Kathi rolls or Frankies

The best kathi rolls I had were from this little stand in the Spencer's mall in Chennai. I tried to recreate them here, and I must say they tasted pretty good.

Parathas or Tortillas - 4
Eggs  - 3
Marinated and grilled chicken or veggie kebobs
Red chutney
Green chutney
Sweet chutney
Onion - 1
Lettuce - 1/2 head

These are the links to the chutneys and the chicken and veggie kebobs.
Red, Green and Sweet Chutneys
Chicken Kebobs
Sheekh Kebobs

Beat the eggs with salt and pepper.

Spray a flat bottom pan and place a paratha or tortilla on it.
Pour a beaten egg on the paratha. Flip and cook till the egg is set.
Remove the paratha onto a foil. Layer with the shredded lettuce, sliced onions, the meats or the veggies.
Spoon the chutneys onto the meats.
Wrap and serve hot.

Philly Cheese Veggie

Inspired by the philly cheese steak. I used portobello mushrooms in this recipe.

Philly steak buns or regular hot dog rolls - 4
Onions - 2
Capsicum - 2
Jalapeños - 2
Portobello mushrooms - 4 (Large)
Tomatoes - 2
Black pepper and salt - to taste
Mozzarella or sharp cheddar cheese - 1 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp

Remove stems and the black parts of the mushrooms. Clean with a damp kitchen towel. Washing the mushrooms tends to make them rubbery.
Slice the onions, capsicum, jalapeños and mushrooms lengthwise. (alternately use pickled jalapeños)
Remove seeds from the tomatoes and slice lengthwise.
In a pan, heat the oil and fry the veggies till soft. Add the tomatoes halfway through.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Slit the rolls and stuff them with the veggies. Top with cheese.
Pop them under the broiler till the rolls are crisp and cheese melts.
Serve with ketchup and mustard or toppings of your choice.

Tofu Masala

Raise your hand if you like Tofu...:) I am sure there's not many out there who can stand the taste and texture of tofu. Definitely not many from the mens' department. I love my tofu...however, I am now banned from taking any soy products. I do miss my tofu...This will probably be my last post on tofu. Hubby sure seems happy about that. Getting back to the dish, dealt right, tofu is like a sponge which absorbs flavors well, and in this dish, it does taste similar to paneer.

Ingredients:

Extra firm Tofu - 1 block

Onions - 2

Tomatoes - 3

Green chilis - 4

Spinach - 1 cup

Milk - 1/2 cup

Red chili powder - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Cumin powder - 1 tbsp

Garam masala powder - 1 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp 

Cut the tofu into cubes and marinate with some red chili powder, salt, ginger garlic paste, garam masala and lime juice.

In a pan, spread 1 tbsp oil and arrange the tofu in a single layer. Turn and cook on all side till crisp. Remove and set aside.

In the same pan, add another tbsp oil, and saute chopped onions and green chilis. When the onions start to brown, add the ginger garlic paste and all the other masalas. Add the tomatoes and chopped spinach and cook till the tomatoes are soft.

Add the milk, and another 1/2 cup water. Add the tofu and mix well.

Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro and serve with rotis.

Veggie Sheekh Kebobs

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 3
Paneer - 1/2 cup
Carrots - 2
Cabbage - 1/2 head
Green beans - 10 to 12
Green chilis - 3 to 4
Salt - to taste
Broken Cashews - 1/4 cup
Raisins - 1/4 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Red chili powder - 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tbsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Amchur powder - 1 tbsp
Gram flour - 3 tbsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Black pepper - 1 tsp
Bamboo skewers - 10 to 12

Boil and peel the potatoes. Grate them and set aside. Grate the carrots and cabbage. thinly slice the beans.
In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil, add the grated carrots, cabbage and green beans. Add the gram flour and fry till the raw smell is gone. Add this mixture to the potatoes. Add the crumbled paneer, cashews, raisins and the rest of the masalas. Mix well.
Soak the skewers in water for an hour.
Form balls of this mixture and form them around the skewers as in the picture below.
Preheat oven to 425F. On a foil, spray with non stick spray and cook for 30 to 45 min.
Turn them around midway. Cook till the kebobs are hard and crisp.
Alternately, shallow fry them in a pan with a tbsp on oil.
Serve with sauce or chutney of your choice.

Note: the kebobs will turn soft initially, but will harden later on.

Trio of Chutneys - Sweet chutney - Red chili chutney - Coriander and mint chutney

These chutneys are really easy to make, and are a must for any kind of a chat. They keep in the fridge for more than a week and work great for chats, as dips, spreads and many other ways.

Red Chili chutney:

Red chilis - 10 to 12
Garlic cloves - 3
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 1 tsp
Lemon - 1/2

In a small pan, add the chilis, garlic and 1/2 cup water. Boil till the water evaporates.
Grind with salt, sugar and some water.
Squeeze the lemon.

Green chutney:

Coriander - 1 bunch
Mint - 1/2 bunch
Green chilis - 4
Lemon  - 1
Salt - To taste
Garlic cloves - 2
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Peanuts - a handful

Grind all the ingredients together with 1/2 cup water to make a smooth paste.
Squeeze the lemon and add more water if necessary.

Sweet chutney:

Dates - 12
Tamarind paste - 1 1/2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Boil the dates along with the rest of the ingredients in 1 cup water.
When the dates are soft, cool and grind together.

Ground Turkey and pesto flatbread

I had some left over turkey from a party at a friend's place and some Arabic bread in my refrigerator.

This is what I can up with:




















Ingredients:

Prepared Ground turkey - 1 lb
Pesto or Coriander chutney - 1 cup
Arabic bread, flatbread, pita or naan - 3
Red onion - 1
Salt and pepper - to taste
Raita  - optional

Prepare the turkey anyway you like. (Fry some onions, add ginger garlic paste, masalas, turkey and make a dry and crumbly preparation)
On the flatbread, spoon some pesto or coriander chutney. Sprinkle the turkey, red onions, salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 375F and cook for 6 to 8 min until the edges are crisp.
Drizzle with raita and serve.

Pancakes

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
All purpose flour - 1 cup

Baking powder - 2 tsp
Sugar - 3 tbsp
Salt  - a pinch

Eggs - 2
Milk - 1 1/2 cups
Melted butter - 2 tbsp

Sliced Bananas - 2

Frozen mixed berries - 1 bag

Maple syrup - to drizzle

Mix all the dry ingredients together. In a bowl, whisk the wet ingredients and slowly mix in the dry mix.

Mix till its a smooth batter. On a griddle, pour a ladle full of batter and cook till light brown and fluffy.

Serve with bananas and thawed berries. Drizzle with maple syrup.

Guthi vankaya kura

Ingredients:

Small indian eggplant - 10 to 12
Red Onions - 2 big
Green chilis - 3
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic cloves - 4
Peanuts - a handful
Salt - to taste
Red chili powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Wash and slit the eggplants into 4 parts, leaving the stems intact.
In a pan, add 1 tbsp oil. Add the cumin seeds, and when they start to splutter, add the sliced onions, ginger, garlic and green chilis. Fry till the onions are soft and cool.
Add this to a blender and add the peanuts, turmeric, chili powder, salt and grind.
Stuff the mixture into the slit eggplants and reserve the rest.
In the same pan used earlier, add another tbsp oil, add the eggplant and fry on medium heat.
Add the remaining mixture to the pan and sprinkle with water if it's dry.
Cook till the eggplant is cooked through.
Serve with rice or roti.

Schezwan hakka noodles

I make my Chinese noodles with whole wheat pasta. Agreed that its healthier, and I feel good about making this, as I use a ton of veggies and the whole wheat pasta has lots of good stuff in it. I got these schezwan egg noodles from the Asian store, and the difference is the taste and texture is unbelievable. I guess mixing Chinese and Italian cuisines is not the smartest thing to do :) Sometimes authentic works a lot better.

Noodles - 200 gms
Onion - 1
Carrots - 2
Cabbage - 1/2 head
Capsicum - 1 small
Tomatoes- 2
Green chilis - 3
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Garlic cloves - 3
Eggs - 2 to 3
Black pepper - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Soy sauce - 1 1/2 tbsp
Rice wine vinegar - 1 1/2 tbsp
Peanut butter - 1 tbsp
Red chili sauce - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Spring onion - 2

Cook the noodles in boiling water for 8 to 12 min, depending on the instructions on the pack. Drain and wash with cold water and set aside. (It's an absolute no to wash cooked pasta, but noodles can be washed to prevent them from clumping up)
Slice all the veggies into thin strips.
In a wok or a pan, add the oil, ginger, garlic green chilis and fry this aromatic. Add the onions and fry till a bit wilted. Add the capsicum, carrots, cabbage and fry till soft, yet crisp.
In a bowl, mix salt, black pepper, soy sauce, vinegar, peanut butter, chili sauce and mix well.
Add the noodles to the pan, mix well and add the sauce.
Mix until combined. In the center of the pan, move the noodles to the side, making a well. Break the eggs in the middle, add salt and pepper. Scramble and mix with the noodles.
Garnish with spring onion and serve.
I am adding a picture of noodles made another time, to show how to add the eggs to the pan.

Tangy Tomato chutney

I made this chutney with anything and everything I could find in my pantry. Did not have the main ingredient - tomatoes, but was craving for this chutney. Found some marinara sauce, and decided to try it out. The result was tangy and lip smacking. One of the best tomato chutneys I ever had.

Sliced red onion - 1
Green chilis - 4
Red Chilis - 4
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Chana daal - 2 tbsp
Urad daal - 2 tbsp
Peanuts - 2 tbsp
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic cloves - 6
Cilantro - handful
Mint leaves- 1/2 cup
Coconut powder - 2 tbsp
Marinara sauce - 2 cups
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

In a pan, heat the oil. Add the cumin seeds, and the daal and peanuts. Add the onions, ginger, green and red chilis, garlic and fry. When the onion is soft, add the choped cilantro, mint leaves, coconut powder, tamarind, salt and stir. Add the marinara sauce and heat it through for a few minutes. Cool and grind coarsely.
Add chopped red onion and cilantro.
Tastes good with dosas, rotis or as a sandwich spread.

Baked Pakode

I always look for alternatives to deep frying. Some work and some don't. This is one dish that tastes just as good when baked. I add in a handful of chopped spinach and a grated carrot to make this a complete meal. The gram flour provide the protein.

Gram Flour/Besan - 1 cup

Semolina/Rava - 2 tbsp

Chopped Green Chilis - 2

Sliced Onion - 1

Grated carrot - 1

Chopped Spinach - 1 cup

Bread slice - 1

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

In a bowl, add the all the above ingredients, sprinkle some water and mix well. The mixture should be thick. 

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray an aluminium foil or a baking dish with non stick spray, and spoon the mixture onto it. Bake for 10 min on one side, turn over and cook till done. Serve with dipping sauce of your choice.

Chili Chicken/ Chicken 65

This dish has so many different names - Chili chicken, ginger chicken...and so on. Essentially they are similar, and taste really good. I did not use any food coloring here. Looked just as good without it.

For the coating:

Chicken leg meat - 2 lbs (Cubed)

Corn flour - 2 tbsp

Egg - 1

Salt and pepper - to taste

Oil  - to fry

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

For the Sauce:

Oil - 1 tbsp

Cumin - 1 tsp

Chopped Ginger - 1 tbsp

Chopped Garlic - 1 tbsp

Chopped green chili - 2 

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Chili garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Red chili powder - 1 tsp

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Soy sauce - 1 tsp

Mix the chicken with the coating and deep fry. I discard the oil, so fry in as little oil as possible. Remove and set aside.

In a pan, add the oil. Cumin seeds, chopped ginger and garlic, green chili, curry leaves and fry till fragrant.

Add the chili garlic sauce, salt, cumin powder, red chili powder, soy sauce and 1/4 cup water.

Mix well and cook for a minute.

Add the chicken and mix well. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

Rasgulla

Milk - 1/2 gallon

Lemon juice - 1/2 cup (diluted with 2 tbsp water)

Cheese cloth

Sugar - 2 cups

Water - 5 cups

Cardamom pods - 5

In a thick bottom pan, boil the milk.

When the milk starts boiling, add the lemon juice and stir till the paneer separates.

Keep aside for 10 min. 

Strain the paneer into the cheese cloth and wash under cold tap water, to remove any residual lemon flavor.

Squeeze well and remove unto a plate.

Knead the paneer well, like a roti dough.

Knead till the paneer is soft and forms a ball in your hand.

In a pressure cooker, add the water, sugar and crushed cardamom pods.

Mix till the sugar dissolves.

Form small balls of the paneer and add to the pressure cooker.

Don't crowd the cooker, as the balls will expand in size.

Close the lid and cook till 2 whistles.

Cool and serve chilled.

Chicken Biryani

I have one word for this Biryani - Delicious!!! This dish is bursting with flavor and quick to make. Dum biryani is in rage these days, but I like this version better. The same method can be made with lamb, with a slight variation. Pressure cook the lamb for a couple whistles before starting the process.

Chicken - 2 lbs (Leg meat)

Onions - 1 big

Green Chilis - 6 to 8

Mint - Small bunch

Cilantro - Small bunch

Tomatoes - 3

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 1/2 tbsp

Coconut milk - 1 cup

Red chili powder - 1 tbsp

Biryani Masala - 1 1/2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Basmati rice - 2 cups

Oil - 2 tbsp

Yogurt - 2 tbsp

Chicken marinade:

Marinate the chicken with 1 tsp salt, red chili powder, 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste and the yogurt.

Let the chicken marinate for an hour.

Soak the basmati rice in water for 1/2 an hour.

In a large pan, heat the oil. Add the sliced onion, green chilis and fry till soft.

Add the finely chopped mint and cilantro. 

Add the Ginger garlic paste and chopped tomatoes.

When the tomatoes are soft, add the marinated chicken and cook till its no longer pink.

Add the salt, biryani masala, and the coconut milk, rice and 1/2 cup water.

The chicken will release water while it cook. Adding more water will make the biryani mushy.

When the water starts to boil, close the lid and reduce to low.

Cook for 20 more min and check for the doneness of the rice.

Serve with raita or a side dish of your choice.

Sev and Ribbon Pakode

Crunchy, spicy, melt in your mouth. I don't have a sweet tooth, and love my savory stuff. I tried to make this healthier too...baking them instead of frying them. Trust me, somethings are best left to the deep fryer :) The same batter can be used for both. Also, you could make any shape in the press with the same. My mom would make these with double the besan to rice flour. I noticed that this is not the usual ratio. I like hers, so using the same ratio.

Besan - 2 cups

Rice Flour - 1 cup

Hing - 1 tsp

Carom seeds (Ajwain/Omam/Vamu) - 2 tbsp

Salt - To taste

Butter or Ghee - 2 tbsp (Melted)

Red chili powder - 2 tbsp

Oil - To fry

Water - To mix the dough

Muruku press

Method:

Mix all the ingredients except the ajwain and  oil in a bowl. Add water and mix till it forms a dough. This will be soft, yet firm.

Heat the oil. Use the sev attachment in the press, and fill it with the dough. Press into the hot oil, making a large round.

Wait till the bubbles subside and turn once. Fry till golden brown and remove onto an absorbant paper.

For the Ribbon pakoda, add the carom seeds to the rest of the batter and mix. 

Change the attachment in the muruku press and make the pakodas similar to the sev.

Cool and store in an air tight container.