Honey Glazed Spicy Chicken Wings

Chicken and spice kinda go hand in hand ..........usually churning up a lovely dish in the end. This dish has gravy in it but it coats the wings pretty well and the honey garnish adds a glaze and cuts through the spice....How much spice and how much honey is a personal choice.....keep it subtle i shall say :)

Malabar Prawn Roast - Mom's style

I love signature dishes.The whole intrigue of the recipe is the person who has made it or makes it and the love and effort they put in it to make the family meal delightful and memorable.A simple no fuss prawn roast ,I call it Mom's style because it comes from a very loveable person Geetha aunty whose son Vijesh shared this recipe with me.

Spicy Red Chicken Curry

A busy month kinda coming to an end in a week. Kids finish their exams today and  though it is a  reason to celebrate,  a surprise chicken curry is always adds delight.Hence,the Spicy Red Chicken Curry ...

Carrot and Corn Rice

It was my day to empty my refrigerator, the way hidden stuff comes out ,gets used or makes its way to the bin. However, this dish is just an innovation of my leftovers with very basic ingredients, which now has become an instant filler when nothing crosses your mind. 

Jodhpuri Murg

Cooking is fun ...so it is to tempt people around you. Smart phones have made life much easier and that means more scope to spread the temptation thro pics .. do not be surprised that I might get killed one day for this ...This recipe came up from one such conversation on Whatsapp Messenger... don't we all love this app??

Banana Stem Stir Fry (Thoran)

Banana Stem - This a miracle stem is loaded with many medicinal properties.Many claim to substantiate this fact that it lowers cholesterol, helps in kidney ailments, aids in a good detox , treatment of stomach ulcers so on and so forth.

I include this in our diet mainly because it is very tasty. I do not give the family any choice as it might help us with some of its medicinal properties.

Spicy Tangy Fish Curry

After a horribly windy day...........am enjoying the calm from my kitchen window.I have Cream Dory Fillet with me and thought of this tangy curry for lunch on this winter afternoon.

Butter Chicken

I wish I had an option to make life easier - if someone could just chart out a menu for me ............thinking what to do - choosing who likes what - even when the family is small ................is not an easy experience for me. I do manage with a lot of shortcuts...........and here is one such Butter chicken - spicy but tasty. 

Mutton Curry

Mutton seems to have dominated our table this week, its been a long time and so after the Spicy Mutton Fry, I made the curry with some potato cubes in it..........

Spicy Mutton Fry

Red meat do not usually make it to our kitchen esp., due to diet restrictions. Therefore an occasional portion of lamb is what I cook just when the family expresses the need for it.

The options are plenty to roast, to fry, to bake to grill so on and so forth..........however, I chose to have it cooked dry.Somehow - this is how I like it for 2 reasons: One, the masala coats the meat quite well and that enhances the taste.Two, there won't be leftovers ............:)

Methi Paneer Biriyani

When kids are home, cooking is always a challenge. So, lunch for the day was Methi Paneer Biriyani. With a bunch of ingredients at hand , an easy dish to put together. A lovely lunch on this winter afternoon.

 Ingredients:

• 3 Medium Onions sliced
• 3 Green chilly chopped
• 2 tsps Ginger Garlic paste
• 1 Bunch Fresh Methi leaves chopped
• Some fresh coriander leaves chopped
• A few mint leaves chopped
• Spring onion for garnish
• 1 small tomato chopped
• 1 cup yoghurt
• Salt as appropriate
• A tsp of turmeric
• 2 tsps of Biriyani masala
• 200 gms Paneer cubes
• 1 large potato boiled & cut into cubes
• Half a cup of frozen peas
• Whole masalas - cloves,cardamom black and green,cinnamon,pepper corns,Jeera and saunf
• 2 cups basmati rice
• water 
• oil 
• Ghee,melted butter or shortening

So, we start in this order:

1. Heat oil with a tsp of shortening and toss in the whole spices , as they crackle add sliced onions and saute them till they turn pale. Now add ginger garlic paste.Fry until the onion starts to brown. Add tomato,green chilly , turmeric powder and salt. Cook well until the oil separates.
2. Over to the greens - add chopped methi leaves and stir for a minute, then add coriander and mint leaves.Let them fry well as they have to get over the raw smell.
3. Add biriyani masala ( I have used the brand Eastern) and yoghurt. Mix well , add water to get them all into a gravy consistency, adjust salt. Now add potato cubes and let it cook for 2 minutes, add paneer cubes and the frozen peas. Lower heat and let it simmer. If at this point, the gravy is sour add 2 tsps of brown sugar or  a tsp jaggery to balance the taste. If the gravy is not spicy enough add pepper powder to adjust the spice. Sprinkle a pinch of kasoori methi,take off the heat and keep it covered.

Wash and soak the basmati rice, while the water is set to boil. Add whole spices such as cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom and whole pepper to the water along with salt and two tablespoons of lemon juice.

Add rice and let it boil, ensure that it cooks to a point where its is half cooked. Drain rice immediately.

In an oven proof bowl, spread half the rice for a layer, sprinkle biriyani masala, few drops of ghee or melted butter, some fried onions and a few mint leaves. 

The next layer should be the gravy that is let to rest. Spread it over the rice evenly. Top it up with the remaining rice and repeat the same garnish.Also add on fried cashew and raisins too.

Cover the dish with a cling film and microwave on high for about 6 minutes. Else, bake it in a preheated oven for about 10 - 15 minutes. This process helps to cook the rice completely and ensures that they do not turn sticky.

Serve with  a garnish of chopped spring onion, coconut chutney and yoghurt salad.

Yogurt curry ( Moru curry)

This is one lovely curry that I whip up sometimes when I run short of time or just for the love of it.
Yogurt is the basic ingredient and all else will be around your kitchen at all times......

PORIYAL - Chicken Roast

When Chicken took over the menu for the day - I decided on making this recipe which was shared by my friend Susan Thomas.This is one of her mom's signature dish called "Poriyal". Susan managed to get this right and very willingly shared every lil detail of this recipe ............

The best part however is that this recipe has very very basic ingredients.Besides, it needs loads of patience & love ........trust me - that's the only way it works. :)

Green Chicken Curry

Cooking chicken is truly an adventure. It can take many many twists and turns and when it comes to making curry - I did this version in a hurry over the busy weekend. A perfect curry to go with rotis or just plain rice..........either ways its a delight!

Ingredients:

500 gms chicken

1/4 cup fresh grated coconut

2-3 green chillies

1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves

Less than 1/4 cup - mint leaves

A small piece of ginger

2 pods of garlic peeled

A few curry leaves

1/4 tsp of fennel seeds

Salt to taste

A pinch of turmeric

About 8 kernels of cashewnuts( ground to a fine paste)

A tsp of fresh cream

1/4 Pepper powder

Step 1: Boil the pieces of chicken in  a wok with a little water,salt and turmeric.

Step 2: Grind together to a fine paste  - coconut,green chilli,mint,coriander fennel seedsginger and garlic .

Step 3: Add the ground green paste to the chicken and let it simmer - adjust salt at this point.

Step 4 : Check if the chicken is cooked and add the cashew paste and mix well.Let it simmer on slow heat.

Step 5: Add pepper powder for garnish and the frsh cream too. heat a tablespoon of oil and fry the curry leaves in it - Pour it over the chicken and serve hot !



Well, the thickness of the gravy could be adjusted by adding hot water. Spice could also vary to individual taste,add green chilli chopped or pepper powder to make it spicier. Enjoy!