AWARD FOR BEST RECIPE

Hi Friends,

Recieved a Best Recipe Award from 'Lets Party - Festive Special Event' hosted by Jillu Charan from Jiya's Delicacy for my yummy festive recipe Kondai kadalai sundal. I made it for Ganesh Chaturthi and offered it to my God. So first of all, I want to dedicate this award on the feet of Super Almighty Lord Ganesha.

I am heartily thankful to Jillu for choosing of mine and offer me this wonderful award. You made an excellent round up and I am really excited and happy dear.

Here, I am honoured by you Jillu, Thanks to you once again.

I am heartily thankful to all my blogger friends / readers, who continuously supported and encouraged me by leaving their wonderful inspiring comments on my space. Lastly, my warmest thanks to my better half, if he is not continuously supporting me, I could not reach so far...

Cheers!!!

ROASTED CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS (TANDOORI STYLE)

Today I am going to post my 150th recipe, which is obviously a favourite roasted chicken dish and extremely loved by all generations. Here I didn't use any food colour, as I don't like to use it. But ultimately this taste is lipsmacking good. There are actually 4 steps: prepare marination, marinate the chicken drumsticks, oven baked and final touch given on the pan or griddle. This is not actually tandoori chicken, not used tandoor even. But kasoori methi and adjusted the amouth of spices, it comes out the taste exactly I was looking for. So enjoy this roasted chicken and my 150th post!!!

INGREDIENTS:
6-7 Chicken Drumsticks
2 Carrots, cut in round or oval shapes
1 Large onion, cut in thick slices
1/2 Cup Thick Yogurt (plain)
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Pepper powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Green Chilli paste
1/2 tsp Dry Fenugreek Leaves (kasoori methi)
1/3 tsp Garam masala
1/3 tsp Roasted Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/3 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Chaat masala
2 tbsps Lemon juice
2-3 tbsps Olive oil
1 tbsp Butter
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Wash the chicken pieces and make it pat dry. Now make a deep cut on the thicker flesh of chicken drumsticks upto the bone part with the tip of your knife. Make sure the marination will enter inside the chicken drumsticks.

Now in a small bowl combine red chilli powder, 1 tbsp lemon juice and salt. Rub this mixture on the chicken drumsticks and make sure it must be inside the cutting parts also. Keep this marinated chicken aside for 30 minutes.

Take a large bowl. Combine yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, green chilli paste, pepper powder, dry fenugreek leaves, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, 1 tbsp lemon juice and salt. Mix nicely and add chicken pieces in it. Fold well, so that chicken coats nicely with the spices. Add olive oil on top of the chicken pieces and mix it once again. Now keep the marianated chicken in refrigerator for overnight or atleast 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 450 F. Take one greased baking tray. place carrot pieces on it. Keep little room between the two pieces.

Now place marinated chicken drumsticks on the top of these carrot pieces.

Place the baking tray to oven after 15 minutes take it out from the oven and just turn the chicken pieces. Again bake for another 15 minutes more. Switch off the oven and keep it inside for another 5 minutes.

Now heat butter on a large frying pan. Combine onions with the remaining juice of the chicken marination.

Add onions and the chicken pieces in frying pan. chicken pieces on that. After 2 minutes, turn the chicken pieces. Fry for another 2 minutes.

Garnish roasted chicken drumstics on a plate with onions and carrots. Serve hot as a starter or side dish with dinner.

 

DAL PALAK

This dal palak tastes great with rice or hot rotis, a flavourful North Indian cuisine with wonderful combination of lentil, spinach, garlic and ghee. I like to include greens in my regular diet. This is a very comfort food and I love to prepare this in specially winter days. Try it, easy to make but finger licking delicious dal recipe, I would say.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Split Green Gram Lentil (Mung dal)
2 Cup Baby Spinach
2 Bay Leaves
A pinch of Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
2 medium sized Tomato (chopped)
1/2 tsp minced Garlic
1/2 tsp minced Ginger
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
3 Green Chillies
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1 tbsp lowfat Sour Cream
1 tsp oil
3 tbsps Clarified Butter (ghee)
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add spinach and green chillies in it. Saute for 3 minutes.

Grind spinach and green chillies with 2 tbsps water to make a smooth paste. Set aside.

Wash split green gram lentil nicely and pressure cook it till 3 whistles. Let is cool naturally. Keep aside.

Heat clarified butter in a pan. Add bay leaves and cumin seeds, when cumin seed crackles, add asafoetida in it. Add minced garlic and ginger in it. Saute for 30 seconds. Now add chopped onion, fry till onion turns golden.

Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder in it. Saute for another 2 minutes. Now add Tomatoes and salt in it.

Fry till tomatoes get mushy, now add spinach paste in it. Mix nicely for another 2 minutes.

 

 

Now add boiled lentil in it and mix thoroughly. Mash the lentils with the tip of spatula. Add little water if needed. Cover and cook for 2 minutes on medium heat.

Now add sour cream in it. Again fold nicely. Cook for another 2-3 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat.

Serve hot with steamed rice or hot rotis or naan or parathas.

TIPS: Do not over cook the dal and dal should not be mushy as the spinach tends to
          discolour quickly.

Linking to: Favorite Recipes: Vegetarian Recipes

PUNJABI STYLE ALOO PARATHA

It is a popular North Indian breakfast recipe or you may say stuffed parathas - a very popular and staple breakfast recipe in Punjabi community.  But it's become equally popular in all over India and overseas. It is stuffed with a spicy filling of  boiled potato, you can make this mixture according to your taste and choice, a great meal loved by all - delicious pack for lunch box.

INGREDIENTS:
(for 3 parathas)
1 Medium Potato (parboiled)
1 1/2 Cup Whole-Wheat Flour (atta)
1 tbsp finely chopped Onion
1 tsp finely chopped Green chillies
1/3 tsp very finely grated Ginger
1/3 tsp Dry Mango powder (amchur)
1 tbsps finely chopped fresh Coriander Leaves (cilantro)
1/4 tsp Red Chilli powder (as per taste)
A pinch of Garam masala
1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin powder
3 tbsps + 2 tbsps Oil
1/2 tsp Butter for garnishing
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Combine whole-wheat flour, 2 tbsps oil and little salt in a flat bowl.

Mix water and flour. Knead it to make a soft dough.

Cover the dough with a wet cloth and leave it for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, mash the potato with onion, green chilli, ginger, dry mango powder, coriander leaves, red chilli powder, garam masala, roasted cumin powder and salt. Potato should be mash very well, should not be any lump in potato mixture. Mix thoroughly and keep aside.

Now divide the dough into 3 small balls. Take a ball, roll it out in a small circle. Smear a little oil in the center and put little potato filling in the center of the rolled out dough.

Draw the edges towards the center as shown in picture below.

Seal the edges tightly. Now by applying pressure with fingers, press the edges down and dust it with little flour.

Gently roll the stuffed dough with a rolling pin, make sure that the parathas don't break, flatten to the size of a roti. Now put the aloo paratha on a hot griddle or flat frying pan.

When golden brown patches appear on the side, just turn on the reverse side of the paratha. Sprinkle with little oil (or may use ghee too). Flip again, and sprinkle little oil on the other side also. Stack all the parathas in the roti busket or cassarole.

Serve aloo paratha hot with butter or curd or any spicy pickle.

Sending to: 'Only' Healthy Lunch Box Ideas @ Foodelicious

Linking to: Favorite Recipes: Vegetarian Recipes

BEET GREENS MEDLEY

My husband purchaged beet roots from the grocery with lots of fresh beet greens. Generally, those beet greens go straight way from grocery bag to trash bag, but I thought not to waste, would love to make by it something new with traditional Bengali touch. I punch it other few vegetables and it gave an absolutely delicious side dish. Try and enjoy this simple but delectable beet greens medley.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 lb or 250 gm Beet Greens
1 Medium Eggplant
2 Medium Potato
1 White Radish
1 tsp Panch Phoron (combination of carom, fennel, fenugreek, nigella and cumin seeds)
2 Dry Red Chillies
2 Bay Leaves
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Sugar (as per taste)
4 tbsps Mustard Oil (you may use any oil)
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Wash beet greens thoroughly and now chop it.

Cut eggplant and potato in medium sized cubes. Cut raddish in 1" thin slices.

Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaves, panch phoron, dry red chilli and asafoetida in it. Saute for 30-40 seconds. Add vegetables in it. Fold nicely and fry for 3-4 minutes.

Add ginger paste, turmeric powder and salt in it. Mix well. Cover and cook for another 5-6 minutes on medium heat.

Now add beet green in it. Mix nicely. Again cook for another 8-10 minutes on medium low heat. Keep stirring occasionally. Let the water evaporates from it completely. Switch off the heat.

Serve hot with rotis or steamed rice.

Linking to: Favorite Recipes: Vegetarian Recipes

 

MYSORE PAK (SNC EVENT)

Hi Friends,

I am a part of very interesting contest 'South vs North Challenge' organised by Divya Pramil of You too can cook Indian food.

Mysore pak is a traditional and popular sweet of Karnataka. Actually people make it on Deepawali or any festive time. Very few ingredients are used in it, but little tricky. I was scared to make it, because I made this first time here. But now I fallen love on it as tastes absolutely divine.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Gram Flour
3/4 Cup Ghee
1/4 Cup Oil
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Water

FOR GARNISH: 2 tbsps coarsely pounded Pistachios.

METHOD:
Grease a tray with little ghee and set it aside.

Mix oil and besan nicely.

Boil sugar and water in a pan, to get the required consistency of syrup. (The required consistency means, when you drop syrup in a bowl water, it should stand without getting dissolved)

Add the besan mixture to the syrup. Keep stirring.

Add ghee little by little and keep stirring continuously till the mixture changes in texture, colour and starts leaving the edges. The mixture not be sticky anymore. Pour the mixture into the greased tray.

Garnish with coarsely pistachios on the top.

Grease a knife with little ghee. Slice it to desired shapes by knife while it is still warm.

Enjoy this mouthwatering Mysore Pak!!!

Linking this recipe to: Divya, our Southern team.