Lets Revive!!!

Its been a pregnant pause with the updates on the blog. And since I am in the mode of revival, I decided to place a mark on this slumbery-blog too :)

Let me kick start with a tried and tested happy recipe from my end -

Thair-idli ( dahi - buttons... as I would coin it )

Ingredients -
Idli batter ( enough to make 30 button idlis )
Ginger ( 1 inch cube ) Finely shopped
Green chillies ( 8 to 10 ) Finely chopped
Hing
Mustard
Curry leaves
Handful of dessicated coconut (frozen preferred to dry) Imp ingredient
Cashewnuts
2 cups of beaten curds

Procedure -
Steam the idlis and arrange them on a flat bowl.
Prepare the tempering - In warm oil crackle mustards and add all ingredients, except coconut and let it fry.
To the beaten curd, add sufficient salt and red chilly powder.
Add coconut just minute before finishing the tadka and take care to not let it brown.
Add the tempering to the curd after around 5 to 6 min or once its cooled down. If added hot to the curd, it may curdle.
Pour the curd over the idlis. Garnish with red chilly powder and cilantro.

Keep aside for 1 to 2 hours before serving.
Enjoy!! :)

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On other notes -

The run-baby-run is long forgotten. Shall I remove it to replace with resolutions for coming year??
Probably a new template to signify the winter and fall and kick start the blog again??

Wonder if anyone is reading at all.. but, hey, it is not that hard :)

Onion Fritters

Its been raining cats and dogs in the east coast and all I seem to think of is making (and ofcourse eating) pakodis aka fritters. I was happy to see a change in weather but did not take too long before I was wishing that it stopped raining.. turns out I am never happy with any weather ;). Since I always have a more-than-happy-to-eat-fried-food husband at home, I wasted no time and quickly whipped up the batter to make onion(one vegetable I always always n always have in my kitchen) pakodi. I am sure there are many many more variations of the batter for this recipe but me being very lazy did the quick and the easiest one :)

Ingredients
1/2 cup Rice flour
1/2 cup Besan
1          Medium onion
Oil for frying
Salt
Chilli powder

Procedure
1. Mix the rice flour, besan, salt and chilli powder with water until you have a batter with the consistency to coat the onions.
2. Peel and cut the onions in rings. Seperate the layers or rings.
3. Dip the onion rings in the batter and deep fry them in hot oil until brown.
4. Enjoy hot with Maggie Hot and Sweet sauce.

Note: I am used to only using besan for making the batter but I found rice flour gives a little crispness to the pakodi.

Fridays + Friends + Food + Fun

Last weekend I had friends over at home(quite a gang I should say). In such occasions(especially with a group of hungry boys) usually I like to experiment some new dishes because even if something goes wrong in the process, there are still no leftovers and I really can not see food go waste(which is why I am trying hard to finish the box of chocolate covered rice crispy treats at home despite the fact that I am trying hard to loose the last few pounds of my monthly goal). I made chicken 65 which was applauded by everybody that evening. It was definitely a HUGE hit.. I mean who doesn't like spicy fried chicken? ;). It was really easy to make and I wanted to share the recipe with you here. Next time you are looking to please a crowd, go ahead and make this. You'll be star of the evening :). This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Ingredients:

Boneless skinless chicken  - 1lb (Cut into 1" cubes. I used both the breast and thigh meat)

Corn Flour                       - 3tbspns

Egg                                - 1

Ginger Garlic paste           - 1 1/2 tspn

Salt                                - To taste

Pepper                            - 1 tspn

Red food color                  - 8 drops

For Gravy/Sauce:

Canola oil                - 3 tbspns

Ginger                     - 1 tbspn (finely chopped))

Garlic                      - 5 Cloves (finely chopped)

Green Chillies           - 5

Chilli Sauce              - 2 tbspns

Cumin seeds            - 1 tspn

Cumin powder          - 1 tspn

Ginger Garlic paste   - 1/2 tspn

Curry leaves             - 6-7 leaves torn in half

Chilli powder            - 1/2 tspn

Pepper powder          - 1/2 tspn

Red food color           - 10-12 drops

Salt                          - To taste

Water                       - 1/2 cup

Procedure:

• In a bowl, take the chicken and add the cornflour, ginger garlic paste, salt, pepper, egg, red food color and mix till the chicken is coated well. If you find the mixture too liquidy then add some more cornflour.
• Heat oil in a deep bottom pan and deep fry the chicken in the oil.
• After all the chicken is fried, heat a skillet on medium flame, add oil and let it heat up a little.
• Now add the cumin seeds. After they sputter a little, add the ginger and garlic and let it fry for a minute.
• Now add the green chillies and the curry leaves to pan and fry for another minute.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw flavor goes away.
• Add the chilli sauce, chilli powder, cumin powder, pepper powder, salt at this stage and fry for a minute.
• Add the red color, water and the fried chicken at this point. Mix well so the gravy coats the chicken and wait for the chicken to heat up in the sauce.
• Serve hot.

Sadly, I do not have a picture of this recipe :(

This recipe was inspired from my neighbor and adapted from wahreywah.com

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I had the pic I had posted on facebook! Though it is notthe perfect pic, you can see that 1/4th of the dish is already hogged.. :) I vouch the chicken was awesome!
-Div