Wishing you all Merry Christmas.

This year I was warned not to take any orders for christmas sweets but still managed to make some for us. Check out the platter of sweets.

Stir Fried Karela ( Bitter Gourd) in a Chinese Sauce

If you thought Karela was bitter, think again. Karela is more of an exotic vegetable and I always thought it would be interesting to try to change the way people cook it. I have been wanting to try to make Karela in such a way so as to remove the bitterness out of it and make it Yummilicious.

All you got to do is slice the karela the way you like and then toss a bit of salt over it. Let it rest for a couple of hours and then squeeze the karela to let the water come out. Once this is done you are ready to cook it anyway you wish. I tried something different and even Sabrina enjoyed it a lot.

You need
2 big Karela’s – cut it and put around less than 1 teaspoon salt into the cut karela.
1 tbsp Chopped Garlic
1/2 Medium Onion – chopped fine
1 to 2 green chillies chopped fine
2 tbs Soya Sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp Vinegar
½ cup Spring Onions sliced
Oil

Heat oil in a wok or any dish you prefer, add the garlic and onions and let it fry a bit, add the chillies and fry for another minute. Add the Soya Sauce, ketchup, vinegar and fry for another few minutes. Squeeze the water out of the Karela and add it to the Wok. Let it fry well and cook it for sometime until the vegetable is well done. Around 7 to 10 minutes. If the sauce mixture dries up add a little water to keep it moist and to prevent it from burning. Add Spring Onions and stir fry for another minute. Serve hot.

You can add oyster sauce and some brown sugar instead of ketchup.

Do let me know if you find the karela bitter.

Stuffed Brinjal (Manglorean Style)

10 - 12 small brinjal slit into 4 leaving the end intact

Masala for grinding & stuffing :

6 red kashmiri chillies

1 tsp Cumin seeds

4-5 whole black pepper corns

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp corainder seeds

6 tbsp peanut

5 Tbsp dessicated coconut

1 small ball of tamarind

1' pc of cinnamon

5 cloves

1 clove of garlic

Grind all the above coarsely. Now stuff the masala into the slit brinjals and keep it aside. Take 2 big onions and slice them. Take 5-6 Tbsp oil once the oil is hot put the onion and brown the onions, now add the masala which was reamining after stuffing the brinjals anf fry for 5 minutes on high fire . Add 1 1/2 cup of water, let it boil. Add the stuffed brinjals into the boiling gravy, put salt as per taste and now let it cook on slow fire for 20 minutes on very slow fire. The gravy will thicken. Enjoy it with white rice or chappati....

Fried Bread Fruit

Sabrina picked up this breadfruit from Lulu Hypermarket and I had no idea how to make it. Looked for some recipe but nothing seemed to be interesting. Thought I'll make it like normal vegetable but then finally its only me who has to eat it so I decided to fry it. Just marinated it with some masala, yoghurt and rolled it in breadcrumbs and fried it. Sabu said that it looks like Fried Chicken fillet. Adrian said don't bring this breadfruit ever agian. I was kind a ok with it as I eat anything. Check out the quick recipe. If you want to try something new try this.

Ingredients

1 Bread Fruit

4 Tbsp Yoghurt
1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
1 Tsp Black crushed peppercorns
2 Tsp dry mango powder (Amchur)
1/2 tsp salt
Breadcrumbs

Method :
Skin the bread fruit and slice them . Now make the marination with yogurt, salt, red chilli powder, amchur, black pepper powder. Add the sliced breadfruit into the and leave for 15 minutes. Take one Egg beat it dip each slice of breadfruit in the egg batter and then roll it in the breadcrumbs and shallow fry untill golden brown...

Devil's Food Cake

It was my friend Carol’s birthday yesterday and she requested me to bake a chocolate cake. I do bake cakes but wanted to make something special for a special friend so decided to try something different so I went to the site http://www.cacaoweb.net and tried the devils’ food cake. It turned out good but not as per my expectations. I baked the cake, made the frosting , assembled it but still there was something missing. It didn’t look that beautiful so Adrian suggested to decorate it with some chocolate shavings and it looke much better. Check out the recipe @ http://www.cacaoweb.net/devilsfoodcake.html , bake it and put in your comments.

Reichardo Bangda (Mackrel)/

6 Big Mackrels (clean't, washed, Strained & slit it from the side)

Reichardo Masala

For grinding

12 Kashmiri Chillies ( 30 gms)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
10 black peppercorns
1 small onion (35 gms)
1/2 tsp turmeirc powder
1/2 inch ginger piece
10 garlic cloves  (30 gms)
1 small ball of tamarind
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1" cinnamon stick
5-6 cloves
1/4 cup vinegar

Put all the above ingredients  and leave it overnite to soak into the vinegar.

Grind the soaked mixture to a smooth paste.

Stuff the mackerels with  a mixture of finely chopped onions & recheirdo masala.

Shallow fry  the stuffed macakerels in  little oil till it is crisp & brown on both sides.

Tandoori Prawns

Tandoori Prawns recipe

Ingredients
1 kg prawns
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp ajwain
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
Apinch of turmeric powder
200 gm yoghurt.

Preparation
Shell the prawns. Devein them. Wash carefully and make sure there are no veins left over. Pat dry. Marinate with lemon juice, salt and ginger-garlic paste. Leave for 15 minutes. Make a mixture in yoghurt with ajwain, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala, red chilli powder and haldi. Arrange prawns on skewers, brush oil and cook it in the oven for 5 minutes in a preheated oven @ 180 degree C, turn it and apply oil again and grill it for another 5 minutes or you simply shallow fry them in a frying pan. Enjoy the hot sizzling yummy prawns.

CHICKEN MALAI KABAB, VEG. FRIED RICE, FATOUSH,

PANEER MAKHANI, TANDOORI PRAWNS

Me and Adrian were busy last week cooking something or the other. Last Friday I cooked all the above - Chicken Malai Kabab, Veg Fried Rice, Fatoush, Paneer (cottage Cheese) Makhani, Tandoori Prawns. Recipe follows :


CHICKEN MALAI KABAB

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger paste, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic paste, 1 cup hung yogurt, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezedlemon juice, 1 Kg boneless chicken cut into 2-inch pieces, 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 Tbsp crushed cardamom powder, 1 Tbsp Black Pepper Powder, 2 Tbsp oil , Metal or wooden skewers

Combine all ingredients in large bowl, add chicken, and cover with yogurt- spice mixture. Marinate, covered in refrigerator for 2 hours. If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 1 hour. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Skewer chicken, leaving space between pieces on each skewer. Place skewers on baking sheet, and bake 20 to 30 minutes. To serve, remove chicken pieces from skewers. Arrange on plate with lemon slices and serve.

Orange Muffins

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tspn baking soda
3/4 tspn baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
2 caramel chocolates cut into 4 pcs each.

Add the orange juice in a mixing bowl. Add the egg, oil and sugar and beat until blended.
In a separate bowl, stir dry ingredients together and then add to orange mixture and stir with an egg beater untill its combined. Stir in raisins and spoon into 12 greased muffin tins. Sprinkle 1 pc of caramel chocolate over the spooned batter. Bake @ 200 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Peach Crumble

Ingredients :

7-8 Peaches skinned and sliced

1 & 1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 Cup All Purpose Flour

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Egg

1 Stick Butter (softened)

1 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon Powder

Take a Square pyrex dish arrange the sliced peaches in it, sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar over the peaches. In an another bowl mix sugar , flour, and baking powder, add the beaten egg to it untill the whole mixture is crumbly. Add this crumbled mixture on top of the peaches. Drizzle the softened butter over the crumbled mixture and sprinkle the cinnamon powder and bkae it in an oven set on 180 deg. celsius for 45 minutes. Just put on the top flame for 5 minutes untill you get a golden brown colour . Serve it hot or cold with whipped cream.

Aloo Nilgiri

I had some palak (spinach) lying in my fridge for couple of days and didn’t know what to do with it. I like to eat it plain with potatoes, my husband likes it with dal and my daughter (Sabrina) wanted it with paneer. I really didn’t know how to fulfill everyone’s taste buds. Wanted to make something different so decided to make Aloo Nilgiri (Diced Potatoes in Spinach Sauce). Sabrina says Mama its awesome and she relished it some plain rice. She orders me to make this for Easter Pound Party.

Here goes the recipe, try it and I’m sure you will love the tantalizing flavour of the Spinach. You can substitute Potatoes with chicken, mutton, fish and off course Paneer.


Ingredients to make Spinach Puree

2 big bunch Palak (Spinach)
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 green chillies
1” piece of ginger
1 cup of water

Boil the above all ingredients until palak is tender, cool it and then puree it in the blender and keep it Aside.



½ Kg Potatoes (boiled firm and diced as desired.)
2 big tomatoes (finely chopped)
3 medium onions (finely cubed)
3 green chillies chopped
2” piece of ginger chopped
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp heaped coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric
4 Tbsp Oil
1 ½ tsp Salt


Put 4 tbsp oil in a non stick pan , once the oil is hot put the minced onion and the cumin seeds. Add the salt. Once the onions brown add the chopped chillies, ginger, tumeric, coriander powder and fry it well till the oil separates. Add the tomatoes and fry well again. Now add the Spinach puree stir well. Add the boiled diced potatoes and keep it on sim for 15 minutes. Check the salt and add if you need more. Serve it with Paratha or Naan. It is really Awesome…………

Cauliflower Schezuan

Nutela Cheese Cakes

Prawns Schezuan

Corn Meal Easy Bake Cake

My daughter Sabrina the “Little Chef” is 10 year old who loves to cook and is always ever ready to help me in the kitchen. She was all excited when we decided to make this easy cornmeal cake.







1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour (Maida)
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
½ cup oil
4 eggs (separate the yolks and egg white)
1 tsp baking powder


Pre-heat the oven at 200°C. Mix the egg yolks, sugar and oil. Boil the milk and mix the cornmeal. Mix cornmeal mixture to the eggs mixture. Sift the flour with the baking powder and add to the mixture. In a bowl whisk the eggs white and fold into the mixture. Grease a cake pan. Pour this into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes or until the knife comes out clean.

Yakhni Pulao

Ingredients

1 Kg Mutton
4 cups Basmati Rice
3 Medium Onions
1 Pod Garlic
2 inch of Cinnamon Sticks
5-6 Cloves
2 tsp of Saunf
2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
3 tsp salt
8-10 Peppercorns
5 whole green chillies
3 tbsp lemon juice

Wash the Mutton, add 1 sliced onion, 1 full pod of peeled garlic, cinnamon sticks, cloves, saunf, coriander seeds, peppercorns and 2 tsp of salt. Add water till the meat is covered and one inch above. Boil till the meat is cooked. Now remove the meat pieces aside and strain the yakhni (stock) and keep it aside.

Take a Vessel put 5-6 tbsp of oil , put the flame on high. Add 2 sliced onions fry until brown (remove some aside for garnishing) . Now add 8-9 peppercorns, 2-3 green cardamoms, 2 bay leaves . Add the boiled meat, soaked & strained rice. Add 6 cups of yakhni (stock), whole green chillies and 1 tsp salt and 3 tbsp of lemon juice. If you need more salt you can add as per you taste. Mix and keep it on high flame until the water starts boiling. Stir it once and close the cover and on very slow flame cook the rice for 15 minutes without opening the lid.

The rice is very aromatic., you may garnish it with browned onions and serve it just like that. Children will enjoy this Pullao coz it is not spicy and very delicious.

Baked Sake Chicken

Ingredients

2 small chickens weighing approximately 800 grams
5 tablespoons Sake Vinegar
4 Tablespoons Soya Sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
5 flakes roughly chopped garlic

Method
Halve the chicken. Leave skin on. Mix the rest of the ingredients and Marinade chicken with it and leave overnight.

Bake in moderate oven for 45 minutes. Keep basting continously with the overflowing juices. Use oven top flame to brown chicken as desired.

Chicken Lollypops

A pack Chicken wings - defrosted, washed and drained well.

Discard wing tips & split chicken wings into half from center and with the help of a knife pull meat over to one end letting it form into a ball at the end.

Prepare a marinade of

2 tbsp - Soya Sauce
2 tbsp - Kashimiri Chilli Paste (soak chillies overnight and use around 2 tablespoons)
1 tbsp Garlic paste
3 to 4 Chopped Green chillies
3 tbsp Chopped spring Onions
1/2 tsp each Foster Clarks Red and Yellow Food colour
pinch Aji No Moto
2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup

Mix the above ingredients and marinade the wings with this mixture for a couple of hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

For final preparation remove the chicken from the refrigerator 4 hours prior to frying. Take an egg, beat it and mix into marinade. Add 3 tbsp Cornflour to this mixture and around 2 to 3 tbsp flour (maida) add maida only as required. Check the consistency of the mixture by mixing the flours and getting the marinade and flour to a very thick clinging batter consistency.

Deep fry in hot oil for a few minutes and then lower the flame to allow the chicken to cook well. Serve hot with Schezuan Sauce. recipe to follow

Open Baked Spring Rolls

Chicken Roulade Stuffed with Turkey Ham

8 chicken thighs
Lettuce leaves
100 gms Ham cut into strips
Carrots, capsicum, spring onions cut into strips
Soya sauce 2 tbsp
Pepper powder ¼ tsp
Sugar ½ tsp
Vinegar 1 tbsp

Debone the chicken thighs and with a knife spread open. Leave skin on.
Marinate with the soya sauce, pepper sugar and vinegar. Overnight or for 4 to 5 hours
Spead open chicken thighs and put a lettuce leaf on it with the ham, and veges as shown


Roll the thighs into a nice roll and secure with toothpicks

Bake in an oven over a double boiler for an hour or so or until chicken is done. Keep basting the chicken with the juices gathered. Once browned, Remove chicken and let it rest for sometime till it is cold enough to handle…

Remove toothpicks. With a sharp knife slice the chicken into rounds as shown. Serve on bed of salad leaves. Can be served cold right from the refrigerator too.