Chakh... Le... Re!

Hot and spicy Paratha with mild raita, yummy pickle is a very perfect dinner in cold weather. And you can just make a whole meal with that. So yesterday I made these yummy methi Paratha for dinner. This is my MIL’s very special recipe and is a hit in the house. So I have learned this from her. Let’s get to the recipe...

Ingredients:-
• 1 cup chopped methi. (I used frozen chopped...easy life ;)
• 2 tablespoons oil (divided 1:1).
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder.
• 1 tablespoon chili powder.
• 1 teaspoon of dry mango powder.
• 1 teaspoon garam masala.
• Salt to taste.
• 2 cups of wheat flour.
• ½ cup water.
• Oil or butter to panfry the Paratha.

Recipe:-

• In a wok heat 1 tablespoon of oil and add chopped methi.
• Add all the spices, cover and cook for just about a minute.
• Turn off the heat. Add salt to taste.
• Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes. After cooling make a fine paste of it in the blender (If you want this step can be avoided if methi is very finely chopped).
• Now mix this puree in the wheat flour, fold in the remaining oil and a pinch of salt.
• Now slowly add the water to it and knead the dough.
• Make sure that dough is not hard at all. Make it nice and soft.
• Keep the dough covered for about half an hour...of course if you have time.
• Make balls of equal sizes from this dough.
• Roll each ball in a small disc first, apply a bit of oil on it and fold it like a handkerchief again into a disc. This is to get layered Paratha.
• Roll it nicely in all directions, do this on a floured surface.
• When you have a nice big round, dust off the flour on it and fry nicely with a teaspoon of oil on hot skillet on both the sides.
• Make it nice and golden brown on both the sides.
• Serve hot with raita or pickle or coconut chutney.

Its December...the best time in US ...everybody is shopping, cooking, baking. Christmas is around the corner. The city is full of glittering trees, bright and beautiful buildings. I just sometime keep looking at the magnificent glitter all over like a small kid. But I really admire the creativity and pains people take to make it so beautiful. The Macy’s store here is a very big store; each and every corner of it is dazzling with beautiful, radiant holiday decorations. I just keep on digging out new reasons to go to that store. Buy something or return something or sometime just roam around in the store. Apart from all these great things temperature is going down like anything and its snowing continuously.

Cold weather calls for a hot and hearty meal. So this is very quick, yummy, buttery rice. It has a very wonderful flavor and luscious taste. Just make any quick curry or Dal Tadka and you are ready to go. I just love to eat it all by itself, it is so flavorful.

Ingredients:-

• 1 cup basmati rice.
• ½ cup chopped red onion.
• 1 tablespoon minced green chilies.
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds.
• ¼ stick of butter.
• ½ cup chopped carrots and green peas.
• 1 teaspoon Pulav masala.
• Salt to taste.

Recipe:-

• Cook the rice with 2 cups of water. Take care that rice is perfectly cooked and each grain is separate.
• In a big wok heat the butter.
• Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
• As they start to splutter add in the minced green chilies and chopped onions.
• Cook till onions are softened; now add in the chopped carrots and green peas.
• Cook till carrots are tender. Add in the pulav masala and salt to taste.
• Mix everything nicely.
• Fluff up the cooked rice slowly so each grain is separate, add to the wok.
• Slowly mix everything, don’t break the grains while mixing.
• Serve hot with hot dal tadka or any curry of your choice.

The use of butter is very essential, if you use oil the same luscious taste will not be there. You can also add other veggies of your choice such as cauliflower, beans or mushrooms.

This was first time I was making mushroom gravy at home. Although I like them, I don’t know why I never tried them. So this time in my visit to grocery store I grabbed a bunch of mushrooms and yesterday I made this creamy mushroom gravy for dinner. The creamy and spicy gravy complemented mushrooms perfectly. It was just perfect. Take a look at it...

Ingredients:-

• 1 cup of cleaned and chopped mushrooms.
• 1 chopped onion.
• ½ cup boiled and cubed potatoes.
• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil.
• 1 or 2 green chilies finely chopped.
• ¼ cup tomato puree.
• 2 small bay leaves.
• 2 to 3 peppercorns.
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves minced.
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream.
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder.
• ½ tablespoon chili powder.
• 1 tablespoon kitchen king masala.
• 1 teaspoon garam masala.
• Salt to taste.
• 1 tablespoon of melted butter.


Recipe:-

• Heat oil in a wok. Add peppercorn and bay leaves, stir them slightly.
• Add in the chopped green chilies and onions.
• Saute it nicely until cooked. Stir in the tomato puree cover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add in the turmeric powder, chili powder and kitchen king masala.
• Mix this nicely and fry the masala till it becomes brown in color.
• Fold in the whipped crème and salt to taste.
• Switch off the gas and let it cool.
• In another small sauté pan heat the butter and sauté the chopped mushrooms for about 2 to 3 minutes or till they are nicely cooled.
• Blend the cooled gravy in a blender to a fine creamy, smooth texture. Add water if required.
• Add in the cooked mushrooms and boiled cubed potatoes.
• Garnish with a drizzle of crème and serve hot with hot Paratha.

I am big fan of Italian cousin. We have a favorite Italian joint here which serves this kind of very authentic Italian style breads. I crave them all the time because of its lovely flavor. So I decided to make these at home. Yesterday I got inspired from Pam’s Bread Sticks and I made these. I changed the recipe to make them as Italian Bread Sticks.

And Viola....at tea time all the Bread sticks were vanished in literally 5 minutes. Yes they came out perfect. The stick was crispy on the out side while soft and fluffy from inside, and my house was filled with the lovely aroma of herbs. You have to try it out to relish it.

Ingredients:-

• 1 cup of all purpose flour.
• ½ teaspoon yeast.
• 1 teaspoon salt.
• 1 tablespoon oil.
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano.
• 2 cups warm water.
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder.

Recipe:-

• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Mix warm water, yeast and oil. Let it stand for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Mix in the flour, salt, oregano, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
• Stir in the yeast mixture slowly in dry mixture and start kneading the dough slowly.
• Make medium soft dough.
• Keep it cover in another big clean bowl for 50 to 60 minutes.
• It will get doubled in size.
• Now make small balls of equal sizes from this dough.
• Roll them into long sticks and twist them starting from one end to other end.
• Grease the baking pan and bake these for 30 minutes or when toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Serve hot with hummus or sour creme.

They make a great appetizer along with soups and also lovely breakfast with sour creme or hummus.

Hey all!! Hope you all had nice weekend. We had a great thanksgiving weekend. Fun, outing, shopping and eating that is all we did for the whole weekend...and now our legs are begging to get out of the body and they just want to lie down...!!!

And after all that we need to regain our energies to start our next week. What could be better meal than a classic chicken curry? This is a very basic chicken curry which is kinda spicy and also very flavorful. I served it with hot rotis and onion salad. Generally I make it with chicken legs but this one is a boneless version.

Ingredients:-

• 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts.

• Marination:-

• For Gravy:-
1. 1 big onion finely chopped.
2. ½ a cup tomato puree.
3. 2 to 3 garlic cloves minced.
4. ½ teaspoon minced ginger.
5. 3 tablespoon cooking oil.
6. 1 tablespoon chili powder.
7. 1 tablespoon chicken masala.
8. ½ teaspoon turmeric powder.
9. Yogurt mixture from the Marination.
10. Salt to taste.



Recipe:-

• Wash and clean the chicken breasts. Cut them into bit sized pieces.
• Marinate with all the above spices and pastes.
• Mix everything nicely and refrigerate with at least an hour.
• Now for the gravy heat the oil in a sauce pan.
• Add in the minced garlic, ginger and sauté them a little bit.
• Throw in the finely chopped onion and sauté them nicely.
• As they start to turn translucent, stir in the tomato puree and mix nicely.
• Let it cook for 2 to 3 minute.
• Add in the chili powder, turmeric powder and chicken masala and mix everything very nicely.
• Now fry this mixture nicely over a medium heat till oil separates.
• While this is on, heat oil in another pan and shallow fry the marinated chicken pieces for just 2 to 3 minutes. In this much time pieces will get nicely juicy and cooked. Don’t over heat at all otherwise they will get dry and rubbery.
• Add these cooked chicken pieces and all the remaining marinated masala in the cooked gravy.
• Mix everything nicely, add water if gravy is too thick.
• Add salt according to taste.
• Serve hot with roti or Paratha.

Hello guys!! As thanksgiving is around the corner many of us are busy in finding deals, making lists and most important of all “Shopping” ;) Also with this we get to see beautiful decorations, roadsides full of glittering and shining lightings...I am just lost in all these.

With so many things on the to-do list, at dinner time we just want to sit, relax and relish on a very yummy and nice food. So I made this very yummy butter chicken for the dinner. Butter chicken has such a nice buttery taste along with tender and juicy chicken pieces, perfect for a nice and relaxing dinner. And we can off course eat some extra calories after longs marathons of full day shopping ;)

It is also very simple to make, doesn’t require much of a work. Take a look...

Ingredients:-

• 2 skinless boneless breasts chicken cut to bite sized pieces.
• For Marination:-

1) 1 teaspoon turmeric powder.
2) 1 tablespoon chili powder.
3) 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste.
4) 1 tablespoon lime juice.
5) 1 teaspoon salt.
6) 1 tablespoon chicken masala.

• For gravy:-
1) 1 finely chopped onion.
2) 2 garlic cloves minced.
3) 1 cup tomato puree.
4) 1 tablespoon chili powder.
5) 1 tablespoon chicken masala.
6) 1 teaspoon turmeric powder.
7) ½ cup heavy whipping crème.
8) 2 tablespoon butter.
9) 3 to 4 tablespoon of oil.
10) Salt to taste.
11) Finely chopped cilantro for garnishing.

Recipe:-

• Wash and clean chicken breast, pat dry with paper towel.
• Cut into small bite size pieces and marinate with all the marinating spices.
• Refrigerate for minimum ½ to 1 hour.
• Heats the butter in sauce pan, add garlic and finely chopped onion.
• Saute it nicely and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add tomato paste cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add turmeric powder, chili powder, chicken masala mix everything nicely.
• Stir in the crème and mix everything nicely.
• Add little water if gravy is too thick.
• Add salt to taste, cover and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Now in another shallow pan heat oil and shallow fry marinated chicken pieces for just about 3 to 4 minutes. Do not over cook at all or they will go dry and rubbery
• Mix these cooked chicken pieces in the prepared gravy.
• Garnish with crème and chopped cilantro.
• Serve hot with roti, Paratha or Naan.

I served it with lachha Paratha which was a perfect combination to go with it.

This great pasta recipe is born in my kitchen out of my curiosity to infuse a new flavor in pasta dish. It became a hit. The chicken gravy in the title comes from this can shown below...
This canned chicken gravy has a nice light chicken flavor. It added a creamy texture, richness in addition to a yummy chicken flavor to the pasta sauce. So my eleventh hour experiment came out perfect. Just try it out “It was one of the best pasta I ever eaten” was the compliment I got ;)


Ingredients:-

• 1 cup uncooked pasta.
• 1 finely chopped onion.
• ¾ cup tomato paste.
• 1 tablespoon butter.
• 2 to3 minced garlic.
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano.
• ½ cup milk.
• 1 tablespoon flour.
• ½ cup canned chicken gravy.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Grated cheese and chopped cilantro/parsley for garnishing.


Recipe:-

• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• Heat butter in saucepan and add garlic in it.
• Saute it slightly, now add onions.
• Let onions and garlic cook nicely.
• Now sprinkle flour in it.
• Stir it with whisk to avoid lumps.
• Let it cook for a minute or two.
• Fold in the tomato paste and chicken gravy, mix everything nicely.
• Stir in the milk so that you get a nice thick and creamy sauce.
• Add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and oregano.
• Add in milk if the sauce is too thick.
• Mix it with cooked pasta and garnish with grated cheese and chopped cilantro or parsley.