Tasty Chicken Starter

Inspired From : Edible Garden's Chicken Majestic

You Need :

• Chicken Breasts - 500 gms
• Oil - 1 tbsp + 2 tsp
• Garlic - 6 pods, chopped
• Garlic - 1/2 inch piece, chopped
• Green Chillies - 2 nos, chopped
• Curry Leaves - 3 sprigs
• Kashmiri Chilly Powder - 2 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Marinade

• Curd - 5 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Turmeric
• Ginger - 1/2 inch piece, grind to paste
• Garlic - 6 pods, grind to paste
• Salt - To taste 

Method of Preparation

• Wash and clean the chicken breasts . Add half a lime's juice and wash again.
• Cut the breasts into long thin bite-size pieces.
• Marinate the pieces with the ingredients mentioned under "Marinade".
• Refrigerate for about 4 hours or overnight.
• Heat i tsp of oil in a deep bottom pan.
• Add the chicken pieces and saute until they are cooked and turn a light brown colour.
• Remove and set aside.

• Onto the same pan , add 1 tsp of oil.
• Add the chopped garlic, ginger and green chillies.
• Saute them until they turn aromatic (about a minute or so).
• Add curry leaves and saute for another minute.
• Add chili powder and coriander powder.
• Saute for until they turn a darker shade, but take care not to burn.
• Now add the fried chicken pieces and ensure they are will coated with the masala.
• Cook until the pieces are done.
• Serve hot.

Kerala Style Chemeen (Prawns) Roast

You Need :

• Tiger prawns - 1/2 kg
• Coconut Powder - 1 tbsp
• Water - 1/4 cup
• Onion - 2 nos, medium , thinly sliced
• Green chilies - 2, slit
• Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs
• Coriander - a handful, chopped.

For Marinade You Need :

• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
• Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
• Garlic - 6 pods
• Ginger -  2 inch piece
• Salt - To taste

Method of Preparation

• Wash, de-vein and clean the prawns.
• Make a coarse paste of the ingredients under "marinade". Marinate for 30 minutes.
• In a mud pan, heat oil and add the sliced onions , slit green chillies and the curry leaves.
• Saute till the onions are soft and translucent.
• Add the prawns and coconut powder mixed with water. Let it cook.
• Keep sauteing till the curry dries up.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

King Fish Cutlets/ Meen Cutlets

Ingredients

1. King Fish - 1 kg
2. Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
3. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Salt - To taste

5. Potatoes - medium sized, 4

6. Onions - medium sized, 5, finely chopped
7. Curry Leaves - 4 sprigs, chopped

8. Ginger - 2 inch piece, chopped
9. Garlic - 12 pods, chopped
10. Green chillies - 8, chopped

11. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
12. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
13. Coriander powder - 1 tsp

14. Coriander leaves - 1 fistful, chopped

15. Egg whites - 2
16. Bread crumbs
17. Oil to fry

Method of Preparation

1. Wash and clean the fish.
2. Boil water in a vessel, enough to cover the fish.
3. When the water boils add the cleaned fish pieces, turmeric powder , pepper powder and salt.

4. When the fish is being cooked, peel and wash the potatoes.
5. Boil them in another vessel without adding any salt. Keep aside to cool.

6. When the fish is cooked, remove from fire, drain the water and keep aside to cool.
7. When the fish has cooled, remove bones and shred into small pieces.

8. Smash the potatoes in a separate bowl.

9. Heat oil in a vessel and add the onions and curry leaves. Saute till golden brown.
10. Add the  chopped ginger, garlic and curry leaves. Saute till the raw smells goes.
11. To this mixture, add the shredded fish, chilly powder, coriander powder , turmeric powder and mix well. Saute for 5 minutes.
12. When done, add the chopped coriander leaves and mix. Add more salt if required.
13. Switch off the fire and let it cool.

14. Now mix together the potato and the fish mixture.  Check and add salt if required. 

15. Make small balls with the dough.
16. Flatten each ball , dip both sides in the egg white and then in bread crumbs covering all sides evenly.
17. Shallow fry the cutlets in oil, browning all sides equally.

18. Serve hot with curd-mint chutney.

Note : The cutlet mixture is best when refrigerated overnight and used the next day.

Aromatic Chicken Pulav using Rice Cooker

This is an easy pulav recipe. Best when you have unexpected guests or on a cooking-lazy day. My daughter P loves it with plain curd. I alway cook this with a rice cooker to get the perfect consistency, somehow I dont get it right when I use the cooking pot.

Ingredients

1. Rice - 3 cups (I use Jeerakashala Rice, its very aromatic)

2. Whole Spices

• Cardamon - 4
• Cloves - 4
• Bay Leaves - 3
• Mace - a little
• Star Anise - 1
• Cinnamon - 1 inch piece

3. Onions - 2 medium , thinly sliced
4. Green chillies - 4, chopped
5. Ginger - 1 inch piece, chopped
6. Garlic - 6 pods, chopped
7. Green Peas - a handful.
8. Carrot - 1, chopped.
9. Corn - a handful.
10. Raisins - 10
11. Coriander Leaves - a handful, chopped
12. Mint Leaves - 6 leaves
13. Chicken Fries - 10 pieces, chopped into cubes.
14. Water - 4 cups
15. Coconut Oil - 3 tbsp
16. Saffron - 1 pinch

Method of Preparation

• Wash the rice and soak in water and set aside until required.
• Heat oil in a non-stick kadai and add all the whole spices.
• When the spices starts sputtering and an aroma is emitted, add the thinly sliced onions.
• Saute till the onions are transparent and then add the chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic. Saute until the raw smell is gone.
• Throw in the raisins, chopped carrots, corn and green peas and keep sauteing for another 2 minutes.
• Add the rice along with the chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves, saute for 5 minutes. 

• Take 4 cups of water in the rice cooker's bowl, add the contents of the  kadai into the bowl.
• Sprinkle a pinch of saffron on top and add salt.
• Close lid and start cooking.
• When the rice is done , mix in the cubed chicken fries.

• Serve hot with curd or salad.
• Note : You can use any garnish you prefer - cashews, fried onions and the like.

Love Letter (Madakku Dosa)

This one used to be my favorite tea-time snack when i was in school. I would gobble up 3-4 love letters in just one sitting. And its so easy to make.

Ingredients

For Dosa

1. Maida (All purpose flour) - 1 cup

2. Salt to Taste

3. Water

4. Gingerly Oil

For Filling

5. Freshly grated coconut - 3/4 cup

6. Sugar - 1 tsp

7. Cardamom - 3-4 split open

8. Banana - cut into small semi-spheres (i like to use  palayamghodan)

Method of Preparation

1. Mix the ingredients (5  to 8) in a bowl and keep aside.

2. Mix maida and salt, add enough water to make a batter of medium consistency.

3. Heat a dosa pan, brush some oil  and prepare dosas.  

4. As soon as the dosa is done, place it on a plate, spread a generous amount of filling on top of it and roll it up.

5. Repeat the steps for each dosa.

6. Serve hot.