Chilli Chicken

Indo Chinese dishes are a popular favorite in most households. The reason being the ease of making these dishes and even more so, the availability of the key ingredients in your kitchen counter. However, most often the absence of tried and tested recipes for these dishes are either not available or there are so many on the internet that we often get confused which recipe to follow. Among all other dishes, chilli chicken is a dish which I have always loved, specially on rainy wintery evenings. I chose a recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor and I was quite happy with the result. A restaurant quality authentic chilli chicken dish awaits you in the kitchen!

Ingredients

300 gms boneless chicken, cubed

2 tbsp cornflour, divided

2 tbsp soy sauce, divided

1 tbsp red chilli sauce

1 egg

1 tsp black pepper powder

6-7 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

3-4 red/green chillies chopped

1/2 cup capsicum diced

2 sticks spring onions, chopped

1 cup chicken stock

1 tsp vinegar

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

1 tbsp oil plus for frying

Direction

Take the chicken pieces in a bowl and add half of the cornflour, egg, half of the soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Heat sufficient oil in a wok and put the chicken pieces little at a time and fry till golden brown on all sides. Do not overcook. Drain excess oil on paper towels and keep aside.

In a separate pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and add the garlic. Fry till golden brown. Add the chillies and fry for few more minutes. Add the onions and fry till translucent. Add the sauces and stir. Add the capsicum and spring onions and fry further. Add a little chicken stock and bring to a boil. Dissolve the remaining remaining cornflour in the rest of the chicken stock and add it to the pan. Mix well. Now add the fried chicken pieces and stir. Thicken the gravy to your desired consistency. I did not add any additional salt as the sauces and the stock already had in it. However, adjust seasoning as per your taste requirements. Finish off with vinegar and remove from heat after 2-3 minutes. Serve with lightly seasoned veg hakka noodles or fried rice and enjoy the winters.

                                           
                                         

                            

Pumpkin Soup

Staying healthy has become an important factor in today's lifestyle. We hardly realize how fast time flies. From morning till evening, all that we do is perform our mundane duties without thinking for a moment about the duty we owe to our body. There will be only a handful of people who can manage to squeeze in some time for themselves and can hit the nearby gym or some fitness classes. For the rest, it's only the weekend (if they can manage time with their family). Having said that, eating healthy is another important aspect of staying healthy. Today's recipe is a step towards eating healthy food. Pumpkin is one such vegetable which many people find very yucky to eat and very conveniently avoid eating it. As a result, the nutrients and goodness of this poor vegetable go waste. But now no more! 

Ingredients

500 gms pumpkin, cubed

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

200 ml milk

4-5 cups chicken stock

1 tbsp olive oil

1 bay leaf

A pinch of cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

Direction

In a deep bottom pan, add olive oil and fry the onions and garlic till fragrant and golden brown. Add the  cubed pumpkin pieces and fry for 3-5 minutes until browned. Add the chicken stock and bay leaf and cook covered until the pumpkin is tender. Remove from heat. Drain the stock and keep aside and blend the pumpkin to a smooth paste. Return to the pan and add the stock and milk. Bring to a boil and slightly thicken, if necessary. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of cinnamon. Simmer for 2-3 minutes and remove from heat. Serve with a delicious toasted garlic bread.

                                 

Chicken Bolognaise Pasta

My husband the other day surprisingly made a request for Italian food (he is more of a desi guy), specifically Bolognaise Pasta. I quickly looked up the recipe on the internet and was happy to know how easy it is. The next morning after breakfast, I quickly put my baby on the pram and off we went for the supermarket to get the ingredients. As luck would have it, it started raining. Thankfully, I was carrying the pram rain cover and while my baby was saved, I got completely drenched. This, however, gave me a silly little chance to prove to my husband how much I love him that I went in the rains to cook him his favorite pasta (women never leave a chance, anyway)! So here is the easy peasy recipe of chicken bolognaise pasta. Traditionally, the bolognese sauce is served on top of the pasta. I, however, like it mixed together with the pasta. You can choose your options.

Ingredients

For the Bolognaise sauce

300 gms chicken mince

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 stick coriander/cilantro chopped

5 heaped tbsp tomato pasta sauce

1/2 cup carrot finely chopped

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 tbsp olive oil 

For the pasta

2 tsp butter + 2 tsp olive oil 

300 gms uncooked spaghetti 

1 clove garlic minced 

1 tsp oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated parmesan cheese to serve (I skipped it as my husband does not like cheese)

Directions

For the Bolognaise Sauce

Heat oil in a frying pan and add the onion, garlic, coriander, and carrot. Fry till onions are translucent and carrots tender. You can cover cook for 3-5 minutes to ensure quick cooking. Add the chicken mince. Cook with a wooden spoon to break up the mince for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add pasta sauce and stock. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and keep aside.

For the pasta

Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions. Add a hint of olive oil while boiling to ensure non-sticky pasta and run through cold water once done to avoid over cooking. 

The assembly

As I mentioned earlier, I like my pasta mixed with the sauce. If you like it separate, you can skip this step. In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil. Add the minced garlic and oregano. Add the cooked pasta, little at a time, and give a good stir so that the oil gets coated evenly. Now add the prepared Bolognaise sauce and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and serve hot with grated parmesan cheese and a glass of good wine!