Poha / Chirer Polao (Rice Flakes Pulao)

Poha known as Chirer Polao in West Bengal is an acquired taste. I have never liked it as a kid and same goes for my daughter.

I do like it for breakfast now. This used to find place in the breakfast table and evening snack pretty often during my childhood.  I have tried it a few times at my breakfast table but this is not a regular.

Ingredients:

- Flattened rice - 1 cup

- Water - 2 cups

- Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

- Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

- Peanuts - 1 tbsp

- Vegetable oil - 1 tsp

- Ghee - 1 tbsp

- Salt and sugar - acc to taste

- Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

- Veggies of your choice (cut into small pieces) - 1 cup (I have used beans, carrots, potatoes)

- Ginger paste or chopped - 1 tsp

- Coriander leaves chopped- 1 tbsp

- Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

- Pomegranate - 1 tbsp

Method

- Wash flattened rice and drain all the water. Let the rice sit in a bowl for 30 mins. Start the next steps when the rice is soaked well and has puffed up.

- Heat oil in a wok.

- Add peanuts and fry till brown.

- Add mustard seeds, fennel seeds and ginger. Fry for 1 min.

- Add all the veggies and fry till they are cooked.

- Add turmeric and mix well. Once turmeric is cooked add flatenned rice / chire, salt, sugar and mix well.

- When everything is mixed, add ghee and give it another stir.

- Garnish with coriander leaves and pomegranate. Add lemon if you like, I do add it. Serve hot for breakfast or evening snack.

Beetroot fry

 A famous side dish from the southern states of India. Beetroot fry goes very well with daal and rice. A very healthy and nutritious vegetable. If you have put a slice into your burger and are wondering what to do with the rest of the veggie, prepare this and put it to good use.

Ingredients:

- Beetroot - 1 thinly sliced

- Peanuts - 2 tbsp

- Mustard oil -  1 tbsp

- Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

- Curry leaves - 1 sprig

- Dry red chillies - 2

- Salt - according to taste

- Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Method:

- Heat oil in a wok.

- Add mustard seeds and dry red chillies.

- Add in peanuts and fry till golden brown.

- Add rest of the ingredients.

- Fry on medium flame till beetroot is soft.

- Serve hot with daal and rice.

Roasted Chicken drumsticks

One of my favourites!! My daughter loves it too. There are different ways I make this. Today I am sharing the one made with Indian spices.

 Ingredients:

- Chicken Drumsticks - 6

- Shaan Tandoori chicken masala - 1/2 pack (you will get this in any Indian store)

- Yogurt/Curd - 1 cup

- Ginger and Garlic paste - 2 tbsp

- Mustard oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

- Marinate chicken with all the ingredients for at least 2 hours. You get best results if you marinate it overnight.

- Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

- Once preheated, grill marinated chicken for 30 mins at 180 degrees.

- After 30 mins, turn the chicken legs and grill for another 15 mins. Cooking times may vary based on your oven.

- Sprinkle with lime juice and serve hot with rice, bread or coke. 

Easy Pizza for Weeknight dinner

Weeknight dinners are the most difficult and sometimes I just cant cope after a full day of office. On those days this easy dinner comes in very handy. Not the healthiest....agreed! but definitely fills our tummies and is yummm 😋.

Ingredients:

- Pizza Bases - 2 (I got mine from Coles, get what is easiest for you)

- Pizza Sauce (Leggos) - 2 pouch

- Brown Mushrooms sliced - 7-8

- Red Onions (Thinly sliced) - 1

- Olive Oil - to drizzle

- Pepper  and salt - Acc to taste

- Mint leaves / Basil - a bunch

- Chicken roasted and cut into thin pieces - 2 cups (I had leftovers in the fridge. If you don't have it feel free to use any other meat)

- Mozzarella - Add according to preference

Method:

- Preheat oven at 200 degrees Celsius.

- On each pizza base add 1 pouch pizza sauce and spread well.

- Add in chicken, mushrooms mint leaves, red onions on both.

- Sprinkle salt and pepper on both.

- Drizzle olive oil on both.

- Add cheese on top of both.

- In the oven bake on pizza setting for 15 mins.

- Take it out and serve hot.

Easy Chicken Curry

This is the easiest chicken curry you are ever going to make. This is my go to when I don't have time and am craving Indian food. My daughter likes this sometimes. She would rather have a burger than have healthy meals 😒. Complete opposite of what I like...or what I consider comfort food.

 Ingredients:

- Chicken (your favourite cut. I have used curry cut) - 1 kg

- Shaan chicken masala - 1 pkt

- Tomato finely chopped - 2

- Onions julienned - 2

- Garlic and ginger paste - 2 tbsp

- Bay leaves - 2 (optional)

- Mustard oil - 3 tbsp (you can use any oil)

- Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

- Potatoes cubed - 1

- Coriander leaves a bunch - chopped

Method: 

- Heat oil in a wok.

- When hot add cumin seeds and bay leaves. 

- When cumin seeds splutter add rest of the ingredients and give it a good stir.

- Cover and cook for 15 mins. Give it a nice stir and cover again.

- Repeat above step unless water has dried up and curry leaves oil.

- At this point, you can add coriander leaves and serve hot with roti/paratha.

- Else you could add water according to your liking and give it a good boil. Add coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.

Chilli Chicken - Indian Chinese

 

Nothing is more Indian Chinese than Chilli chicken. No one can match the taste of how good my Ma (her grandma) makes this. This recipe is what I have learned from my Ma and a few of my own additions.

Ingredients:

- Boneless chicken (small pieces) - 350 gms

- Capsicum / Green Bell pepper - 2 medium sized cut into cubes

- Onions - 2 cut into cubes

- Garlic cloves - 4-5 chopped into small pieces

- Ginger - 10 gms - chopped into small pieces

- Soy sauce - 2 tbsp

- Tomato sauce/ ketchup - 3-4 tbsp

- Green chilli chopped - 2 

- Oil - 3 tbsp

- Green chilli sauce - 1 tbsp

- Onion Greens chopped - 1 bunch

Marination:

- Cornflour - 3 tbsp

- Garlic paste - 3 tsp

- Ginger paste - 1 tsp

- Soy sauce - 2 tbsp

- Finely chopped chilli - 1

Deep Fry :

- Oil for deep frying

- Cornflour - 3 tbsp

- All purpose flour - 1 tbsp

- Water - 3 tbsp

Method:

- Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients marked for marination and leave aside for 2-4 hours or better if left in the fridge overnight.

- Heat oil for deep frying.

- Prepare batter with all ingredients for deep frying (except the oil).

- Dip marinated chicken into the batter and fry it when the oil is hot. Set aside.

- In another pan, heat oil. When hot add chopped garlic and ginger.

- On high heat, add the chillies, onion and capsicum and fry for 2-3 mins.

- Add chicken, soy sauce, tomato sauce and green chilli sauce. Mix well. 

- Switch off the flame and garnish with onion greens.

- Serve hot with Roti or Paratha.

Rocky Road : Our first attempt

This was our first attempt at rocky road a week back. Turned out better than we expected it to. Its still stored in the fridge. We have used it for lunchbox and snacks and dessert 😍. Would be a great pick for long road trips too.

Ingredients:

- Cadbury milk chocolate melts: 1 cup

- Cadbury dark chocolate melts: 1 cup

- Nuts of your choice - 1/2 cup (I have omitted nuts as this had to go into lunch box)

- Moist coconut flakes - 1/2 cup

- Kit Kat and cookies of your choice - 1/2 cup (just break into pieces)

- Marshmallow - 2 cups - cut into halves (or you could use the small ones)

- Gummies (cut into smaller pieces)

- Salted butter - 2 tsp (add a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter) 

 

Method: 

- Line a baking tray with butter paper.

- In a microwave safe bowl add the chocolate melts.

- Keep microwave on low and melt the chocolate in 30 sec bursts until completely melted.

- Add all the ingredients and mix until everything is well coated with chocolate. Keep it quick unless you want to risk setting the chocolate in this shape.

- Put the mixture in a baking tray and level it up.

- Let it cool in the fridge for 2 hours.

- Take it out and leave it on counter top for 30 mins.

- Dip the knife in hot water for smooth cut and even shapes for the rocky road.

- Cut into rectangles or squares and serve.

Note: 

- This can be stored in the fridge for up to a month.

- If stored in the fridge, let it come to room temperature before serving.

Chocolate Coconut Cake

In all these years of cooking and baking, if there is one thing I have mastered it has to be cake. It is our (me and my daughter) favourite pastime during the weekends. I bake a cake each week. It could be any type based on the mood and the princess's choice. This goes into lunchbox during the week and is also used as our afternoon snack.

Ingredients:

- Self Raising Flour - 1 cup

- Oil (Veg/Canola/Olive) I used olive oil, but its up to your choice and pantry - 1/2 cup

- Sugar - 1/2 cup

- Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

- White chocolate chips - 2 tbsp (I did not have chip so chopped up a white choc bar)

- Moist Coconut flakes - 4 tbsp

- Chia seeds - 2 tsp

- Eggs - 2

- Milk - 3 tsp

- Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp

Method:

- Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.

- Line a cake tin with butter paper and keep it ready.

- Crack 2 eggs in a big mixing bowl.

- Add sugar and beat with a spoon until there are no granules and sugar is mixed well with the eggs.

- Add oil and mix well until everything is mixed and forms a batter.

- To this add half the flour and fold it in.

- Add the next half and fold it in too. Do not mix too much else end result might be a crispy cake 😆. 

- Now add cocoa powder and fold that in too. Make sure there are no white spots left else you might end up with a marble cake .

- Add in and mix vanilla essence and milk at this time to get the right consistency.

- Mix in coconut flakes, chia seeds and white chocolate.

- Pour this mixture into the cake tin evenly.

- Once the oven is preheated, put the cake on the middle rack and bake for 20 min.

- Do the toothpick test, if not completely baked, bake for another 5 mins. Baking time will vary based on the strength and design of your oven.

- Once baked, take out of the oven and let it cool.

- Cut and serve. 

Note:

- This cake can also be used as a base for birthday cakes.

- Can be stored in an airtight box in the pantry for a week (does not last that long at my place 😉)