Chicken Kadai (with Banne Nawab Masala)

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 whole (about 20 pieces)

Onion-Ginger-Garlic paste - 15 tbsp (paste made with 2 Tomato, 1 large Onion, 6 cloves Garlic, 1 inch Ginger)

Banne Nawab brand Kadai Chicken Masala - 1/2 packet

Turmeric - 1tbsp

Salt - 1 tsp or as per taste

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Dry Red Chilli - 3

Dry Bay Leaf - 3

Canola oil - 3 tbsp

Method

Thaw the Chicken to room temperature.

Marinade with Salt and Turmeric for approx. 30 mins.

Heat Canola oil in a pan.

As it warms up, add Cumin seeds, dry Bay leaf and dry Red Chilli to temper the oil.

Add the ground Onion-Ginger-Garlic paste. Mix it well.

Stir it frequently till the paste is cooked and oil starts separating.

Add the Chicken and mix it well. Cook at Medium-High heat to avoid the Chicken from becoming too watery.

As the Chicken is half-cooked, add the Kadai Masala spice mix. Mix it well.

If the spice mix or Chicken is sticking to the sides of the pan, add few dashes of water and remove the stuck items before it burns. Cover it for a few mins, if needed, to make it cook faster.

In the last 5 mins, you can add half an Onion, chopped into long slices. Mix it well and continue cooking. Serve it warm with Roti/Chapatti or Rice/Dal.

Note - There is a recipe enclosed in the Banne Nawab brand Kadai Chicken Masala spice mix. We love that preparation as well but it is different from the above.

Stir fried Bok Choy with Peanut Vignaigrette

Ingredients

Bok Choy - 1 pack (about 8)

Peanuts - 1/2 cup

Canola oil - 2 tbsp

Peanut Vignaigrette- a dash or 3-4 tbsp (as per taste)

Salt - 1/4 tsp or as per taste

Pepper - as per taste

Method

Chop the base of the Bok Choy

Cut it into halves or quarters length-wise

Clean it using running water - there may be dirt trapped in the base.

Heat Canola oil in a pan.

Add Peanuts to lightly roast them. Keep close watch in order to not burn them.

When the Peanuts are roasted, add the chopped and cleaned Bok Choys.

Add Salt and Pepper. Mix it well.

You can serve it at this point.

Alternatively, add the Peanut Vignaigrette and let it cook for another 5 mins.

Serve hot. 

Another alternative is to use chopped garlic instead of Peanuts - this will give two slightly different dishes than the above. Refer "Bok Choy Recipe by Steamy Kitchen" that shows how to clean Bok Choy and the Garlic-based recipe.

I am a Bok Choy fan now, as you can see! :) Happy holidays, everyone!

Tuna Fried Rice

Ingredients

Canned Tuna (in Olive Oil) - 1 can
Potatoes - 4 Medium, boiled and coarsely mashed
Onion - 1 Large, chopped
Green Chilli - 3/4, chopped (if not available, 1 dry red chilli will do!)
Dry Bay Leaf - 2

Cooked Rice - 2 cups (or more, if you want more Rice compared to Fish!)
Eggs - 4

Shan Egg Fried Rice Spice Mix - 1/2 packet (optional)
Salt, as per taste
Black Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp (or lesser, optional)
Cumin Seeds - 2 to 3 pinches

Canola Oil - 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp

Method

Use Paper towel to squeeze out the olive oil from the canned Tuna. The Tuna should eventually fall apart.
Mix it with Turmeric Powder, Chilli Powder and Salt.
Add the mashed Potato to the above and mix it together.

Heat 2 tbsp Canola oil in a flat pan.
Add Cumin Seeds, dry Bay Leaf and Green Chilli (or Dry Red Chilli). Let it sizzle and temper the oil.
Add chopped Onions. Stir and let it cook in medium heat for 5 mins till the Onion is translucent.
Add the already prepared Tuna-Potato mixture and mix it well.
Add little water if the mixture is sticking to the sides of the container. Keep stirring and let it mix till the raw smell is gone. Takes about 5-10 mins.
Keep this mixture aside. We will add it to the cooked Rice later.

Heat 1 tbsp Canola oil in a flat pan.
Once the oil is warm, add the eggs and let it cook. Stir it so that you have well cooked pieces of eggs.
Add Salt and Black Pepper for flavor.
Add the cooked Rice (room temperature is preferred for the Rice). Mix it well.
Add the Shan Egg Fried Rice Spice Mix, if you are planning to use it. Mix it well.
Add the prepared Tuna mix and combine them all together. This takes about another 5 mins.

I usually cover it and let it sit for 10-15 mins before serving. It goes well with a slice of Onion and Tomato or Raita or just Tomato Ketchup!

Bon Appetit! :)

Chia Seeds with Yoghurt Chat

Lately I have started eating one tablespoon of Chia seeds in some form or the other. One of my favourite is mixing it with Apple juice or Orange juice. Today I mixed it with Yoghurt and a teaspoon of Chat Masala. I had it as a side to Batata Poha.

Halloween Pumpkins (a post a year too late)

A post a year too late :) ... but just in time for this year! ;)

Last year, for the very first time, me and hubby got adventurous and got ourselves two large pumpkins. Since we had never carved one before, those pumpkins served as counter decor pieces for quite sometime - actually, not too bad! Then I got panicky and wanted them to serve the purpose they were meant for - lack of time and some my engineering skills and likely I had seen it online somewhere, I decided to use hubby's drill-set to serve my need! Well, I have not seen the drill-set since - most probably they have been stowed away to prevent any such future torture on them. Ok, enough of the background, here are my creations from last year - enjoy!

Tomatillo Dip

Ingredients

Tomatillo - 1 pack of about 12, grind it fine
Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
Parsley - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Lemon juice - 2, small
Salt - as per taste
Green chilli - 2 (optional)

Method

Grind the chopped Tomatillo into a fine paste.
Add water if you want it less thick.
Mix it with chopped Onion, chopped Parsley and Lemon juice.
Add Salt and chopped Green Chilli as per taste.

Serve with Pita chips and Hummus - amazing! It can't get more sour and tangy!

Chia Seeds with Yoghurt Chat

Lately I have started eating one tablespoon of Chia seeds in some form or the other. One of my favourite is mixing it with Apple juice or Orange juice. Today I mixed 1 tablespoon of Chia seeds with 3/4th cup Yoghurt and a 1/2 teaspoon of Chat Masala.

I had it as a side with Batata Poha. Yumm!