iChef

Chicken with vegetables

This is a variety dish which has chicken as well as vegetables . It is a real good dish to take for any potluck or for presenting to your guests. The best part is that you can adjust with this one gravy for both rice and chappathy . It is an Indo -Chinese preparation which uses both the Indian spices and masalas that normally go into all non veg gravies , as well as some very common sauces that we use for the Chinese preparation.. You can see the ingredients are also combined in a unique form , so the dish will come out little spicy with the Indian masalas,and little sweet with the added sauces. I got this recipe from a Kerala Recipe book .It is little tedious to prepare and is done in steps in an organized way to make it less strenuous. For this recipe you need boneless chicken pieces ,preferrably breast pieces, some mixed vegetables and the normal veggie ingredients and masala powders. The best form of it is the completely dry style which makes it very appealing to see. Here I have made it in a bit gravy style to suit the requirement, in the first batch of snaps. When I made it second time , it was for a potluck party and I wanted it dry, so you can see the less spicy and dry preparation also in some snaps given.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken -20 pieces(Boneless skinless chicken breast)-cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces
Mixed vegetables- green beans, green peas, carrots, potatoes,capsicum- 1 cup
Onion -2 medium sized
Tomato- 2 medium sized
Ginger garlic paste- 2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder- 1 tablespoon
Red chilly powder - 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder-1/2 tablespoon
Garam masala - 1 tablespoon
Soya sauce - 1 tablespoon
Chilly sauce - 2 tablespoons
Tomato sauce - 2 tablespoons
salt as needed
coriander leaves to garnish
Pepper powder- 1 tablespoon
Vinegar- 2 tablespoons

How to Prepare:

Step 1: Finely chop one onion, one tomato and mix with one tablespoon ginger garlic paste. Add the sauces and mix well .Add the masala powders and salt. Mix well. Add

one tablespoon vinegar and mix well . Now add in the chicken pieces and marinate well. Let it stand for one hour.

Step 2: Add one chopped onion , one chopped tomato and one tablespoon ginger garlic paste to a blender and grind to smooth paste without adding water. Keep it aside.

Step 3: Heat little oil in a flat non stick pan and add all the mixed vegetables. saute it till it is half cooked. Keep aside.

Step 4: Boil the chicken pieces in the marinated mix without adding water for about 20 min or till the chicken is three forth cooked with very less gravy remaining . Keep aside. (If you want a gravy dish then you can stop at an earlier stage and you can add little water while cooking)

Step 5: Heat oil in a kadai , add the blended onion paste and saute well till it is cooked, the raw smell leaves and the gravy thickens

Step 6: Add the sauted mixed vegetables and mix well with the gravy. Allow it to cook together for about 5 minutes.

Step 7: Add the cooked chicken pieces along with the remaining gravy and stir well to mix with the remaining ingredients. Cook uncovered till the gravy is absorbed and the dish is done. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Step 8: Garnish with cashews raisins and coriander leaves . Serve hot with rice or bread varieties.

Banana nut Cake- A New Year Treat

This is a simple cake which uses all our day to day healthy ingredients. The flavor is also great and is slightly similar to the Unniyappams of Kerala as it uses banana as the main ingredient. Its healthy too and uses less calorie items in its making. You can bake this in a loaf pan too and cut it like bread . You can also frost this cake and make it look more presentable but here I have made a simple version of it , which is good to go with the evening tea. It can be stored in airtight container in fridge for almost three days , just need to warm in microwave before use to have the fresh feel and to soften it .

Serving size: This recipe serves 4 in one go, so if you want to make a bigger serving then you can double the ingredients and use a bigger sized baking pan.

INGREDIENTS:

Ripe banana - 3 (The more ripe it is the more sweet and moist the cake would be)
Sifted all purpose four - 1 cup
Granulated sugar - 1 cup (you can increase or decrease based on how sweet you need it and also how ripe the banana is)
Eggs - 2 large
Vanilla extract - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - a pinch (To neutralize the sweetness)
Milk- 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon
Butter - 1/2 stick
Cashews, Walnuts, Pecans, Almond shavings and raisins - 1/2 cup

How to Prepare:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F (180 Degrees).

Step 2: Sift the flour and add the baking powder , baking soda and salt.

Step 3: Mash the bananas.

Step 4: Beat the eggs, butter and sugar well with a hand beater till it turns smooth and fluffy.

Step 5: To the creamed mix add the flour little by little alternating with milk , beginning and ending with flour. Add the vanilla extract and mashed bananas and mix well with the beater till it is completely turned to a smooth batter.

Step 6: Grease a round pan with butter (I used the butter spray) and dust the bottom of the pan evenly with flour. (To prevent the cake from sticking at the bottom while baking )

Step 7: Mix the nuts and raisins into the batter and stir well. Spread the batter evenly on the pan and smooth its surface. Bake it for 35 minutes or till done . Check whether it is cooked by inserting a skewer into the cake, if it comes out clean then cake is cooked)

Step 8: Remove the cake from the pan and allow it to cool to room temperature. You can frost the cake if you want it more sweet and creamy (For the frosting recipe refer my carrot cake recipe) or you can have it warm with a hot cup of tea as evening snack.

Happy New Year to all my blog followers and well wishers

Another year comes to an end and a Brand new year begins. So the time to forget all the negatives that happened in the last 365 days and to cherish the happiness time brought to all our lives- thats going to be the 31st eve . To some inevitable and unrepairable losses would have happened- I pray for those kind hearted people to have the strength to move forward in lives, For some it would have been a year that brought all happiness and achievements I congratulate those lucky ones too. Whatever it may be lets welcome the new year with a bash!!! Well we all know its just another normal day thats going to start its just the numericals of the year that changes, but lets take it as a ray of hope , a means to find a change in our routine life , something to look forward to and a great time to celebrate outdoor or at home . For some its resolution period, but I believe that can be done any time of the year and not delay till another year starts. (No hard feelings, just my personal opinion)

I remember the new year days with my parents during my school college days -it would be the final days of the vacation, and the exam paper tension would have already started. Still I would look forward to this day as we would order the latest cake of the season and would cut it when the clock strikes 12 on the 31st eve. Achamma would then sing and wish everyone a happy new year. We would light lamp and pray for a happy year ahead.

As days went by new year images changed. I started my career . As I was still with my parents we didnt miss the event of cake cutting though my dear achamma was not with us by then. We missed her greetings every year after that. 1st of the year was not a holiday . Even if so for students it was not so for teaching staff and I was in the latter category. We would go early morning after the night long TV watching and then reach college. There would be a small prayer and after light breakfast we would return .I must admit that those new year days started with grumbling though.

Years passed by and now its new year as a wife. Its also special indeed. During the last three years of my marriage New year was special as it was holiday for my hubby . We would either go for tours or just sit and watch snow inside our sweet home, we decorated the house with colorful lights and also a christmas tree. It was always all the more special as its just a couple days after our wedding anniversary.

So yeah thats my story of new year................Everyone whether living in India or abroad , whichever religion, old or young , whatever profession they are in.........everyone celebrates new year in special way. Its a UNIVERSAL celebration day. So let me wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year ahead .

Pongal

This is a tasty easy and very authentic dish of Tamil Nadu as well as Karnataka. There are two versions for this great dish- it can be sweet pongal which is made with jaggery as well as a spicy version which had peppercorns. Here I am giving the spicy version. My friend Pavitra used to prepare delicious pongal at home and this recipe is based on her tips. It is usually mushy in outcome with overcooked rice and dal .This dish goes well with sambar and chutney.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

Rice - 3/4 cup (Preferably sona masoori) But here I had basmati and used that instead.
Moong dal (Cherupayar parippu) - 1/4 cup
Cashews - 1/4 cup
Peppercorns - 6
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tablespoon
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tablespoon
salt as needed
Water - 6 cups (Usually the measurement is 1:8)
Ghee- 2 tablespoons
Curry leaves-5

How to Prepare:

Step 1: Wash the moong dal and drain it. Dry roast it till it turns light brown. keep it aside.

Step 2: Was the rice and drain off water.

Step 3: Heat ghee and add cumin seeds , curry leaves and peppercorns. Allow them to cook . Add the cashews and allow them to turn slightly brown.

Step 4: Add the roased moong dal and saute well. Add the rice and mix well. Add salt and turmeric powder and mix well.

Step 5: Add the 6 cups water and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Step 6: Serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar.

Butter Chicken

This is a very special, flavor filled , creamy chicken dish which goes well with any bread variety or Rice variety. It is the most in demand item of any non veg restaurant. This is also , as the name implies , a high calorie dish. In each step of its making together with the flavor we are also adding equivalent amount of calories. There is little substitutes for a low calorie one. I had been thinking of making this for quite some time and have been referring to various recipes also for the same. For this dish I combined three recipes which I found in different blogs , taking low calorie tips from each ,as much as I could. But with the name Butter Chicken I could not substitute butter though.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken - 10 pieces (Boneless pieces preferred, cut into small bite sized pieces)
Onion- 1 medium sized , chopped fine
Ginger-Garlic paste- 2 tablespoons
Tomatoes- 2 medium -chopped fine
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tablespoon
Red chilly powder- 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder- 2 tablespoons
Tandoori powder- (Red Color)- a pinch
Salt as needed
Cumin seeds- 1 tablespoon
Garam masala - 1/2 tablespoon
Cream - 1 cup
Evaporated milk (Can be used as substitute)- Optional

How to Prepare:

Step 1: Marinate the chicken pieces with salt, 1/4 tablespoon turmeric powder, 1/2tablespoon red chilly powder and 1 tablespoon coriander powder for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Saute the chicken pieces in 4 tablespoons oil till it is half cooked.Transfer it to paper towels and drain the excess oil .

Step 3: In the same oil add cumin seeds and onions. When it browns add the ginger garlic paste and saute till done. Add the tomatoes and saute till done. Add all the masala powders and mix well. Cook well. Allow to cool and grind to smooth paste.

Step 4: Heat butter in a flat pan and add the masala paste . Add the chicken pieces and mix well. Add little water and cook well.

Step 5: When the pieces are cooked and the gravy is three forth done add the cream and bring to gentle boil. Add a pinch of red color if you want to get the restaurant finish. Also sprinkle some garam masala and mix well.Garnish with coriander leaves and switch off flame.

Step 6: Serve hot with basmati rice varieties or with bread varieties.

Brinjal stir fry- Indian style

Brinjal or Egg plant is a common vegetable which can be made into dry dish or gravy type and can be served with rice or even with our bread varieties. In USA I kept searching for new recipes when we buy brinjal as its too bog to be finished in one type curry for two people. I used to make our authentic kerala recipes as well as north indian types using brinjal . Its only recently that I saw the normal small cute purple colored ones in Kerala and I wanted to try our the dry dish with it. This is my mom's special preparation which I tried out. It is a quick to make dish and goes well with rice as well as with chappathy.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

Brinjal - 5 small ones sliced lengthwise
Onions- 2 small ones sliced lengthwise
Green chillies- 2 slit lengthwise
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tablespoon
Red chilly powder- 2 tablespoons
Salt as needed
Curry leaves - 5

How to Prepare:

Step 1: Marinate the cut brinjals with salt, red chilly powder and turmeric powder , sprinkle some water on top and close with lid . Add curry leaves too to the marinade. This is to prevent browning of the cut pieces.

Step 2: Heat oil in a pan and saute the onions till it turns transparent.

Step 3: Add the marintade brinjal pieces and mix well. Close with lid and allow to cook till it becomes dry .

Step 4: Add the slit green chillies and mix well.

Step 5: serve hot with chappathys or with rice.

Padavalanga parippu curry

Padavalanga or snake guard is a very common vegetable in South India. It can be made to a dry dish, thoran or like a gravy with different combinations. Any way it tastes good. When I started missing this vegetable in USA I substituted it with Chayote squash, though both looked entirely different and are in different categories somehow it tastes the same when cooked in our style. Now that I got the original vegetable I thought I will try some authentic gravy with it which goes well with our daily meals. This gravy is simple to make and very tasty too, it is a superb combination with boiled rice when served with a pickle and curd.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

Snake guard- 1 -cleaned and chopped into small cubes
Toor dal (Thuvara parippu)- 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tablespoon
Whole Red chilly -2
Garlic - 2 pods
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tablespoon
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Salt as needed
Mustard seeds- 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves- 5
Coconut oil - 1 tablespoon
Shallots/ pearl onions- 4 sliced thin

How to Prepare:

Step 1: Pressure cook toor dal with the chopped snake guard for one whistle adding turmeric powder and salt.

Step 2: Grind together coconut with cumin seeds, garlic pods , and whole red chilly to a fine paste.

Step 3: Add the coconut paste to the cooked dal-guard gravy and cook well.

Step 4: Heat coconut oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add shallots and saute till it turns brown. add one tablepoon grated coconut and saute till it turns golden brown.

Step 5: Add the seasoning to the gravy.

Step 6: Serve hot with boiled rice.

Idli sambar

Idli is the staple breakfast dish of South India. There are different varieties of idlis , here I am giving the recipe of the simplest type any new cook can make without any hazzle. This is a very healthy breakfast item and very filling too. It is made by steaming a batter made with raw rice and lentils.

Now for the new cooks I will provide some tips :

I know many people who make dosas and idlis with same batter but for me the batter is different. For dosa I make the batter little thin (just thick enough to coat a ladle) and for idli I make it little thick (but flowing consistency) . For dosa I add little (a pinch) of fenugreek seeds . For both the batters adding cooked rice along while grinding will make a smooth batter. Now for the proportion - for dosa usually more rice is needed and for idlis more uradh dal is needed - that proportion will make both perfect.

Some tips for those who live abroad:

I can truly understand the feeling of those who are craving for good idlis and dosas when you reach a place out of country. The first reason behind this is the mixers available abroad. Those are juicers/blenders , not the mixer grinders that we need for making smooth batters. So we have to add water little by little while using those. And not all blenders work smooth (thats what I heard from friends here) I use the Hamilton Beach 10 speed blender with a glass jar. That has worked well for me for almost three years with no complaints. Just that it should not be loaded above half the level and the water quantity should be kept optimum always.

Again for making it less stressful for your blenders another tip what helped me was changing the ingredients slightly and even then getting perfect results.

Another tip is when you find it difficult to get the batter fermented- keep it in your oven which is preheated and switched off. or you can keep it in the washer dryer room which also has the water heater. This worked for me during winter months.

Dosa- 1 cup uradh dal with a pinch of fenugreek seeds and 3 cups enriched long grain rice (available in walmart or any grocery store) .

Soak these seperately in water overnight . When it is time to grind add one handful of cooked rice or same quantity thick poha soaked in water for half an hour. Grind the uradh dal with fenugreek seeds seperately and the rice with poha seperately to a smooth and thin batter. Add two tablespoons salt and keep it in a warm place for fermentation . The batter would rise up indicating fermentation. Dosa needs less fermentation compared to idlis. stir it well after rising and keep in fridge to stop fermentation.

Idlis: To make fluffy idlis without much hazzle.

1 cup uradh dal , 2 cups idli rawa and 1 cup cooked rice or poha soaked in water for half an hour. Soak uradh dal overnight and grind it separately to make a smooth paste without adding much water. Soak idli rawa for 30 minutes and drain off water. Grind it with the soaked poha to make a smooth paste which is not too watery but thick. Mix the two. add salt and keep for fermentation.

If you cannot avoid using idli rice : soak both 1 cup uradh dal and 2 cups idli rice overnight and grind it separately adding soaked poha or cooked rice.

INGREDIENTS:

Uradh dal- 1 cup (Soaked overnight)
Idli rice - 2 cups (soaked overnight)
Thick poha (soaked for 30 minutes)
salt as needed

How to prepare:

Step 1: Grind the uradh dal and idli ricewith poha seperately without adding much water to make a smooth thick batter. Add the salt and allow to ferment. The batter should rice very well to the top . stir it well and keep refrigerated to avoid further fermentation. The batter can be refrigerated and stored for use for almost a week.

Step 2: Heat 2 cups water in a 5L pressure cooker. The water level should be below the stand.

Step 3: Grease the idli stands and pour a small ladle full of batter into each hole in the stand. The triple holes in the stand should be alternating with the batter filled holes.I have this non stick idli stand which worked well for getting smooth idlis. It also saved effort of washing the stand as the cooked idlis do nto stick to it and also it needs just a rinse to clean it. Thanks to my friend Chetana who gifted it to me.