Paneer Jalfrezi

This is an awesome restaurant style paneer jalfrezi recipe. It is adapted from monsoon spice blog.

Ingredients:

1. Onion chopped - 1 big
2. Garlic chopped - 1 tbs
3. Ginger chopped - 1 tbs
4. Green chilli - 1
5. Paneer cubes - 2.5 cups
6. Tomato purée - 1 cup
7. Tomato - 2 medium, ripe
8. Red bell pepper - 1
9. Green capsicum - 1
10. Salt to taste
11. Tomato ketchup - 1 tbs
12. Sugar - 1 tsp
13. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
14. Coriander powder - 2 tsp
15. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
16. Kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves - 1 tbs
17. Oil - 2 tbs
18. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
19. Garam masala - 1 tsp
20. Lime juice - 1 tbs
21. Coriander leaves, chopped - 2tbs

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan
2. Splutter the cumin seeds in hot oil
3. Add onion, green chilli, ginger and garlic and sauté it till onion is golden brown
4. Add spices from ingradients 13 to 16 and toss it
5. Add tomato purée, ketchup, sugar and salt and sauté for 2 minutes
6. Deseed green capsicum, red bell pepper and tomato and cut in to strips
7. Add them to pan and mix well
8. After two minutes add paneer and cook for few minutes till paneer is cooked
9. Add lime juice, garam masala and coriander leaves and switch off the flame.
10. Move the paneer jalfrezi to a serving bowl and curry is ready for photo shoot!!😀

Note: I have added other veggies like cauliflower , beans and carrot too in it.. If you are adding veggies add it after step 5 and give it few minutes to cook.

The same recipe can be used for making Vegetable jalfrezi. Just drop paneer and add veggies instead.
Milk cream can be added if you need gravy for this dish.

Rava Ladoo/ Sweet Semolina balls

Ingredients:

1. Roasted rava/semolina - 1.5 cups
2. Shredded coconut - 3/4 cup
3. Powdered sugar - 1 cup
4. Cardamom powdered - 2
5. Ghee/Clarified butter - 2 tbs
6. Cashew nuts/Raisins - 12-15
7. Milk,warm - 2 tbs optional

Method:

1. Mix the ingredients from 1 to 4
2. Fry cashew nut and raisins in ghee
3. Mix it with rava mixture along with the ghee and add milk to make balls.
4. You can make balls using your palm.

Note: The above recipe will yield you 12 -15 rava ladoos. It can be stored in airtight container for 2-3 days.

Spicy NutCrispy

Ingredients:

1. All purpose flour - 1 cup
2. Whole wheat flour- 1 cup
3. Salt to taste
4. Garam masala - 1 tsp
5. Baking soda - 1 tsp
6. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Sunflower seeds - 2 tbs
8. Coconut oil/ olive oil - 5 tbs
9. Water as per need

Method:
 

Mix all the dry ingredients from 1 to 7 well

Add oil and knead the dough ( add water if needed )and keep it cling wrapped for 30 min

Preheat the oven to 200 deg Celsius for 20 min

Roll the dough to very thin

Cut it using cookie cutter or sharp ends of glass 

Arrange it in a baking tray with parchment paper

Bake it for 4 min and then flip it and bake for a minute more

Sunflower seed NutCrispies are ready 

Creamy Celery Soup

Ingredients:

1. Celery sticks, chopped - 3
2. Potato - 1
3. Ginger chopped- 1 tsp
4. Greek yogurt - 3 tbs
5. Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Cook celery sticks , ginger and potato well. I used pressure cooker for it
2. Once cool, Purée the above with yogurt and salt 
3. Add water to get the right consistency. 
4. Strain the soup through a sieve if you don't want get fiber from celery when u have the soup
5. Sprinkle some pepper and serve the creamy soup chilled or warm. 

Chicken Stew, Kerala style

 

 

Chicken stew has the mild sweet flavour from coconut milk. Appam with chicken stew is the best combination I can think of for breakfast or dinner.

Ingredients

1. Chicken, small pieces - 100gm
2. Onion sliced - 1 medium
3. Coconut milk, thick- 1 cup
4. Green chilli - 2
5. Ginger, chopped - 1 tbs
6. Potato cooked - 1 big
7. Coconut oil - 1 tbs
8. Curry leaves - few
9. Cloves - 3
10. Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
11. Cardamom - 3
12. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
13. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Marinate chicken with salt and one chopped green chilli
2. Heat oil in a pan
3. Add cloves, cinnamon and cardamom and dry. 
4. Add one slit green chilli, ginger and curry leaves and sauté  in medium heat
5. After 2 minutes add onion and stir
6. Close the pan with a lid till onion is golden color
7. Add pepper powder and mix well
8. Add chicken and sauté for 2 minutes
9. Add cooked and slightly mashed potatoes with  1 cup of water
10. Add salt as required
11. Add half of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of water and cook chicken
12. Once the chicken is cooked well, add rest of the coconut milk and switch of the flame. 

Note: You can add veggies like carrot, beans, green peas or cauliflower in the above recipe

White chocolate chip cookies -Thick and Chewy cookies

This recipe gives thick and chewy cookies similar to the subway cookies.

Ingredients

1. Unsalted butter, chilled - 1/2 cup
2. Egg - 1 large
3. Brown sugar - 1/2 cup
4. White sugar - 1/4 cup
5. Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
6. All purpose flour - 1 cup
7. Cake/Top flour - 1/2 cup
8. Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Salt - 1/4 tsp
10. Baking soda - a pinch
11. Corn starch - 1 tbs
12. white chocolate chips - 1 cup

Method:

1. Sieve ingredients from 6 to 11 and mix well
2. In another bowl, mix ingredients 3 and 4 well
3. Cut chilled butter into small cubes and mix with sugar
4. Using a hand mixer, mix it in medium speed.
5. Once they are mixed well, add egg and vanilla
6. Beat it using the mixer until well combined
7. Add half of the flour mixture, mix well
8. Add rest of flour and mix well
9. Add chocolate chips and combine well by a spatula
10. Store the dough refrigerated over night
11. Before baking , make balls with the dough using your palm or ice cream scoop and place it in a baking tray with parchment paper on it.
12. Keep each balls apart, cover the tray with cling wrap and move the tray to freezer (so that it stays in freezer for a minimum of 20-30 minutes when oven is preheated)
13. Preheat oven to 175 Degree Celsius for 20 minutes
14. Move the baking tray to oven and bake for 12-15 minutes.
15. You might have to turn your tray in between, if cookies are browning on one side.
16. Once done, move the tray out and cool the cookies

Cookies will be harder towards the outer rim and softer in the middle :)

Chicken Cutlet

This is a Kerala style chicken cutlet recipe  

Ingredients:

1. Potatoes cooked and mashed - 3 medium
2. Minced chicken - 1 cup
3. Onion chopped - 1/2 medium onion
4. Garlic chopped - 1 tbs
5. Ginger chopped  - 1 tbs
6. Green chilli chopped -  2 medium
7. Coriander powder - 1 tbs
8. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Garam masala - 1 tsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Oil to fry / roast
13. Oil for sauté - 1 tbs
14. Bread crumbs - 2 cups
15. Egg - 1

Method:

1. Heat oil for sauté in a pan
2. Add onion, ginger, garlic and green chilli and sauté for 3-4 minutes till the raw smell is gone
3. Add ingredients from 7 to 11 and sauté for one more minute in medium flame
4. Add minced chicken to the above and fry it
5. Once chicken is cooked, add mashed potato to it and mix well
6. Switch off the flame
7. Make small balls of cutlet mixture once the mixture reaches room temperature
8. Flatten the ball and make the cutlet shape
9. Heat oil in a pan for frying the cutlet
10. Break the egg to a bowl
11. Dip the cutlet in egg and then dip it in bread crumbs
12. Once the cutlet is uniformly coated with bread crumbs, fry it in hot oil till the cutlet is firm and both sides are browned
13. Repeat the same for the rest of cutlets
14. Cutlets are now ready to be served

Cutlets can be enjoyed best with ketchup!

Lemony White Chocolate Frosting

This is a white chocolate icing with no butter in it. It can be used for cakes, cup cakes etc.

Ingredients :

1. White chocolate chips - 3 cups
2. Lime juice - 2 tbs
3. Greek yogurt - 2 tbs

Method:

1. Melt white chocolate chips using double boiling. 
2. Stir in between to get smooth melted chocolate
3. Once chocolate is back to room temperature, add lime juice and yogurt to get smooth shiny chocolate icing
4. Pour it over the cake when the icing is still in room temp

 

Enjoy the lemony white chocolate frosting. !

In the picture above, I have used it on a thin butter cake. And the decoration is done with dried rose which is supposed to be used for making Rose tea. 

Masala Chicken Fry

Ingredients:

1. Chicken, small pieces - 200 gm
2. Coconut oil - to fry
3. Coriander seeds - 2tbs
4. Dried red chillies - 4
5. Fennel seeds - 1.5 tbs
6. Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
7. Cloves - 4
8. Cardamon - 1
9. Cinnamon - 1/2 inch stick
10. Pepper - 6 seeds
11. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
12. Garlic chopped - 1 tbs
13. Ginger chopped - 1 tbs
14. Lime juice - 2 tsp
15. Curry leaves - 10-12
16. Green chilli - 4
17. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Dry roast ingredients from 3 to 10 in a hot pan for a minute in medium flame. 
2. Use a blender to powder the above spices. It need not be fine powder.
3. Add ingredients from 11 to 14 to the blender to get the masala in a thick paste consistency
4. Marinate chicken pieces with the above masala and salt for 15 minutes.
5. Heat oil in a pan
6. Fry green chillies and curry leaves in it and keep it aside on a tissue paper to absorb excess oil 
7. Fry chicken in the oil in medium flame and with lid on, until chicken is cooked through and browned outside. It will take around 5 minutes on each side.
8. Keep the fried chicken also on tissue to remove excess oil
9. Transfer chicken to a serving bowl and garnish with fried curry leaves and green chilli along with raw onion slices. 

Note : The above recipe for Masala chicken fry gives you a very spicy chicken fry. Reduce the dried red chillies used in masala if you want to make it less spicy. 

Mango Tango

Mango tango is yet another overnight oats with juicy mangoes in it .

Ingredients:

1. Sweet mango purée - 1/2 cup
2. Sweet mango, chopped - 1 cup
3. Rolled oats - 1.5 cups
4. Low fat milk - 1.5 cups
5. Greek yogurt - 3 tbs
6. Sunflower seeds - 2 tbs
7. Chia seeds - 2 tbs

Method :

1. Mix all dry ingredients, Greek yogurt and chopped mangoes very well. You can mash them a bit
2. Add milk and purée to the above and mix well again
3. Keep this in an air tight jar in fridge overnight and enjoy Mango Tango for breakfast

Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

1. Broccoli, chopped - 2 cups
2. Milk - 1.5 cups
3. Garlic chopped - 1 tbs
4. Olive oil - 1 tbs
5. All purpose flour - 3 tsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Pepper powder to taste
8. Toasted Sunflower seeds - 1-2tsp (for garnish)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan
2. Sauté garlic in it
3. Add chopped broccoli and saute for1 more minute
4. Add flour and mix well
5. Sauté till the mixture gives a nutty smell, approximately in 2 minutes, and then add milk
6. Mix well, when the milk starts to thicken, switch off the flame. (if the mixture is too thick, add some more milk)
7. Blend the soup in a blender
8. Sprinkle the pepper powder and garnish with toasted sunflower seeds

Note: Sunflower seeds can be toasted in microwave. This is how you can do it. Sprinkle some water on sunflower seeds and add salt and chilli powder. Microwave it for 30-45 seconds. Cool it and store.

Lemon Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

1. Chicken breast - 1
2. Chopped garlic - 1 tbs
3. Olive oil - 1 to 2tbs
4. Lime juice - 2 tbs
5. Lemon slices -  3 to 4
6. Chilli flakes - 1tbs
7. Pepper powder - 1tsp
8. Coriander seeds crushed - 1 tsp
9. Water - 3/4 cup
10. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Slit open then chicken breast
2. Heat oil in a pan and add garlic to it
3. Switch off the flame after a minute
4. In a bowl, take ingredients from 4 to 9
5. Add garlic-oil mixture to the bowl
6. Add salt and mix well
7. Marinate chicken in the above mixture for 15-30 min
8. Preheat oven to 150 Deg Celcius
9. In a baking tray, place the marinated chicken breast and marinate mixture to it
10. Grill for about 30-40 minute till chicken is slightly browned and well cooked
11. Take of the tray from oven and cover it with an aluminium till served.

Tangy Paneer Masala/ Tangy cottage cheese curry

Ingredients:

1. Paneer cubes/ cottage cheese cubes - 1.5 cups
2. Ginger chopped - 1 tbs
3. Garlic chopped - 1 tbs
4. Green chilli chopped - 1
5. Onion chopped - 1/2 medium size
6. Creamy yogurt/ Greek style yogurt - 1 cup
7. Tomato purée - made with 2 small ripe tomato
8. Tomato ketchup - 1 tbs
9. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
10. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Coriander powder - 1.5 tsp
12. Garam masala - 1 tsp
13. Meat masala - 1 tsp
14. Kasuri methi - 1 tbs
15. Oil - 1 tbs
16. Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix ingredients from 7 to 14
2. Heat oil in a pan and sauté ingredients from 2 to 5 till golden brown
3. Add the mixture from bowl to the pan and cook in low flame for 5 minutes. 
4. Add paneer and salt to it and cook for 5 more minutes or till paneer is done
5. Add crushed kasuri methi leaves and switch off the flame
6. Transfer the curry to a serving bowl and top with a tbs of yogurt.