Chicken Tikka Masala

This recipe came as a relief to my everyday recipe of Butter Chicken . Its just a slight variation from butter chicken, where I add some Chicken Tikka Masala, then marinate and bake the chicken . Then towards the end, pour some melting butter over burning coal into the curry to get the tikka flavor.  This is a good one, especially if you have gotten bored with the same old butter chicken recipe.

Here is how I make it...

Chicken 1-1.5 kg ( Marinate Chicken with 1 teaspoon chilli powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 2 tablespoon yogurt ,1/2 teaspoon turmeric, salt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1  teaspoon chicken tikka masala powder)

Onions - 2 medium

Ginger garlic chopped 1-1.5 tablespoon

Tomatoes - 2 medium ripe ones

Green Chillies - 2-3

Red Chilli powder - 1.5 tablespoon

Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon

Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon

Black pepper powder - 1 teaspoon

Chicken tikka powder - 1/2 table spoon

Tumeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Kasoori Methi - 1-1.5 tablespoon

Yogurt - 2-3 tablespoons

Cashew nuts - 8-10

Poppy seeds - 1 tablespoon

Mint leaves - a little less than a handful

Coriander leaves - a small bunch

Garam Masala - 1/4 teaspoon

Heavy Cream - 2-3 tablespoons 

Red food Color - optional

Butter - 2-3 tablespoons

Hot Coal - 1 piece

Oil - 2-3 tablespoons 

Preheat oven to 275 degree F.

Bake the marinated chicken in the oven for 30 minutes. Reserve the liquid from the baking tray.

Heat Oil in a skillet.

Add the chopped onion in to the oil and sauté till it becomes translucent.

Add the ginger garlic, green chilli and sauté

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook well.

Add all the powders and cook well. Add Kasoori Methi, cashew nuts, poppy seeds and sauté.

Add the mint leaves and coriander leaves.

Switch off when the raw smell goes and oil clears.

When it cools. Blend this well in a blender to a smooth paste.

Pour the smooth paste into the skillet. Add the baked chicken to it and turn the heat on medium flame.

Add the yogurt, give a quick sir.

Add food color if you want to.

Place an aluminium foil over the curry and the hot coal on top of the aluminum foil.

Pour melted butter onto the coal.

Move it away after the 3-5 minutes.

Pour heavy cream and switch off.

Enjoy this hot with some Bhatura, Naan, Chappathi or some hot rice.

Mushroom Curry

This again is Jolly Sunny's recipe and pictures. She makes the mushroom curry exactly like chicken curry. It goes so well with chappathi as well as rice.

What you need

Mushrooms - 350 - 400 gms cleaned

Onion - 1 large

Tomatoes -2 

Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 teaspoon

Chicken masala - 1 tablespoon ( if you don't have substitute this with garam masala 1 teaspoon, 1 table spoon coriander powder)

Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Tumeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Fennel seeds ( perumjeeraga powder ) - 1/2 teaspoon

Coconut pieces ( Thenga kothu) - 1/2 cup

Curry leaves - a handful of fresh leaves

Salt

Oil

How you make it

Heat oil in a Kadai. Add onions, sauté well, add ginger garlic paste, sauté well. 

Add the coconut pieces and sauté.

Add the tomatoes and curry leaves, sauté

Add all the powders and salt and keep stirring and cooking the masala powders till the oil clears on top.

Add the mushrooms and half a cup of water and cook.

Enjoy this hot with chappathi or rice.

Mathi Fry

Who doesn't love Mathi fry ? .... I love it... my not my hubby ... :( :( :( . This is from my friend Tanura's kitchen...look at the way she arranged these beauties on the pan...

Ooolaaalaaa....look at them... I've to wait to get to Kerala to eat some of this....

Crab Curry - Jolly Sunny

This is Jolly Sunny's recipe and picture of Crab Curry in Kerala Style. As I mentioned earlier, Jolly aunty is an awesome cook ... and this recipe is a keeper.  This one tastes so good and you can enjoy it with some hot rice....

Crab 1.5 kgs

Kashmiri chilli powder 2 table spoons

CorianderPowder - 1 table spoon

Garlic Ginger 2 - 2.5 tablespoons chopped

Onions - 1 large one cut in long slices

Pepper powder - 4 teaspoons

Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Oil - 3-4 table spoons

Salt

Tomato - 3 large ones chopped

Curry leaves - handful

Green chillies - 3 numbers slit








Boil enough water to dip the crab pieces
.
Put 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp of turmeric in the water.

Boil the crab in the water roughly 5-10 minutes thats when you see that the black dots turn orangish. Take the crab out of the water.

Heat oil in a non stick pan.
Add the onions, curry leaves and greenchillies and sauté.
To the above add ginger garlic chopped.

Add chopped tomato to above.
When the tomatoes are cooked, add all the powders and salt.

Add pepper powder extra if needed.

Add the crabs and coat the masala well into it. Cook for 5 minutes, Switch off.


Enjoy it with some hot rice. :-)

Fish Biriyani

This is second best to nothing. This is an absolutely fantastic main dish for any seafood lovers. To make this use Salmon or Kingfish.

Here is the recipe

FISH MARINATION

Salmon (King Fish)  - 3/4 kg
Salt - to taste
Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
Kashmiri Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Lemon Juice 1 tablespoon

Marinate the fish and keep aside for 30 minutes.

Then, fry them and keep aside.

INGREDIENTS FOR MASALA

Onions - 2 large
Shallots - 7-8
Curry leaves - 1-2 sprigs
Green Chillies 5-6
Tomatoes - 3
Pudina (mint) - a handful
Corriander leaves - a nice bunch
Chilli powder - 1 table spoon
Perum jeerakam (fennel seeds powder)podi - 1 teaspoon
Tumeric
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tablespoon
Curd - a little less than 1/4 cup
Whole garam masala - Patta (cinnamon) - 2 sticks, Elachi - 2-3, Cloves - 4-5, Perumjeerakam - 1 tsp
Lemon Juice - 2-3 table spoons
Salt
Make a paste of 5-6 Almonds, 7-10 Raisins, a table spoon of poppy seeds and keep aside.

GRAVY PREPARATION

Deep fry one and a half onions (bista) and keep aside.
In the same oil that you fried the fish, add the whole garam masala spices.
Add the remaining onion and the sliced shallots.
Add ginger garlic paste.
Add curry leaves.
Make a paste of Tomatoes, green chillies, Pudhina and three fourth of coriander leaves bunch. Add this paste to the above. Saute well.
To this add chili powder, turmeric powder and fennel seed powder.
Add the ground paste of Almonds, poppy seeds and raisins.
Add Curd to this.
Add the fried fish pieces, bring down the flame and add lemon juice.
Check for salt.

RICE (4 cups)
Cook the rice with some spices in the water while its boiling , Drain it and spread the cooked rice on a flat pan so that it doesn't get mushy.

Optional
In 7-8 tablespoons of milk, add a few drops of food coloring and 2 table spoons of vanilla or pineapple essence and keep pouring it in between layers.

Then layer the rice and the masala, garnishing the layers in between with Bista, chopped coriander leaves.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degree F for one hour.

Enjoy it with some Raita and pickle, that's two trips to heaven and back !

BEHIND THE SCENES ;)

Fried the fish...

 Gravy prepared...

Layered it...ready to go into the oven

Opening it after taking it out from the oven....

Ready to pounce on it....

Classic Hot Wings

This one again I got it from the Pioneer Woman's book. It looked so yummy and easy and I tried it... and it was sooooooooo good !!!!

Do you like Chicken Wings ? Yes ? - then Proceed  No? --that cannot be true... it should be yes !
Do you like it Spicy ? Yes another reason to go ahead

Then, lets not waste any time, let me go straight into the recipe... You have to have to have to try this one !!!

Canola Oil for frying
Chicken wings 12 ( separate them into two )
Frank's hot pepper sauce ( around 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup butter
Several dashes of Worcestershire sauce
Several dashes of hot sauce - Tobasco (if u have)

Preheat oven to 325 degree F.
Heat Canola oil in a deep frying pan.
Fry the chicken wings in batches till they are golden brown and fully cooked
 ( roughly 5 minutes)
In a saucepan, heat the Franks hot pepper sauce and butter over medium heat. Then add the Worcestershire sauce and Tobasco sauce. Once it bubbles switch off.
Place the wings in an ovenproof dish and pour hot sauce over the top.Coat well and bake for 15 minutes.
Serve with Blue Cheese dip.

Blue Cheese Dip

1 cup mayo
3/4 cup sour cream
1 heaping cup blue cheese crumbles
5-6 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and Black pepper to taste

Whisk together everything till you get a nice creamy consistency. I have a picture of this one in my Caramelized Chicken wings post.

Koorkka Mezhukkuvaratty

This is another recipe and pic from Jolly Sunny. I love the war she makes sure that every piece of koorkka is cut in the same size !!! it looks so beautiful and it tastes better !!!

Cut the koorkka in uniform slices so that it cooks evenly.
Lightly steam the Koorkka with little turmeric, salt . ( 5-7 minutes, don't overdo else it will mush)
Then on a skillet pour little oil, splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves. Add sliced onions and green chillies , sauté and then add the steamed koorkka and slowly fry till you get it to the desired crispiness. :-)

Yumm !!!

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

This recipe is a winner ! Kids will love it no doubt. I wish I could record all the praises what my kiddos showered on me while eating this. This is a recipe from the Pioneer Woman. I followed the recipe word to word.  I discuss about the recipe, its source and the ingredients to my kiddos while they eat, when I told them that this is Pioneer Woman's recipe, my 8 year old told something which makes me smile every time I think of it. She said, "Amma, this recipe is awesome , the Pioneer woman is the second best cook in the world. First is always you "... :-)  :-0 :-) .... How sweet my darling K <3

Will go to the recipe

Pasta 12 ounces ( fettuccine or linguine)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion finely diced
4 garlic cloves minced
1 bottle of Pasta sauce
salt and Pepper to taste
Dash of sugar to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Chopped Fresh Basil


1. Cook the Pasta
2. Meanwhile heat olive oil and butter in a skillet. Add the onions and garlic till onion is translucent.
Pour in the Pasta sauce, salt, pepper sugar.
3. Then add the heavy cream and stir.
4. Add the grated Parmesan into the sauce.
5. Drain the Pasta and add the Pasta on top of the sauce.
6.Toss the Pasta and the sauce , if it is too thick add some of the Pasta water.
7.Before serving add the chopped fresh Basic.
8. Serve it Hot ! After that go exercise ! <3

BEHIND THE SCENES :-)

Good Friday ...

Some folks like to fast, some give up meat, some give up meat and fish. Its purely your personal choice. Well, today its go -non-veg at our place. And this is what we are having...

Getting ready to leave for church , Good Friday services in the evening for us. Looking forward to go to church with fellow believers to meditate on the death that Christ had to go through so that I and you would be made righteous and enjoy eternal life with him . All I can say is, Thank you Jesus for dying in my place, so that I could live eternally.


2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Caramelized Chicken Wings

Such a great starters for any party or even a Friday movie night. I absolutely loved it and so did my kiddos.

This is what you need.

3 lbs Chicken Wings
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 cup Soy sauce
2 tablespoon Ketchup
1 cup Honey
1 garlic Clove, minced
1 pinch salt.
1 pinch ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.
Place chicken wings in a baking dish, spread them in a single layer.
Mix the oil, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, salt , pepper and pour over the chicken wings.
Bake at 375 degree for 1 hour and  the sauce is caramelized.

Gobi 65 (Cauliflower)

What's the story behind the number 65 ? Why not 64 or 66 ? I remember reading it somewhere, can't recollect it now.... Anyways, they are good veggie starters ... Try it and have it hot and enjoy the taste & crunchiness :-)

Cauliflower florets blanched ( take a nice big cauliflower )
Chilli powder - tablespoons
salt to taste
Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
garlic powder or (garlic paste- a teaspoon)
The ratio of maida ( all purpose flour) to corn flour is 4:1
Yogurt - 1-2 table spoon
Oil - for deep frying

Make a nice thick batter with the above.
Please taste the batter to see if you got the taste that you are looking for. Make adjustments.
Add a pinch of food color if you think you would like the look and marinate for at least 2 hours.
Fry it in medium hot flame.
Enjoy it alone or with the company of some rice and rasam ;)

Chocolate Cake with Coffee Butter frosting

Chocolate and Coffee ....hmmm . Perfect match for a dessert !

If you are a coffee and  a chocolate lover, then you should try this. This one is so good ! Just melts in your mouth. Its very easy to make. I went for the box mix this time, was having guests coming home and had a 101 things on my list to get done before they came. So, I just went and grabbed a Moist Chocolate Cake Mix from the store, quickly whipped up the frosting and there !!! BINGO !!! the cake was ready.

Here is the recipe for the Coffee Butter Frosting

1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup butter

1 tablespoon strong brewed coffee

In a small bowl stir confectioners sugar and cocoa powder.

In another bowl, beat the butter till its creamy.

Beat in the sugar mixture slowly into the bowl with the creamy butter.

Stir in the coffee.

Beat until smooth.

Gulab Jamun

Hmmm.... Any Gulab Jamun fans out there ?  I made around 50 last weekend for some guests who were coming home for dinner. I would have eaten 49 !!! that was an exaggeration but I am sure I would have eaten at least 25 of them, nailing my coffin !!! I even texted a friend of mine asking her if she knew of ways to stop this continual process of eating these very yummy Gulab Jamuns. Anyways, there is nothing much to write here about how to make Gulab Jammun. I just followed packet instructions and made these very awesome Gulab Jammuns.

Few things to keep in mind if you have never made one before. While preparing the sugar syrup, let it reduce to a consistency where when you try to pour it from a ladle it kind of looks like a sticky long string  and to the syrup add cardamon and few saffron strands. Next thing, making balls don't make too large ones, when you fry it it gets bigger and when it is soaked in the sugar syrup it gets even bigger. !!!

Sit back enjoy those yummy Gulab Jamuns. When you are done and you are full of guilt, get up and eat some more till the Gulab Jamuns are done. After all this, if you are still alive, put on your running shoes and run a 5k !!! :-)