Chicken Chops

This is my first ever attempt at non-veg gravy. Success!! Thanks to MIL and her years of experience with non-veg.

Ingredients:
1. Chicken (bone-in) - 2 pounds (small cut)
2. Onion - 2 (medium size)
3. Tomato - 2 (medium size)
4. Ambat Bhurko Or Chicken Curry masala - 3 spoon
5. Ginger Garlic paste - 1 spoon
6. Karunanidhi Curry Masala (Optional) - 1/2 spoon
7. Unground extra masala (Cardamom sticks, Cloves, Fennel seeds) - 1 tea spoon
8. Oil
9. Salt

Recipe:

1. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and fry the Unground masala.
2. Add finely chopped onion and fry till it is light brown.
3. Add Ginger garlic paste and keep frying.
4. Add finely chopped tomato and little salt. Fry till it becomes pulpy.
5. Add Ambat Bhurko, salt and chicken. Pour a cup of water.
6. Let the pressure cooker whistle at you 3 times. :). Ensure chicken has become tender. Else let it whistle once more.
7. Remove the lid and add karunanidhi curry masala and boil for 5 mins.

Serve hot with Idly, chappathi or variety rice.

Beet Root Rice

Arun's favorite lunch during school days was the BeetRoot rice prepared by MIL. It is very nutritious, tasty and easy to prepare.Even today he takes beetroot rice for lunch every fortnight :)

Ingredients:
1. Beet Root - 1 (big)
2. Green Chilly - 2 (round cut)
3. Curry leaves
4. Mustard
5. Salt
6. Oil - 2 teaspoon
7. Rice - 1 cup

Recipe:
1. Peel the root and grate it medium small.
2. In a kadai, add mustard, curry leaves, green chillies to heated oil.
3. Mix the grated beetroot and saute for 5 minutes in medium flame.
4. Add salt and continue for 1 more minute.
5. Then cover it and leave in medium flame for about 10-15 minutes.
6. Mix the boiled rice with the beetroot till no white spots appear in the rice.
7. Serve hot.

Boiled egg sprinkled with salt and pepper, Potato chips are good sides for this dish.

Potato Stew (Kerala Style)

My MIL lived in Kerala for two years. She loved God's own kingdom so much that she almost turned a mallu :).  Her cuisine became rich with some Kerala dishes. I love her simple Potato Stew very much. Here is how I make it.

Ingredients:

1. Russet Potato  - Two

2. Onion - One (long cut)
3. Green Chillies - 4 (long cut)
4. Curry Leaves - 5 leaves
5. Garlic - 1 clove (disc cut)
6. Coconut oil - 3 tablespoon
7. Coconut milk - 1 cup
8. Salt

Recipe:
1. Boil the potatoes; peel and cut it in cubes.
2. In a kadai, heat 2 tablespoon coconut oil.
3. Add the potatoes and fry for a minute.
4. Add onion, garlic and green chillies and keep frying.
5. Add salt and add the coconut milk. Pour half cup water and boil covered in low flame.
6. When the coconut smell subsides, add curry leaves and one tablespoon of coconut oil.

Serve it hot with Puri or Roti!

Pasta

I never learned to cook pasta. Couple of years ago, we tried the BreadBowl Pasta from Dominos. It was delicious! From what it looked like, I tried to cook pasta one day, like an experiment. Alas! The experiment was not bad. I have been mixing and matching various things. I think this post is my simple way to make pasta. Check it out.



Ingredients:
1. Pasta (any kind) - 1/4 lb (nothing is hard and fast.. just see if it will be enough for two)
2. Carrot - 1/2 cup (long cut)
3. Capsicum - 1/2 cup (long cut)
4. mushroom - 1/2 cup
5. American cheese - 1/2 cup
6. Pasta sauce / Ragu - 1/2 cup
7. Salt
8. Olive oil - 3 tablespoon
9. Ground black pepper - 1 teaspoon

Recipe:
1. Boil the pasta with salt and 1 teaspoon olive oil in 2qt water and drain it. Keep aside
2. In an uncovered pan, pour olive oil. Fry the vegetables till they become tender. Add salt as needed.

3. Add the pasta to the fried vegetables and mix in low flame.
4. Sprinkle the black pepper.
5. Add pasta sauce and mix well, again in low flame.

6. When coated well, add 1/4 cup cheese and stir well till it melts.
7. Pasta is ready!



To enhance taste sprinkle cheese and serve it hot!