Tender Jack fruit Stir fry

Ingredients

Idichakka(tender jack fruit): 2 ½ cups ( Peeled and sliced)

Muthira(horse gram): ½ cup

Salt: needed

Shallots: 10

Refined Oil/Coconut Oil: 4tbsp

Dry red Chilli: 4

Method Of Preparation

Dry roast horse gram. Wash the roasted gram and tender jack fruit.

In a pressure cooker add the horse gram, idichakka and salt. Add enough water to get it cooked.

Keep on flame and wait for 2 whistles. Open the lid when pressure releases. If there is excess water drain it off.

Heat oil in a pan and add chopped shallots to it. When shallots turn golden brown color add dry red chilli to it. Stir for half a minute and add the cooked idichakka to it. Stir and keep ion low flame for about 4-5 minutes.

Serve hot with rice.

Grilled Butterflied Chicken

Ingredients

Chicken: 900gms

Kasmiri Chilli Powder: 2tbsp

Lemon juice: 4tbsp

Vinegar: 1tsp

Garam Masala: 1tsp

Salt: needed

Olive oil: 5-6tbsp (or as per required)

Method Of Preparation

The method to cut the chicken to butterfly

Butterflying chicken is a technique in which you remove the backbone from the chicken and flatten the chicken. It's a great technique to use if you're grilling a whole chicken because it will cook faster and more evenly than it would if it was whole. To butterfly a chicken, place it on a cutting board with the breast side down and the tail of the chicken facing you. Using kitchen shears, cut down the entire length of one side of the backbone. With the breast side still down, turn the chicken so that the neck end is facing you. Cut along the entire length of the other side of the backbone. Remove and discard the backbone. Turn the chicken over so that the breast side is up. Open the chicken out onto the cutting board. Flatten the chicken using the palm of your hand. (You can utilize the back bone for making chicken stock)

Wash the chicken well, I removed the chicken skin, you can do it either way.

In a bowl add kashmiri chilli powder, lemon juice, vinegar, garam masala, salt and 2tbsp olive oil. Mix it well with hand.

Marinate the chicken with the prepared marinate. Keep for 3-4 hours.

This time I grilled in the gas cooking range. Brushed the chicken in between while cooking with olive oil vigorously to avoid getting it dried. It took around 55-60 minutes in medium flame.

Serve hot with any roti of your choice.

Mutton Mandi

Ingredients

Rice

Basmathi Rice (Sinnara): 2 ½ cups

Carrot: 1

Beans: 15-20

Capsicum: 1 (I didn’t add)

Dry lemon: 1 big

Maggi Chicken Cube: 1

Arabic Masala: ¾ tbsp.

Pepper Corns: 1tbsp

Mutton

Mutton: 750gms

Arabic Masala: 1 ½ tbsp.

Salt: needed

Garam Masala: 1tsp (optional)

Lemon Juice: of 1 lemon

Olive Oil: 4tbsp

Smoking

Coal: 1piece

Butter/ghee/olive oil: 4tbsp

Method Of Preparation

Wash and soak basmathi rice for about 1-2 hours. Drain it 10 minutes before cooking.

Wash mutton and marinate with arabic masala, salt, garam masala and lemon juice. Marinate for about 2 hours.

In a pressure cooker add the marinated mutton and 3 cups water. Keep on flame; wait for 3-4 whistles. Open the lid after the pressure releases. Take the mutton pieces out from it.

Check the quantity of mutton stock and make it to 4 cups by adding water if needed.

Heat olive oil in a pan, add the mutton pieces to it and keep in low flame. Flip in between till the mutton pieces become dark brown color.

Mean while  take another pan to cook rice. Add cut dry lemon, beans, capsicum, carrot, Arabic masala, chicken cubes, peppercorns and mutton stock. Check salt and add if needed.

Keep on flame, let it boil. When boils, add drained rice to it. Give a stir with a fork. Close with a air tight lid. When boils after adding rice put in very low flame. Don’t open the lid or don’t stir it. Switch off the flame after 20 minutes. Open the lid after 5 minutes.

Take a small steel plate/bowl add ghee to it. Heat the coal well on the gas flame.

Open the rice pan place the steel plate in the middle of rice. Spread the mutton pieces around it. Keep ready the lid in one hand, Put the hot coal into the steel plate with ghee. Close the lid fast.

Open the lid only after 10 minutes. So that the smoke spreads all over the rice and mutton.

Serve hot with salata hara

Salata Hara (Arabic Side Dish)

Ingredients

Tomatoes: 2 big

Green Chilli: 1 (optional)

Coriander leaves: ¼ cup

Lemon Juice: Juice of half lemon

Salt: needed

Method Of Preparation

Blend tomatoes, coriander leaves and green chilli. ( no need to make to smooth paste, do as per your taste)

Take out tomato mix from the blender to a bowl and add salt and lemon juice.

Serve with Arabic rice or pulavs.

Note: The original recipe don’t call for green chilli.

Semolina-Plantain Cake

Ingredients

Ripe Plantain/Banana: 2 big

Milk: 2 cups

Eggs: 2

Semolina/rava: 250gms

Maida/Plain Flour: 6tbsp

Salt: pinch

Sugar: 1 cup (adjust as per taste)

Baking Powder: 1tsp

Baking Soda: a pinch

Essence any flavor: ½ tsp

Refined oil: ¼ cup (can use butter too)

Honey: for glaze

Method Of Preparation

Boil the banana with required water till it is well cooked. Drain and peel.

Powder the sugar and keep aside.

In a blender add boiled banana, milk, egg, essence and refined oil.

Blend well.  Transfer it to a bowl.

Then add baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt to it.

Mix it with balloon whisk. Then add semolina and maida to it.

Mix well. Transfer this to a greased baking tray.

Bake in the preheated to about 75-80 minutes at 160⁰C or till done.

Remove from the oven and give it a honey glaze vigorously.

Slice when cooled and serve.

Whole Chicken &Veggie Fry

Ingredients

Chicken: 900gms

Kashmiri Chilli Powder: 2 ½ tbsp

Garam Masala: 1tsp
Lemon Juice: 1 lemon

Curd/Yogurt: 1tbsp

Oil: 2tbsp

Potato: 2

Onion: 3

Carrot: 1

Spring Onion: 2 sprig

Salt: needed

Lemon juice: 1tbsp

Oil: ½ cup or more for frying chicken

Method Of Preparation

Wash the chicken well. Drain it.

In a bowl add chilli powder, lemon juice, salt, curd, oil and garam masala.

Mix this well with hand. Marinate the chicken inside and outside with this mix. Tie the legs together with twine.

Keep the chicken aside for 3-4hours.

Cut the onion into cubes and carrot length wise.

Cut the potato length wise and keep in salt water for 15-20 minutes.

Cut the spring onion and keep aside.

Marinate the onion and carrot in the same chicken marinated pan with the leftover marinating in it, this step is optional.

Heat oil in a pan and add the marinated chicken to it and cook the chicken in open pan with low flame by turning all sides. Take out the chicken when all sides turn light brown clolor. This step takes around 20-30 minutes.

In the same oil fry the potatoes till done, Take out the potatoes and add onion and carrot to the same oil. Take out when the onion turns slightly translucent.

Take a greased baking tray, spread fried potatoes, onion and carrot and spread spring onion over it. You can add lemon juice and sprinkle salt if needed.

Keep the chicken over the veggies.

Bake it in a preheated oven at 160⁰c to about 35-45 minutes or till done. Turn the chicken in between to get all sides evenly cooked.

Garnish with chopped spring onion and tomato slices.

Welcoming 2013 With Chocolate Dipped Cake With Praline Topping

WISHING ALL MY FRIENDS & READERS,

 PROSPEROUS & HAPPY NEW YEAR

Ingredients

Vanila cake cut into slices: 8

Praline: as needed

Cooking Chocolate: 4-6 squares or as needed

Method Of Preparation

Cool the cake well. Cut it into 2” thick slices and keep in refrigerator for few hours.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiling method or you can do it in microwave too.

Dip the cake slices in the melted chocolate using a tooth pick or bamboo skewer and coat well.

Place this on a butter paper and sprinkle vigorously praline on top of it.

Let it cool. Delicious chocolate covered cake is ready to serve.