Quick Chicken Curry

If you are tired enough on weekend and doesn't want to spend your quality time much in the kitchen then this recipe is surely a rescuer for you. The spices are to blow off your mind beside allowing you to resting yourself and spend the rest of the day on couch watching a scheduled movie or immerse into your favourite book. You can also make this dish and serve with roti, steamed rice  or paratha on weekend gatherings of your friends.

Ingredients(6 servings):

1. Chicken , 1 kg
2. Onion, 3, chopped
3. Garlic cloves, 8
4. Ginger, 1"
5. Tomato, 1 , sliced
6. Green chillies, 4-5, slit from middle
7. Coriander powder, 2 tbsp
8. Garam masala powder, 2/3 tbsp
9. Turmeric powder, 2 tsp
10. Kashmiri red chilli powder, 2 tsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Sugar, 2 tsp
13. Curd, 2 tbsp
14. Mustard oil, 6 tbsp
15. Whole dry red chilli, 1
16. Cumin seeds, 2 tsp
17. Bay leaf, 1
18. Chopped coriander leaves, 2 handfull

Methods:

In pressure cooker heat oil. Temper oil with bay leaf, red chilli and cumin seeds. After the smoke comes out add blended spices.*

*Blend ginger, garlic, onion and all powdered spices together.

After sauteing the masala for a minute add sliced tomato, green chillies, sugar, salt to taste and curd. Wait till the tomatoes turn soft.

Add 2 tbsp water and wait till the oil seperates. Wash chicken pieces and combine with spices. Cook for 2 mniutes.

Add 2 cups of water and close the lid of cooker. Cook upto 4 whistles and remove from flame. Wait untill the cooker lid loosens. Check if the curry is thick, otherwise bring it to boil untill it thickens. Remove from flame and spread chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with Hot steamed rice, Luchi , paratha.

Pink Lentil Fritters aka Musoor Dal er Bora

In my childhood days when it used to come to a niramish din(the day when people are supposed to eat vegetarian food only) at our home, my ma used to cook dal and rice on some 'no non-veg' days and I hated eating dal and rice that time. Then it was only musoor dal er bora that she made to make me convince to finish my meal. 

Though now I prefer regular dal rice in most of the days as I do not crave for spicy or junk foods untill I am really bored and also my love for these moong dal fritters still remains the same.

Specially in hot Summer days the combination of Plain steamed rice, musoor dal sedho(Pink lentil cooked with salt, sugar, turmeric powder, green chillies and added few drops of mustard oil after it is cooked) and Musoor dal er bora brings heaven for me.

Ingredients(8 fritters):

1. Musoor dal(Pink lentil), 1/2 cup
2. Onion, 1 : chopped
3. Green chillies,2
4. Kalo jeera(Nigella seeds), 2 tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Sugar, 2 tsp
7. Turmeric powder, 2 tsp
8. Mustard oil, 8 tbsp

Methods:

Soak dal for 30 minutes and then blend dal and green chillies into a smooth paste. Use 3 tbsp water for that.

I can't take to bite green chillies. So, I blended them . You can add chopped green chillies if you want.

Mix all other ingredients and 1 tbsp mustard oil with the paste and set aside fo 10 minutes.

In a pan heat oil and as the smoke comes out take some mixture in your hand and slide into oil. Fry the sides till they are golden brown. Keep the flame at mid-point.

Remove from oil and serve hot with rice and dal or just like that.

Dalia Khichdi

A Broken Wheat preparation perfect for breakfast and low fat diet.

Ingredients(4 servings):

1. Dalia(Broken wheat) , 100 gm
2. Moong dal, 50 gm
3. Ginger paste, 1 tbsp
4. Garam masala powder, 2 tsp
5. Green chillies, 2-3
6. Salt to taste
7. Turmeric powder, 1 tsp
8. Sugar, 1 tsp ( to balance the acidity of food)
9. Mustard oil, 2 tbsp 

Usually mustard oil is used to make khichdi , but you can use olive oil/ soybean oil.

Garam masala powder is actually roasted and powdered cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, Black cumin seeds. All these ingredints are known to increase metabolism that in turn burns body fat.

Methods:

Clean dalia and dal, marinate with salt, sugar, turmeric powder, garam masala powder for 10 minutes.

In a pan heat oil. Temper with red chilli and cumin seeds. As the smoke comes out add marinated broken wheat and stir for a minute. Add green chillies and 2 cups water. Lower the flame and allow the dalia to turn soft.

You can cook in pressure cooker. The process will remain some. Turn off the flame after 2 whistles. This takes less time to cook than in kadhai or pan.

Serve hot.

Garlic Chicken

This recipe involves very few ingredients that are easily available at your home and also low in calorie content.This is so easy to make. So, immerse into the flavour of roasted garlic and chicken. 

Ingredients(4 servings):

1. Chicken, 500 gm
2. Garlic cloves,6
3. Black pepper powder,2 tsp
4. Turmeric Powder, 1 tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Sugar,1 tsp
7. Lime juice, 2 tsp
8. Whole dry red chilli,1
9. Olive oil, 4 tbsp

Methods:

In a pan heat oil and temper the oil with whole dry red chilli. Roast garlic cloves before peeling ,over direct flame. When the cloves start changing colour remove from flame, rub the skin and slice them. Add into oil.

Marinate chicken pieces with salt,black pepper powder, turmeric powder and 1 tsp butter ,30 minutes prior to cooking.Keep inside refrigerator after marination.

After you add garlic into oil add chicken pieces and cook covered on medium flame. Stir in the middle. If you see the chicken is sticking to pan sprinkle some water.

After the chicken turns soft, add 2 small cups of water. Check the saltiness, add salt according to your taste if you need and add sugar to balance the acidity.

Serve with steamed rice or bread.

Steamed Egg

Ingredients:

1. Egg, 2
2. Onion,1 small and finely chopped
3. Finely Chopped scallion, 1 tbsp
4. Salt, 1 tsp
5. Baking powder, 1 tsp

Method:

Beat eggs and combine all the ingredients together. Grease a bowl well with oil/butter and pour the egg mixture in that bowl.

In a pan add 3 cup of water and when it comes to oiling point place the egg bowl. Keep the flame middle. It will take 20-25 minutes.

You will see the egg is inflating like a cake. Pierce with a fork or stick. If it comes out clean then the egg is steamed completely. Remove the bowl from flame and loosen the edges of egg using a spoon or fork. Flip the bowl instantly upside down and the egg will come out.

Make sandwiches or noodles with steamed egg or eat just like this.

Related recipe:

Schezwan steamed egg

Steamed egg noodles

Cottage Cheese Sandwich or Paneer Sandwich

Made of grated cottage cheese, carrot, roasted capsicum, this can be included in a healthy breakfast option as comes with all the goodnes of vegetables along with iron calcium and essential vitamins from cottage cheese.

Ingredients (6 servings):

1. Brown Bread slices, 6
2. Cottage Cheese, 100 gm
3. Carrot, 2
4. Capsicum, 1 small
5. Onion, 1
6. Green chillies, 2
7. Low fat butter , 2 tsp
8. Salt to taste

Methods:

Peel and roughly grate carrots.

Roast capsicum over direct flame for 2 minutes. The outer skin will turn black. Rub and remove the burnt skin and smash the capsium.

Grate cheese. In a pan heat few drops of oil and butter toss all the ingredients for 2-3 minutes. Brush little amount of oil on bread and roast on direct flame for 2 secs.

Place cheese stuffing on on one slice and cover with another slice. Cut from middle like a sandwich and serve.