nitu didi

CHICKEN IN FRAGRANT TOMATO GRAVY

Posted on May 7, 2013 by nituchugani

This chicken recipe is good not just in taste but for our body too! So often i come across nursing mothers who ask what to eat while breast feeding their little ones… A staple diet and way of cooking chicken tends to get boring, and not all “spices” are heaty for our little ones.. There are some spices which can actually aid digestion. This is an easy to make chicken dish which can be had with rice , rotis or naans. The amount of the gravy depends on if you want it to be thick or thin. Its also good for cold days (yes!! i do think of all of you!!!) as its nice and soupy! There are quite a lot of ingredients but i will try to simplify this for all of you 🙂
INGREDIENTS TO SERVE 6
1 whole chicken , about 1.5 kilos in weight, cut into pieces skin off
1 large brown onion, cut into quarters
3″ piece ginger, washed
1 whole pod of garlic, peeled
6 red tomatoes, quartered
2 bay leaves, 10 curry leaves
2 tablespoons of coriander seeds
2 tablespoons of cumin seeds
1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
6 green cardamoms
1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric powder and red chilli powder (nursing mothers please omit the chilli powder)
1/2 cup of chopped fresh coriander leaves
2-3 green chillies chopped
4 tablespoons of ghee(specially for nursing mothers) or butter, or cooking oil or olive oil
salt to taste
METHOD:
Step 1. In a blender add the onion, half the ginger and the garlic and make it into a paste without any water. ( i used my bullet)
Step 2. Melt or heat the ghee/oil in a big pan and add the ground paste and cook it till the raw smell has disappeared. This will take you time, have patience and do not burn the onion paste. If it sticks to the bottom just add a bit of water and continue to cook it till you see it has changed color and does not smell raw.
Step 3: Once the onion paste is cooked, add your chicken with the bay and curry leaves and cook till the chicken is slightly browned.
Step 4:Put the spices into the blender and powder them in fine ( i used my magic bullet) and add it to the chicken and cook for a few minutes.
Step 5: Put the tomatoes into the blender with the ginger and blend. Add it to the chicken.
Step 6: Add the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, green chillies and cook till the tomato paste is thick and you can see the oil/ghee separating at the edges. That means the tomatoes are cook thoroughly.
Step 7: Add as much water as you want and bring it to a boil and continue to cook till the chicken is done. Add the coriander leaves, check and correct seasoning.
Step 8: Serve it with love, eat it with patience and imagine the good it will be doing for your body and your baby 🙂
HEALTH BENEFITS OF FENNEL SEEDS:
Fennel symbolizes longevity, courage, and strength. In addition to its use as medicinal values, fennel has much health benefiting nutrients, essential compounds, anti-oxidants, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins.The active principles in the fennel are known to have antioxidant, digestive, carminative, and anti-flatulent properties. Many times our babies suffer from colic and it could be a result of what we eat, if we are breastfeeding them, so care has to be taken of our diet so our babies dont cry in pain.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF CARDAMOM:
Cardamoms are rich in many vital vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin, vitamin-C that is essential for optimum health.
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Posted in Chicken, Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Magic Bullet | Tagged chicken, gravy, health, nutritious | Leave a comment

HEALTHY OATMEAL BREAKFAST

Posted on May 6, 2013 by nituchugani

I am always been asked for innovative and healthy breakfast ideas. Oats are consumed daily in my home. They are full of fibre, iron and fill you up so you can last a few hours without hunger pangs. There are many ways to cook oats and this is just one of them. If you like eastern flavours such as cardamom and saffron then this should be an option for you. Cardamoms and saffron also have a lot of benefits which i shall add at the end of the recipe.
This recipe serves 1
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of milk of your choice, can be normal, skimmed, semi, lactose free, dairy free or soya/almond/rice milk
1 teaspoon sugar or to taste
4 strands of Nitu Didi Saffron
1 green cardamom, pounded or a pinch of ground cardamom powder
nuts of your choice
1-2 tablespoons of oats
METHOD:
Heat the milk with the saffron and the cardamom on medium heat and when it starts to get little bubbles on the side , just add the oats. Cook the oats with the milk for about five minutes (this also depends on the quality of the oats, some oats take more time) and when they are nice and soft you can add sugar, honey, sweetener to taste. Remove onto a bowl, garnish with nuts and get a healthy start to your mornings with this easy to make breakfast!

NITU DIDI TIP: This gets thicker as it keeps,so do bear this in mind. It can be made with water instead of milk too!
To read about the goodness of saffron click here
To buy my saffron do visit my online store

Posted in Breakfast, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Jain recipes, NO OIL RECIPES, Quick Recipes, Saffron, Vegan | Tagged breakfast, healthy, oats, saffron | 2 Comments

CHA SIU (CHINESE BBQ PORK)

Posted on May 3, 2013 by nituchugani

Cha Siu (chinese barbecued pork) is a very popular dish available all over China and HongKong. Its a common sight to see this red piece of succulent meat hanging in the markets. It is sold by weight and its fascinating to see how its sliced very fine. I love cha siu specially with freshly cooked white rice and some green chinese vegetable as a side dish. I have tried to master the art of making this and finally have been able to do so. In my recipe i have omitted the red food color as i try to use as less food coloring as possible in my cooking and also the chinese 5 spice powder as my family does not like it. A note for all of my halaal followers, you can make this dish with chicken thighs or beef. Just omit the wine and proceed with the recipe. I have recorded a video tutorial on how to marinate this, but i did not get time to show you how its baked or sliced so i will explain this here.
INGREDIENTS:
1 piece of pork sirloin weighing around 500-600 grams
6 tablespoons of white sugar, powdered ( i used my bullet to do this)
4-5 tablespoons of soya sauce ( i used SEAGULL brand)
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
2 tablespoons of chinese wine ( THIS ONE ) or brandy
a good sprinkle of white pepper
3-4 tablespoons of ginger juice (just blend a piece of ginger with a little water in a blender and strain it)
METHOD:
Poke the meat with a knife so that the marinade enters it. Blend all the above ingredients well in a bowl and marinate your meat in this overnight. Next day remove the meat from the marinade and roast it in a hot oven (240 degrees) till cooked and well browned on both sides. I basted it with the marinade and turned it once during cooking. It took me about 30-40 minutes in my electic oven. Once the meat is done, you can check it by cutting a piece in the centre. Cool the meat slightly and slice it as thinly as you can, Do not waste the marinade, heat it a bit, add some sesame seeds to it and serve it with the meat.
NITU DIDI TIP:
You can marinate skinned chicken thighs the same way and roast it.

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VIDEO

Posted in Gluten Free, Indochinese, Made in China, Magic Bullet, Recipes with videos | Tagged barbecue, chinese, oriental, pork | Leave a comment

SNOW PEAS STIR FRY CHINESE STYLE

Posted on May 2, 2013 by nituchugani

Snow peas, sugar snaps are just so delicious and good for health! They are tender with a sweetish taste and a good source of Vitamin C, iron and magnesium. They are seasonal and not very widely available in my city but whenever i do see them i make sure i buy a lot because my daughter simply loves them! I just sautee them in a wee bit of olive oil, splash some soya sauce and a few drops of sesame oil on them and thats it! Its a low calorie vegetable and can be snacked upon at all times!
INGREDIENTS:
300 grams of snow peas/sugar snaps, just cut the edges off and with a knife remove the string if any
a pinch of salt, optional
a tiny splash of a good quality soya sauce
a few drops of a good chinese sesame oil
1 teaspoon of olive oil
METHOD:
Heat a fryingpan and add the olive oil and when slightly heated add the snowpeas/sugar snaps and cook on high heat for a few seconds. Remove from heat and add the salt, soya sauce and lastly the sprinkle of sesame oil. Overcooking vegetables tend to kill their nutritive value.. Snow peas can also be eaten raw or in salads.
Serve immediately. I love to eat it on its own!
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PIC OF RAW UNCOOKED SNOW PEAS/SUGAR SNAPS

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Jain recipes, Quick Recipes, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged healthy, stirfry, vegetables | Leave a comment

BAKED SPICY NUGGETS

Posted on April 30, 2013 by nituchugani

Love nuggets but avoid deep fried food? Well try baking them! Yes chicken breast does tend to get tough, hard and dry but with the correct marinating they can turn out quite succulent. Do try this recipe out and let me know 🙂
INGREDIENTS FOR THE MARINATING:
350 grams of thinly sliced chicken breast, cut into pieces ( you can just cut them into any size)
1 tablespoon each of : mayonnaise ( can use fat free)
Tabasco (can use less)
1 teaspoon of grainy mustard ( i used THIS one)
1 teaspoon of chilli flakes (or less)
FOR THE COATING:
coarse bread crumbs
finely ground crackers ( i used by bullet to grind them)
METHOD:
Marinate the chicken in all the sauces listed above for at least 4-6 hours or overnight. Combine the bread crumbs with the ground crakers and coat the chicken pieces with this well. ( I did not use egg). Preheat the oven at 200 and put the chicken pieces in a non stick oven proof tray and bake till golden and cooked. It will take about 20 minutes depending on the oven. Serve with sauce of your choice.
NITU DIDI TIP:
The chicken breast must be thinly sliced or else the chicken will take time to cook and then get hard and dry.
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Posted in Chicken, Fusion, Healthy Options, Magic Bullet, Nitu´s Spicy Delights, NO OIL RECIPES, Quick Recipes, Snacks | Tagged baked, no oil recipe, nuggets, oven, snacks, spicy | Leave a comment

RAJWADI DAHI WADA

Posted on April 29, 2013 by nituchugani

This lovely dahi wada recipe which fits to be for “royalty” has been sent to me by Raj Kartik and so i have named it “rajwadi” dahi vada. This dahi wada recipe is nice for special ocasions as it has raisins and cashewnuts used in it. So..without further ado i am sharing the pics and recipe sent to me by Raj…Thank you soo much!!!
INGEDIENTS:
1 cup of white urad daal (white lentils available in most desi supermarkets) I use THIS
1/2″ piece of ginger (for jains you can omit this)
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns
2 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons chopped cashew nuts
1 tablespoon of freshly grated coconut
white yoghurt as needed
a good sprinkle of chaat masala
a good sprinkle of red chilli powder
a pinch of sugar or to taste
chopped coriander leaves for decorating
water as needed
oil for deep frying
METHOD:
Soak the urad daal over night in ample water ( the daal tends to increase in size so make sure you soak it in at least 3 cups of water). Next day wash the daal till the water runs clear. Put it in a blender ( i recommend my bullet) and add the ginger and blend it into a smooth semi thick paste using water little by little. Leave the paste for an hour and then add the salt, cumin seeds, peppercorns, raisins and cashewnuts.Heat the oil for deep frying and with a spoon take spoonfuls of this batter and deep fry it on medium oil till golden brown. Once all the balls are fried put them to soak in hot water for about five minutes. Remove from the hot water and gently squeeze between your palms to remove all the water. Place them in a plate. Beat the white yogurt with salt, sugar and a little water till smooth. Put over the wadas and then sprinkle chaat masala, red chilli powder and chopped coriander leaves. Put in the fridge to chill and then eat!! You can also serve this with tamarind and green chutney,
For my green chutney recipe CLICK HERE
To buy the amazing bullet do visit my online store
NITU DIDI TIP:
This batter can also be made in advance and kept in the fridge. The vadas can also be deep fried and then frozen. When you need to make your dahi wadas, just remove from the freezer and thaw. Put into hot water and proceed as the recipe.

PIC OF THE SOAKED WADAS

Posted in Breakfast, Everything Vegetarian, Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Jain recipes, Lentils, Low Cost, Magic Bullet, Sauces and Chutneys, Veg Starters | Tagged dahi vada, dahi wada, lentils, vegetarian | Leave a comment

VEGETARIAN SPRING ROLLS N HOME MADE WRAPPERS

Posted on April 26, 2013 by nituchugani

I keep on getting queries on how to make spring roll wrappers at home and how to make a vegetarian filling for spring rolls. Today i will share both my recipe and my video. For the filling you can use any type of shredded veggies like cabbage, carrots, zuchchini(turai), capsicum, mushrooms and leeks, You can also use grated tofu, spring onions, bean sprouts etc etc.
INGREDIENTS:
Mixed vegetables of your choice
Salt, soya sauce, white pepper and sesame oil to taste
White flour
Water to knead the dough
Oil for deep frying
METHOD:
In a good non stick pan ( i used my ceramic pan) sautee the vegetables till soft but yet crispy and then add the salt, soya sauce, white pepper and sesame oil to taste. Let the mixture cool while you make the wrappers.
Make a smooth dough with the white flour by kneading it with water. Make small balls of the dough more or less the same size. Roll out one round from one ball of dough and keep aside, remembering you use some dry flour to make your life easy. Make another round from another ball. Brush one round disc with oil and cover with the other disc. Sprinkle some flour and roll out further till thin taking care not to break. Put it on a pan, gridle or tawa which is heated on low flame and cook for a few seconds on each side. When slightly cool separate the layers ( please watch video). Make all the wrappers like this. Now proceed to make your spring rolls watching the video and fry on low heat till crisp.
NITU DIDI TIP: The rolls must be fried on low flame or else they will not be crispy and the wrappers must be covered with a kitchen towel or else they will get hard immediately.
If you get ready made spring roll wrappers by all means do use them.
These spring rolls cannot be baked as they will get hard and dry. Some things are just meant to be eaten deep fried!!
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VIDEO:

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Fusion, Indochinese, Jain recipes, Low Cost, Made in China, Magic Bullet, Recipes with videos, Snacks, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged chinese, jain, oriental, snacks, spring roll wrappers, Vegan, vegetarian | 1 Comment

SWEET N SOUR PICKLED VEGETABLES

Posted on April 23, 2013 by nituchugani

Chinese style sweet and sour pickled vegetables is a nice way to start a chinese meal or serve vegetables to fussy eaters. You can use almost any kind of crunchy vegetable for this such as cauliflower, cabbage, turnips, radish etc etc. This is easy to make and needs very few ingredients.
INGREDIENTS:
Chopped seasonal fresh vegetables of your choice such as cucumbers, carrots, radish, turnips, cauliflower, etc.
Rice vinegar (this is the one i used)
Sugar to taste
Salt to taste
Sesame seeds
METHOD:
In a bowl mix rice vinegar, sugar and salt till the sugar is dissolved. If you want you can add a few drops of sesame oil , i did not add. Chop the vegetables into bite size pieces and place in a bowl. Pour the vinegar dressing on top and toss well. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve or refrigerate for a few hours and then serve.
NITU DIDI TIP:
This rice vinegar gives it the special taste but if you dont have any you can use white vinegar ( which is much stronger, so dilute it and then use it) or lemon juice.
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Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Indochinese, Jain recipes, Low Cost, Made in China, NO OIL RECIPES, Quick Recipes, Salads, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged chinese, gluten free, jain, oriental, sweet n sour, Vegan, vegetables | 3 Comments

FISH PARATHAS

Posted on April 22, 2013 by nituchugani

Fish parathas are basically parathas filled with a smooth fish and potato mixture. This is good for people who dont like fish and yet need to incorporate it in their diet because the flavour of fish is mixed with the potatoes and spices. Kids usually have a tough time accepting fish in their diet so these parathas are perfect and can be cut into small pieces and had as fun finger food! This is also an excellent way to use up extra chapati dough, boiled potatoes and maybe some left over fish from a curry or a fish fry?
INGREDIENTS:
For the filling:
boiled fish or left over fish from any cooked fish dish (make sure you remove all the sauce/gravy from the fish)
boiled potatoes, mashed
spices such as cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and raw mango powder (amchoor)
salt to taste
finely chopped coriander and mint leaves
green chillies, chopped
For the paratha dough:
Whole wheat flour
salt to taste
warm water
oil as needed, i used spanish olive oil
METHOD:
Make a dough by kneading the whole wheat flour with a little salt and the warm water. Knead for about five minutes till its nice and smooth. Keep aside for half an hour while you make the filling.
For the filling: Flake the fish and mix it with the mashed potatoes, the herbs and the spices. Taste it and correct seasoning. Now lets make the parathas! Take a small piece of dough and make it into a ball. Roll it into a round about 1/4 cm in thickness. Make another round and take a bit of the filling and spread it over one of the rounds. Cover it with another round and seal the sides with your fingers. Carefully roll out to make it even, and put it on a heated tawa (iron gridle ) or a frying pan and cook on both sides till browned, taking care not to overcook. Smear with olive oil and make all the parathas the same way till the dough and filling is used up.
NITU DIDI TIP: If you try to make the filling without the mashed potato, it wont bind. You need something to bind the filling together.

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Posted in Floury Matter, Fusion, Healthy Options, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Low Cost, Something's Fishy, Tupperware Food | Tagged fish, parathas | Leave a comment

EGGLESS CHOCO CAFE CAKE BALLS

Posted on April 20, 2013 by nituchugani

I love trying out new eggless recipes more for all of you than for myself! It is so strange how most things i cook are “for my page” as i keep on saying at home 🙂 So…this was part of dessert which i made when i had guests. This is a good, practical dessert to make as it can be made a few days in advance. It looks pretty and is easy to serve…Just put on a plate and voila!! I have many eggless cake recipes on the blog, so you can just search for them if you want to use eggless cake for this recipe.
FOR THE CAKE BALLS:
2 cups of eggless chocolate cakepreferably a cake which is at least a few days old crumbled with your fingers (for eggless cake recipe see HERE)
150 grams milk or dark chocolate bar
200 ml cream
1 tablespoon of instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons of coffee liquer (i used KAHLUA…this is optional)
caramelized nuts of your choice, powdered coarsley…i used THIS
METHOD:
Heat the cream gently on a low flame and then add the milk or dark chocolate bar chopped ( you can also use half milk and half dark chocolate) till the chocolate has melted. Stir in the coffee granules and leave to thicken. Put the cake crumbs in a bowl and add the cooled and thickened melted choco cream mixture and mix well with a spoon. Add the liquer if you like (my halaal followers can omit this step) and leave the mixture to cool in the fridge overnight in a covered container. Next day the mixture will be hard. Shape into balls and roll into the caramelised nuts and place in tiny truffle cases. These can be now served immediately or refrigerated again and served whenever you need to. This keeps perfectly for a few days.
NITU DIDI TIP:
You can use any cake of your choice. I made it with chocolate cake, but any cake will do.
You can also flavour them with almond, orange or any essence that you feel like.
You can also roll them in dessicated coconut, but the crunch of these nuts is amazing.
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