Avocado Almond Chutney

Some avocadoes were sitting in the refrigerator for quite some time. The week went by so fast that there wasn't enough time to even think of making use of it. However, I managed to find a recipe for it when I decided to forgo the routine chutney for dosa and try something new.

Brainstorming lead to this idea and so I gave it a try! But believe me, my kids loved it and insisted eating with both their dosa and chappathi (the next day's dinner). I used almonds, which can also be substituted with grated coconut. The color might not seem too appealing, but the taste is what matters, and in that department, this chutney did not dissappoint!

INGREDIENTS :

1Avocado

1/2 Cup Almond soaked and de skinned

1 Small Onion 

4 Green Chillies

2 Cloves Garlic

1/2 Tsp Tamarind Paste

Salt to taste

2 Tblsp Chopped Coriander Leaves

4 Tsp Oil

METHOD :

 Cut the avocado, remove the seed and scoop out the pulp. Mash it thoroughly with a fork and keep aside.

 Heat a pan over medium heat and pour two teaspoons oil to it. Once hot, add the chopped onion and green chillies and fry until light brown. Add the garlic cloves and coriander leaves along with a pinch of salt and the tamarind paste. Fry this mixture for about two minutes.

Cool this mixture and grind in a coffee grinder or a small mixer. Half way through the grinding add the soaked almonds and grind it to a coarse paste.

 Add this to the mashed avocado and mix well. Add more salt and adjust taste as required.

Heat the other 2 teaspoons of oil, add mustard, curry leaves and the dried red chillies and season the chutney.

Chicken Kurma

Chicken Kurma is another beloved speciality of my mom's. I still remember those childhood days when my mom made this kurma. This is made to accompany ghee rice or coconut cream rice. Its fragrant aroma always fills the house, and even wafts down half the street (believe me). Her key ingredient is white pepper powder, which gives that added bite of flavor. You can use black pepper powder if you don't have white and also you can grind two teaspoons of poppy seeds along with coconut to get that extra richness.

The potatoes in the gravy provide extra creaminess. You can make vegetarian kurma by adding vegetables like potatoes, carrots, cauliflower or peas.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lb Chicken

2" Inch Piece Cinnamon

2 Green Cardamoms

4 Cloves

1 Small Bay Leaf

2 Tblsp Oil

2 Onions

1 Small Tomato

4 Green Chillies

2 Tblsp Chopped Coriander Leaves

2 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste

1 Medium Potato cut into pieces

To Grind:

1/4 Cup Grated Coconut

2 Tsp Coriander Powder

2 Tsp White Pepper Powder

1 Tsp Cumin Powder

1/2 Tsp Garam Masala Powder

Salt to taste

METHOD:

  Clean and cut the chicken into medium size pieces.

   Make a smooth paste of the items given under "to grind" along with water as needed.

Heat a deep pan on medium flame. Add oil once the pan is hot enough and fry the  whole spices cinnamon, cardamom, clove and bay leaf. Then add the finely chopped onion along with a pinch of salt (this lets the onion sweat and helps brown quicker). Once it turns light brown add the slit green chillies and ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute or two.

Then add the chopped tomato and let it wilt, about 3 minutes.

Potatoes are added now and fry for a minute.

Now add the chicken pieces along with 1/4 tsp salt give a nice stir and let it turn color.

Now its time to add the ground coconut spice paste. Stir everything together and add 1/4 cup or little less water (depends how liquidy the ground paste is) and bring it to a boil. Now reduce flame and cook with a closed lid for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Take care and stir in between because the coconut paste tend to stick to the bottom and might burn.

Once the chicken gets cooked add more water if needed, check for salt and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. This kurma is an excellent combination for coconut cream rice though it can be served with chappathi or roti.

Spinach Channa Curry

I was looking for a way to cook spinach but doesn't want to get into an elaborate cooking procedure. Also it should be protein rich.Bumped into this recipe when surfing (I meant the net), and thought of giving it a try.

It's good and great with any bread and so fulfilling. An easy one if you have canned vegetables and chopped frozen baby spinach. But no worries you can plan ahead and soak and cook the chickpeas and get fresh baby spinach too. Either way it tastes so good. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Medium Onion Chopped 

4 Garlic Pods Chopped 

2 inch Ginger Chopped

2 Tomatoes (1-12 ounce canned diced tomatoes)

3 Cups Cooked Channa (2-15ounce canned Chick peas)

3 Cups Chopped Spinach (12 ounce baby spinach bag)

2 Tblsp Chopped Coriander Leaves

2 Tsp Coriander Powder 

1 Tsp Red Chilly Powder

2 Tsp Cumin Powder 

2 Tblsp Oil

Salt to taste 

METHOD:

Heat a deep pan over medium heat. Pour the oil into the pan and let it get hot.

Add the chopped onions and fry until they become transparent.

Then add the chopped ginger and garlic and fry for a minute. Once the raw smell is gine add the coriander powder, chilly powder and cumin powder along with s little salt and fry for about two mins. 

Now add the tomatoes and then the chick peas.Give it a nice stir along with some salt and close the lid, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 mins.Note that the peas are already cooked.Add a little water if needed.

Then add coarsely chooped spinach and close the lid and let it cook for another 10 mins or so.

Finally add the chopped coriander leaves,check for salt and switch off the stove.

Its ine curry to be served with rice, chappathi, naan or any bread.

Carrot Halwa

Diwali is a festival of lights celebrated in India. Though it has religious importance for hindus this festival is celebrated as a time to light up your fire works by most Indians. Next to fire works Diwali is associated with too many varieties of sweets.

To wish all my friends this happy occasion I thought of blogging this recipe, a favorite and speciality of my sister. There are two versions, one is a rich variety made with milk khoa and a lighter one with just milk. Here I'm sharing the quick and lighter one. 

INGREDIENTS:

1lb Fresh Carrots

3 Cups Milk

11/4 Cups Sugar

4 Tblsp Ghee/Clarrified Butter

4 Green Cardamom Pods

A Pinch Saffron (optional)

1 Tblsp Almond Slivers (or cashews)

2 Tblsp Raisins

A pinch salt

METHOD:

   Clean, peel and grate the carrots. 

Soak the saffron threads in a tablespoon of milk and keep aside.

In a deep pan add a tablespoon of ghee and fry the almonds and raisins and keep aside. In the same pan add the grated carrots and fry them for few mins.Add the milk to this, bring it to a boil.Reduce the heat and let it cook until almost 3/4 of the milk gets absorbed. Stir often and take care it doesn't get burned.

Now add the sugar with a pinch of salt and mix well. The sugar dissolves and makes the mix looks watery but eventually it will thicken so stop worrying now 😀😀.

Increase the heat and a tablespoon of ghee now and keep stirring until the mixture begin to leave the sides of the pan. At this stage add the saffron soaked in milk, powdered cardamom and the fried nuts. Then add the remaining ghee,switch off the stive and transfer it to a serving bowl.

This halwa tastes best when aerved warm with vanilla ice cream.

Can be cooled and stored in refrigerator for about ten days.

Avocado Yogurt Drink

If you love yogurt you will love this recipe. I have already posted my Avocado rose drink. Have tried Avocado smoothie too, but haven't taken a picture and so couldn't post the recipe here. This yogurt drink is similar to dhoog(middle eastern yogurt drink) in consistency but you can make it lighter by adding more water to it.

This is very refreshing and you can make it with fat free yogurt too.

   Give it a try and sure you would love this drink.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Yogurt

1 Avocado 

7 Sprigs Coriander Leaves

2" Piece Ginger

1 Green Chilly 

1/2 Tsp Jeera Seeds 

1 Tsp Salt

5 Cups Water

METHOD:

  Cut avacado into small chunks.Remove skin from ginger and the thick stem from coriander leaves.

  In a blender grind together green chilly, ginger, avocado, coriander leaves and jeera seeds along with salt. 

Then add the yogurt and beat well. Finally add water and pulse together.

Check for salt and serve in tall glasses over ice cubes.

Sambal Oelek Chicken Fry

 Chicken sambal oelek fry is a quick chicken fry made with fewer ingredients. I was browsing through and came across this recipe by Lakshmi Nair of Asianet. But I modified the recipe a bit according to our taste.

The ingredients reminded me of the Thai red Chilly paste I make at home and hence the name. The dried red chillies are really hot and the acidity in vinegar helps cut off the heat. It also helps soften the chicken meat because we don't marinate the chicken in this recipe.

Kashmiri chillies give the vibrant red color to the fry. If Kashmiri chilly is not available you can substitute 1 teaspoon of paprika while grinding the paste or just use dried red chilly. The paste doesn't have to be smooth, actually the coarser one is the better.

Corn flour helps hold the spice  paste to the chicken when dropped in oil.

This paste can be pre-made and refrigerated for about a week and frozen for atleast three months.

 Do try this recipe if you love fries and if you are a chicken fanatic.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs Chicken medium pieces

15 Dry Red Chillies 

5 Kashmiri Red Chillies 

10 Nos Pearl Onions 

10 Nos Garlic Pods

2 Tblsp Vinegar 

2 Tsp Salt

1 Tblsp Corn Flour

1/2 Cup Boiling water 

1/2 Cup Coconut/ Frying Oil

METHOD:

    Clean and cut the chicken into medium pieces, wash and drain any excess water.

In a bowl soak the chillies in hot water for about 5 mins and drain.

In a food processor grind the red chillies along with shallots and garlic pods in vinegar into a paste. It doesn't really have to be a smooth paste. 

Add salt mix well and check for taste and add more salt if necessary.To this paste add the corn flour and rub this mix evenly into the chicken pieces.

Heat oil in a frying pan and deep fry the chicken pieces until dark red and crispy.

Chicken sambal oelek fry is ready and served as a starter or side dish.

Green Chilly Chicken Curry

It was a cloudy autumn day. It sounded so hard to get up and hit the kitchen let only to do a elaborate cooking.But the weather demanded something spicy and sophisticated. Browsing and brainstorming finally made me realize that something has to be made which would go with chappathi or plain rice without any further accompaniment. This recipe sounded easy and quick. So I decided to go for it.

  Actually the recipe asks for marination but to hasten the process, just add a tablespoon of vinegar to the marinade and instead of green chillies you can add jalapeños but lesser in quantity.

This dish can be both made dry or as a curry with gravy.

Green chilly curry chicken is definitely worth trying and a recipe to be saved.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs Chicken Pieces 

4 Medium Onions

10 Green Chillies/ 5 Jalapeños 

1 Cup/1/2 Bunch Chopped      Cilantro/Coriander Leaves

1/2 Cup/5 Twigs Curry Leaves

3 Tblsp Black Pepper Corns

11/2 Tblsp Jeera Seeds

11/2 Tblsp Ginger Garlic Paste

4 Tblsp Oil

Salt to taste

METHOD:

   Cut the chicken into small to medium sized pieces,clean and drain the water and keep aside.

 Grind together ginger garlic paste,curry leaves,coriander leaves and the spices along with 1 tsp oil and 11/2 tsp salt.

Rub this paste onto the chicken pieces and marinate for atleast an hour.

Cut the onion and grind it to a coarse paste.

Heat a deep pan over medium heat and add three tablespoons of oil. Pour the onion paste along with a pinch of salt and cook covered for about 5 to 7 minutes and then uncovered until it changes color to slight brown. Once done add the marinated chicken pieces to the browned onion and give a nice stir. Then along with a little water cook covered until the chicken is cooked through. Take care to open the lid and stir or add water in between making sure it doesn't get burnt.

Once the chicken gets cooked,remove the lid,check for salt and add more if needed, raise the heat and pour the remaining oil and fry well.If you prefer gravy you can skip the last step add a little water to desired consistency.

The green chilly chicken curry is ready.