Thai spring roll

Preparation time: 40 mins | Cooking time: 25 mins

This is one of the most favoured starter. Mushrooms, capsicum, sprouts etc can also be used as a filling. I've added chicken in my recipe. Either ways the taste would not be compromised. This is a very succulent dish.

Ingredients
Chicken (cooked & shredded)-1/2cup
Garlic (minced)-3cloves
Ginger (grated)-1piece
Chilli flakes-1tsp
Green onions (sliced into matchstick pieces)-2
Cabbage (shredded or finely chopped)-1/2 cup
Carrot (julienne)-1/2cup
Oil
Spring roll wrappers (thawed if frozen)-1packet

Stir-fry sauce
Light soy sauce-2tbsp
Fish sauce (if vegetarian, substitute vegetarian oyster sauce, or extra soy sauce)-2tbsp
Lime juice-2tbsp
Sugar-1/4tsp

Method
Place 2 tbsp oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium to high heat. Add garlic, ginger, shallots, and chilli flakes. Stir-fry until fragrant (about 1 minute).
(Stir-frying tip: Add a little water to the wok/pan when it gets too dry instead of more oil).
Add cabbage, carrots and cook for 5 mins, then add the chicken. As you stir-fry, add the sauce. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes, until vegetables have softened. Do a taste test for salt, adding 1 tbsp more fish or soy sauce if not salty enough.

To assemble rolls, place a spring roll wrapper on a clean working surface. Place one heaping tbsp of the filling on the wrapper (if using large wrappers, you will need more). Tips: Spread the filling lengthwise along the spring roll wrapper nearer the end closest to you. Also, try not to include too much of the liquid left in the bottom of your wok/pan (a slotted spoon works well for this - drier filling is better.



Lift up the end nearest you and tuck over the filling, roll tightly towards the other end leaving some bit as shown. Now secure the roll by dipping your fingers in some water and wetting both the ends, fold the left and right sides of wrapper over filling, finally "pasting" it shut. To fry spring rolls, place some oil (about 1 inch deep) in a wok or deep-sided frying pan over medium-high heat. Using tongs, place spring rolls in oil, allowing them to fry about 1 minute on each side. Spring rolls are done when they turn light to medium golden-brown (see photo). Place on paper towels (or a clean dish towel) to drain while you finish frying the rest.



Serve spring rolls while still hot with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, or your own dipping sauce. ENJOY!

Mushroom rice

Preparation time: 20 mins | Cooking time: 35 mins

Ingredients
Mushrooms-200grms
Basmati Rice-2cups
Onion-1
Tomato-2
Coriander leaves-a fistful (chopped)
Mint leaves-a fistful (chopped)
Bay leaf-a small leaf
Coconut milk-1 to 2 cups (Optional)
Lemon juice-1tsp
Ghee or oil-3tbsp
Salt to taste

Grind and make a paste of:
Fennel seeds-1/2tsp
Cinnamon-2inch stick
Cloves-4
Green chilies-4 to 5 (depends how spicy you want)
Ginger-garlic paste-1tbsp

Method
Slice Onion into length-wise. Chop tomatoes finely. Cut mushroom into pieces. Grind and make a paste of the above mentioned ingredients. Soak basmati rice for 15 minutes.

Heat ghee or oil in a deep bottomed vessel. Add bay leaf and fry for a minute. Add onion and fry till it turns into golden brown in color. Add ground paste and fry till raw smell goes off. Add chopped tomatoes and fry till it becomes soft. Add a little salt which makes the tomatoes soft quickly. Add mushroom pieces and fry till it becomes little soft. Add chopped coriander and mint leaves and fry till it becomes wilted. Then add soaked basmati rice and fry for 2 to 3 minutes or till the water evaporates from the rice.



Add 4 cups of water(either coconut milk+water or water alone), salt and lemon juice. Cover and cook.

Serve hot with raita.

Golden fried prawns

Preparation time: 30 mins | Cooking time: 40 mins

Ingredients
Prawns-1kg
Chilli powder-1/2tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
Coriander powder-1/2tsp
Pepper powder-1/2tsp
Lime juice-1tbsp
Oregano-1/4tsp
Garlic(minced)-2cloves
Bread crumbs-1 1/2 cups
Eggs-2
Milk-1/4cup
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method
Cook prawns in boiling salted water until pink. Peel and de vein the prawn. Rinse in cold water and drain on paper towels. Add lime juice, salt, chilli, turmeric & coriander powder. Mix well and keep it aside for half an hour.

Mix together pepper, oregano, garlic and bread crumbs. Beat eggs and milk. Dip the prawns in egg mixture, then in seasoned bread crumbs. Heat oil in deep skillet and fry prawn until golden brown.



Serve hot with your favourite sauce.

Grandma's special-egg omelette

Preparation time: 5 mins | Cooking time: 10 mins

I've not been keeping too well and thus the delay in posting new recipes. Now kids are having a long weekend so I am going slow on my blogs. As I've mentioned earlier this is the omelette which I learnt from my grandmom. It is very soft and fluffy and kids would love it too.

Ingredients
Eggs-4
Shallots-5
Red chilli powder-1tsp
Cooked rice-2 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Oil

Method
Make a paste of shallots red chilli powder and the rice. Beat the eggs with salt and add the shallot paste to this, mix well. Now make omelette's as usual ones.

Kerala roast chicken

Preparation time: 30 mins | Cooking time: 45 mins

I came across this recipe from Lakshmi nair's cookery show. The recipe was really mouth watering and wanted to cook it right away. I had a few chicken drumsticks in the freezer and decided to go for it. It came out very good.

Ingredients
Chicken-1medium(cut into 20 pieces)
Kashmiri red chilli powder-1 1/4tbsp
Crushed pepper powder-1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste

Gravy
Onion(finely chopped)-7medium
Ginger(finely chopped)-2 1/2tbsp
Garlic(finely chopped)-2 1/2tbsp
Green chillies(finely chopped)-2tbsp
Tomato(sliced)-3big
Corinader powder-1tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder-1tbsp
Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
Garam masala powder-1tsp
Tomato sauce-3tbsp
Curry leaves-2 to 3 sprigs(as per your taste)
Oil for frying(preferably coconut oil)
Salt to taste

Method
Marinate the chicken with lime juice, salt and pepper powder for about 1/2 an hour. Make a paste of turmeric powder, red chilli powder along with a little water and mix it with the marinated chicken and keep it aside for 15-20 mins.

You can either deep fry or shallow fry the chicken. Here I have shallow fried. Fry the chciken till done i.e light golden brown(don't make it crispy).

Heat some oil in a pan(you can use the one used for frying the chicken), add garlic, ginger and green chillies and fry till they are light brown in color. Now add the onions and fry till they turn brown. Then add the turmeric, red chilli and coriander powder and fry till they lose their raw smell. Add the tomatoes, salt, garam masala and cook for 5 mins. Now add the tomato sauce, curry leaves and cook until you get a thick gravy. Add the fried chicken and mix well, cook till all the masala is coated well with the chicken.



This goes well as a side dish for rice or even chapatis.

Andhra chicken fry

Preparation time: 20 mins | Cooking time: 45 mins

This recipe comes from our famous chef Sanjeev Kapoor. The original demands green chilli paste & red chilli powder, I added only red chilli powder.

Ingredients
Chicken(cut into small pieces)-400gms
Onion(finely chopped)-1
Ginger garlic paste-1tbsp
Desiccated coconut/grated fresh coconut-2tbsp
Coriander powder-1tbsp
Red chilli powder-2tsp
Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
Garam masala powder-1tsp
Coriander leaves (finely chopped)-2tbsp
Pudina/mint leaves(finely chopped)-1tbsp
Curry leaves-10 to 12
Yogurt-3tbsp
Cashew nuts-10(optional)
Salt to taste
Oil-3tbsp

Method
In a pan, dry roast desiccated coconut. Cool it. Add yogurt, ginger garlic paste, chopped coriander leaves, chopped mint leaves, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder & garam masala powder. Mix well.



Add chicken pieces & coat with the marination. Season it with salt. Keep aside for 1 hr.



Heat oil in a pan. Saute chopped onion & curry leaves. When the onions turn brown, add the cashews and fry for 2 mins. Now add the chicken along with the marinade and cook on low flame stirring occasionally. (It would be better to use a pan with wider circumference that allows the chicken to cook evenly). This goes well with rice or any Indian bread.