Chilly Veg

Last in the series is Chilly Veg, a very easy to make Chinese dish with loads of taste and textures.

Task completed+ 6 varieties + Impressed Husband= 'Happiness'

Recipe for Chilly Veg:

Ingredients:

1) 1 Bowl capsicum,baby corn,onions,mushrooms, carrots cut into lengthwise slices.

2) 1 tsp chopped green chillies

3) 2 tbsp cornstarch

4) 1 tsp red chilli sauce

5) 2 tsp  Dark soya sauce

6) 1/2 tsp vinegar

7) 1 tsp black pepper powder

8) 1 tsp garlic paste

9) Salt to taste

10) Sugar to taste

11) Oil to fry

12) 1 tbsp chopped spring onions

Method:

1) Deep fry all the vegetables, leave them little under cooked.

2) In a pan add garlic paste and green chillies and saute it.

3) Now prepare a slurry with water,cornstarch, vinegar and the sauces and pour it in the oil.

4) At this point add salt and sugar, creating a balance of sweet, sour and salty.

5) After 5 mins add the vegetables and black pepper powder.

6) Simmer for 2 mins , sprinkle spring onions from top.

7) Serve with Chinese Fried Rice.

Note:

Cook everything on high flame, and do not cook further after adding spring onions.

The Good Old Chinese Fried RIce

Sixth Dish in the series. For viewers watching my blog for the first time, kindly check the last 5 recipes to understand the series i am talking about.

White Long grain rice with crunch from carrots and capsicum.

Recipe For Chinese Fried Rice:

Ingredients:

1) 1 cup basmati rice.

2) 1 Cup diced Carrots and Green Capsicum

3) Salt to taste

4) 2 tbsp oil

5) Pinch of Ajinomoto

6) 1 tsp Vinegar

7) 1 tsp white pepper powder

8) 1 tsp Garlic paste 

Method:

1) Cook the rice till 3/4th stage.

2) Fry the carrots and capsicum till done.

3) Heat oil in a pan.

4) Add the fried carrots and capsicum and the garlic paste.

5) Now add the rice ladle by ladle to make non sticky rice.

6) Once rice is done add salt, vinegar and ajinomoto.

7) Add pepper powder

8) Serve with Chilly Veg.

Paneer Makhani (Butter Paneer)

Having born & raised in Delhi, my hubby has a special fondness for Paneer Makhni and he challenged my cooking prowess. From my series of Food dedication for my husband this is the fifth dish &  i  must tell you that its not easy to get a perfect dish without an inspiration behind you. My hubby acknowledged  that the Paneer Makhani I cooked was one of his favorite dishes ever cooked by me.

Paneer Makhani or Butter Paneer is  parallel to Butter Chicken for Vegetarians. Chicken is replaced with Paneer which gives the dish a velvety softness to  the dish.

Recipe For Paneer Makhani (Butter Paneer)

Ingredients:

1) 10 Cubes of Paneer 

2) 3 tbsp boiled onion paste (Boiling the onion adds smoothness to the paste)

3) 4 tbsp boiled tomato paste

4) 1 1/2 tbsp Cashewnut-Almonds paste (2:1)

5) 2 tsp Fresh Cream

6) 1/2 tsp Kasoori methi crushed

7) 3 tbsp Butter

8) 1/2 tsp Shah Zeera

9) 1/4 tsp Zeera

10) 5 pieces of clove

11) 1/2 inch cinnamon

12) 3 pods of cardamom

13) 2 big cardomom

14) 2 tbsp Kashmiri Mirch Powder ( 1 tsp if using normal Red Chilli Powder)

15) Salt to taste

16) 1/2 tsp sugar

17) 1 1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste

18) 1/2 tsp Black pepper powder

19) 2 tsp Cumin- corainder powder

20) 1 /2 tsp garam masala powder

22) 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Method:

1) Marinate the paneer pieces with turmeric and salt for 1 hour and lightly saute it.
2) Add butter to the pan, let it heat.
3) Now add all the dry spices ,Cinnamon, Cardomom small and big ,Clove, Shah Zeera and Zeera. Also add sugar at this point as the caramelizing of the sugar adds color to the gravy.
4) Now add the onion paste and ginger- garlic paste. Let it leave sides of the pan.
5) Now add the tomato paste cook until it leaves pan sides.
6) Add the Cashewnut and Almond paste.
7) Simultaneously add the dry masalas ( Cumin-Corainder powder,black pepper powder,Kashmiri Lal mirch powder,and crushed kasoori methi)
8) Once the masalas are cooked add paneer and coat it.
9) Add 1 cup warm water to the mixture.
10) Let it simmer for 5 mins and add garam masala.
11) Take it off from heat and add fresh cream and serve hot.

Note:

Do not over fry the paneer cubes, just lightly saute it leaving it tender.

Navratna Korma

Navratna Korma is a mughlai dish where nine different varieties of vegetables are used. This is a dish which develops its richness by incorporating flavours from all nine ingredients and creating a balance between aroma and taste.

Well this is contd from earlier post (if you all are following the series).

Recipe For Navratna Korma:

Ingredients:

1) 1 cup Nine Different varieties of vegetables cut in cubes. (Cauliflower, Green peas, Potato, Capsicum, French beans, Carrot, Tomatoes, Pineapple, Sweet potato)( Blanch the veges with salt)

2) 1 tbsp cottage Cheese (Paneer) cut in cubes.

3) 1 tbsp tomato paste.

4) 1 tbsp cashewnut,Khus Khus (Poppy seeds) and raisins paste (2:1:1)

5) 1 tbsp chopped onions.

6) 1/2 tsp shah zeera

7) 1/4 tsp zeera

8) 1 inch cinnamon, 2 small cardomoms, 1 big cardomom, 3-4 cloves.

9) Salt to taste

10) 1/2 tbsp fresh cream.

11) 1/2 tsp kasoori methi

12) 3 tbsp oil.

13) 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

14) 1/2 tbsp Cumin- Corainder powder

Method:

1) Fry the blanched vegetables.

2) In a pan add all the oil.

3) Now add all the whole spices and let it saute to release aroma.

4) Add onions and saute until golden.

5) Add tomato paste, cook until oil leaves sides of pan.

6) Now add the Cashewnut,poppy seeds and raisins paste and the fried vegetables.

7) Let everything cook together.

8) Once done add salt and kasoori methi.

9) Add Cumin- Corainder powder, let it simmer, till oil leaves sides of pan.

10) Take off from heat and add fresh cream.

11) Your Mughlai feast ready to serve.

12) Serve with Paneer Kulcha.

Chicken Lollipop

As promised i started my Food trail with  Honey Sesame Chicken and second in the line up is Chicken Lollipop.

It is a very famous Indo-Chinese recipe liked by almost everyone. This recipe is crunchy from outside and tender inside and the greens give it a munch; put together it is a finger licking dish to have.

Recipe For Chicken Lollipop:

Ingredients:

1) 12 Pieces thin Chicken Legs or Chicken Wings. (See note)
2) 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
3) 1 tbsp soya sauce
4) 1 tbsp red chilli sauce
5) Salt as per taste
6) Ajinomoto a pinch (can be omitted)
7) 1/2 tbsp schezwan sauce
8) 2 tbsp refined flour
9) 1/2 tbsp cornflour
10) Thinly sliced capsicum and spring onion
11) 1/2 tsp chilli powder (if u want it to be spicy)
12) Oil to fry

Method:

1) Prepare a marinate with ginger- garlic paste, salt , schezwan sauce and dip the chicken pieces in it for 3 hrs.
2) Prepare a second marinate along with flour, cornflour, soya sauce, red chilli sauce,ajinomoto, red chilli powder (if needed).
3) Add a little water to form a batter.
4) Dip the lollipops one by one in the second marinate and deep fry.
5) Repeat the same process for rest of the pieces.
6) In a different pan take some oil and lightly saute capsicum and spring onions with some salt, keep it little under cooked to give it a crunchy taste.
7) Serve the lollipops covering the bones with aluminium foil.



Note:

In order to have chicken lollipops; easiest way is to ask your butcher for help in advance or else try it at home. Take the leg pieces and push all the flesh from the leg bones or the wings, accumulating at the top creating a lollipop like figure.Use a knife to scrap the meat from the bones.