Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

The weather here in UK is soo sunny and bright these days and I am loving this lovely weather and enjoying it to the fullest and thus not getting much time to post regularly and also for blog hopping.

And today's post was in drafts from more than 2 months ago..finally it got some attention and light today :)

Bruschetta pronounced as brusˈketta is an easy an eye-catching appetizer from the country of Italy. There are many variations for the toppings but, I make it this way-which is easy and ready in few minutes, and also need very few ingredients.

TOMATO AND BASIL BRUSCHETTA

Ingredients:
1 loaf Ciabatta bread or any other hard crust bread,
2-3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil,
2-3 cloves of garlic,
5-6 ripe plum tomatoes,
few basil leaves ,
1/4 tsp pepper powder andsalt to taste.

Method:
De-seed and chop the tomatoes into small cube and chop the basil leaves finely. In a bowl, mix the chopped tomatoes and basil leaves with salt and pepper powder and also add 1/2 tbsp of olive oil to it. Mix well and keep aside.

Slice the bread into 1"inch in thickness. Rub the slices with garlic clove ad drizzle some olive oil on the slices and toast them in an oven or over a griddle(tawa) until they turn crispy and light brown in colour. Spoon the tomato and basil mixture on the toasted slices and serve as an appetizer or a snack.

Variations: If you like your tomato topping to be soft and juicy, add some boiling water to the chopped tomatoes and mash slightly.
And if you want to make it more appealing, you can bake the slices after adding the topping and some grated cheese on top.

Note:
Traditionally Ciabatta bread loaf is used for Bruschetta, but one can use any Italian bread or any bread that has a hard crust.
Make sure the tomatoes used are ripe and red in colour,

Paneer Tikka

Soft Indian cheese and veggies marinated in Indian spices and grilled . Yes !!I am talking about Paneer Tikka- a famous Indian starter, which is easy and quick to make and great for parties and potlucks. And its a favorite of Indian vegetarians and also the best alternative of Chicken tikka.

I started making this only few months back and I have fallen in love with this low fat appetizer. And my family loves it too. My kiddo calls it chicken cube :) believe me its so easy and tastes yummy and even those people whole don't like paneer will be tempted to eat this.

I have used hung yogurt in this use, this helps in coating the marinade evenly. But store bought thick yogurt can also be used. And if you want your tikkas to have that red tandoori look, a pinch of red food colour can be added to the marinade. So, without further ado, lets move on to the recipe.

PANEER TIKKA
Ingredients:
300 grams of Paneer,
1 large onion,
1 green bell pepper,
1 red bell pepper,
1 yellow bell pepper,1 cup thick yogurt,
1 tsp ginger paste,
1 tsp garlic paste,
1 tsp red chilli powder,1/2 tsp of garam masala powder,a pinch of turmeric powder,
1/2 tsp cumin powder,
1/2 tsp amchoor(dry mango)powder(optional),
1/2 tsp Kasoori methi(optional),
1/4 tsp of pepper powder and
salt to taste.

Method:
Cut the Paneer into 1 inch cubes. Cut the onion into into big cubes, deseed and cut the bell peppers into 1" inch peices. In a bowl, mix the yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste with all the dry spices and mix well. Now add the cubed paneer and all the veggies to this paste and mix well and make sure that the marinade coats all the veggies.Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Arrange the marinated paneer and veggies on a skewer and grill or if using an oven use broil mode or the highest temperature of your oven. Grill for 10- 15 minutes, turning the skewer in between and brush with some oil, to retain its softness.
Paneer Tikka can be served on a bed of lettuce with some veggies or arrange them on toothpicks for individual serving.

Notes:
If using wooden skewers, soak them for 6-7 hours or overnight in water to prevent them from burning.

Bread Chaat

Today's post is an easy breezy chaat. Who doesn't love chaats.....I am sure everyone have many fond memories of eating roadside chaats with friends and family. Be it the yummy and tangy Pani poori/ gol guppa or crunchy and crispy bhel poori or spicy and delicious masala poori. I am a big fan of all these chaats and even now, just writing these names makes me drool :D And one more chaat which I always make at home is this easy bread chaat. I was first introduced to this chaat by my mom-in law, when she had made this chaat for a party, where I had invited 25-30 people. And this chaat pleased all the guests present in that party. Even now, when I make this eye catching chaat for my parties, the guests get so impressed and pleased.
And also this chat is a easy and healthy alternative for dahi vada. Because there is no deep fried vadas is this chaat.....The star ingredient in this chaat is Tamarind chutney. If you make the chutney earlier or a day before and keep it handy, it will hardly take 15 minutes to assemble this chaat. So, this bread chaat can be served an easy appetizer for parties or potlucks or any other special occasions and believe me your guest will go gaga over it :-)

BREAD CHAAT
Ingredients:
10 bread slices,
1/2 cup milk,
500 grams yogurt,
1 tsp chaat masala,
1/2 tsp red chilli powder,1 carrot-grated,
a pinch of salt and
Tamarind chutney.

Method:
With a sharp knife cut the crust(sides) of the bread slices and fold them into triangle or cut them into triangles. Arrange them in a tray or a deep bowl(see the pic). Pour the milk in a bowl.Now take each triangle of the bread and dip it in the milk(just to moisten it a bit) and keep it back in the tray.
In another bowl, beat the yogurt, 1/2 tsp of chaat masala and a pinch of salt to a smooth paste using a spoon or fork. And pour this yogurt mixture over the bread slices evenly. decorate with grated carrot, remaining chaat masala, red chilli powder and tamarind chutney. Voila !! A delicious and mouthwatering chaat is ready.

Note:
Instead of dipping the bread in the milk to moisten them, you can sprinkle some milk directly on the bread slices arranged in the tray.
Sprinkling some khara sev or spicy boondi on this chaat will make it more appealing and will add a little crunchiness to this bread chaat.If using either of these, sprinkle it on the chaat, just before serving.
HOME MADE TAMARIND CHUTNEY

Ingredients:
100 grams dry tamarind,
200 grams of Jaggery or brown sugar,
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds,
1/2 tsp of cumin powder,
1 tsp of red chilli powder,
a pinch of salt and
1/4 tsp of chaat masala or black salt.

Method:
Soak the tamarind in a bowl with a glass of hot water. Cover the bowl and keep aside for 30 -45 minutes. Make a thick extract of the pulp. Bring the tamarind pulp to a boil in a saucepan with the jaggery. Cook on slow flame till it thickens. Add the remaining ingredients- cumin seeds, cumin powder, chaat masala ,chilli powder and a pinch of salt and cook for further 5 minute.Switch off the flame and keep aside to cool completely.

Note :
2-4 dates can also be added while cooking this chutney, to make it more thicker.
Jaggery can be substituted with brown sugar.

I am sending this mouthwatering chaat to Niloufer's Twenty-20 Cooking Event . And As I have used cumin seeds in the Tamarind chutney I am sending this to Cooking with Seeds -Cumin Seeds hosted this month at SARA'S CORNER, event by Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes. And finally to Think Spice- Think Tamarind hosted this month by PJ of Seduce your Tastebuds, event by Sunitha of Sunitha's World.

Chilli Potatoes

This a very easy and quick recipe and taste delicious. A must try for potato lovers like me. Potato has been my favourite vegetable since childhood. I still remember how I used to ask my mom to add potatoes in each and every curry, she used to cook :)
And that love for potatoes can still be seen. Even now,I never fail to try any potato recipe, that I come across in any recipe book. And trust me this recipe was finger lickin good(scroll down to see the verdict) : D This can be served as a side dish with fried rice or can be eaten on it own. And I am definitely going to make this again and again.

CHILLI POTATOES
(adapted from Khanakhazana.com)

Ingredients :
4 Potatoes,
1 onion- sliced,
1/2 cup of chopped spring onions,
4 whole red chillies,
6 cloves of garlic-chopped,
3 tbsp of cornstarch,
1 tsp of red chilli paste,
1 tsp of soya sauce,
1/4 tsp of sugar,
1 tbsp of vinegar,
2 tbsp of vegetable oil +
Oil for deep frying and
salt to taste.

Method:
Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick wedges. Soak these wedges in cold water for half an hour. Par- boil the potato wedges in a saucepan , drain and cool them.
Heat oil in a kadai/ wok , dust the wedges with 2 tbsp of corn starch and deep fry until crisp and golden brown. Remove and drain excess oil on a kitchen towel.
Heat the 2 tbsp of oil in a pan, break the whole red chillies into two and add them to the pan. Stir fry briefly and add the chopped garlic , sliced onion and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. now add the red chilli (blended in a quarter cup of water), soya sauce, sugar and salt to taste. Add the fried potatoes and toss them in the pan . Now add the remaining 1 tbsp of cornstarch and mix well again, add the vinegar and stir fry briefly. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot.

Note:
This dish can be made even with leftover french fries.
And instead of of deep frying the wedges, they can also be baked until they turn light brown and crispy.

Stuffed tomatoes

Want to try something new with tomatoes? Then here is a yummy recipe for you all... these delicious tomatoes- stuffed with vegetables can be served as a side dish with rice or chapathi or can be served as an appetizer . One can serve these stuffed tomatoes with the gravy or can just completely skip the gravy if serving as an appetizer. Here goes the recipe for these yummilicious Stuffed tomatoes...

STUFFED TOMATOES

Ingredients:
6-7 large tomatoes,
3 potatoes- boiled and mashed,2 cubes of Paneer- finely chopped,
1 small cup of green peas-boiled,
1/2 tsp of cumin powder,
1/2 tsp of coriander powder,
1/4 tsp of amchur(dry mango) powder,1/4 tsp of garam masala powder
1/2 cup of grated cheese andsalt to taste.
For gravy:
4 tomatoes-finely chopped,
2 onions-finely chopped,
1 tbsp ginger paste,1 tbsp garlic paste,
1 tsp red chilli powder,1 tsp garam masala powder,1 tsp coriander powder,
2 tbsp of vegetable oil,
1/4 cup of finely chopped coriander leaves and
salt to taste.

Method:Slice the top of each tomatoes and carefully scoop out the flesh. Reserve the scooped out flesh for the gravy. Mix together boiled and mashed Potatoes, finely chopped paneer and boiled peas. Mix in salt to taste, coriander powder, cumin powder, amchur powder(dry mango powder) and garam masala powder. Stuff this into the tomatoes, top with some grated cheese and bake in a pre heated oven at 350 F or 175 C until done- approximately 20 -25 minutes or microwave until done. Or those who don't have access to either of them can cook on the stove top- Heat a non stick pan and add 2-3 tbsp of oil to the pan and place the tomatoes and cook covered on low heat until done.For the gravy:
Heat oil and fry the onions until transparent, add ginger-garlic paste , salt, coriander powder, red chilli powder and garam masala powder. Stir well for few minutes and now add the chopped tomatoes and the reserved pulp and cook for about 5-10 minutes. Add a cup of water and cook till the gravy thicken and oil separates from the pan, garnish with coriander leaves and serve the stuffed tomatoes along with this gravy. Can be enjoyed with rice or roti .

Roasted Tomato Soup

Here comes another recipe from Kevin's Closet Cooking. A perfect soup for cold winters, I came across on his blog here. I tried to stick to his recipe and and it turned out awesome and very tasty.I served this Yummy soup with toasted bread and Tabbouleh- a perfect and healthy dinner :) I am sending this to Tried and Tested hosted by Hema of Salt to Taste. Tried and Tested is featuring Kevin's Closet Cooking this month.

ROASTED TOMATO SOUP

Ingredients:
4 tomatoes- cut into half,
1 red bell pepper,
1 chopped onion,
2 cloves of garlic-unpeeled,
2 cups of chicken stock or vegetable broth,
1 tsp of chopped Thyme,
1 tbsp of olive oil and
salt and pepper to taste.

Method:
Cut the red bell pepper in two halves , place them on a baking sheet outside up and keep the in a pre heated oven on broil mode and broil for few mintes oruntil the outer skin has become black. Let cool and peel the skin from the peppers and keep aside.
In a baking pan, place the Tomatoes- with the cut side up, garlic and the Onions. Drizzle the olive oil on this and sprinkle the Thyme, salt and pepper powder over the tomatoes. Roast in pre heated oven on 350 F/ 175 C for 0-45 minutes. Now place everything in a saucepan and simmer for 30 more minutes. Puree with a hand blender. Garnish with some crumbled feta cheese and serve hot.

Paneer balls

I had lot of paneer cubes in my refrigerator and was wondering how to use them..Because I wanted to make something different and new this time, apart from the Chilli Paneer which is an all time favorite in my house. Then I just found this recipe in my recipe notebook. And it turned out very yummy and we enjoyed it a lot. When I was frying these paneer balls it smelled like I was frying those golden balls of Gulab jamuns :) and don't they look like Gulab juamun ? Its just that they are savory..you can even call them Savory Gulab Jamuns :D

PANEER BALLS

Ingredients:
200 grams Paneer,
2 tbsp of maida/all purpose flour,
1 tsp chopped ginger,
1 tsp chopped garlic,
4-5 green chillies,
1 tsp garam masala powder,
oil for deep frying,
1/2 tsp red chilli powder,
a pinch of red color(optional),
1 finely chopped onion,
50 grams of cashew nuts,
1/4 cup of fresh coriander leaves-chopped,
few curry leaves,
1 lime and
salt to taste.

Method:
Grate paneer, add maida, garam masala powder, chilli powder, salt to taste and a pinch of red color if using any. Mix well to form a dough and make lemon sized balls, deep fry in oil and keep aside. In a pan, heat 1 -2 tbsp oil and add the ginger, garlic, slit green chillies, onions, curry leaves and cashew and saute it for a while. Now add the fried Paneer balls and saute it for 5 more minutes. Sprinkle little water and cook till dry. Lastly add juice of 1 lime and some freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Soya-chunks Manchurian

I usually make manchurian using cauliflower or chicken. But I wanted to finish the soya chunks that had in my kitchen cabinet for months now. Then, I remembered on of my cousins talking about making Manchurian with soya chunks. And I wanted to give it a try and I am happy that I tried it because it turned out sooo yummy.I made this almost like my gobi manchurian. So, here is what you need ...

SOYA CHUNKS MANCHURIAN


Ingredients:

for the batter:
1-2 cups of Soya chunks,
4 tbsp of maida / all purpose flour,
2-3 tbsp of corn starch,
1 tsp ginger paste,
1 tsp garlic paste,
1/4 tsp black pepper powder,
oil for deep frying and
salt to taste.

for the sauce:
1 onion finely chopped,
5-6 cloves of garlic- finely chopped,
2 green chillies-finely chopped(optional),
2 tsp of white vinegar,
2-3 tbsp of tomato ketchup,
2 tbsp of chilli-garlic sauce,
2-3 tsp of corn starch,
2 tsp of soya sauce,
a pinch of red food color (optional),
a pinch of ajinomoto,
2-3 tbsp of oil,
1/2 cup of water and
1/2 cup of green onions.

Method:
Cook the soya chunks as per the instructions on the packet. After boiling the soya chunks/ nyggets, remove excess water and keep aside. To make the batter- take maida/ all purpose flour in a bowl, add corn starch, ginger-garlic paste, pepper powder(food colour, if adding) and salt to taste. Make a batter by adding water to this. Dip the Soya chunks in this batter and deep fry in oil, till they become crisp.
In another pan, Heat 2-3 tbsp of oil, add chopped garlic and chopped green chillies and saute for few minutes. Add finely chopped onions, and fry for few more minutes, till the onions are lightly browned. Now add tomato ketchup, soya sauce, chilli-garlic sauce and vinegar and mix well. Meanwhile mix the corn starch in 1/2 cup of water and add it to the pan and cook till the sauce thickens. Add the fried Soya chunks and the chopped green onions to the sauce and mix well to coat completely. Garnish with some extra spring onions and serve hot.Tips:
(1) Its always better to make the sauce first and then fry the Soya, this will help in maintaining the crispiness of the fried Soya chunks.
(2) Adding green capsicum to this munchurian makes it more flavorful. I couldn't, because I didn't have any at that time.

I would love to thank Aruna of veggie paradise for sharing this award with me. Thanks ARUNA.

Sambousik al dajaj /Chicken pies and awards

CHICKEN PIES

Ingredients:

For the dough:
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast,
1/4 cup warm water,
3 cups of all purpose flour,
4 tbsp of corn flour,
1 tsp salt,
3 tbsp melted butter,
1 beaten egg and
3/4 cups of water.

For the filling:
1 cup shredded cabbage,
1 cup finely chopped green beans,
2 chicken breasts- boiled and shredded,
1 green pepper-diced,
1 onion-finely chopped,
2 cloves of garlic- crushed,
3 tbsp of vegetable oil,
1 tsp of white pepper powder,
1 tsp of salt and
2 egg yolks for brushing.

Method:
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.Add melted butter and beaten egg to this yeast mixture. In another big bowl, take all purpose flour, corn flour and salt and mix well.Now add the above yeast mixture to it and add the remaining water gradually and knead for 5-8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and set aside in a warm place for at least 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
In the mean time, start making the filling.Heat the oil in pan and stir fry all the vegetables- Beans, cabbage pepper, onion and garlic until they become tender. Now add the cooked and shredded chicken and season with white pepper and salt and stir for 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F. Divide the dough into 30 small equal balls. Roll out each ball on a lightly floured surface, into 4 inch circles. Place a tablespoon of the filling in the center of each circle and brush the sides with egg yolk and cover each circle with another circle of the dough. Pinch the edges together with a fork to seal and brush the top of each circle with egg yolk.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light brown. Arrange in a serving dish and serve hot.

Source: This recipe is adapted from 'Middle eastern Cookbook' by Maria Kalife

It has been raining awards in our food blogging world. And even I was showered with so many awards. Thanks my dear friend for all the awards and appreciation you guys give me , which forces me to come here and post new recipes. I have been very busy during this month of Ramadhan and finding it hard to post frequently and I am missing so many Yummy and delicious posts. I am finding it hard to take out some time to see those yummy posts and to comment on them. But I promise that I will be back on the track soon after Ramadhan.

First of all I would love to thank the Fall in love(FIL) lady Sanghi for this lovely Gold friend award on her 100th post.. Thanks dear Sanghi..I will always cherish this award and this award will always stay close to my heart.

And Dear Priya of Priya's Easy and Tasty Recipes (I just love her blog so much.She is never out of recipes to post everyday and to participate in all the events with 2-3 yummy and unique recipes) She has passed these lovely awards- 360° foodie award, Yum yum blog award and giant bear hug award. Thank you so much Priya. I am a huge fan of your blog. And to receive these from you means a lot to me.
And my sweet friends Sarah Naveen , Ayesha Priya and Rekha Shoban have also Passed these three awards to me. Thanks my sweet buddies for these awards.



And Rebecca of Chow and Chatter has given me this Friend award. Thanks dear , I love your friendship and will always cherish it.


And Last but not least Vidhas of Appetizing recipes has passed this scrumptious blog Award. Thanks dear for this award. You made my day.

Baba ghanoush / Aubergine and tahini dip

BABA GHANOUSH

Ingredients:
1 big aubergine / brinjal,
1 clove garlic-peeled,
1 tsp salt,
1 tbsp tahini,
2 tbsp yogurt,
juice of 1 lemon,
2 sprigs parsley and
1 tbsp olive oil to garnish.

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 220 C/425 F. Pierce the brinjal with a fork. Place it on a baking tray and bake or grill over a charcoalfireuntil soft, turning frequently. Cool under running water, peel of the skin and remove the stem. Mash the brinjal with a potato masher to make a puree.
In a small bowl, crush the garlic with salt and add to the aubergine / brinjal puree.Add tahini , yogurt and lemon juice and mix well to blend everything. Pour into a serving dish and garnish with chopped parsley and olive oil.

Source: This recipe is adapted from the ''Middle Eastern Cookbook'' written by MARIA KHALIFE.

I am sending this to Sanghi's Fall In Love (FIL) -Brinjal event. This is my second entry for the event.

Stir fried Baby Corn

STIR FRIED BABY CORN

Ingredients:
150 grams baby corn- Sliced lengthwise into 2,
1 finely chopped green chilli,
1 tsp finely chopped ginger,
1 tsp finely chopped garlic,
1 tsp soya sauce,
2 tsp tomato-chilli sauce,
1 tsp cornflour,
1/2 green pepper-thinly sliced,
1 tsp oil,
1/4 tsp pepper powder and
salt to taste.

Method:
In a bowl, mix soya sauce, tomato-chilli sauce and corn flour with 2 tbsp of water and keep aside. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add the baby corn and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the green chilli garlic and ginger and saute for another 2 minutes. Now add the sauce from the bowl to the pan and mix well to coat the babycorn evenly and stir till the sauce thickens. Now add the green peppers, salt and pepper powder and mix well. Serve hot immediately .

Source: This recipe is adapted from tarladalal.com. I just reduced some ingredients as per my taste buds. The original recipe can be found here.

Lucknowi Baingan

LUCKNOWI BAINGAN

Ingredients :
2 medium Eggplants / Baingan,
1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tsp red chilli powder,
4 tomatoes,
2 onions,
1/4 cup mint leaves,
1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste,
2 cups hung yogurt,
juice of 1 lime,
1/2 tsp garam masala,
oil to pan fry and
salt to taste.

Method:
Slice the eggplants into thick rounds. Rub with some salt, half the turmeric and chilli powder and set aside for few minutes. Place the yogurt in a small bowl, add a pinch of salt and lime juice and whisk well.
Pan-fry the eggplant slices until light brown on both sides. Place on an oiled baking tray. Heat oil in another pan, add chopped onions and saute well. Add ginger-garlic paste. turmeric, chilli powder and tomatoes. Season with salt and simmer, reducing the sauce till it thickens. Finish off with garam masala and remove the pan from heat.
Spread a little sauce on each of the eggplant slices and cover the tray with foil, sealing well on all sides. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180 C / 350 F for about 5 minutes.
Serve topped with the yogurt mix and garnish with mint.

This recipe is adapted from Anil Ashokan's book ''QUMIN'' and this is my entry to Sanghi's Fall in love(FIL)- Brinjal event. And I dedicate this recipe to my Mummy and Pappa . Because they encouraged me in my early cooking stages and always appreciated my experiments with cooking. Its just because of them that I have started experimenting and now I confidently learn new recipes. Love you both very much :)

gobi Manchurian

GOBI MANCHURIAN

Ingredients:
1 small Cauliflower-cut into bite size florets,
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste,
5 tbsp all purpose flour,
5 tsp corn starch,
1 small Onion- finely chopped,
2 tbsp garlic-finely chopped,
1 green chilli-finely chopped,
2 tbsp tomato ketchup,
2 tbsp chilli-garlic paste,
2 tsp white vinegar,
3 tsp soya sauce,
1/2 cup green onions-chopped,
Oil for deep frying and
salt to taste.

Method:
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan. Add finely chopped Onions, finely chopped garlic and the green chillies and cook till Onions are lightly browned. Now add tomato ketchup and chilli garlic sauce and cook until the oil separates in the pan. Now add Vinegar and soya sauce and mix well.
Mix 2 tsp of corn starch with around 4 tbsp of water and add to the above mixture and cook till the sauce thickens. Keep this Sauce aside.
For the batter, In a bowl take all purpose flour, the remaining 3 tsp corn starch, some salt, black pepper powder, ginger-garlic paste and some water. Mix well to form a smooth batter.
Dip the cauliflower florets in this batter and deep fry them on medium flame until light brown and crisp.
Now add the fried Cauliflower and some green onions to the prepared sauce and mix well to coat the cauliflower completely with sauce. Garnish with some green onions. Serve hot .

Tips:
Its always better to make the sauce first and them add the fried florets to it. Because the manchurian will be crisp this way.
One can also boil the cauliflower for 5 minutes in the microwave, before adding them to the batter.


I am sending this to WYF : Fried snack event and shanti's Lovely Winter recipes .

Chicken tikka

CHICKEN TIKKA

Ingredients:
1 lbs boneless chicken,
1/2 tsp red chilli powder,
1/4 tsp cardamom powder,
1 tsp kasoori methi,
1/4 tsp garam masala powder,
1/2 tsp coriander powder,
2 tbsp lemon juice,
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste,
3/4 cup thick yogurt,
a pinch of red food colour,
salt to taste,
1 onion - cut into big cubes,
1 green pepper- cubed,
1 ree pepper- cubed and
1/2 cup oil.

Method:
Cut the chicken into cubes and remove all the moisture using a paper towel. In abowl take the red chilli powder, cardamom powder, kasoori methi powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder and salt.Mix all these dry spices and add the lemon juice. Now Squeeze all the water from the ginger-garlic paste and add the dry portion to the above spices. Add curd to this and mix all the spices with yogurt to make a smooth paste. Now add chicken and vegetables to this and mix well. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
If using bamboo skewers soak them overnight in water to prevent them from burning. Arrange the chicken and vegetables on the skewers and baste the chicken with some oil.
Heat your oven to to highest temperature or use broil mode if u have it on ur oven and cook the chicken for 20- 3- minutes. In between turn the skewers and cook until cooked and coloured.
Make kebab masala by mixing chat masala and mint leaf powder and sprinkle it on the kebabs. Serve hot.

Tips:
When you are turning the skewers in between, make sure u baste it with some oil. This will keep the kebabs nice and juice.

Source: vahrevah.com

Chilli Paneer

CHILLI PANEER

Ingredients:
1 lbs paneer, 1 egg, 11/2 tbsp corn flour, 1 tsp maida, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, oil for deep frying, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp of chopped garlic, 4 chopped green chillies, 1 onion-cut into cubes, 1 tbsp coriander powder, 1 tbsp chilli-garlic sauce, a pinch of ajinomoto, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1 tbsp soya sauce, 1/2 cup chopped curry leaves, 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves, 1 lemon / lime and salt to taste.

Method:
Cut the paneer into small cubes. In a bowl mix together cornflour, salt, 1/2 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste, maida and egg with some water to make a thin batter. Add paneer to this and mix well to coat paneer with this mixture.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the paneer pieces coated with mixture till golden colour.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, when they start spluttering add chopped garlic, 1/2 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add green chillies, onion, coriander powder and add some water ( very little) to mix everything. Now add chilli-garlic sauce, ajinomoto, chilli powder, soya sauce, curry leaves lime juice and some salt. and mix well. To this add the fried paneer cubes and coriander leaves, mix well and serve hot.

Source :vahrevah.com

Chicken 65

CHICKEN 65

Ingredients:
2 lbs Chicken- boneless thigh meat, 4-5 green chillies- slit, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 cup coriander leaves, 1 Egg, 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 4-5 chopped curry leaves, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 tsp Ajinomoto, 1 tbsp chilli-garlic paste, 2 tsp cornflour, 1 tsp chopped garlic, 1/2 tsp chopped ginger, 1/2 tsp pepper powder, red colour (optional), oil for frying and salt to taste.

Method:
To the chicken, add some salt, a pinch of ajinomoto, 1tsp ginger-garlic paste, pepper powder, cornflour and mix it well. Now add 1 egg and mix again.
Heat oil in wok or kadai and fry the chicken- fry few at a time and fry until light golden brown. Drain and keep them on paper towel.
To make the sauce: Heat 2-3 tsp of oil in pan. Add cumin seeds, chopped garlic, chopped ginger and saute until fragrant. Now add chopped green chilles, curry leaves, 1 tsp ginge-garlic paste, pepper powder, chilli powder, cumin powder, very little salt, chilli-garlic paste, pinch of ajinomoto, red colour and mix well. Add 3-4 tbsp of water to this sauce and mix well. Now add the chicken to this sauce and toss lightly. Stir in coriander leaves and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon to this and serve hot.

Source: vahrevah.com

Murg malai kabab

MURG MALAI KABAB

Ingredients:
1 lbs Chicken breast, 1/4 tsp meat tenderizer or raw papaya paste, 1/2 tsp pepper powder, 1/2 tsp cardamom powder, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste,2 tbsp grated cheese, 1 tbsp thick yogurt, 1 tbsp cream, 1 tbsp corn flour, 1 green chilli, 1/2 cup coriander leaves, 1tbsp oil, salt to taste.

Method:
Cut the chicken breast to bite size pieces and dry then with a paper towel, to remove the moisture. Now marinate the chicken with pepper powder, tenderizer, a pinch of salt and squeezed ginger- garlic paste. Keep this in the refrigerator for 30 mins, before adding to the other marination.
Now for the second marination, make a nice paste of the grated cheese by rubbing it with your palms. To the cheese paste add thick Yogurt, cream, a pinch of salt, paste of coriander and green chilli ( you can put the coriander leaves and green chilli in a pestal and mortar, and make a fine paste) Now mix all these together to form a smooth paste, add the corn flour and mix again. Add the chicken to this mixture and mix it with the paste, add oil and mix again. Now marinate this mixture again in your refrigerator for around 1 hour.
After 1 hour, put the chicken on the skewers and put it in the oven at the highest temperature possible. Cook for 10 mins on each side or until you see fine colour on the kababs.
Serve hot with sprikled chat masala and lime juice.

Note: If you are using bamboo skewers, soak them overnight in water, to prevent them from burning.

Source: vahrevah.com