CHICKEN SALAD

Presenting a simple nonveg salad that i prepared for iftar yesterday. No complications here its a simple recipe with lot of veggies and chicken and some mayonnaise

A lot of vegetables like corn ,cabbage,carrot,peas,beans,broccoli,mushrooms and even boiled potato can be added in this salad. I have taken only those vegetables i had in handy

INGREDIENTS

Chicken (boneless)- 150gm
Turmeric - 1/2tsp
Salt - to taste
Ginger garlic paste - 1tbsp
Cucumber  - 1
Tomato - 1
Onion - 1
Lettuce - few leaves
Capsicum - 2
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Mayonnise - 1tbsp
Oregano  - 1tsp
Pepper - 1tsp
Lemon - half of one
Honey - 1tsp

How to make
 Marinate chicken pieces with turmeric ,gingergarlic paste,salt for about half n hour
Heat a pan ,add chicken pieces and cook till the pieces are tender.

Wash the vegetables thoroughly

Chop all the veggies into desired shape

In a bowl add mayonnaise olive oil pepper and mix well

Add the chopped vegetables into the bowl and mix well

Now add the chicken pieces and toss

 Finally add honey and lemon just before serving

Enjoy

CREAMY SAUSAGE PASTA

Merry Christmas dear folks...hope you all had a wonderful Christmas this year...For me n my little one,school closed and its vacation time.We both had great baking plans for Christmas, but unfortunately we all three were sick since last week. So today when we felt better my daughter asked for a pasta and cake, but my husband wanted a vegetable omlette.I made this pasta from scratch,with whatever was available. Same with the cake as we couldn't go out for any shopping.

So for today's breakfast i made vegetable omlette and creamy sausage pasta.Since i was in a hurry in the morning couldn't take pictures of omlette.will soon make that again and post it.

Nevertheless to say this pasta was deliiiicious,as you see in this picture. Now to the recipe

INGREDIENTS

1. Pasta -1 cup
2. Butter-2tbsp
3. Maida-1tbsp
4. Red chilli powder  -1tsp
5. Milk-1cup
6. Mozarella cheese-2tbsp
7. Cheddar cheese -2tbsp
8. Oregano-as required
9. Pepper-as required
10. Sausage- 3 or 4 chopped into circles or semicircles 
11. Salt - to taste
12. Olive oil-1/2 tbsp
13. Garlic - 4 pods
14. Onion - 1 medium size cubed
15. Capsicum -1 medium size cut into slices

HOW TO MAKE

• In a vessel cook pasta with enough water and once cooked drain the pasta and keep aside
• In a pan add little oil and saute the sausage  and keep it aside
• In the same pan add olive oil and add chopped garlic and cubed onion and saute in high flame for a minute
• Immediately add sliced capsicum and saute well for 3 minutes in high flame.
• Switch off the flame and keep the sauted vegetables aside.
• In a nonstick pan add butter
• Once the butter melts add maida and stir well continuously
• Add red chilli powder and stir
• Now slowly add milk little by little and mix taking care no lumps are formed
• Now add the shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese and mix well
• Once the cheese melts and becomes a creamy mixture add salt pepper and oregano seasoning and mix
• Now add the drained pasta and mix
• Add the sauted sausage and the onion capsicum into this
• Mix everything well.
• Serve hot in a plate and season with oregano or pepper if required

Chicken Dum Biriyani

Of all the biriyanis i love chicken biriyani the most.I make biriyanis on special occasions like Eid like others but i make pressure cooker biriyani often which is so easy.But never tried doing the dum before.I was actually bored of making biriyani the same method i used to.So thought of giving a try at dum.I know this is not the perfect way of doing the dum but the end result was awesome.This was the best biriyani i ever made.The chicken pieces had the perfect juicy texture.

Biriyani making is often misunderstood as tedious task.But personally i feel its the easiest dish to make.no chopping no grinding apart from chopping the mint/corriander leaves:)you dont have to make ten side dish also.All you need is a simple raita or pickle.sometimes you can go a little extreme and have boiled eggs and pappad along with your biriyani:))))

Recipe for chicken dum biriyani
Ingredients

for marination

1. chicken - 1kg
2. ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
3. green chillies - 2 or 3
4. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. corriander powder -1 1/2 tsp
6. red chilli powder - 1 tsp
7. pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
8. fennel powder - 1tsp
9. cumin powder -1/2 tsp
10. yogurt - 3 tbsp
11. {corriander leaves, mint leaves,curry leaves}- a handfull
12. salt - as required
13. lime juice - 2 tbsp

for sauting

1. onions - 4
2. tomatoes -2
3. oil - 3 tbsp

for rice

1. basmati rice - 2 1/2 cup
2. water - 4 cups
3. ghee - 2 tbsp
4. pepper pods - 4 or 5
5. cumin seeds - a pinch
6. cinnamon-half inch piece
7. cloves - 6
8. cardamom - 3
9. bay leaf - 1
10. aniseed - 3
11. salt -1/2 tsp
12. lime juice - 1 tbsp

for garnishing

1. onion - 2[for caramalising]
2. cashew nuts - handfull
3. raisins - handfull
4. mint leaves - handfull
5. corriander leaves - handfull
6. cherry/tutti frutti - handfull

Method

• wash and drain  rice and keep aside
• wash and drain the chicken .
• marinate the chicken using the ingredients listed under marination for about 2 hours
• heat oil in a pan and saute sliced onions nicely till golden brown
• add tomatoes and saute well
• once tomatoes are soft mushy and nicely saute add marinated chicken
• mix everything well and cook covered.chicken will ooze out water and in this water we will do the dum
• when the chicken is 3/4th cooked switch off the flame

• while chicken is being cooked lets make the rice
• heat a vessel and add little oil/ghee and saute onions till they turn wonderfully deep brown in colour
• transfer the caramalised onion to a plate and then add cashew nuts and fry till brown followed by raisins.

• in the same pan add rest of the ghee and add pepper pods,cumin seeds,cardamom,cinnamon,bay leaf,cloves,aniseed and saute for few seconds
• add  rice and fry for a while,about 5-10 minutes
• add water ,salt and lime juice
• mix well and cook covered.we have taken enough water just to half cook the rice

layering and dum

•   take a wide vessel and spread some ghee on the bottom
• first place chicken masala as the first layer and then add rice as second layer and repeat the process with the rest of masala and rice
• when the layering is done, spread  caramalised onions and chopped mint leaves and corriander leaves cashewnuts and raisin.keep aside the above items for final garnishing too
• 
  

• close the vessel with a tight fitting lid
• make a dough out of wheat flour like you do for chapathi and  seal the edges of lid of the vessel using this dough

• place the vessel on stove top at lowest flame and cook for about 15-20 minutes
• switch off the flame and allow to rest for another 10-15 minutes.
• now your biriyani is ready
• before serving garnish with cashewnuts caramalized onions chopped mint corriander leaves raisins and tutti frutti and enjoyyyyyyy:)
• serve hot with raita n pickle

Notes

• you can add saffron soaked in milk/pineapple essence before putting the dum.

Fish Curry- Without Coconut

This Fish curry with rice is a heavenly combination i must say.Another one is kappa and meen curry.slurrppp!!!..I love my mom's fish curry the most.Her Appam and Fish curry is my most favourite dish.I can have it for breakfast dinner or anytime.My mom makes fish curry with coconut most of the time while my mil makes it without coconut all the time.Every home has their 'signature' fish curry i think.Its differnt in every home i have tasted.Now presenting  my version of fish curry:).

Recipe for ayala curry

Ingredients

• fish - any(i used mackeral)
• shallots - 10 nos
• ginger - 1small piece
•  garlic - 12 pods
• green chilli - 1 or 2 nos
• curry leaves - 1 spring
• red chilly powder - 1 tsp(i used kashmiri chilly powder)
• corriander powder - 2tsp
• turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• fenugreek powder - 1/4tsp
• pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
• water - 2 cups
• oil - 2tbsp(i used coconut oil)
• mustard seeds - 1/2tsp
• kudampuli(kokum) - 1 medium piece

• Method
• soak the kudampuli in warm water and keep aside
• clean and wash the fish and cut into medium curry pieces
• heat a manchatti(earthen pot) and add oil
• splutter mustard seeds and add sliced shallots and saute nicely
• add green chillies and saute 
• crush ginger and garlic and add 
• saute well till nice aroma comes 
• add all the masala powders except fenugreek powder and saute
• when the raw smell of masala goes add waterand bring to boil
• now add fish pieces ,kudampuli and curry leaves
• add fenugreek powder and salt and cook covered for about 15-20 minutes
• swirl the manchatti in between 
• switch off flame and serve with hot rice

• Notes
• you can use sunflower oil too.once in a while i use coconut oil to get that authentic taste
• remove the kokum pieces after a day to avoid curry from being tangy if u r keeping it for more than one day
• adjust the red chilli powder according to your spice level.i used kashmiri chilly powder which gives nice red colour and is less spicy also
• adjust water content according to the thickness of gravy you want

Plaited Chicken Bread

This beautiful looking bread is the most simple and delicious bread i have ever tried.Its a fool proof recipe.As many times i have tried this it came out very well.Though it looks complicated its super easy to make.I always have a great feeling baking this bread.i remember eating this type of bread from Vac's bakery in  Tirumalghiri here.I was very doubtful to try this "complicated"looking bread when i saw it in yummyoyummy blog.But the picture was so tempting that i decided to give it a try.It was a sweet version given there but i changed the filling since we like it the "chicken way":).AND...voilaaaa....it was a super duper hit i must say.Thereafter i have made it many times.My husband says it tastes like calzone and he skips dinner  whenever i make them..Its delicious and filling.His ("possitive"....;))expressions and reactions always motivate me to experiment new dishes everytime..thanks hubby:).

The recipe and method may seem bit lenghty time consuming.Only time consuming process is the dough raising part.Rest is easy.Do give a try and let me know your experience.Now of to the recipe.

Recipe for plaited chicken bread

Ingredients

For the bread

1. All purpose flour - 2.5 cup
2. butter - 1/4 cup
3. egg - 1
4. castor sugar - 1/4 cup
5. lukewarm water - 1/4 cup
6. yeast - 1tbsp
7. lukewarm milk - 1/4 cup
8. egg - 1 for eggwash

For the filling

1. chicken - 1and1/2 cup(boiled and shredded)
2. butter - 2 tbsp
3. onion - 2 large
4. pepper powder -1tsp
5. ginger garlic paste - 1tsp
6. greenchillies - 2 nos
7. salt - 1 tsp
8. corriander leaves - a bunch
9. garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
10. soyasauce - 1tbsp(optional)
11. maida - 2 tbsp
12. butter - 2 tbsp
13. milk - 1/2 cup

METHOD

• soak yeast in lukewarm water and keepaside for 15-20 minutes to rise
• in a large bowl mix  together egg ,sugar, butter ,milk and salt.
• add in the yeast mixture and mix well
• gradually add in the flour and knead to form a soft dough
• knead for few minutes to obtain a smooth and elastic dough
• put the kneaded dough in a clean bowl and keep it covered in a warm place to rise for about 2 hrs
•  mean while you can make the filling

Method for chicken filling

• heat a pan and add butter .saute onion till golden brown
• add green chillies and ginger galic paste and saute for few minutes
• add in the flour ,salt,garam masala,and pepper powder and saute for few seconds
• add in milk and mix well
• cook till the mixture becomes thick.
• now add in the boiled chicken pieces followed by corriander leaves and cook for few minutes till everything gets mixed well.
• finally add in saoya sauce and mix well
• switch off the flame

• Once the dough is raised puch down the dough and knead on a floured surface
• divide the flour into two or three depending on the size of bread you want to make
• then roll out each part of divided dough into a rectangle depending on the size of your baking tray.
• grease the baking tray and transfer the rolled dough to the tray
• place the  chicken filling on the centre of the dough as shown in the pic
• with a knife cut either side of the filling as shown above
• for the plaited pattern start from  bringing the topmost  slit ends across each other alternately
• continue this crisscross pattern till the bottom 
• tuck in the excess dough underneath
• preheat the oven at 375 F or 190 degrees.brush the dough on top with the eggwash
• And now bake for 25- 30 minutes.keep checking your bread after 20 minutes due to your  oven differences.
• remove from oven and cool it
• and now slice and enjoy :)))))))

Notes

• you can divide the dough to 2 or 3 parts to make medium sized breads
• by the time i preheated my oven my dough again rose and hence the bread has a bigger shape