Pepper chicken (my way)

Ingredients

Chicken 250 Gms

Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp

Onion diced 2

Tomato 1

Capsicum 1 diced

Chilli powder ½ tsp

Garam masala ½ tsp

Pepper powder 2 tbsp (grind coarsely)

Curry leaf & coriander leaf few

Salt and oil as required

Preparation

1.      In a pan add oil, onion and ginger garlic paste.

2.      Sauté well

3.      Add chicken, chilli powder, garam masala, salt and half of the pepper powder

4.      Allow to cook with lid closed

5.      When it is ¾ cooked, add tomatoes, curry leaf, coriander leaf and capsicum

6.      Toss well

7.      Once oil starts separating, turn off the flame

8.      Add remaining pepper powder and adjust salt

9.      Toss well and serve

Perfect with rotis

Goes with rice too

Yogurt based mutton curry (aatukari thayir kulambu)

Ingredients

Mutton 250 gms

Small onion 15 chopped

Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp

Tomato 1 chopped

Curd ½ cup

Green chilli 2 slit

Cumin seeds ½ tsp

Fenugreek seeds ½ tsp

Pepper corns ½ tsp

Kulambhu milagai tool (curry powder) 1 ½ tbsp

Garam masala 1 tsp

Salt and oil as required

coriander leaf few

preparation

1.      Marinate mutton with curd, curry powder,ginger garlic paste and salt for an hour

2.      Pressure cook mutton with half of the onion and tomatoes by adding ½ cup of water

3.      In a pan add oil, cumin, pepper, fenugreek seeds, rest of onion , tomato and green chilli

4.      Saute well and add cooked mutton

5.      Once done add pepper powder, garam masala and allow it to boil once

6.      Add coriander leaf and serve

       Serve with rice

Goes well with indian bread

Chicken chukka(simpler version)

Ingredients

 Chicken 500 Gms

Fenugreek seeds 1 tsp

Curry leaf few

Onion chopped 1

Ginger pounded 1 tsp

Garlic chopped 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder ½ tsp

Chilli powder 2 tsp

Coriander powder 2 tsp

Garam masala 1 tsp

Tomato chopped finely 2

Salt and oil as required

Preparation

1.      In a pan add oil, fenugreek seeds and curry leaf

2.      Add onion, ginger, garlic, chicken and sauté well

3.      Add salt and turmeric powder.

4.      Allow to cook in low flame with lid closed

5.      Once ¾ cooked, add chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Toss well

6.      Allow to cook in low flame with lid closed till done

7.      Once done add tomato and cook with lid closed

8.      Once the tomatoes blend well with chicken, toss once

Serve with rotis

Can  serve as a wrap

Lemon chicken

Ingredients

Chicken 500 gm

Onion 1

Garlic  8- 10 cloves

Ginger 1 inch

Dry red chilli 4-5

Curd 1 cup

Lemon 1

Turmeric powder ½ tsp

Cumin powder 1 tsp

Garam masala 1 tsp

Salt and oil as required

Preparation

1.      Grind onion, garlic, ginger, dry red chilli to a smooth paste

2.      To it add cumin powder, garam masala,turmeric  powder,salt,curd and lemon juice to it

3.      Mix well and add chicken to it

4.      Marinate it in refrigerator

5.      In a pan add a tsp of oil and add marinated chicken to it

6.      Cook in low flame

7.      Stir intermittently

8.      Cook till done

Serve with rice

Goes well with  white breads

Chicken paella (spanish chicken rice)

Ingredients

Basmati rice 3 cups

Chicken 400 gms (can use boneless or thighs or drumstick)

Capsicum 1 diced

Tomatoes 3

Onion sliced 1

Garlic paste 1 tsp

Green chilli chopped 1

Pepper powder 2 tsp

Turmeric powder ½ tsp

Salt as required

Olive oil 2 tbsp

Preparation

1.      Marinate chicken with salt and pepper powder for an hour

2.      Shallow fry it in oil till outer turns brown( u can deep fry too)

3.      In a pressure pan add oil, onion, capsicum  and  chilli

4.      Just toss once

5.      Add tomatoes and cook till mushy

6.      Add garlic paste, turmeric , rice and fried chicken

7.      Add about 6 cups of water and salt

8.      Close the pan

9.      When air starts coming out, put whistle and cook in low simmer flame for 10 minutes

10.  Once the pressure settles down , fluff rice with a fork

11.  If needed add pepper powder to the top

Pan fried chilli chicken (healthier version) less oil

Ingredients

Chicken 500 gms (preferably boneless)

Onion diced 2

Capsicum diced 1

Garlic chopped 10

Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp

Egg 1

Green chilli sauce 2 tbsp

Soy sauce 2 tbsp

Vinegar 1 tsp

cornflour ¼ cup

Pepper powder  2 tbsp

Green chilli slit 4-6

Salt as required

Olive oil 4 tbsp

Preparation

1.      Marinate chicken pieces with ginger garlic paste,half of chilli sauce,soy sauce, pepper powder, salt, corn flour and beaten egg  for an hour in refrigerator

2.      In a pan add 3 tbsp of oil, to it add marinated chicken and toss such that chicken gets coated well with cornflour mixture

3.      Allow it to cook brown

4.      Keep aside

5.      In a pan add 1 tbsp of oil, garlic, onion , capsicum and green chilli

6.      Toss till onion turn transparent

7.      Add fried chicken, toss once

8.      Add remaining sauces, vinegar,salt and pepper

9.       Toss well

Serve hot

Prawn briyani in pressure cooker ( my own way)

Ingredients

Basmati rice 2 cups

Prawn cleaned and deveined 500 gms

Onion sliced 1

Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp

Cinnamon 1 cardamom 2 cloves 2(pound coarsely)

Bay leaf 1

Coriander leaves  ¼ cup

Mint leaves ¼ cup

Green chilli 4

Tomato 2 (puree it)

Curd 1 cup

Turmeric powder ½ tsp

Lemon juice 2 tbsp

Salt and oil as required

Preparation

1.      Grind coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chilli into paste without adding water

2.      Marinate prawns with curd, lemon juice,salt, turmeric powder and a tbsp of ginger garlic paste for 15-20 in refrigerator

3.      Soak rice in 4 cups of water for 15-20 minutes

4.      In a pressure pan add oil, pound garam masala, bayleaf and onion. Saute well

5.      Add ground paste (step 1)and ginger garlic paste,saute it

6.      Add tomato puree and cook till oil oozes out

7.      Add marinated prawns and cook for 2 minutes

8.      Strain rice

9.      Then add rice to it and toss well till masala gets coats well with rice

10.  Add 3 ½ cup of water and close the pan lid

11.  When pressure start comes out, put on whistle

12.  Cook in low flame(simmer) for 10 minutes

13.  Once the pressure settles down, fluff with a fork

Serve with raita

Fried Fish in chili sambal sauce

Ingredients

Fish fillets 250 gms

Marinate fish with turmeric powder, salt and chilli powder for ½ hr

Shallow fry it in oil and keep aside

For sambal

Small onion chopped 150 gms

Fennel seeds ½ tsp

Tomato chopped 2-3

Red chilli paste ( soak 15 red chilli in water overnight and grind it with 15 garlic pods to a fine paste)

Tamarind extract 2 tbsp

Soy sauce 1 tsp

Salt and oil as required

Preparation

1.      In a pan add oil, fennel seeds and onion . Saute well

2.      Add tomatoes

3.      Cook till tomatoes become mushy

4.      Add red chilli paste, salt, tamarind extract and soy sauce

5.      Add fried fish pieces and toss well

Serve with rice or parathas