Chicken Fried Rice - Treat Your Tummies On Every Special Occasion

Are you planning to make your Sundays special? Or are you confused over what to make for your guests? If you want something grand and elegant, for a dinner or a lunch, you can always try your hand making Chicken Fried Rice.

I always love chicken fried rice that is loaded with a whole lot of veges and shredded chicken pieces with a bit of scrambled eggs, nuts and raisins. 

Ingredients

• Basmati Rice- 1 kg
• Onions - 2 large
• Beans - 1 kg
• Carrot - 1 kg
• Chicken cooked and Shredded - 2 cups
• Eggs - 2
• Green chilies - 2 
• Pepper  powder - 2 tsp
• Garam masala - 1 1/2 tsp
• Tomato Sauce - 2 tbsp
• Soya Sauce- 1 tsp
• Raisins - 50 gms
• Cashew nuts - 50 gm
• Ghee -
• Vegetable oil
• Salt
• Cardamon whole - 2
• Cloves - 2
• Cinnamon - 1 inch piece

Method

Stage - 1

• Wash the basmati rice and soak it for 20 min
• In a large pressure cooker, add around 3/4 water and switch on the flame.
• Add cardamom, cloves and cinnamon to the water and allow it to boil
• Add the soaked basmati rice to the water and allow it to cook. Do not over cook.
• After the rice is cooked, strain off the water and keep the rice aside

Stage - 2

• Heat a pan and add vegetable oil to it
• Add finely chopped Onions, carrots, beans and green chilies to the pan and saute well after adding salt to it
• Add pepper powder and garam masala and mix well
• Close the lid and cook for 10- 15 min
• Switch off flame and keep the veges aside

Stage- 3

• Beat the eggs 
• Add salt, half a tbsp of tomato sauce and beat well
• Heat a pan and scramble the eggs
• Switch off the flame and keep the eggs aside

Stage - 4

• Cook chicken pieces by adding salt and pepper powder
• Remove from flame after they are cooked
• Shred them and keep aside

Stage - 5

• Heat a pan and add 1 tbsp of ghee
• Fry the nuts and raisins separately and strain off oil and keep aside

Stage-6

• Take a large Kadai and heat it
• Add 2- 3 tbsp of ghee and heat it
• Add the cooked rice to it and mix well in the ghee
• Now you may add the vegetables, shredded chicken, fried raisins and nuts, scrambled eggs, tomato sauce, soya sauce and salt to the rice
• Mix well 
• Serve hot with chicken curry and raitha
• ENJOY!!

Beef Cutlet

Beef cutlet is a real delight as an evening snack or as an accompaniment with rice. You can even serve it as a starter when you have guests for dinner or lunch.

Though making cutlets is simple, it takes too much a time while getting the ingredients prepared for the final stage. The effort you take is never wasted when you find your loved ones and your guests shower you with appreciations.

PS.: Picturized version below the description

Ingredients

• Beef keema- 1 kg
• Potatoes - 4 medium
• Onions - 2 medium
• Carrot- 1 1/2 medium
• Beans - 15 nos (app 1/4 kg)
• Ginger garlic paste- 1/2 tbsp
• Coriander leaves - a bunch
• Green chilies- 2
• Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
• Bread crumbs - 
• Eggs
• Salt
• Oil

Method

• Pressure cook beef keema with Ginger garlic paste and sufficient salt
• Remove them allow it to cool
• Cook the potatoes in pressure cooker until it cooks perfect. 
• Switch off the cooker and allow the potatoes to cool.
• Peel off the skin as soon as the potatoes cool enough to handle with your bare hands
• Finely chop the vegetables (carrots, onions, beans and green chilies separately)
• Heat a pan 
• Add oil to it
• Now you may add the finely chopped veges in the order- Onions, green chillies --- saute then carrots and beans. Saute well after adding sufficient salt.
• Add a pinch of turmeric and saute
• Close the lid and cook for 5 min
• Switch off flame after the veges have cooked well
• After the vegetables have cooled down, add them to the cooked dry beef keema
• Now you may add pepper powder, Garam masala, coriander leaves and mashed potatoes to the beef and vege mix
• Add salt if you find salt is little
• Mix well and divide the mix into small balls
• Place a flat plat upside down or you may use a smooth surface for flattening the balls into cutlets
• You may use a small thin strip of flexible plastic for shaping the cutlets
• Make sure you flatten the cutlets after dipping the balls in a plate with some bread crumbs
• Beat an egg in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and keep aside
• Heat a pan and add oil for deep frying
• As soon as the oil gets heated, take a cutlet, dip it in the beaten egg
• Remove excess egg content and add them to the hot oil for deep frying
• Fry it for 5 min
• Now turn it other way round to get the other side cooked well
• Remove the cutlets from flame as soon as it turns brown in colour
• Place them on tissues to drain off excess oil
• Serve hot with tomato sauce
• Enjoy!!

Mackerel/Ayala Fish Curry

Ayala Fish curry, one of my favorites is a quick and easy one to prepare. Usually it is served with rice during lunch time in the state of Kerala, India. But often, it takes place in the breakfast plates with Puttu, which is a steam cake made out of rice flour. I love it both as a side dish for lunch and as an accompaniment for Puttu. So here is the method of preparing Ayala Fish curry, the Kerala style.

Ingredients

• Ayala/Mackerel fish - 4 nos
• Coconut gratings- 1/2 cup
• Shallots - 6 nos
• Chilies - 3 nos 
• Tomato- 1 no
• Red Chilly Powder - 2 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 2 tsp (Optional)
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Tamarind paste - 1/4 tsp
• Salt 
• Oil(Coconut oil)

Method

• Take out a mixer jar, add coconut gratings, Red chilly powder, Turmeric powder, Coriander powder(optional) and Shallots, and Grind them by adding a bit of water (1/4 cup) till you get a fine paste
• Clean the fish and cut them into small pieces
• In a kadai, (Do not put it on flame now) you may add the coconut paste, fish and small amount of salt. Now add the slit green chilies, finely chopped tomatoes and a tablespoon coconut oil and mix well.
• Now you may place the Kadai on top of stove. Switch on the stove and allow the mix to boil
• When the curry is about to boil, add the tamarind paste to it and mix it with the help of a spatula.
• Add some curry leaves.
• When the curry starts to boil, simmer and close the kadai with a lid.
• Let the fish cook for 10 to 15 min.
• After 10 min, or as soon as the fish is found soft and cooked well, switch off the flame.
• Remove the contents to a serving bowl
• Serve hot with rice or puttu
• Enjoy a tangy tasty ayala fish curry with your family!!

Potato dry fry- The Perfect Mate For Your Lunch Box

Potato delicacies are loved by kids. Packing your child's lunch box with a variety of dishes each day is sometimes a hilarious task. Since variety is the spice of life, spice up the lunch box of your kid with variety of food each day.

Simple Potato dry fry can be prepared within minutes and you will be able to win the hearts of your kids right away.

Ingredients

• Potatoes - 2 
• Red Chilly powder- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Salt
• Oil 

Method

• Heat a non stick pan
• Pour in some oil - 1 tbs would be fine
• Add the potato cubes into the pan
• Add chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt
• Saute for 1 min
• Close the lid
• Allow it to cook for 5-10 min till the potato cubes have cooked
• Stir occasionally to fry the potatoes properly
• Switch off flame
• Serve hot or pack in lunch boxes 

Dal Fry- Restaurant Style

I always like the way they serve Dal Fry at restaurants. Its got that spicy touch blended with the right flavor that can make anyone lick up the whole dish within a few minutes.

Dal Fry that has been prepared here is a closer version of the restaurant style Dal Fry. Anyone can prepare it if done with care and lots of love ;)

Ingredients

• Toor Dal - 1 cup
• Water - 2 cups
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 1
• Green chillies - 2
• Red chillies - 4
• Curry leaves
• Ginger Garlic paste- 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
• Kasuri methi-  a pinch or two (Optional)
• Oil/Ghee
• Corriander leaves (Optional)
• Water - 1 cup
• Salt 

Method

• Wash toor dal and cook them in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water and keep aside
•  In a kadai, pour oil or ghee allow the oil to heat
• Add mustard seeds and pop them
• Add curry leaves and red chillies 
• Add chopped onions and green chillies 
• Saute well
• Add red chilly powder and turmeric and saute well
• Add ginger garlic paste, tomatoes and saute well
• now add some water and now you may add the cooked toor dal to the kadai
• Mix well
• Add salt, Asafoetida, kasuri methi and corriander leaves
• Let it boil
• Switch off flame
• Serve in a bowl and let it accompany rotis 
• Enjoy!!

Super Fast Fried Chicken

When you are planning to make chicken fry and that too within a few minutes, then you can always rely on this recipe.

Usually I make this quick fried chicken when I am usually in a hurry to pack lunch. This one actually saves a lot of time and it is a real delight to the taste buds too. 

All you need to do is cut the chicken into small pieces and add the right amount of spices with exact amount of salt, deep/shallow fry and Tada! your quick fried chicken is all set to be served or packed. 

Ingredients

• Chicken pieces - 1/4 kg
• Ginger Garlic paste- 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala - 1/8 tsp
• Salt
• Oil

Method

• Clean chicken pieces 
• In a bowl, add Ginger Garlic paste, Red chilly powder, Turmeric powder, Garam Masala and Salt. 
• Mix them well
• Now add the chicken pieces to the bowl
• Mix the spices with the chicken 
• You may fry them immediately
• Heat a pan
• Add oil
• Add the chicken pieces to the hot oil 
• Fry the pieces 
• P.S: This will take around 5 to 10 min
• You may place the fried pieces of chicken on a tissue so that you can get rid of the excess oil from them
• Serve hot or pack them for your child's lunch box.
• Enjoy!!

Potato Song

Potato Song is the traditional dish of the people of Goa. This is a very simple dish with least number of ingredients, and it does tastes good.

This dish does not consume too much of your time, and the wonderful color of the dish brings in more appetite. Potato song is a dish that is to be accompanied with rice. But I loved having the dish with Chapatis. Was tasty and easy to cook too.

Ingredients

• Potato - 4 nos
• Onions- 2 large
• Chilly powder - 1 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
• Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt

Method

• Take a kadai and heat it
• Add coconut oil to it
• Add finely chopped onions to it and saute well
• When the onions have turned translucent, add the chilly powder and saute well
• Now you may add the potato cubes to it 
• Add salt and water (1 1/2 cups) and mix well
• Place the lid over the kadai and allow it to cook for 10-15 min
• Add tamarind paste and cook for 1 min
• After 15 min, you may switch off the flame
• Remove the contents to a bowl 
• Serve hot with rice or chapatis
• Enjoy a quick and easy side dish within no time!!

Cooking Measurements

Know more about measurements in cooking. 

1 Pinch = 1/8 teaspoon= .63 ml
1/4 teaspoon = 1.25 ml

1/2 teaspoon = 2.5 ml

1/3 tablespoon =1 teaspoon= 5 ml

1/2 tablespoon= 1.5 teaspoon= 7.5 ml

1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 15 ml

1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons = 62 ml

1/3 cup= 5.3 tablespoons= 83 ml

1/2 Cup = 8 tablespoons= 125 ml

1 Cup = 16 tablespoons = 250 ml

Chicken Cutlet

Cutlets can be anyone's favorite. Chicken cutlets can be fun to have during a festive occasion or when you feel like eating something special occasionally. Chicken cutlets are my favorite and I would like to share the recipe with all my friends.

Ingredients

• Chicken-  1 kg (boneless)
• Potatoes - 2 nos
• Onion - 1 large
• Green chilies - 2 
• Ginger Garlic Paste- 1/2 tsp
• Carrot - 1 no
• Beans - 250 gm 
• Coriander leaves - a small bunch
• Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam masala- 1/4 tsp
• Bread crumbs
• Eggs
• Salt
• Oil

Method

• Cook the chicken pieces 
• Remove bones if any
• Grind it in the mixer for a second or two. Make sure you do not make it to a paste.
• In a pressure cooker, cook potatoes 
• After cooling, peel off the skin and mash it with a spatula. Do not make it to a paste.
• Chop the vegetables finely, including onions and green chillies
• Heat a pan and add oil
• Add the finely chopped onions to the pan, saute for 5 min
• Now add the finely chopped vegetables and saute well
• Add salt 
• Add a pinch of turmeric powder to the pan and saute for 2 min
• Close the lid and allow it to cook for 10 min
• After 10 min, switch off the flame and let it cool
• After the vegetables have cooled, add it to the chicken 
• Add sufficient salt if you need some
• Now add 1/2 tsp of pepper powder, mashed potatoes and coriander leaves to the chicken and mix well
• Divide it into small balls
• In a flat surface, (a plate which is kept upside down would do) you may pat the balls into flat cutlets. Pat it with the help of a knife or a flat spoon. Make sure you dip the balls into a vessel with some bread crumbs
•  In a small bowl, beat up 1 egg with a pinch of salt and keep it aside
• Now heat pan, and add oil for deep frying
• When oil is hot, you may take a cutlet mix and dip it in the beaten egg
• Remove excess egg content and then put it onto the hot oil for frying
• Fry it for 5 min, now turn it other way round till you find the cutlet gain a slight brown color.
• Remove the cutlets from flame and place it on a tissue paper for draining excess oil
• Serve hot. You will really enjoy the yummy taste of Chicken cutlets.

Vegetable Curry

Vegetable curry is something that goes well with Chappatis or puris during supper time. Any Indian household is familiar with this vegetable curry, though slight variations can be seen in the choice of ingredients. This is a really healthy side dish since it has loads of veges mixed up, and the yummy taste can make you prepare it often.

Ingredients

• Potatoes- 2
• Tomatoes - 2
• Beans - 100 gms (a handful)
• Onions - 2
• Capsicum - 1/2 
• Green chilies - 2
• Carrots - 2
• Ginger Garlic Paste- 1/2 tsp
• Red chilly powder - 1 1/2  tsp
• Corriander powder - 3 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt
• Oil

Method

1. Clean all the vegetables 

2. Chop (Medium chop)the vegetables

3. Place a cooker on stove and heat it.

4. Pour oil to it and heat it

4. Add chopped onions and green chilies and saute till golden brown

5. Add Ginger Garlic Paste and saute well

6. Add Red chilly powder

7. Add corriander powder

8.Add Turmeric powder

9. Saute well

10. Add chopped tomatoes to the cooker and saute 

11. Now you may add all the chopped vegetables to the pressure cooker.

12. Add salt and mix well

13. Pour sufficient water

14. You may now close the lid and place the whistle. After 2 or three whistles, you may turn off the flame and allow the steam to settle

15. Remove the contents to a bowl and serve hot with chapatis or puris.

16. Enjoy!!

Muringayila Thoran

Muringa ila or drumstick leaves are very healthy for you and you will not resist its yummy taste. I am actually a fan of this tasty leafy vegetable that has loads of iron in it.

The best part of Muringa ila or drumstick leaves is that it is extremely tasty if you prepare with the fresh leaves.

There is a drumstick tree at the backyard of my house. Though a small one, it is sufficient for providing us sumptuous amount of leaves every week, which is transformed into a side dish for lunch. So here is the recipe for Muringa ila thoran for all you folks.

Ingredients

• Muringa ila/Drumstick leaves- 4 handful
• Coconut gratings- 1/2 cup
• Shallots - 6
• Onion - 1 
• Garlic- 2 cloves
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds powder - a pinch or two
• Salt
• Oil

Method 

• Clean the leaves and remove it from the stalk
• Cut the leaves and keep aside
• In a mixer jar, add coconut gratings, turmeric powder, cumin seeds, garlic and shallots. Grind them for 2 seconds
• Heat a Kadai and add some oil
• Add mustard seeds and crack them
• Add the coconut mix to the oil and saute 
• Add finely chopped onions to the kadai and saute
• Now add the cut muringa leaves to the kadai and mix well
• Add salt and mix well
• Close the kadai with a lid for 5 min
• Open the kadai after 5 min and saute with a spatula
• Simmer the flame
• Cook for 5 min after closing the lid
• Now open the lid and cook for yet another 5 min
• Switch off the flame and remove the contents to a bowl
• Serve hot with rice and vegetable curries