Oct 29, 2012

CHICKEN CHILLY FRY






INGREDIENTS:

Chicken breast - 500 gm (cut into cubes)
Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Pearl onions - 10-15
Dry red chillies / red chilly flakes - 1-2 tbsp 
Curry leaves - 2 strings
Coconut oil - for frying 
Salt to taste

LET'S COOK :

 Clean chicken and cut into cubes. Marinate the chicken cubes with red chilly powder, turmeric powder, curry leaves and salt. Keep the marinated chicken aside for at least an hour or if possible, keep it overnight.
Heat some oil in a deep pan and fry the chicken cubes until it turns golden brown. Make sure you don't burn them. Keep the fried chicken aside. Now crush the pearl onions and dry red chillies (adjust the quantity of red chilies according to the level of heat that you prefer) together. Heat some coconut oil in a pan and add the crushed mix, salt and some curry leaves. Fry them until it changes color and the raw smell of onion is gone. When oil starts to leave the sides of the pan add the fried chicken and mix well in low flame. If you like curry leaves, at this point add some more curry leaves and mix well. Switch off the flame and serve hot.









Oct 7, 2012

ALOO METHI / POTATO WITH FENUGREEK LEAVES







INGREDIENTS:

1 Small onion chopped
1 Tomato chopped
2 Potato cut into cubes (1 potato if its large)
1 cup Methi / Fenugreek leaves (I used frozen methi leaves)
1-2 Green chillies chopped
1 tsp Red chilly flakes
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Red chilly powder
3/4 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

LET'S COOK:

Heat oil in a pan. Add green chillies, onion, ginger garlic paste and saute until onion turns transparent.
Now add tomato and cook until its soft. Once tomato gets cooked add all the masalas and saute for 1 min.
At this time if you feel its too dry add 2-3 tbsp water. Add potato, salt to taste and mix well. Cook the potato by covering the pan. When the potato is half way done add the methi leaves and mix well. Cook the methi & potato by covering the pan once more. It may take 3-5 mins for this mixture to cook. The color of the methi leaves will change from green to brownish green once its cooked.





Oct 2, 2012

UZHUNNU VADA/MEDU VADA






INGREDIENTS:

Urad dal / Uzhunnu - 2 cups
Green Chillies - 5-6 finely chopped
Ginger - 1 small piece finely chopped
Pearl Onions - 3-4 finely chopped (optional)
Curry Leaves - 1-2 strands finely chopped
Peppercorns - 10-15 nos
Oil - for frying
Salt - to taste
Water

LET'S COOK:


  • Soak the urad dal/uzhunnu for 4 - 5 hours and grind to a thick batter adding only a small amount of water.
  • Add green chillies, ginger, pearl onion, curry leaves, peppercorns and salt to the thick batter and mix well.
  • Keep the batter aside for an hour.
  • Heat oil in a deep dish pan. Drop a pinch of batter in the oil and if it rises as soon as it is dropped that means the oil is hot enough to make the vada.
  • Wet your hand with some cold water and take a medium size serving of batter. Role the batter into a ball and make a hole in the center with your finger and drop it in the oil immediately after. The stove should be on medium flame otherwise the vada will get burned without getting cooked.
  • Fry the vada until it turns golden brown and serve hot with coconut or coriander chutney.