 tbspn
Ginger crushed/paste 3 tbspn
Onions chopped 4 medium
Tomatoes chopped 6 medium
Coriander leaves chopped 1/2 cup
Oil 5-6 tblsp

Preparation:
I've used frozen Prawns that were already de-veined and shelled.
Thaw if you choose to use frozen fish and wash them thoroughly under running water.
Pat dry them & apply turmeric powder and salt to the prawns and keep aside for 15 minutes.
Dry roast and then grind coriander seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorns, garlic and ginger to a fine paste.
Heat oil and saute the prawns lightly.
Keep aside on a kitchen tissue to absorb the excess oil.
Saute onions in the same oil till they become soft and brown.
Add the ground spices paste and fry until the mixture begins to give off a nice aroma.
Add tomatoes and cover the lid to fry for a few minutes till the tomates are cooked well.
Add salt and fried prawns.
Cover the pan and cook for five minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice or Indian bread/Roti/Naan.

Butter Chicken - Grilled Chicken in a thick Tomato based sauce (a rich cusine from Punjab)

Prepared on: 11 Dec 2009
This dish is a rich Punjabi dish from North of India. You will find various version of this in restaurants all across the globe. This does not require you to satnd for hours infront of the heat. You could hae only the grilled version of this dish as a starter or barbeque.

Ingredients:
Chicken 800 gm
Mustard oil 4 Tblspn
Lemon juice 4 Tblspn
Salt to taste
Yogurt 1.5% fat
ginger-garlic paste 3 Tblspn
Garam-masala powder (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves in equal proportion) 3-4 tblspn
Butter 2 tbspn
Olive oil 1 tbspn
Green chillies
Kastoori methi( dry roasted & crushed)
Whole garam masala (4 cardamom, 2 pieces 2 inch cinnamon, 6 cloves)
3-4 medium sized Tomato puree(this will make the gravy - so choose accordingly),
Sugar/Honey 1 Tblspn
Cashew Paste/Powder 200 gm
Cream 1/2 cup

To start with:
: Heat kastoori methi in the oven/dry pan for sometime to make it crisp. Crush between your palms to a powder.
: Hang yogurt in a muslin cloth for fifteen to twenty minutes to remove extra water.
: Make the Cashew Paste and keep aside

Preparation:
For Marination:
Poke with a fork on breast and leg pieces of the chicken. Apply a mixture of lemon juice and salt to the chicken and set aside for half an hour.
To the yogurt, add salt, ginger-garlic paste(2 tblspn), lemon juice (2-3 tblspn), garam masala powder(3 tspn) and mustard oil(2-3 tbsp).


Apply this marinade to the chicken pieces and keep aside for three to four hours or you could also choose to marinade the previous night in refrigerator.

Grill:
Preheat oven at 200°C for ten to twelve.
Cook the chicken for about 10 min.
Paste it with butter turn the pieces and cook untill almost done.
Remove and set aside.

For Gravy:
Take the olive oil and butter in a pan. Add whole Garam Masala - green cardamoms, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon.
Sauté for two minutes, add 1 tbspn ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chillies. Cook for a minute.
Add tomato puree, salt to taste.
Cook till the water reduces & oil starts oozing out from the gravy. Add the chicken pieces & garam masala powder. Reduce heat to low and coer the lid for 10-15 minutes.
Add the Cashew paste.
Add sugar/honey and powdered kasoori methi.
Simmer for five minutes and then add fresh cream.
____________________________________

For the same recipe boneless version of chicken:
The above recipe can be done without grilling, in a pressure cooker too.
In that case, you need to cook the chicken in pressure cooker and remove the flesh from bones - make the chicken boneless..
Cook as mentioned above and gravy consistency should be dry not too liquid.
This too tastes awesome.

Tip:
To make it less fattening. you could replace butter with olive oil and add less fresh cream.

Lentil soup with Spinach (Arhar/ Toor/Red Gram/ Pegion Pea)

Arhar / Toor Daal (Red Gram / Pegion Pea):
Ingredients:
Arhar daal 1 cup,
Tomato 1 big - 1/2 diced
Spinach 1 cup puree (boil and blend in mixer)
Hing a pinch, 1/4 teaspoon
Ginger 1/2 inch grated
Bay leaf 1-2
Red whole chilli 1
Green Chilli 2-3 / as per taste
Cumin seeds / Jeera 1 Teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil 1-2 Tablespoon
Turmeric Water 2 cups


Preparation:
- Wash the lentils well.- In a pressure cooker, take 2 cups water and salt to taste and cook the Lentils.
- Wait for a whistle to come. Switch off the stove and wait for the pressure to come out.
- Heat 2 tblspn oil in a non-stick pan.
- Add the hing, jeera, bay leaf and red chilli.
- Add the tomatoes, ginger paste, turmeric, spinach, and salt to taste.
- When the raw smell of tomatoes disappear, add this to the lentils.

- Bring this to boil.

- Add water if you wish thinner the consitency.
- Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves or parsley.

Crispy Potato chips

Ingredients:
Potatoes 3-4 big sized
Lemon juice 4 tblspn
Salt to taste
Turmeric 1 tspn
Oil 2-3 cups

Preparation:
1. Cut potatoes into thin stripes or you could use a grater.
2. Wash them thoroughly and dry them well.
3. Heat oil in a deep pan.
4. Mix the lemon juice, salt and tumeric
5. Fry the potatoes in small portion so that they dont stick to each other.
6. Remove them as soon as they start changing colour.
7. Spread them on a blotting paaer or kitchen tissue.
8. Repeat the process till all the potatoes are fried.
9. Dont reuse the remaining oil.
10. Once they cool down you can store them in an air tight container for a week or two in room temparature.

Serve it as a side dish with Rice and daal.
Tastes good with soups as well, as a substitute of bread crumbs.
To reduce the waste of oil, you can increase the quantity of potatoes and store them.

Lentil soup (Masoor Daal/ Brown-skinned lentils which are red inside)

Masoor Daal (Brown-skinned lentils which are red inside):
Ingredients:Masoor daal 1 cup,
Onion 1 big - 1/2 chopped & 1/2 diced
Tomato 2 medium size chopped
Ginger 1 inch
Garlic 1-2 cloves
Bay leaf 1-2
Green Chilli 2-3 / as per taste
Black Jeera/ Nigella 1 Teaspoon
Salt to taste
Mustard oil 1-2 Tablespoon
Turmeric Water 2 cups

Preparation:
- Wash the lentils well.
- In a pressure cooker, take 2 cups water and salt to taste and cook the Lentils.
- Heat 2 tblspn oil in a non-stick pan.
- Add the Kala jeera, bay leaf and green chilli.
- As the flavor of the spices starts coming add the onion.
- When the onion turns translucent, add the tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, salt to taste.
- When the raw smell of tomatoes disappear, pour this mixture into the lentils.
- Bring this to boil.
- Incase you want to cook it further, place it on the stove without covering the lid.  

Note: 
A healthy option is my all time favorite vegetable. Add a carrot, beans, peas, potatoes while boiling the lentils.
The consistency of any lentil preparation depends on your taste. If you wish to have it like soup you could add more water.
Try not to over-cook the lentils.
You should be able to feel it in your mouth when eating and it should melt in your mouth.
You can choose to garnish this with finely chopped coriander leaves / parsley.
Optionally, you could add curry leaves along with the onion.

Alu Dum (Baked/Grilled/Boiled Potatoes mixed with Indian spices - from West Bengal)

Ingredients:

Red Potato 750 gm.
Hing / Aasafoetida 1 Teaspoon
Bay Leaf 1-2
Red Dry chilli 1-2
Jeera / Cumin seeds 1 Teaspoon
Whole garam masala (cinnomon stick 1 inch, Cardamom 3-4, cloves 3-4)
Green Chilli 3-4 sliced / as per taste
Cumin powder/paste 2 tablespoon
Ginger paste 2 Tablespoon
Rice oil 3-4 Tablespoon Turmeric 1 Teaspoon
Tomato puree 1-2 cup (4-5 medium sized)

Peas 1 cup
Salt to taste Coriander leaves chopped 1/2 cup

Preparation:
1. Boil the potatoes in slightly salted water and drain.
2. Peel the skin if you wish to.
3. Cut all of them into halves or of equal size each.
4. Heat oil in a pan and fry these boiled poataoes till it turns golden.
5. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, dry red chilli, whole garam masala and let them crackle.
6. Add the hing and pour the tomato puree, ginger paste, and jeera powder, green chillies, tumeric, and salt to taste..
7. Let the curry fry till the raw smell of the spices disappear.
8. Now add the peas and potatoes and roast till the oil starts oozing out from the curry.
9. Remove the pan from heat and garnish with coriander leaves.
10. You can add water to this and bring it to boil if you want this as moist gravy.(I dont prefer it like a liquid.)

Note:
Hing / Aasafoetida is used as a digestive aid in cooking and has a very strong smell of its own. This dish intends to retain its smell and hence is usually added just after the potatoes. Ive used it earlier for people not used to this smell.
You could choose to serve it as a starter, it would be served like baked potatoes or as a part of main course.

The picture on the right is actually Baked potatoes with the same ingredients. Ive added carrot too in it.

The picture on your left is made of white small potatoes.

Chicken Piccata

Ingredients
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts cut to make 4 pieces
Salt to taste and freshly ground black pepper
3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
5-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup white wine (optional)
1/3 cup brined capers
1/3 cup fresh parsley
Beans whole
Capsicum (red and yellow) cut to stripes
1 cup sliced Mushroom
1/3 cup finely chopped Onion
3 garlic cloves

Preparation:
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper and keep aside.
2. In a pan over medium high heat, take 2 tablespoons olive oil(enough to saute, we are not frying the chicken).
3. Add 2 chicken pieces and cook for 3 minutes.
4. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes.
5. Remove and transfer to plate.
6. Repeat the process with the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner.
7. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.
8. Into the pan add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion and saute till translucent followed by garlic.
9. Then add the lemon juice, stock, wine(optional) and bring to boil.
10. Add capers and check for seasoning.
11. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
12. Remove chicken to platter.
13. Add 3-4 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously and then add parsley.
14. Pour sauce over the chicken.

For vegetables:
1. Boil the beans and half boil the capsicum.
2. In a pan take 1 tablespoon oilve oil and melt 1 tablespoons of butter. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the beans followed by capsicum, mushroom.
3. Season with salt and pepper.

4. In the serving plate transfer the vegetable and lay the chicken on top of it.
5. Pour the sauce and garnish with finely chopped parsley.



Note:
In the above pictures posted I did not use wine as this food was meant for my child also.
I did not have beans handly, so instead added peas and also 1 potato.
You can serve Chicken Piccata with Pasta or with any seasonal vegetables of your choice to make a healthy diet.
Capers is the main ingredient for this dish. If you do not have them the real essense of the dish is not achieved.
Incase you wish to try this dish out and cant get capers around, you could probably add small green figs dipped in lemon juice and salt (overnight) - and drained; or even olives(this will leave a tangy sour taste)

Turkey breast with Noodles

Noodles:
This is a typical easy to cook ready-made stuff available in the market.

Ingredients:
Boneless Turkey breast or if not available take Chicken breast.
300 gms Noodles
Olive oil 4-5 Tablespoon
Butter
2-3 Nos. Spring Onions, thinly sliced like strips
1/2 Capsicum (red, yellow, green) each, thinly sliced like strips
2 Carrots, thinly sliced like strips or grate on a thinker blade
1 Cup Mushrooms, chopped
1 Tablespoon Ginger, thinly sliced like strips
1 Tablespoon Garlic, thinly sliced like strips
Salt to taste
Freshly crushed pepper.
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
Chicken Stock 1 cup

Preparation:
1. Cook the noodles as per instructions in the packet.
2. Most of them ask you to boil them in salted water with a few drops of oil
3. Drain and keep aside after brushing with olive oil or take a tbsp oil and toss the noodles.

1. Heat 2 Tablespoon olive oil in a wok and add Onions and saute it till translucent
2. Add Garlic, Ginger, Capsicum, Mushrooms and Carrot and cook.
3. Add Salt to taste and freshly crushed pepper.
4. Add the boiled Noodles and stir for 1 min.
5. Transfer on the serving plate.

For Turkey / Chicken:
1. Season the Breast pieces with olive oil, salt and pepper and set aside for half an hour.
2. In a skillet melt 1 teaspoon butter and 1 Tablespoon Olive oil in medium heat.
3. When the butter and oil sizzles add the breast pieces and cook for 3 min in low heat.
4. Once the side the browned, flip abd cook the otherside for 3 min or till its done.
5. Remove and transfer to a plate to soak the excess oil.
6. Into the pan add the lemon juice and stock.
7. Return to stove and bring to boil scrapping up the brown bits for extra flavor.
8. Check for seasoning.
9. Return the breast pieces to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.

10. Place the breast piece on the noodles.
11. Add 2 tbspn butter to the sauce and whisk vigorously.
12. Pour the sauce on the turkey and garnish with spring onion and coriander leaves.

Note:
The above recipe for Turkey can be baked in oven too instead of saute on stove.
Guten Appetit!!!