Singapore noodles

Preperation time: 25 min | Cooking time: 10 min

Chinese recipes are relished in my family. I often try out chinese dishes and this is one among them. This recipe was very new to me and thought of trying my hands on it.

Ingredients
Dried rice vermicelli-250gms
Cooked shredded chicken-4tbsp
Carrot-1(cut into thin strips)
Onion-1(thin slices)
Chopped ginger-1tsp
Chopped garlic-1tsp
Mix peppers-1 small cup (thin slices)
Coriander powder-1tsp
Chilli powder-1/2tsp
Cumin powder-1/4tsp
Garam masala powder-1/4tsp
Pepper powder-1/4tsp
Soya sauce-1tbsp
Eggs(beaten)-2
Oil for cooking
Salt to taste

Method
Cook the vermicelli as per instructions and keep it aside for cooling. Heat some oil in a pan, add the chopped ginger, garlic and onion. Saute for about 2 minutes then add carrot and continue to saute for another 5 minutes under high flame. Add the shredded chicken and the mix peppers with all the masalas and cook for sometime. Make sure the vegetables are crunchy and retains its fresh colour.


Heat some oil in a pan and add the beaten eggs and scramble them. Add this to the vegetable & chicken mixture and add soya sauce. Mix them well. To this add the vermicelli and cook for about 2 minutes. Server hot

Saucy fried chicken

Preperation time(marination): 30 min | Cooking time: 20 min

This is an accidental dish if you ask me :-). One evening there was some chicken left and I was bored of making the routine curry's. I decided to go for my own recipe. I used my cooking skills to bring out a tangy dry chicken dish. It was an instant success in my family.

It is a good starter and also a good accompaniment with the main course.

Ingredients
Chicken-1/2kg
Ginger-garlic paste-2tsp
Coriander powder-2tsp
Garam masala powder-1/2tsp
Chilli powder-1tsp
Soya sauce-4tbsp
Red chilli sauce(optional)-2tsp
Salt to taste
Oil-3tbsp

Method
Clean the chicken and add ginger-garlic paste, masala powders, 2tbsp of soya sauce and chilli sauce. Mix well and keep it aside for half an hour. Take a pan and add the chicken and cook until it is almost done. Now add oil and remaining soya sauce. Fry the chicken until it is brown in colour.

Note: The amount of soya sauce can be varied as per individual tastes. Any other sauces can also be added. I added some oyster sauce in the dish shown.

Chicken cutlet

Preperation time: 45 min | Cooking time: 25 min

This is one of the very early recipes I have tried during my college days. During our vacation my sister and I would venture into the kitchen to cook such quick snacks especially at tea time. The cutlets were a family favourite.

Ingredients
Chicken minced-250gms
Boiled potatoes-2
Ginger-garlic paste-1tsp
Onion-1
Chilli powder-1/2tsp
Garam masala-1/4tsp
Coriander powder-1/2tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
Coriander leaves (chopped)-1tbsp
Egg white
Breadcrumbs
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Method
Heat a pan and add oil. Add chopped onions and saute until it is translucent. Now add ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes. Add all the powdered masalas to this and further saute for 3 minutes. Add the minced chicken, some salt and cook until it is tender. Sprinkle water if needed. The mixture should be dry. Now add the coriander leaves and mashed potatoes and mix well.
Divide the mixture into small portions and set it aside.



Shape each portions into a flat round like a disc. Dip it in the egg white and roll it over breadcrumbs (you can store these in the freezer for later use) and shallow fry in a medium flame until brown on both sides. You can also deep fry if needed. Serve hot with sauce or ketchup.

Cheese corn balls

Preperation time: 30 min | Cooking time: 15 min

It is always a nagging question my kids and husband keep asking on their way back from school and office.."What is for snacks today?" I'm really tired or rather out of choice as to what to make for them. In order to keep them happy, I would promise to cook something special the coming weekends. This is one among them.

Ingredients
Boiled sweet corn kernels-75gms
Boiled potatoes-100gms
Processed cheese (grated)-100gms
White pepper powder-1/2tsp
Breadcrumbs
Roasted vermicelli (semiya)
Corn flour-1tsp
Tabasco sauce-1/2tsp (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

For the batter
Maida (refined flour)-2tbsp
Water as required

Method
Add cheese and sweet corn kernels to mashed potatoes. Now add salt, white pepper powder and corn flour, Tabasco sauce and mix thoroughly. Shape the mixture into tiny balls and set aside.

Mix maida and water to make a thick batter.



Dip the tiny balls in the batter and then roll them in the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in a pan and deep fry the cheese balls on a medium flame. Serve hot with sauce or ketchup.



Note: You may use roasted vermicelli instead of breadcrumbs. It has very crunchy outer layer.

Rava laddoo

Preperation time: 15 min | Cooking time: 25 min

My childhood memories during festival times like deepavali, pongal, ganesha chaturti etc are still very clear in my mind. We were living in a neighbourhood that was predominantly occupied by tamilians. When they celebrate their festivals we used to be a part of them. My grandmother used to make sweets for us during these times. This is one among them. I make this very often since it is one of my kids favourites.

Ingredients
Rava (semolina)-2cups
Sugar-2cups
Ghee-1/2cup
Cashew nuts
Raisins
Cardamom powder-1tsp
Milk

Method
Fry the cashews and raisins in ghee and keep it aside.
Roast the rava in the remaining ghee until it turns colour slightly. Add sugar and mix well. You can powder the sugar if the granules are too big. Now add the cardamom powder, cashew nuts and raisins and mix well. Sprinkle warm milk to this mixture, smear ghee over your palms and squeeze a handful between your fingers and palm to form small balls.



Note: You can store the laddoos for about 2 to 3 days in a cool dry place.

Chicken tikka masala

Preperation time: 60 min (excl marination time) | Cooking time: 40 min

I have been hearing since my marriage about this famous restaurant in Dubai "ALLAH KAIFAK" that is well known for chicken tikka masala. My husband says that no other restaurant has ever served that comes even closer to this and his cousins & family can only agree. Its been long since I wanted to try this recipe and I took the opportunity when my brother-in-law visited us. All relished the dish and the brothers rated it as the best they have ever had after "ALLAH KAIFAK".

Ingredients
Chicken boneless(1 1/2 inch piece)-800gms
Kashmiri chilli powder-2tsp
Lemon juice-2tbsp
Salt to taste

For marinade
Ginger-garlic paste-1 1/2tbsp
Yoghurt-1/2cup
Garam masala-1tsp
Oil-2tbsp

For gravy
Onions-2
Tomatoes-2
Ginger-garlic paste-2tsp
Cumin seeds-1/2tsp
Roasted cumin powder-1/2tsp
Garam masala-1/2tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder-1tsp
Coriander powder-1 1/2tsp
Fresh cream-1/4cup
Kasoori methi(crushed)-1tbsp
Oil-3tbsp
Salt to taste

Method
Mix 1tbsp of lime juice, 1tsp chilli powder and salt. Marinate the chicken in this for about 1/2 hour. Now mix the remaining chilli powder and lime juice with the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken to this and leave it for about 4 hours in the refrigerator.

You can either grill the chicken or roast it in the oven. I have roasted it in a pre-heated oven at 220c for about 45 minutes. Take a baking tray lined with foil and place the marinated chicken and cook it covered for 20 minutes. You could use the juices as a basting agent for the later part of the baking. After that remove the cover and cook it for another 25 minutes occasionally turning over the sides. The tikka is ready when it turns slightly brown.



Gravy
Heat a pan and add oil. When it is hot add cumin seeds. Add the chopped onions when the seeds change its colour. It would be better to use a chopper for the onions. Saute the onions till they are lightly brown. Now add ginger-garlic paste and saute once again for 5 minutes. Add coriander powder, chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala and saute well. Now add the chopped tomatoes(blanched) and saute until the oil separates. At this stage add a little water and when the gravy boils add the tikkas and cook for 10 minutes on slow flame. Add the cream and kasoori methi and cook for 5 minutes.



Note: This dish goes well with any type of Indian breads.

Idli upma

Preperation time: 10 min | Cooking time: 15 min

This recipe dates back to my childhood days. It was one among the many snacks my grandmother would make for us while we were back from school. Though her dishes were not exotic, she had a class of her own. The tastes still lingers in my mouth.

Ingredients
Left over idlis-5
Onion-1
Green chillies-2
Grated coconut-3tbsp
Mustard seeds-1/2tsp
Urad dal-1/2tsp
Channa dal-1/2tsp
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves(chopped)-2tbsp
Red chilli-1
Salt to taste
Oil-3tbsp

Method
Powder the idli's with your hand and make sure there are no large lumps. Take a pan, add oil. When it is hot, add mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, curry leaves & red chilli. Add chopped onion & green chillies when the mustard seeds splutter. Saute this for about 2 minutes. Add the powdered idli's and mix well. Adjust the salt as required. Add the grated coconuts and chopped coriander leaves. Cook for about 5 minutes. Serve hot.



Note: You may add fried cashew nuts to enhance the taste.
This is a very good snack or breakfast.
It is better to use cold idli's rather than hot ones.

Thadian, mulaku chammandi

Preperation time: 30 min (minus rice fermenting time) | Cooking time: 15 min

Thadian literally means 'fat' in malayalam. This name was probably adopted due to the thickness of the pan cake. It is typically made in the 'china chatti' (pronounced cheena chatti). This recipe is famous among a particular community in Kerala. I got to know this from my mother-in-law who got it from hers. :-)

Ingredients
Raw rice-2 cups
Urad dal-1cup
Cumin seeds-1tbsp
Grated coconut-1 cup
Salt to taste
Oil

For chammandi(chutney)
Small onions(shallots) preferred-10 OR Onions-2
Red chillies-2
Salt to taste
Coconut Oil

Method
Soak the rice and urad dal separately. Grind the rice to a smooth paste and keep it overnight to ferment. (You can even use rice flour instead). Urad dal should be ground coarsely just before preparing. (To save time you may grind the urad dal early and keep it in the refrigerator). Make the batter by mixing the ground rice and urad dal. Add cumin seeds, grated coconuts & salt into this. The batter should have a thick consistency.

This is cooked on a china chatti or aapam chatti but in case it is not available you can use dosa pan instead. Heat the pan/chatti, smear the pan with oil and pour the batter and spread it as you would for a dosa or oothappam. Pour some oil along the sides so that it is crispy. Turn it over and cook the other side. The best accompaniment for thadian is mulaku chammandi (red chilly chutney).

Mulaku chammandi
Take a pan, add 4tbsp oil and fry the onions along red chillies until the onions changes color slightly. Add salt and keep it aside. Once the mixture is cold, grind it coarsely. No water needed. Transfer to a bowl and add a teaspoon of coconut oil and mix.



As you can see I have prepared it on a dosa pan and therefore the thickness is less. This is usually cooked for breakfast.

Palak Thoran

Preperation time: 30 min | Cooking time: 15 min

I love greens and I have tasted and prepared different varieties of dishes. This was something new I learnt from my mother-in-law. It is very easy to cook and goes very well with rice.

Ingredients
Palak(spinach) clean & washed-250gms
Potato-1
Onion-1
Grated coconut-3tbsp
Cumin seeds-1/2tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
Green chillies-2
Mustard seeds-1/2tsp
Red chillies-2
Garlic-1 clove(optional)
Curry leaves
Oil-2tbsp
Salt to taste

Method
Take a pan add oil. When hot add mustard seeds and once it splutters add curry leaves and red chillies. Add potatoes (small cubes), a little salt and saute for sometime. Add chopped onions and cook until potato is almost done. Now make a course paste of grated coconut, garlic, cumin seeds, turmeric & green chillies without adding water. Add the chopped palak to the potato & onion mixture along with the paste. Adjust the seasoning and cook for about 10 minutes. (At this stage you may add 1 or 2 beaten eggs and scramble along with the palak mixture depending on individuals taste and is optional)

Bhindi Jaipuri

Preperation time: 15 min Cooking time: 10 min

Once my husband had been to an official lunch and there he happened to have this dish. He had all praise for it and wished to have it at home. Then my mission was to make my hubby happy by trying my hands on this north Indian delicacy. It was an instant hit in our family especially the kids since its non-spicy and crispy. This is a very good starter and also a prominent side dish to accompany with rotis or rice.

Ingredients
Bhindi(lady's finger)-250gms
Coriander powder-1/2tsp
Turmeric powder-1pinch
Chilli powder-1/2tsp
Garam masala-1/4tsp
Cumin powder-1/4tsp
Amchur powder-1/4tsp
Chat masala-1pinch
Besan(chick pea flour)-2tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method
Wash the bhindi and pat dry them. Cut off both the ends and slit length wise without cutting them into two. Now mix all the masalas except besan and stuff the bhindis with the mixture. Set it aside for about 30 minutes. Sprinkle basin just to coat the bhindis and deep fry them until slightly brown. Drain it on to a paper towel. Sprinkle some chat masala before serving. This is the traditional recipe.



When the bhindis are not very tender you can cut it diagonally instead of slitting it as shown in the picture.

Note: This dish would still taste good with just chilli, garam masala and coriander powder. (just in case you are short of spices)

Vada Curry (Koottu curry)

Preperation time: 45 min (minus urad dal soaking time) | Cooking time: 30 min

Kerala is a small state with 14 districts and each district has its own style of cooking. Some dishes have the same names but the preparations differ.This particular dish is a speciality of Thiruvanthapuram. I learnt this recipe from my mother-in-law who is from the same place.

Ingredients
For Curry
Potatoes-2
Onions-2
Chilli powder-2tbsp
Coriander powder-1 1/2tsp
Garam masala-1/2tsp
Curry leaves
Coconut milk-1/2cup
Salt to taste
Coconut oil or Sunflower oil-2tbsp

For Vada
Urad dal-1cup
Salt to taste
Chilli powder-1/2tsp
Oil for frying

For seasoning
Mustard seeds-1/2tsp
Red chillies-3
Curry leaves
Oil-2tsp

Method
For the vada soak the urad dal for 3 to 4 hours. Drain the water completely and grind it along with salt and chilli powder. The mixture need not be very smooth. Heat oil in a vessel and drop small bulbs of the mixture. Drain the vadas on to a kitchen towel. Keep it aside.



For the curry, cut potatoes and onions to medium size cubes. Heat oil in a vessel and add some curry leaves, potatoes & onions and saute for 5 minutes. Add all the masalas and fry for about 10 minutes. Now add salt and water and let it cook. Once a thick gravy is formed add the coconut milk and bring it to boil. Add the vadas at this stage. (Important: Make sure there is enough gravy because the vadas will absorb it)

For seasoning, take a pan, add oil and once its hot add the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter add the red chillies and curry leaves. Add this to the gravy.



Note: The amount of the coconut milk & the spices can be adjusted as per individual tastes.