Ginger Chicken

When we get nostalgic the first thing we think of are all the people you spent your time in the "good old days" and the second thing we think of will be either the food or the beautiful locations where you spent your most relaxing evenings.

Today I am thinking more of the food...the ginger chicken my Big brother would get for me form one of the road side roti stands in the Old City of Hyderabad. When I think of it, all the love the dish used to encompass also come to my mind and I start missing all the people involved...my parents...my Bade Bhaiyya...the house etc etc.

Anyway, I have been trying to recreate that taste for a very long time and this time I got pretty close. And it was very tasty and I hope I am creating the same kind of memories for my children...for which, one day they will become nostalgic.

Ginger Chicken (Chicken cooked in a ginger based curry)

Ginger Chicken

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb chicken cut into small pieces
2. 1 medium onion ground to paste
3. 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
4. 2 tablespoons each of fresh squeezed lemon juice, soya sauce, 
5. 3 -4 inches of ginger about an inch thick...ground to paste as little water a possible
6. 1/2 teaspoon or more salt to taste
7. 1 teaspoon chilli powder
8. 3 tablespoons oil
9. 1 teaspoon garam masala 

Wash the chicken well and pat dry it. Mix it with lemon juice and soya sauce and ginger garlic paste and set aside for atleast 1 hr. Then add 1/2 teaspoon salt and chilli powder and set it aside.

Heat the oil in a non stick pan. Ground the onion to fine paste and on low heat fry this ground paste for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally, making sure not to burn the paste. Add the ground ginger and fry for 10 more minutes. Raise  the fire to medium and add chicken and fry for 5 minutes. Add 1 cup water and let it boil for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and if the gravy becomes too thick add some more water. Taste test for salt and adjust accordingly. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy with Romali roti

Sabudana khichadi

Sabudaana or tapioca balls are the ones you find in bigger sizes in the Boba milk or bubble tea. These are good for you. But cooking with them is a little tricky. But once you get the idea down, the items turn out to be pretty yummy.

Sabudana khichadi (Tapioca balls stir-fried )

Sabu daana khichidi

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup sabudaana
2. 1 tablespoon peanuts
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds
4. 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
5. 1 tablespoon oil
6. 3/4 teaspoon salt
7. 1 Serrano chili chopped fine
8. 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

Wash the sabu daana twice or thrice. Overnight soak the sabu dana in a cup of water.

In a pan heat the oil and fry the peanuts for 5 minutes . Add cumin and mustard seeds and a few curry leaves and fry till they start to splutter. Add the rest of the ingredients and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the sabudaana and lemon juice and salt and stir to combine. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy immediately

Szechuan Pepper Salmon

Szechuan numbing peppers look like black pepper corn but have a tart numbing taste to them. I love them but is not very popular with my familia until I made this dish.

My other half went to Szechuan province in China and got acclimated to the new tastes and he got me six different varieties of the numbing peppers. Ahhh to smell the fresh spices...its fantastic. So I finally got a chance to cook with them and yum yum yum.

Szechuan Pepper Salmon(Pan fried salmon with Szechuan Peppers)

Szechuan Pepper Salmon

Ingredients For Marinade:

1. 2 tablespoons each of soya sauce, corn starch
2. 1 tablespoon white vinegar or rice vinegar
3. 1 egg white lightly beaten
4. 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Ingredients

1. 3-4 salmon fillets cut into 1.5 inch cubes.
2. 1/4 cup peanuts chopped roughly and roasted
3. 6 dried red chillies
4. 1 tablespoon each of crushed red Szechuan Pepper , numbing pepper pounded, chopped garlic
5. 2-3 green onion stalks chopped
6. handful cilantro chopped
7. 2 tablespoons oil divided

Marinade the fish with the ingredients under marinade.

Chop the peanuts and roast them and set aside.

In a non stick pan add 1 tablespoon oil and fry the fish on medium low heat for 2 minutes and turn and fry for 2 more minutes. Drain and set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the dried red chillies and fry for a minute. Add the szechaun peppers and (turn on the vent...if you haven't done so yet) and fry for a minute. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the fish back to the pan and stir well. Garnish with green onions and cilantro and peanuts and enjoy with steamed rice

Mushroom Brussel sprouts scrambled egg

If cooked properly Brussel sprouts are super delicious and if they are not swimming in cheese sauce, are pretty healthy too. I have made scrambled eggs with different vegetables in them, but yet again this is an effort to put some veggies into my family's meals.

Mushroom Brussel sprouts scrambled egg

Mushroom Brussel sprouts scrambled egg

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup brussel sprouts washed and sliced thin
2. 1 -2 cups chopped mushrooms
3. 6 large eggs
4. 1 tablespoon each of oil, butter, plain yogurt
5. 3/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of fresh ground black pepper , garlic powder
7. handful cilantro chopped fine (optional)

Heat the oil and butter in a pan and add brussel sprouts. Fry on medium high for 5 mins. Add chopped mushrooms and fry for 5-7 minutes.

In a bowl add a tablespoon of water, salt, pepper and garlic powder and mix. Add yogurt and beat it. Add the eggs and beat them

Add the eggs mixture to the pan and keep stiring for 5 minutes or until eggs are set. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy with rice or roti or on toast

Mushroom methi anda

Cabbage scrambled egg

Scrambled egg #1

Okra Scrambled egg

Mushroom Scrambled egg

Maat ki phalli Jhinge Nariyal wale

This recipe is very similar to my other recipe Maat ki Phalli Nariyal Masala , but with addition of shrimp in it. So for a vegetarian version skip the shrimp and either way enjoy with hot steamy rice or roti

Maat ki phalli Jhinge Nariyal wale (Shrimp with Cluster beans and coconut)

Shrimp with cluster beans and coconut

Ingredients:

1. 1 package frozen pre-cut cluster beans (12 oz) thawed
2. 1 package frozen shrimp 12 oz- thawed or fresh, peeled and deveined
3. 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
4. 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
5. 1 tablespoon each of coriander powder
6. 2 tablespoons oil
7. 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
8. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds
9. 1-2 green chillies chopped

In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin, mustard seeds for 2 minutes. Add onions and cluster beans and green chillies a and cover and cook for 10 minutes. Move the beans to one side and add a little bit more oil if needed and add ginger garlic paste and fry for 30 seconds. Add shrimp and the rest of the ingredients stir to combine and cover and cook for 10 more minutes. Add dried coconut and stir to combine and fry for 2 more minutes. Garnish with a handful of finely chopped coriander and enjoy

Japanese Curry Buns

These kind of buns are in so many cuisines with some minor variations. I have been making the Tuna Buns for a long time now. These  buns I made today are a variation of the tuna buns and are filled with curry. These are super delicious and soft. The original recipe is here

Baked Japanese Curry Buns (Yeast buns filled with potato meat curry)

Japanese Curry Buns

Ingredients for Curry:

1. 2 medium potatoes peeled and chopped
2. 2 medium carrots scrapped and chopped
3. 1-2 cups cauliflower
4. 1/2 cup fresh/frozen peas
5. handful of chopped spinach (optional)
6. 1 teaspoon each of salt, coriander powder
7. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin powder, turmeric powder, finely chopped garlic

Ingredients for Buns:

1. 1 packet yeast
2. 1/4 cup water (lukewarm)
3. 3 cups flour
4. 2 tablespoons sugar
5. 1 teaspoon salt
6. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
7. 1 cup water
8. 1 egg (lightly beaten)
9. 1 tablespoon milk
10. 1 cup panko bread crumbs ( I used Italian breadcrumbs)

In a pressure cooker , add all the ingredients for the curry and cook for 3 whistles. Let the steam escape, add the peas and simmer until it becomes thick, without any water. Let it cool

Mix the yeast and the warm water in a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. Mix in the flour, sugar, salt, butter and water and form a dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise to double its size, about 60-90 minutes.
Get the dough and knead for 2 minutes. Place the dough back into the bowl and let rise again.
Get the dough down and knead for 2 minutes.

Mix the egg and milk in a bowl.
Roll out one of the pieces of dough into a 6 inch circle and place a spoonful of the curry in the center. Fold the dough into a ball. Make about 12

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Dip the buns into the egg wash and then dip them into the bread crumbs to cover.
Cover the bread with plastic and let rise for 20 minutes.
Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy

Marathi Masala Chicken

This is one of the most delicious dry chicken recipes. And if you love coconut you will love this curry as it has a ton of coconut in it. Serve with with hot rice and dal and mmmm

Marathi Masala Chicken (Pan fried chicken with coconut)

Marathi Masala Chicken

Ingredients:

1. 2 chicken breasts cut into medium small cubes
2. 1 teaspoon each of salt, chilli powder (adjust to taste), coriander powder, cumin powder
3. 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4. 2 tablespoons dried kasuri methi crushed
5. 1 heaped teaspoon ginger garlic paste
6. 1 medium onion sliced
7. few curry leaves
8. 2 tablespoons oil divided
9. 1/2 cup dried coconut flakes

Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients except onions and coconut and set aside for 30-60 minutes

In a pan heat 1 tablespoon oil and fry the onions till they start turning brown...about 10 minutes on medium high. Add coconut and fry for a minute and cut the heat. Cool and ground to paste with little water.

In the same pan heat the remaining oil and add the curry leaves and fry till they get crispy. Add the chicken and cover and cook for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the ground onion and coconut paste and reduce the heat to low and fry for 15 more minutes. Stir occasionally. Make sure the curry doesn't burn. Garnish with green onions or cilantro and enjoy