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

two bean rice

This is the most yummy delicious one pot, super quick dinners one can make and it vegetarian.
The ingredients are minimal and everyone has them in their pantry...so go ahead, make it in the time it will take you to decide what you want to eat + order them + get them .

Two Bean Rice (Rice with green beans and kidney beans)

Ingredients:

1. 1.5 cups of white rice cooked with 1/2 teaspoon salt
2. 1 can kidney beans drained and washed
3. 1 can green beans drained ( I had frozen green beans instead...so used 1.5 cups thawed)
4. 1 tablespoons each of oil, lemon juice (optional), toasted sesame seeds (optional)
5. 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
6. Few curry leaves + 2 dried chillies + 1 teaspoon turmeric (Just for an Indian touch...if you have them)
7. 1 large or 2 small garlic chopped fine
8. 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

In a pan heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. Cover and let splatter for 1 minute. Add curry leaves and dried chillies if using .Add the green beans and fry for 5-7 minutes until they are cooked through. Add garlic and fry for 30-40 seconds. Add salt and turmeric and mix well. Add the rice and the kidney beans and stir to combine on low flame. Add sesame seeds and lemon juice and mix well and enjoy

Spicy Thai Coconut Peanut Baked Wings

It was Super Bowl Sunday...Patriots Won and we all ate a lot of Chicken Wings...1.3 Billion of them according to American chicken council, out of which we ate 24 :) . These 24 were Thai flavored with coconut and peanuts and they were delicious...no sauce needed.

Spicy Thai Coconut Peanut Baked Wings (Baked Chicken wings with cocnut and peanut flavor)
Ingredients:

1. 24 chicken wing sections...fresh or frozen
2. 2 heaped tablespoons peanut butter
3. 1 cup thick coconut milk
4. 1 teaspoon each of salt, Thai chilli powder or paprika, coriander powder, garlic powder
5. 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

Mix all the ingredients except the chicken wings into a smooth paste. Add the chicken wings and marinate upwards of 1 hr.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Lay the chicken wings on a rack and bake for 50-60 minutes in the middle rack of the oven. Turn midway.

Make sure the juices run clear and the wings are cooked through

Enjoy

Dates mug cake

The original recipe is for Chocolate chip cookie in a mug. But the texture is more like a cake for me but the taste is delicious. And ofcourse I swapped the chocolate chips for dates and made it Iron rich for myself :)

Dates mug cake
Ingredients

1. 1 tsp oil
2. 3 tbsp milk
3. 1/4 tsp vanilla
4. 2 tablespoons brown sugar
5. 4 tbsp flour
6. pinch of salt
7. 1/4 tsp baking powder
8. 3 large or 4 medium dates chopped

Mix the oil, milk, and vanilla in a mug. Add brown sugar, salt, flour, baking powder and stir to combine. Add chopped dates. Microwave on high for 1 minute 10 seconds to 15 seconds. Let it cool a bit before enjoying super delicious dates mug cake

Lima bean chicken noodle soup

This extra ordinary chicken soup is made with Cauliflower noodles...not your every day store bough noodles.
I made the noodles from the dough I made for the cauliflower Gnocchi and instead of making gnocchi's out of the dough, I flattened it to 1/8 inch thick circles and cut into strips 1/8 inch wide and 1.5 inches long.

Lima bean chicken noodle soup

Chicken Cauliflower noodle soup 

Ingredients:

1. 2 chicken breasts boiled in salted water for 30 minutes. Drained and shredded
2. 1 medium small onion chopped fine
3. 1 chicken bouillon
4. 1 medium carrot chopped into half circles
5. 1 cup noodles made like here (Cauliflower Noodles)
6. 1/2 tablespoon each of olive oil, butter
7. 3 large garlic grated
8. 1/2 teaspoon salt or as needed
9. 1/4-1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
10. 1 can lima beans drained

In a heavy bottomed pan heat the oil and butter and fry the onions till tender. Add garlic and fry for 30 minutes. Add chicken and fry for 5 minutes. Add carrots and fry for 5 more minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the noodles and keep boiling for 10 minutes . Enjoy a piping hot bowl of chicken cauliflower noodle soup

Masala Oats Ravva Idli

There is the recipe for Ravva Idli . And there is the recipe for oats idli. But the idli I made today is with the instant oats and samolina. I got a big pack of 500 gms of the instant masala oats, so it was easy for me to measure 1 cup out of it. But if you have those individual packets, I am not sure how many you would need. But the idlis were soft and delicious.

Masala Oats Ravva Idli

Masala Oats Ravva idli

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup masala oats
2. 1/2 cup ravva or sooji fine samolina
3. 1 tablespoons+ extra oil for basting the idli moulds
4. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and mustard seeds
5. 1 teaspoon baking soda or Eno Fruit salt
6. 1 teaspoon Chana dal soaked in water for 10 minutes
7. 1/2 cup plain yogurt
8. 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
9. 1 tablespoon each of finely chopped ginger, green chillies and cilantro, cashew
10. 2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
11. 1 tablespoon each of grated carrot, beetroot, cabbage

In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin, mustard seeds, few curry and fry for a minute. Add cashew and fry for a minute. Add Chana Dal and all the veggies and fry for 5 more minutes. Add soji and fry/roast for 5-7 minutes.

In a bowl mix the yogurt with lemon juice. Add the masala oats and sooji to the yogurt and set aside for 15 minutes. Add baking soda or eno fruit salt and add more water to get the consistency of a thick pan cake batter.


Prepare the idli pans by applying oil with a finger. Add a tablespoon of batter. Stream in a cooker for 15-17 minutes. Let the steam escape and cool for a minute before taking the idlis off the pan. Enjoy with your favorite chutney or curry leaf powder

Ravva Idli