Festive Greetings with Chicken Parcel Recipe and Choco Chip Cookies

 We are facing a very challenging pandemic year so far and each of us have their versions of challenges. However, festivals bring hope and happiness and we start anticipating nice things in progress, forgetting about the obstacles and challenges of a pandemic year.

Hope this Christmas lightens up your day with joy and laughter. Merry Christmas!!

I have made these Chicken parcels and dear daughter has made Choco chip cookies on Christmas eve yesterday, so likewise it has featured in the blog. These chicken parcels are easy to assemble with ready-made short crust pastry dough. These parcels reminded me of Cornish pasties, although not entirely similar but has uncanny resemblance, perhaps a little shape is lacking here and there. The crescent shape Pasty was replaced with a rectangular chicken parcel. I have avoided doing egg wash for each parcel. But next time will do that for a nice even shinny and crusty layer.

Now to the recipe

Chicken Parcel

Recipe requirements

• Short crust pastry block- 500gms
• 400-500 gms of chicken thigh portions
• 1 medium size potato
• 1 medium size onion
• 1 cup of green peas
• 100 Gms of baby chestnut mushrooms
• 1 medium size tomato
• 3-4 heaped tbs of chicken gravy granules
• 1 tsp of black pepper powder
• 3-4 tbs of cooking oil
• 1 tsp of salt

Method

• Clean and cut chicken thigh portions into bit size portions. Chop potato, tomato and onion. Cut potato into small bite size portions.
• Now put a fry pan on medium heat. Add cooking oil, add in onions, baby chestnut mushrooms, green peas and cut tomatoes. Add in potato and chicken pieces as well.
• Add in chicken gravy granules and salt. Add in black pepper powder. Add in a cup of water. Cover and cook for about 15-20 mints or till chicken turn out soft and the content starts collecting well somewhat more like semi-dry.

Now to the pastry

• Take out pastry dough from the packet and divide it into 4 portions. Roll into a long rectangular slab. Please follow package direction for thawing and rolling the dough.
• Divide the cooked chicken and potato mixture into 4 portions.
• Place the mixture at one side and roll over from other side. Press with fork and seal the ends. (At this time, you can even do an egg wash for each parcel)
• Preheat an oven at 180 deg C.
• Put the parcels over baking tray and bake 25-30 mints depending on the make of oven. Take out once the sides of parcel start to brown out. The sides of the parcel should nicely toast and center should remain little bit soft but cooked well.
• Serve warm and enjoy. Vegetarians can make it with soya chunks or Paneer pieces.

These Choco Chip Cookies were made by dear daughter and these turned out very delicious.

Choco Chip Cookies

Recipe requirements

Recipe adapted from (Here)

• 125 gms of softened butter
• 100 gms granulated sugar
• 100 gms light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 and ¾ cup of self-rising flour
• 1 tsp of vanilla essence
• ½ tsp of salt
• 100 gms of chocolate chips

Method

• Cream softened butter and granulated sugar, light brown sugar in a big mixing bowl.
• Now add egg and vanilla essence and mix well.
• Sift in self raising flour and salt. Keep mixing this flour mixture with creamed butter and sugar till all the dough starts to collect well. Dust off more flour if it gets sticky.
• Put the dough to rest in fridge for about 2-3 hrs. Take out when you are ready to make Choco chip cookies.
• Preheat an oven at 180 deg C. Line up a baking tray with grease proof paper or baking paper sheet.
• Now make walnut size small balls out of the dough and roll them nicely rounded. Put them apart on baking tray. Sprinkle some chocolate chips over and gently press to secure them on cookies dough.
• Bake in the oven for about 10-15 mints or the make of your oven.
• Take out once sides are just starting to go light brown in color. Delicious Choco chip cookies are ready. Enjoy. This dough can be put in deep fridge and it will stay fresh for about a month, Use it accordingly.

May this Christmas bring you loads of happiness and laughter. 

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year everyone.

Chicken Curry

Its December and we are very near to roll up another year. The last leaf bid adieu to gorgeous autumn, bare and naked trees slowly embracing cold winter season. Each cycle of season changes, invokes myriad feelings. 

All shops and market places are decked up and looks absolutely festive and colorful these days. 

We have put up a Christmas tree just like every year. And it has lighted up our home with joy and contentment. Festivals revive our bonding with friends and family also. Live, Laugh and Love 💟😊

So, enjoy festivity and take time offs. We have another week of schooling and then we will be having Christmas holidays. Holidays makes me busy, yes you read it right. We have to plan to fill in our days with some activities or even a movie day out. We are looking forward to Star-Wars movie this December, let’s hope it doesn’t turn out to be a let-down for us.

Zara hat key! This is what my daughter told me when she did her tasting for this chicken curry recipe. Although she can’t pinpoint exact spices that went into making this chicken curry, but she liked the final product. Meanwhile, I was trying to figure out, how should I name this recipe but nothing came to my mind. 

Without adding up any further mysteries, I thought let me just put it as ‘Zara hat key’. We liked this as a leisurely paced Sunday lunch with warm paneer pulao/pilaf as accompaniment. This is from our kitchen to your world, presenting Zara hat key chicken curry.

Chicken Curry- Zara Hat Key

Recipe requirements

• Chicken – 1kg
• 4 medium size onions
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• ½ inch ginger
• 3-4 dry red pepper
• 1 medium size tomato
• 2-3 medium size potato cut into half

Seasonings

• ½ tsp of red pepper powder
• 1 tsp of Kashmiri red pepper powder
• 2 tsp of coriander powder
•  ½ tsp of cumin powder
• ¼ tsp of carom seeds
• 3-4 cloves
• 2-3 green cardamom
• 1 tsp of whole black pepper
• 1 tsp of Salt or as per taste
• 2-3 tsp of ghee
• ¼ cup of cooking oil

Method

• Wash and clean chicken pieces thoroughly. I have used chicken drumstick portions for this curry.
• In a food processor or mixer/grinder, grind onions, garlic, ginger, tomato and dry red pepper in to a smooth paste. It would be better if you soak dry red peppers in warm water for about 1 hr or till they swell and become soft.
• Now heat up a heavy bottomed fry pan, add cooking oil.
• Add in the prepared paste, add in salt, turmeric powder, red pepper powder, Kashmiri red pepper powder, cumin powder and coriander powder and keep on stir/fry for 10-15 mints at medium high flame.
• Meanwhile in a mortar/pestle, dry grind- carom seeds, cloves, cardamom, whole black pepper.
• Now add in cut potatoes to the above fried masala paste. Add the dry masala powder that you have prepared earlier in mortar and pestle now.
• Keep on stir/frying for about 8-10 mints more. Add in 2 cups of water. Preferably warm water.
•  Now cover the pan and let it cook. Lower the flame and let it slowly cook in its own juices and all spices for about 30 -35 mints or till all the chicken pieces turns soft and cooked through well.
• At the end add in ghee and mix well.

Happy Cooking Friends and Enjoy Festival Season 🙏

Chicken Dry Curry- Murgir Makha-Makha Jhaal

The leaf of every tree, brings message

From the unseen world, look every

falling leaf is a blessing

-          Rumi

Past couple of days, its raining here, sometimes persistent and sometimes intermittent. We are observing sudden drop in temperatures in the mornings and evenings. If it rains the weather becomes cold and soggy which is typical of autumn season in this part of the world. 

Although, fall season has an enticing aura and grandeur. Each and every falling leaf has a beauty of its own. I was strolling out, in one of our local parks and tried to capture some moments with my mobile.

And also, this blog has turned 13. Thirteen long years have passed, when I first wrote a random blogpost in blogger in 2006.It feels nice to be connected to my readers, who have subscribed the blog posts and feeds.
Although, I am not that active in using other social media platforms, this blog still has some loyal readers. I must thank them and new readers for coming back here for recipes and more for years now.

Now to the recipe for todays post- chicken curry. I would not want to label this as curry. But I fail to come up with exact replica for ‘makha-makha jhal’ in English. I have taken some liberty in naming this dish chicken dry curry. I have used ajwain/carom seeds for making this dry curry, although it’s not the only ingredient, which I would like to highlight.
Although must admit ajwain/carom seeds being a digestive enhancer helps in balancing off the richness of the gravy that comes with walnuts and all whole garam masala ingredients.
The use of freshly grounded spices like mace, cloves and cardamom has infused much aroma to the gravy. The gravy was done in slow stir/fry type.
This is a work of patience, as you need to pound and grind the spices for a lovely aroma, which adds up to the gravy. I took the pictures with my mobile as usual. Hope, it justifies the texture of the gravy.

Now to the recipe.

Chicken Dry Curry- Murgir Makha-Makha Jhaal

Recipe requirements

• Chicken – 1kg
• 4 medium size onions
• 4-5 garlic cloves
• ½ inch ginger
• 3-4 green chillies
• 1 medium size tomato
• 2-3 medium size potato cut into half
• 5-6 walnuts
• ¼ cup of raisins

Seasonings

• 1 tsp of red pepper powder
• 2 tsp of coriander powder
• salt as per taste or 1 tsp 
• 5-6 tbs of cooking oil 

To be freshly grounded

• 2 tsp of whole black pepper
• 4-5 cloves
• 4-5 green cardamom
• Few strands of mace
• ¼ tsp of carom seeds

Method

• Wash and clean chicken pieces thoroughly. I have used 4 leg-sides portions for this curry which makes approx 1 kg of chicken.
• In a food processor or mixer/grinder, grind onions, garlic, ginger, walnuts, raisins, tomato and green chillies to a smooth paste.
• Now heat up a heavy bottomed fry pan, add cooking oil.
• Add in the prepared paste, add in salt, turmeric powder, red pepper powder and coriander powder and keep on stir/fry for 10-15 mints.
• Meanwhile in a mortar/pestle, dry grind- carom seeds, cloves, cardamom, whole black pepper and mace.
• Now add in cut potatoes to the above. Add the dry grinded masala powder now.
• Keep on stir/frying for about 5-7 mints more. 
• Now cover the pan and let it cook. Do not add water, if you want a dry gravy with it. Lower the flame and let it slowly cook in its own juices and all spices for about 30 -35 mints or till all the chicken pieces turns soft and cooked through well.

Happy Cooking Friends

Chicken Cutlets

Autumn invokes warmth and the familiarity associated with festivity. With harvest festival Halloween end of this month in western hemisphere and in other part of the hemisphere Navaratri and Deepawali in tows, autumn season has become even more happening and beautiful.

Next four days are very busy for every Bengali as its Durga Pujo.

Let me wish everyone Shubh Navaratri and Happy Durga Pujo. Enjoy and celebrate with good food in good company.

These chicken cutlets have turned out delicious and you can try out making them. These are great as starters and makes great accompaniment with Pulao and Korma.
More Durga Pujo recipes over Here.

Now to the recipe

Chicken Cutlets

Recipe Requirements

• Roasted chicken- ( recipe link )300 gms
• 1 big purple onion
• 5-6 green chillies
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped coriander leaves
• Spices and seasoning
• 2 tsp of coriander powder
• 1 tsp of cumin powder
•  1 tsp of garam masala
• ½ tsp of cinnamon powder
•  2 tsp of red pepper powder
• 2 tsp of freshly grounded black pepper
• ½ tsp of ajwain (carom) seeds
• 1 tsp of salt or as per taste
•  2-3 tbs of cooking oil for pan frying

Method

• Chop onion, garlic and green chillies.
• Take roasted chicken in a bowl. Add all of the chopped onions, garlic and green chillies into it.
• Add salt, red pepper powder, coriander powder, garam masala and freshly grounded black pepper, cinnamon powder and cumin powder. Add in finely chopped coriander leaves.Mix them well with hands.
• Refrigerate the mixture for about an hour so that the mixture gets firmer and it will be easy to shape up patties. Divide the mixture into 5-6 portions and shape them like patties.
• Put a non-stick tava/skillet on flame at medium flame.
• Drop about a tsp of oil. Tava fry them for about 3-4 mints at medium flame have a nice dark brown crust.
• Take out and serve.

Happy Cooking Friends. And Sobaike Sharodiya Shubecha-  শারদীয়া শুভেচ্ছা  ও প্রীতি সবাইকে। পুজো খুব ভালো কাটোগ সবাইকার। Happy Durga Pujo !! 

Roasted Chicken with Rosemary

Usually on Sundays, we sometimes do chicken roast. This recipe is very simple to assemble. I have personally liked rosemary herb for its unique smell and its addition, brings a nice twist to our mundane Sunday roast. I have also roasted some asparagus, potatoes, an onion and garlic as sides with it.

Now to the recipe

Roasted Chicken with Rosemary

Recipe requirements

1 medium size whole chicken

For the marination

2 tsp of red pepper powder

2 tsp of coriander powder

1 tsp of garam masala powder

3-4 stems rosemary

2 tbs of cooking oil

Salt as per taste

Method

• Wash the chicken well in lukewarm water.
• Now make the marinating powder
• Mix in coriander+red pepper +garam masala powder +salt as per taste.
• Now generously rub it all over the chicken and also to inside of chicken.
• Keep refrigerated for about 1-2 hrs for marination. This way chicken absorbs the flavour most and turns out tenderer.
• Preheat oven at 180 deg Celsius.
• Line a roasting tray with foil (if available) and then place the chicken over it.Arrange rosemary herb twigs nicely over it and also inside the chicken.
• Place in the second shelf of the oven.
• Bake it for 1 hr without skin and if the chicken has skin, then add in 4-5 mints more.
• Check for your make of oven and check about proper temperature for roasting. Half way through, take out chicken and bast/brush it with some oil.
• Roast chicken for about 1hr or till chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Happy Cooking Friends

Baked Cannelloni Pasta with chicken and cheese

What would I have to say about my vanishing act? You eager souls are wondering what can be the reasons. Oh this and that, then and when etc. …if I ever write my story …I mean ever... although doubtful, some chapters will definitely be on my vanishing act. Anyhow the exact reason is I was not keeping well. So, I didn’t feel like updating the blog. Although I did cook from time-to time, but updating the blog was not a priority at those terrible times. Anyhow slowly I am trying to figure out how to handle things. Hopefully will try to update this space more often. I can keep trying but I can’t promise.

I made this pasta recipe way back, but couldn’t post the recipe on time. This cannelloni pasta recipe was well received by my folks and also by my dear daughter’s school friends. I happen to pick this pasta while doing my grocery shopping and was intrigued. I found working with them little challenging as they tear out on a brink if extra pressure is applied. You have to work with gentle hands and be gentle with them like a true artist holds their paint-brush. Cooking this pasta is of course a piece of art. Anyhow I have used chicken and cheese stuffing for this recipe .Vegetarians don’t get disappointed, you can substitute it with spinach and ricotta cheese- absolutely delish material.

Here is how cannelloni pasta recipe we made

Baked Cannelloni pasta with chicken stuffing

Recipe requirements (serves 3-4 people)

• 12 – Cannelloni pasta

For the Chicken stuffing –

• Roasted chicken 2 cups- thin and small bite size pieces
•  1 large onion
•  1 medium potato
• 1 tomato
•  2-3 tsp of dried Italian herb seasoning (can use dried sage and dried rosemary)
•  3-5 heaped tbs of Pasta sauce

For Béchamel sauce –

• 3-4 tsp of butter
• 2-3 cups of milk
• 3-4 tbs of flour
• White pepper powder
• Quarter tsp of nutmeg powder
• ½ cup of mozzarella cheese
• some more to mozzarella to form the nice brown crust
• 2 free range eggs
• Salt as per taste

Method

For béchamel sauce

•  Heat butter add in flour and stir mix. Add in milk and keep stirring .Add in eggs one by one and mozzarella cheese and keep mixing till it thickens. You can use Parmesan cheese in equal quantity as well like half mozzarella and half Parmesan cheese. This way it adds a nice texture and flavour to the sauce. Adjust salt as per taste. Add in white pepper powder and nutmeg powder.
• Reserve some portions of this sauce to be used later on while baking cannelloni.
• Now add in roasted chicken, finely chopped onion, potato and tomato to the above simmering béchamel sauce to make the stuffing . Add in dried Italian herb seasoning.Mix well and cook for 15 mints. This form a thick stuffing for cannelloni pasta….

Bake and Cooking of Pasta

• Cook pasta al dente for 7-8 mints. Now quickly take out the pasta and let it dry a bit over a plate. Carefully lift the pasta and fill in the stuffing inside of the cannelloni pasta with the help of spoon.
• Prepare a baking tray. Layer rest of the béchamel sauce first evenly at the bottom.
• Now place stuffed cannelloni pasta to fill the space in baking tray. Put some pasta sauce over them.
• Now again put stuffed cannelloni pasta one by one neatly over this layer. Spread some more béchamel sauce if you have any leftover or otherwise you may spread some pasta sauce as well.
• Bake at 175 deg C for 10 mints...Take out sprinkle mozzarella cheese and bake further 10 mints or till the cheese evenly melted and a nice brown texture is formed.
• Take out and serve.

Tips

You can use lasagna sheets in place of cannelloni pasta as well. As working with cannelloni pasta can be tricky.

Happy Cooking Friends

Mint Alfalfa sprouts Cherry tomato and Roasted Chicken Salad

A healthy snack can be a salad as well. This mint, alfalfa sprouts and roasted chicken salad fits in to this category perfectly. If you have some-left over chicken you can use up in this salad as well. Alfalfa sprouts are considered rich in minerals and have multiple health benefits. Mint leaves gives a nice aromatic flavour to this salad. This salad can be paired up with Mexican Burritos as sides or you can make them as main dish as well, just increase roasted chicken pieces to add lean proteins in to this salad.

Here is how you can assemble the salad

Mint Alfalfa sprouts Cherry tomato and Roasted Chicken salad

Serves- 2-3

Recipe requirements

• 5-6 mint twigs
• About half cup of alfalfa sprouts
• About quarter cup of garlic sprouts
• 1 cup of cherry tomato or 12-15 cherry tomatoes cut into half
• 1 cup of roasted chicken small bite-size pieces

Method

• Take out fresh leaves from mint twigs. Clean mint leaves, alfalfa and garlic sprouts well in water.
• Chop mint leaves finely. Chop roasted chicken in to bite size pieces (I have used chicken breast portions from  this  roasted chicken recipe).
• In a big mixing bowl, add in mint leaves, alfalfa and garlic sprouts.
• Add in cherry tomatoes cut in to half to the above.
• Add in roasted chicken and mix well all.
• Adjust seasoning with salt.
• Add in 1 tsp of olive oil and toss well.
• Serve and enjoy with some burritos or quesadillas as sides.

Happy Cooking Friends 

Of This and That - Some Musings

This will be my last post for 2016… It’s raining heavily outside, sitting down with my laptop on our dining table, occasionally I glance through my balcony doors to look far ahead, but the visibility is zero. I made a glass of chilled iced lemon tea for myself...Music playing in the back ground, you know those ageless and soul-soothing old Hindi songs – like one from film ‘Anupama’. December makes me feel cold inside, although the temperatures outside will defy all things winter has to offer here. There is nothing as such a typical ‘winter’ in Malaysia – rain and sun-shine all through the year. How I longed for the coldness, winter has to offer and the white snow clad houses and streets, is a forlorn story here.

But even in those scarcity of true feelings for winter, we created a space in our heart which made us believe, yes believe, that these last few days of 2016, this festive spirit will linger on. We have put up a Christmas tree just like we used to do in UK. 

Warming up our cold hearts, this tree reminded us to believe in everything about life- whatever the challenges, obstacles one may face, believe in yourself – this will pass through. We have made it so far, hopefully we will keep doing so in future as well. In all those challenges, we should not forget about all the blessings which god has bestowed us all. Pause for a moment, take out time from your busy schedules and please count all those blessings. The true spirit of festivals lies there.

The shopping malls are all decked up and busy here with beautiful Christmas decorations and huge Christmas trees and people shopping for their near and dear ones. We usually sit down on those numerous benches inside shopping malls and watch the world go by leisurely. 

There will be people shopping on the likes of Gucci/Prada/MK / Miss Selfridge/ Topshop/Zara and what not, in those numerous shopping malls, during these last few days before Christmas. But to me Christmas, or for that matter any festival, is all about togetherness of family and friends. Gifts are just add-on like cherry on top of an assembled black-forest cake.

Couple of days back, we had a long weekend, so, dear daughter called up her few friends from our residential-complex and had a mini-Christmas snack party. 

The home was filled with the warmth of their girlie-chat, laughter and fun. Time flies and even before I realize, these girls all in pre-teen age are ready to create their own stories, just like we did decades ago.

Since these are holiday time, I thought instead of doing a recipe post, a proper menu post will be more helpful.

The snack- menu had chocolate cupcakes, cucumber and mozzarella cheese sandwich, baked chicken drumsticks and roasted spiced potato wedges with plenty of cold drinks.

There was another platter which we had on Sunday - roasted potato and orange sweet potato, tofu fried rice, baked spicy salmon steak and California rolls (this one is a type of  'Sushi'- store-brought though)…And there was plenty of litchi mock tail as refreshments.

Recipe for Oven- Baked Salmon Steak

Requirements

Salmon steak pieces- 4-5

Spices

½ tsp of turmeric powder

2 tsp of red pepper powder

 2 tsp of coriander powder

1 tsp of cumin powder

½ tsp of cardamom powder

½ tsp of cinnamon powder

 1 tsp of black pepper powder

Salt as per taste

Method

Take all the spices in a big bowl and mix in well.

Now rub spices all over the salmon steak pieces.

Cover and keep it in fridge for about half an hour.

Now preheat an oven at 175 deg C.

Place the salmon steak pieces over a baking tray and put that in the middle rack.

Bake for 30-35 mints. Take out serve hot. These are absolutely delicious.

Roasted spiced potato wedges have the same spices as listed above. The only addition was mustard oil and chili flakes to marinate them well.Bake the potato wedges at 180 Deg C for 40 mints.

Cucumber Mozzarella sandwich- Layer thinly sliced cucumber over buttered sandwich bread and then top it up with grated fresh mozzarella cheese or cheese slices. Press the sandwich and viola ready in jiffy.You can use tomato as well.Tomato and Mozzarella is another great combination.

Tofu Fried Rice

Requirements

 3-4 cups of cooked rice- for 3-4 people
you can use brown rice as well

 200 Gms of extra firm tofu

2 tsp of thick soya sauce

1 tsp of oyster sauce

1 tsp of red pepper powder

1 tsp of black pepper powder

 3 tsp of grated fresh ginger
 1 stick lemon grass

 3-4 tsp of soybean oil/ or sesame oil

Method

In a big wok/fry pan, add in oil. Add in firm tofu pieces and fry them at high heat for about 3-4 mints.

Take out and keep in a separate plate.

Add in grated ginger, cut lemon grass  and any vegetables you would like to add- I have used carrots and tomato finely chopped. Toss well and cook at high heat for 3-4 mints.

Add in all the sauces and spices listed above. Adjust salt.

Add in fried tofu and coat well with spices and sauces.

Now add in cooked rice and mix well. Serve and enjoy.

These recipes can be found in archived posts here…

Nutella-and-chocolate-cupcakes

Baked Chicken - Kalmi Kabab style

Oven-baked chicken-tikka

Some other Christmas recipes

Couscous-and-dried-fruits-stuffed Chicken

Chocolate Swiss-roll-recipe

Apple fritters with toffee-sauce

Black forest cake

Cheesecake recipe

So, here is the end part for this post.

You all have a great festive time.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and have a Happy new year …….

See you all in new year 2017…Welcome 2017....bye –bye 2016…..

Home-made pizza recipe

The colourful autumn season is upon us and this brings such vibrancy to our monotonous routine over here. A leisure stroll into the parks and you are surrounded with such vibrant and colorful display. Sometimes, all you need is these little moments, moments where you can rejuvenate yourselves.

Time to bounce back to activity as with fall season, many recipes need to be tried and tasted. Baking and then of course soup preparations are all lined up these past days in our home. How about your home? What recipes you have been cooking this fall season?

It’s almost weekend so thought of posting a home-made pizza recipe. This pizza recipe had been our escape-route, when ever we don’t feel like going for the take-away pizza. And in due course of time, we have almost stopped doing pizza take-always these days. But, then when you have this craving for cheesy pizza, mid-week or weakened is just an excuse, right?

For us when it’s a pizza day, that means it’s a family day as we all work together, kneading the dough, chopping the vegetables and choosing the toppings. My dear husband and dear daughter- duo also equally share responsibility in making the pizza that day.Ok that’s another excuse for a laid –back time off for me.

This recipe has worked well for us many times. This has been worked and tweaked many times, as with the use of making with white bread flour, whole wheat; plain-flour etc, all resulted in different types of pizza dough recipes. But what worked best is the use of self raising flour mixed with fine semolina flour. I really liked the tip of adding semolina to the pizza dough as suggested by Jamie Oliver in his website as this gives a brilliant texture to the usual pizza dough. But from then onwards this pizza dough recipe has been modified with self raising flour. I am sure with bread flour it will be little different.

Anyways, this is our recipe now as we only make the pizza dough with self raising and semolina flour mixture but the toppings keeps on changing, even the flavouring part as well. Some days it’s chicken tikka flavor, and some days it has Caribbean influence.And even some days we see ourselves having veggie pizza with mushroom,bell peppers, onion and even asparagus.

Here is how we made the pizza dough recipe

Home-Made Pizza with Caribbean Flavour

Recipe Requirements

12 oz or 1 and ½ cups of self raising flour

4 oz or ½ cup of fine semolina

½ tsp of salt or as per taste

2 tsp of oil

2 tsp of sugar

3 tsp of active dried yeast

Lukewarm water about a cup or as per needed for kneading

For the toppings of the pizza

1 cup of sliced Jamaican Jerk Chicken pieces- recipe is Over Here

About 1 cup of chopped mushroom

½ cup of chopped onions

2-3 West Indian red pepper sliced

Any other vegetables of your choice

3-4 heaped tbs of any pasta sauce

 2 cups of mozzarella cheese or pizza cheese

Method

In a big mixing bowl – mix in self raising flour+fine semolina. Make a well in the centre and now we will add salt, sugar and oil. Add in active dry yeast and mix well. No need to prepare the yeast separately.

Now with the help of Luke-warm water, start mixing in the dry ingredients and knead till it starts to come together well.

Keep this dough covered with a damp cloth for about 2-3 hrs to rise and puff up. Don’t worry if it turns out sticky or very soft.

After about 3 hrs when you see the dough has puffed up well or technically have risen well.

Then on clean and spacious surface sprinkle enough self raising flour, start kneading the dough on this, about 15-20 mints. The hands motion should be going outside while pressing the dough to flatten it and then roll back the dough. Repeat the process and keep on kneading this way. If required sprinkle more flour so that it doesn't gets sticky.

After a while of kneading the pizza dough, you will see the dough starts to collect well and the stickiness is gone, also the dough turned soft and smooth. Now press a finger tip over the dough, it should feel soft and smooth, the pizza dough is almost ready.

Keep this further resting for about 1 hr. Now divide this into two equal portions.You can increase the flour quantity to make 4 portions as well.

Now while the dough is resting, cut and chop the desired vegetable as toppings.

Roll the dough at least about at the time when you are ready to eat it about half an hour just before that. As the baking time is roughly 15 mints and also the preparation time is 10-12 mints.

Roll out into a flat sphere considering the width you want for your pizza base and smear pasta sauce; any pasta sauce. Place chopped vegetables over it. I have used West Indian red pepper which has a very fiery hot flavor as toppings for that Caribbean influence.

Now preheat an oven at 190 deg C. Bake the pizza for about 6-7 mints. Take it out and sprinkle generous amount of mozzarella cheese over it and again bake it for 7-8 mints. Take out and have it.

You can even make the dough in bulk and store in deep fridge. And when you are ready to eat, then take it out and allow it thaw for about 1-2 hrs, then roll and add your preferred toppings and bake.

Enjoy your weekend with home-made pizza recipe.

Happy Cooking Friends

Boneless Chicken Dry Stir/Fry preparation - Chicken "Sukha" cooked with coconut and spices

Kids are back to school again and a month long summer holidays are over here. This means now, I have some spare time to devote on this blog. When ever we talk about non-veggie preparations, always red color, oil drenching gravy springs to our mind. But that being told, not all the chicken or even meat  preparations are doused with red coloring and flavor incorporating Kashmiri red pepper powder or even “Ratan Jot” for instance, both known to give that distinct red colors to the meat gravies. Sometimes even carmalization of sugar also adds up to the final result. But then there are some recipes which are very earthy, getting that distinct color from grounded turmeric and other Indian spices. 

This dry stir/fry preparation – or known as “Sukha’ in Hindi is a classic example. This chicken preparation, as it looks might not be a visual delight or what ever way you want to put it, but it has a very satisfying flavor of hotness and sweetness  with just a hint of sourness. And I would like to repeat, not all gravies or preparations are red in color, doused with heavy use of cooking oil.

But to be honest I had this chicken   fish preparation for the first time, in one of our south Indian friend‘s home. And seeing that I felt it might be just another passing thing as it was not at all, let’s say appealing to eyes, but when I had my food portions in my mouth, I knew it “K’, a sweet and down to earth person who made this preparation, is a great cook. I somehow fell in love with the sweetness of coconut and hotness of the freshly churned spices. I immediately asked her recipe and she obliged me with that. She had made this preparation with firm boneless cat-fish nuggets; all the spices and procedure remain same except the use of chicken in this recipe. We have moved in our life and so is K and M, our friends, but these precious little things about them, are always with us and I hope some of ours have remained with them also. That other day we were remembering them and DH reminded me about that dry stir/fry fish preparation that K, M’s wife had made that day. Actually, I wanted to make a dry preparation of chicken for a long time, so when DH asked me about that recipe, I thought why not give a try with chicken instead of fish.

There is no guessing game in this, coconut, curry leaves, brown mustard seeds and Anar dana is part of this preparation, and I know she had added tamarind paste to the original recipe, but since I don’t keep tamarind in my pantry, I happen to substitute it with Anar dana/dried pomegranate seeds. Any other souring agent like aamchur powder can also be used. The basic guideline is just to add a hint of sourness, not overwhelming contents. And I do keep a good stock of jalapenos peppers these days, so I happen to add them quite frequently in these types of dry stir/fry preparations. Actually they do add nice hotness to this stir/fry preparation.

Now that you know the basic ingredients, will write the recipe. And remember not all the gravy or meat preparations are red in colour. Some even are subtle and perhaps have loads of texture and taste way better than those oil drenched, red color gravies.

Boneless Chicken Dry Stir/fry – Sukha preparation with coconut and spices- South Indian Style

Recipe requirements

500 Gms of boneless chicken breast pieces cut into small bite size pieces

2 large purple onions

3-4 fat cloves garlic

½ inch fresh ginger root

½ cup of freshly scraped coconut or desiccated coconut

2-3 tbs of dried anardana/ dried pomegranate seeds

½ tsp of ajwain/carom seeds

2-3 cloves

2 black cardamoms

½ tsp of brown mustard seeds

Few cinnamon strands or cassia barks

2-3 jalapenos

3-4 rocket green chillies

Cumin powder- ¼ tsp

Coriander powder- 1 ½ tsp

Black pepper powder- 1 tsp

½ cup of Greek style yogurt

3-4 strands of curry leaves

½ tsp of salt or as per taste

3-4 tbs of cooking oil or use as per required

Method

Wash and clean chicken breast pieces. Pat them dry and prick with a fork all over and cut them into bite size pieces. Sprinkle salt also.

Make a paste of onion, ginger, garlic, jalapenos, rocket green chilies, coconut, dried pomegranate seeds and carom seeds. Add in yogurt and mix very well. Now marinate this paste with the chicken breast pieces and keep aside for 2-3 hrs in fridge. You can even do overnight marinating.

Heat up a saucepan/wok/kadai.Add in cooking oil. Add in mustard seeds, let it splutter.

Add in curry leaves. Add in cloves, cinnamon and black cardamom.

Add in marinated chicken pieces with whole of the spice paste. Keep on stir/fry for 15-20 mints, sprinkle very little water if it starts to stick up in the base.

Cover the content and let it cook at medium –low flame for about 30-35 mints or till the chicken pieces are soft and pale in color.

Notes

These same preparations can also be made with other seafood like- prawn and crab.

Vegetarian can use paneer and tofu in place of meat or chicken.
You can even make a quick wrap with this chicken preparation.

Happy Cooking Friends

Jerk Chicken Fingers

I know many of you would have felt knee –jerk reactions during the semi finals of football world cup, well Brazil seemed to be loosing it out at that time and now it will involve many more knee-jerk reactions, jerking all the way from bottom- to –top. Although the management of the entire game schedules were spot on and impeccable and that I must add here. And, also we did get a knee-jerk reaction when we spotted a fox near the back yard of our apartment complex. Well, this is nothing new, it is indeed a common sight for many here, although for us it was the first time in broad day-light. We couldn't believe our eyes, dear daughter caught this moment with our point and shoot camera. And couple of friends have also told us that, if they keep rubbish outside in night, these foxes come and do hunt out food for them, making the well-kept garden messy all over. The sight of Lionel Messi would have been better not the foxes messy,let’s now be tight-lipped about it.

Well, this recipe of jerk chicken fingers is not at all that dramatic and knee-jerking as if you would start dreaming out of it. But, taste wise it is indeed very flavorful and can be considered over-whelming but not certainly knee-jerking, although it still will be called chicken jerk-“fingers” not chicken jerk –“knee”.Ok, please refrain ourselves from further imaginations and let’s say its good as gold to be a great finger food or party food/appetizers.

Coming to the recipe, jerk seasoning that I have used in this recipe comes here in spice packets, and that’s what globalization intends to do to you. I am sure you all must have heard about “jerk chicken” which has its origin somewhere in Caribbean island, and taking that cue, I made these chicken jerk fingers. There are plenty of recipes available in internet to make home-made jerk seasonings and use accordingly. One recipe is this and this- detailed recipe of jerk chicken and this-dry rub spice-mix.
I have used Kashmiri red pepper powder for that reddish color and also it does add little bit of spice also. However it’s not required strictly, a plain Jane type of chicken fingers with only jerk seasoning will also turn out flavorful, overnight marination of chicken pieces is recommended, so that spices can well incorporate inside chicken. Yogurt helps in tenderization of flesh and also as great base to bind all the spices well. If you are allergic to milk-products then you may skip it and use lemon juice or vinegar as well.
Now to the jerk chicken recipe

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Fingers or Tenders
Recipe requirements
Chicken finger fillets about 300 Gms
2 tsp of coriander powder
1 tsp of jerk seasoning
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of Kashmiri march powder/Kashmiri red pepper powder
½ tsp of freshly crushed black peppercorn
5-6 heaped tsp of thick Greek style yogurt or 2 tsp of lemon juice or any other souring agent
Method
After cleaning chicken pieces, pat them dry with a kitchen towel. We do get chicken finger fillets here, however if you don’t then you can make, cut strips from chicken breast pieces as well.
Now add in all the dry ingredients- coriander powder, jerk seasoning, crushed black pepper, Kashmiri red pepper powder (I have used MDH brand Kashmiri red pepper powder which seems to be little high on hot level and as well on color), for jerk seasoning I have used Rajah Brand and Schwartz brand so far and seems to be satisfied with the results. (Jerk seasoning originates from Caribbean cuisine, specially from Jamaica- a famous chicken recipe is, Jamaican Jerk Chicken , will update the blog with that recipe as well)
Add in salt as per taste and thick Greek-style yogurt also. Coat chicken finger fillets very well with the spices and yogurt mixture.
Now put on the oven at 200 deg C, set it at and grill the chicken fillets for about 20-25 mints or till they get nice smoky texture or are well charred.It would be nice if the tray is covered with foil. It also depend on the cuts of the chicken  fillets , so check out in between and keep an eye over the grilling process in oven.

Or you may bake the chicken as well. For that take out in mid-way, and if you need then coat those with cooking oil.I have never done that as we like to have it oil-free and grilled which turns out soft.You may use sour cream in place of yogurt as well which is even better gives a very smooth texture once the chicken is done.

You may use this seasoning to grill other vegetables like- zucchini, bell pepper, onions etc as well. Vegetarian can skip chicken or meat and use tofu or paneer to make Jerk tofu/paneer fingers, all other ingredients remain same.  
As usual we served along with cooked cous-cous and slices of tomato and cucumber.

Happy cooking and have a lovely weekend