Cinnamon Rolls

That smell of cinnamon.. oh my God, when I finished baking these, my kitchen smelled heavenly! I am a big fan of cinnamon. Anything flavored with cinnamon has my heart. So certainly cinnamon rolls top the list. Let me warn you, guys this isn’t an easy recipe. Well, the effort might sound less, but the time it takes is something to be kept in mind. If you need flawless, tasty homemade cinnamon rolls, you need to be patient. The whole process will take up to 2-3 hours. This requires 1 hour for rising the dough, another 30 mins to rise the rolls and then 30 mins to bake plus 20 mins of other preparation. So lets start!

Ingredients:

Milk                                                  1 cup

Yeast                                                 2.5 tsp

Butter                                               100 gms

Sugar                                                6 tbsp

Egg                                                   1

Flour                                                 3.5 cups

Brown Sugar                                    3 tbsp

Cinnamon powder                           2 tbsp

Philadelphia Cream Cheese            100 gms

Powdered Sugar                              ¾ cup

Vanilla Essence                               1 tsp

Method:

1. In a bowl, pour 1 cup warm milk, 50 gms melted butter, yeast and 6 tbsp sugar.

2. Keep this on the kitchen counter until fermented. You can see the froth on the top when its done. 3. 3. This might take around 10-15 mins.

4. Once this is done, add one egg whisked and 3.5 cups of flour. 

5. Knead this well for a soft dough for about 5 mins. Dust more flour if necessary.

6. Grease a large bowl, add the dough and cover with a wet cloth.

7. Keep the dough for one hour for rising to double the size. Tip: if your kitchen is not warm, heat the oven for 10 mins, switch if off then transfer the bowl to the oven for an hour. This will help rise the dough quickly.

8. Once the dough has risen, roll it out in a rectangular shape. Not too thick and not too thin.

9. Now melt 50 gms of butter and spread on the dough. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon powder and spread above the butter.

10. Now, tightly roll this. Cut into equal sized starting from the middle. You will get up to 16 pieces from this recipe. 

11. Grease a pan and transfer these into a pan leaving enough space between them as this will also have to rise.

12. Cover this with a wet towel and keep for another 30 mins or until this has doubled the size. The below picture shows before and after.

13. Meanwhile, preheat the oven for 10 mins at 160C.

14. Once the rolls has risen, bake them for 30 mins or until light golden brown starts to appear on the top.

15. While this is baking, you can prepare the glazing. This is optional. I like it without glazing.

16. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, melted butter and powdered sugar. Once the rolls are baked, add the glaze over it. 

Homemade cinnamon rolls are ready to serve.

Idiyappam/Nool Puttu

Not sure what is this called in your place. It is famous by the name idiyappam I guess. But in our place its called as Nool Puttu. This is a quick and easy breakfast item. However, I have this any time I like not necessarily for breakfast. What you require is a very good idiyappam maker and an idly steamer or normal steamer. The combination for this is enormous. The basic combo is green peas curry, chicken stew, veg kuruma, egg curry, egg roast etc. Refer to the curries in my blog I have tagged.

Ingredients:
Rice Flour/Idiyappam Powder       1 cup
Water                                              1 ¼ cup
Salt
Coconut oil

Method:
1. Dry roast the rice flour in a pan for 2 mins.
2. Remove from flame and heat 1.25 cups of water with little salt. Do not boil this just heat.
3. Now add this into the roasted flour and mix well with a wooden spoon.
4. Mix it until you can knead it with hand. The dough will be super-hot, be careful.
5. Knead well. Meanwhile, heat water in the steamer.
6. Now, apply oil inside the idiyappam maker, the tip and even on the idly steamer racks.
7. Fill the maker with the dough and pipe out. Refer to the image of the end-product.
8. Top with some grated coconut and steam for 5-7 minutes.
9. Yummy idiyappams will be ready to serve.

Green Gram/Cherupayar Curry

One of the best combinations for puttu, chappathi and even idiyappam. Easy and quick made curry.

Ingredients:

Green Gram/Cherupayar                1 cup

Coconut                                          1/2 cup

Garlic                                              2 cloves

Cumin seeds                                   1 tsp

Green chilly                                    1

Turmeric Powder                            1/4 tsp

Red Chilly Powder                         1 1/2 tsp

Mustard Seeds

Coconut oil

Curry Leaves

Salt

Method:

1. Cook the green gram in pressure cooker with enough water for 1 whistle.

2. Into this cooked green gram, add salt, turmeric powder, red chilly powder and boil for 5 mins.

3. Grind the coconut, green chilly and cumin seeds to a fine paste.

4. Add this to the cooked green gram.

5. Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a pan and sputter mustard seeds and add chopped garlic and curry leaves.

6. Add this to green gram and cook until you get the desired consistency.

7. Enjoy the curry with some hot puttu or chappathi :)

Aval Pradhaman/Rice Flake Dessert

Happy Vishu everyone!! :) To those who are wondering what is Vishu. It is a Hindu festival being celebrated by South Indians. The festival marks the first day of Medam, the ninth month in the solar calendar followed in Kerala. As I am a Keralite, we celebrate all the festivals we can  Doesn’t matter what religion the festival belongs to! So this time, as I am still working from office, I had no time to prepare the Sadhya instead I decided to prepare the dessert hence the Aval Pradhaman. This is one of the easiest Payasams and Aval doesn’t take much time to cook. 

Ingredients:
Aval/Rice Flakes                                            1 ½ cups
Jaggery Melted                                              2 cups
Thin Coconut Milk                                        4 cups
Thick Coconut Milk                                      1 cup
Ginger Powder                                              ½  tsp
Cardamom Powder                                       1 tsp
Cashew nuts
Ghee

Method:

1. Melt the Jaggery with 1 cup of water and keep aside.

2. In a pan which you are going to prepare the pradhaman, heat 2 tbsp ghee.

3. Add the rice flakes/aval to this and roast for 2-3 mins.

4. Now add the melted jaggery to this and keep stirring until the water evaporates and it little thick in consistency.

5. To this, add 4 cups of thin coconut milk and keep stirring until the aval has cooked. To know this, check if the aval has come up and mixed with the milk and not settled at the bottom on the pan.

6. Add ½ tsp of ginger powder and 1 tsp of cardamom powder. 

7. Once it has reached the desired consistency, add the thick coconut milk, mix for 5 mins and switch off the flame.

8. In another pan, heat ghee, add cashew nuts and add on to the payasam. Ready to serve! 

Egg Curry with Coconut Milk

This is another add on from my childhood favorites. Not exactly the same but the similar curry used to be the combination for Pathiri in our house. This goes well with idiyappam, chappathi, pathiri, bread and even with some tasty ghee rice.     

Ingredients:             
Eggs                                         4
Onions                                     2
Ginger                                     Small piece
Green Chilly                           2
Tomato                                   1
Potato                                     1
Turmeric Powder                    ¼ tsp
Red Chilly Powder                 2 tsp
Coriander Powder                  1 tsp
Fennel Seeds                          1 tsp
Coconut Milk Powder            2 tbsp
Curry Leaves
Coconut Oil
Salt

Method:
1. Boil the eggs and keep aside.
2. In a pan, heat coconut oil and add fennel seeds.
3. Add sliced onions, green chili, ginger, salt and curry leaves to this.
4. Saute until light brown and add turmeric, coriander and red chilly powder.
5. Saute this until the raw smell goes off.
6. Now add sliced tomato and ½ cup water and saute until tomatoes are well done.
7. Add chopped potatoes to this and cover cook until potatoes are done.
8. Now add 1 cup of coconut milk. I used coconut milk powder but if you have fresh coconut, you can extract the milk.
9. Boil this for around 5 mins and add the boiled eggs to this. I have cut the eggs into half as I like it better that way.
10. Open and cook for 5 mins, off the flame and serve hot.

Warm Bread Pudding

This is an easy warm dessert. It was on a Friday morning when I returned from a BBQ night with friends and we decided to stay over until sunrise and I realize that I did not make anything for my cousins for the lunch dessert. I had to quickly find a dessert that I could prepare in less than an hour and which did not require to be kept in the fridge to set. Umm Ali is definitely the first thing that comes to mind but that needs 2 steps of baking and I had already made it for them couple of weeks ago. So, I had some left over bread, milk, egg and some milk mixture from tres leches. That was it and I made this pudding.

Pudding:
Ingredients
Bread slices cut into cubes 6 slices
Eggs 4
Tres Leches Milk (in the method) 3 cups
o Evaporated milk           1 tin
o Milk                         2 cups
o Condensed milk           ½ - 1 tin as per taste
Vanilla Essence         1 tsp
Nutmeg powder         ½ tsp
Cinnamon Powder         1 tsp
Method:
1. Preheat the oven for 10 – 15 mins at 180 C.
2. In a bowl, mix evaporated milk, milk, condensed milk, vanilla essence, nutmeg powder, cinnamon powder and mix well and keep aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and add in the milk mixture into it.
4. In a greased pan layer the bread cubes and pour the milk mixture over.
5. Bake it for 30 – 45 minutes or until done.
6. Let it cool for 1 hour before serving.

Salted Caramel:
Ingredients:
Soft brown sugar                            100 gms
KDD Thick Cream                         150 ml
Unsalted Butter                              25 gms
Salt                                                 1/4 tsp

Method
1. Heat a sauce pan and add all the ingredients and mix until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Boil this and keep mixing until thick.
3. Off the flame and cool for sometime.

Cut the pudding and serve with salted caramel and vanilla ice cream. Enjoy the warm pudding with some cold ice cream.

Lunch Combo 1 - Veg + Fish Fry

For me the this combination is a childhood memory! This curry is totally my mom's recipe. Not sure if this is being made in your houses too but I like to name it my mom's speciality. Every house has their own recipes I bet. Even the same curry might be made in different styles. I will be posting some Lunch combo ideas from my kitchen making it easy for you all. Here is one combo, rice, pumpkin n dry bean curry, lady's finger stir fry and fish fry to go with it.

Pumpkin and Dry Beans Curry: 
Ingredients:
Pumpkin                                                  500 gms
Unakkapayar/Dry Beans                         1 cup
Turmeric Powder                                    ¼ tsp
Red Chilly Powder                                  2 tsp
Coconut                                                   1 cup
Jeera                                                        1 tsp
Mustard seeds                                         1 tsp
Dried Red Chilly                                    1
Coconut Oil                                            1 tbsp
Curry Leaves
Salt
Water

Method:
1. Wash and cook the dry beans/unakkapayar. I normally keep this with enough water on pressure cooker for 2 whistles.
2. Once the pressure is gone, open the cooked and add chopped pumpkin, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, salt and boil until the pumpkins are soft and mushy.
3. Now, grind coconut and jeera with little water to a paste.
4. Add this to the cooked pumpkin and bean. Mix well and when it starts to boil, switch off the flame.
5. In a pan, heat coconut oil, sputter mustard seeds, add one dried red chilly and some curry leaves.
6. Pour this on top of the curry and serve hot with rice

Okra Stir Fry/Vendakka Mezhuku Piratti

Ingredients:

Lady's finger/okra                                   250 gms

Onion chopped                                       1

Green Chilly                                           2

Coconut Grated                                      1/4 cup

Coconut oil                                             1 tbsp

Mustard seeds                                        1 tsp

Dried Red Chilly

Curry Leaves

Salt

Method:

1. Cut the okra into small slices.

2. In a pan add 1 tbsp coconut oil, sputter mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chilly.

3. To this, add chopped onions and green chilly.

4. Saute this for 2 mins.

5. Now add the sliced okra and sauce until half done.

6. Add the grated coconut and saute until well done.

Fish Fry

Ingredients:

Any fish, I used mackerel

Red Chilly Powder                              2 tsp

Turmeric powder                                 1/4 tsp

Tamarind Pulp soaked in water           3 tbsp

Fennel Seeds                                       1 tsp

Curry Leaves

Salt

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients and marinate the fish for 15 mins.

2. In a pan heat coconut oil and fry the fish until well done.

Enjoy the best lunch :) 

Pistachio Tres Leches/Milk Cake

Milk cakes have been trending a while for now. I have tried quite a good number of flavors. Out of all, this is the best of the best. My friends and family loves this and gobbles every time I made this. One tip is not to use pistachio essence at all. Here you go!

 Ingredients:
Cake:
Eggs                                        4
Flour                                       1 cup
Corn Flour                              2 tbsp
Sugar                                      3/4 cup
Baking Powder                       ½ tsp
Pistachio                                 1 cup
Water                                      3 tbsp
Green color (optional)            1 drop

Milk:
Evaporated milk                    1 tin of 410 ml
Milk                                       1 cups
Condensed Milk                    3/4 tin

Topping:
Whipping Powder                  2 sachets
Milk                                       1/2 cup

Method:
1. Soak the pistachios for 10 mins.
2. Preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 160 degree C.
3. In a mixer or bowl beat the eggs with 3/4 cup of sugar until fluffy. This must be the consistency of eggs for sponge cake which is if you take out the beater with little batter and right an 8 on the rest of the batter, the number will stay for few seconds. This is how I understand its ready.
4. Sift the flour, corn flour and baking powder.
5. Add this into the egg mixture and fold until whole batter is mixed well.
6. Prepare the pistachio paste and add 3 tbsp of paste to the mixture.
7. Add 1 drop of green color as well and mix.
8. Bake this for about 30 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
9. Once the cake is baked, cool it for sometime.
10. Meanwhile, prepare the milk mixture. Add the evaporated milk, condensed milk and milk in a bowl. Mix this well and add 3 tbsp pistachio paste and 1 drop of green color. Mix well and keep refrigerated.
11. Once the cake is cooled, prick it all over with a fork.
12. Keep around 2 cups of milk aside and pour rest of it on the cake.
13. Keep for 5 mins and beat whipping cream and spread it over as you wish.
14. Keep this closed and cool for at least 4 hours before serving. I kept it overnight and came out well.
Enjoy the yummiest Pistachio Tres Leches :)

Unniyappam

Unniyappam is a Kerala speciality sweet snack. Different people make it different ways. Some uses wheat flour. In my recipe, I have used only rice powder. If you wish, you can add 1/2 cup wheat flour. Also, I have added grated coconut as I couldn't get chopped coconut pieces. Also, for banana I used normal banana since there was no small banana available here. If you can get small banana, thats the best to use.

In fact, I don't like eating hot unniyappams, I know this might sound weird but since born and bought up as an NRI, we used to get unniyappam refrigerated from India. My memories of unniyappam is so cold ones hehe. So my favorite is the one kept in fridge :D

Ingredients:
Rice Flour                     2 cups
Jaggery melted             1 cup
Ripe Banana                 2 large                 
Black seeds                   1 tsp
Cardamom powder       1 tsp
Baking Soda                 1/4 tsp
Salt                                a pinch

Method:
1. In a bowl, heat jaggery with 1/2 cup water. Melt, sieve and keep aside.
2. Grind the bananas into a paste and keep aside.
3. In a pan dry roast rice powder for 2 mins.
4. Now in a bowl, add rice powder, melted jaggery and banana paste.
5. The batter will be very thick, so little by little add some water to get the right consistency.
6. I added around 1 cup of water. The batter must be just pourable consistency, it shouldn't be too thick or too thin.
7. Keep this for 20 mins to rest.
8. After 20 mins add cardamom powder, baking soda, salt and black seeds and mix well.
9. In the unniyappam pan, heat coconut oil, the oil must be 3/4 of each cups.
10. When the oil is heated, pour the batter and cook for the sides well.
11. Insert a tooth pick to see if its cooked. The toothpick inserted must come out clean.
12. When done, move the appams on to tissue paper to drain excess oil. Serve hot with black tea :)

Baked Chicken Pasta

Pasta is one of the easiest and safest choice. Its rare to go wrong with Pasta! Here is an easy recipe of Baked Pasta. I cooked the chicken and pasta the day before I made it and kept in ref. You could prepare the whole thing and keep in ref except the cheese topping as well.

Ingredients;
Pasta (any, I used fussili)            4 cups
Chicken breast                            400 gms
Onions small                               2
Tomato                                        3
Green Bell Pepper                      1
Garlic                                          2 cloves
Pasta Sauce                                 3 table spoon
Thick Cream                               1 cup
Cream Cheese                             2 tbsp
Dried Oregano                            2 tsp
Dired Thyme                              1 tsp
Ground Black Pepper                 1 tbsp
Mozzarella Cheese                     100 gms
Parmesan Cheese                        1 tbsp
Cheddar Cheese                          50 gms
Olive Oil
Salt

Method:
1. Cook the pasta with salt and keep aside.
2. Cook the chicken breast with salt and pepper. Cut into small cubes and keep aside.
3. Preheat the oven at 180C for 10 mins.
4. Meanwhile, in a pan heat olive oil and add chopped onions, salt and garlic. While adding salt, make sure to add to taste as chicken and pasta both are cooked with salt.
5. When this turns transparent, add chopped tomatoes, chopped bell pepper and saute until tomatoes are soft and mushy.
6. Add 3 tbsp of pasta sauce and mix well.
7. To this, add dried oregano, thyme and ground black pepper.
8. Now, add the thick cream, parmesan cheese, cream cheese and bring to boil.
9. When it starts to boil, add chicken and pasta, mix for 2 mins and switch off the flame.
10. Transfer this to a baking tray and top with shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese.
11. Bake this for 30-35 mins until the cheese well melted and top is golden brown.
12. Yummy baked pasta ready to serve!!

Shakshuka

Shakshuka is a combination of eggs, tomatoes, spices and is a famous Middle Eastern dish. 

Ingredients:

Eggs                                   6
Onion                                 1
Garlic                                 2 cloves
Capsicum                           1 big
Tomato                               3
Cumin powder                   1/2 tsp                           
Ground Coriander              1/2 tsp
Ground Black Pepper        1 tsp
Ketchup                             1/4 cup
Salt

Method:
1. In a pan heat olive oil and add chopped onions, garlic, chopped capsicum, ground coriander, cumin powder, ground black pepper and salt.
2. Saute until the onion is soft.
3. Add chopped tomatoes and 1/4 ketchup.
4. Keep this on sim for 10 mins.
5. Make small gaps in between and add the eggs.
6. Close and cook until eggs are done.
7. Add chopped corianders or parsley on top. Done! :)

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Mashed Potatoes

One of the easy and tasty chicken recipe! Since its baked, this much healthier version.

Ingredients:
For Chicken:
Chicken breast                         500 gms
Bread Crumbs                          1 cup
Parmesan Cheese                     1/4 cup
Dried Parsley                           1/2 tbsp
Dried Oregano                         1 tsp
Dried Thyme                           1 tsp
Ground Black Pepper              1 tsp
Garlic                                       2 cloves
Olive oil                                   3 tbsp

Sauce:
Garlic                                       1 clove
Olive Oil                                  1 tbsp
Thick Cream                            1 cup
Cream Cheese Spread              2 tbsp
Salt

Mashed Potatoes:
Potato                                      3
Butter                                      25 gms
Thick Cream                           2 tbsp
Cream Cheese Spread             1 tbsp

Method: 
1. Preheat over at 180C for 10 mins.
2. In a bowl mix olive oil and chopped garlic.
3. In another bowl mix bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, dried parsley, dried oregano, dried thyme and ground black pepper.
4. Split each chicken breast into equal halves.
5. Dip each piece in oil and garlic.
6. Then cover it with Bread crumbs mix.
7. Layer aluminium foil in a pan and keep the chicken.
8. Bake for 30-35 mins until the chicken in done and the coating is golden brown.
9. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan add 1 tbsp olive oil and add chopped garlic.
10. When the garlic turns brown, add thick cream, salt and cream cheese. Switch off the flame when it boils.

Mashed Potatoes:
1. Cook the potatoes until well done.
2. Mash the potatoes and add melted butter, thick cream, salt to taste and cream cheese.
3. Mix well.

Now plate according to your taste and pour the sauce over the chicken and mash and enjoy :)

Nutella Brownie.. 100th Post!

This is my 6th year of being a blogger! But let me call myself a very very lazy blogger! :D I have around 50 posts in draft to publish and that exactly is the reason why my 100th post it after 6 years hehe!! So since am trying to be religious about blogging and my friends are helping me pushing through asking for recipes, lets celebrate this 100th post with a delicious brownie recipe! There you go!

Ingredients: 
Nutella                                                                         1.5 cups
Unsalted Butter                                                           100 gms
Cocoa Powder                                                             3 tbsp
White/brown sugar                                                     3/4 cup
Vanilla Essence                                                          1 tsp
Eggs                                                                            3
Flour                                                                           3/4 cup
Salt                                                                             1/4 tsp
Semi sweet chocolate chips                                       1/4 cup

Method:
1. Preheat the oven at 180⁰C for about 10 mins.
2. In a large bowl, beat nutella and add melted butter.
3. Once it is completely mixed, add sugar into it.
4. Mix this well with a wire whisk. Add cocoa powder and vanilla essence and mix again.
5. Now add eggs one by one and keep mixing.
6. Add the flour and mix until incorporated.
7. Add salt and chocolate chips and mix and our batter is ready.
8. Pour the batter into a pan and add 1 tsp of nutella randomly on the batter.
9. keep this in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 25 - 30 mins until a toothpick inserted comes out with clean or with little moist crumps.

Bombay Vegetable Sandwich

I had this first time from a restaurant in UAE and totally loved it. So filling but not at heavy. Super yummy and easy vegetable sandwich. There you go. This recipe can make 4 sandwiches.

Ingredients:
White bread             8 slices
Potato                      1
Capsicum                1 small
Onion                      1 small
Tomato                    1 small
Mint leaves              handful
Coriander leaves      handful
Yogurt                      1 tbsp
Green chilly             1
Ginger                      1 small piece
Mozzarella cheese   1 tbsp shredded
Butter
Salt

Method;
1. Boil potato and keep aside.
2. Chop onion, capsicum and tomato.
3. Mash the potato, add chopped vegetables and salt.
4. Now prepare the paste for the bread.
5. In a grinder add yogurt, ginger, green chilly, salt, mint leaves and coriander leaves.
6. On one side of each bread spread the paste.
7. Add the vegetable mix on one slice and spread evenly.
8. On the other slice add cheese,
9. Now combine this and toast with butter on both sides and until the cheese is melted.
10. Yummy veg sandwich ready to serve :)

Brownie Goodie Jar

Goodie Jar is one of the speciality of Sugar and Spice cafe. Its a famous cafe in Qatar. I cant handle too much of sweetness so if I have it, I normally share it with someone. Well, since my husband was craving for something chocolaty, I decided to try this at home. So follow the Chocolate Brownie Recipe here in my blog and continue the rest of the steps. 

Ingredients:
Brownie 1 pc
Galaxy Chocolate plain 2
Nestle cream 1 tin
Lotus Biscoff Spread 2 tbsp
Cashew nut    4-5
Vanilla Ice cream

Method:
1. In a microwave safe cookware, heat galaxy chocolate and nestle cream to make a smooth ganache.
2. In a jar, add this ganache, add lotus spread and chopped cashews.
3. Place one piece brownie on top of this.
4. Pour some more ganache on top.
5. Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream and indulge into this yummilicious Goodie Jar :)

Mushroom and Spinach Oats Porridge

Healthy and tasty savory oats recipe. I have done this in my way, you can tweak it with different sauces, truffle or even cheese.

Ingredients:
Oats                           2 cups
Mushroom                 1/2 tin
Spinach grated           1/2 cup
Garlic                         2 cloves
Crushed Red chilly    1 tsp
Dried Thyme             1/2 tsp
Dried Parsley             1/2 tsp
Chicken Stock Cube 1
Water                         3 cups
Nando's sauces or hot sauce
Salt

Method:
1. In a pan, heat butter, add chopped garlic, mushrooms, dried thyme, dried parsley and salt.
2. Saute this until mushrooms turn light brown.
3. To this, add spinach and cook until well done.
4. Meanwhile, boil 3 cups of water and add chicken stock cube, mix well and keep aside.
5. Once spinach is done, add oats, crushed black pepper and saute for 2 mins.
6. Add the prepared chicken stock to this and cook until the oats are done.
7. Finally add the crushed red chilly, off the flame and serve hot.

Chicken Cataplana (Nando's Style)

Nando's is one of my favorite restaurant. As many, even I am a big fan of their sauces. One of my favorite dishes from Nando's is their Chicken Cataplana. Since this is a tough time for all of us and cant go out and have this dish at their restaurant, I decided to try this at home. Well, to my surprise, this turned out well. Here is my style of Chicken Cataplana.

Ingredients:
For the spicy rice:
Basmati Rice             1.5 cups
Cloves                        2
Cardamom                 2
Bay leaf                     1
Pepper corns              1 tsp
Turmeric powder       a pinch
Red chilly powder     1/2 tsp
Water                         3 cups
Butter
Salt
For the veggies and chicken:
Chicken breast          250 gms
Zucchini                    2
Carrots                      2
Capsicum                  1
Crushed black pepper
Salt
Nando's sauces of your choice (I used Lemon and Herbs, Hot, Extra Hot)
Bbq Sauce

Method:
1. In a bottom thick pan, add 1 tbsp butter, add cloves, cardamom, bay leaves, pepper corns, salt and rice.
2. Saute this well and add turmeric and red chilly powder.
3. To this, add upto 3 cups of boiling water and cook the rice and keep aside.
4. In another pan, add chicken pieces, salt, pepper and saute until done.
5. Once the chicken is done, add bbq sauce, 1 tsp of all the nando's sauces.
6. In another pan, add cut veggies, salt and cook until half done.
7. To this, add the cooked chicken, nando's sauces as per your taste.
8. Cover and cook for 3 mins.
9. Not add the cooked rice, cover and cook for another 5 mins.
10. Yummy chicken cataplana is ready to serve.

Tomato Chutney..!

 One of the best combination with Dosa or Idly. Tangy and little spicy chutney. 

Ingredients:
Tomato                  2
Onion                    1
Chana dal              1 tsp
Garlic                    2-3 cloves
Dried Red Chilly   2
Salt
Mustard Seeds       1 tsp
Hing Powder          a pinch
Turmeric Powder   1/4 tsp
Red Chilli Powder 1 tsp
Curry Leaves
Coconut Oil

Method:
1. Heat coconut oil in a pan.
2. Add chana dal, chopped garlic, chopped onion and dried red chillies.
3. Saute this until onions are transparent.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and saute until completely soft.
5. Add a pinch of turmeric powder, a pinch of hing powder and 1 tsp of chilli powder.
6. Off the flame and cool it.
7. Blend this into a fine paste.
8. In another pan, heat coconut oil and sputter mustard seeds, curry leaves and a ping of hing powder.
9. Pour this over the grinder paste and your tasty tomato chutney is ready to serve! 

Chicken Stew........!!!!

This is my hubby's favorite. He loves it with ghee rice or bread! Both goes well with this. There are different ways of preparing stew all over the world. But this is my way of doing it.

Ingredients

Chicken                                        1 kg Onion                                        2 Potato                                        1 Carrot                                        1 (optional) Ginger(chopped)                       1 tbsp. Garlic(chopped)                        1 tbsp. Whole pepper                            1/2 tsp Cinnamon                                  1 stick (small) Cardamom                                 5 Cloves                                       5 Fennel seeds                               1/4 tsp Coconut milk(med thick)           2-3 cups Thick coconut milk                    1 cup Coconut oil

Curry Leaves

Salt

Method:

1. Crush together whole pepper, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, cloves and cardamom.

2. In a pan heat coconut oil and add the crushed masala and sauté for a minute. Add sliced onions in to this and sauté until translucent.

3. Now add chicken pieces, potato, salt and med thick coconut milk and cover and cook.

4. Once the chicken is almost done, add carrots and cook until the chicken is well done.

5. Now add the thick coconut milk and cook over low flame for 5 mins.

6. You can boil it until you reach the desired consistency.

7. Garnish with curry leaves. If you like to add fried shallots you can add that as well.

8. Enjoy with ghee rice, chappatis or appams :) :)