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.

Paneer Kulcha

Contd. from last post. Third in the line is Paneer Kulcha with Navratna Korma. Paneer kulcha is crisp, lite & full of flavours and no fuss cooking.

Recipe For Paneer Kulcha:

Ingredients:

1) 3 tbsp grated paneer

2) 2 chopped green chilli

3) 2 tbsp chopped corainder

4) Salt to taste

5) 1 1/2 cup refined flour

6) 1 tbsp warm oil
7) 2 tbsp warm milk

8) 1/2 tbsp curd

9) 1/4 tsp soda-bi-carb

10) 1 tsp onion seeds (Kalonji)

11) Ghee to apply

12) 1 tsp Chaat Masala

Method:

1) Make a dough with flour, salt, soda, Onion seeds,milk, oil and curd.Add water if needed.

2) Keep the dough aside for 2 hrs coveting with a warm cloth.

3) Make filling with grated paneer, green chilli, corainder, salt and chaat masala.

4) Take around 2 cms of dough and create a weel in middle.

5) Insert the filling in it and close the ends.

6) Roll it into small rotis.

7) Cook it with oil until crisp.

8) Add ghee from top.

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.

Honey Sesame Chicken

Well like all girls i too love shopping and over this weekend we could manage to do great amount of shopping; but there's something else i am happier about. It is something my Husband gifted me.It is a thing i was longing since three years and finally have it now. It's an ornament and will share with you all the pics over Durga Puja, will inaugurate it during that time.

This made me inspired to pamper my husband over the weekdays with different combinations of dishes, which i'll be sharing with you guys one after the other.

I made Honey Sesame Chicken, Chicken lollipop, Chilly Veg,  Chinese Fried Rice, Navrattan Korma, Paneer Kulcha and Paneer Makhani.

ORNAMENT+ Shopping +  Signature Food = 'Happiness'

Recipe for Honey Sesame Chicken:

Ingredients:

1) 1 cup thin chicken slices

2) 1 tbsp honey

3) 1/2 cup onion cut into thick rings

4) 2 tsp roasted sesame 

5) 1 1/2 tbsp refined flour

6) 1 tsp Soya Sauce

7) Salt to taste

8) 1 tbsp red chilly powder

9) Pinch of ajinomoto (can be excluded)

10) Chopped spring onion for tossing

11) Oil to fry

12) 1 tsp garlic paste

Method:

1) Coat the chicken with flour, soya sauce, salt and half red chilli powder.

2) Add little water if needed top form a batter.

3) Leave the chicken for 1 hour.

4) After an hour deep fry them until crispy.

5) Now in a pan add oil and then garlic paste and saute it.

6) Now add the onion rings and cook until they are translucent in color.

7) Add the chicken.

8) Now make a mixture with honey and remaining red chilli powder and little water.

9) Pour it in the pan and let it coat the chicken.

10) Add the roasted sesame, crushed ajinomoto and chopped spring onion from top.

11) Take off from heat.

12) Serve as a starter.

Dhaniya Murg (Corainder Chicken)

As promised my next recipe is  Dhaniya Murg served with Lemon Rice. This is a scentful recipe for wet monsoon evenings.The nuttiness of the fried Kaju adds a texture to the dish.

Lemon Rice + Monsoon evenings = 'Happiness'

Recipe for Dhaniya Murg

Ingredients:

1) 7-8 Chicken pieces

2) 1 Cup chopped corainder

3) 6-7 Green chillies

4) 1 tbsp lemon juice

5) 1/2 cup fried onions

6) 10-12 Kaju fry

7) 1 tsp Corainder seeds

8) 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

9) 1 tsp Turmeric powder

10) Salt to taste

11) 1/2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste

12) 2 tbsp oil

Method :

1) Marinate Chicken in turmeric powder, lemon juice, half of Ginger- Garlic paste and salt.

2) Make a paste with Coriander leaves, Green chillies.

3) Fry the chicken pieces.

3) Add oil to the pan, and add cumin and coriander seeds and let it splutter.

4) Add remaining Ginger- garlic paste, salt and the coriander paste.

5) Let it simmer till oil separates the pan and water in the coriander paste dies.

6) Add the chicken now.

7) Let the chicken coat the gravy.

8) Crush the fried onions leaving some for garnish and add in the gravy.

9) Add 1/2 cup water.

10) Make a thick Gravy.

11) Add the fried Kaju and remaining fried onions from top.

12) Serve with Lemon Rice.