Green Masala Chicken Curry..

Green Masala Chicken Curry. Nowadays days I'm just experiment with chicken to create a new dish every time and to be honest every time my new dish is coming out very tasty. This time I was trying to cook Hyderbadi Green Chilli Chicken, but the amount of green chilli we use in that recipe I was afraid that my hubby will not be able to eat. So I change the plan and made this green masala chicken curry, actually it has the same ingredients what we use for green chilli chicken but less green chillis. It is a great dish for the people who loves spicy food and it is quite simple recipe to make. It goes well with Steam Rice, Coconut Rice or Roti..

Ingredient's

1/2 kg chicken (cut into medium pieces)

1 medium onion (thinly sliced)

1cup chopped coriander leaves

1/2cup chopped mint leaves

5 to 6 green chilis

8 to 10 curry leafs

1 bay leaves

1tbsp ginger garlic paste

3tbsp Oil

Salt to taste.

Cooking Method.

Wash and drain the water of chicken and set it aside.

In a deep frying pan/kadai, add oil, bay leaves and onion, fry the onion for minute or 2. Then add chicken and salt, mix them and allow the chicken water to evaporate.

In a mean time add all the rest of the ingredients into a mixer jar and make a smooth paste by adding little water.

Now add the grounded masala to chicken and 1/4cup of water, give a good mix and check for the salt. Then close the lid and cook till all the masala is coated well to the chicken and it has a think gravy. That will take about 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve hot with Rice, Coconut Rice, Naan, Kerala Poratha or Roti's.

Pepper Chicken Chettinad.

Pepper Chicken Chettinad is the cuisine of the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu state in South India. The Chettinad cuisine is known for spicy and the most aromatic dishes in India. In this dish black pepper play the major role for the spices and I have tried cooking this dish without black pepper too and it taste as good as this dish. This dish has one speciality ever time you cook it taste different and Pepper chicken chettinad can be cooked as dry or even with gravy. This is very easy dish with less ingredients and it take hardly 20 to 25 minutes to cook and it goes well with roti. I prefer with roti but you try with anything rice, roti, naan.

Ingredient's.

1/2kg chicken (cut into medium pieces)

1 big onion, 2 green chilli, 2 large tomatos (finely chopped)

1tbsp ground black pepper

1tsp ginger garlic paste

1tsp red chilli powder, 1/2tsp turmeric, 1tsp coriander powder

1tsp garam masala, 1tsp chicken masala (any brand)

1/2tsp mustard seeds

10 curry leaves

1tsp lemon juice

Oil and Salt to taste.

Cooking Method.

In a deep frying pan/kadai, add oil and fry mustard seeds and curry leaves, then add onion, green chilli and fry for golden brown. Add turmeric, salt and chicken, fry for 2 to 3minutes. Then add red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala, chicken masala and ginger garlic paste, fry for another 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the tomato and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or till all the masala is coated well to the chicken and oil starts floating on top and you have a thick gravy. finally add black pepper and lemon juice and give a quick stir and allow the chicken to simmer on a low flame for few seconds.

Serve hot with Naan. Roti or Rice.

Kerala Roast Chicken.

Kerala Roast Chicken is the very famous Kerala side dish and you get in all the small or big restaurant in all parts of Kerala and every body has there own way of cooking this dish. I have adopted this recipe from YouTube vah-re-vah chef and made some little changes and this spicy and flavourful dish has become hit in my family. Now I cook this dish in many ways, is not only you have use chicken you can even use prawns, eggs, mutton or even liver and every thing taste will delicious. Make this spicy and flavour roast chicken and serve with Kerala paratha, naan or plain rice.

Ingredient's to Marinate.

1/2kg chicken (cut into medium pieces)

1tsp red chilli powder, 1/2tsp turmeric

1tsp coriander powder, 1tsp garam masala

1tbsp ginger garlic paste

1tbsp lemon juice.

(Mix all the above ingredients in a mixing bowl and marinate the chicken for atleast 1 to 2 hours)

Ingredient's to Roast Chicken.

1 large onion (thinly slice)

2tbsp grated coconut

10 curry leaves

4 whole green chillis

1/4tsp cumin

1/2tbsp ground black pepper

Oil and Salt to taste.

Cooking Method.

In a deep frying pan/kadai, add oil, when oil is hot add cumin, onion and fry till light brown, add curry leaves and coconut fry for 1 to 2minutes.

Then add marinated chicken and salt, mix it well and cook for 10 to 15 minutes on a medium flame with the lid on. After that open the lid and start roasting on a high flame, once all the water is evaporated and masala is coated well to the chicken, add the green chillis and ground black pepper and roast till the chicken has become golden brown and that will take about 3 to 4 minutes. Then sprinkle some more lemon juice and Serve hot with Kerala paratha, Naan, Plain rice.

Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan / Baby Eggplant In Coconut Creamy Gravy.

Hyderabadi Bagara Baingan.. This rich and cream baby eggplant gravy cooked with peanuts, cashew and coconut masala paste, which goes very well with rice, naan, roti and you can make a dry version and serve as a side dish too and this gravy is must in my family when we cook briyani.. This is one gravy which I can eat many times and I won't feel bad. In my childhoods days I use to be not a big fan of eggplants but now it's opposite. My hubby likes the dry version and I like the gravy, so when ever I cook this I have to convince my H to eat the gravy but he only eat's eggplants not a gravy and that's also fine with me because I get to eat the gravy for next day's lunch.

Ingredient's.

6 purple baby eggplants (baingan)

2tbsp cashew, 2tbsp peanuts

2tbsp grated coconut

1 onion (chopped fine)

2 green chilis (whole)

2tsp ginger garlic paste

1/2tsp turmeric, 1tbsp coriander powder, 1tbsp red chilli powder

1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds

2tbsp tamarind paste

Oil and Salt to taste

Freshly chopped coriander leaves for garnish.

Cooking Method.

Dry roast the peanuts and cashew until golden brown. Set aside to cool. Then grind together with the coconut and little water to form a smooth paste.

Slit the eggplants and fry in a 1tsp oil until soft but still holds shape. Drain and set aside. In the same kadai add more oil, add cumin, when they turns brown, add onions and ginger garlic paste fry until golden. Then add the ground paste and fry for a minute.

Then add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Mix well and fry for another minute.

Add the tamarind and 1 cup of water, mix, then add the brinjals and cook for 5-10 mins on a medium heat. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Serve hot with Rice, Roti or Naan.

Instant Rava Idli.

Instant Rava Idli is the best and healthy breakfast. Idli use to be only breakfast dish before in my house but nowadays it has taken the place in lunch, dinner and even evening snacks too. I'm a very big fan of idlis because there is no oil or any masala and they taste great without chutney too. Here in England I'm not able to make over night idli or dosa batter because of the horrible climate, since last 4days it is continuously raining. Keeping this climate in my mind I came up with instant idea using little bit of active yeast.. I know it wont give the same taste but it's better then nothing and I'm happy with it. For this rava idli instead of yeast I have used baking soda and they were very soft and spongy. If your idli is soft and spongy then what else you want.

Ingredient's.

1 cup rava (sooji)

3/4 cup curd

1/2tsp finely chopped giner

1 small onion, 2 small green chillis (finely chopped)

2tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Pinch of baking soda

1/4cup of water

Salt to taste.

Ingredient's For Tempering

1/4tsp channa dal

1/4tsp urad dal

1/4tsp mustard

Few chopped curry leaves

1tbsp oil.

Cooking Method.

In a big mixing bowl, add rava(sooji), curd, onion, green chilli, ginger, baking soda, salt and water, mix them all together well and set it aside for 10 minutes.

In the mean time heat water in a idli steamer and make tempering using all the tempering ingredients. Then mix the tempering into the rava mixture and give quick stir, add more water if you needed to bring it to the right consistency of idli batter. Now pour the ladle full of idli batter into the idli maker trays and steam them for about 15 to 20 minutes.. Take idlis out.

Serve hot with Coconut Chutney and Sambar.

Masala Vada / Sabbasige Soppu Masala Vadai / Dill Leaves And Lentil Fritters.

Dill Leaves Madala Vada.. Dill is a unique plant, because both its leaves and seeds are used as seasoning. It is rich in vitamin A, C, B6, folates, riboflavin, calcium, iron and other important minerals. Using of dill leaves in masala vada it is very common in south India and they make different varieties of fritters with this leaves. Even I love adding this leaves in different recipes and I cook dill leaves saag with potato, when goes very well with roti.. When ever I cook this leaves at home the smell of the leaves stays for atleast 2days and I love that and I rarely cook any fried items but when ever I cook I always make it a point to add fresh green leaves.. Adding dill leaves to fritters it gives a very nice smell and unique taste and you'll end up having more.. The people who are weight concious needs to watch out when you cook this masala vadai.

Ingredient's.

1 cup channa dal

1tbsp sooji/rawa

2tbsp besan

1 Onion, 3 green chilles(finely chopped)

1/2tsp fennel seeds

2tbsp chopped coriander and mint leaves

1 spring curry leaves

1 inch piece ginger

5-6 garlic cloves

Salt as needed

Oil for deep frying.

Cooking Method.

Soak channa dal for 3-4 hours. First grind ginger, garlic and fennel coarsely.

Then drain channa dal completely and add it in two batches and grind coarsely. (Not too smooth)

In a mixing bowl add grinded channa dal, fennel mixture. Then add onion, green chilles coriander and mint, salt, sooji, besan and curry leaves.

Keep a bowl with water and wet both hands. Make equal sized balls first for uniform sized vadas. Mean while Heat oil in deep frying pan. Shape each ball to flat patties of medium thickness.

Deep fry in hot oil until golden in colour,flipping once in between. Cook in medium flame to ensure even cooking and golden colour. Drain in paper towel.

Serve hot with tea/coffee or coconut chutney as side dish for vada .

Pulihora/ Tamarind Rice..

Actually it feel good when you start your old life to slowly move on to the new phase of life.. Yesterday when I was writing the post I had nothing in my mind what has happened to me in the past, everything was looking like before, how I use to start writing the post as soon as my husband leaves to office.. That feeling itself gave me lot of positive energy. So from now on I have decided I will not be giving more pain to people around me being sad and I will start writing on my blog what I feel, I'm not a writing person but it really feels good when you write about what you feel.. Cutting of from the world it is not a right solution to me, I really need to face what ever come on my way and wait till everything again falls in a right place, as everybody says I will get back what I have lost... Now lets come to the recipe.

Pulihora is something very common dish in South India. They cook this dish on many occasion. Such as Marriage, Festivals and Pooja. But some of the people don't use onion and garlic to this. This rice is favourite of all in my family, I cook very often and I try out many ways so that you are not eating same every time.. I have already a post of tamarind rice in a different way and this one among the many pulihora what I cook.. It goes very well with a boiled eggs and coconut chutney..

Ingredient's.

2+1/2 cup cooked rice

2tbsp peanuts

1/2tsp channa dal

1/2tsp urad dal

2 dry red chilli

1 small onion (finely chopped)

3 garic cloves (crushed)

1/4tsp mustard seeds

8 to 10 curry leaves

1/2tsp red chilli powder, 1/2tsp coriander powder

pinch of turmeric

2tbsp tamarind paste

Oil and Salt to taste.

Cooking Method.

In deep kadai/frying pan, add oil, when it is hot add peanuts, channa dal, urad dal, crushed garlic and fry to lite golden brown.

Then add mustard, dry red chilli and curry leaves. When they splutter, add onion and fry for 2 to 3min.

Add red chilli power, turmeric, coriander powder, tamarind paste and salt with a 1/2cup of water and allow the mixture to cook till it becomes thick.

Now add the rice and mix well. This rice can be served cold or warm.

Serve with boiled eggs and coconut chutney.

Nippattu.. A Spicy And Crunchy Snacks.

I think now this is the right time for me to take few days break from my blogging. As I have a very special thing to do in my life and which is going to change my life forever... I know you all must be thinking what it is. But I'm not going to disclose it now, you all will know very soon, even I'm also waiting desperately to give this news.. Every morning I get up by thinking that from today my holiday will start but it is getting postponed everytime, so I decided what ever happens, from today only my holiday is going to start... Now enough of this hiding business lets come to recipe :)

Nippattu.. This is one of the very famous snacks in South Indian, in every kannadiga families this is must on Ganesh festival. This was there in my to do list from ages and kept delaying to cook and as you all know tomorrow never comes, so I have given a small suggestion to myself that if I have to cook something I should cook it on the same day and never put it on my TO DO LIST. You can serve them with tea or a coffee and they even make very good time pass snacks while travelling..

Ingredient's.

1/2 cup rice flour

1 tbsp all purpose flour

1 tbsp fine sooji (rava)

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)

10 curry leaves (finely chopped)

1tsp red chilli flakes

2 tbsp dry roasted peanuts

2 tbsp soak channa dal

Salt to taste

2 tsp oil

Water as req to make stif dough

Oil for deep frying.

Cooking Method.

Prepare the mixture by adding rice flour, all purpose flour, chilli powder, sooji, asafoetida, peanuts, channa dal, curry leaves, chilli flakes and salt. Mix all together nicely.

Heat 2tsp oil and add it to the above mixture of flour and nuts. Keep aside for 2 to 3 minutes.

Then, add water little by little to make it a medium density dough.

Divide the dough into 12 or 24 pieces to make the Nippatu.

In a deep frying pan. Heat the oil on a medium heat.

Take the dough, make it into a small ball, then press it onto your palm to make a circle or you can also roll it on parchment paper (make sure you have greased the parchment paper first).

Once the oil is hot enough (check by adding a little dough to the oil, the dough has to come up immediately), add the flattened (Nippatu), one by one.

Fry it until it turns golden brown color on both sides.

Nippattu is ready.

Store them in a airtight container and Serve with hot cup of tea or coffee.

Medu Vada/ Urad Dal Vada/ Lentil Fritters.

Medu Vada is a urad dal based fried snack, a delightful dish from the South Indian cuisine... When I was in India this use to be our breakfast on every Saturday, because there were so many South Indian restaurant near our house and I use to never feel like cooking on weekends, all you have do just get up from the bed go to have hot hot breakfast and then do what ever you want whole day.. After coming to UK my life has changed completely. On weekends we are stuck with bread omelette or cornflakes, if we want to eat something else then cook and eat. I really miss India and I keep asking my husband when are we going back? and he reply's - very soon. I have no idea when that very soon will come :)

Ingredient's.

100 gram urad dal

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2tsp cumin seeds

1/2tsp black pepper (coarsely ground)

1tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

Pinch of Hing 

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying.

Cooking Method.

Wash urad dal several times until the water appears clear and soak it over night or atleast 5 to 6 hours.

Drain the water and blend dal to coarsely texture. Just using enough water as needed to blend. 

Then add onion, cumin, black pepper, coriander, hing and salt. Whip dal batter using a spoon in a circular motion for about two to three minutes until batter become light and fluffy.

In a deep frying pan add oil and allow oil to become hot on medium flame. To check if oil is ready put a little batter into the oil, oil will sizzle and batter should start expending upwards slowly without changing color.

Then place a plastic sheet on to a flat surface and apply little water, then put 2tbsp batter on to plastic sheet and slowly flatten the vada and make a small hole in a centre. Take the plastic sheet slowly up and leave the vada into hot oil for frying. Fry until they are golden brown..

Serve hot with Coconut Chutney and Sambar.

Sesame Rice/ Til Rice/ Ellu Sadam.

Sesame Rice.. This is the authentic South Indian Dish. Most of the time this rice is prepared at homes or even in temples to offer god as only "Prasadam" on festivals along with many other dishes.. I had sesame rice in one of my close friend house and I had asked for the recipe and forgot. Day before yesterday the weather was very cold here and I was craving for some hot and spicy rice, which will not take more then 10 to 15 minutes to cook. I had kept the rice to cook and thought of browsing internet for some recipe, then I found one which refreshed my memory and I planed to cook sesame rice.. It was very simple and very very easy dish to cook and I can't tell you how tasty it was.. It saves lot of time and serves the best meal of the day along with some side dish..

Ingredient's.

2 cups cooked rice

3tbsp sesame seeds

1tbsp channa dal, 1tbsp urad dal

6 to 7 dry red chilly

5 to 6 curry leaves.

For Tempering.

Pinch of hing

8 to 10 curry leaves

2tbsp oil or ghee.

Cooking Method.

In a frying pan, dry roast the above ingredients and coarsely grind. set it aside.

In a same frying pan add oil/ghee, when oil is hot, add hing and curry leaves, when they splutter, add rice and grounded powder and mix it nice and cook for few sec. Then take out in a serving bowl.

Serve warm with Papad, mixture or any side dish of your choice..

Meethi Chicken. (Fenugreek Leaves And Chicken Curry)

Meethi Chicken has become now common dish in India, before very few people were aware of this dish. Now there are so many different version to cook this curry, I think every one like to cook in there own way and that becomes one new and different dish... I use to cook this meethi chicken then I stopped from a very long time. Then again I tried this 2 weeks back when we had our friends over and they like it so much, My friend told me why don't I put this recipe on my blog.. To be honest when ever I use to cook, it use to get over and I never got a change to take the pictures, it happened the same when I cooked this curry on that day. But I had in my mind that I should cook this soon and post it or else the day is never going to come.. Keeping that in my mind I cooked this Meethi Chicken curry yesterday and took the pictures also.. ufff so relieved.. This is my own recipe simple and delicious... Serve with Naan, Roti or even Rice...

Ingredient's.

1/2 kg chicken (cut into medium pieces)

1 medium onion (thinly sliced)

1 bunch of meethi leaves (Fenugreek leaves)

1cup chopped coriander

6 green chilis

10 to 15 curry leafs

2tsp black pepper corn

1tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 medium tomato

3tbsp Oil

Salt to taste.

Cooking Method.

Wash and drain the water of chicken and set it aside. Clean and wash the meethi leaves and set it aside.

In a non-stick deep frying pan, add oil and onion, fry the onion for minute or 2. Then add chicken, meethi leaves and salt, mix them and allow the chicken water to evaporate.

In a mean time add all the rest of the ingredients into a mixer jar and make a smooth paste by adding little water.

Now add the grounded masala to chicken, give a good mix and check for the salt. Then close the lid and cook for 10 to 15 minutes on a low flame (keep stirring in between)

Then open the lid and stirfry till all the masala has coated well to chicken and there is no water..

Serve hot with Naan, Kerala Poratha or Roti's.