The Chef & His Better 1/2

THANKSGIVING DINNER...

22:59 | Labels: Chicken dishes, easy and quick appetizers, Thanks giving

Well, it's Thanksgiving and I thought I would put up a menu for a simple and easy Thanksgiving that gives an nontraditional twist on some of our favorite classics. I am all about simple and easy. If it involves a ton of tedious steps, you won't find it here. No fuss, no muss. For the starter chicken tikka with sweet potato and white chick pea salad and My Main course is south indian style chicken rasam podi. This first dish pays homage to the main course, of course. Roasting a turkey may seem daunting to some and terrifying to others. In that case, I have nixed that idea for a butterflied chicken breast. It's an easy thing to do and doesn't take long. I got this recipe from India's's prominent two-star Michelin chef Vineet Bhatia on the second season of his culinary-cum-travel show "Twist of Taste with Vineet Bhatia" its a simple and easy south Indian style dish and some stir fried cauliflower and capsicum

Rasam Podi chicken

Ingredients:
For the main dish:

4 Chicken breast
3tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
2tbsp Curry leaves,roast and powder
100 ml Oil
3tbsp Rasam podi
Salt to taste

Cashew nut stuffing :

1/2 cup Cashew nuts
1/4 cup Finely Chopped onions
2 spring curry leaves
1tbsp of ghee or oil

Rasam Podi:

100 grams Coriander seeds/daniya
75 grams Jeera/cumin seeds
50 grams Pepper
8-9 Dry red chillies
2 spring Curry leaves
2-3 tsp Toor dal/split pigeon pea

Cooking Directions
For the Rasam podi:

Dry roast all the ingredients till coriander seeds turns to light brown colour or until you get nice aroma of the spices and take it on a plate to cool.
Once the spices are cooled down completely coarsely powder the roasted ingredients using mixer grinder.Now its ready to use.

For the stuffing:

Heat ghee or oil in a pan and add cashewnut pieces and fry till it changes to light brown colour. In the same pan roast curry leaves till crisp.
Mix finely chopped onions,roasted cashew nut pieces and roasted curry leaves and keep aside.

For the chicken breasts:

If the chicken breasts have tenderloins, remove them. Trim, rinse, and pat the breasts dry.
Make a pocket on the thicker side of each breast. Using a sharp boning or utility knif.1st place one hand on top of chicken to keep it steady. Insert a sharp knife in the middle of the thickest part.
Make a slit about 5cm long. Run the knife into the breast until it's three-quarters of the way through.
Now take a big bowl and add 3tbsp of Rasam podi,ginger garlic paste, powdered curry leaves ,oil and salt to taste.Mix all the ingredients well with a spoon and add prepared chicken breasts and nicely coat it with the marination.
These chicken breasts can be refrigerated for up to three hours before cooking.
After 3 hours heat pan and shallow fry all the breast till it changes to light golden brown on all the sides.Remove and stuff the each breast pockets with cashew nut mixture and fry again for a few minutes to get that nice rich golden brown colour.
Serve hot with tomato sauce.

Tomato sauce:

Ingredients :

4-5 big tomatoes
10 garlic ,chopped finely
2 tsp Sugar
curry leaves
2 tsp Rasam podi powder
1 tbsp tamarind juice or paste
salt and water

Method:

Heat oil in a pan,add mustard seeds,let it crackle,then add garlic cloves,curry leaves.
Add in tomatoes chopped and 2tsp of Rasam podi powder and salt to taste saute for 2 minutes.
Then add tamarind paste and sugar and little water and fry it till tomato pieces becomes soft and mushy.Switch off the flame and serve.

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Easy Vanilla - Protein Burfi

22:08 | Labels: Diwali sweets, kids favorite, North indian, Sweets and desserts

What is Diwali without burfis...

Burfis are always a favorite in our households and i just love trying different varities along with some traditional sweets every diwali.This time I've tried some simple and easy to make yet healthy burfies with milk protein powder for my kiddos and belive me it was a big hit in my "Diwali pharsan /pharal"

Ingredients

1 cup Maida/all purpose flour
1/2 cup Khova/mava
1/2 cup Vanilla flavored milk Protein powder( you can also use complan vanilla or horlicks)
11/2 cups Sugar
1/2 cup Water
2 tbsp tutti fruitti

Cooking Directions

Heat ghee in a pan, add maida and roast on very low flame for 8-10 minutes till you get nice aroma of the flour,but make sure it won't change the colour and take it out on a plate.
Next in the same pan add khova and fry for 5-6 minutes
Now add the vanilla milk protein powder and mix it well and switch off the gas.
Meanwhile Grease one big steel plate or wooden board and keep aside
Take a heavy bottomed pan and add water and sugar, start boiling to get the stringy sugar syrup. To check the strings,take a little syrup with and hold between thumb and fore finger a long string should form ,that means its ready .
Immediately add the flour and protein powder-khova mixture and mix vigorously. when the mixture comes together and starts leaving the pan,switch off the gas.
Now transfer the mixture into the greased plate and sprinkle some tutti fruitti and cashew nut pieces and level it with a flat spatula greased with ghee,cut into desired shaped pieces,should be 3/4 to 1 cm thick and leave it to set for at least 2 hours before taking it out.

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Pan fried garlic butter & pepper Prawns

02:33 | Labels: easy and quick appetizers, fish and sea food

This is an amazingly good first course for seafood lovers and needs lots of really crusty baguette to mop up all the delicious juices. It is also delightfully simple and can be prepared well in advance. A perfect party snack!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 4-5 minutes

Ingredients

15-20 Jumbo tiger prawns
15 Garlic,peeled and crushed
3tbsp Butter,softened
1/2 Lemon (grated zest and juice)
1 tbsp Chopped fresh parsley or coriander leaves
2tsp freshly ground/crushed pepper

To Prepare the prawns:

first of all pull off the heads and legs with your fingers, then simply peel away the shells, which come away very easily, but leave the tails still attached, as this makes them look prettier.
Now turn each prawn on its back and, with the point of a sharp knife, make a cut down the center of each prawn, but do not cut through. Ease open with your thumb like a book and remove the brownish-black thread, scraping it away with the point of the knife – it should also come away easily. Next rinse the prawns and pat them dry with kitchen paper, then place them in the bowl.
Marinate with sea salt,1tsp pepper and lemon juice and lemon zest, cover the bowl with a cling film . Refrigerate for 30 -40 minutes.

How to make the garlic butter:

Next make the garlic butter, and all this involves is taking a large fork and combining butter,little salt and pepper and finely chopped parsley or fresh coriander in a small bowl.

Cooking directions:

To cook the prawns,heat large frying pan,add Garlic butter.
Now add the marinated garlic butter prawns, and fry over a high heat, stirring, for 3 – 4 minutes until the prawns are well roasted and changes colour .
Take all the prawns into a serving dish and sprinkle with the some finely chopped parsley and garnish with the lemon quarters and serve hot.

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Sulthanpur style suji ka halwa

08:35 | Labels: Navratri special dishes, North indian, Prasad and offering to god, Sweets and desserts

Happy Dussehra and Navratri to all my visitors and friends!

Today i have a delicious Suji Halwa from a place called Sulthanpur. Sooji Halwa is a very popular sweet dish all over India and is made on religious occasions, as offering to god as Bhogh or prasad . After the offering prasad is served to devotees as a blessing.Now this is very much like the Rava halwa we make, yet with a twist that surely make all the difference.

suji ka halwa

This is Caramelized Semolina halwa/pudding made with dry coconut, raisins, almonds and cashew nuts. I got this beautiful recipe from one of the famous cookery shows Chak le India kachcha Rasta,where chef Aditya Bal discovers the delicious halwa in Sulthanpur...on NDTV Good Times.

suji ka halwa

Ingredients

1 cup suji (Semolina/Bombay Rava)
3/4 cup Ghee/ clarified butter
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp dry coconut
1/2 cup mixed dry fruits(cashew nut,raisins and almonds)
1/2 tsp Cardamom powder
21/2 cups Water

Sulthanpur style suji ka halwa

Cooking Directions

Heat up the clarified butter in a kadai/wok and add the suji (Semolina).Keep stirring until the suji becomes brown.It will take about 12-15 minutes. It is essential for the suji/semolina to get brown.
Add the sugar, dry coconut, raisins, almonds, cashew nuts and keep stirring till the dry fruits turns to golden brown in colour.
Add 21/2 cups of water slowly,as you add the water to suji water will splatter.Turn down the heat while frying and adding the water and let it cook.
You will notice the starch in the suji will glutenize and will swell and absorb the water.This will create a nice thick halwa. Keep stirring while boiling.Once the halwa becomes nice and thick, this means its ready.
Serve hot for better taste.

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Healthy Mackerel Salad with the citrus vinegrette

21:32 |

Here is a Saturday & Sunday morning favorite that’s healthy, easy and tasty! you can pair with Bread, Rice and more ...And just right for pairing with everything – everyday!

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 12-15 minutes
Ingredients

2 mackerel (300gms)
3-4 Garlic,peeled and crushed
1 lemon
1tbsp Olive oil or any vegetable oil
2tsp Pepper powder
1 Green chilly,slit and seeds removed
1 Cucumber
2 capsicum (red and green)
2-3 Spring onions (both green and white part)
1 Tomato

Cooking Directions

Wash and clean the whole fresh Mackerel Fish (hope you remembered to slice open and remove intestines)
Cut into fillets and remove the middle bone.
Place the mackerel fillets on a plate. Squeeze juice from the lemon over the fish, then scatter over the garlic. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. If you have time, set aside for 30 minutes infuse.
Heat a large frying pan, on a medium heat and drizzle some olive oil ,add the mackerel fillets skin-side down. Cook for a couple of minutes and when the skin is crispy, turn the fish over and allow the flesh side to cook for another couple of minutes.
One you are done with the frying,remove the skin and Carefully shred the fish and remove as many bones as possible.
Whisk chopped spring onions, vinegar, Soy sauce salt and pepper into the bowl with the lemon juice. Whisk in oil in a slow, steady stream,toss well.
Add sliced, tomatoes,cucumber and both red and green capsicum to the bowl toss to combine. Add the shredded fish and toss gently.
Serve chilled.

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Kerala style Mutton ishtu(stew)

05:07 |

mutton stew

India's vast boundaries not only summarize a variety of language and looks,but also a variety in Palates! Each region of the country has its own specialties which are distinct in flavour.

Today i am here with a delicious dish from our god's own country ..KERALA.

A typical kerala cuisine may include Puttu,appam,Idiappam made with pounded rice flour and served with vegetable or Mutton or chicken stew or ishtu as locals like to call it.This white coloured dish is all about cooking meat or veggeis in coconut milk along with aromatic spices..

mutton stew

1/2 kg -Mutton,cut into medium size pieces

1tsp Turmeric powder

1tsp- Black Pepper corns, crushed

Salt to taste

2tsp-lemon juice

2 -big potatoes,cubed

3-4 -red onions/shallots,chopped

4 cups -Coconut,Freshly grated

3-4 -pieces of Cinnamon

10 -Cloves

2 Bay leaves

1 tbsp Fennel seeds,Crushed

1 tbsp Coconut oil or ghee

2-springs curry leaves

1tsp -Ginger,chopped

9-10 -Green chillies

1tbsp Maida or Rice flour

Cooking Directions

wash mutton pieces with turmeric and keep aside.
Apply some salt ,crushed pepper and lemon juice and marinate for 2-3 hours.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add the cinnamon, bay leaves, clove ,crushed fennel seeds,saute for a second on low heat
Now add onion, ginger,green chilies ,curry leaves and little salt, stir and add potatoes and the marinated mutton pieces,stir it well,then add 2 cups of water and cook for 20-25 minutes cooking time may vary depending on the tenderness of meat used - please use your judgement )
While the mutton cooks,prepare the coconut milk.Add 2 cups of water to the coconut and extract the milk using a mixer or blender.
Repeat the process to extract the second/thin milk using the coconut residue tha we get after extracting thick coconut milk.
Add some maida or rice flour to thin coconut milk (When you add maida or rice flour it really gives nice creamy texture to the gravy),blend it well and keep aside.
Once the mutton is cooked,open the lid and Transfer it to a big vessel or deep pan and add the thin coconut milk and bring to boil.Now slowly add the thick coconut milk and switch off the flame.
Serve hot with Kerala style parrota or apam or roti.

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Phool Makhane ki Kheer/Puffed lotus seed pudding

03:52 |

When I first read about Lotus Seeds some time ago I was intrigued. Lotus are sacred to Hindus. So using the seeds as food certainly was very interesting. I came across the seeds in the local Reliance super market. its similar to popcorn but just looks amazing, and on the Ganesh chaturthi day i asked my wife to try some Punjabi style kheer/pudding. It was so yummy!

Puffed lotus seeds, also called Makhana, are used for cooking in the Northern and Western parts of India. The typical lotus seed is small, round and off-white in colour. It can be consumed raw or cooked. These seeds are a good source of protein, besides starch, fiber, fat, and traces of calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron. Lotus seed has astringent properties, and benefits the spleen and heart. It is said to nourish the blood and also improve appetite. It is said to cure many diseases, including those relating to the kidney, chronic diarrhea and excessive leukorrhea. People who have constipation should not consume these seeds.

Ingredients

100 gms Puffed lotus seed/phool makhana
1 cup Sugar
2 liter Milk
1/4 cup Cashewnuts, almonds and raisins
1/4tsp Cardamom powder
6-7 Kesar/saffron strands

Cooking Directions

Heat a pan and dry roast lotus seeds until they turn firm and lightly crisp. Set aside.
In a same pan, melt ghee and add nuts + raisins. Shallow fry until they are light golden brown and puffed up. Remove along with left over ghee and set them aside.
soak saffron in a tbsp of warm milk for few minutes,
Add milk to heavy bottomed pan and on boil,let it thicken & reduce for 20 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally.
To the thickened milk, add sugar,half of the makhana/lotus seeds, saffron which we have soaked in milk and cardamom powder. Mix well until everything blends well.
and cook covered for 10 to 15 mins until they soften a bit.
Now add the remaining makhana/lotus seeds and cook again for 5 minutes on low flame.Switch off the flame and Garnish with fried nuts and raisins and serve hot or cold.

Thank you for finding my page and taking the time to read my creations.I hope you enjoy spending time on my blog from time, to time. It would be great to hear your comments, and helpful for me as a chef to share your views. I am truly grateful to you all!!
Thank you,thank you,thank you !
Pandu chef

P.S. In my next article, I’ll show you how to make delicious kerala style mutton stew... So, be sure to sign up for free mail updates so you don’t miss out.

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THANKSGIVING DINNER...

Easy Vanilla - Protein Burfi

Pan fried garlic butter & pepper Prawns

Sulthanpur style suji ka halwa

Healthy Mackerel Salad with the citrus vinegrette

Kerala style Mutton ishtu(stew)

Phool Makhane ki Kheer/Puffed lotus seed pudding

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