Chicken Tikka Masala

This is a super hit dish in my house!!!!

Ingredients

Boneless Chicken: 750gms
For Marination
Yogurt: 4 Table Spoon
Cumin Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Kashmiri Chilly Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Pepper Powder: ½ Table Spoon
Coriander Powder: ½ Table Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: ½ Table Spoon
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 Table Spoon
Lime Juice: 1 Table Spoon
Salt
For Gravy
Onion: 1 Big
Tomato: 2
Cashew nuts: 10 - 12 numbers
Kashmiri Chilly Powder: 1/2 Table Spoon
Coriander Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 Tea Spoon
Cumin: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Bayleaf: 1
Cloves: 3 - 4
Cardamom: 3 - 4
Fenugreek Leaves/Kasuri methi: 1 Tea Spoon
Oil: 3 Table Spoon
Cream 1 Table Spoon
Salt
Water
Coriander Leaves

Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Method

Combine all the things mentioned under for marination

Add chicken pieces to this and marinate it well and keep in fridge for 3 to 4 hours or over night
I have used chicken with bones as i was not having boneless chicken

Soak cashew nuts in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes and then grind it to a fine paste

Finely chop the onion or grind it to a fine puree

Put tomatoes in boiling water for a few minutes and then remove from water and let it cool.  Then remove the skin and grind it to a fine puree

Take the chicken out of the fridge and let it rest in room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking
I am using an electric grill to make this chicken.  Or you can use an oven or tandoor to cook the chicken.

Preheat the grill at 180 C
Arrange the chicken on the grill and cook for 8 to 10 minutes on one side and then flip the chicken and cook the other side.
Keep flipping sides in regular intervals and brush some oil or butter each time until the chicken is well cooked

For making the gravy
Pour oil to a kadai 

Now add cumin, bay leaf, cloves and cardamom

Saute for a minute and then add ginger garlic paste

Keep in low flame and saute till the ginger garlic paste starts to become light brown in color
Now add the pureed onion

Saute for 3 to 4 minutes in medium flame and then add chilly powder, garam masala powder and coriander powder

Saute in low flame till oil start to leave the sides of the pan

Now add tomato puree

Mix well and let it boil.  

Add required water and let it boil

Once it boils well add cooked chicken pieces and  cashew nut paste and mix well

Reduce the flame and cover and cook for 4 to 5 mintues
Switch off the flame and add crushed kasuri methi and cream

Serve hot with rice, roti or naan

Cake N Biscuit Sandwich Pudding

Your kids will love this for sure!!!

Ingredients

Vanilla Sponge Cake: 500 gms
Whipping Cream: 2 Cups
Powdered Sugar: 1 Cup
Oreo Biscuits: 25 numbers
Chocolate Chips: Few
Caramel Sauce: 2 Table Spoon
Vanilla Essence: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Grated Chocolate: For Garnish

Cooking Time: Nil
Method

Slice the cake to medium thick pieces. If you wish to you can remove the crust.

Pour whipping cream to a bowl along with the powdered sugar and vanilla essence and whip until soft peaks are formed

Take a pudding tray and spread little whipped cream on the bottom
Now keep a layer of the cake

Spread a layer of whipped cream on the cake layer

Make sure the cake pieces are well covered

Now sprinkle some chocolate chips and drizzle some caramel sauce

Place the next layer of oreo biscuits.  You might have to break a few to spread all over

Now spread whipped cream covering the entire biscuit layer

Sprinkle some chocolate chips and drizzle some caramel sauce

Next layer would be the cake.

Now  spread the remaining whipped cream all over the pudding

Sprinkle some chocolate chips and drizzle some caramel syrup and sprinkle some grated chocolate or you can crush a few oreo biscuits and sprinkle that

Cover and keep in fridge for at least 3 to 4 hours
Cut and serve cold

Note:
You can use any biscuits of your choice
You can use bread instead of cake
You can use chocolate syrup instead of caramel syrup.
For making the cake you can follow this recipe. Click here

Erachi Choru / Meat Rice (With Chicken)

Usually this dish is made with beef or mutton... But i make with chicken!!!

 Ingredients

Biriyani/Basmati Rice: 500gms
Bone less Chicken: 500gms
Onion: 2 Sliced
Tomato: 1 Chopped
Green Chilly: 2 Crushed
Crushed Ginger: 1 Table Spoon
Crushed Garlic: 1 Table Spoon
Cloves: 2 - 3
Bay leaf: 1
Cinnamon Stick: 1 inch piece
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Coriander Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Red Chilly Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Oil: 3 Table Spoon
Coriander Leaves Chopped: 2 Table Spoon
Mint Leaves: Few
Curry Leaves: Few
Salt
Water

Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Method

Clean and wash the chicken and cut it to small bite size pieces
Measure the rice in a glass to see how many glass rice you are using.  You will need the same glass to measure water
Wash and drain the rice and keep aside
To a pan pour oil and add cloves, bay leaf and cinnamon stick
Saute for a few seconds and add sliced onion
Once the onion becomes translucent add crushed ginger, garlic and green chilly and saute for 2 to 3 minutes
Reduce the flame and add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder, garam masala and salt
Saute till the raw smell of the spices is gone
Add tomato and chicken pieces and combine well
Add the washed rice, coriander leaves, mint leaves and curry leaves.  Combine everything well and add boiling water in the ratio for 1 glass rice 1 and a half glass water
Cover and cook in medium flame till all the water is dried up and by this time the rice and chicken will be cooked
In between open the lid and check.  If  you feel rice has cooked and still water is remaining,  open the lid and cook for the rest of the time
Serve hot with salad

Note:

If you wish to you can cook the rice and chicken separately and then mix it.
Adjust spices accordingly
Its better to make this dish with  kaima or jeerakasala rice
You can follow the same recipe and use mutton or beef instead of chicken

Motichoor Laddu

This is my Husband`s favorite....

Ingredients

Gram flour/Kadala Podi: 1 Cup
Sugar: 1 Cup
Water: 1/2 Cup + 1/2 Cup
Cardamom Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Oil: For Deep Frying
Lime juice: 1 Tea Spoon
Hot water: 2 - 3 Table Spoon
Permitted food color Orange/Yellow: 1 Pinch (Optional)
Melon seeds: few

Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Method

Add sugar and 1/2 cup water to a pan and boil till it becomes one thread consistency

Once the consistency is achieved remove from fire and add lime juice. (Refer notes about one thread consistency)

Keep the sugar on hot water bath as the sugar syrup has to be warm while adding the boondhis
Make a smooth batter with gram flour and water. (If using food color add that too)
The batter should neither be too thick or thin.
It should have a flowing consistency.

Heat oil in a wide kadai and make it moderately hot

Drop little gram flour batter into the oil.  If the batter comes up steadily onto the surface of the oil its perfectly hot to make the boondhis.
Take a perforated laddle and hold it above the oil

Pour a spoon full of batter to the laddle

You can see the batter dropping as boondhis to the oil

Fry the boondhi for a minute and then drain them out of the oil

Make all the boondhis the same way.  Do not worry about the tailed boondhis or clustered ones.  It will be fine once we pulse it in the blender

Keep adding the boondhis to the sugar syrup

Once all the boondhis are added to the syrup add cardamom powder and combine well
Let the mix rest for some time so that the boondhis absorb the sugar syrup
In a blender or mixer add the soaked boondhis.  If you feel the boodhis are crisp add 1 or 2 table spoon of hot water and pulse it 2 to 3 times (Do not pulse more than that)

Add melon seeds and combine

Apply some oil/ghee on your palms and shape the laddus. ( Make sure the mixture is warm )

Note:

How to check one thread consistency of sugar syrup
When the sugar syrup is boiling dip a wooden spatula in the syrup and then remove it
Wait for a few seconds and then touch the sugar syrup on the spatula with your forefinger and then slowly touch the forefinger with your thumb and then pull apart gently

If you see a single thread is formed without breaking then the sugar syrup has achieved the correct texture

Simple Chickpea Salad

Let`s keep it simple!!!

Ingredients

Black Chickpea/Bengal gram: 1 Cup
Onion: 1
Green Chilly: 2
Tomato: 1 Small
Lime juice: 1 Table Spoon
Olive Oil: 1 Table Spoon
Cumin Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Coriander Leaves Chopped: 1 Table Spoon
Salt
Water

Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Method

Wash chickpea well and soak it in enough water overnight
Pressure cook the chickpea in enough water adding turmeric powder
Once the chickpea is cooked well strain off the excess water

Chop onion, green chilly and tomato

To the cooked chickpea add chopped onion, green chilly, tomato, olive oil, coriander leaves, lime juice, cumin powder and salt

Combine well and serve