Tandoori Chicken with Green Chutney

 

 

Tandoori chicken is one of the most popular dishes in Indian cuisine. Chicken is marinated with yoghurt and some spices and is cooked at a very high-temperature in a Tandoor or clay oven. It is  is mostly found in menus in Indian restaurants all over the world. Here I have used Vah chef’s recipe with some modifications and the method is from Food for 7 stages of life. You can find Radhika’s recipe and method here. I used to bake it at around 400 - 450 F before but this method calls for baking it at 500 - 550 F. Baking at a higher temperature makes the chicken slightly crispy but juicy inside, which makes it much tastier. Green chutney is an excellent combination with tandoori chicken, you can find its recipe below. You will never have cravings for the restauranty tandoori chicken if you taste this one. Prepare and enjoy!!

 

Ingredients

1. Chicken Drumsticks - 6
2. Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp
3. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
4. Red chilly powder - 2 - 3 tsp
5. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
7. Kasoori methi - 1/2 tsp
8. Lemon juice - 2 tsp
9. Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
10. Gram masala powder - 3/4 tsp
11. Curd - 4 tbsp
12. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients under marinade except the chicken drumsticks. Keep aside.

2. Wash the chicken drumsticks. Do not remove their skin. Pat dry with a paper towel. Make 2 - 3 deep slits on the fleshy part of the chicken so that the marinade can penetrate inside the flesh. Rub the marinade all over the chicken drumsticks one by one. Remember to rub the marinade inside the slits.  Put them in the refrigerator for at least 8 hrs or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to its maximum setting. The maximum temperature that I can set in my oven is 500 F so I baked them at that temperature. Line a cookie pan with aluminum foil. Lightly grease the foil with oil. Arrange the chicken drumsticks on the foil.  Brush the chicken with oil or pour little oil on them ( this step is optional). Place the tray in the center rack of the oven. Bake it for about 12 - 15 minutes. Take out the tray carefully using your oven mitts. Turn them over and  brush/pour a little oil on the chicken pieces (this is optional). Return the tray to the oven. Bake for another 10 - 12 minutes. Take out the tray when the drumsticks are done. Be careful not to burn the chicken pieces. (The juices that surrounds the chicken would be burnt and the skin of the chicken pieces might be stuck to the foil when you take it out.) Slowly take out the drumsticks after 2 minutes using a metal spatula. Enjoy with spicy green chutney.

Green chutney

1. Cilantro - 1 small bunch

2. Mint leaves - 1/4 cup

3. Garlic - 1 clove

4. Ginger - 1/4 inch

5. Green chillies - 2 small , seeded

6. Yoghurt -  2 - 3 tbsp

7. Lemon juice - 2 tsp or to taste

8. Salt - To taste

Wash the cilantro and mint leaves. Drain well. Blend everything together in a mixer until you get a smooth paste. Adjust the salt and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

 

Chicken Kathi (Kati) Rolls

 

  These chicken kathi rolls make for a great snack or party food. Kathi roll also known as Kati Roll is a street-food originating from Kolkata, India. Its original form was a kati kabab enclosed in a paratha, but over the years many variants have evolved all of which now go under the generic name of Kati Roll. Today, pretty much any filling rolled up in any kind of Indian flatbread is called a kati roll. The innovations tend to be in two areas - the fillings or the wrap. Common variants on the filling are egg, potato, paneer, mixed vegetables and curried chicken or mutton. More exotic versions can have combinations of ingredients, or fancy curries such as Thai or Schezwan. (Source - Wikipedia). Try these easy and super-yummy kathi rolls.

Ingredients ( Makes 8 - 10 Rotis )

For dough

1. Plain flour / maida - 1.5 - 2 cups
2. Wheat flour  (atta) - 1/2 - 1 cup 
3. Potato - 1 small, boiled and grated
4. Oil - 1 tbsp
5. Salt - 1 tsp or to taste

  For the filling

1. Boneless chicken - 500 gm, cut to small cubes ( I used 2 chicken breasts)
2. Onion - 1 large, ground to a paste (Chop the onions roughly to large chunks and grind in a mixer to a paste)
3. Ginger - garlic paste - 2 tsp 
4. Tomato - 1 large, chopped
5. Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Salt - To taste
8. Eggs - 3 , beaten
9. Lemon juice - 2 tsp
10. Sliced onion - 1/2 cup
11. Green chutney - 1/4 - 1/2 cup (See the recipe below)
12. Oil - 1 tbsp

Method

1. To prepare the dough - In a large bowl mix maida and whole wheat flour. Add grated potato, oil and salt. Mix well. Knead into a firm dough of rolling consistency with some warm water. ( I kneaded the dough in a food processor). Keep aside covered.

2. To prepare the filling, heat oil in a pan at medium heat. Add onion paste, little salt and cook till light brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute. Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they get mashed up. Add chilli powder and pepper powder. Mix well.

3. Add the chicken pieces and enough salt. Cover and cook on medium-low flame till chicken turns tender and cooked. Open the lid and stir-fry until they get somewhat dry. Switch off the flame. Check for salt and squeeze lemon juice to taste.

 

To prepare the rolls

1. Beat 2 eggs lightly with a pinch of pepper powder and salt. Divide the dough to equal sized balls. Flatten them with a rolling pin. Cook the chapathis on both sides (applying little oil or ghee on both sides, if you like) on a tawa. Pour 2 tbsp of beaten egg on the chapathi and flip it to cook the egg ( do not overcook). Remove from tawa, keeping the egg-coated side up.

 

2. Arrange chicken filling on the chapathi, add a little green chutney, some sliced onions, sprinkle little lemon/lime juice and kebab/chaat masala, if you like. Roll the chapathi tightly to form the kathi roll. To serve, wrap the lower part of the rolls in a paper napkin, butter paper or aluminium foil.

 

For the Green chutney

Grind a handful each of cilantro and mint, 1 garlic clove, 1/4 inch ginger, 1 seeded green chilly, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp yoghurt and enough salt. Grind to a fine paste.

Tips:

1. You can prepare these rolls well in advance. At serving time heat in a microwave for a few seconds along with the paper napkin.

2. You can substitute chicken with mutton, beef or pork. Prepare them in a pressure cooker to make them tender.

4. You could also try this recipe with paneer filling and other veggies like bell pepper, tomato, cucumber or even cooked spinach.

5. I have used only about 1-2 tbsp of egg / roti. You can use 1 egg per roti if you wish.

6. You can cook the rotis in advance and keep them covered in an aluminum foil or in a casserole. At serving time, reheat them, pour beaten egg on one side, flip over and cook the egg, arrange chicken filling and roll up. You can even use store-bought chapathis or tortilla breads if you wish.

7. You could also try chicken tikka kati rolls. Click here for chicken tikka recipe.

Chilly Chicken

Ingredients

For the batter

1. Boneless chicken, preferably thighs - Around 400 - 500 gm, cubed
2. Corn flour - 1 tbsp (I used Argo corn starch)
3. Egg - 1
4. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Salt - As required

For the gravy

1. Onion - 1 small, diced
2. Bell pepper - 1 cup, diced
3. Garlic - 1.5 tbsp, finely chopped
4. Green chillies - 4, slit
5. Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Spring onions - 1 + 1 tbsp
8. Cashews - 10 - 12
9. Chili-garlic sauce - 2.5 tbsp
10. Soy sauce - 1.5 tbsp
11. Vinegar - 2 tsp
12. Sugar - 2 - 3 pinches
13. Corn flour - 1 tbsp mixed in 1/4 - 1/2 cup water, for thickening the gravy ( I used Argo corn starch)
14. Chicken Stock / Water - 2 - 2.5 cups
15. Salt - To taste
16. Vegetable oil - For deep frying
17. Vegetable oil / sesame oil - 1 tbsp

Method

1. Clean, wash and cube the chicken thighs. Combine them with 1 tbsp corn flour, beaten egg, pepper powder and salt. Deep fry in oil until brown, at medium heat. Drain on to a paper towel. Keep aside.

 

2. Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil or vegetable oil (you can use the oil that was used for deep-frying the chicken pieces) in a wide pan at medium heat. Stir in the chopped garlic, green chillies. Saute for two seconds and add the cashew nuts. Saute for a few seconds and add the diced onion. Saute for a few seconds and add the diced bell pepper and 1 tbsp spring onions. Saute for a few seconds and add 1/4 tsp chilly powder, 1/4 tsp pepper powder, 2 - 3 pinches of sugar, chili-garlic sauce and soy sauce. Add 2 - 2.5 cups of chicken stock / water.

 

3. Bring it to a boil and add the vinegar and fried chicken pieces. Mix well and cook for a few more minutes. Check for salt. Add the corn flour dissolved in water little by little, stirring well, till the sauce thickens. I used around 1.5 - 2 tbsp. If you want a really thick gravy simmer it for a few more minutes. Switch off. Garnish with chopped spring onions. Serve hot with fried rice or noodles.

 

 

 

Notes:

 

1) If you want dry chilly chicken, you need not add corn flour in water. Or else you can boil the gravy until the chicken gets coated well with the sauces.

2) You can substitute chili-garlic sauce with green chilly sauce or red chilly sauce.

 

Recipe adapted from VahRehVah.com

Chicken Pulav

 

This is for all those people who love biryani, but don't have time for the elaborate process involved in making it. Sometimes we might just wish, how nice it would be to have biryani, but feel lazy to make it and end up buying it from a restaurant and would say...oohhhh this is not the biryani I wished for! So this recipe is dedicated to all those people, for this is the next best alternative to chicken biriyani. This pulav uses almost the same ingredients as a biriyani, only the method is entirely different. So be prepared to taste the difference!

Ingredients

1. Chicken - 2.5 chicken breasts or around 1/2 kg (You can also use chicken thighs or whole chicken)
2. Basmati rice - 2 cups
3. Water - 4.5 cup
4. Onion - 1 medium, thinly sliced
5. Tomato - 1, chopped fine
6. Mint leaves - 1/2cup, chopped
7. Cilantro - 1/4 cup, chopped
8. Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tsp
9. Ginger - 1 inch, roughly chopped
10. Garlic - 2 - 3, crushed 
11. Green chillies - 3 - 4 slit
12. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
13. Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
14. Shahi jeera/ black cumin seeds - 1/2  tsp (optional)
15. Whole spices -  Cinnamon stick - 2, cloves - 5 -6, cardamom - 3-4, bay leaves - 2-3, whole pepper corns- 5-6
16. Cashews - 2 tbsp, to garnish
17. Raisins - 2 tbsp, to garnish
18. Oil / ghee - 3 tbsp
19. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes. Drain water and keep aside.

2. Clean and cut the chicken to small pieces. Marinate them with around 1/2 tsp salt for at least 30 minutes. This step is optional.

3. Boil 4.5 cups of water in a vessel adding enough salt, roughly chopped ginger, crushed garlic and half of the whole spices mentioned under the ingredients. Add the chicken pieces and cook until just tender (for around 8 - 10 minutes). Take out the chicken pieces with a slotted spoon. Keep aside. Reserve the stock for cooking rice. Discard the whole spices along with the chopped ginger and garlic. You can pass the stock through a fine-meshed sieve if you want.

 

4. Heat ghee / oil ( 2 - 3 tbsp) in a pan at medium heat. Fry cashews until golden brown. Drain on to a paper towel. Now fry the raisins until they get plump. Drain on to a paper towel. Finally fry sliced onion until golden brown. Drain 2 tbsp of fried onion onto a paper towel. Keep aside for garnishing.  Now add the remaining whole spices to the pan. Mix well and saute for a few seconds. Add ginger-garlic paste, green chillies. Saute until their raw smell is gone. Now add the chopped tomato pieces. Saute for 2 minutes and add chilly powder, shaji jeera, little salt and garam masala powder. Mix well and add the chicken pieces, chopped cilantro and mint. Saute until the chicken pieces are lightly browned or for around 8  - 10 minutes. Add the strained rice and mix well. Saute for another 2-3 minutes.

 

 

 

5. Now add 4.25 cups of chicken stock to the pan. Give it a mix. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook at medium flame until the liquid gets absorbed. I prefer cooking it in a pressure cooker. Pressure cooker procedure - Transfer the whole mixture to a pressure cooker after step 4 and add 4.25 cups of the chicken stock to it. Give it a mix. Let the mixture come to a boil. Close the pressure cooker with its lid and cook at medium heat. When steam starts coming out continuously and profusely from the vent, put the pressure cooker weight and switch off the stove. Open the pressure cooker when the pressure releases or after 12 - 15 minutes. The rice will be perfectly cooked. Fluff the rice with a fork and transfer immediately to a wide serving bowl. Garnish with fried onion, cashews, raisins, 1 - 2 tbsp chopped cilantro and mint leaves. Serve hot along with raita.

 

Chicken Thoran and a Fashion Show :)

 

We had our Kerala association's (KAW) onam celebration on 18th and I (Maya) had participated in a fashion show. These are the videos of the show and the slide show of the event & off-stage pictures that my hubby took. I am the 6th one at 5 minutes 20 sec (wearing the black costume and a silver band on forehead) in the Western, Lady Gaga song. Hope you enjoy them :).

 

 

KAW Seattle Onam 2010 - Shanti by Anju Neilju

 

 

Kaw Onam 2010 fashion show photo slide show

 

 

Chicken Thoran Recipe

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

1. Chicken - 350 gm
2. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
3. Red onion - 1 large, thinly sliced and chopped (Using pearl onions will be more tasty. You can use around 15 pearl onions)
4. Green chillies - 6 -7, chopped fine
5. Ginger - 1.5 tbsp, chopped fine
6. Garlic - 1 tbsp, chopped fine
7. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
10. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Cumin powder - 1 pinch
12. Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
13. Garam masala - 1/4 tsp (Optional)
14. Mustards - 1/2 tsp
15. Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
16. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Clean and cut the chicken to small pieces.

 

2. Heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a pan and cook the chicken in enough salt until they are done stirring occasionally. It will take around 15 mts. There is no need to add water since water will ooze out from the chicken. Shred the chicken pieces with your hands when they cool down.

3. Heat some more oil in the same pan and splutter mustards. Then add the chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies. Saute for 2 minutes at medium heat. Then add the sliced onion. Stir-fry until they turn transparent. Add the grated coconut, turmeric powder, chilly powder , pepper powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and a few curry leaves. Stir for a few seconds and add the shredded chicken , garam masala and mix well. Stir fry for a few minutes. You can add a tsp of coconut oil for an extra taste. Switch off. Serve hot with rice.

 

 

Spicy Chicken Curry

 

  

  I know of many beginners in the kitchen who search for simple and spicy chicken curry recipe, to impress their better half especially during the initial years of marriage. Well, I was one among them. My sister says that she too often googled for naadan curry recipes. So, this recipe is dedicated to all those gals, who are seriously trying to win the heart of their hubby....This curry goes well with chapatis, idli/dosa, appam, puttu, idiyappam, bread, rice etc etc. There are several ways to make the gravy thick. I usually grind some of the sauteed onion, ginger, garlic and green chilli mixture. One of my friends, Preetha gave me another tip where you grind the ginger, garlic, curry leaves and tomato for a thicker gravy. Here I have followed that method:

 

 

Ingredients ( Serves 7)

For Marinade

1. Chicken - 1.5 kg
2. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
3. Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
4. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
5. Garam masala - 2 tsp
6. Salt - To taste

Marinate the chicken with the above ingredients for at least 2 hrs.

For gravy

1. Onion - 2.5 medium, sliced and chopped
2. Green chillies - 2 slit
3. Tomato - 2 small
4. Ginger - 2 inch piece, chopped fine
5. Garlic - 7- 8 chopped
6. Coriander powder - 4 tsp
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Home-made garam masala powder - 2 tsp
9. Sliced coconut - 1/4 cup
10. Salt - To taste
11. Coconut oil - As required

Method

1. Grind ginger, garlic, curry leaves and tomato to a fine paste  in a mixer.

2. Heat around 1 tbsp oil in a deep pan or pressure cooker, add the sliced coconuts and brown them. Now add the onion and saute until the oil appears on top and they turn lightly brown. Add the ground tomato-ginger-garlic-curry leaves mixture and  saute until their raw taste is gone.

3. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala.  Saute for a few minutes and add the marinated chicken and a few curry leaves. Mix well and saute until all the water evaporates ( for about 10 mts).

4. Now add 1/2 cup water and cook until it is about to whistle (if you are using a pressure cooker). Bring down the flame and cook for around 10 mts at low heat. Open the pressure cooker when the steam is released. Throw in some curry leaves, check for masala and salt. If you need a thick gravy, bring to a boil and cook until it reaches your desired consistency.

Tips:

1. You can add thick coconut milk (around 1/4 cup) if you wish. Add it before switching off the stove.

2. For extra taste, you can fry 5-6 pearl onions in around 2 tsp oil and pour over the prepared chicken curry.

3. You can skip the chicken marination step if you are short of time. Brown the sliced onion, add ginger-garlic paste, saute until their raw taste is gone,then add tomatoes and cook them. Now add the masala powders under the marinade secion. Saute until their raw taste is gone and then add the cleaned chicken pieces.

 

Garam masala (Yield - Around 3.5 - 4 tbsp)

1. Fennel Seeds (Perumjeerakam)-  2 tbsp
2. Cloves (Grambu)- 13 - 15
3. Cinnamon stick (Karuvapatta) - 2  inch
4. Cardamom (Elaikka) - 3 - 4
5. Star anise (Thakkolam) -  1
6. Whole pepper (Kurumulaku) -15 - 20
7. Poppy seeds (Kus Kus) - 1 tsp (optional)

Dry roast all the ingredients lightly in a pan at medium heat for about 2-3 mts. When they cool down, grind to a fine powder in a coffee grinder. Store in an airtight container. It will  be flavorful even if you do not dry roast them.

Chicken, Veg and Meat Rolls

 

   This is my attempt at making the rolls that are usually sold in the bakeries in Kerala. The ones available in the bakeries are called meat rolls since beef is usually the filling in those rolls. Here I have tried three types of filling for these rolls - chicken, beef and chicken and veg filling. All the fillings were tasty but I loved the combination of chicken and veggies, the most. The meat rolls sold in the bakeries are almost deep brown in color. I am always too scared of leaving anything in hot oil after they turn golden brown, for fear of getting them burnt. Also I do not have the pictures of the the rolling process, since my hubby was not home when I made these and I couldn’t handle both together. The meat(beef) rolls were all made in the first batch and I am really sorry guys, I forgot to take their pictures before I tasted them all (ooops) :). 

Ingredients for the batter and rolls (Yield 12- 14 rolls)

1. Maida/All purpose flour - 2 cups
2. Egg - 1
3. Salt - To taste
4. Water - As required
5. Egg-white - Of 2 eggs
6. Bread Crumbs - 1/2 - 3/4  cup or as required

Beat the egg well and add the maida, salt and water. Consistency should be like that of a dosa batter.

 

Method of making the rolls

 

Make thin dosas with the above batter.  Fill the top end of the dosa with around 1.5 - 2 tbsp of the filling and fold the top end of the dosa over the filling(you can shape the filling like a log and press them down to tighten the roll). Now fold the right and left sides towards the centre. Now start rolling down to form a tight roll and seal the bottom end with some maida batter. Be careful not to tear the dosa.  Now dip them in beaten egg-white and then in bread crumbs. Deep fry in hot oil at medium heat until golden brown. It takes about 10 - 15 mts. Serve hot with ketchup.

 

 

Ingredients (For chicken filling and beef filling)

1. Minced chicken breast -  1/2 cup (Marinate it with salt, pepper powder for 30 mts and then cook in a pressure cooker for 2-3 whistles. Mince when it cools down) 
2. Ginger - 1 tsp minced
3. Garlic - 1 tsp minced
4. Pepper powder - 1/2 - 1 tsp
5. Garam masala - 1/4 - 1/2 tsp
6. Salt - To taste

Heat oil in pan and add minced ginger, garlic. Saute for a minute and add the minced chicken. Add  pepper powder and garam masala. Sprinkle water if it is too dry. Mix well and switch off. Substitute chicken with beef for the beef filling.

 

For chicken and veg filling

1. Chicken breast -  1/2, sliced to thin strips and cooked with pepper powder and salt
2. Carrot - 1/4 cup sliced thin
3. Onion - 1/4 cup, thinly sliced
4. Cabbage - 1/4 cup, thinly sliced
5. Bell peppers (red and green) - 1/4 cup thinly sliced
6. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Soy sauce - 1 tsp
8. Garlic salt - To taste

 Heat oil in a pan, add onion, saute for a minute at high heat and add carrot. Saute for a few seconds and then add cabbage. Saute for a few seconds and add bell peppers. Saute for a minute, add the cooked chicken strips, soy sauce and garlic salt. Mix well and switch off. Use it as a filling for the rolls when it cools down.

 

Stuffed Buns

 

      I saw these really yummy stuffed buns in Marias Menu and wanted to give it a try. I have bookmarked lots of her yummy recipes but this is the first one I tried. The buns turned out really well and was absolutely delicious. I was so excited that I sent its pictures to all my friends, the minute I clicked them. Its just so easy to make them though it takes a few hours to get the end result. My hubby loved it and he in fact took it for his lunch next day :). Thanks a lot Maria for sharing this recipe and thanks to Ria who shared the original recipe.  Though I tried to stick to the recipe, some measurements got changed when I made the dough. I made it twice in the last week with the same measure of ingredients and both times they turned out successful. I used a chicken and egg filling for these buns.

 

For the bun (Yield - 9 buns)

Ingredients

 

1. All purpose flour/maida - 2.5 cups
2. Active dry yeast - 2 tsp
3. Warm water - 2 tbsp
4. Sugar - 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp
5. Milk - 1/4 cup
6. Oil - 1/4 cup
7. Egg - 1 beaten
8. Egg white - of 1 egg, for egg wash
9. Sesame seeds - 1.5 tsp, to sprinkle
10. Salt - To taste 

 

Method

 

1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water along with 1 tbsp sugar. Set aside for around 10 mts.

 

2. Combine the all purpose flour(start adding 1 cup, you will need to add more while kneading the dough), sugar, milk, oil, salt and mix until you get a smooth paste. Now add the beaten egg, yeast, remaining all purpose flour and knead until you get a soft dough, adding extra flour little by little( I used a food processor). Keep it covered in a warm place for around 2-3 hrs. The dough will double in volume by that time.

 

3. Now punch it down lightly and make large lemon-sized balls out of it. Flatten them and fill with the stuffing (around 1.5 tbsp each).  Reshape back into a ball. Arrange them on a greased foil and let them rest for 15 - 20 mts. Preheat the oven at 350 F for around 15 mts. Beat the egg white nicely, apply it over the buns and sprinkle sesame seeds. Put them in a baking tray and bake for 20 - 25 mts or until their surface becomes reddish brown in color.

For the  egg filling

Ingredients

1. Egg - 2 ( Boiled and chopped)
2. Red onion - 1 small (sliced lengthwise and chopped or finely chopped)
3. Ginger - 1 tsp finely chopped
4. Garlic - 1 tsp finely chopped
5. Green chilly - 1 chopped fine
6. Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
7. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
9. Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Salt - To taste
11. Oil - As required
12. Cilantro - 1 tbsp

Method

1. Heat some oil in a pan and add the ginger, garlic and green chillies. Saute for a minute and add the red onion. When it turns light brown, add the masala powders. Saute for a few seconds, add the chopped eggs and chopped cilantro. Mix well and switch off. let it cool down.

 

 

 

For the chicken filling

 

Ingredients

1. Chicken breast - 1 (Cook it adding pepper powder and salt. Mince when it cools down)
2. Red onion - 1 small, chopped fine
3. Ginger - 2 tsp chopped fine
4. Garlic - 2 tsp chopped fine
5. Turmeric powder  1/2 tsp
6. Chilli powder  - 1/2 tsp
7. Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
9. Garam masala - 1 tsp
10. Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Salt - To taste
12. Oil - As required

Method

 

1. In a pan heat oil and add the finely chopped ginger and garlic at medium heat. Saute for a few minutes and add the chopped red onion. When it turns light brown and oil appears on top, add the masala powders. Saute for a few seconds and then add the minced chicken.  The filling should not be too dry. In case it is dry, sprinkle some water. Mix well and check for salt. Cool down.

 

 

 

Mixed Noodles

 

Ingredients

1. Noodles - Around 200 gm (You can use any variety of noodles)
2. Chicken breast - one and half, cooked and sliced to strips
3. Shrimp - A handful (I used the frozen cooked ones)
4. Ginger - 1 tsp minced
5. Garlic - 1 tsp minced
6. Green and red bell pepper - 1/4 cup thinly sliced
7. Beans  - 6-7 beans sliced diagonally
8. Bean Sprouts - 1/4 cup
9. Carrot - 1/2 medium-sized sliced to strips
10. Cabbage - 1/4 cup sliced fine
11. Eggs - 2
12. Soy sauce - 2 tsp
13. Worcestershire sauce - 2 tsp
14. Chilli sauce - 2 tsp
15. Vinegar - 1 tsp (I used balsamic vinegar)
16. Sugar - 2-3 pinches
17. Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
18. Spring Onion - 1-2 chopped, to garnish
19. Vegetable Oil - 2 tsp
20. Salt - to taste 

Method

1. Cook the rice noodles as per the package instructions. When cooked, pour them into a colander, put under cold running water for about 30 seconds and set aside to drain. Pour 1 tsp oil and toss gently to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other. You can cut them using scissors if you want.

2. In a wide pan, heat vegetable oil. Add the minced ginger and garlic, saute for a minute. Turn the knob to high heat, add the chopped beans, saute for around 30 seconds and add chopped carrots. Continue stir-frying and add the cabbage, bean sprouts and bell peppers. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds. The veggies should not be over-cooked or else they may lose their color and crispness.

4. Now move all the veggies to the side and scramble the eggs adding a little pepper powder and salt. Mix it with the vegetables, add the cooked chicken and shrimp. Now toss in the cooked noodles, add soy sauce, chilli sauce, worcestshire sauce and  vinegar. Stir-fry until everything is well-mixed and the noodles are coated with all the sauces. Add more sauces until desired taste is achieved. Season with pepper, a little sugar, check for salt and switch off. Garnish with spring onions. Serve hot.