Chicken Reshmi Kebabs

Chicken Reshmi Kebab is one of the most liked foods world over. The nicest thing about this dish is that it's really easy to make.
Prepare and store it. Eat it as such or add in any other dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chicken tikka masala (available in Indian Grocery Stores)
• 1 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tbsp butter

Method:

• Cut chicken in 1 ½” cubes.
• Mix all ingredients with chicken in a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
• Bring chicken to room temperature and skewer on bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes).
• Arrange bamboo skewers on a baking tray which is filled with 4 cups of water.
• Bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes or till the chicken is just tender.
• 3 tbsp of butter can be drizzled over for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
• Serve with salads as starter.

Note:
To make Reshmi Kebabs soft and tender, marinate them for a longer time (I personally marinade them overnight) and don't overcook.
Keeps the pieces bite sized and cook them hot and fast.

Tips:
If chicken kebabs are surrounded with moisture during baking by placing a small amount of liquid (such as water or broth) in the bottom of a baking tray or a closed pan, and letting it steam up around the food, a method commonly known as braising, the kebabs will be cooked really soft.

Do You Know?

Baking is the technique of prolonged cooking of food by dry heat acting by convection, and not by radiation, normally in an oven.

Grilling and broiling are very similar methods of cooking chicken. They both use a dry heat that quickly cooks the surface and then slowly moves to the middle of the meat. The main difference between the two methods is that grilling applies the heat to the bottom surface of the chicken, and broiling applies the heat to the top surface. Also, grilling infuses the chicken with a smoky flavor from the meat juices that drip during the grilling process. When broiling, this infusion of flavor does not occur.

Mixed Vegetables

This dish can be simplified by using frozen vegetables in place of fresh vegetables.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup green peas
• ½ cup chopped green beans
• ½ cup carrot cubed
• ½ cup green bell pepper, chopped in 1” square pieces
• ½ cup cauliflower chopped small pieces
• 1 small potato (small cubes)
• 12 cup boiled corn kernels (or frozen)
• 6-7 curry leaves (optional)
• 1 big onion, diced
• 2 chopped green chilies
• 1 cup tomato chunks
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp ginger juliennes
• Salt to taste
• 4 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in curry leaves, onion, cook until tender.
• Add potatoes and cook covered for 3-4 minutes or till half done.
• Add corn kernels, green peas, green beans, carrot and cauliflower and fry for 5-6 minutes.
• Add tomato chunks, chopped green chilies, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add green bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes more.
• Garnish with ginger juliennes and serve hot with paratha.

Stuffed Dal Paratha

Moong dal and chana dal are used to prepare stuffing for the parathas.

Ingredients:
Paratha Stuffing:

• 1 cup chana dal( Bengal gram)
• 1 cup moong dal(skinned split green gram)
• 1 tbsp red chili flakes
• 1 tbsp dry ginger powder
• 1 tsp amchur powder (dry mango powder)
• 1 tbsp garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp saunf (fennel seeds) coarsely ground
• 1 tbsp whole dry coriander seeds (coarsely ground)
• 2 green chilies finely chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves

Paratha Dough:

• 4 cups wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 cup vanaspati ghee or cooking oil for pan frying

Method:

• Prepare Stuffing:
• Soak both chana dal and moong dal in water for 2 hours. Grind both dals together with very little water to a smooth thick paste.
• In a thick bottom pan heat 3 tbsp of cooking oil and add dal paste. Roast it till light pink. Add all spices. Mix well and remove from heat. Stuffing is ready.

• Follow Making Paratha - Method VI
• Put the flour, salt and oil in a bowl and mix. Gradually add water and bind the mixture into soft dough.
• Divide the dough into 16-18 equal portions, shape each portion into a small ball.
• On a floured surface, roll out the ball to circles about 4 inches in diameter. Place a little bit of dal mixture on the circle and spread it evenly.Then place another circle on it and press the edges together firmly. On a floured surface roll out the stuffed circles to about 6-7 inches in diameter.
• Carefully place the paratha on a hot griddle or pan (tava). Allow cooking for a minute then turning it over with a flat spoon, smear a little Vanaspati ghee or oil on the top of paratha. After a minute turn it over again, and spread some move Vanaspati or oil on the other surface of the paratha also.
• Remove from the griddle. Repeat the same with all the portions, keep on an absorbent paper.
• Serve hot with Chutney, pickle and salad.

Stuffed Eggs

Make it as a Tea Time Snack or as a Starter for a Dinner. Eggs are stuffed with minced meat coated with batter and deep-fried in oil.

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs (hard boiled)
• 3 tbsp minced mutton
• 1 tbsp ghee / oil
• 1 tbsp chopped onions
• Salt To Taste
• 1 green chili (chopped)
• 1/2 tsp ginger (grated)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp corn flour / corn starch
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 tbsp cilantro leaves (chopped)
• 1 lemon juice
• breadcrumbs for coating
• Oil for deep-frying

Method:

• Heat the oil / ghee in a frying pan and fry the onions till golden.
• Add the minced meat, salt, green chili, ginger, tomato paste and lemon juice and fry for about 8-10 minutes or till meat is cooked. Add cilantro leaves and remove from the heat and allow it to cool. Remember meat mixture should be completely dried keep aside for later use.
• Remove the shell of the hard boiled eggs and cut each egg half.
• Take out the yolks, break them into small chunks and mix well with the fried meat mixture.
• Stir the corn flour into the beaten egg, making a batter.
• Place the breadcrumbs on a flat dish.
• Fill the meat mixture into the yolk cavity (place from where yolk is separated) of each egg half, cover with another half to make a complete egg shape.
• Insert a tooth pick in the stuffed egg in such a way that both the egg halves remain intact with each other.
• Dip the stuffed eggs (with the tooth picks) into the egg, corn flour batter and roll over the breadcrumbs.
• Heat oil in a wok / deep-frying pan over a moderate heat and fry the stuffed eggs until golden all over.
• Remove and drain on a paper towel.
• Serve with chutney or sauce.

Do You Know?

The word 'batter' comes from the old French word 'battre' which means 'to beat', as many batters require vigorous beating or whisking in their preparation.

Batter is a liquid mixture; usually flours are combined with liquids. Egg is also a common component. The viscosity of batter may range from very ‘stiff’, to very ‘thin’. Heat is applied to the batter, usually by frying, baking or steaming, in order to cook the ingredients and to ‘set’ the batter into a solid form.

Batters may be sweet or savory, often with either sugar or salt being added (sometimes both). Many other flavorings such as herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables may also be added to the mixture.

Ghiya Ki Sabji (Bottle Gourd Curry)

This simple dish tastes great with hot Parathas (pan-fried Indian flatbread). Team it with a dish like Rajma and you've got a terrific vegetarian meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ghiya (bottle gourd) - scraped and chopped in cubes
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• Pinch of asafetida
• 2 dry whole red chilies
• 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
• 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 2-3 green chilies finely chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp oil

Method:

• Heat the oil in a pan and add asafetida, whole dry red chilies and cumin seeds.
• When the seeds begin to splutter, add the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry till brown.
• Add ghiya and stir fry for a minute. Add coriander powder, salt, chili powder, turmeric, and the garam masala. Stir to mix well.
• Add the green chilies and cook covered till ghiya is cooked.
• Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Do You Know?

Ghiya has some amounts of Vitamins C and B complex and also a few proteins.

Mooli Paratha (Pan-fried Flat Bread Stuffed with Grated Radish)

Here is a simple recipe of famous Mooli Ka Paratha

Ingredients:

• To prepare filling:
• 1 cup fresh grated radish (squeeze the moisture out)
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 green chili finely chopped
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ½ tsp amchur powder
• salt to taste

To prepare dough:

• 2 cups Indian whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• warm water to knead the dough

Method :

• Prepare Stuffing: Squeeze the moisture out of the grated radish. Mix the radish with all the ingredients required for filling. Divide into 4-5 portions and keep aside.
• Follow Making Paratha- Method VI
• Knead the whole wheat flour into a smooth dough using warm water and keep aside for ½ hour. Divide the dough into 8-10 equal sized small balls. Flour a clean surface and roll each ball out into a circle (like pancakes) about 2-3" in diameter .
• Place generous amount of stuffing on one circle of dough and cover with the other. Press gently around the edges.
• Carefully roll out the stuffed circles into paratha, sprinkling whole-wheat flour on the surface, to avoid sticking of paratha with rolling pin.
• Heat a griddle (tawa) and place a paratha on the griddle. Flip the paratha when tiny bubbles rise on the surface. Drizzle a bit of ghee/oil on the top and spread well over the surface of the paratha. Flip the paratha again after few seconds and drizzle ghee on this surface too. The paratha is done when both sides are crispy and golden brown. Remove from the griddle and repeat with the other parathas until all are cooked.
• Serve with Chutney and/or pickle and /or curry.

Note:

Completely squeeze out water from the grated radish before filling in parathas.

Do You Know?

Radishes are reported to help in dissolving excess mucus or phlegm. They may help clear sore throats. Radishes are said to help in promoting the production of digestive juices when eaten with starches. Radishes feature high amounts of calcium, potassium, magnesium and beta-carotene. They are rich in fibre and very low in calories

Tilapia Tomato Curry

Here's a spicy, tasty, truly delicious tilapia recipe. Serve it with naan or piping hot plain boiled rice.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds Tilapia fillets cut into 2" thick slices
• 6 tbsps cooking oil
• 1 tsp paanch phoran
• 6-8 curry leaves
• 2 large onions ground to a paste
• 2 tbsp ginger paste
• 2 tbsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp green chili paste
• 4 large tomatoes ground to paste
• 1 tbsp red chili powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp fish curry powder
• Salt to taste
• 5 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp dry fenugreek (methi)leaves
• Chopped coriander to garnish

Method:

• Rub 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp salt and 1 tsp turmeric powder on fish. Marinate fish for 10-15 minutes. This will help the fish maintain its color and add to its flavor.
• Heat the oil in a wide heavy-bottomed pan and add the paanch phoran and curry leaves. When they stop spluttering, add the onion paste and fry till light brown.
• Add the ginger and garlic pastes and fry for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and green chili paste; fry for 3-4 minutes. Add red chili, turmeric, coriander and fish curry powders along with salt; fry till the oil begins to separate from the masala.
• Add 2 cups of hot water and bring the gravy to a boil and then simmer. Mix in lemon juice.
• Gently add the fish to this gravy. Add methi (fenugreek) leaves after crushing the leaves between your fingers.
• Cook till fish is done. Remember Tilapia takes less time in cooking as compared to other fishes.
• Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with naan or plain boiled rice

Tips:
Before adding the herbs to the food, crush the leaves between your fingers. This helps in releasing volatile oils and increases the herb's flavor.
When cooking in the Crockpot, add dried herbs (and fresh herbs too) at the end of cooking time. Long, slow cooking times can diminish the herb's intensity.
Mix all five spices of panch phoran in equal amounts.

Do You Know:
Panch phoran (also known as Bengali five-spice) is an Indian spice blend typically consisting of five whole spices in equal measure:
Fenugreek (methi)
Nigella seed (kalonji)
Mustard seeds (rai)
Fennel seed (saunf )
Cumin seed (jira)