" Chicken Stew "

Stews and Soups are a must in this cool weather .A bowl of warm stew with fresh bread is the best thing to have on a cool windy day. It makes your evenings special and relaxing. Honestly I was not a very big fan of stew earlier, maybe for the fact that I never had a proper one. But, when I had this stew prepared by my sis in law, I fell in love with it. 

Stew is not something that will look fancy or decorative on your plate but its the most delicious thing for your palate. 

Today I am sharing a warm and lovely recipe of Chicken Stew. This recipe is bang on nutritious as it is full of lean meat, vegetables and goodness of coconut. Its mild and refreshing and once you start dipping your bread in it, you will realise how delicious a stew can be. Don't go by the looks but by the taste here :). You can prepare this recipe with Chicken/ Mutton/ Beef meat. 

Thankyou Mrs Rita Mendonca for sharing this lovely recipe with me. 

" Chicken Stew"

Ingredients : For 4-5 people

400 gms chicken ( with bone or boneless - as per preference)

2 big onions - chopped

4 big tomatoes - chopped

2 bay leaves

a bunch of coriander leaves

5-6 green chillis ( you can increase or reduce the quantity)

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp cumin

4-5 cloves

1 stick cinnamon

1 ginger shoot

10-15 pods garlic

Salt as per taste

1 tbsp turmeric powder

5 cups coconut milk ( thin consistency)

2 cups of mixed, chopped and boiled vegetables - Carrots, Cauliflower,Green Peas, French Beans, Potatoes 

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Olive oil for cooking

Preparation:

• Grind a paste of coriander leaves, green chillis, coriander powder,cumin,cloves, cinnamon, ginger and garlic together. Make a smooth paste and keep aside
• In a deep pan, pour olive oil and deep fry onions with bay leaves till brown. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till they become soft and leave oil on the sides. 
• Add the ground spice paste, turmeric and salt and mix well. Saute for few minutes till the spices are cooked and you can get the aroma. 
• Add the chicken and coconut milk and mix well. Let it boil once and then cover and cook on low flame till chicken is cooked. ( You can add more coconut milk if the gravy gets thick or starts getting dry. You will need a thick stew dipping consistency.)
• Add the boiled vegetables in this stage and cook for another 2-3 minutes. (Dont overcook else vegetables will get mushy) ( Adjust seasoning at this time before switching off the flame)
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with fresh breads and onion salad

Note : If you are using mutton or beef then pre-cook the meat in a pressure cooker with salt and turmeric and then add it to the stew with the vegetables and cook for few minutes. You can also add or subtract any other vegetables as per your own choice. The coconut milk can be used as fresh or prepacked or in powder form. It will give add mildness to the curry so you can adjust the spices as per your taste.

Summer Meal - Grilled Cottage Cheese,Sauteed veggies with charred onions and tomato rings.

It is a known fact that we like to drink more than eat in summers. The hot sunny days calls for more beverages and lemonade than other varieties of food. We like to incorporate more colours in our diet in terms of fruits and vegetables as they are more appeasing to the eye and to our palette. 

I usually avoid fried,junk and heavy food in this weather and prefer eating light, colourful and flavoursome food as i can enjoy it without having any indulgence aftereffect. 

Yesterday I prepared a nutritious meal which was full of flavours and colors and absolutely barred the need for wheat rotis or bread. Assortments of veggies,greens,cottage cheese and herbs makes this dish light & fulfilling. Enjoy this Summer fresh meal with a chilled glass of lemonade. 

"Summer Meal - Grilled Cottage Cheese,Sauteed veggies with charred onions and tomato rings"

Ingredients:

For Cottage Cheese -

250 gms fresh low fat cottage cheese

3 tbsp mustard sauce

1 tsp olive oil 

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp tomato ketchup

1 tsp black pepper powder

salt as per taste

1 tbsp oregano / italian seasoning mix

2 tbsp olive oil for grilling

For Veggies - 

1/2 cup green peas

8-10 baby potatoes

100 gms french beans / asparagus

2 carrots

1 small cup sweet corn kernels

1/2 cup button mushrooms

1 brocolli ( optional)

salt as per taste

2 tbsp Oregano powder

1 tbsp red chilli flakes

1 tbsp olive oil 

3 flakes garlic crushed

For charred rings - 

2 big onions

2 big tomatoes

1 tbsp oilve oil

salt as per taste

Italian seasoning mix

Preparation:

• For preparing the cottage cheese, mix mustard sauce, olive oil,ginger garlic paste,lemon juice,tomato ketchup, pepper powder,salt and oregano in a bowl. Slice the cottage cheese in thick square chunks.Dip these slices in the prepared marinade and leave aside for fifteen minutes.
• Heat a grill or pan and add olive oil. Place the marinated cottage cheese slices and grill them on low flame for 3-4 minutes on each side till crisp and brown. Remove and keep aside
• To prepare the veggies, boil them together and strain. Take a deep pan and heat olive oil. Add crushed garlic and let it infuse it for a minute. Add the sieved vegetables and toss them in the oil properly. Season with salt,oregano and red chilli flakes. Keep aside
• For making charred rings, make round slices of onions and tomatoes. Seperate the onion rings and remove the centre pulp from the tomatoes.
• Heat oil in the griddle or pan and once hot drop the onion rings and char them on high heat. Season with salt and italian seasoning mix and keep tossing. They will become a little pale in colour. Remove aside. Repeat the process with tomato rings and char them for a minute (Do not overcook else they will become squishy)
• To place all hte things together, place grilled cottage cheese on the plate. Add the sauteed veggies and charred onion and tomato rings on the side. Garnish with little olive oil before serving ( as per choice)
• Serve warm as a complete meal. 

Note : You can use any other vegetables of your choice in this recipe. You can add zucchini, capsicum etc to add extra flavour.

I have made the same recipe with grilled chicken instead of cottage cheese and paired it up with sauteed veggies and rings. You can use any marinade and grill the chicken to perfection before serving. The same can be done with prawns,fish and other sea food items. If you like you can also serve this dish with some warm flatbread and butter. 

While preparing the charred onion and tomato rings please be careful to not overcook them. They should have a bite and taste sweet after cooking. 

If you want to make this dish more healthy then you can skip the use of oil while grilling. 

 

Spaghetti a la Bolognaise - Homestyle !!!!

Italian is by far one of my favourite cuisines and I can practically eat Italian food throughout the week.

I love to make pastas,spaghetti,pizza and various italian styled meat and vegetarian dishes at home but I try and ensure that all these dishes are light to eat and less fatty :)

Today I will share a simple yet extremely delicious recipe of the classic spaghetti a la bolagnaise. 

I have used whole wheat spaghetti and lowfat mincemeat to make the recipe light and tasty.

Enjoy the recipe and Ill wait to hear back from you. 

" Spaghetti a la Bolagnaise"

Ingredients :

1/2 packet whole wheat spaghetti

250 gms mince meat - mutton

2 large onions - chopped

4 tomatoes - chopped

3-4 green chillis - sliced

1 large potato - chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

salt as per taste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp red chilli powder 

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp cumin powder

few curry leaves

coriander leaves - chopped

1/2 cup grated cheddar/processed cheese

Italian seasoning mix 

red chilli flakes 

Preparation:

• Prepare the spaghetti as per packet instructions and let it cool in the seive and keep ready
• Wash the meat mince and let it dry in a seive.
• To prepare the minced meat sauce, heat some oil in a pan. Add curry leaves and onions and saute till onions become pink in colour. Add potatoe and green chilli and mix well. Cook for another two minutes and add the minced meat and mix. Cover and cook on low flame for ten minutes. Keep stirring in between.
• Add chopped tomatoes, all spices and salt and mix well. Cover and cook for another ten minutes till tomatoes are soft and meat is cooked. Do not dry the mixture. You can add little water to retain the consistency. Once cooked add chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
• To assemble, place the cooked spaghetti in a deep dish/plate. Top it up with meat sauce in the middle. Season with Italian seasoning mix and chilli flakes. Garnish with grated cheesee.
• Serve hot with garlic bread. 

Notes : You can skip the potato and green chillis in the recipe. To make it more filling, after cooking the spaghetti, toss in some oil with garlic, onion and tomato sauce and then top up with the meat mince.

You can use chicken/lamb/mutton/beef mince for the recipe as per your taste and choice. The process is the same for all these mince meats except the cooking time which might vary.

If you have less time and want to cook the meat faster than boil the meat in a pressure cooker for two whistels, strain and then cook in the sauce for around 5 minutes. 

"Malaysian styled veg rice"

There are days when you're just not in the mood to cook. I think this happens atleast every alternatite day :) 

Its a daunting task to think and decide about what to cook everyday. The same vegetables gets boring after a period of time and you crave to have something different and unique. 

I try and use my daily veggies in different styles atleast twice a weak to avoid cooking and eating monotony.

This time I made Malaysian styled veg rice with veggies and egg. It tasted delicious and juicy and went well with a chilled glass of lemonade. You should surely try this recipe for a hot summer afternoon and enjoy it with chilled beer or mocktail.

" Malaysian Styled Veg Rice"

Ingredients : 

4 small onions chopped

few garlic cloves chopped

1 carrot peeled & shredded / julienned

one cup sliced button mushrooms

1 cup thinly sliced capsicum ( red/yellow/green)

2 cups rice - precooked with little salt

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp chilli sauce

olive oil 

2 red chillis chopped - optioanl

coriander leaves chopped

salt to taste

eggs fried

Preparation :

•  Heat oil in a large pan and add chillis, garlic and onions.
• Saute for a while till onions turn pink in colour
• Add carrots, mushrooms and capsicum and cook for around 4-5 minutes.Add little salt as per taste ( remember that soy sauce is salty so adjust salt accordingly) 
• Add rice and mix well. cook for another two minutes on slow flame
• In a bowl mix brown sugar, soy sauce and chilli sauce properly and add in the rice. Mix well
• Add chopped coriander and mix.
• Transfer rice in plates and top up with fried egg. Drizzle little chilli sauce and serve hot.

Note : You can add more veggies as per your choice while making this recipe.

"Chicken Xacuti -- Comfort Goan Cuisine"

We simple love to gorge on Goan food. The aromatic gravies made with coconut and spices adds to the beauty of this wonderful cuisine. Veg or non veg, any type of dish can be transformed with these beautiful goan spices. 

I am sharing the recipe of Chicken Xacuti today. This simple chicken gravy is full of aromatic ingredients and flavours. This dish is best eaten with hot cross buns or indian breads. 

Enjoy the recipe and have a comforting week ahead. 

" Chicken Xacuti "

Ingredients : 

400 gms boneless chicken

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp lime juice

3 medium onions

oil 

6 dried red chillis

few cloves

1 tsp black peppercorns 

small stick cinnamon

small star anise

1/4th tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tbsp coriander seeds

1and 1/2 cups grated coconut ( grind fresh coconut pieces in the mixer)

2 large tomatoes chopped

2 cups water

1/2 cup coconut milk ( you can prepare from the coconut milk powder)

salt to taste

coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation:

• Marinate the chicken with a pinch of salt, ginger garlic paste, turmeric and lime juice for half an hour
• Slice one onion and chop the other two. Heat little oil in a pan and stir fry the red chillis,cloves,peppercorns,cinnamon,staranise,cumin seeds,coriander seeds, grated coconut and one sliced onion till fragrant and it changes colour. Once cool grind all the fried spices and coconut to a fine paste with one  cup of water in the mixer.
• Heat oil in the pan, add chopped onions and saute till they change colour.
• Add the tomatoes and cook till soft. Add the marinated chicken and saute for five minutes
• Add water and cook till the chicken is tender. Add the ground spices paste and salt. Cook over for low heat for another five minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and bring to a boil and cook on low heat for another two minutes.
• Remove from heat, garnish with chopped corinader leaves and serve hot with pao or any indian bread.

Note : You can add some cubed potatoes with the chicken to add little starch to the dish and get added taste 

" Leftover Spaghetti Omelette"

Leftover spaghetti or pasta from previous day and you're getting bored to eat it again. Well, don't fret as we can convert the simple dainty pasta noodles into something delicious for your weekend breakfast :)

Hope you enjoyed my last spaghetti and cutlet recipe. If you made it and have some leftover pasta then you can whip up this recipe right now in a jiffy. 

This is the recipe of Leftover Spaghetti or pasta Omelette. You can use any form or pasta, macaroni, spaghetti or even Maggi noodles. It will taste more delicious if its precooked and kept than freshly made one. 

Enjoy the leftovers mornings in a yummy and simple style.

" Leftover Spaghetti Omelette"

Ingredients :

2 eggs

1 cup of 100-200 gms cooked spaghetti/pasta

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves chopped

2 tbsp peas boiled

1 onion chopped

1 tomatoe chopped

few sprigs of coriander leaves chopped

salt to taste 

1 tsp pepper powder

Cheddar or Parmesan cheese - grated

2 green chillis slit ( optional)

Preparation:

• Heat oil in a pan and saute garlic till you get the aroma. Add onion and cook well till soft and pink
• Add tomatoes,green chillis and peas and cook for 2-3 minutes.Remove from heat & put the mixture in a large bowl
• Add coriander leaves, salt, pepper, little cheese, and spaghetti. Mix well. 
• Beat the eggs nicely and add to the above mixture and mix well.
• Heat a tbsp oil in the frying pan and pour the egg mixture. Level it out with a spoon to form an even omelette.
• Cook on medium heat for around 5 minutes till firm and cooked from bottom. 

Now you have three options to make this omelette as per your taste and style -

• You can cover the pan after putting the cheese and cook on slow flame for around 2 minutes till cooked from top and cheese melts. Slice and serve. This is if you like the omelette a little wet and soft. 
• Once the egg cooks from the bottom, slowly slide the omelette on a plate and place the pan on top and topple it to get it cooked from the other side. This way you will not break it while turning. Cook it from the other side for another two mins till crisp and firm. Remove on plate, garnish with grated cheese and serve. This is if you like your eggs well cooked.
• Last option is if you like it little grilled or crisp. Add cheese and after cooking it from the bottom for 5 minutes, transfer the pan to a hot grill for 2-3 minutes until golden and cheese melts. Cut into wedges and serve hot. If you cant use the same pan in the oven then transfer it to a baking tray ( greased with little butter) and bake till crisp and golden.

You can cook it in any of these styles and enjoy it. My fav is the second option as its simple, fast and yummy. You can also add blanched spinach, mushrooms, potatoes, etc in the omelette to make it more appetizing  If you already made spaghetti with vegetables then you can skip more veggies and just make it with ham and cheese for added flavours. 

"Three Winter Warm Recipes - A complete Brunch Meal"

A very Happy New Year to all of you. 

I hope this year brings in good health and good food with lots of amazing recipes for all of you. January is a beautiful month and I enjoy the chilly weather with the sun shining down to keep us a bit warm. With lots of resolutions in place & the one being about sharing more and more recipes, I would like to share the first recipe of the year today :)

Today Ill be sharing a complete Brunch meal recipe which you can prepare and enjoy on your weekends. You can prepare the cutlets in advance and save your time for the next day. The whole meal has been broken down into three parts - 

• Winter Warm Spaghetti
• Spinach and Chickpea Cutlets
• Complete Party or brunch meal for a Winter Sunday

Hope you like all the three recipes and try them this coming weekend. 

Keep Cooking & Have a great 2013 !!!

Recipe I : 

" Winter Warm Spaghetti"

Ingredients :

200 gms / Half packet whole wheat spaghetti ( you can use any other variant)

2 tbsp olive oil 

salt to taste

1 tsp pepper powder 

1 small cup boiled peas

1 roasted bell pepper / capsicum ( red/yellow/green) - chopped

2 big onion chopped

3 big tomatoes chopped

3 garlic cloves chopped

2 dried red chilli chopped

Parmesan / cheddar cheese for garnish

Italian Seasoning for garnish

Preparation:

• Cook the pasta as per packet instructions.
• In a pan, heat the olive oil. Add garlic and chilli flakes and saute for a minute
• Add onions and saute till light pink in colour. Add tomatoes and cook well till soft and it turns into a thick sauce
•  Add roasted bell pepper,salt, pepper and peas. Mix well and cook for few minutes. ( At this stage check for salt and seasoning before you add the spaghetti)
• Add the spaghetti and mix well. Remove from heat and garnish with lots of grated cheese and italian seasoning.
• Serve with garlic bread or as a part of the whole meal with the next recipe. 

Note : You can add other veggies like capers, mushrooms, olives & cottage cheese. To prepare the roasted pepper, put the bell pepper or capsicum directly on the gas flame ( medium) and cook from all sides till charred and soft. Use a fork to turn it around and to hold it while cooking. Once roasted, slice and use. 

You can also roast them in the oven - Season the peppers with olive oil and wrap in a foil paper and bake for 15 minutes till completely roasted. Though I swear by my gas flame being the easiest method.

Recipe II :

" Spinach & Chickpea Cutlets"

Ingredients :

250 gms chickpeas - boiled

less than half bunch spinach leaves - chopped

1 onion - finely chopped

2-3 garlic cloves chopped

few coriander leaves chopped

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp chilli powder

3 tbsp plain flour / Chickpea flour/gram flour

salt to taste

2 tbsp olive oil

Preparation:

• Blend the chickpeas and spinach in a mixer till full blended. If you finding it difficult to blend it then blend the spinach and mash the chickpeas and then mix it together to form a smooth mixture.
• Add 1 tbsp oil, onion,garlic, coriander leaves, spices, salt, flour and mix with the mixture. 
• Drizzle a little oil on your palms and then shape the mixture into cutlets. You will get 15-20 cutlets from this mix. The mixture will be little sticky but dont fret. Just roll and pat and arrange them on a plate. ( If it very sticky then add one or two tbsp of flour to the mix)
• Refrigerate the cutlets for an hour now so that they become hard and good for frying
• Heat oil in a non stick pan to shallow fry or grill the cutlets. Fry the cutlets on each side for few minutes till golden brown and crisp. Pat them a little while frying for even cooking on medium flame.
• Remove on a kitchen paper to remove the excess oil. 
• Serve warm with sauce, chutneys or as part of my wholesome meal.

Note : You can store the cutlet mix in the fridge upto a week if you want to make some later. These cutlets are packed with protein and iron and are absolutely mouthwatering. Use them in wraps, sandwtiches or burgers and you will love them. 

    Final Recipe : 

"The complete Wholesome meal"

Now as you are ready with spaghetti and cutlets lets place them together with some other yummy tidbits to make it a complete brunch meal. It goes well as the perfect brunch meal with hot cups of coffee or tea. 

Prepare the cutlet mix the previous day and right before you plan to eat fry them and prepare the spaghetti. 

• Boil some eggs and season them with salt and pepper
• Crispy Fry some Salami or Ham slices in 2 tbsp olive oil
• Grill some bread with butter or margarine till crisp and brown

Take a serving plate. Arrange some spaghetti with cheese, Spinach & Chickpea cutlets, Salami slices, boiled eggs and grilled buttered toasts. Serve it with a big cup of tea or coffee.

Note : This was just one of the ways I had served for Sunday brunch. You can skip or add any other dish of your choice .