Grilled Chicken & Eggplant in Tomato Dill Sauce

Here's another recipe adapted from feast from the Mideast 250 Sun-Drenched Dishes from the Lands of the Bible by Faye Levy. Once again, this has been modified to make it easier and for more flavor.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 - 2 teaspoons Penzeys Turkish Seasoning
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 large eggplant, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 - 1.5 pounds chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 - 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• a few sprigs fresh dill, chopped

Method:

Heat oil in a stew pan and fry onion until golden. Add in garlic and chicken, with some salt and pepper and fry until chicken is white. Add canned tomatoes, Turkish seasoning, chicken broth, and eggplant. Simmer, covered, over medium heat until eggplant is soft. Add dill and lemon juice and simmer five more minutes. Serve with a side of flavored couscous.

Chicken & Chickpea Stew

I got the original recipe for this from feast from the Mideast 250 Sun-Drenched Dishes from the Lands of the Bible by Faye Levy but the recipes can be quite time consuming and containing too many steps for my liking, so I tend to modify them quite a bit. I also like to use different vegetables than what is listed, and a bit more of the spices.

Ingredients:

• 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 pounds chicken, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 cups cups chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 green pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 3 carrots, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces

Method:

Heat oil in a stew pan and add onion, frying until golden. Add in garlic and chicken, along with some salt and pepper. Fry until chicken turns white. Add in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer on low until sweet potato's are tender. That's it!

I honestly give up on bloggers text sizing. Whatever I try to do, blogger will choose what size to make my text. I'm seriously thinking of switching to Wordpress but that feels like a lot of work :/ Anybody who has made the switch... does Wordpress import from blogger?

Spicier Butter Chicken

I wanted to make some Butter Chicken with onion and without the whole spices. I started from my original recipe and came up with this much spicier version...

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup ghee
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1 onion, halved & sliced
• 1 pound chicken, cut into bite size pieces
• 32 ounce can tomatoes, blended
• 4 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoon kitchen king masala
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons kasoori methi
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• heavy cream, as needed

Method:

Heat ghee in large skillet and fry cumin seeds until they turn a shade darker. Add onion and fry until it begins to caramelize. Add in chicken and paprika and fry for a few minutes, until chicken is no longer raw. Add in ground tomatoes, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and kitchen king masala. Cook until tomato sauce has reduced and releases oil. Add in the water, kasoori methi and sugar and simmer slowly until the sauce has again reduced and is very thick. Add heavy cream to bring sauce back to desired consistency.

Chicken w/ Yellow Split Peas (Murghi Dalcha)

This recipe is adapted from Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries... I have made a few minor changes to suit my cooking style and tastes... Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow split peas
• 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate/paste, dissolved in a bit of water
• 1 red onion, coarsely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic
• about 3 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 4 fresh green chilies, stems removed
• vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3 bay leaves, fresh or dried
• 2, 3-inch long cinnamon sticks
• 2 pounds chopped chicken breast
• salt, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• handful chopped, fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 12 - 15 fresh curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar or to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Method:

Wash the dal a few times in a small bowl until water runs relatively clear; add 3 cups water and bring dal to a boil over medium-high heat, uncovered. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface. Lower the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the split peas are partially tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tamarind water.

While the split peas are cooking, combing the onion, garlic, ginger, and green chilies in a food processor and process until minced.

Heat about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in the cumin seeds, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks and cook until they sizzle, about 10 - 15 seconds. Add the onion-chili blend and stir-fry until the onion mixture turns light brown, 3 - 5 minutes. Sprinkle in salt and turmeric.

Throw the chicken pieces in with the onion-chili paste adding the vinegar and sugar and cook until chicken turns light brown, about 2 - 4 minutes. Pour in the split peas with their cooking water and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked and desired texture is reached. Stir in cilantro.

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds, cover skillet, and cook until the seeds have stopped popping, about 30-seconds. Remove the skillet and throw in the curry leaves. Pour this oil over the chicken curry, stir once or twice and serve.

~ "What other people think about me is not my business." - Michael J. Fox ~

Curried Rice, Baked Curry Chicken & Bell Pepper Apple Salad

This Curried Rice and Bell Pepper Salad were inspired by a couple recipes I found in the Penzey's spice catalog. If you haven't heard of or tried Penzey's spices, I encourage you to do so! It's high quality, the prices are extremely competitive, and the selection is great. I do a large order about twice a year. They add new spices and mixes on a regular basis, and tend to throw a free spice in with each order. It's always nice to get the new catalog and read through all the recipes, and they also have a magazine. Here's a couple recipes adapted from the catalogs along with a Baked Chicken I threw together to go along...

Curried Rice:

• 2 - 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup frozen peas (recipe called for 1 carrot, diced)
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seed
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons biryani masala (recipe called for Penzey's Maharajah Curry Powder, I didn't have this so I did the biryani along with a pinch of saffron)
• pinch of saffron
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder (recipe called for whole cumin)
• 1/4 teaspoon kala jeera
• 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed and soaked
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock

Heat vegetable oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add the onion and cook 3 - 4 minutes. Add the mustard seeds and cook until they begin to pop. When seeds begin to pop, add the brown sugar and spices. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring constantly. Add the rice and cook for about a minute. Add the nuts and stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed. If the rice doesn't seem cooked near this point, add a bit more water to finish. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Baked Curry Chicken:

• 2 - 3 whole chicken breasts
• 1 small onion, chunked
• 1 tomato, chunked
• 1/2 cup cream or half & half
• 1 inch chunk fresh ginger, cut into smaller pieces
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon clove powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon garam masala

Preheat oven to 400ºF and place chicken in a baking dish with a lid. In a food processor, grind together the remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, covered, until chicken is cooked through.

Bell Pepper Apple Salad:

• 1 bell pepper (any color) sliced into think strips (recipe called for 2 carrots grated)
• 1 tart apple, peeled and grated (recipe called for 1/2 cucumber grated)
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon chaat masala (recipe called for 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper)
• cilantro to garnish

Toss together all the ingredients except cilantro and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with cilantro.

It's been said that we create our own happiness... that it is simply a decision we make or a state of mind... But there are those of us who are unable to find that state of mind regardless of what decision we've made. We search for that perfect balance, and until that balance is found, "living" is nearly impossible.

I've found that, regardless of my circumstances, there is always going to be something missing. My inability to focus on the moment because I cannot let go of what is missing is crushing. It's a trade-off ... One need leads to another creating a seemingly endless void. I do not see a solution and feel I must make peace with this part of me.

"Finding happiness is like finding yourself. You don't find happiness, you make happiness. You choose happiness. Self-actualization is a process of discovering who you are, who you want to be and paving the way to happiness by doing what brings YOU the most meaning and contentment to your life over the long run." - David Leonhardt

Super Easy No-Bake Nachos

Try this for some really easy, super tasty, semi-homemade nachos...

You'll need:

• corn/tortilla chips (I used yellow and black corn)
• ground beef/chicken/or boca (recipe below)
• cheese sauce (recipe below)
• guacamole (make it easy, use a powder mix and add it to mashed avocados, tastes great!)
• salsa (again, make it easy and use a powder mix added to chopped tomatoes)
• sliced jalapenos
  
• lettuce, chopped

For ground beef/chicken/or boca:

You can use a pack of taco seasoning mix or you can add salt, pepper, chilli powder and cumin powder to taste. I like to cook a pound of ground beef or boca with 1/2 cup water to make it the right texture. Try different seasonings and spices to find a taste you like.

For cheese sauce:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 cup milk
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon paprika

Melt butter and whisk in cornstarch. Add milk and cream cheese until cream cheese melts. Add cheddar cheese until melted. Whisk in paprika and hot sauce until creamy.

Lay chips out evenly onto plates. Cover each chip with a jalapeno. Spoon some meat/boca mixture onto each chip. Next, pour some cheese over the chips. Repeat this process to get two or three layers on the plate. Top this with the salsa and lettuce, and serve guacamole on the side.

~ "Dense, unenlightened people are notoriously confident that they have the monopoly on truth." - Joshua Loth Liebman ~

Methi Murgh with Potato Carrot Fry

I rarely come across fresh methi, so I made this dish with the frozen variety...

Ingredients for Methi Murgh:

• 12 ounce bag frozen methi
• 1 1/2 cups yogurt, whisked or blended with 1/2 cup water
• vegetable oil, as needed
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 inch chunk ginger, chopped or grated
• 4 big cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces
• 1 tablespoon roasted coriander powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons sugar
  
• salt, to taste

Method:

Heat the fenugreek leaves with a bit of water until they are warmed, puree with a hand blender or in a food processor until smooth.

Heat a couple tablespoons vegetable oil in a medium skillet and roast fenugreek leaves until moisture goes away. Reduce heat to medium-low, adding oil if needed, and roast until the leaves are darker and dried, about 20 minutes. Remove to a bowl.

Add a couple more tablespoons to the skillet and fry onions over medium-high heat until golden. Add in ginger and garlic for about a minute then add coriander powder, garam masala, paprika, and turmeric for a few seconds, then add chicken and salt. Fry until chicken turns crispy, adding bits of oil as needed.

Mix in fenugreek, yogurt and sugar. Bring to a boil, cover pan, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring as needed until chicken is tender and the oil separates from the sauce. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Potato Carrot Fry:

• about 5 ounces shredded carrots
• 1 potato, peeled and shredded
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kalonji
• 1/2 teaspoon black cumin seed
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ajwain seed
• dash of asafoetida
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
• salt, to taste
  

Method:

Heat oil in non-sticks skillet and add all seeds and spices a few seconds, then add potato and carrot and fry, stirring as needed, until cooked and crispy.

‎~ "I found that every single successful person I've ever spoken to had a turning point and the turning point was where they made a clear, specific, unequivocal decision that they were not going to live like this anymore. Some people make that decision at 15 and some people make it at 50 and most never make it at all." - Brian Tracy ~

Spicy - Sweet Chicken Wings

The recipe for the wings was adapted from Suvir Saran's American Masala... I changed some ingredients and methods...

Ingredients for wings:

• 1 ounce jaggery, grated (recipe calls for 5 tablespoons honey, but I was out)
• 2 tablespoons veg oil
• salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 pounds chicken wings
• 1 tablespoon lime juice (recipes calls for white wine vinegar)

Combine jaggery, oil, salt, pepper, garam masala, paprika, chili powder, cumin and lime juice. Place along with wings in a freezer bag and marinate overnight.

Preheat oven to 400º F. Arrange chicken wings in a baking dish (the book calls for roasting on a wire rack) and bake for about 35 minutes, checking to make sure the chicken is done. You can throw the wings under the broiler to make them crispier. Enjoy!

Palak Murgh & Okra Fry Courtesy of my Fellow Bloggers

Originally found on Easycooking's blog, she had found it on Show Me The Curry... The bag of frozen spinach in the freezer was waiting for me to try some Palak Paneer, and since I'm not a big fan of paneer, I chose to make it with some chicken! This was my first time pureeing my spinach and I did enjoy the texture. I followed the recipe for the most part, except that I added the powdered spices in with the tomato puree instead of waiting to add it in with the spinach. I did miss out on making the Butter Naan but I love the simplicity of the recipe and that It's made on the stove top, so I plan to try it next time. I served it with an okra recipe (Vendakka Mezhukkupuratty) I found over at Kaipunyam. I liked it a lot because the okra turned out super crispy and not soggy at all! I used a bag of frozen okra that I thawed in the refrigerator overnight. Also, I was out of onions (used the rest in my spinach) so I had to use leeks which worked out well. All in all, both recipes are keepers and I learned I like pureeing my spinach!

Murgh Jalfrezie & Baingan Aloo

When I first tried the recipe for Murgh Jalfrezie from Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking I really enjoyed it... But looking at the peppers in my crisper made me want to try it again... So I dabbled with the recipe a bit and came up with this slightly different version...

For Murgh Jalfrezie:

• few tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  
• 1 onion chopped fine
• about a tablespoon chopped ginger root
  
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large tomato, ground
• 1 heaping tablespoon coriander/cumin powder
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 onion, cut into large chunks
• 1 tomato, cut into large chunks
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Heat oil in a large skillet and fry mustard and cumin seeds until they pop and smoke. Add the finely chopped onion, ginger and garlic and fry until deep golden, stirring often.

Stir in ground tomato, coriander/cumin powder, turmeric, chili powder and salt and fry until oil separates. Stir in chicken and cook until chicken is done, stirring occasionally.

Add in green bell pepper, large onion chunks, tomato and water. Cover and simmer until vegetables become soft.

Whisk in yogurt and cream and heat through. Enjoy with rice or bread... or both :)

***************************

The recipe for Baingan Aloo was adapted from Neelam Batra's 1,000 Indian Recipes and turned out excellent. Sri said it was how his mom use to make it, and It's a really simple one, too!

For Baingan Aloo:

• few tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons coriander powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• salt, to taste
• 2 Japanese eggplants, halved and sliced into half moons
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 green chilies, halved and sliced
• 1 teaspoon mango powder
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add cumin seeds. After they sizzle a few seconds, add the coriander, turmeric and salt. Quickly add the eggplant, potatoes and green chilies. Cover the pan and cook over high heat, stirring, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the eggplant is very soft, 20 - 25 minutes. Stir every 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the mango powder and cilantro during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve!

Cashew Chicken & Three Years!

On this day, three years ago, I started my blog. I remember how excited I was to get my first comment from Beccy at Peppermint Tea and since that time I have met a lot of friends and found so many amazing blogs. I look forward to many more years of trying my friends recipes and coming up with some simple ones of my own. Here's a recipe for Cashew Chicken I made last week...

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breast, cut up
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• vegetable oil, as necessary
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 4 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper powder
  
• 1/2 - 1 cup roasted cashews
• 1 bunch spring onions, sliced, white and green parts separated
  
• 1 cup broccoli florets
  

Method:

Combine fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and white pepper powder. Heat a few tablespoons oil in large skillet. Add chicken, white part of onion and garlic and saute until chicken turns white. Add in sauce and broccoli and cook until chicken is done and sauce becomes a glaze and clings to chicken and broccoli. Add in roasted cashews and garnish with green onion. Serve with simple rice.

Chicken Pita Wrap

I found some restaurant style pita breads at the farmer's market perfect for making wraps...

So I chopped up a couple chicken breasts, green peppers and onions in big chunks... I marinated this in olive oil, salt and Thyme for a couple hours...

Meanwhile, I brushed each bread with a bit of Olive oil and Zatar and baked until warm and soft... Also, frying the chicken and peppers until chicken was done...

After the bread came out of the oven, I spread each with a bit of hummus, placed some chicken, peppers and onions in the middle, wrapped it up, and...

We enjoyed! :)

A Couple Stir-Fry's

I've been on a stir-fry kick lately so here's a couple of my recipes...

For Chicken & Veggie Stir-Fry:

• 2 pounds chicken, chopped and fried, set aside
• 1 head broccoli, cut and fried until tender-crisp, set aside
  
• 2 cups mixed stir fry vegetables ( I used peppers, asparagus, squash, onion & carrots) fried until tender crisp, set aside
  
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
• a bit of vegetable oil, to fry

For Sauce:

• 1/4 cup oyster sauce
• 2 tsp. fish sauce
• 2 tsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
• 3 tsp. plum sauce

Combine ingredients, set aside

Method:

Heat oil in large skillet and fry garlic a few seconds. Add chicken, vegetables, and sauce... Heat through and serve.


For Beef & Cashew Stir-Fry:

• 1 pound steak, sliced
• 2 onions, halved and sliced
• 1/2 cup cashew nuts, roasted
• 4 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• fist full of rice noodles, soaked
  
• vegetable oil, to fry
  

Method:

Heat oil in medium skillet. Fry steak and onions until steak is almost done. Add in rest of ingredients and cook until sauce thickens. Serve.

Cooking At Moms: Vegetable Biryani, Butter Chicken & Raita

This time around, I made a much simpler lunch/dinner at mom's. I tried out Aartee's One Pot Biryani which turned out to be almost too easy for how good it was! I didn't use chicken, instead I used some mixed, frozen veggies. I also made Butter Chicken and Raita, which consisted of a bunch of spring onions, loads of cilantro, some mint, salt, sugar and black pepper. I also had some pita breads on hand, because I feel you can't eat Butter Chicken without some sort of bread.

I also tried Bong Mom's Condensed Milk Pound Cake with Chocolate Swirls. I mixed the chocolate swirls with some condensed milk that was leftover in the can and although my cake seemed to sink in the middle, it turned into a dense, pudding consistency and the taste was amazing. We couldn't stop eating it!

Later that day, Chelsea was found eating the left over remnants of butter chicken with cold, hardened bread... She really can't get enough of her favorite Butter Chicken :)



~ Any housewife, no matter how large her family, can always get some time to be alone by doing the dishes ~

~ To be content with little is difficult, to be content with much, impossible ~

~ Life lived to satisfy yourself never satisfies anybody ~

Batter Fried Chicken,Au Gratin Potatoes & Southern Fried Corn

My daughter was happy to get this simple, southern style chicken dinner the other night... I haven't really fried chicken before using a batter... This recipe is what I am familiar and comfortable with, but I wanted to give it a try. This was improvised and still needs to be improved for more crispiness, but the flavor was good. The potatoes and corn were just perfect!

For Batter Fried Chicken:

• 1.5 pounds chicken breasts, sliced
• 1.5 cups white flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 cup corn flour
• milk or 1/2 &1/2 to make batter
• oil for deep frying
  

Combine dry ingredients, then add milk to get a batter. Coat chicken pieces in batter, and deep fry until golden.

Rachael Ray casserole dish my mom bought for me :)

For Au Gratin Potatoes:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I used Cheddar and Pepper Jack)
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• Paprika

Method:

Heat oven to 375º F. Grease 2-quart casserole with shortening or spray with cooking oil.

Melt butter in medium saucepan and cook onion in butter about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk and heat to boiling, stirring often. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted.

Spread potatoes in casserole. Pour cheese sauce over potatoes and bake uncovered 1 hour.

In small bowl mix remaining 1/2 cup cheese and corn meal. Sprinkle over potatoes. Sprinkle with Paprika. Bake uncovered 15 - 20 minutes or until top is brown and bubbly and potatoes are tender.

For Southern Corn:

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, sliced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
  
• 4 tablespoons butter
  
• 16 ounce bag frozen corn
• salt & pepper, to taste

Heat butter in skillet. Fry onion, green pepper and jalapeno until softened. Add corn, salt and pepper and fry until corn begins to caramelize.

Honey Chilli Chicken & Gobi Manchurian (Dry)

Happy Cook's Honey Chilli Chicken

Renuka's Gobi (Cauliflower) Manchurian Dry

Here's a couple recipes that will make sure you don't miss that Chinese take-out! Cook this at home and you will be surprised how easy it is to get the same flavors as your favorite restaurant. Thanks Renuka & Happy Cook :)

♥ This life is what you make it. No matter what, you're going to mess up sometimes. It's a universal truth. But the good part is, you get to decide how you're gonna mess it up. - Marilyn Monroe ♥

Never get tired of wraps...

I knew I wouldn't buy another pack of tortillas after I made my first wrap using a chapati/roti. That time, I had fried my chicken, onions and peppers, but this time I decided to roast them so they would be a bit dryer on the sandwich. This way there was no dripping every time I picked it up to take a bite :) I season the chicken and peppers with something different every time. It's easy to use a pre-mixed spice, like McCormick or Mrs. Dash's.

There is my chapati/roti behaving and puffing like a good bread!

Here's the roasted chicken, peppers and onions.

And the finished product... wrapped up with whatever you like on your sandwich. I used some mayo, tomatoes, and pickles. Enjoy :)

Showing My Salads...

... for Dil Se's Show Me Your Salad event!

For Broccoli Salad...
Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 2 tbs. sugar
• 2 - 4 tbs. cider vinegar (according to taste)
• 1 pound broccoli flowerets
• 1/3 - 2/3 cups raisins (optional)
• 6 - 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled
• 2 - 4 tbs. chopped red onion

Method:

In a large bowl, mix mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Add remaining ingredients and chill. Store covered.

For Lime Chicken Salad w/ Avocado & Spinach...

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (about 3 limes)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• salt to taste
• 4 ounce chicken breasts, sliced thin
• 1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 1/2 a cucumber, peeled and sliced thin
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, leaves only

Method:

In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, honey, salt, and cayenne pepper. Pour half of this over the chicken, marinating chicken for one hour. When ready, shallow fry the chicken till done, cooling completely. When ready to serve, combine the vegetables and chicken along with the remaining lime mixture. Serve Immediately.

For Cold Chicken Salad...

Ingredients:

• about 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 5 cups water with chicken bouillon
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 onion, chopped fine
• 1 rib celery, halved and sliced
• 3/4 cup red seedless grapes, halved
• 1 cup walnuts, broken up
• about 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 tbs. lemon juice

Method:

Simmer chicken in bouillon water until done and easily pulls apart with a fork (save that water for stock!!!) Cool chicken and pull part into smaller pieces. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Add remaining ingredients, stir and chill. Serve on bread or buns.

For chicken stock:
Throw a rib of celery with leaves in the reserved water along with a carrot and onion, cut up...simmer and reduce. Strain and refrigerate, or freeze, for later.

~ "It takes four men to dress a salad: A wise man for the salt, a madman for the pepper, a miser for the vinegar, and a spendthrift for the oil" - Anonymous ~

~ "The embarrassing thing is that the salad dressing is outgrossing my films - Paul Newman" ~

Chicken Potato Curry & Navratan Korma

I have a chicken curry recipe written down on a scrap piece of paper and I didn't happen to write down WHERE I got the recipe from (this was before delicious.) I am almost positive It's one of my fellow bloggers, so if this recipe seems similar to one of yours, let me know so I can give you the credit! I did make a couple very small changes... I added a little green pepper, I omitted garlic and I added a tomato and some fresh curry leaf powder. I also used homemade ghee in place of oil. Anyway, let me know who you are so I can link this recipe to you :)

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, cubed (I used a few chicken thighs)
• 2 - 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 large onions, halved and sliced
• 1 tomato, chopped
  
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped small
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• water
• 1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
• 1 green chili, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons cumin/coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 long stick cinnamon
  
• 7 curry leaves along with a heaping tablespoon curry leaf powder
• ghee, as needed

Method:

Heat ghee and add cumin seeds, curry leaves, and curry leaf powder. Add ginger, green chili, and cinnamon stick. Add onion and green pepper and fry until onion is golden. Add cayenne, turmeric and coriander/cumin powders and fry until they give out oil. Add chicken and tomato. Fry until white. Add about 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add yogurt and return to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender and desired consistency. Add fenugreek and garam masala and cook a few minutes more.

I also wanted to share this quick, and very easy recipe for Navratan Korma... I have been wanting to try this for a long time and finally found an easy recipe to start with. It turned out better than I expected, especially for how easy it was and the few ingredients. I didn't use any capsicum, I used a bit more potatoes and I did a mix of cauliflower and broccoli. It's a definite keeper and a must try!

Dakshin Murgh, Spiced Hominy, & Tamarind-Date Chutney

I am so tired, I think I'm coming down with something... My throat is sore, my head is swimming and my chest is tight... So I have nothing more to say than, here are some good recipes... Now, I'm off to take my vitamins and garlic!

The recipe for this chicken is from Suvir Saran's indian home cooking. He warns that this recipe isn't as fiery-hot as it should be, so the peppers can all be increased... which I will do next time. I was tempted to try this when I saw all the curry leaves! I love them!

For Dakshin Murgh:

• 2 pounds chicken thighs, chopped
• salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• juice of 1/2 lemon

Spice Mix:

• 14 curry leaves
• 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 6 whole cloves
• 3 green cardamom

• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 3 whole dried red chilies
• 6 green cardamom pods
• 1 fresh hot green chili, sliced into rounds
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
• 1 (13/1/2-ounce) can coconut milk

Method:

Toss the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt, ground pepper and lemon juice and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

For the spice mix, combine the spices in a frying pan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Grind to a powder in spice grinder and set aside.

Combine the oil, mustard seeds, red chilies, cardamom, green chili, and curry leaves in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover and cook until you hear the mustard seeds start to crackle, 1 - 2 minutes. Add the ground spice mix and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add the shredded coconut and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until opaque, about 5 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down, and simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is tender, 25 - 30 minutes. Stir two or three times during the last 10 minutes of cooking and scrape the bottom of the pan to keep the sauce from sticking. Taste for salt and serve.

For Hominy (which is something I came up with at the last minute needing a veggie)

• 1 can hominy
• 1 onion, chopped
  
• 1/2 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 green chili
• 2 - 3 teaspoons sambhar powder
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  

Method:

Heat oil in a skillet and fry cumin seeds till a shade darker. Add onion until it starts to caramelize. Add green chili and tomato and fry until tomatoes soften. Add hominy and sambhar powder and fry until hominy is hot.

For Tangy Sambhar Powder (from Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking)

• 1/2 cup dried red chilies
• 1/4 cup dried channa dal
• 2 tablespoons sesame seed
• 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp
• 1 tablespoon coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1 teaspoon black pepper corns

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Heat a 6-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Place mixture in skillet and roast 1 - 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until seeds crackle, spices turn one shade darker, and the mixture has a nutty yet pungent aroma. Transfer to a bowl, and cool 8 - 10 minutes. Transfer to a spice blender and grind until mixture looks like the texture of finely ground pepper. Mix well and store in airtight container.

For Tamarind-Date Chutney (from Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking)

• 1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate paste
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon (or I used 1/2 teaspoon) ground cayenne pepper

Mix tamarind paste with warm water in a 1-quart saucepan until tamarind is dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered 15 - 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors. Transfer sauce to a blender. Cover and blend on medium speed until smooth. Tightly cover and store in refrigerator up to 10 days.