Garlic Pepper Chicken

Merry X'Mas to all out there !!

This is one again from my Mom's diary. All my aunts  want  my mom to make this dish whenever there's a party at home. The problem is she always had a rough estimate to all her dishes that we find it difficuilt to blog with exact measurements written. Now here goes my estimate and if you feel like making adjustments here & there, you are free to do.(as if you need my permission ;) )haha

This tastes like a chinese dish and goes well with noodles or rotis. Keep the chicken fried before and saute in sauces only just before you serve; otw the chicken would turn soggy.

 Marinade:

600 grams  chicken
1/2 egg
Salt
1 1/2 tbsp  dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons  green chili sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Other Ingredients:

1 medium size Onion chopped
1 capsicum sliced
1/4 cup garlic,  chopped
5-6 green chilies, chopped
1 tsp black pepper powder
Oil for deep frying
2 tbsp Soy sauce
2 tbsp cornstarch**
Spring Onion to garnish

Method:

Marinate chicken in  the marinade ingredients for atleast 1/2 an hour.

Deepfry this chicken in oil till it turns golden brown. Don't make it too dry.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil taken from those used for deep frying in a wok & throw in garlic to saute it for a minute or two in high flame without browning it.

Saute chopped onions in it. When it is still pink, add bell peppers into it.

Now add the sauces and when these starts to bubble, add cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup of water.

Add fried chicken pieces to it and mix it in sauces in high flame. Add green chillies and pepper powder to it. Garnish with spring onions .

 

You can make dry pepper chicken or with gravy. I prefer the one with gravy. This recipe is the gravy one. If you want it dry, you can reduce the amount of sauces used later and also the cornstarch.

BBQ Chicken/Chicken Tikka Biriyani

Merry X'Mas.!! Let us celebrate this X'Mas with a wonderful recipe. Not cake; but a delicious biriyani.. BBQ biriyani. Sounds great, Isn't it?

This is me , Hanan , Hasna's elder sis. Actually we 3 sisters, once planned to start and share recipes together a year before and so named this blog after our mom's name; but things got changed upside down that Hasna alone brought it so long.  Now let me start with my much awaited recipe... Many of my friends and cousins asked me about this recipe and here am I dedicating this recipe to them. You can trust blindly on this spicy and delicious recipe of Shereen Aapa.

Ingredients:
Basmati rice 1/2 kg

for marination:
Chicken 1/2 kg
ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
salt 1 tsp
turmeric 1/2 tsp
chilli powder 1 tsp
garam masala 1 tsp
cumin crushed 1 tsp
lemon juice 2 tbsp
yogurt 2 tbsp
orange red color a pinch
oil 1/2 cup

For masala:
( i don't like too much masala & so used little more than half the quantity. This one is original recipe)

brown onion 1/2 cup
ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
tomato 2 crushed
salt 1/2 tsp
chilli powder 1/2 tsp
yogurt 1/2 cup
coriander leaves 2 tbsp
mint leaves 20
kewra water 1 tbsp
saffron color a pinch
green chilli 6

Method:

1. Marinate chicken for at least an hr. Place a piece of aluminium foil in the chicken bending it like a bowl, then keep a burning coal in that. Pour a tsp of ghee on that burning coal and immediately cover it so that the smoke that come out of the coal should not go in the air... it should merge with the chicken to give it a smoky aroma.. let it remain atleast fr 10 mts.


2. Grill this chicken on a hot tawa/pan. Use little oil.


3. Now heat 1/4cup oil in a pan and saute crushed brown onion in that. Pour a little hot water in that as the onion lost its moisture when fried before and so there is a chance of burning. 


4. Add ginger-garlic paste to it and saute for a minute more.


5. Cook tomatoes in it along with yogurt and all other ingredients except saffron color & kewra water. Add water if needed. I added 1/2 cup of water.


6. Add chicken to it and simmer it for about 5 mts.


7. Boil rice till it is half done. Strain half of the rice at this stage and allow remaining rice till it is perfectly done. 


Dum:


Layer half done rice at the bottom of a deep dish and then place the masala on top of that. Layer the remaining rice on top of that. Mix saffron color in warm milk and add it here & there while layering and also the kewra water. You can substitute rose water with kewra water.Keep it in Dum for half an hour.


Delicious BBQ Biriyani is ready to serve !!

Note: 


Deep fry onions for brown onions.
You can crush tomatoes in food processor so that it cooks easily.
Few pieces of grilled chicken can be skewed in a wooden skewer and place it on top of dum.


LINKING THIS TO Royal Feast Biriyani

And to Sweet Heat Chilli Challenge -Let's rock Indian

Couscous with Mutton Tagine

Eating fresh foods is still the best snack and meal option, but for those of us with little time and lots of imagination, it is difficuilt to bring variety of dishes onto our dining table and so  cooking is often reduced to hasty sandwiches, yesterday's leftovers or buying foods in bags or boxes. But there are lots of dishes that could be done in no hassle and less time , adapted from various cuisines like pastas from Italy, titillating tapas and mouthwatering paellas from Spain or Couscous and rice dishes from Morocco etc.

When talking about Morocco, Tagine, salads, couscous and rice dishes come to our minds with the spirit of Moroccan flavours from mint and caraway to chilli and cinnamon. Couscous can be transformed into a delicious dish in no time. You don't need to go to Casablanca for this taste adventure.

This is a simple dish which tastes heavenly when blended well.

Ingredients

(Recipe : Creating Memories )

Chick peas 75 gm (soaked overnight)

Mutton 600 gm

Onion 2 sliced

Saffron a pinch

Ginger crushed 1/4 tsp

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Pepper 1 tsp

Carrots 300 gm (cut into square chunks)

Pumpkin, peeled and cut into square chunks 450 gms

Raisins 76 gm

Couscous 500 gm

Parsley to garnish

Method

1.Cook the chick peas till done. Remove the skins with your fingers. Discard skins and drain.

2.Place the lamb, onions, saffron, ginger, turmeric, pepper, salt and 1.2litres/5cups of water in a couscousier or large saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for about an hour, until the meat is tender. Use a pressure cooker otherwise. You can reduce water if using cooker.

3.Stir the carrots, pumpkin and raisins into the meat mixture, cover and simmer for a further 30-35 minutes, until the vegetables and meat are completely tender.

4.Prepare the couscous according to the instructions on the packet. You can use hot chicken/ vegetable stock instead of salted water. Spoon on to a serving plate, making a well in the centre.

5.Spoon the stew and gravy into the centre of the couscous, arranging some carrotds down the sides, or alternatively stir the stew into the couscous. Pour extra gravy into a jug. You can do it as we do in Dum process for biriyanis. Garnish with parsley or coriander and serve. 


Linking this post to  Christmas Delicacy

Triple decker egg-coleslaw sandwich

 A healthy, easy yet delicious sandwich which could be packed fr picnics and schools.

Ingredients:

Bread

Egg , hard boiled

Cabbage, finely chopped 1 cup

Carrot, finely chopped 1/4 cup

Onion minced 1 tbsp

Mayyonnaise 2 tbsp or as u wish

Salt 

Pepper

Butter

 Method:

1. Mix cabbage and carrots together with mayyonnaise,salt, pepper and minced onion.

2.Take 3 breads and spread butter on all those sides of bread which faces inwards.

3. Slice Eggs.

4. Layer 1 or 2 tbsp of  coleslaw on a buttered bread and cover with another bread. Now place the sliced eggs on top of that and season with salt and pepper here. Close with another bread facing buttered side down.

5. Press slightly and cut it in triangle or any other shape.

BEN 10 Vanilla Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

Sweet Punch , this time, let us free to bake our own wish. I missed last two months event & I really don't want to miss this time. So thought of sharing my much awaited Ben 10 cake baked for my son's birthday. So based on his demand for a Vanilla Cake , the cake is a simple Butter cake with Swiss Meringue Butter Cream Frosting. He is fed up of chocolate cakes, he says.. hehe

Swiss meringue frosting is superb!! just loved its texture and the way it melts in our mouth. It complements well with this cake recipe adapted from Cake Bible.

Butter Cake/ Pound Cake


For Swiss Meringue Butter-Cream Frosting

(Martha Stewart's recipe)

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
 5 large egg whites
 2cups (4 sticks or 1 pound) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1.Place sugar and egg whites in the heat-proof bowl of an electric mixer. Set bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, and whisk until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. Test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers; it should feel completely smooth  with no sugar crumbs.

2.Transfer bowl to mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until mixture has cooled completely and formed stiff and glossy peaks, about 10 minutes.

3.Add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat until incorporated after each addition. Don't worry if the buttercream appears curdled after all the butter has been added; it will become smooth again with continued beating. Add vanilla, and beat just until combined.

4.Switch to the paddle attachment, and beat on the lowest speed to eliminate any air pockets, about 5 minutes. If using buttercream within several hours, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature in a cool environment. Or transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator, up to 3 days. Before using, bring buttercream to room temperature, and beat on the lowest speed with the paddle attachment until smooth, about 5 minutes.

For Cake Assembling, layer the cake horizontally and scoop buttercream on a layer; flatten it with a pallette knife and then place the other  half of the cake on top of it. Press a little and then frost the cake. For Ben 10 picture, I bought an edible printout of the picture and then cut it according to the shape of the cake and placed on top.

Linking this to

 Christmas Delicacy

Sinful Delights

Bake Fest

JINGLE ALL THE WAY

Only cakes and cookies

Decorating Challenge

Ful Medames (Fava Bean Dip)

Foul/Ful Medames is a famous Mediterannean dish often eaten for breakfast. This recipe requires some time if traditionally cooked for about 8-10 hours; I did never try though. Fava Beans are soaked overnight and then slow-simmered which is then seasoned with olive oil and spices. But now as cooked fava beans are readily available in cans, it saves time.

Ingredients:


1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cans (3 cups) fava beans
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. red chili powder
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup parsley

Method:.

Heat olive oil in a pan and saute onion and garlic till it turns translucent.

Add tomatoes and cook till it turns soft.

Stir in fava beans and spices and cook for about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and mash them using a fork or potato masher.

Serve them seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice and parsley along with fried egg and pita bread.

Pasta with olives, tomatoes and chilli

We Indians always wanted our dish to be so complicated, oily and spicy. We had an assumption that these are the factors which turn our dish to tasty. But these days, as international cuisine stepped into every kitchen, we love to be lazy and experiment with pastas, noodles or the same. But these can be healthy too with little of fat and spices; but damn tasty.

This is a simple pasta tossed with vegetables and olives.

Ingredients:

Penne or any other pasta 500 gm
Olive oil
Baby tomatoes
garlic cloves 4 chopped
chilli 1
salt and pepper, to taste
eggplant 1
Bell peppers (yellow & red) 1/4 cup
black olives, pitted
parsley 2 tbsp, chopped

Method:

1. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente.

2. In the meantime, heat oil in a frying pan and cook tomatoes, garlic, eggplants, peppers and chilli until tomatoes begin to burst.

3. Drain pasta and add to tomato mixture and toss. Add olives and toss again. Garnish with parsley

Double Chocolate Cheesecake- Noora's first bake !!

Baking can be  a turned to a world of fun for kids. My kids always accompany me in the kitchen while they smell something special is being cooked there. They love to hold the beater, to read the recipe for their mom or arrange the muffin cups etc. But this is the first time that Noora, my daughter, independently baked a cake.

Its always a good idea to choose something with fewer steps and ingredients and the one that they will luv to eat when finished. And I'm sure they won't complain about the taste and texture unlike when baked by their mom. :)

 Ingredients:

Oreo/Bourbon Cookies 24
Butter 1/2 stick or 1/4 cup
Chocolate 8oz/220 gm
Sugar 1 cup
Flour 2 tbsp
Vanilla Essence
Philadelphia Cheese or any other cream cheese 32oz/ 900gm
Eggs 4


Method:
Preheat oven at 325F/160C .

Crush cookies ziplocked in a freezer bag, using a roller pin . You can use a food-processor too for the same. You may not wipe the cream.

Melt the butter and mix in with the crushed cookies. For the bottom layer, press these into the baking pan with your palm or a dry measuring cup. Bake it for 10minutes.

Melt chocolate using a double boiler or microwave it for 1 minute. Let it cool.

Beat cheese along with other ingredients including the melted chocolate except eggs. The cheese should be at room temperature. If it is not, microwave for a min.

Add egg one at a time and beat till it blends well. Make sure you don't overbeat them.

Pour this over the baked crust.

Bake for 35-45 minutes. Let it cool for a minimum of 4 hours and then refrigerate it.

**If you do not want the salty flavor of cheese, you can substitute half of the cheese by sour cream or fresh cream.

Crunchy Caramel Popcorns - It is addictive

Its a special day today ..  - a day celebrated to honor kids all over the world, to make them feel special in this world of adults; a day when they get to be pampered by their teachers and parents. In India , we celebrate Childrens Day today; ie; November 14 as it marks the birthday of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

My kids, like any other kids, like to be surprised once a while; especially on such occassions; with some goodies , bakes or anything as such. Last year I tried caramel popcorn which was awesome and this year planning to bake some cake for them. It was now that I realized that I'ven't posted Caramel popcorn recipe yet. It's a simple recipe and I'm sure that many of us don't know it. Before I used to mix popcorn in caramelised sugar. But there was something missing in the recipe. Then I started googling for the original recipe for crunchier ones and yes..  This I think is the right way - to bake it after caramelising. 

Ingredients:

Popcorn 1 cup
Sugar (preferrably brown) 1/2 cup
Salt a pinch
Vanilla essence 1/2 tsp
Butter 1/4 cup
Corn Syrup 1 Tbsp
Pecans or any other nuts 1/4 cup (optional)
Baking Soda 1/4 tsp

Method:


1. Pop up the corn according to the package instructions. Mix in the nuts if you are using them.

2. Take a pan and melt the brown sugar, corn syrup and butter until hot and bubbly. Switch off the flame and mix in vanilla, baking soda, salt and cinnamon ( if you want to flavor it so).

3. Pour over the popcorn. Mix it well till they are evenly coated with caramel. If your kids don't like it much sweetier, mix it accordingly;don't go for even-coating.

If you want chewy ones, go for it

OR

If you want a Crunchy Snack.....

1. Preheat oven at 120C.

2. Pour Caramel corn over a lined baking sheet and arrange in a single layer as possible.

3. Bake in oven for 5 minutes. Take them out and stir. Bake them again for 5 minutes. Continue this process until the popcorns turn as crunchy as you need them; but make sure it should not be more than 20 minutes of baking in total.

Let it cool and break them into pieces if it is stuck together. It will harden as it cools and can be stored in airtight containers

.

EID MUBARAK

Eid Mubarak !! It's time again to celebrate !! We celebrate Eid usually with lots of enthusiasm like any others; but this time with the arrival of the two gorgeous princesses in our family, the festival brings lots of colors than ever before. Naila (my sister's daughter) and Nawal (my princess) are about to celebrate their first ever Eid Al Adha this time. So this Eid should be special. ahhaa... it defenitely is......

But I was so busy that I completely forgotten about Eid post. So this time nothing new.. Thought of liking this to some Eid specials mainly desserts.

MUTTON BIRIYANI (KANNUR)

ALISA/AREES

TRIFLE PUDDING

 APPLE DELIGHT

TIRAMISU

CARROT HALWA/GAJAR KA HALWA

CRUNCHY DELIGHT

RASGULLE KI NAKHRE

CHEESECAKE WITH BLUEBERRY TOPPING

CHOCOLATE RABRI BLUEBERRY COMPOTE CUPS

DRY FRUITS AND PINEAPPLE PUDDING

POUND CAKE TIRAMISU

Morning Muffins (with Apples, Carrots,Raisins & Coconut)

.A healthy way to start any day.  Packed with nutritious goodies such as carrots,apples, raisins,coconut and cinnamon, this muffin offers a tasty, sweet and healthy start to the day.

 Ingredients:
 (Makes 16-18)

Flour 2 cups
Sugar 1 1/4 cups
Baking Soda 2 tsp
Cinnamon 2 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Carrots,grated 2 cups
Raisins 1/2 cup
Apple, peeled & grated 1
Coconut 1/2 cup
Eggs 3
Oil 1 cup
Vanilla 2 tsp 


Method:

Preheat the oven to 170 C

2. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

3. Stir in the carrots, raisins, apple and coconut.

4. In a small bowl, beat the eggs, oil and vanilla and stir into the flour mixture until just combined. Spoon the batter into well-greased or paper-lined muffin cups, filling to the top. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Linking this to Fast Food Not Fat Food Event

Doll Cake to celebrate My First Blog Anniwersary & the Arrival of a New Member to our Family

Celebration Time Again!! It has been a year of wonderful food blogging, posting new recipes, taking part in events, making new friends.....  I've come up a long way. It wouldn't be possible without you readers who leave wonderful comments which keeps me going  Thanks a lot for that!!!

Time passes extremely fast and it feels like I just started blogging yesterday . I can't imagine that it has been a year posting my very first recipe and now done with my100th recipe on the first day of this month..

I was confused while choosing the recipe to be posted during such an occassion . There were 2 cake posts pending and then I chose this Doll Cake which I've baked  for my daughter's birthday as this cause for another celebration too... to welcome a new cutie pie to our family. She is ma baby who is just 6 days older. Yea & me back to blogging?#$ Actually this post was almost done before my delivery .

Happy Diwali too !!!

Now, about the cake. The sponge is so simple and yummy that you'll go on baking this again and again. I had to bake 3 times the measure to adjust to the length of the doll. Recipe of the sponge adapted from Shabs Cuisine; Buttercream frosting from Martha Stewart.



For the cake:


Ingredients:

Egg 3
Flour 1/2 cup
Sugar 6 Tbsp
Zest of 1/2 an Orange
Vanilla essence 1 tsp

Method:

1.Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celcius. Grease and line a very deep 6 inch pan or a7 inch pan.

2. In a bowl whisk the eggs sugar and orange zest on high speed for about 10 minutes until thick and pale and leaves a thick trail when the beaters are lifted.

3. Fold in the flour with a metal spoon, being careful not to knock out any air. Pour into the prepared tin. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn the cake on the wire rack, peel the parchment paper and leave to cool completely. Once the cake is taken out o foven, place the almonds in the pan and bake for about 5-8 minutes until lightly toasted.

For the filling:

 

284 mls tub Double Cream

1/3 cup condensed milk

Grated zest of ½ orange

Few drops of vanilla essence

150g chopped strawberries

To make filling, whip cream along with zest until soft peaks form. Add vanilla essence and condensed milk and whip until stiff. Take out 5-6 tablespoons of this cream mixture and mix it with chopped strawberries, keeping aside the rest of the whipped cream to frost the cake.

Now for Assembling the cake,  take a doll and break the bottom part of it . Or you may wrap the doll with Cling Film if you want to keep the whole doll.  Take the cake, layer it, spread  frosting there between the layers. Once done with the layers, shape the cake if needed according to the doll to be placed. Now frost the cake all over and insert the doll into the cake after done with the frosting. I used buttercream frosting for decoration.

*** Kitchen temperature is a must while using frosting.. It should not be too high. My frosting was melted a bit which you might have noticed in the pictures.