Cold cucumber salad

I found this salad to be an excellent side dish either with curry or any stir fry dish. Its super easy and packed with lots of flavor.

Cold Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

1 medium sized cucumber
2 tbsp vinegar
salt and pepper
1 small onion sliced thinly horizontally (it will be in rings)

How to:

1. Slice cucumber into really really thin slices.
2. In a bowl mix vinegar, salt and pepper.
3. Add onions and cucumber and combine well
4. For more flavor u can also add about a handful of coriander chopped finely or a pinch of dried red chillies coarsely grounded (raalhu muguri mirus).

Serve chilled!

Beetroot Kulhimas

My mom is the creative mind behind this mouthwatering version of our favourite kulhimas. Here's her recipe for utter bliss, sigh...

Beetroot Kulhimas

Ingredients:

1 bowl fresh tuna (you can use any reef fish eg: snapper too) cut into cubes

2 medium onions sliced thin

4 gloves garlic crushed n chopped finely

curry leaves about 12

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup grated beetroot

1 red chilli

1 tbsp chilli powder (lonumirus havaadh is very good)

1 tsp pepper

salt to taste

oil

How to:

1. Heat about 2 tbsp oil in pan. Add curry leaves, garlic and onions. Fry these in low heat until light brown. 
2. Add tomato paste, beetroot and rest of spices. Fry the paste for a few mins until fragrant
3. Add fish and slowly mix everything and cook until tuna is cooked through.
4. Dont over mix. Season with salt and take off heat once tuna is cooked through. You can check by spearing a piece with a fork.

Chicken and Cauliflower Stir Fry

My family loves this dish and it's a great way to stuff them with the veggies they usually pull faces when put in front of them steamed or boiled.

Chicken and Cauliflower Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1 cup boneless chicken sliced thin and long
1/2 cup carrot cubed
1 cup cauliflower florets (You can use frozen kind or fresh)
1 onion sliced finely
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp chilli garlic sauce (I like to add this but you can skip if you dont like)
1 tbsp dried red chilli flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 handful chopped leeks
Olive oil

How to:

Heat about a tbsp oil in a pan and brown the chicken pieces and take from pan and keep aside
Add a little more oil and fry the onions and garlic. I add some curry leaves with the onions
When onions and garlic brown a little add the carrot and cauliflowers
Mix soya sauce, tomato paste, chilli garlic sauce and water and pour over the veggies and mix until sauce coats everything well.
Add the chicken and chilli flakes and cook till everything is cooked and crisp. Don't overcook.
Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat
Add the chopped leeks and serve over rice or with roshi.

You can add veggies like green peas, bell pepper and just about anything else with this recipe. The possibilities are endless :) Go wild guys

Broccoli n mushrooms - my way

Got quite tired of steamed broccoli all the time and decided to spice it up. Everyone will come to love broccoli when you add a kick of garlic n red chilli flakes. :)

Broccoli and Mushrooms - My way

Ingredients

One large broccoli head, florets cut from the stem

2 cloves garlic chopped fine

1 tbsp dried red chilli flakes

1 cup sliced mushrooms

3 tbsp chicken stock

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

How to:

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan. Add chopped garlic and fry
2. Add mushrooms and brown
3. Add broccoli and chicken stock and cover with lid and cook till dry
4. Add chilli flakes, season with salt n pepper and remove from heat
5. Ready to eat!

Honey Garlic Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

Friday is officially chicken day at our place so I found a new recipe to try out. This recipe is for baked chicken drumstick with a honey and garlic sauce. 

Honey Garlic Glazed Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients:

6-8 chicken drumsticks

3 tbsp butter or olive oil

3 cloves garlic minced finely

1 tbsp soya sauce

2 tbsp honey

2 tsp chilli flakes (coarsely ground chilli)

salt and pepper to taste

How to:

For glazing sauce: 

Heat butter/olive oil on low heat. Add all ingredients except chicken and cook gently. If its too dry add a little chicken stock or water and take off heat and keep aside

Arrange drumsticks on tray and pour the glazing sauce over it. Combine well with the drumsticks so that the sauce coats well.

Bake in a 200 degrees preheated oven for about 45 mins until cooked well and browned.

Serve over rice or with roshi

:) Easy peasy

Aloo Mattar (Potato & Peas in curry gravy)

My husband loves green peas with roshi (chappati). While looking for a new way of preparing it I came across this Indian totally yummy recipe which uses potatoes and peas in a thick curry gravy. You can change the spiciness to suit your family. We like it spicy :)

Do try it out!

Aloo Mattar

Ingredients:

5 medium potatoes cubed (about 1 inch)
1 1/2 cup green peas (can use frozen or canned) - if frozen pls thaw, if canned pls drain
1 onion sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic chopped fine
1 inch fresh ginger piece chopped fine
curry leaves (about 8-10)
2 peeled tomatoes crushed with a fork*
1 tbsp Garam masala
1 tbsp Chilli powder
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup milk (if you want can use coconut milk also)
salt and pepper to taste
fresh coriander leaves chopped for garnish

How to:

Shallow fry the potatoes and keep aside
Add garlic and ginger to pan and fry until fragrant
Add curry leaves and onion and fry till golden.
Add all the spices and tomato paste and mix til combined.
Add peas, potatoes and the crushed tomatoes and finally add milk and stir.
Season with salt and pepper and take off heat.

Just add chopped coriander on top and serve with roshi, parata or rice.

P.S. I used a few chopped green chillies for more heat.


*Make your own peeled tomatoes by cutting an X shape on the top of the tomato and boil for about 10 mins in water. Take it out and the peel comes right off. Much flavorful than canned ones.