Khaddy's Kitchen

Moraccan Chicken with lemon and olives

2011-01-07T18:36:00.000-08:00

Heres a little change, no chili in this dish yet full of flavor. If youre getting tired of eatng spicy foods but still want full on flavor this dish is for you.

Moraccan chicken with Lemon and olives:

One whole chicken cut up, fat removed
1 medium lemon juiced- should make 1/4 cup
green olives, 1/5 cup
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp tumeric
salt
pinch of paprika
2 tsps italian seasonings
1/8 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tsps ginger and garlic paste
chopped onions, 1 medium

In a medium sized pot add one tablespoon olive oil plus two tsps butter. Add chopped onions to this. Saute for a few minutes until onions are translucent. Add ginger and garlic, then add seasonings. Saute then add chicken and let it cook on high heat until browned on all sides about 5 minutes to ten minutes. Pour in lemon juice and put heat on medium low and cover pot with lid. Let it cook for 20-25 minutes until chicken is tender. At the end add olives and stir. Serve with plain rice or bread.

Lemon Rice

2010-10-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

Similar spices and seasonings to curd rice, lemon rice is another comfort food. This is also another lunchbox favorite. Please ensure using fresh lemons as that will greatly enhance the flavors of this summer dish.

Lemon Rice Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice (long or short)

1/4 cup ffreshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 1/2 lemons)

1 tsp tumeric

1/4 cup peanuts or broken cashews

3-4 red chili peppers

6-7 curry leaves

2 tsps dalia

pinch of red chili powder

salt to taste

In a medium saucepan heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium high heat. Add curry leaves, and chili peppers, and dalia, and add peanuts or cashews. Saute a little, and then tumeric, and red chili powder. Add lemon juice and salt, stir then add rice. Mix to coat rice kernals evenly. Fry for a few minutes. Turn off heat. Enjoy with baked fish or by itself.

Curd Rice (South Indian Yoghurt Rice)

2010-09-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

This preparation is the epitome of comfort eating. It is so easy to make and so healthy for you. Yoghurt is a big part of south indian cuisine, it is included in almost everything. I often make this for lunch for my husband accompanied with some sort of meat item liked baked chicken, or kabobs. It is usually prepared using cooked rice and seasoned with a few ingredients like rye, urad dal, and channa dal.

What you'll need:

1 cup uncooked rice

2 tsps rye

2 dried red chili (or more if you desire)

1.5 cup yoghurt

4-5 curry leaves
1/2 tablespoon channa dal

1/2 tablespoon urad dal
Oil

Cook rice in medium size pot in two and half cups water. Add salt. Let it come to a boil. Meanwhile, in small sauce pan add a tablespoon of oil. Once heated, add in rye and let it crackle. Rye should look greyish in color. Throw in dried red chili, dals, and curry leaves. Take off heat and combine with rice. Let rice cook on low heat until done. Rice should be slightly mushy. When rice is a little cool, gently mix in yoghurt.

Fiery Tomatoe Chutney

2010-09-04T02:47:00.000-07:00

To go along with the mutton biryani I made spicy tomatoe chutney. Hyderabadi biryani is not neccessarily spicy so many options for accompaniments are used like bhaghara bhaigan (spicy eggplant curry), or mirchi ka salaan (green chili curry).

This is my third entry to Mona's Hyderabadi Ramadan Food Festival.

This chutney can also be eaten with plain rice.

What you will need:

2 cups diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)

one medium onion chopped

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 tsps rye seeds

5-6 curry leaves

1 medium green serrano chili chopped in thin strips

1 tsp chili powder

chopped cilantro (optional)

In a medium sauce pan add a tablespoon of oil and pour in rye seeds and curry leaves. Let the rye crackle and turn greyish. After add chopped onions and green chilis, let them turn golden brown, almost caramelized, then add ginger and garlic paste, chili powder, fry, then add tomatoes. Turn heat to medium and let tomatoes become mushy, and softened. Do not add water. Let it cook for 20 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani

2010-08-22T21:41:00.001-07:00

This is my second entry to Mona's Hyderabadi Ramadan Food Festival.
Hyderabadi biryani is a classic, this version is pakki gosht ki biryani, where the meat is cooked sepaeratley from the rice and then both are layered together.

It was indeed a robust meal. Served along with appetizers - potatoe stuffed spring rolls, lentil pakodis, raita and tomatoe chutney, and tandoori chicken.

For great biryanis it is imperative that your rice comes out perfectly. Therefore choosing the the best kind of long grain rice is in order. I prefer Tilda brand rice.

Hyderabadi Biryani Ingredients:

Serves 8-10 people
2 pounds mutton (with bone preferrably) cut into medium sized pieces

3 large onions chopped lenthwise very finely

1/2 cup chopped cilantro and mint

3 tablespoons ginger and garlic paste

3 medium serrano green chilis chopped in halves

3 tsp red chili powder

2 tsps tumeric

1.5 tablespoon garam masala

1.5 cup yoghurt

salt to taste

For rice:

5 cups long grain rice

3 tsps shah zeera (black cumin)

1/2 tablespoon salt

For garnish:

Onions

Saffron threads dissolved in milk

1/2 cup chopped cilantro and mint

Few drops of ghee or clarified butter

Food coloring (optional)

In a large pressure cooker add onion in two tablespoons oil. Let it become golden brown. After reserve aside half for garnish later. Add ginger and garlic paste, cilantro and mint, tumeric, red chili powder, and garam masala powder. Cook the spice a little, then add meat. Fry on high heat for 5 minutes. Add yoghurt, mix and add green chilis. Add enough water to cover meat. Pressure cook until meat is almost tender. Make sure there is not too much water. There should be a thick gravy.

Soak rice for 30 minutes. After, cook rice in abundant water along with shah zeera and salt. After rice comes to a boil (rice must be 'dancing') drain water and set aside.

Preheat oven to 360 degrees Fareinheit.

In a large metal non stick pan layer rice at bottom, layer with meat and gravy, then rice again. Garnish with mint, cilantro, milk, and drops of ghee. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Serve hot with yoghurt accompaniment or tomatoe chutney.

Stuffed Dates for your next iftar party

2010-08-22T21:12:00.000-07:00

Ramadan Mubarak! Here is a great way to fancy up your dates, these are delicious and simple appetizers.

Ingredients:

For approximately 22 dates

medjool dates

1 cup whipping cream (heavy or light, your preference)

pistachios

Slit each date in half and remove pits. Whip cream and put in a piping bag or a ziplock bag; pipe a spoonfull of cream into each date. Top with a pistachio. Delicious!

Dahi Vada

2010-08-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

Dahi Vadas are a tasty snack, they are fried lentil patties dipped in cool creamy yoghurt, garnished with paprika and a tempering of mustards seeds. These are great appetizers for a dinner party. I had to make a huge batch of these for a potluck. They turned out great.

2 cups mash ki dal

3 green chilis

salt

water

2 cups yoghurt

Paprika

2 tsps sugar

1 tsp cumin powder

For tempering:

Rye seeds

dried red chilis

Soak mash dal in water for a couple of hours. After remove excess water and grind to a smooth texture along with green chilis. Batter must be thick. Prepare oil in fryer. Oil must be medium to high heat. While it is heating get a container and add water. Fry lentil balls until golden brown. Once Vadas are cooked soak in water. Remove each and squeeze out excess water. This process helps the vadas to be softened. Prepare yoghurt- add sugar, and salt, and cumin. Drop each vada in yoghurt. Mix around until yoghurt saturates vadas.

In a seperate pan heat 2 tsps oil. Add rye and red chilis. After rye crackles- turns grayish pour over vadas. Dahi vada is ready. Tastes best when chilled.

This is also my first entry to the Hyderabadi Ramadan Food Festival 2010 hosted on zaiqa.net

FANTASTIC Tandoori Chicken

2010-08-13T16:31:00.000-07:00

According to wikipedia the history of Tandoori chicken lies with a man named Kundan Lal Gujral, who ran a restaurant called Moti Mahal in Peshawar before the partition of British India. Trying out new recipes to keep his patrons interested, Gujral tried cooking chicken in tandoors (clay ovens) used by locals until then to cook naan bread. The tandoors are bell-shaped ovens, set into the earth and fired with wood or charcoal reaching temperatures of about 480 degrees. Gujral was able to cook the tender chickens in these ovens making them succulent inside and crispy outside.

After the partition he moved his restaurant to Delhi in a place called Daryaganj.

The Tandoori chicken at Moti Mahal so impressed the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaral Nehru, that he made it a regular at official banquets. Visiting dignitaries that enjoyed Tandoori Chicken included, US presidents John F. Kennedy, and Richard Nixon, Soviet leaders Nikolai Bulganin, Nikita Kruchev, the King of Nepal and the Shah of Iran.

Ok history aside, there are soo many tandoori chicken recipes out there, I've tried them all but none comes close to this one. And all thanks goes to vah chef, Mr Sanjay Thumma for this awesome deeeelicious tandoori chicken recipe. In this recipe you dont have even use a charcoal grill, simply a conventional oven will do....in the last minutes of cooking the chicken I put the oven on broil so the outside crisps up beautifully.....

You will need:

3 chicken legs and thighs (not separated)
3 tablespoons thick yogurt- greek yoghurt is great for this

1 tsp coriander seeds, dry roasted and ground

1 tsp cumin seeds, dry roasted and ground

1/2 tsp finely grounded black pepper

1 tsp methi powder (dried fenugreek leaves finely ground)

1 tsp garam masala powder

freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 tablespoons

11/2 tablespoon red chili powder

1 1/2 tsps ginger/garlic paste

red food coloring (optional)

There are two marinades for this chicken. In the first one youll need to combine 1/2 tablespoon chili powder, one tablespoon lemon juice and salt.

Wash chicken and pat dry. Cut gashes along the meatiest parts of chicken. Marinate chicken where the cuts are made with first marinade and set aside for 30 minutes.

Combine yoghurt, garam masala, pepper powder, cumin, coriander, red chili powder, kasuri methi, salt, ginger and garlic paste. Add food coloring if using and oil at the very end. Combine well. Marinate chicken in this for up to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 420 F.

Cut a large onion into thinly slices rings. Place each ring in roasting chicken pan. Place chicken ontop of onion rings. Bake for 25 minutes.

Now put your oven on broil. Bake chicken for 10-15 more minutes. Turn off oven and let chicken rest for few minutes. Take out and put on serving plate.

Garnish with freshly cut lemon wedges and onions rings. Enjoy!

Mullangi Curry (Radish Curry) w/ Mutton

2010-08-04T06:42:00.001-07:00

My husband asked me to make 'radish gosht' but I never made it because I never eat radishes in any other way except in a salad, and that too when a salad like that was served to me. So I was a bit apprehensive about making it. After reading about the nutritional advantages of this vegetable I thought id give it a shot. Radishes mostly contain water but they are a good source of vitamin B6, copper, and calcium, as well as rich in folic acid and potassium. Tradtionally white radishes are used in Indian cooking, in curries, sambar and rice dishes etc.

But I used red radish which is equally great.

for this curry I used--

6-8 medium sized red radishes washed and trimmed
cut into small discs (or whatever way you prefer)
1/2 lb mutton (goat or lamb meat)
1/2 medium onion chopped
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp red chili
2 tsps coriander
2 tablepsoons plain yoghurt
2 tsps ginger and garlic paste
1 tsp mustard seeds
oil
salt to taste

Cook mutton in pressure cooker until soft. Reserve aside. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a small pressure cooker. Add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Throw in onions and saute until onions are golden brown. Add ginger and garlic paste and tumeric. Add red chili powder and coriander. Add radish and fry on high heat for five minutes. Add cooked mutton. Add in yoghurt. Add some water. Let it cook on simmer for 15 minutes or until radish is soft yet still crunchy. Serve with plain rice or bread.

The Perfect Dosa

2010-07-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

Want to indulge in a savory pancake? Heres a great recipe for dosa, these are like indian style crepes. My mom used to always make these paired with spicy potatoes for me and my siblings at breakfast time. And although they tasted great- mom's cooking is the best!- they never came out like the way they are in indian restaurants.

In those restaurants they were like the perfect dosa...the edges are golden brown and crisp, whilst the inside is delectably soft.

It took me a while to perfect my dosa. The hardest part is making sure it didnt stick to the pan and making them come out thin and crispy like a paper dosa.

Once you become expert dosa maker youll see making these are time saving and effortless..

The good thing is you can make a large amount of batter to last up to a few days..

Rice and urad dal consist on the majors portions of this recipe, the channa dal is used to give a nice brown color to your dosa, and the methi seeds are there to give it a nice crunch.

What youll need:
1 1/2 cups fat, short grain rice
1 cup urad dal
5 tablespoons channa dal
1 1/2 tbsp methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)
Water
large non-stick pan

Combine first four ingredients and let it soak in water for 4-5 hours or overnight. Once soaked drain most of the water and blend everything to a smooth consistency. Pour into a bowl and mix batter gently. Add salt to taste. About 2 teaspoons. Keep the batter by the stove and cover with a kitchen towel. Let it ferment for several hours. Once it is ready you may keep it in the fridge or make some dosai. Keep heat on high and let pan become very hot. Using a small ladle (about 1/2 cup batter) pour batter in the middle of the pan and swirl gently outwards until it resembles a crepe. Drizzle a little oil around the edges of the dosa. Cook 2 minutes.

Remember---

never grease your dosa pan

and make sure your pan is very hot.
Dosa is ready when it looks beautifully golden brown on one side. It is not neccessary to cook other side, optional.

I often make these for my husband for breakfast, when hes in a hurry for work, I just take the batter out of the fridge and quickly make a couple of dosas. This recipe makes about 4 cups of batter and can last up to 3 days.

Oh by the way these are versatile as well and can be eaten with anything you like. Plain is just as perfect.

Coconut Chutney

2010-07-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

Speaking of coconuts, when I went to Chennai last year, one day my mother in law and I went touring the streets in a rickshaw checking out local vendors. We had stopped by a coconut vendor where the guy was selling young coconuts. This is the first time I saw young coconuts, and I thought they were a different type of coconut because I am used to seeing coconuts in their rough, brown shelled states. In actuality though, there is only one type of coconut plant, and these large greens ones were basically unripened coconuts.

The vendor guy cut a small hole in one, stuck a straw in it and gave it to us to drink. It's coconutty water was so sweet and buttery and refreshing. We then proceeded to eat its flesh, which was also buttery and silky and extremely soft. Not at all like a brown coconuts' flesh; which is harder and more textured. I didnt have my camera with me then so heres a google image of young coconuts.

During my stay in Chennai, almost every morning I would have coconut chutney accompaniment with my breakfast. This chutney is traditionally served with dosa and idly, vada, upma, utappam, and pongal- recipes which I will be adding soon :)

There is no real cooking involved in making this chutney.

Typically freshly grated coconut is used but its absoultey fine if you don't have coconuts lying around, packaged unsweetneded shredded coconut is great too.

Ingredients:
Makes about 3/4 cup chutney

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tblsp roasted dalia (roasted split bengal gram)
1 tblsp cashew pieces
1/8 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 inch green chili chopped
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, roasted
2 tbsp fresh tamarind juice
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
salt

Seasonings:
2 tsps rye
2 small dried red chilis
1 tsp oil

Combine coconut, dalia, cashews, cilantro, green chilis, cumin seeds, tamarind juice, ginger and garlic paste and salt and a little water. Grind until just smooth. Pour into small serving bowl. Heat oil in small pan. Add rye and red chilis. Wait until rye begins to crackle. Take off heat and pour this over chutney. Mix chutney and serve.

Masala Machli (Spicy Fish)

2010-07-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

Get a healthy dose of omega 3 fatty acids from this delicious fish. Enjoy with freshly made white rice for a satisfying meal. You can use any fish for this preparation, I am using salmon here. The marinade is the most simplest in indian cooking, consisting of only four ingredients.

You will need:

1 salmon steak (1/2 lb)
Corn oil

For the marinade you will need:

1 1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
salt
2 tsps mustard oil

It's the mustard oil which will give the fish a deep, smoky flavor. Combine dry ingredients, then add ginger garlic paste and mustard oil. Rub cleaned, and de-scaled salmon fillet with this. Let it marinate up to 4 hours in the fridge.

Heat a non stick pan on high. Coat the pan with a few droplets of oil. Place salmon fillet in pan and sear it for 2 minutes each side. Place heat on medium-low and continue cooking for 8 more minutes. Salmon is cooked when flesh turns light pink within. Enjoy with plain white rice or any accompaniment of your choice.

Chicken Khorma

2010-07-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

This classic chicken khorma or "chicken salaan" as I'd like to call it is the epitome of good memories of my childhood. Id remember coming home from school to gobble down my mom's chicken khorma and rice. Khorma is usually referred to any curry made with yoghurt to produce a smooth and velvety like texture. After trying for a couple of years to make the perfect chicken khorma I finally settled on this recipe. There are several variations of chicken khorma out there and this is the one I make the most. This is an onion and tomatoe based version and has a rich tasting flavor with a great color. It is perfect to make for guests as well and can be made ahead, and reheated later on.

Ingredients:

3 skinless, bone-in chicken leg and thighs about 1 lb

half of a large onion, chopped lengthwise

1 roma tomatoe chopped

1/3 cup thick yoghurt

1 tablespoon ginger and garlic paste

1 tbsp minced green chilis (serranos preferred)

9 almonds, soaked in water

2 tsps ground coconut

1 tbsp coriander power

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp red chili powder (or more if desired)

1 tsp tumeric

1/2 cup cilantro

one tablespoon oil

Directions:

In a medium pot heat oil, and add onions. Saute on medium-high until they become golden brown about 5 minutes. Meanwhile put alomonds soaking in water in the microwave for about 4 minutes. The skin of the almonds should be peeled off. Combine almonds, yoghurt and coconut powder and grind to a smooth paste in a small blender. Set aside. After onions have become golden brown, stir in ginger and garlic paste, and tumeric. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add red chili powder, salt, cumin, coriander and some of the cilantro. Add in chopped tomatoes and put heat on medium and let it cook for 8 minutes stirring ocassionally. Do not add water. When the tomatoes become mushy turn the heat to high and add in chicken pieces and fry for a few minutes. Put heat back on medium and stir in yoghurt and almond paste. Add in a glass of water. Let it cook for 20 minutes. When chicken is cooked khorma is ready. Serve with bread or plain rice.

Spinach and Onion Pakodas

2010-07-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

My husband and I came back tired from the beach and after a long day of swimming and travelling we came back tired. After we reached home my husband asked me to make a quick snack. It was also about to rain. So I decided this was the best and quickest thing to make. Bhajias as they are also called, are a favorite snack. There are numerous kinds of pakodas, with this being the simplest and the most popular. You can use a variety of vegetables such as potatoes, cauliflower, and eggplant. These pakodas are best eaten as soon as they are cooked; they lose their crispness as they sit. You will need:

1 cup besan flour
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp salt
Half of a large onion chopped lengthwise
1/4 cup fresh spinach roughly chopped
Oil for frying

Directions:

1. Combine besan with the dry ingredients. Slowly add water until the batter is wet but not thin, resembling pancake batter. Heat oil in deep fryer on medium high. Once heated (test by dropping small amount of batter in pan), slowly drop in a tablespoon sized batter in hot oil. Fry until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Serve with ketchup or hot sauce.

20 Health Benefits of Turmeric

2010-07-23T06:04:00.000-07:00

Turmeric is one of nature's most powerful healers. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. Tumeric has been used for over 2500 years in India, where it was most likely first used as a dye.
The medicinal properties of this spice have been slowly revealing themselves over the centuries. Long known for its anti-inflammatory properties, recent research has revealed that turmeric is a natural wonder, proving beneficial in the treatment of many different health conditions from cancer to Alzheimer's disease.

Here are 20 reasons to add turmeric to your diet:
1. It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.
2. When combined with cauliflower, it has shown to prevent prostate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer.
3. Prevented breast cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice.
4. May prevent melanoma and cause existing melanoma cells to commit suicide.
5. Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia.
6. Is a natural liver detoxifier.
7. May prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain.
8. May prevent metastases from occurring in many different forms of cancer.
9. It is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that works as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects.
10. Has shown promise in slowing the progression of multiple sclerosis in mice.
11. Is a natural painkiller and cox-2 inhibitor.
12. May aid in fat metabolism and help in weight management.
13. Has long been used in Chinese medicine as a treatment for depression.
14. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
15. Boosts the effects of chemo drug paclitaxel and reduces its side effects.
16. Promising studies are underway on the effects of turmeric on pancreatic cancer.
17. Studies are ongoing in the positive effects of turmeric on multiple myeloma.
18. Has been shown to stop the growth of new blood vessels in tumors.
19. Speeds up wound healing and assists in remodeling of damaged skin.
20. May help in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions.

Turmeric can be taken in powder or pill form. It is available in pill form in most health food stores, usually in 250-500mg capsules.
Once you start using turmeric on a regular basis, it's fun to find new ways to use it in recipes. My favorite way to use it is to add a pinch of it to egg salad. It adds a nice flavor and gives the egg salad a rich yellow hue.
Contraindications: Turmeric should not be used by people with gallstones or bile obstruction. Though turmeric is often used by pregnant women, it is important to consult with a doctor before doing so as turmeric can be a uterine stimulant.

Source: healthdiaries.com

Bhaghara Chawal

2010-07-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to make rice but I was not quite in the mood for plain white rice which is what I usually make for dinner. Yet I didnt want something too fancy either. So I thought hey Ill make some bhaghara chawal. I have looked online from the past and I never found a recipe for this simple rice. (I looked online today too and still did not find one). So heres a first or at least one of a few. I learnt this recipe from my mother who said the secret to great tasting bhaghara chawal lies in using fresh and good amount of ginger and garlic paste. Of course you also need a few spices like shah zeera , and a few cloves, and a bay leaf. This dish goes great with just about anything, and is very versatile.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of basmati rice or any long grain rice

3 cups water

1/2 medium onion chopped finely

1.5 tablespoons ginger and garlic paste

2 tsps ghee or clarified butter

2 tsps shah zeera

3 cloves

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon oil

salt to taste

Directions:

In a medium pot heat oil and ghee. Add shah zeera and cloves. Wait until the spices splutter. Add chopped onion and stir. Sprinkle a little salt over the onions. Let it become golden brown, then stir in ginger and garlic paste. Continue frying for 3 minutes then stir in rice and bay leaf. Add water. Add salt to taste. Let it come to a boil then switch to medium heat and cover tightly with a lid and let it continue to cook for 10-15 more minutes.

Chicken Haleem

2010-07-20T18:32:00.000-07:00

This preparation is called haleem in pakistan, india, and
bangladesh. In other countries such as Iran, Turkey, or the Gulf, it is called Harisa. Though the term varies from country to country it always consists of three main ingredients: wheat, lentils and meat. This preparation is always popular as a starter during many
different occassions such as Ramadan, weddings, and dinner parties. It is slow cooked for several hours until it reaches a paste like consistency and is like a thick soup. I like to use equal parts of cracked wheat, barley, and oats. I also like to use bone in chicken because the bones provide extra flavor. When I make this dish I like to make more so I can freeze it. When thawed and heated it still tastes delicious.

4 bone-in chicken thighs
3/4 cup cracked wheat
3/4 cup barley
3/4 cup oats
1/4 cup chana dal
1 medium onion chopped lengthwise
1 green chili chopped
1 1/2 tablespoon ginger and garlic paste
1 tablespoon cumin
1 1/2 tablespoon coriander
1 tsp tumeric
1 1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup mint
2 tsps ghee or clarified butter
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste
fresh lemon juice

Soak cracked wheat, barley, and chana dal seperately in water for 3 hours. In a heavy bottom saucepan add oil and one teaspoon ghee. Add chopped onion to this. Saute for 5 minutes on medium high heat until onion becomes golden brown. Add ginger and garlic paste, and tumeric. Stir until smell of ginger and garlic is gone. Add a little water to deglaze. Add the rest of the spices and green chilis, and 1/4 cup cilantro and mint. Add chicken and fry on medium high heat for abour 7-8 minutes. Add about 4 cups water and cook until chicken is tender and breaking off the bone. Take off heat and allow to cool. Shred chicken and discard the bones. Put the chicken back in the pot. Add soaked wheat and lentil. Stir in oats. Put pan back on heat and let it cook on medium to medium low for one to two hours, stirring perdiodically. After wheat, and lentils become soft, use a hand blender to blend to a paste like consistency. Spritz with fresh lemon juice. Take off heat and garnish with remaining cilantro.

Cabbage Chicken

2010-07-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

Why did the man cross the road? To eat the chicken.
Here is a recipe of my own creation. These days I am loving subzis whilst having an aversion to too much meat (no, I am not pregnant). I am always trying to get my husband to eat more veggies but like most men he refuses to eat soleley vegetarian dishes. There has to be some type of meat. Hence the creation of this dish. The unique flavor of this awesome recipe comes from the slow cooking of onions until they become caramelized. For this preparation you will need:

2 cups of chopped green napa cabbage
1/2 medium onion chopped lengthwise
1/2 pound boneless chicken thigh meat cut into small pieces
one heaping tablespoon ginger and garlic paste
1 1/2 tsp rye
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 of a green chili chopped
1 tsp red chili powder
cilantro 1 cup chopped
one tablespoon oil
salt to taste

In a non stick pan add one tablespoon oil and rye. Leave heat on high. Let the rye splutter until they become greyish color. To that stir in chopped onion. Sprinkle half teaspoon salt on onion, mix and leave on medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add little water if needed to deglaze pan. When onion starts becomes browned (but not burnt) add water. The water should become brown, this means the onions are becoming caramelized.

This is what I mean.

Next stir in ginger garlic paste and tumeric. Add in the rest of the spices and cook for 2-3 minutes. Next add the chopped cabbage and 2 cups water. Cook for a good 20 minutes and add in the chicken and half of cilantro. Add more water and cook until cabbage is softened and chicken is cooked. Take off heat and garnish with cilantro.

Shepards Path Cake

2010-07-19T14:00:00.000-07:00

Beautiful isn't it? Yea I thought so too. And yes this is homemade. Well, not exactly. That gorgeous, piece of artwork in the middle of the cake is called an edible image icing. It was not made by I. There are several websites out there which will make it for you. The one I went to is called http://www.gogocakes.com/. This is the largest size they can make, measuring 7 x 10 for your standard 1/4 inch sheet cake. Simply upload an image- the dimensions must be at least 300-500 or bigger and they will do the rest.

So how did I end up making this cake? Well first I thought about searching online for general pricing of sheet cakes with edible images. Of course they are costly but I wanted to know the exact pricing. They were all around 35 dollars for a 1/4 sheet cake. Then I looked at prices for a 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch sheet cake without images. The typical price for a 1/4 inch sheet cake is 16.99, and 29.99 for a 1/2 inch. I needed a 1/2 inch cake with an edible image that could feed up to 70 people. So I decided to make the cake myself.

What you will need for this cake:

*Two Duncan Hines Cake mixes, French Vanilla Flavor

* Two cans of whipped cream flavor frosting, or any flavor you prefer as long as its white in color

*Betty Crocker's Yellow Buttercream cupcake icing

*17 xs 11 cookie sheet

*star tip, number 119 with piping bag

*pearl dust edible glitter

*frosting spatula

Follow the directions on the back of the cake box. One cake box batter at a time. So you will need to bake twice. I used a non stick metal cookie sheet so my baking time was reduced to about 20 minute each time I baked the cake. While your cake is baking, prepare your frosting by spooning your frosting out and putting it in a bowl. Mix the frosting 15-20 times. After making two separate cakes, let them cook for 10-15 minutes. Get a large tray and place one cake on it carefully using a spatula. Slide the other cake on top. Now its time to frost. Using a small amount of frosting you will need to frost the sides and top area with a thin coating. This is called crumb coating. This way you're sealing up the crumbs to prevent them from messing up the look of your frosting. Now you will need to place the cake in the fridge for about 10 minutes so the frosting on the cake hardens. After ten minutes take the cake out of the fridge and frost the entire cake using the rest of the whipped cream. Now its time to place your edible image icing on top of your cake. First freeze the image for about 3 minutes. It must be dry in order to peel off. If it doesn't come off there are a number of ways you can do to make it peel off. Place the image on the middle of the cake. Now you may pipe borders around the image and around the cake. Using you cupcake icing you can do whatever design you prefer. I piped leaves on every corner and a frame around my edible image. Then I used pearl dust glitter to sprinkle on top after everything was done. Place in the fridge, COVERED, until ready to eat.

Best version of ground beef

2010-07-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

You can use this preparation for pretty much any dish like spring rolls, lasagna (desified), samosas etc. But it is best when eaten with khichdi, paired with kachumar salad, and a papad. MMM. The key to this dish lies in the freshness of ingredients. Of course the same can be said of most indian recipes. But for this preparation it is especially important.

So, heres my recipe for the best ground beef:

1 pound ground beef
1 and half medium onion chopped lengthwise
lots of fresh cilantro, washed and chopped about 1 cup
one green chili, I prefer serrano
Ginger and garlic paste
Salt to taste
Tumeric 1 tsp
Mirchi 1/2 tsp

In a medium saucepan add two tablespoons of oil. Add chopped onion. Saute on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add salt. This will ensure the onions will get browned faster. When the onions become golden add ginger garlic paste. Add tumeric. Let it cook until the smell of the ginger garlic is almost gone. The onions must look almost brownish, and almost caramelized but not completely. Add half of the cilantro. Put in the mirch. Stir. Add a little water if needed to deglaze. Add ground beef. Do NOT stir. Let it cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes. Check it and make sure its not burning. After five more minutes it should be done. Take out in separate container and use however you desire.