Chicken Pakoda

You will need:

• 2 chicken breast (½ lb )
  
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste(can substitue with chopped ginger and garlic to enhance the flavour)
• ½ cup gram flour
• ¼ cup rice flour
  
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• few curry leaves(chopped)
• salt as regd
• 1 lemon juice
• ½ cup Onion finely chopped(lengthwise)
• 2 green chilli (finely chopped) purely optional
• oil for deep frying(can go for baking too)
• ¼ cup water(enough to form a thick paste consistency)
  

Step 1:

Boil some water and add the breast pieces in it. Let it boil for 20 minutes.

Note:

(I used Rotisserie/grilled chicken breast. Shredded the chicken pieces using knife!!!)


Step 2:

Allow the chicken to cool for few minutes. In the mean time just slice the onion and green chillies.

Step 3:

Sieve the gram flour, rice flour together in a mixing bowl. Add salt, garam masala powder, chilli powder, coriander powder to it and mix it well. Add little water to form a very thick paste.It will look like this...(Urad dal vada / Methu vada consistency)



Step 4:

Check for salt and now add the onions, green chillies, curry leaves and mix it well. Now shred the chicken using hands or with the help of knife. Add the shredded chicken to the above paste.Now the pakoda batter is ready.

Step 5:

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Take small amount of pakoda batter and pour it in the oil and fry it till it turn golden brown color.

For crispy pakoda's better to have the flame in medium or low and fry for more minutes till it turn brown in color.

Serve hot with your favorite sauce..

You can add a pinch of red color also...

Vegetable samosa/ Vegetable patties

You will need:

FOR CRUST:

• 1 cup all purpose flour(Maida)
• 1 tbsp sooji
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp oil/Butter
• ½ tsp Ajawin(Omam) You can substitute ajwain with dried oregano also.
  
• ¼ cup luke warm water(as reqd to form a dough)

FOR FILLING

• 2 large potatoes
• ½ cup green peas
• 1 onion( finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 green chillies(finely chopped)
• ½ tsp cumin seed
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
  
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• salt as reqd
• coriander leaves chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons oil

Step 1:

For the pastry

1. Sift the flour, add the salt, oregano and work in the oil.
2. Add in half the water and mix to make a soft dough. Add the rest if you need to.
3. Knead the dough until it is soft and pliable.
4. Roll out the dough to about a ¼ inch and cut out in circles.

Step 2:

Boil the potatoes

Boil the potatoes in microwave high for 6 mins and then mash it with potato masher to get mashed potatoes.

Step 3:

Preparing filling:

Heat the oil in a skillet or fry pan. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin and mustard seeds and fry until they splutter. Add the onions and cook until transparent. Add garlic, ginger paste and garam masala, coriander powder and chilli powder. Cook for about 3 mins. Add green peas and stir it for 2 mins. Then add the mashed potatoes and stir continuously for 2 mins. Add coriander leaves and salt. Remove from heat and allow it to cool.

Step 4:

Start stuffing:

Cut the pastry circle in semi circle shape. Now take one semi circle,moisten the edges with water and fold it like a cone. Place a spoon of filling in the cone and seal the third side using a drop of water. Press the edges with fork as shown in pic to make sure that the edges are closed.
Step 5:

For deep frying:

Heat oil to 350 F and cook the samosas until golden brown.

For baking:

Brush samosa with oil. Poke it with fork in the pastry for the steam to escape. By doing like this you can avoid the filling popping out. Place the samosas on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 400F for about 10 minutes, then turn it and bake for 10 mins or until golden brown. If you bake, the texture of the outside will not be as crispy as it should. I prefer baking since its good for health.

Handy Hint:

Serve it hot with mint chutney.

Chicken nuggets recipe

You Will Need

• 2 chicken thighs/breasts
• 5 oz ready made breadcrumbs or 6 slices of cut bread
• 2 eggs
• 3 fl oz vegetable oil
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 2 tsp pepper powder
• 1 oz plain flour
  
• salt as required

Step 1:

Trim the chicken

Take the chicken breast and cut off all excess skin, fat and bones.

Step 2:

Chunk the chicken

Cut the chicken into small chunks so they will fit into the blender.

Step 3:

Dry the bread

To make your own breadcrumbs the bread you use needs to be dry. This means stale bread. If you only have fresh bread, then place the slices in the oven at 200 F for one hour until they are dried – not toasted.

Step 4:

Make the breadcrumbs

Once the bread is dried, break it up into pieces and place it in your blender. Put the lid on and switch it on to the appropriate setting to make your breadcrumbs. Add any seasoning. Once the seasoning is nicely mixed pour the breadcrumbs into one of the bowls.

Step 5:

Blend the chicken

Wipe out the blender with some kitchen paper and add the chicken breasts. Pulse the chicken until roughly chopped. Now add ginger garlic paste,garam masala powder, pepper and salt and switch on the blender again, making sure everything blended well with the chicken. Once that is done, pour the mixture into one of the bowls.

Step 6:

Beat the eggs

Take the 2 eggs, crack them into a bowl and beat them together.

Step 7:

Prepare the coating

Line up the chicken mix, the flour, the eggs and the breadcrumbs in the four bowls.

Step 8:

Shape the nuggets

Rub your hands with some flour to avoid them becoming too sticky! Then take some chicken mixture and roll it in the palm of your hands to create a smooth ball shape about the size of a golf ball.

Step 9:

Coat the nuggets

Now take the nugget and roll it in the flour. When totally covered, roll it in the egg. Next, roll the nugget in the breadcrumbs and place it on a plate. Gently press down on it with the flat side of a knife to form the perfect nugget shape.

Step 10:

Fry the nuggets

Take your frying pan and put the vegetable oil into it. Heat the pan to medium so that the oil is hot but not smoking. Place the nuggets into the pan and cook gently on low heat for about 5 minutes turning them every few minutes so they don't burn.

Step 11:

Serve and enjoy!

Once cooked place the nuggets on kitchen paper to drain any excess oil.

Serve as snack or with salads. Enjoy!!!!

Parupu Vadai/ Masala Vadai recipe

Step 1:

You will need

• 2 cups bengal gram/chana dal
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 3 green chillis
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp chilli powder
  
• 1tbsp of chopped ginger
• curry leaves
• coriander leaves ( cilantro)
  
• salt
• oil for frying

Step 2:

Soak and grind

Soak chana dal in warm water for half an hour and drain it for half an hour. Then grind it without adding water such that it should not become a paste.

Step 3:

Adding ingredients:

Dal should be semi ground then add the rest of the ingredients just to fold them in with the dal. Don't grind them for long. May be only for a second or two.

Step 4:

Deep fry:

Divide the above mixture into equal portions, flatten in the palm of your
hand and deep-fry in vegetable oil till light-golden-brown. Drain the oil by placing it in the paper towel.

Serve it hot with a cup of tea or coffee.

Note:

You can freeze it after making masala vadas. Just microwave it when its needed. Not very crispy when you heat it after freezing. But the taste wont varies!!

Simple crispy cauliflower fry Recipe

Step 1:

You will need

1 cauliflower
2 tbsp corn flour
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
salt as required
red food color
1 egg or some water just to thicken the paste
oil for deep fry

Step 2:

Slice the cauliflower

Cut the cauliflower into equal medium sized flower buds.

Boil the cauliflower

Boil water first and season it with salt and turmeric powder. Add the flower buds into it when the water starts boiling. Allow the cauliflower to boil for 3 miutes.Once cooked through, remove them with your slotted spoon and set aside in a paper towel to cool for 15 mins.

Step 3:

Make the coating

While the cauliflower is cooling, mix together the flour, chilli powder, food color and the salt.

Step 4:

Coat the cauliflower

Fully submerge cooled cauliflower in the bowl of seasoned flour, to ensure that they are completely coated by sprinkling some water or with one beaten egg. Set aside for minimum 1 hour.

Step 5:

Deep fry the cauliflower

Heat the oil in the saucepan over a medium high heat in preparation for frying. Drop the flour coated flower buds in oil and fry in a slow flame till they turn golden brown

Step 6:

Serve

Your Spicy fried cauliflower is now ready! Serve it immediately with vegetable biriyani or as starter while piping hot!