Chicken, Capsicum and Onion Fry

Another Chicken fry!!!

Ingredients

Chicken: 500 gm
Onion: 2
Capsicum: 2
Red Chilly Powder: 2 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 Table Spoon
Lime Juice: 1 Tea Spoon
Oil: 3 - 4 Table Spoon
Salt

Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Method

Marinate the chicken with red chilly powder, turmeric powder, lime juice, ginger garlic paste and salt

Chop the capsicum and onion to medium size cubes

Keep the marinated chicken aside for 15 to 20 minutes
To a pan pour oil and place the chicken

Cook on low flame and flip the chicken pieces in between
Once the chicken is half done add onion and capsicum

Add little more salt required for onion and capsicum
Stir in between and cook in low flame until chicken, capsicum and onion is cooked well
Serve hot with rice, chapathi, roti, naan etc

Oats Cookies ( No Butter / No Oil / No Sugar / No Egg )

For all who are on dieting!!!!

Ingredients

Oats: 1 Cup
Wheat Flour: 3 Table Spoon
Honey: 1/4 Cup
Chopped Nuts: 3 Table Spoon
Baking Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time : 20 minutes
Method

Grind the oats to a coarse powder

To this add chopped nuts, wheat flour and baking powder

Mix everything well and then add honey

Combine well and make a dough

Cover using a cling film and keep it in fridge for 10 minutes
Preheat the oven at 180C
Take small portions out of the dough and shape it and place it on a baking tray

Bake for 20 minutes at 180 C
Once the cookies are baked take it out and cool it completely
Store in air tight containers

Note: 

Baking time may vary depending on the oven, so adjust it accordingly
While keeping the cookies for baking leave some space in between as cookies will expand while baking

Dulce De Leche Cake

Recently i had posted how to make dulce de leche using condensed milk.  Today let`s make a cake using it.

Ingredients

For Cake
I followed the recipe of simple tea cake, just that i added 3 table spoon of dulce de leche to the cake batter.  For recipe of simple tea cake click here
For Frosting
Dulce de leche: 1/2 Cup
For the recipe of Dulce de Leche Click here
Fresh Cream: 1/4 Cup
Sugar syrup: 1/2 Cup
For Garnish
Sprinkles /Cherries

Cooking Time: For Cake 30 Minutes
Method

Make the cake and let it cool completely

Once it cools cut the cake horizontally into 2 layers
Using an electric beater combine dulce de leche and fresh cream.  Beat until it becomes smooth and fluffy

Place a layer of cake on the setting plate.
Drizzle some sugar syrup and apply enough amount of the dulce de leche cream on top and spread it all over
Place the next layer and drizzle some sugar syrup and then spread the cream mixture.

Keep in fridge for 1 to 2 hours

Garnish with sprinkles or cherries and cut and serve.

Note:
For sugar syrup boil 3 table spoon of sugar in 1/2 cup of water for 4 to 5 minutes and let it cool down completely

Kozhi Nirachathu / Stuffed Chicken

The famous Malabar Kozhi Nirachathu!!!

Ingredients

Whole Chicken: 1 Kg
For marination
Red chilly powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Lime Juice: 1 Tea Spoon
Salt
For Stuffing & Gravy
Onion: 5
Green Chilly: 2 - 3
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 Table Spoon
Tomato: 1
Hard Boiled Eggs: 2
Red Chilly Powder: 2 Tea Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Coriander Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Chicken Masala Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Fennel Seeds Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Oil: 4 -5 Table Spoon
Curry Leaves
Coriander Leaves

Cooking Time: 1 hour
Preparation time: Over night
Method

Clean and wash the chicken and make gashes on it and keep aside

Mix everything mentioned under for marination and rub it on to the chicken

Cover and keep in fridge overnight or minimum 4 to 5 hours
To make filling and gravy
To a pan pour 2 to 3 table spoon oil and add sliced onion to it
Saute till onion becomes translucent and then add chopped green chilly, ginger garlic paste and curry leaves
Saute for another 4 to 5 minutes and then add salt and turmeric powder

Stir for another minute and at this stage take 2 table spoon of the onion mix and keep aside
This will be used along with boiled eggs for stuffing

Now to the rest of the onion mix add red chilly powder, coriander powder, chicken masala and fennel powder
Saute till the raw smell of the masala is gone and then add the chopped tomato and some chopped coriander leaves
Saute for few more minutes and then switch off the flame

Now take the marinated chicken and fill the chicken with the hard boiled eggs and the onion mixture we had kept aside

Tie the legs and wings of the chicken

To a pan add 2 table spoon oil and place the chicken and shallow fry the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes flipping sides regularly

Let the chicken become slightly brown on all sides

Place this chicken in the gravy that we made and cover the chicken in the gravy

Cover and cook in the lowest flame possible.  Open every 10  minutes and keep flipping the chicken so that it cooks evenly.  Be careful while doing this

It will take about 40 to 50 minute to cook and by the time the chicken cooks the gravy will have become thick and oil will start to leave
Carefully untie the legs and wings and remove the thread.
Serve hot with ghee rice, roti, parantha, naan, pathiri etc

Note:
You can do any stuffing of your choice
You can even bake the chicken, but the authentic recipe calls for cooking the chicken on stove.

Dulce de leche

Dulce de leche is a creamy caramel sauce that`s made by simmering milk and sugar for long hours. We can easily make the same with a closed tin of condensed milk.

Ingredients

Condensed milk: 1 Can (Unopened)
Water

Cooking time: 30 Minutes
Method

In a pressure cooker place the grid so that the can does not touch directly on to the bottom of the cooker

Remove the stickers on the can and wash the outer surface of the can before placing it in the cooker. This is done so that the adhesive used for sticking will not stain your cooker
Now keep the can of unopened condensed milk on the grid and fill the cooker with enough water until the can is completely immersed.  Make sure that its not exceeding the maximum capacity of the pressure cooker.

Close the cooker and switch on the gas.  Wait until the steam starts to come and then put the whistle on
Once you hear the first whistle reduce the flame to low and simmer it for about 25 to 30 minutes
Switch off the gas and let it cool down completely
Once done take the can out and let it cool.  Do not open immediately after you take the can out of the cooker
Wait for a few hours and then you can open the can.

If not using immediately refrigerate it
You can use it for making cakes, brownies, pies or as topping for ice creams and cakes or even as a bread spread

Note:

After refrigerating it might become thick, so when you want to use it add the required amount of dulce de leche to a pan and heat it in very low flame adding 1 table spoon of milk.

Onion Pakoda/Pakora/Pokkuvada/Fritters

A Popular Indian Snack...

Ingredients

Onion: 2 Big
Gram Flour/Basen/Kadala Podi: 3/4 Cup
Rice Flour: 3 Table Spoon
Chopped Green Chilly: 2
Chopped Ginger: 1 Small Piece
Chopped Coriander Leaves: 1 Table Spoon
Red Chilly Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Asafoetida: 1 Pinch
Curry Leaves: 1 Sprig
Oil: For Deep frying
Salt
Water

Cooking Time: 15 Minutes
Method

Finely slice the onion
To this add green chilly, ginger, curry leaves, coriander leaves, gram flour, rice flour, chilly powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt
Combine well with your hands and add water little by little and make a batter(medium consistency)
Preheat the oil well and then reduce the flame to medium
Add a drop of the batter into the oil.  If it comes on to the surface quickly then the oil is heated enough to fry the pakodas
Using a tea spoon drop spoon full of batter to the oil and make the pakodas
Depending on the size of your kadai adjust the number of pakodas you make at a time
Do not over crowd the pakodas
Once one side is cooked and starts to change color flip and cook the other side
Drain it onto a paper towel to remove excess oil
Serve hot with chutney or sauce

Easy Milk Peda / Pal Peda / Milk Fudge

A very popular Indian Sweet!!!

Ingredients

Condensed Milk: 1 Cup
Milk Powder: 2 Cups
Cardamon Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Milk: 3 - 4 Table Spoon
Cashew/Almonds/Pista: For Garnish
Ghee: 1 Table Spoon

Cooking Time: 5 - 6 minutes
Method

To a pan add condensed milk, milk powder, cardamon powder and milk and combine well

Now switch on the gas and cook the mixture in medium heat stirring continuously

Keep cooking until the mixture forms a thick dough

Switch off the flame and allow it to cool a bit
Once it reaches a point where you can handle the heat, grease your hands with some ghee and take small portions out of the dough and roll it to lemon sized balls
Press it slightly with your palms and place some nuts on top and garnish
Serve when it cools completely

Note:

These pedas are not too sweet.  If you wish it to make it sweeter increase the amount of condensed milk
You might feel the pedas are chewy when its warm, but once it cools down completely it will become dry and you will get the perfect texture
If you wish to you can soak a few saffron strands in the milk and add that too

Kaipola / Banana Cake

Another popular malabar iftaar dish!!!

Ingredients

Banana/Nendrapazham (Ripe): 3
Eggs: 4
Sugar: 3 Table Spoon
Cardamom Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Ghee:2 Tea Spoon
Cashew nuts/Raisins: For Garnish

Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Method

Peel the skin of the banana and chop it to small pieces

To a bowl add egg, sugar and cardamom powder

Beat using a fork or egg beater till the sugar is completely dissolved
To a pan pour ghee and fry the cashew nuts and raisins and keep aside

To the same pan add chopped banana and fry until slightly brown in color

Add the fried banana to the egg mixture and combine well
To a pan pour little ghee and grease the pan
Pour the mixture to the pan

Cover and cook on very low flame for about 15 to 20 minutes.
To check if its completely cooked or not insert a tooth pick in the center and check.  If it comes out clean its ready

Switch off the flame and let it cool
Once cooled take it out of the pan and cut and serve

Note:
You can also bake it in a preheated oven at 180 C for 15 to 20 minutes
Or you can pour the mixture to a dish and place it in a steamer and steam cook.