Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Hot Chili Chicken

Here is yet another favorite hot dish of mine - chili chicken. This is not the usual Chinese style chili chicken, this kind of chili chicken is available at all the Andra style restaurant in Bangalore and they use the whole green chilies to make this dish “really spicy” and they used to be pleasantly spicy for me and I still have not found something else very tasty and that also made my eyes water like this. Suddenly I just started craving for this dish and I prepared myself remembering the taste and I would say I could nearly match more than 75% of the original taste and just enough to satisfy my lingering craving. I used the chicken for the chicken curry and really tasted good but still you can marinate the chicken and use for this recipe. Here is the recipe,


Ingredients
To marinate
Chicken – ½ lb
Yogurt – 2 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste – ½ tsp
Chili powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
Salt – little

Other Ingredients
Green Chilies slit – 10 to 13 (depending on your need)
Onion – ½ of 1 Chopped very finely
Tomato – 1 finely chopped
Coriander Powder – 1 and ½ tsp
Garam masala – 1tsp
Cardamom Powder – ¼ tsp
Oil – 3 tsp
Salt to taste

To Grind
Garlic – 6 Cloves
Ginger – ¾ inch
Cilantro – ½ Cup

Method
Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients and refrigerate for 1 hr.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan and add the onion and sauté for 5 mins or until its tender.
Add the tomato and fry for few mins and add the grinded paste and mix. Add the coriander powder and mix.
Add the green chilies and mix. Now add the chicken and sprinkle little water and close and cook for 5 mins, checking in between to avoid burning.
Now open and reduced the flame and cook by mixing occasionally until the chicken is fully cooked and the dish is dry without any water.
Garnish with cilantro and enjoy as a side dish for any kind of rice.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Sweetheart Chocolate Cake

This valentine Day I decided to make two separate treat for kids and for my hubby. I chose chocolate cookie for my boy as he adores chocolate a lot and my hubby doesn’t have any special interest when comes to flavor so went on with the same chocolate even for the cake. I wanted to show to my family how much they mean to me and also how much I love them with these special straight from the heart treats. To make it more romantic, I cut the cake in the heart shape with the cookie cutter and it turned out lovely to look at and my hubby was really surprised and he finished off without a speck.


Ingredients
All purpose flour - 3/4 Cup
Granulated sugar - 1/4 Cup

Packed light brown sugar - 1/4 Cup
Cocoa powder - 3 tbsp
Baking soda 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1/2 Cup
Margarine - 3 tbsp

Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
For Chocolate Frosting
Margarine - 1 tbsp
Powdered Sugar - 2/3 Cup
Cocoa powder - 1tbsp
Milk - 2 tsp
 
Method
Heat oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour 8-inch square baking pan.
Stir together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.
Add milk, vanilla extract and beat with whisk until smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 mins or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely. Transfer to cutting board and using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut cake into 4 hearts.
Chocolate frosting:
Mix all the ingredients and whisk until smooth, adjust the milk or the sugar powder according to the consistency needed to spread on the cake.
Spread chocolate frosting on top of two hearts and place remaining two hearts on top to make two small cakes. Enjoy!!

Monday, February 15, 2010

Valentine Chocolate cookie Popsicle – A Treat of Love

When talking about the Valentine’s Day my boy has not changed a bit compared to previous year. As soon as the month Feb. started, he got excited and started the count down from day one till 14th and he started wishing from as early as 12th and he even wished me “Happy Valentine’s eve” on 13th, valentine’s day is so special for him. So for such a special occasion I should give him special, not something buy from the shop, it should be made with love so I decide to surprise him with ‘chocolate cookie pop’ treat as he is a chocolate boy, I mean chocolate is his favorite. I made this treat with love especially for him and I could see how thrilled he was, not knowing what I am making and trying to peek in-between and he was totally surprised to a see cookie on a Popsicle and he loved it. My girl not knowing what’s all the excitement about acted the same way as her brother and enjoyed the cookie.


Ingredients
Butter or margarine, softened – 2/3 Cup
Granulated sugar - 1-1/4 cups
Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
Egg – 1
All-purpose flour - 1-1/2 cups
Cocoa Powder - 1/2 cup ( I used Hershey’s)
Salt – ½ tsp
Baking soda – ¼ tsp
Popsicle sticks - 10
Pink frostings for decoration

Method
Heat oven to 350°F.
Beat butter, sugar, water and vanilla in large bowl on medium speed of mixer until well blended. Add egg and beat well.
Stir together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating on low speed just until blended.
Refrigerate dough until firm enough to handle, say for 10 mins.
Roll dough into small ball and place on cookie sheet and leave enough space between the cookies as they spread while baking.
Insert wooden Popsicle stick about three quarters of the way into side of each ball. Flatten slightly.
Bake for 15 minutes or until outside edges are firm and center is set.
Cool several minutes on cookie sheet. Cool completely and decorate the cookie with pink frosting as you like. Enjoy!!!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

First year of Blogging


I completed one year after I hit the “publish post” as a first entry on my blog and its very hard for me to believe that I made this far. I started this blog not to publish my culinary journey but just because my hubby wanted a record of my recipes so when I go on a India trip for couple of months he can follow my recipes and that’s the main reason I started and now it’s become a record for me to refer what I learned along the way. This blog has given me an opportunity to meet so many fellow bloggers. This blog has been the witness to my culinary up and downs.
 Actually I planned to hit 100 posts within my first year but I could not do it and I blame myself for that. First I should thank my hubby for making me do this and my son, because of who I always explore many recipes and my girl for sparing some time of hers and allowing me to blog and my fellow foodies, for your lovely comments and awards which inspired me a lot and I thank every one of you who stepped into my blog.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Minced Chicken Wrap

Sorry I took a long break in updating my blog and I have a reason for that, I was on vacation to Disney world with family and after that kids were sick one after another and I was totally immobilized and stuck with my kids and at last I made myself some time to sit and update my blog.
This delicious minced chicken is wrap is great for a snack or even as a meal itself and more over its very ideal during traveling time. I made this dish for a brunch and it is very stomach filling and kept me hunger free for a long time after having just two warps and it is also quite simple to prepare. Here is the recipe of the delicious minced chicken wrap.


Ingredients
For the Filling
Minced Chicken – 1lb
Onion – 1 very finely chopped
Tomato – 2 very finely chopped
Garlic – 5 very finely chopped
Ginger – ½” finely chopped
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – 1tsp
Chili Powder – ½ tsp
Garam masala – ½ tsp
Fennel seeds – ½ tsp
Egg - 1
Cilantro chopped
Salt to taste
Oil – 3 tsp

For the Tortillas
Wheat flour – 1Cup
All Purpose flour – 1 Cup
Shortening – 1 tsp (optional, even you can use oil)
Salt to taste
Water - 1 Cup

Method
For the Filling
Heat oil in a non-stick pan and add the fennel seeds and when they crackle, add the onion and garlic and ginger and sauté until the onion turns light brown and add the ginger garlic paste and mix well for couple of mins.
Add the tomato and cook until the tomato turns mushy and add all the dry powders one after another and mix.
Add the minced chicken and mix and close and cook until chicken is cooked and it should be very dry. Beat egg in a bowl and add to the chicken mixture and cook till its done.
Garnish with cilantro.
For the Tortillas
Mix all the ingredients under “for the tortillas” and set aside for a minimum 15 mins and make into medium ball size and roll it quite big(little bigger than chapatti) and cook in a heated griddle on both side with little oil. This will yield six tortillas. By adding the shortening makes the tortillas very soft.
Spread mayo on the tortilla, add the filling in the middle and top it with onions and cilantro and roll it and enjoy the warp.