WELCOME…BIENVENIDO
Welcome to my world… a SPICY world… a colorful world… a world of love and passion..FOR FOOD… be a part of this aromatic world..and let yourself be swept by the aromas and flavours of a culinary experience.. easy and exotic recipes with simple ingredients..WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF “NITU DIDI”…enjoy yourself …after all “cooking is like making love.. or you do it well…or I TEACH YOU!!!”
Salan is curry in Urdu, but this is no ordinary curry recipe! I have been trying to perfect the “perfect” salan for a long time, but alas…it was always too thick, or too runny or just not IT!!
I watched many vidoes, read many recipes and yet wasn`t content ( Nitu is difficult to please), and Nitu never follows a recipe to the T….I always, always tweak it.
Finally, one day, I bought some lamb with bones and told myself i was gonna nail Salan!!!
S0—I was so pleased with the result… This is it!!
This recipe takes time, so play your favourite music and pour yourself a drink!
To my astonishment, I had so many requests for the recipe…so here you are. LAMB SALAN THE NITU DIDI WAY!!
1 kilo of lamb with bones, cut into pieces, fat trimmed, you can use either leg or shoulder, i add a bit of salt to the lamb as i prepare the rest of the ingredients
1 large brown Spanish onion, chopped
1 whole pod of garlic, peeled and chopped
3″ piece ginger, washed and grated with skin on
As many green chillies as your heart desires
2 cups of chopped coriander
2 red tomatoes , chopped
1/2 cup of sunflower oil
SPICES :
4 bay leaves, 3 large black cardamoms bruised ( just give them a whack), 1 long stick of cinnamon broken up roughly, 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds, 3 tablespoons of crushed ( not powdered) coriander seeds, 10 cloves,
The rest of the spices are to be added later..So,lets start cooking!!
In a pressure cooker ( you can use any other pan, just make sure its big enough, I have seen that cooking lamb in a big pan makes the process faster and lamb browns better).
Heat the oil, add the chopped onion and the spices above and cook till the onions are slightly browned. Add the chopped garlic and ginger and the green chillies and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, making sure not to burn the onions.. Then add a splash of water and let the onions get mushy, ( 5 seconds) then add your lamb and let it sear in the fragrant onion gravy. This process takes abotut 15 to 20 minutes, The lamb will ooze out its juices and then dry up and cook in the onions. Cook till you see the oil oozing on the sides, this is a sign you are ready for the next step.
Add salt to taste, I also added a generous tablespoon of chilli flakes ( optional ofcourse) and some Kashmiri Chilli powder for colorur.
Add your chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes are mushy and you can see the oil on the sides…
Now I add half of the chopped coriander, I taste and correct the seasoning, and then I add 1 tablespoon of roasted cumin powder, 1/2 teasoon of cardamom powder.
I add 2 cups of water , some chopped potatoes ( totally optional) ( i like my sauce runny) and i put the lid on the pressure cooker and cook it for 4 whistles. The potato pieces need to be big or else they will just get mashed in the cooker and you wont get that runny sauce.
Once the cooker has cooled down, I open it taste it, and then add the rest of the coriander leaves.
Thats it!!!
This is best with rotis, or a good loaf of bread to dip your sauce in.
You can also make this recipe with beef or chicken, for chicken the cooking time must be much less.
Thank you ALL for the love and the interest in my recipes!!!
Hot summer months call for quick, easy and yumm recipes . My family can´t live on salads and juices and crave for some cooked food.. Mummy ofcourse, tries to find a shortcut for everything instead of toiling over a hot stove!
This recipe is easy peasy with little cooking time. Once you have marinated your chicken, it cooks in no time at all! You can substitute chicken for fish, prawns, mixed veggies, tofu etc.
INGREDIENTS:
500 grams of boneless chicken thighs , cut into bite size pieces( this cut works best with this recipe, tho you can use chicken breast)
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons of chopped ginger
Juice of half a lemon
a handful of chopped coriander leaves
few green chillies , chopped
soya sauce to taste
2 tablespoons of chinese sesame oil
1 tablespoon of cooking oil
1 tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water or more
FOR THE MARINADE :
2 tablespoons of ginger garlic paste ( Lazy Nitu used ready made paste)
a good sprinkle of white pepper
half a teaspoon of salt, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of baking powder
1 tablespoon of light soya sauce
1 teaspoon of dark soya sauce
2 tablespoons of vodka ( was drinking some, so just added it.you can omit, but it does give the chicken a good flavour)
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
Marinate the chicken with the above and refrigerate it overnight. You can also just refrigerate it for a couple of hours ,, but overnight is good as the chicken really absorbs the marinade and gets very tender and juicy.
Heat the cooking oil in a wok or a wide frying pan till very hot and then add the chopped garlic, once it changes color add the marinated chicken without the marinade liquid and spread the pieces out so they get caramalized. If you dont spread the pieces the chicken will stew instead of caramalizing. Once its good a good colour, add some more soya sauce to taste. the cornstarch mixture, the marinade liquid, lemon juice, the chopped coriander and the green chillies. Cook till you get a nice glossy sauce, Lastly add the sesame seed oil and be ready to bite into succulent, tender pieces of chicken.
NITU DIDI TIP
For fish and prawns the cooking time must be less.
Enjoy this lovely easy yummy chicken!!!
Indochinese food is very popular in India with its origins beginning in then known Calcutta . The use of a good amount of ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder and green chillies gives this dish the ” desi” flavour from India, and together with chinese sauces makes it totally amazing. I was asked to do a live cooking show for a culinary group in Madrid and I chose to teach this dish to introduce Indochinese cusine to its followers. Totally humbled and grateful for all the love showered upon me.
Here is the list of ingredients with their subsitutes.
100 grams of cubed chicken breast, small cubes marinated in the following ingredients
A pinch of salt and white peppe
4 cloves of garlic minced with an 1″ of ginger
Red chilli powder to taste
1 teaspoon of rice vinegar
1 teaspoon of beaten egg
1 teaspoon of light soya sauce
1 teaspoon of chinese cooking wine or brandy
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
Oil to deep fry
FOR THE SAUCE:
2 cloves of chopped garlic1″ piece ginger chopped
1 tablespoon of cornstach dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water
Dark soya sauce. chilli sauce and sesame oil to taste
METHOD:
Marinate the cubed chicken in the above ingredients except the cornstarch and beaten egg for a couple of hours or overnight. Before cooking add the cornstarch and beaten egg and deep fry the chicken in hot oil piece by piece till pale brown.
Heat oil in a pan and sautee the ginger garlic and then add the cornstarch disolved in water and cook till thickened. Add the sauces and the chicken and cook till thick . Garnish with chopped spring onions and green chillies if desired.
TO BUY THE STRING CHOPPER
Daal is our staple food in India and we have a huge range of lentils ( daals) and a million ways to make them. I hail from the state of Sindh and we have our own typical way of cooking our daals. People who visit sindhi homes are so fond of our cooking as its quite different. I being me, always need to tweak my recipes and bring out different flavours. On Mondays, we Sindhis are vegetarians and one of our staple meals ( at least when I was a child, this was OUR FAMILY meal ….daal, spiced potatoes and puris). So, today lets make some daal, spiced potatoes and puris !!
I have a facebook live video on my facebook page Nitu Didi Recipes showing how i made the daal . i will try and insert the link here.
FOR THE DAAL
1 cup of yellow mung daal, washed thoroughly and soaked overnight
3 green chillies, or less
6 cloves of garlic
2 ” piece ginger chopped
Juice of 1 lime or more
1/4 cup of chopped coriander leaves
1/2 teaspoon turmeric, salt to taste
4 tablespoons of oil
Chilli flakes to taste
METHOD:
Put the washed and soaked daal in a pressure cooker with a cup of water and bring it to a boil without covering it. Remove all the foam that forms with a spoon ( this gives the daal a creamy smooth taste and texture ). Add 1/4 cup more of water with the chopped green chillies and salt and cover and pressure cook for 2 whistles. If you dont have a pressure cooker just cook the daal with about 2.5 cups of water till its soft-
Once the daal is cooked, and the pressure cooker has cooled down, open the lid and beat the daal with a fork till its smooth and creamy. Heat oil in a pot and add the garlic and sautee till its slightly beige in colour and then add the ginger and sautee again, add the turmeric and the chilli flakes and then add the daal. Mix well. Add some more water if you like it a bit runny and bring to a boil. Add coriander leaves and the lemon juice. Enjoy your lovely creamy daal.
SPICED POTATOES
300 grams or 2 medium sized potatoes, cut into cubes
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 ” `piece ginger chopped
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
8 to 10 curry leaves
3-4 green chillies chopped fine
1 teaspoon of roasted cumin powder, black pepper to taste, 1 teaspoon of dry mango powder ( amchur)
3 tablespoons of oil
METHOD:
hear the oil in a non stick pan, add the cumin seeds and after 10 seconds add the chopped onions and the ginger. Cook stirring well till the onions change colour ( do not brown). Add the potatoes, the salt, the spices ( except the dry mango powder ) and cover and cook till the potatoes are done, stirring ocasionally. Once they are cooked taste and correct the seasoning and then add the mango powder and mix well.
FOR THE PURIS
PURI
Puris are deep fried roti like bread.
There is a technique to fry them which i will show on the video.
INGREDIENTS FOR PURI
1 cup whole wheat flour , (can also use White flour)
½ teaspoon each of salt and black pepper
Water as needed to make a dough
Mix the flour with the salt and pepper. Add wáter bit by bit to make a smooth dough, Knead for five minutes. Make small balls and roll out and deep fry.
This is one of my signature dishes which I take to every potluck and picnic. It is so embarassing when I am asked how I made it because it is so easy ! I made up this recipe once after reading the ingredients on a store bought ready made dip mix. I then played around with ingredients over the years and now I have found the perfect blend of garlic, onion and chillies. If you do make this, you can adjust all the seasoning according to your taste. Normal yogurt can be substituted for lactose free, vegan and greek yogurt. Garlic can be omitted if you cant stand it. Feel free to add your own ingredients and let me know!
This recipe has been made by my student Elena while we were learning English. Its a good way to start kids to learn to cook in the kitchen . You can serve this dip with chips, crackers, crudites, fried samosas, chicken nuggets etc… its yum with almost anything ! Even as a sandwich spread.
SO…here is how you make it!
INGREDIENTS:
500 grams of yogurt of your choice
1 sachet of onion soup mix
Garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper powder and chilli powder to taste
1/2 cup of fresh coriander leaves chopped fine ( please omit if you dont like coriander)
1/4 cup of spring onions chopped fine
METHOD:
Mix all the ingredients together. Taste and adjust seasoning to your likes. Keep it for an hour so that the yogurt soaks in all the spices.
Serve chilled and enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1pvqbhGdjk&feature=youtu.be
For the upcoming Indian festival Raksha Bandhan where a sister ties her brother a hand band on his wrist to enforce their sibling love and thank him for always being there for her, it is a tradition to feed your brother with something sweet. Sisters go out of their way making an effort to please him by making new types of either indian or western sweets ( eggless ofcourse as Raksha Bandhan falls on a full moon day and most Indians abstain from meat that day).
Anyways , festival explanations apart, I would like to tell you about this recipe which was given to me by a dear friend Alexandra Reira for dessert. I found it so delicious that I asked her for the recipe and she smiled and said, “Recipe? This is so easy!”. Well, here is the ” easy peasy ” recipe , tweaked a little bit by me. Do try it out . You will enjoy it!
The recipe makes about 50-60 truffles so please halve the recipe if you want less.
INGREDIENTS
300 grams of biscuits ( not cookies ) of your choice, I used ginger biscuits
200 grams of dark chocolate, chopped
200 ml of double cream
A bit of icing sugar if you want it extra sweet ( i didnt add)
2 tablespoons of Baileys Irish Liquer ( or more if you want, or omit this!)
Chocolate sprinkles for decoration
Chopped caramlized nuts for decoration
METHOD:
Powder the biscuits in a food processor and then tip into a bowl. Melt the double cream and the chocolate in the microwave using 15 second intervals so as not to burn it. Add the melted chocolate to the biscuits. Mix well and then add the Baileys if you wish or extra icing sugar after tasting it. Please do not drink the whole bottle of Baileys! Mix it all very well and try not to keep on tasting it like I did! I used rubber gloves to do this so that the mixture wouldnt get into my nails. If the mixture is too soggy you can refrigerate it til it gets a little firm . Mix the chocolate sprinkles and the caramalized nuts in a plate. Make balls out of these delicious choco biscuit mixture and coat with the sprinkle mixture. Put it in a container and keep it hidden or else someone will find it and eat it all up and then u wont have any!!!
ENJOY!
We are always looking for quick and delicious recipes which use easily available ingredients specially in these trying times. Chicken is very versatile and can be made in many ways. Todays simple recipe is delicious and light. The spice can be adjusted to ones taste and thus kids friendly too!
INGREDIENTS FOR 2
350 grams of boneless chicken, ( i used boneless thigh, breast can get dry and hard) If using chicken with bones, you can use about 600 grams.
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2″ piece ginger, chopped fine
2-3 green chillies, chopped fine
8 fresh or dried curry leaves
1 heaped teaspoon ground black pepper ( or less, or more !)
1 medium sized potato, peeled and cubed
Juice of half a lime or lemon
Salt to taste
4 tablespoons of cooking oil
1/ 2 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup fresh coriander leaves chopped fine
METHOD
Heat the oil in a pot or a pan, add the cumin seeds and allow them to splutter for 10 seconds. Then add the chopped ginger and green chillies and cook for another 10 seconds. Add the chicken and the potatoes and cook till the chicken starts oozing out its own juices. Increase the flame and stir continuously till the chicken gets browned. Once a bit brown, add all the spices, curry leaves, salt, and cover it and let it cook on low heat. When using boneless chicken you do not need to add any water to this. If using chicken with bones you need to add water or else the chicken wont be thoroughly cooked.
When both the chicken and potatoes are cooked , add the lemon juice and coriander leaves.
Your yummilicious chicken is ready to be eaten! You can eat this with rice, rotis , naans etc.
Sindhi Curry is one of the most famous Sindhi dishes. Think Sindhi and our curry comes into your mind. People all over India who are non sindhis and who have sindhi friends just love it and loved to be invited for lunch if curry is made. Its quite easy to make tho there are a few “must do rules” if you want the authentic taste. There are also many different ingredients, but i will teach you the authentic one. Our curry has a tangy sweetish taste, but this can be adapted to ones palate. I like it not too sweet and very spicy. For that you can increase the quantity of red chilli powder and green chillies used for your recipe.
We also have tomato curry which is made in the same way except that instead of water, pureed boiled tomatoes are added-
The method is exactly the same, as you can see from the picture, tomato curry is bright red in colour. So, lets start with our ingredients which i will list in order to make cooking easy,. please keep all ingredients at hand before starting. Pre chop the vegetables you want to use such as ( cubed potatoes, carrot slices, full okra ( lady fingers/ bhinid), cluster beans, french beans, lotus stem rounds, cubed yam, corn on the cob, and drum sticks, now some people also add cauliflower, brocolli, and other vegetables. I dont. By the way the pic of the curry is courtesy Shradha Chattani.
FOR 4-6 people
5 tablespoons of cooking oil ( sunflower, corn , or light olive oil)
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds ( important ingredient, cannot be omitted if you want the authenticy of the curry)
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida ( hing), this is very important ingredient
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
3 tablespoons gram flour ( besan )
10 fresh or dried curry leaves
2 litres of water and salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder
Few chopped green chillies, 1 inch grated ginger
6 tablespoons of tamarind pulp ( freshly squeezed or store bought, if store bought try to buy one which is not so dark)
2-3 tablespoons of palm sugar , or normal sugar or to taste
Vegetables of your choice, add the ones that take longer time to cook and then gradually add the other ones.
Chopped Coriander leaves
METHOD FOR SINDHI CURRY
Heat the oil in a big pot and when heated add the fenugreek seeds and let them pop, then add the asafoetida and let it cook for 5 seconds and then the cumin seeds and let them pop. Soon after add the gram flour and now cook this gram flour on low flame stirring all the time till it changed its colour to a pale brown ( DO NOT BROWN IT) . If you burn it you will need to start all over again, ( this is the most important step in the curry). Once its pale brown add the chopped ginger, green chillies and cook for 2 seconds. Remove from heat and add the water ( i say remove from heat so that there is no spluttering, if you dont remove it from heat, the water will splash and you might burn yourself ). Once you add the water, you can add the turmeric, red chilli powder , curry leaves and boil this for about 15 minutes. You will soon see how the gram flour has blended with the water . This shows you are on the right track. Now add the vegetables of your choice according to their cooking time. Add the tamarind pulp, the sugar and taste it. It should taste tangy and a bit sweetish. You can add less or more of tamarind pulp or sugar to taste. You can also make it thinner by adding more water, This recipe can be adapted to ones taste.
Boil this curry till the vegetables are done. To finish it garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.
NOW FOR THE TOMATO CURRY
Follow the same recipe but instead of plain water just boil 6 red tomatoes in 2 litres of water and some ginger and green chillies. Blend it into a puree and add this to the above recipe instead of plain water. I find the tomato curry so delicious that I dont add any veggies to it sometimes and just have it like a soup.
NITU DIDI TIP
The tomato curry is rich in Vitamin C and very nourishing . By reducing the amount of oil used, it can be used for a calorie controlled diet-.
FOR JAINS: just omit the ginger
AND FINALLY
here is the curry i made, dalgona style!
Please enjoy making this and relishing it. I will be happy to answer all your questions. Do follow my blog to get all updates and latest recipes.
HAPPY COOKING!
Ever craved delicious spicy restaurant style chicken and never seem to get it right? Well, this finger licking spicy chicken will not only tickle your tastebuds but will also leave you satisfied. If spicy food is not for you, just reduce the amount of chilli powder I have used in this recipe. I made this during lockdown and recorded a step by step video of it too. The video has been recorded by me so its not very professional but the steps are clear.
INGREDIENTS
1 kilo chicken, skin off and cut into small pieces
Marinade for chicken : 200 grams plain white yogurt ( dahi), 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste ( make a paste out of 4-5 cloves of garlic and 1.5 ” piece ginger) , 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder ( less if you want), 1 teaspoon garam masala (home made preferably. The link to my home made garam masala video will be at the end of the recipe) and salt to taste-. Marinate the chicken preferably overnight and if not then just for a few hours.
FOR THE ONION PASTE
2 onons roughly chopped, 1 black cardamom, 1 bay leaf, 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, 2 tablespoons cumin seeds, 2-3 cloves, 2-3 green cardamoms , 4 tablespoons oil
Heat the oil in a wide pan and add the whole spices and cook for about 30 seconds. Then add the roughly chopped onions and cook till soft. Add salt to taste and leave to cool. When cooled , blend it to a paste
FOR THE TOMATO PASTE
2 ripe red tomatoes, 1.5 ” ginger , 2-3 cloves of garlic, blend into a paste.
COOKING THE CHICKEN
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wide pan and cook the tomato paste till well cooked ( see the video) and then add the marinated chicken and cook till the juices from the chicken dry out. Then add some chilli powder to taste ( i added kashmiri chilli powder, deggi chilli powder and red chilli powder) . Add the onion paste and mix well. Add salt and some water ( more water if you want more sauce) and cook till chicken is done.
Delicious with rotis or rice
You tube video.
How to make home made garam masala
Cauliflower mince is a very popular way of cooking this versatile vegetable . It tastes very different from the regular cauliflower recipes. It can be used as pie or wrap filling too. I honestly just love to have it with rotis and a raita. It is very satisfying and a great substitute for minced meat.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of chopped onions
2 cups of finely chopped cauliflower
1 tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
A pinch of turmeric powder ( more for its curative properties than colour or taste)
Chopped green chillies and salt to taste
1/2 cup of coriander leaves
1/2 teaspoon of garam masala ( optional)
4 tablespoons of oil ( sunflower or olive)
METHOD
Heat the oil in a pan, i used a wok because i like a wide cooking surface for my food. Once heated add the cumin seeds and let them splutter, then add the chopped onions and let them brown without covering the pan. Once they are browned add the ginger garlic paste and chopped green chillies and cook for half a minute. Then add salt and about 1/4 cup of water and let the whole mixture cook till the oil leaves the sides of the pan.
Once the onion mixture is dry add the turmeric powder and the minced cauliflower and mix. Add the tomatoes and chopped coriander leaves and cook till the tomato softens. Check seasoning and correct if necessary. You can then add garam masala and red chilli powder if you wish.
A delicious way to eat cauliflower. I had it with rotis and also a simple raita which was chopped onions, tomatoes, green chillies and coriander leaves. I added salt and chaat masala
This is a complete simple vegetarian meal.
For the live video on facebook
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2933751016690327&id=100001663710893
Learn online cooking with me now!!
now you can have all my recipes on your smartphone
nitu didi 