ADRAKI MURG / GINGER CHICKEN

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken pieces of your choice (with or without bones )

1"stick of cinnamon

5 cloves

4 pods green cardamom seeds removed

8 black peppercorns

1 large bay leaf

1 star anise

4 tbsps fresh yogurt

2 tbsps coriander powder

2 tbsps cumin powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp mace powder

1 large onion chopped very fine

2 medium tomatoes chopped fine

1/2 cup water

Salt to taste

4" piece of ginger cut into julliennes

3-4 tbsps vegetable cooking oil

Chopped fresh coriander for garnish

Preparation:

Gently roast the whole spices in a flat pan on a medium flame till aromatic. Keep stirring while you do so.  Remove from fire and cool.

Grind the spices to a fine powder and mix with the coriander, cumin, turmeric, chilli and mace powders.  Keep aside.

Put the yogurt in a large mixing bowl and beat with a whisk.  Add the powdered spices to this and mix well till blended. Add the chicken to this marinade and mix to coat on all sides. Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a deep pan on a medium flame. Add the onions and fry till they are pale golden in color. Now add the tomatoes and fry till they are pulpy.

Add the chicken along with the marinade and stir fry for 10 minutes till the chicken is sealed and browned on all sides.

Add about ½ cup water, stir and cover the pan. Reduce the flame to simmer and cook till the chicken is almost done.

Add the ginger (keep some little aside for garnishing), stir and increase the flame to medium.

Keep stirring every 2-3 minutes till most of the gravy has dried up.

Garnish with remaining ginger and chopped coriander and serve with hot Chapatis

Chinese Lemon Chicken

Ingredients:
200 gm boneless chicken – cut into 1” cubes

For the marinade:

1 tbsp soya sauce

¼ tsp salt

Batter:

1 egg, beaten

1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt

oil (for frying)
Sauce:

2 tbsp sugar
1 cup chicken stock

1 tbsp cornstarch
1tbsp lemon juice
½  tsp salt
2 slices of lemon (peeled)
2 tablespoons oil
yellow food coloring (optional)

Vegetables: 

1 pod garlic- crushed

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1 spring onion

A few slices of capsicum

Method

Pat dry the chicken pieces and put them in a bowl and mix with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes

 To make the batter – beat the egg with the cornstarch, a pinch of salt and baking powder.  Coat the chicken with the batter.
Heat oil in a deep pan.  Coat the chicken with the batter and deep fry in hot oil first and then lower the heat until the chicken is fully cooked. When the pieces are golden brown, remove them and drain on paper towels and set aside.
Now, to make the lemon sauce – combine the sugar, cornstarch, chicken broth, lemon juice, and salt and food coloring if using it. Mix until well combined and add 3 slices of lemon to the sauce mixture.
Assembling the dish:

Heat oil in your wok.  Add the crushed garlic, and when brown, remove it.  I prefer to just impregnate the oil with garlic for a mild flavor.  Too much garlic will take away from the bitter sweetness of the lemon!!  Now add the vegetables and stir fry for 1 minute.  Now stir in the lemon sauce mixture and heat until well mixed and sauce becomes clear. Remove the lemon slices and pour the sauce over the chicken and mix.

This dish is best served with rice.

Date & Walnut Cake

Ingredients
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup boiling water
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method
Soak the chopped dates in the boiling water with 1/4 tsp baking soda till ready for use.
First heat the oven to 180o.  Grease a 7" round cake tin and line the bottom with greaseproof paper and grease again, for easy removal of cake.
Place the butter and sugar into your food processor and churn till light and fluffy.  Alternately you can beat them together in a large bowl till light and fluffy.
Add 1 beaten egg and the vanilla and churn again.
Sift the flour, salt and cinnamon together and add this to the butter mixture alternately with the date mixture.
Sometimes I pass this through the mixie to give it a smooth finish, but the small pieces of dates and the walnuts give the cake a real crunchy taste.
Now stir in the walnuts
Spoon the batter into the greased and lined baking tin.
Garnish with more walnuts and bake for about 1 hour.
Cool the cake before removing it from the tin

LEMON / CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Ingredients

200 gms butter ( 1 cup)

125 gm (1/2cup + 1 tbsp) sugar

125 gms (3/4 cup) flour

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp soda bi carb.

1 tsp lemon essence

2 tbsp milk

For Chocolate cupcakes:

75 gms flour and55 gms cocoa powder (1/2 cup flour & ¼ cup cocoa)

1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Put everything in the food processor in the order mentioned.  Add 2 tbsp milk and mix again.  The mixture will be soft and sticky.  Fill up the paper cups ½ full.  Surprisingly this amount will fill 12 paper cups.

Bake for about 15-20 mins in a preheated oven at 200^oC or 400^oF.

You can have them plain – they are just as delicious. You could make 1-2 doz and put them in the fridge, and when required, a 20 sec. in the microwave makes them taste as good as new!!

If you want to ice the cakes, cool them before to do so.

THAI FISH CAKES

Ingredients

500 gm fish ( fillet )

3 beans chopped fine

1 small carrot - grated

1 spring onion chopped fine

2 pods garlic, crushed

Few leaves of coriander

Juice of ½ lemon

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp thai curry paste

1 beaten egg

1 tbsp finely chopped lemon grass

1 cup bread crumbs

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Method

Put everything together into a food processor and churn.

Your mixture is ready to use.

Wet the palms of your hand with water and make small balls

Flatten them out and shallow fry in oil.

Serve on a platter of cabbage leaves or lettuce, accompanied with chilli sauce.

MOONGRE KI SABZI

I was in a fix when a friend sent me some moongres from her farm – my husband was overjoyed, but since I had never cooked them, I promptly got down to calling my friends for recipes and checking on the internet.  However the end result was very encouraging!! A must try!

 

Ingredients

250 gms moongre / radish pods

1 large potato, diced

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/4 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp amchur powder/dry mango powder

2 to 3 tbsp mustard oil or sunflower oil

Salt to taste

Wash the moongre and chop them in 2 or 3 inch pieces. Rinse them in running water 3-4 times.

Heat mustard oil in a pan. Add the potatoes and sauté for 3-4 mins. on a medium flame.

Add the chopped radish pods. Add the turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt.

Stir the vegetables and spices and saute again for 3-4 minutes.

Cover and cook the vegetables for 20-25 minutes on a low flame. Remember to check the vegetables and stir them in between.

Once both the vegetables are cooked, add the garam masala powder and dry mango powder. Stir these two spice powders with the vegetables.

Aloo moongre ki sabzi is best served with rotis and a bowl of curd.

BUTTER CAKE

I have several recipes of Butter Cake but I found this one to be the best. It’s moist, buttery and soft. - its definitely a winner! Butter Cake is always my first choice when I have to make something for guests coming for tea!

Ingredients:

200 gm Butter  softened – (1 full cup)185 gm /5 oz Castor Sugar- (1 ½ cups full)
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
A pinch of Salt
6 Egg separated

½ tsp cream of tartar (optional)

1 tbsp Milk
165 gm/ 5 oz Flour – (2 level cups)
2 tsp Baking Powder

Method:

·         Preheat oven at 180^oC. Grease and line the 8" baking pan. ( For this recipe I sometimes use two pans- a loaf pan and a 6” square pan, so the cake lasts longer!!)

·         Sift together the flour and baking powder.

·         Beat the butter with a hand mixer till soft. Then add the sugar, salt and vanilla essence and beat until creamy and light.

·         Separate egg yolks from the whites and add in egg yolks, one at a time and beat after each addition.  Add in the milk and mix well.

·         Now fold in the sifted flour – a spoon at a time until well mixed.

·         Take a separate bowl, rinse in water and whisk the egg whites in it along with the cream of tartar ( this will help the whites to stay stiff and foamy- but this is optional - the cake will still be light).  Whisk till foamy and standing in peaks.

·         Very gradually fold this into the butter mixture, a little at a time.  Fold in very gently so as not to release all the bubbles.

·         Pour the batter into the baking pans and bake at 180^oC for about 40-45 mins or until cooked. (A skewer inserted in the middle of the cake should come out clean).

·        HAPPY BAKING!

(Tip: the yardstick for this cake is that the flour, sugar and butter all measure 5 ozs each, with a little extra butter to ensure its softness! - easy to remember)

Ham and Mushroom Quiché

One of my favorite "Quick meals"

(Makes 2)

2 Cups flour (8oz) (250 gms)

1 ½ tsp baking powder

185 gm (6oz) hard butter

1tsp salt

1tsp sugar

1 egg (optional)

¼ cup cold milk

Filling2 cups (or less) milk or a mixture of cream and milk

3 eggs

1 tbsp butter

1 small onion chopped

2 pods garlic

1/2 capsicum - chopped

 250 gms mushrooms cleaned and chopped small

125 (4 oz) ham / boiled chicken chopped (optional)

1 cup (4 oz) finely grated cheese

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

2 tsp thyme or mixed herbs

For the crust:

Sift flour and baking powder, salt and sugar into bowl and grate the butter into it.  Mix it gently until it is crumbly. Whisk 1 egg and 1 teaspoon cold water milk in small bowl; add to the flour mixture. Make a soft dough using more milk if necessary. Knead gently till dough comes together - do not over-handle the dough.

Wrap in cling film and chill for one hour – or till required.

Butter 9 ½ -inch round fluted tart pan with removable bottom. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface large enough to cover the bottom and sides of pan. Transfer the dough on to the rolling pin and gently lower it into the pan, pressing onto bottom and up sides. Trim off any excess dough with the back of a knife. Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter large square of foil or butter paper and press it onto crust. Fill with dried beans.  Bake for 20 mins till golden – remove beans and foil and bake for 10 more mins. Brush with egg white. 

For filling:
Melt the butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onions and sauté about 2 minutes. Add chopped garlic and green capsicum.  Add mushrooms; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Increase heat to high and sauté until liquid is absorbed and mushrooms are tender, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 tsp thyme and cook 1 minute. Transfer mixture to plate. Cool mushrooms completely.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle 1 tsp thyme over the base then scatter mushrooms over thyme. Whisk cream, eggs, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. If using chicken or chopped ham, sprinkle this over the base along with the mushroom

Pour egg mixture over mushrooms. Sprinkle with green onions and cheese.

Bake quiche until custard is set, about 25 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature