Semiya Payasam

Cooking time: 45 min

In Kerala there are variety of payasams either made from coconut milk or milk. The ingredients range from rice, semiya (vermicelli), lentils, bananas, jackfruits, ada(flat pieces made from rice) etc.
Jaggery usually goes with coconut milk and sugar with milk. They have 2 distinct colours brown and white respectively. My kids call it simply brown & white payasam.

This dish does not suffice in my list frequently because my husband isn't very keen with sweet dishes but this is one of mine & my kids favourites. They prefer the white ones than the brown.

Ingredients
Semiya (vermicelli)-1cup
Whole milk-4cups
Water-1cup
Sugar-1cup
Green cardamom-3
Raisins-10
Cashew nuts-10
Ghee-3tbsp

Method
Heat a thick bottom vessel, add the ghee and fry the cashew nuts & raisins until the cashews are brown and raisins are fluffy. Keep it aside. Now in the same ghee, roast the semiya until golden brown. Add the boiled milk and water and cook on medium flame until the semiya is soft (this may take about 20-30 min). Stir in the sugar and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the powdered cardamom, cashew nuts and raisins and let it boil for about 5 minutes.

It can be relished hot or cold.



Note: I usually use whole milk to have a rich & creamy taste. You can vary the consistency of the payasam according to your liking. The consistency thickens as the payasam gets colder. (you may add diluted milk in this case).

Chicken Shawarma

Preparation time: 30 min | Cooking time: 60 min

This is a Lebanese dish. My husband keeps talking about relishing Lebanese foods when he was in Dubai. He had only praise for their dishes. I got a chance to taste it at a restaurant in Bangalore. It became my favourite too. The ingredients were readily available here and that's how I tried it myself.

Ingredients

Chicken thighs-4
Malt vinegar-1/4cup
Mixed spices(a traditional 7 spices)-1/2tsp
Ground cardamon-a pinch
Yoghurt-4tbsp
Oil-1/2tbsp
Salt & pepper to taste

Method
Slice the chicken into small cubes. Marinate using all the above ingredients for 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. Put the chicken with the marinade in an oven tray and bake covered in a hot oven for 30 mins, turning once. Uncover and put back in the oven for 5 more minutes, or till the chicken is well cooked. If desired, pour out the fat for a healthier option. Serve with sliced tomatoes, onions, and chopped parsley, rolled in a pitta bread topped with tarator, hummus and toum.

Note: Mixed spice is a powdered mixture of allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, fenugreek & ginger in equal quantity.

Tarator
Ingredients
Tahini (sesame paste)-1/4cup
Lemon juice-1 to 2tbsp
Water-1 to 2tbsp
Chopped parsley-1tbsp
Salt and pepper
Crushed garlic(optional)-1clove

Method
Mix all the above ingredients together, keep stirring till you get a nice smooth sauce, add the chopped parsley and serve.

Hummus
Ingredients
Dry chickpeas (to be rinsed and drained before use) soaked in water-1cup
Garlic crushed-2 cloves
Tahini (sesame seeds paste)-1/4cup
Lemon juice-2tbsp
Salt & pepper

Method
Drain the chick peas and rinse well, then put in a saucepan with plenty of water and cook over high heat till it starts boiling, then lower the heat and simmer covered for about one and a half hours, or until the chick peas are soft to the touch. You may pressure cook it which is a better option.
Drain the cooked chickpeas and put in a food processor with all other ingredients till they become a soft paste. Empty in a flat dish and decorate with some parsley leafs and drizzle with good quality olive oil.



Toum
Ingredients
Garlic clove crushed-6
Oil (not olive oil)-1/4 cup
Mayonnaise-2tbsp
A squeeze of lemon juice
Salt & pepper

Method
Place garlic in bowl. Add salt and lemon. Add a little oil at a time to the garlic and mix with spoon until the oil stops being absorbed. Keep adding the oil until it runs out. Now add the mayonnaise and mix. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Once complete refrigerate it.

Vegetable Sandwich

Preparation time: 10 min | Cooking time: 10 min

My kids are on vacation and they keep doing what they do best, play and make merry. They are so tired by the end of the day and need some healthy snacks to make them happy. This dish is one of their favourites. It is very easy to cook and ideal for a picnic snack.

Ingredients
Few bread slices
Chopped mushrooms-3tbsp
Chopped mix peppers-3tbsp
Chopped onions-1tbsp
Mayonnaise-2tbsp
Oil-2tsp
Salt & pepper to taste

Method
Heat a pan, add oil and saute the onions for 2 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms & peppers and saute for about 2 minutes. Season with salt & pepper accordingly.

Add the mayonnaise and mix it well. Cut the crust of the bread slices and spread the mixture over them and make sandwiches.



Note: You may also add grated carrots & chopped cabbages.

Chilli Gobi

Preperation time: 20 min | Cooking time: 45 min

The basic ingredients of this dish is of manchurian but I have indianised the recipe and christianed it as 'Chilli Gobi'

Ingredients
Cauliflower-1small
Ginger-garlic paste-1tsp
Chilli powder-1tsp
Corn flour-1tbsp
Refined flour (maida)-2tbsp
Besan (gram flour)-1tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

For the sauce
Chopped garlic-1tsp
Chopped ginger-1tsp
Chopped green chillies-1tsp
Chopped onions-2tbsp
Soya sauce-1tbsp
Tomato ketchup-1tsp
Red chilli sauce-1tsp
Spring onions or coriander leaves for garnishing
Salt to taste
Oil

Method
Cut the cauliflower into small florets, wash well and drain the water. To this add ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder and salt and steam it for about 5 minutes. I usually cook it in the microwave for 5 minutes. Remove the water from it and add corn flour, maida & besan and mix well. Deep fry the cauliflower until golden brown and keep it aside. The excess water removed after steaming can be used for the sauce.



Heat oil in a pan add ginger, garlic and the onions and saute on a high flame for about 5 minutes. Add the sauces and cook until it is blend well. Now add the fried cauliflower and mix well. Garnish with chopped spring onions or coriander leaves. If you feel the cauliflower and the sauce is not mixed well, you may sprinkle a little bit of corn flour mixed with water.

Vegetable Manchurian

Preperation time: 35 min | Cooking time: 45 min

Indian vegetables are not a common commodity available here in Glasgow. I try to make the best out of the ones easily available and that's how this delicacy came into the menu.

Ingredients
For vegetable balls
Finely chopped cabbage-1cup
Grated carrot-1/2cup
Chopped garlic-1tsp
Chopped green chilli-1tsp
Refined flour (maida)-2tbsp
Corn flour-1tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

For sauce
Finely chopped garlic-1tsp
Finely chopped ginger-1 1/2tsp
Green chilli-1tsp
Soya sauce-1tbsp
Vegetable stock or water-1cup
Chopped spring onions-1tbsp
Chilli sauce-1tsp
Corn flour-1tsp
Salt to taste
Oil-2tbsp

Method
Take a bowl, mix the grated cabbage and carrot with a little salt and keep it aside for about 15 minutes. Now squeeze the water out from this mixture and add the remaining ingredients. Make small balls out of this and deep fry them until brown. (the water can be used as the stock for the sauce). If the mixture is sticky, add corn flour to make it firm.



Heat oil in a pan and chopped ginger, garlic and green chilli and saute on high flame for 2 minutes. Now add the sauces and the stock, bring it to boil. At this stage add the vegetable balls and mix well. It can be relished at this stage as a dry manchurian. For the gravy, mix corn flour to a cup of water and add. When it starts boiling mix it well and garnish with spring onions.It goes well with fried rice or noodles.

Egg fried rice with Szechuan Chicken

Preperation time: 15 min | Cooking time: 10 min

Fried rice is a prominent Chinese dish that has gone through a lot of innovations as it moved to other parts of the world. For instance, the fried rice from a chinese restaurant in India would be indianised and so forth. In this recipe I've used basmati rice instead of small grain rice or jasmine rice which they use.

Ingredients
Cooked rice-1cups
Chopped carrots-1tbsp
Chopped mixed bell peppers(capsicum)-2tbsp
Chopped spring onions-2tbsp
Chopped garlic-1tsp
Eggs-2
Soya sauce-1tsp
Oyster sauce-1/2tsp
Salt & pepper as per taste.
Oil

Method
Take a wok, add oil and on high flame, add chopped garlic and the vegetables and saute for 5 minutes. Scramble the eggs and add it to this mixture. Mix them well. Season it with salt and pepper. Now add the rice and the sauces, mix it well on a high flame until the rice is hot. Sprinkle the spring onions in the end. Serve hot because fried rice is best eaten that way.

Note: It is always better to use cold rice.

Preperation time: 10 min | Cooking time: 40 min

Szechuan Chicken Ingredients
Chicken breasts(small peices)-500gms
Ginger-garlic paste-1/2tsp
Chopped ginger-2tsp
Chopped garlic-1tsp
Chilli flakes-1tsp
Egg-1
Soya Sauce-3tbsp
Chilli sauce-1tbsp
Tomato ketchup-1tbsp
Onion-1
Tomato-1
Spring onions for garnishing
Corn flour-2tbsp
Pepper-1/2tsp
Oil
Salt to taste

Method
Take a bowl, add the ginger-garlic paste, salt & pepper powder, a tbsp of soya sauce and a egg. Mix well and marinate the chicken in this for about 3 hours. Deep fry the chicken until cooked. Keep it aside.



Heat oil in a pan, add chopped ginger, garlic and onions(thinly sliced) and saute for about 2 minutes. Add chilli flakes and chopped tomatoes, saute for 5 minutes. Now add all the sauces and cook until it is well blend. Add the fried chicken to this and mix well. At this stage you can garnish with spring onions and relish it as dry Szechuan chicken or mix a tbsp of corn flour in a cup of water and add to the chicken mixture to get a thick gravy. The consistency can be adjusted as per individual taste.

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