CHILLI CHICKEN BY SANJAY CHADHA

Posted on May 30, 2012 by nituchugani

I  just love it when i am sent a recipe with the pic and i cant wait to post it right away! A few days ago a dear friend of mine Sanjay Chadha from  Madrid made some chilli chicken and was so kind to send me the pic of the dish.I jokingly asked him for a pic of him cooking and he sent that too! I put it on my facebook cooking page and his personal pic had more likes and comments! I was tickled and realised that yes a man in the kitchen is quite becoming for many women.
Anyways back to the recipe.. Chilli Chicken is a fusion dish and very popular in India. The ample use of ginger garlic and chilli sauce gives this recipe a unique taste. Some people make it by deep frying the chicken pieces ( i have put up a recipe in that style) and some arent so keen on deep frying. For the latter this recipe is just for you.
Chopped green chillies can be added for a spicier effect.
Thank you soo much Mr. Chadha….or Chadhajee as you were fondly called on my cooking page 🙂
INGREDIENTS:
500 grams of cubed chicken breast, yes he used cubed chicken breast
1 heaped tablespoon of ginger paste
1 heaped tablespoon of garlic paste
4 tablespoons of soya sauce
4 tablespoons of ketchup
chilli sauce, salt and pepper to taste
a bit of capsicum , cubed
4 tablespoons of oil for sautee
METHOD:
Marinate the chicken cubes in the ginger garlic, soya sauce and a bit of salt and pepper for an hour. Heat the oil in a frying pan till very hot and sautee the chicken pieces on high heat till well seared and done. Add the chilli sauce and ketchup and stir well. Check for seasoning and correct. Lastly add the cubed capsicum and toss for a few seconds. Serve hot.

This is the pic that created a stir on my cooking page 🙂 Mr Chadha in his kitchen!!

Posted in Chicken, Fusion, Gluten Free, Made in China | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

PALAK CHICKEN( CHICKEN IN SPINACH) OIL FREE!!

Posted on May 29, 2012 by nituchugani

A non  fat desi style chicken cooked in spinach? Is it possible? Ofcourse!! Why ever not? It just takes a bit of thinking on how to create something without any oil !!
My vegetarian followers can substitute the chicken for vegetables.
Spinach is extremely good for health and many people dont like to eat it. This way the taste is camouflaged by adding dried or fresh fenugreek leaves and fresh coriander.
Do try this out if you are on a calorie controlled diet and you will be amazed.
INGREDIENTS:
500 grams of boneless chicken breast
1 cup of non fat white natural yogurt
1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste
salt to taste
1 teaspoon of Nitu Didi turmeric powder
FOR THE SPINACH
200 grams of chopped spinach
2  tomatoes quartered
green chillies to taste, chopped
1/4 cup of green coriander leaves
2 tablespoons of kasuri methi (dreid fenugreek leaves) or … 1 bunch of fresh fenugreek leaves
1 small onion , quartered
5 cloves of garlic
1 small piece of ginger
METHOD:
Marinate the chicken in the yogurt, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, salt for a few hours. Boil the spinach with all the ingredients lsited in the for the spinach category. Once its boiled  puree it.
Heat a wok and add the chicken and stir on high heat till it starts to cook. Add the spinach puree and cook it all till the chicken is cooked well and a thick sauce is left on the pan. Sprinkle with garam masala if you want and serve hot.

Posted in Chicken, Healthy Options, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Low Cost, Magic Bullet, NO OIL RECIPES | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

HOME MADE BUTTER

Posted on May 28, 2012 by nituchugani

I love challenges! I like doing things that excite me (in every sense of the word) ..and i love creating new , easy and accessible recipes.
My video tutorial on how to make home made cheese really has been widely watched and got me soo many positive comments.
Apart from recipes i like to show how to do certain things.. so i decided to make a video on home made butter. I had no clue how to make butter!
A cooking blogger friend of mine explained the whole process to me and i started doing some research online.
I saw a lot of videos on how to make butter and compiled all of them plus my friends own experience with butter making and made my own video.
I have timed it so you can be guided  and showed all the steps.
This butter will keep for a week to 10 days in the fridge since it does not have any additives or preservatives.
How did it taste? Better than any butter i have ever tasted!
So…this is what you need for about 100-150 grams of butter (sorry i did not have a scale at hand to weigh it)
INGREDIENTS:
400 ml of cream (over 35% in fat content), chilled
salt to taste if you want
EQUIPMENT:
a hand blender or a cake mixer whatever you have at home
I have even seen a video of a person using a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and shaking the cream

Nitu Didi On Line Store

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Recipes with videos, Sauces and Chutneys, Step by Step | Tagged , | 2 Comments

TROPICAL CHICKEN SALAD

Posted on May 27, 2012 by nituchugani

An excellent salad which can serve as a meal by itself on a hot summery day, or as a starter in a party, as tupperware food or even as a sandwich filling. This salad which i made with the ingredients found in my fridge can be also taken up a notch by adding fancy ingredients such as smoked salmon, caviar, crab meat etc. etc. It all boils down to adapting a recipe to your own tastebuds. Ofcourse it can be made purely vegetarian also!!
I wil teach you the salad i made and then you can just adjust the ingredients to the tastebuds of your family. I also want to add i did not add too much mayonnaise to the dressing as i dont like my salads coated in it… so you are free to add more if you wish 🙂
So….here you can try my excellent tropical chicken salad 🙂
INGREDIENTS:
200 grams of chicken breast sliced , grilled and chopped into strips
1/2 cup each of chopped cabbage, lettuce, cucumber
1/4 cup each of chopped onions and  red capsicum
a little bit of chopped celery
1/4 cup each of chopped pineapple and apple
Salt and pepper to taste
DRESSING:
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon or more of dijon mustard
1 or 2 tablespoons of honey as you like
a little hot sauce if you like it spicy…i do!!
METHOD:
mix all the ingredients for the salad in a big bowl. Mix the ingrediens for the dressing  together. Add the dressing into the salad and toss well. Serve it on a cabbage leaf or in individual glass bowls. What i did was decorate it with some chicken strips and cubed pineapple.
INGREDIENTS YOU CAN ADD TO THIS:
corn, palm hearts, canned lychees, crab meat, ham, chopped nuts and cubed cheese…this is just an idea 🙂

Do visit my online store :

www.nitudidisaffron.com

Posted in Chicken, Salads, Tupperware Food | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

SPANISH PAELLA WITH MEAT

Posted on May 25, 2012 by nituchugani

Think of spanish food and “paella” conjures up in your mind.
One can make paella in soo many ways and each province of Spain has their own way of making it.
Paella is the signature dish of the province of Valencia and we have all types of paella, the most common one being made with rabbit, chicken, green  and broad beans.
There also is a type of paella which is made from ribs and is “meloso” which means a little soft…
You can substitute the ribs for chicken, or any type of meat or even make it vegetarian.
This is just the guideline for how to make it….
For all my dear halaal followers please make this with any kind of meat ok???
INGREDIENTS FOR 2
350 grams of ribs, chopped , fat removed
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 bay leaf, broken
1/2 cup of green beans, chopped into 1 inch pieces ( i used prechopped, frozen beans)
1/4 cup of capsicum cubed
1 small cup of rice ( please do not use jasmine or basmati..just ordinary rice or paella rice)
1/4 cup of grated tomatoes
1 teaspoon of Nitu Didi paella spice powder
2.5 cups of water
salt to taste
4 tablespoons of olive oil
METHOD:
In a pan heat the olive oil and add the ribs and the bay leaf and fry till the meat turns brown. Add a little salt and then the minced garlic and cook til garlic changes color. Add the beans and the capsicum and sautee . Add the paella spice mix and the tomatoes. Cook till tomatoes are cooked. Add the rice and sautee the rice a bit. Add the water and cook till the rice is done and all the water is absorbed. Serve hot with a nice glass of beer or wine!
Ole viva España!!

What is paella spice powder? Its a ready made spice mix consisting of paprika and ground saffron. If you cant get paella spice powder you can use paprika and saffron strands

Please check out my online store : www.nitudidisaffron.com

Posted in Rice is Nice, Spanish Tapas | Tagged , | 2 Comments

“SHAMELESS” CHICKEN

Posted on May 23, 2012 by nituchugani

“Shameless chicken” … yes this is the title i gave to this chicken dish i created because it is shamelessly delicious! You cant get enough of it and thus you might get fat!
Jokes apart… its nice to name your creations a bit differently.. dont you think so? This is a spicy recipe so please do go slow on the spices and chillies if you wish.
I will include the taglines sent to me by my facebook followers just for a laugh …
INGREDIENTS:
500 grams boneless chicken breast cut into pieces
8 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 inch piece ginger, chopped
2 green chillies, chopped
6 cloves
4 green cardamoms
125 grams of yogurt , room temperature
1 onion chopped fine
6 tablespoons of butter or ghee or oil
salt to taste
1/2 cup of tomato paste
6 tablespoons of tomato ketchup, or less if you dont like the taste of ketchup
3/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of garam masala
1 cup of freshly chopped coriander leaves
chilli powder to taste
1 cup of water or less for the gravy
METHOD:
In a blender put one spoon of yogurt with half the ginger garlic, bayleaves, cloves and cardamom and green chillies. Blend till all the spices are well blended and then add the rest of the yogurt and blend again. Marinate the chicken in this adding salt. Marinate for 5-6 hours or overnight.
Melt the butter in a pan and add the onions, rest of ginger garlic and sautee till the onions start changing color. Add a little water and let the onions fry to a pasty like mixture. Add the spices, the tomato paste, ketchup, salt, and coriander leaves. Fry all this well till the sauce is nice n thick and bubbly. Add the marinated chicken and cook till the chicken is just about done. Add the water according to the amount of gravy you want. Check seasoning and correct.
Garnish with chopped coriander and chopped green chillies and serve with basmati rice..
Taglines for “shameless chicken”:
This chicken is shameless because???????????……..

Harkirat Uberoi cuz it STRIPped and DANCEd in my wok, while I SPICEd up the whole affair in my style !!

Muhammad Wadee stands on d corner street trying to sell itself

Shakun Nathani I am here to be taken !!! lol

Posted in Chicken, Nitu´s Spicy Delights | Tagged , | Leave a comment

SEVAIYAN (SWEET VERMICELLI DESI STYLE)

Posted on May 22, 2012 by nituchugani

These rice vermicelli can be bought from an asian supermarket. They are brown in color. I hail from the state of Sindh and tho i have never been there my parents have brought me up eating some of the typical food. Such is this vermicelli which we call “sayoon” in my dialect sindhi and “sevaiyan” in hindi. This is made with ghee (clarified butter) and flavoured with cardamom and saffron. It is sweet and usually eaten with deep fried potatoes or spicy potatoes. I did not have any nuts to garnish ths with and i feel i should have added more butter to the recipe to get a delicious glaze. If there are any experts in this dish reading this please correct me… its the first time i have made this…I also feel i should have browned the vermicelli a bit more but i was scared it would burn.
I think it was disastrous in appearance not in taste (my husband simply loved it!!!)
So i will guide you through the recipe the way i should have done it ok???
This recipe was given to me on the phone by Manju Harjani of Madrid…thank you soo much Manju…but it did not turn out as it should have and i know exactly why

INGREDIENTS:
1 packet (150 grams) of brown vermicelli
1/2 teaspoon of Nitu Didi ground cardamom
a good pinch of Nitu Didi pure spanish saffron
8 tablespoons of ghee or butter
sugar to taste (you will need quite a bit of sugar)
chopped nuts for garnishing
350 ml of warm water
METHOD
You need a good thick bottomed pan to make this. You break the vermicilli with your hands into small bits. Thats to make eating it easier (this is not spaghetti!). Heat the butter in the pan and add the broken up vermicilli and brown it. This is where i went wrong. I should have browned it a lot more (when you add the water the vermicilli gets lighter in color) I got scared it would burn and did not brown it enough (browning does not enhance the taste, it just enhances the appearance of the dish) You have to keep on stirring it so it gets browned evenly ( see my pic…its not browned enough). When its nice and brown add the water. Add the saffron and the cardamom and cover the pan and leave it on low heat. The water should be absorbed in 10 minutes and the vermicilli should be cooked. If its still raw you can add some more water. Take it off the heat and let it rest for a few minutes. Add sugar to taste ( it needs a lot of sugar, there also i went wrong…did not add enough sugar). If its a bit dry (as in my pic) please add some more melted butter. I did not…i prefered to eat it dry. Too much calories. Garnish with chopped nuts. Serve hot with either fried potatoes ( typical sindhi style) or some spiced potatoes or any curry of your choice.
Enjoy!!

Here is how i ate it…with spiced potatoes in fenugreek (methi patata) yummy in my tummy!!

To buy Nitu Didi pure spanish saffron visit her online store

www.nitudidisaffron.com

Posted in Cooking Disasters!!, Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Saffron, Typical Sindhi Dishes, Veg Starters | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

EGGLESS BREAD ROLLS

Posted on May 21, 2012 by nituchugani

These soft buttery bread rolls are just amazing to eat on their own. They remain soft for the next two days if stored in an airtight container (that is if they are not eaten up!).
This is my daughters comfort food while studying. I sprinkled a combination of nigella and sesame seeds on them but poppy seeds can do equally well.
You can also make them with whole wheat flour if you wish or gluten free flour. The yogurt in this can be substitued for soya yogurt if you have are lactose intolerant.
I made them knotted just to add a little fanciness to the photo but you can shape them into normal round buns.
The dough can be frozen or even kept for uto 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
INGREDIENTS:
500 grams of white flour
1 envelope of  dry yeast (7 grams)
1.5 teaspoons of salt
6 tablespoons of sugar
1 small bowl of warm water
1 cup of more of sweetened white yogurt at room temperature (or as needed)
6 tablespoons of melted butter
nigella seeds and sesame seeds for sprinkling
2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of milk for brushing on top
METHOD.
in a big bowl put the yeast and salt and add the warm water and leave it to rest for 10 minutes till frothy. When its frothy add the sugar and the butter and the flour. Mix well and add as much as sweet yogurt to make a soft pliable dough. Work the dough for 5 minutes till smooth. Cover and leave in a warm place to rise till double in size. Once its risen punch it down and knead it for another 5 minutes. Break into small balls. Roll each ball with your palms into a roll and make a knot. Place in a greased baking tray. Sprinkle with a mixture of nigella and sesame seeds pressing them a bit into the knot gently. Leave for an hour so that they rise a bit. Sprinkle the nigella and sesame seeds on top and press a bit so they stick onto the dough ( my daughter helped me do this with her dainty hands). Brush with the oil and milk mixture .  Put into a preheated oven to bake at 200 degrees till golden brown. You can also brush with beaten egg ..but this is an eggless recipe 🙂
Enjoy with cream cheese or chocolate spread or even plain!!

Posted in Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Veg Starters | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

NAWABI KHEEMA PULLAO (DESI MINCED MEAT PILLAF)

Posted on May 19, 2012 by nituchugani

Pullaos are very common in planning a party menu or in banquets. At homes its a one meal dish which is quite fulfilling. Pullao literally means rice which is cooked together with vegetables , meat , poultry or seafood along with a stock ( or water). Its delicately flavoured or spicy depending on the state it comes from. I have been told my recipes are quite bland but thats because i cater to such a varied audience. Time again i have stated that the spice in my food can be added. Today my minced meat pullao recipe is with the proper spices.. If you want it less spicy please add less of spice.

This is best eaten with a raita(yogurt with chopped raw onion, tomatoes and fresh green coriander leaves) tho i ate it with plain natural yogurt. I am sure all pullao fans are going to simply love this recipe. And yes it can be made with soya granules. I will give that option also later ok???
The garam masala used in this recipe plays a big role in the taste of this excellent pullao. If time permits do try and make your own garam masala following my video tutorial on youtube
If using store bought garam masala do add some powdered cardamom to the recipe.. Store bought garam masala i feel lacks cardamom and its lovely in this pullao

INGREDIENTS FOR TWO: (or one and then you can eat the left overs the next day…it tastes even better!!)
250 grams of minced meat of your choice
1 small bowl of good quality basmati rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
4 cloves
1 bay leaf, broken up so it emits more flavor
1 large onion chopped fine
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 inch piece of ginger chopped fine and then some more for the garnish
2 red tomatoes, chopped fine or grated
3 tablespoons of white yogurt
1 heaped teaspoon of garam masala (please see my recipe on youtube)
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon of salt to taste or more
8 green chillies chopped fine ( you can put less ofcoruse)
1/4 cup of fresh green chopped coriander leaves
8 tablespoons of oil
METHOD:
heat the oil in a good thick bottomed casserole pan and add the cloves and bay leaf. After a few seconds add the onions and start to brown them. The best way is to leave it on medium heat and keep on stirring it as it changes color. Once its browned add the ginger garlic and the meat and salt. Now brown the meat and when it starts sticking to the pan you know its done! Add the powered spices and cook for a few seconds and then add the yogurt and the tomatoes. Cook till all is well mashed and add the green chilles and the drained basmati rice. Add one and half bowls of water and cook till the water is all absorbed and the rice is done. To taste the salt do so when the rice is boiling, taste a bit of the stock and you will know if you need to add more salt. Serve hot garnished with ginger julienne and more chopped coriander leaves. You can also add some chopped nuts and raisins to this recipe.-
FOR THE VEGETARIAN VERSION:
You can use soya granules instead of meat. Just soak them in hot water and then proceed the same way as the recipe. Just soak them in a little hot water so that they absorb the water. This way you dont have to drain the excess water off.
This is an excellent pullao…do try it !!!

How to make Nitu Didis garam masala

Posted in Fusion, Gluten Free, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Nitu´s Spicy Delights, Rice is Nice | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

SAVORY BIRTHDAY CAKE WITH CHICKEN CURRY

Posted on May 18, 2012 by nituchugani

What does one make for your sons birthday if he does not want a sweet cake?? If one is calorie concious or cannot eat sweets and has an aversion to artificial sweetners?? Well i was with this dilemma on my sons birthday and thought there has to be a way out! Ofcourse i could bake a focacia and put candles on that and cut it but i wanted to create something out of the ordinary, something never created before (at least by me!!!) and ofcourse something that would not compromise on taste ( my son simply loves good food!!). So i cracked and cracked my brains and decided to surprise him and the whole family!!!
I thought of a salted semolina cake baked in a bundt pan(bundt pan is a round pan with a hole in the middle) and then i thought of a chicken curry filling for the middle of the cake!
My son simply loves chicken curry with mushrooms. I always feel that mushrooms compliment chicken so well.
The result was simply awesome…the semolina cake fluffy and yummy and the chicken curry ofcoruse as always flavoured to perfection with my own signature brand curry powder which has the right blend of spices and not chillies….. so let me teach you how to make this cake???
By the way the vegetarians can make any vegetable curry of their choice instead of the chicken curry , One can also make seafood, fish or even an egg curry.
FOR THE CAKE:
200 grams of fine semolina
350 grams of white natural yogurt
1 teaspoon of salt
50 ml of water
1 teaspoon of eno fruit salt
Mix the semolina, salt , yogurt and water in a bowl and let it rest for 2 hours. Add the fruit salt to it and immediately pour it into a greased bundt pan . Cover the bundt pan with foil paper. Place it in an oven tray which you have filled with water. Put the pans in the oven and bake at 200 degrees for about 30-40 minutes till the cake is set. ALTERNATIVELY: you can steam the bundt pan in a big saucepan which you have filled with water. Both give the same results.
FOR THE CHICKEN CURRY:
500 grams of diced chicken breast
100 grams of portobello mushrooms or any type of mushrooms. cleaned and slivered
1 onion made into a paste with 5 cloves of garlic and 1 small piece ginger
a few curry leaves or a bay leaf
3 tablespoons of Nitu Didi curry powder
1 cup of coconut milk
green chillies and coriander leaves chopped
1 teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in 4 teaspoons of water
salt to taste
6 tablespoons of oil
Lemon juice to taste
METHOD:
In a pan heat the oil and add the ground onion paste with salt. Cook till the onion paste changes color and the raw smell disapears. If it starts to stick to the pan please add a bit of water and continue cooking ( i say this because not all pans are the same :)…). When the paste is cooked add the curry powder and immediately add the diced chicken ( this ensures the curry powder does not burn). Toss till chicken is half cooked and then add the mushrooms and the green chillies and the curry leaves. Cook a few minutes more and then add the coconut milk. Bring to a boil. By now the chicken should be cooked through.
If you like the sauce a bit thicker you can add the cornstarch mixed in water. If you like it a little tangy add some lemon juice at the end with the coriander leaves.
For a thai flavour you can add some chopped lemon grass and fish sauce ( in my home they dont like it). Fish sauce is salty so please use just a bit.
TO ASSEMBLE:
un mould the semola cake and place it on a platter. Spoon the chicken curry in the middle. Decorate with sprinkled coriander leaves and place the candles and be ready for the celebration!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL!!!!!!

Posted in A Piece of Cake???, Chicken, Fusion, Healthy Options, Low Cost | Tagged , , | Leave a comment