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.
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.
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.
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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.
This is a typical Bengali style of cooking and is served as snack to the guests or no special occasions in almost every household. West Bengal is in the eastern part of India. Bengalis are known to be fish lovers so much so that have it every day as a daily diet almost like Americans eat Burgers!
Ingredients:
Tinned Tun fish in water - 300 gm (or any other as per your choice)
Potato - 3 medium size boiled and mashed (lesser than the fish)
Onion - 1 medium sized chopped
Ginger paste - 2 tsp
Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Green chilli paste/chopped - 2 tsp/as per taste
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp dry roasted
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp (cinnamon, cardamon & cloves in equal quantity)
Salt to taste
Egg - 2 or more
Bread crumbs - 1 cup or more
Oil to deep fry - atleast 1 and 1/2 inch of the pan you are using
Preparation:
1. Boil the potatoes with salt and mash them well.
2. Take 2 tblspn oil in a non-stick pan.
3. Fry the onion till it starts to change the colour.
4. Add the ginger and garlic paste and keep frying.
5. Drain the water from the tinned fish and add them.
6. Add the chilli paste, turmeric, cumin powder, salt and reduce the flame to low heat.
7. Cover the lid of the pan.
8. Keep stirring in between so that the fish do not stick to the bottom.
9. Keep frying till the raw smell of the spices are gone and the fish is well cooked.
10. Add the mashed potato and stir for a minute or two.
11. Add garam masala and switch off the flame and keep it covered.
Note:
Don't overcook the fish and make it dry.
Let this mixture cool down.
12. After its cool enough to keep on the palm, make equal potions of circular or oval shapes - around 20 or more as per the size you wish to serve.
13. Beat the eggs well and place on a flattened plate.
14. On another flat plate place bread crumbs.
15. Take a deep frying pan and heat oil to fry.
16. Take the cutlet and dip it into the egg.
17. Remove it from the egg and roll it well on the bread crumbs.
18. Dust the excess breadcrmbs and place it slowly into the oil.
19. Fry on medium heat till the colour starts to change to light brown and then fry the other side.
20. Remove the cutlet on a paper towel to soak excess oil.
21. Sprinkle a pinch of black salt on the cutlets & serve them hot along with good portion of shredded salad & tomato ketchup or capsicum dip or green chutney.
Note:
While rolling on breadcrumbs excess of it should be avoided. If the breadcrumbs is in excess, they will brun on the bottom of the pan.
Always fry in medium heat to cook the entire cutlet or the middle portion may not cook well.
In case tinned fish is not available:
- Choose a fish with less or just a single thick bone, my favorite is Bhetki(Red snapper) when its available.
- Cook the fish in salted water. Let it cook and remove the bones carefully.
- Further recipe follows as usual.
Cook time: 1 hours
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)
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!!!
