Sweet & Sour Chicken with Noodles

This is healthy and colorful recipe which will please everyone at dinner time. Now I can make my own favourite Chinese takeaway and I know that it tastes even better and is also much healthy! This recipe can alternatively also been served with rice. 

Sweet & Sour Chicken with Noodles

         Sweet & Sour Chicken with Noodles

Serves: 2
Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking: 35 mins

Ingredients:

500gms Hokkein Noodles
1 chicken breast, thinly sliced
3 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
3 tablespoon salt-reduced soy sauce
2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2.5cm piece ginger, grated
2/3 cup Orange juice
1 large onion, thickly sliced
1 large capsicum, sliced
1 bok choy, quartered
1 medium carrot, sliced
Fresh coriander to garnish
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Boil the noodles as per the packet instruction & strain & set aside.
2. Combine sweet chili sauce, soy sauce & vinegar in a bowl. 
3. Add chicken and let it marinade for 10 mins.
4. Spray oil in a large frying pan & only add strained chicken when hot.
5. In the remaining marinade add orange juice.
6. Cook the chicken for 3 - 4 minutes or until golden. Remove from the frying pan.
7. Spray the pan with some more oil and add ginger, carrot & onion followed by the rest of veggies.
8. Let the veggies turn a but soft before pouring the reserved sauce mixture, chicken and noodles.
9. Stir over high heat for a couple of minutes.
10. Garnish with coriander and serve immediately.

Piri Piri Fish with Broad Bean Salad

Another wonderfully spiced recipe for my 2013 winter. With all the oily and over eating during winters, this below recipe is a simple classic to keep me on my diet track as well as have sharp taste  in my dinner plate. Strangely even my husband Mayank made it through with the Piri Piri seasoning mix👍.

Piri Piri Fish with Broad Bean Salad

Serves: 2
Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking: 15 mins

Ingredients:

2 Basa Fillets
2 tablespoon Piri Piri Seasoning
1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
Salt to taste
Oil Spray

Broad Bean Salad
1 can Broad Beans (washed and drained)
1 Cucumber (roughly sliced)
1 small Red Capsicum (roughly sliced)
1/2 Red Onion (roughly sliced)
1 cup Mixed Salad leaves
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
Salt & Pepper to taste

Direction:

1. Mix in all the salad ingredients and keep it refrigerated until ready to serve.
2. Cut the Basa fillet into half and marrnate with the Piri Piri seasoning, ginger garlic paste and salt for 10 mins.
3. Spray the griddle pan with oil and heat it on high temperature.
4. Once hot place the marinated fish fillet and let it cook for 2-3 mins per side or until nice and crispy on both the sides.
5. In the serving dish, place the salad and stack it up with the fish fillet.
6. Drizzle some lemon juice and serve immediately.

Note: As these are my measurement, please add or subtract ingredients as per your taste.

Pepper Chicken Masala

It's the peak winter time in Australia and the best way to beat the cold is with a hot n spicy Indian curry recipe. Even though my 'pepper chicken masala' didn't have the distinct peppery taste to generate that heat, but it still was very pleasant to eat with plain paratha's and mixed salad 😋😋

Pepper Chicken Masala

Serves: 4
Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking: 30 mins

Ingredients:

500 gms Chicken thigh pieces
2 medium size Onion (roughly chopped)
2 medium size Tomatoes (roughly chopped)
1 tablespoon Garlic paste
1 tablespoon Ginger paste
1 teaspoon  Red chili powder
2 teaspoon Whole Pepper (add more to make it more spicy)
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon Garam masala
1 teaspoon Kuskus(couscous)
6-8 Cashew nuts
2 tablespoon Oil
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish

Direction:

1. Soak cashew nuts in warm water for 5 mins.
2. In a pan, boil kuskus and chopped onion in 1/2 cup of water  for 3-4 minutes.
3. Grind together soaked cashewnuts and onion mix to make a fine paste.
4. Grind chopped tomatoes and pepper to a fine paste.
5. Heat oil in a kadai add ginger-garlic paste and once it is light brown, add red chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.
6. Once the raw smell goes away add chicken pieces and mix well.
7. Add 1/4 cup of water to it. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Once the chicken is cooked well, add cashewnut-onion paste, salt and garam masala powder to it. Mix well and cook on low flame for another 5 minutes.Remove from fire.
9. Heat 1 tbsp oil in another pan and add the tomato paste to it and cook until the oil separates from the pan.
10. Add it to the chicken mix and stir well.
11. Garnish with coriander leaves and pepper powder.

Note: Instead of cooking the tomatoes separately, you can also add this to the chicken mixture and let it cook along with the onion gravy.

Chicken Chettinad

It's so difficult to imagine that even after being born and bought up in India I haven't really tried and tasted so many traditional dishes. It's only when you travel you learn so much about your origin, different cultures, religions and food habits about your own country. This recipe is one such find that surprised me with its flavors and cooking technique.

Chicken Chettinad

                         Chicken Chettinad

Ingredients:

1 Chicken cut into medium sized pieces
1 bunch curry leaves
2 medium onions chopped
2 large tomatoes chopped
1 teaspoon each of red chilli and turmeric powders
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons oil
2 cups water
Salt to taste
Finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

For paste: 
2 teaspoons poppy seeds (khus khus)
4 whole dry red chillies (Reduce this for less heat)
1 cup grated fresh coconut
1 teaspoon each of coriander, cumin and fennel seeds
1" piece cinnamon broken
2 cloves and green cardamoms each 

Directions:

1. In a little hot oil roast greeted coconut, cumin, coriander and fennel seeds. 
2. Add the dry red chillies, cinnamon, clove and the cardamom. Allow to cool.
3. Add the poppy seeds, ginger and garlic. Put everything in a blender and make a paste.
4. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan till it smokes and add the chopped onions and sauté till golden brown. 
5. Add the curry leaves and sauté for 1 minute.
6. Add the ground paste, turmeric and red chilli powders and fry till the oil separates.
7. Next add the chopped tomatoes and cook till the oil starts separate.
8. Finally add the chicken and mix well. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
9. Add the lemon juice and Sprinkle little salt.
10. Now pour in about 2 cups of hot water.
11. Put the lid on and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes.
12. Check the seasoning and adjust salt.
13. If chicken is cooked by now sprinkle chopped fresh coriander.
14. Cook without lid on high flame for 30 seconds and bring it to desired consistency.
15. Serve hot with Rice or Dosa or Neer Dosa.

Tip: Do not pour in cold water on chicken pieces otherwise the chicken will become chewy :)

Indian Chicken Curry

There are certain recipes that you inherit from your family, and this is exactly one of them. Basic chicken curry recipe just like how my mom made and very similar to what my mother in law makes. Simply divine.

Indian Chicken Curry

Indian Chicken Curry served with roti and onions

Serves: 4
Preparation: 20 mins
Cooking: 60 mins

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken curry pieces (preferably with bone)
3 large onion, sliced
4 small tomatoes, roughly chopped
5 cloves of garlic, grated
2 inch ginger, grated
1 tablespoon chicken curry powder or garam masala
3 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Dry spice
2 black cardamom
6-7 cloves
6-7 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 dry red chili
1 tablespoon cumin seeds

Directions:

1. In a large wok heat oil. Once oil is hot add all the dry spices and stir until aromatic.
2. Be careful bot to burn them.
3. Add sliced onions and cook for few minutes.
4. Once the onions change there color add grated ginger and garlic.
5. Let it cook for a couple of minutes before adding chicken pieces.
6. Let the chicken seal in the onions mixture.
7. Mix chicken curry powder, red chili powder and salt in warm water and pour it over chicken.
8. Reduce the flame to minimum and let the chicken cook on low heat for 15 mins or until almost chicken 80% done.
9. Add chopped tomatoes and cover the wok and keep cooking until chicken is completely cooked.
10. By the end the chicken gravy would have changed to a rich brown color.
11. Add chopped coriander and serve hot with roti's.

Note: If you feel that the mixture is sticking to the wok, then add little water instead of oil.

Spiced Basa and Vegetable stack

I am not a sea food fan, but after trying this spice rub on the fish I am not sure if I crave for fish or this combination. It's like spicing up the fish in Indian flavors and serving it with one hearty portion of veggies.

Spiced Basa & Vegetable Stack

Spiced Basa served with tzatziki & sliced lemon 

Serves: 2
Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking: 20 mins

Ingredients:

2 Basa fillets
1 zucchini, sliced lengthways
1 eggplant, sliced lengthways
1 medium onion, cut in thick slices
1 carrot, sliced lengthways
Olive oil spray

Spice mix:
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 pinch turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 lemon juice
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Wash, clean & cut Basa fish fillets in half.
2. Mix all the spice mix and rub it well on the fish fillets and leave it on for 10 mins.
3. In the mean time heat up griddle pan and once ready spray on some olive oil.
4. Add zucchini, eggplant, onion and carrot and cook until they take a nice char-grill colored strips.
5. On a service dish stack up these vegetables one on another and keep them warm.
6. Add more olive oil on the pan and put on the fish fillets.
7.  Remember fish doesn't take a lot of time to cook and can stick on to the pan. So be quick and spray more oil if required.
8. Once done, layer it on top of the veggies and serve hot along with tzatziki and lemon slice.

Note: Tzatziki is a refreshing yogurt, cucumber & garlic dip that is a perfect compliment to any grilled meat and vegetable.

Chicken Fajitas

Last Saturday I had to prepare 3 course meal for 14 people. I was searching online for an easy, stylish and delicious recipe for the mains and then I came across Jamie Oliver's Chicken Fajita recipe. This is a great meal to prepare ahead, like a stir-fry and the trick with this is to prepare all your ingredients before you start cooking because once you start things go pretty fast!

Chicken Fajitas with sour cream & guacamole 

Serves: 2
Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking: 20 mins

Ingredients:

1 small red capsicum, sliced

1 small green capsicum, sliced
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 chicken breast fillets, sliced lengthways
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 limes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/16 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 x 8-inch flour tortillas

1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

1/2 cup guacamole

Directions:

1. Put capsicum, onion, and chicken into a bowl with the paprika and cumin. Squeeze over the juice of half a lime, drizzle over a lug of olive oil, season with the salt and pepper and mix well. Put to one side to marinate for 5 mins.
2. Put your grill pan on a high heat. (A grill pan gives the nice, charred effect you want with fajitas, but you can also use a large frying pan or wok. If you use a grill pan, keep the ingredients moving around so that nothing burns or sticks to the bottom.)
3. Use a pair of tongs to put all the pieces of capsicum, onion, and chicken into your preheated pan to cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the chicken is golden and cooked through. As the pan will be really hot, keep turning the pieces of chicken and vegetables over so they don’t burn – you just want them to lightly chargrill to give you a lovely flavor.
4. Warm your tortillas up in a microwave or a warm dry frying pan. Divide your warmed tortillas between your serving plates.
5. At the table, carefully help yourselves to the chicken and vegetables straight from the hot grill pan. 
6. Serve with bowls of plain yogurt/sour cream and guacamole alongside your lovely fresh salad.

Spicy Rice Chicken Noodles

Spicy Rice Chicken Noodles

Spicy Rice Chicken Noodles

Serves: 4
Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking: 30 mins

Ingredients:

400 gms dried thick rice noodles
400 gms chicken breast fillets, sliced
2 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon mild chili flakes or chili sauce
6 green onions (spring onion), chopped
150 gms green beans, quartered
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2/3 cup oyster sauce
1/2 cup coriander, chopped
1/2 cup chopped roasted unsealed peanuts

Directions:

1. Place rice noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water and allow to stand for 3-4 mins.
2. Drain and keep aside.
3. Heat a wok over high heat.
4. Add oil, ginger and chili and cook until nice fragrant.
5. Add chicken slices and cook for a further 4 mins.
6. Add onions, beans and broccoli and stir fry on high heat.
7. Add chicken stock, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce and rice noodles and give it a good stir.
8. Toss on the coriander and peanuts before serving.

Wok-Fried Salt n Pepper Chicken

I bought Donna Hay's Instant Entertainer book today and couldn't control myself to try one (So for the next few days you will see me testing and trying her classics ;)). And as I flicked through the pages it became more difficult to decide on the first recipe to try. But with time and ingredients limitation I choose this healthy, time saving, less stressful recipe.

Wok-Fried Salt n Pepper Chicken

              Wok-Fried Salt n Pepper Chicken

Serves: 4
Preparation: 10 mins
Cooking: 15 mins

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon flaked sea salt
2 teaspoon finely cracked szechwan or black pepper
2 large mild red chillies, chopped (I used 1 teaspoon red chilli powder)
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder or garam masala
4 chicken breast fillets, trimmed and quartered
1 tablespoon oil
Steamed beans
( I added 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste to the spice mixture.)

Direction:

1. Combine salt, pepper, chilli and five-spice powder in a bowl.
2. Toss the chicken in the powder mixture to coat.
3. Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat.
4. Add the coated chicken and cook, stirring occasionally.
5. It roughly takes about 10 to 12 mins.
6. To serve place the steamed beans and layer the cooked chicken pieces over it.

Note: Chinese five-spice powder consists of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds and szechwan pepper. It is used as a spice rub for dry meat recipes. 

Thai Stir-Fried Noodles with Vegetables

Thai Stir-Fried Noodles with Vegetables

Thai Stir-Fried Noodles with Vegetables

Serves: 4
Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking: 15 mins

Ingredients:

600 gms Hokkein  noodles
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp grated ginger
2 medium onion, sliced
1 carrot, cut into matchstick
1 small head broccoli, in small florets
1 cup sliced green & red capsicum
Any other seasonal vegetables of your choice (I used baby corn, beans and snow peas)
2 tbsp oil for stir-frying
Chopped coriander to garnish

Stir-Fry Sauce:
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce (or 1 additional tbsp soy sauce)
3 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce)
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tbsp white pepper
1/2 tsp fresh cut red chili (or dried crushed chili)

Direction:

1. Boil noodles in lightly salted water until 70% done. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent from sticking.
2. Place all the Stir-fry sauce ingredients together in a cup. And stir until well combined.
3. Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl around, then stir-fry the minced ginger garlic.
4. Add sliced onion, carrot, broccoli and all the other seasonal vegetables. Pour in 1/2 the pre-prepared sauce to keep the veggies moist. Cook for 3-4 mins.
5. Add the boiled noodles plus the remaining stir-fry sauce. Mix it well using two spatulas. 
6. Stir-fry for 5 more mins or until the noodles are cooked well. 
7. Serve immediately with freshly chopped coriander.

Note: Taste-test the noodles before serving. To increase salt add 1 tbsp of fish or soy sauce. If too salty or sweet, add 1/2 tbsp lime juice. And if too sour, sprinkle little more sugar.

Yogurt Chicken

Yogurt Chicken is one of my very good friends recipe and she calls it cream chicken (minus cream) :). She basically substitutes cream with hung curd, which gives it a nice rich white texture.

Yogurt Chicken

Yogurt Chicken

Serves: 4
Preparation: 30 mins
Cooking: 45 mins

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken thigh fillets
3 medium onion
1 inch ginger
3 cloves garlic
4 green chillies
2 tbsp oil
2 cup hung curd
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp kasoori methi
1 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp cream (optional)
Chopped coriander to garnish.

Direction:

1. Wash, clean and cut chicken thigh fillets.
2. Grind onion, ginger, garlic and green chillies in a blender with little water. The mixture should have a nice green color. 
3. If using natural yogurt, then tie it tightly in a muslin or cheese cloth for 20 mins.
4. Heat oil in a sauce pan.
5. Add onion mixture and cook until it starts changing color. (Dark shade will effect the final look of the dish)
6. Add chicken pieces, salt and white pepper and stir to coat the chicken with onion mixture.
7. Keep stirring and let it cook for 5 mins on medium heat.
8. Add hung curd, garam masala and kasoori methi and stir it well.
9. Cover the sauce pan and let it cook on low heat for 15 mins.
10. Chicken thigh fillets usually take some time to cook so after 15 mins keep checking if the meat has cooked or not.
11. The gravy will be quite thick by now will start leaving oil. Add 1/2 cup water and 2tbsp cream and let it cook uncovered on high for approximately 5 mins or until it has reached your desired consistency.
12. Garnish with chopped corriander and serve hot.

Zucchini & Mushroom Crumble

Zucchini & Mushroom Crumble is a light and healthy easy dinner recipes I have tried recently. I loved the combination of soft pasta coated vegetable with crispy topping. It surely wouldn't be a disappointment :)

Zucchini & Mushroom Crumble

Zucchini & Mushroom Crumble - Bon Appetite 

Serves: 2
Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking: 30 mins

Ingredients:

2 cups sliced zucchini
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 sliced onion
Olive oil spray
1 cup cooked pasta
1 cup pasta sauce (i prefer making my own pasta sauce)
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup bread crumbs (i used panco breadcrumbs for extra crunch)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 tbsp melted butter
Salt & Pepper for taste

Direction:

1. Spray olive oil in a large pan and heat it up.
2. Saute zucchini, mushrooms and onion until well done. Remove and keep warm.
3. Boil pasta and keep aside.
4. Prepare the crumble using the tip of your fingers by mixing oatmeal, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and butter.
5. Preheat the oven to 220 C.
6. In your set baking tray first layer the sauteed vegetables.
7. Add the cooked pasta and then the pasta sauce.
8. Fold them together.
9. Top it up with the crumble mix and spray over some oil.
10. Put it in the oven for 10 mins or until the crumble has a nice golden color.
11. Serve hot :)