38 - Green Chicken Fry

Green Chicken Fry is a delicious chicken dry fry bursting with flavor.

It  is cooked in typical spicy south indian style , cooked in good old coconut oil.

Ingredients

500 gm chicken 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chilly powder

1 tbsp black pepper powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam  masala powder
1  tsp fennel seeds
Coconut oil
salt, to taste

To grind

1 small onion, sliced

a bunch of coriander leaves
10 - 15 curry leaves
6 cloves of garlic
2 green chilies
1 cup curd

Preparation

Wash the chicken and add  to it all the powders. Grind together all the ingredients mentioned above to a smooth paste. Now add this to the chicken and mix everything well. Marinate it for atleast 1 hour. 

Heat the oil in a pan. Add a few curry leaves. Add the marinated chicken. Stir and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame. Stir occasionally. When the chicken is almost cooked, remove the lid and stir and cook till the gravy almost dries up and the oil seperates. Add some coriander leaves for garnish Switch off the flame and keep it closed. 

Serve hot! Enjoy!!

37 - Aloo Chana Masala

So with 2 hyper active school going boys growing up in this household, I am always on the look out for easy and simple recipes. And that is how I came up with this one. Easy, yet flavorful.

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped finely

1" piece ginger, chopped finely

4 cloves garlic, chopped finely

2-3 green chilies (or as per taste) , chopped 

1 cup tomato puree

2 large potatoes , peeled and cut into small squares

1 can of chickpeas, or 1/2 cup chickpeas soaked overnight and cooked 

1 handful coriander leaves, chopped

1 cup water

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2" piece of cinnamon

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chilly powder, or as per taste

2 tbsp oil

salt, to taste

Preparation

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds. Once they begin to splutter, add  the bay leaf and cinnamon. Then add the ginger, garlic and green chilies. Stir for a minute and then add the onions(keep a handful of chopped onions aside) to this. Cook till the onions turn brown. Once the onions begin to brown, add the turmeric, chilly powder and salt. Stir and mix for 2 minutes. Add the tomato puree to this and mix well. Cook this covered on low flame till the oil separates. Now add the potatoes and the water. Again cook covered on a low flame until the potatoes are cooked well, but not mushy. Stir occasionally. Add the chickpeas and mix well. Cook till you get the required consistency of gravy. Add the chopped coriander leaves and  the handful of chopped onions that you kept aside. Keep covered and switch off the flame. 

Serve hot with rotis, naan or parathas. Enjoy! :)

31 - Spinach Pesto

Pasta, Mozzarella Sticks, Grilled Cheese etc. Drooooooooooooool...

Mix these with Pesto and it gets even better. Make that Spinach Pesto and there you have a way to get spinach into your kids! I am sure I have convinced you by now to try this out. So here you go..

Ingredients

1 cup baby Spinach
1/2 cup sliced Almonds
3/4 cup fresh Basil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Salt - a pinch

Preparation

Toast the almonds till slightly brown.
Wash the spinach and basil well.
Add the spinach,almonds,basil and parmesan in a blender and make a smooth paste. Keep drizzling the oil as you make the paste.

Spinach Pesto Ready! :)

* This pesto should stay well for about a month in the refrigerator. Store air tight with a little oil drizzled on top.

* This pesto can be added to pasta, grilled cheese sandwich (preferable with mozzarella cheese) or even as a dip for mozzarella cheese sticks.