Green chicken with yoghurt

I like green curries and of late they are being enjoyed by all at home. I remember a time when my sin refused to eat any food that looked green coz it was made of vegetables, so it was a great surprise when he couldn't wait for lunch at 11 am coz the curry smelled and looked so good when I made this green chicken recently. :-D

Ingredients:

Chicken – 1 kg

(Apply salt, ½ tsp turmeric, 2 tbsp of ginger garlic paste, 3/4 cup of yoghurt and juice of 1 lime. Set aside while you get your other ingredients ready.)

Grind the below ingredients to a paste with little water:

1. Coriander leaves – 1/2 cup
2. Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
3. Garlic - 6 flakes
4. Green chillies – 6 nos
5. Peppercorns – 10 nos
6. Jeera – 1 tsp
7. Cloves - 6 nos
8. Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
9. Cinnamon - 2 inch stick
10. Cardamom - 6 nos
11. Onion - 1 large

1 large onion, sliced thin

1 large, tomato

Method:

1. In a pan, pour oil, add two bay leaves and the sliced onion. Add some salt and fry well. Please note you have already used salt in the marinade, please use salt accordingly. 
2. Add the chicken pieces only and fry in the oil for about five minutes on high flame. 
3. Add the marinade and the ground masala. Add the sliced tomatoes and if required 1/2 cup of water. Mix well and let the chicken cook.
4. Once the chicken is cooked check for seasoning and consistency and add 1 tsp of garam masala, stir well and switch off the flame.
5. Serve with steamed rice or pulao.

Fried rice (Veg, Egg or Chicken)

I like fried rice coz there are no rules as long as some basics are in place like adding garlic, pepper and some soy sauce. These are a must in my fried rice and I add other ingredients based on availability or preference on that particular day. That's why my fried rice varies depending on what goes into it on a particular day. I will share the most basic recipe and suggest options and you can make it your own.

Ingredients:

1. Cooked white rice - 3 cups 
2. Onion - 1 medium, chopped
3. Garlic - 6 cloves, chopped
4. Any vegetable mix - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
5. Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
6. Vinegar - 2 tsp
7. Oil, Salt and pepper as needed.

Method:

1. Wash and chop all vegetables roughly and set aside.
2. In a big pan, heat oil. Add the garlic and onion and fry for a minute or so. 
3. Add the mixed vegetables and cook till almost done. Do not add water but cook on slow flame.
4. When the vegetables are almost done, increase the flame and add the sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper and the rice. Continuously mix till all the contents of the pan are well integrated and switch off the flame.
5. Garnish with spring greens.

Note:

1. It is best use rice that is a day old or at least made a few hours before and cooled down completely.
2. Suggestions for vegetables: carrots, French beans, peas, different colored peppers, chopped mushrooms, cooked corn, baby corn, bamboo shoot, sprouts.
3. Scrambled egg can also be added to make a egg fried rice. Add the scrambled egg just before adding rice and mix well and continue as per the instructions given above.
4. At times I like to add boiled and chopped chicken or sausages cut into small bits. Add the chicken or sausage bits when the vegetables are almost cooked, mix well and then add the sauces and seasoning, stir fry for a minute or so before adding rice. Then continue as per the instructions given above.

Beef chilly

Stir frys are very popular in my home. They go well with a simple meal of daal and rice or s simple bowl of noodles.  You can change the meat as per your preference and also use chicken for the same recipe, though I'd suggest using chicken thigh strips.

Ingredients:

1. Beef (sirloin tips) - 500 gms
2. Onions - 2 medium sized
3. Garlic - 12 cloves
4. Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
5. Green chilli - 2 nos
6. Green peppers - 2 nos
7. Soy sauce - 1 and half tbsp
8. Red Chilli sauce - 1bsp
9. Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Cook the sirloin tips till done and set aside. If you are using some other cut, cut it into strips of 3 inches in length and half inch thickness.
2. Cut all the vegetables in thick slices.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic and fry till it changes color.
4. Add the onions and stir fry for two minutes. 
5. Add the cooked beef and the sauces and peppers and stir fry till the sauce has quoted the meat and the vegetables. Continue stir frying for a few minutes and finish off with the addition of vinegar.
6. Switch off the flame and garnish with green spring onion.
7. You can serve this with steamed rice, fried rice or noodles.

Yellow moong daal with tomato

Daals are so popular in all Indian kitchens and every home has a different ways of cooking it. There are everyday recipes that are not particularly fussy about the ingredients and then there are special occasion daal preparations that require more time and ingredients. Well today's daal recipe is an everyday daal that makes its appearance on special occasions too, coz of how tasty it is. I have served it to guests who have absolutely loved it and raved about it. It is a favorite daal in my home and is made very often. But most of all it is special coz my son loves it. Any recipe that he loves automatically is a special dish for me :-)

Ingredients:

• Yellow moong daal - 1/2 cup
• Tomatoes - 2 medium

Tempering:

1. Ghee or oil - 2 tbsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Garlic - 5 cloves, chopped fine
4. Hing - 1/4 tsp
5. Green chili - 2 nos, slit
6. Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. In a cooker wash and soak 1/2 cup yellow moon daal for at least half hour before cooking. More soaking time if you are not running late.
2. Wash the tomatoes and make 4 slits at the bottom and place in the cooker with the daal. Cook under pressure for three whistles or as many as required for the daal to cook. When the pressure has released and its safe to open, you can start the tempering.
3. In a pan, heat oil/ghee, add the mustard seeds and wait for it to start spluttering, quickly add the finely chopped garlic, hing and green chilies. Sauté it for 30 seconds.
4. Now only remove the cooked tomatoes from the pressure cooker and add to the pan, mashing and cooking it. To this add the turmeric and red chili powder. Stir continuously and let it fry till the oil leaves the sides of the pan. 
5. Add the cooked daal with 1/2 cup water. Mix well, add salt and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for two minutes and switch off the flame. 
6. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice.

*You can add a squeeze of lime if required after you have switched off the flame for some extra tang.