Spicy Salmon fish fry

This is a very simple and healthy recipe that U can make  any time , it so happened while I was on my morning walk with my walking buddy and she mentioned that our grocery FM had some really good salmon on sale !
So I headed to the store and got some on my list :)

What U need
Salmon fillet - 2 Lbs
Salt -as needed
Paprika- 1 tsp
Pepper white and black- 1tsp
Turmeric pwd- 1 tsp
Chilli pwd- 2 tsp
Garlic pwd- 2 tsp
Lemon slices
Red onions for garnish
Olive oil for shallow frying

Marinate the fish with the above ingredients at least for 2 hours  or overnight too ,Heat  a non stick pan for  a few minutes add oil and gently slide in the fish.
Fry each side for few minutes till crispy then serve with some sliced lemon wedges and red onions NJoy !

Egg fried rice

What U need ~

•  2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons of garlic chili sauce
• 1 teaspoon cut beans  
•  Olive oil for frying (my preference)
• 4 cups cooked jasmine rice, chilled
• 6 large cloves garlic clove, crushed
• 2 green chillies 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 onion, thinly slices
• 1/2 cup cilantro springs optional 
• 1/2 lemon cut quarter size optional

Prepare the ingredients by finely chopping the garlic and green chili. Heat a wok until very hot and then add 1-2 Tablespoons of oil . Add the finely chopped garlic and chilis and stir fry until the garlic is golden brown. Add the onion slices and  cut beans stir fry for 30 seconds to a minute until they are translucent, but still slightly firm. Add the rice and mix together with all of the other ingredients. Once the sauces have been mixed thoroughly with the rice,  make  a center hole in the pan add the eggs that have been beaten scramble it along with the rice add the cilantro leaves and turn off the heat.
Add the lemon on the side serve eat yourself and Njoy !

Happy Easter with yummy Beef Puffs

Easter has always been a special time of celebration coming together and spending time with family and friends . This easter instead of making the beef cutlets I decided to go with a twist beef puffs very similar just a different cover -up :)

What You need :

Puff pastry rolls - 1 box

Beef -2 pounds boiled and highly salted and minced or shredded

Boiled potatoes-1 crumbled 

Shallots chopped-1/2 cup

Ginger finely chopped-1/2 inch

Green chillies chopped as per taste

Cilantro chopped -1 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Oil- 1 tablespoon 

Garam masala - 1 teaspoon

Heat  a pan and add the oil when hot add the onions , ginger sauce for few minutes

Add the shredded meat, boiled potatoes, green chillies, cilantro.

Mix well saute for few minutes more, add salt and garam nasal towards the end.

Next step is to cut up the pastry I usually cut one roll into 6 pieces, so one box will be enough to make 12 puffs. Then stuff these rolls with the meat mixture pinch on the edges like in the picture and lightly pat the top .

Once all these puffs are stuffed arranged them on a tray with a 1 inch space between each of them 

Bake at 400 " for 15 mins you can always brush the top with egg whites for an extra shiny glaze too.

After 15 mins the Beef puffs are ready to be devoured , serve with a tangy chutney or ketchup and NJoy !!

 " Wish you all a very happy and joyous Easter "

Cajun Rice

• What you need :
• 
  
• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 2 cups water or chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 lb sausage cut up
• Cajun or Creole Seasoning
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups diced onions and bell peppers
• 
  
• Combine rice, water (or broth) and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer . Remove from heat and set aside when done. Keep covered.
• 
  
• Cut the sausage into bite-sized pieces, about 1-inch cubes. For extra flavor you can use chorizo too . When the oil is very hot, add the sausage  in a single layer. Brown on one side, about 2-3 minutes, then flip and brown on the other side. Remove the sausage to a plate and set aside
• 
  
• Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, increase heat to high, and when the oil is hot, carefully add the onions and bell peppers. Add more seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and browned.
• 
  
• Add the onions and bell peppers, then add the sausage back in, along with any juices that may have collected on the plate. Add the cooked rice and stir until well combined. 
• NJoy !

Happy new year 2017

Let’s give a warm welcome to the year that starts a new, cherish each moment that the year shall behold, so let’s come together and celebrate a blissful start to the New Year. Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas 2016

" May this Christmas bring joy and love to your heart and soul, and may you start the New Year on a beautiful note. 

Wishing you the best Christmas and a safe and happy New Year "

Happy Thanksgiving

“It’s a gift to be able to give many thanks for the small things in your life. For the kind words and smiles. May the candles burn brightly and offer you peace. 
On this special day, 

May your blessings increase!”

Green coconut chutney

What u need

• Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup
• shallots - 1-2 chopped
• ginger  -  1 inch
• curry leaves - 4-5
• oil - 1 tsp
• salt as needed
• green chillies - 1-2  
• mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Grind coconut, green chillies ,ginger and shallots in to a fine paste , add oil in a pan when hot add the mustard seeds as they start to break add the finely chopped shallots and curry leaves .
• Keep the heat on low so that nothing gets burnt.
• Add the coconut mix and stir on medium heat .
• Keep in stirring for few mins then add salt.

Serve it with Idlis or Dosas. NJoy !

Chicken Tikka Quesadilla

  

Quesadilla is one of the easiest quick fix dinner ideas at my place. On days when I don't want to stand and cook for long and do not have the time to do so, this one comes in as a rescue , and a very yummy one too :)

What u need :
Quesadilla - 1 pack small
Cooked chicken - 2 Lbs ( I used pulled chicken or the baked chicken )
Shredded cheese - 1 pack ( Cheddar and Monterey jack )
Chicken tikka masala - 2 teaspoon (this is the kicker  I used Rajah brand)
Hot salsa sauce- 1 bottle
Sour cream - 1 tube
Chopped red onions - 1/2 cup
Chopped red tomatoes- 2
Chopped cilantro - 1/2 cup
Lemon juice- optional
Butter - 1 tablespoon

• Use a heated pan add some butter add the pulled chicken cook for few mins as this is already cooked does not take long just get the juices going. Add the chicken tikka masala I used Rajah tikka masala very authentic taste and flavor , cook for few mins more then put the heat off . 
• Take  a flat pan and heat it up , rub some butter and  put the quesadilla on the pan rub butter on the same too. Make sure there is butter on both sides, keep the flame low-med don't want to burn the quesadilla.
• Add the sour cream spread it on the quesadilla this works well to hold all the veggies and chicken together
• Add the pulled tikka masala chicken , then the cheese pile little of the onions , tomatoes, cilantro ,some more sour cream YUM ! 
• then few drops of the spicy salsa sauce and pack this one up .
• Just like in the picture all piled up goodness before getting rolled up 
• Bite into this & NJoy!

Papaya moru curry

What u need ~

Shallot - 1 chopped

Red Chillies - 5 - 6

Curry leaves- 1 spring

Garlic  - 1-2 chopped

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Meethi (Uluva) Powder - 1/2 tsp

Yogurt (Curd) - 2 cups lightly beaten

Raw Papaya - 1 cup chopped cub sized

Salt - as needed 

Olive  oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

• Add the chopped papaya in a cup pf water , add salt, turmeric powder, green chillies optional  and boil till the papaya is well cooked.
• Heat oil in a deep set pan add mustard seeds , red chillies, garlic curry leaves and chopped shallots.
• Stir for a while and then add the turmeric powder, meethi powder, cumin powder and salt.
• Now add some water. Cover it and cook for some time.When cooked well, switch off the stove, and after a while add the whipped yogurt to it, stir well.
• Add the whipped yogurt gently in to the pan with stirring it .
• Add salt in the end with constant stirring . 
• Add the cooked papaya to the curd and mix well, serve with rice and Njoy!

Chicken Stew

Few years back while I was visiting my cousin and her new baby also got to meet her mother -in-law who had come over to help her out . That morning for breakfast they served homemade appams and chicken stew .

I have had a lot of chicken curries for breakfast , but this one was different it did not have a lot of spices very simple and delectable with chicken stewed in coconut  milk with the whole spices aroma along with potatoes and carrots garnished with toasted cashews and raisins .

The new baby was for sure the star , but chicken stew came very close :) her mom-in-law made it so well that I had to take down the recipe and recreate it at home. And so I did like many times  this recipe is one of my family's favorite breakfast dish goes really well with appams , pathiri and idiiappams .

What U need :

Organic Chicken -  2 whole chicken cut up in medium size pieces I used Cornish hen

Red Onion  – 1 large sliced 

Green chillies – 2 sliced optional

Curry leaves – 8 - 10

Carrot  – 1 medium

Potato – 1 medium (russet )

Garam Masala – 1 ½  tsp

Oil - 1 tablespoon 

Black peppercorns - 1 teaspoon powdered and whole

Ghee – 1 Tbsp for garnish 

Cinnamon – 1 inch stick

Green Cardamom – 3 or 4

Cloves – 3 or 4

Star Anise – 1

Bay leaves – 2

Garam masala - 1 teaspoon (dry mix of cinnamon, cardamon, cloves , star anise)

Coconut milk - 1 cup

Cashews - 5-8 roasted in ghee preferably 

Raisins - 1 teaspoon 

Salt as needed

• Marinate  the chicken with ground pepper ,leave this for at least an hour.
• In a large cooking pan, heat some oil or ghee is optional at this step add the whole spices and saute till the spices are heated up and exude the delicious aroma.
• Add in the sliced onion, green chillies and curry leaves and cook until the onion is brown .
• Then add the cube sized potato, carrots, and Chicken pieces along with enough salt and cover and let it cook on medium-low heat until chicken as well as the potatoes are almost cooked. 
• Add the garam masala to the stew cover and cook until the chicken is fully cooked and is usually 30 minutes totally so the chicken is fully cooked inside out.
• Then add  the coconut milk you can always add the thin milk first and towards the end add the thicker milk with cream, give it a stir  make sure this is on  a low  flame cook for few minutes more.
• Finally this step is the most crucial step this adds the authentic taste heat a separate pan , melt the ghee then add some thinly sliced onions fry  this till brown and crispy , add the cashews and raisins to this and fry for  a few seconds more add some garam masala , then pour this over the stew and turn off the heat. You don't need to stir as this point the ghee and cashews on the top of the stew give this dish a very authentic look.

Garnish with onions , curry leaves, cashews & raisins

Fried in ghee to top off the stew .

Serve with soft appams , dip into the yummy gravy and Njoy !

"Wish you all a very Happy easter !"