CREAMY CHICKEN PIES

Posted on January 15, 2012 by nituchugani

Thank you all for your sweet comments on facebook!! By popular demand i am sharing the recipe of my creamy chicken pies and also giving u a vegetarian,and a quick option!! There is soo much one can do with puff pastry its amazing…right from pies and savory puffs to even desserts or topping them with custard and then fruit…the lis is endless!
This time i made creamy chicken pies and to get the shape all i did was cut the puff pastry sheet into small sqquares and line a muffin tin with them, pour the filling and bake it. The chicken can be substitued for vegetables of your choice and if you dont get puff pastry where you live then i also have a recipe for home made pie dough!!!
INGREDIENTS FOR THE CREAMY CHICKEN:
250 grams of boneless chicken breast, cut into tiny pieces
1 tablespoon of butter
1 onion chopped fine
2 tablespoons of white flour
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup of cream
salt and pepper to taste
grated cheese for the top
METHOD:
Heat the butter in a pan and sautee the onions till transparent and they start changing color. Add the flour and sautee for half a minute and then add the chicken and some salt and pepper and sautee for a minute or a bit moreand then add the milk and stir well so that no lumps are formed. Bring to a boil and check if chicken is cooked..(if you have cut tiny pieces of chicken breast it wont take more than a minute or two to cook). Add the cream and stir well and cook till thick. Cool.
FOR THE PIES:
cut the thawed puff pastry sheet into sqares and fit each square into the hollow of a muffin tray. Spoon the cooled filling into the pastry case and top with grated cheese andbake at 180 degrees in a preheated oven till crispy!!
FOR A QUICK VERSION:
instead of making the sauce from scratch you can use a can of creamy mushroom soup. add it to the sauteed chicken and omit the white flour.
You can also add veggies to this with the chicken such as mushrooms, celery, cabbage etc. For a slightly piquant flavor you can add a teaspoon of dijon mustard…i did!!
FOR THE VEGETARIAN VERSION:
blanch your finely chopped  veggies and follow the recipe…sautee onions, add flour, add the milk and cream and then the veggies
FOR A LACTOSE FREE RECIPE: you can sautee your veggies and flavour them with herbs and fill into the pastry cases!!
I have an alternative to everything!!! Happy cooking!!

Posted in Chicken, Floury Matter | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

MUSHROOM AND PANEER TAWA FRY

Posted on January 15, 2012 by nituchugani

Its taken me a while to put this recipe up and i apologise for it. This was also part of my new years eve dinner. Mushrooms and pieces of home made cottage cheese(paneer) which i pan fried in olive oil and then sprinkled the ready made “tawa masala” on the top!! Tawa Masala is a blend of spices which we get ready made in some asian supermarkets but if you dont want to buy it its easy to make something similar at home which i shall also give you the recipe! A light a low calorie recipe which is rich in proteins and calcium. For those of you who dont like paneer you can grill any kind of vegetables and sprinkle the spices on them. I will also include the link to my video of how to make home made cottage cheese!
INGREDIENTS:
mushrooms, washed, stems removed
home made cottage cheese cut in cubes
a little olive oil
a good sprinkle of TAWA MASALA
how to make tawa masala at home:
take 1/4 teaspoon each of cumin seeds (roast them and then powder them )
black pepper
turmeric
dry mango powder (if you dont have this theres another alternative i will give you)
a little of dried ginger powder
mix all these powders together and add a little bit of salt
METHOD:
heat a grill or a pan till quite hot and then add the olive oil and the paneer cubes and mushrooms and grill till browned. Sprinkle with the prepared or the bought spice.
Serve hot !!
NIU DIDI TIP: if you dont have dried mango powder dont fret…just sprinkle some lemon juice!!
This can be also made with meat fish or prawns!!

If you are a resident of Madrid you can buy this spice from Desi Gourmet..thats where i bought it from 🙂

HOW TO MAKE CHEESE AT HOME

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Paneer, Veg Starters | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

CHINESE CASHEWNUT CHICKEN

Posted on January 13, 2012 by nituchugani

This is the recipe of my latest video. An authentic way to make chinese stir fried chicken with cashewnuts. The cashewnuts can be substituted for almonds if you wish. I will write down the ingredients and then link the video so you can see the way its done.
INGREDIENTS:
500 grams of boneless chicken…i used the leg and thigh part as its more succulent
FOR THE MARINADE:
2 tablespoons of chinese rice wine or half the amount of sherry or brandy (for halaal please omit this ingredient)
2 tablespoons of soya sauce
1 tablespoon or more of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of minced ginger
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
good shake of white pepper
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of sugar
a good pinch of salt
oil for stir frying
a few chopped veggies such as red capsicum, onions and spring onions or leeks..you can also use any veggies of your choice

a handful of cashewnuts
HOW TO MAKE IT :

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CHICKEN TIKKA PIZZA

Posted on January 11, 2012 by nituchugani

By the amazing request of all of you i am putting up the recipe of my home made pizza from scratch. I make many types of pizza dough… using dry yeast or simply baking powder and kneading it with water or yogurt or milk or a combination of all 3!! I have learnt the secret to a good dough is kneading it and leaving it to rest. Franky all the doughs i make turn out soft, flaky and crispy so i guess the oven temperature has an important part to play too! I also make naan bread out of this recipe
PIZZA DOUGH:
1 envelope of dry yeast OR 1 envelope of baking powder (both are around 15 to 17 grams) that is 2-2.5 teaspoons
2 teaspoons of sugar
4 tablespoons of olive oil or melted butter
1 teaspoon of salt
350 gramos of white flour
1/2 cup of warm water
warm milk or yogurt or even water to knead the dough…yogurt should be room temperature
METHOD:
put the yeast (or baking powder) in a bowl with the sugar and the salt and pour the warm water on it and leave it to get active /frothy for a few minutes. Its easier to work with baking powder than yeast because if the water is too warm the yeast wont get frothy and you have to restart.
Add the rest of the ingredients and make a dough. Knead well for a few minutes and then keep it covered in a warm place( i keep it in the sun) for a few hours till it rises… (yeast will cause the dough to double in size… baking powder makes it rise less..but the effect is the same)
FOR THE SAUCE:
I just use tomato paste combined with tomato ketchup and chilli sauce(optional) and to this i add dried oregano, garlic powder.
FOR THE TOPPING:
Use pieces of chicken or paneer tikka, capsicum, mushrooms and mozarella cheese.
Roll out the dough and spread the tomato sauce and then arrange the chicken tikka/paneer tikka, capsicum mushrooms and mozarella cheese and place in a hot oven till done.
NOTE: The picture has been sent to me by my follower Paco Herrero…hes Spanish and he loves chicken tikka!!! He follows my video and uses Nitu Didi tandoori spice powder to make it!! Muchas gracias Paco….!!!!!!

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN TIKKA

 

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SPICY GREEN BEAN SOUP

Posted on January 10, 2012 by nituchugani

After the festive season i think half of spain is on a diet!! I too started mine and it lasted for a day!!! Not bad for self control right??? (wink wink!!) I cant stick to a diet and running a cooking page doesnt make things easier!! Anyways this is a nice nutritious soup with a hint of spice and can be had as part of a diet or even served as an entree for dinner.  I like it even as an alternative to indian style lentils as sometimes lentils tend to be dificult to digest and can give you a tummy ache. I have used a bit of spices but it can be made without the spices also.
If you dont like green beans you can use any other vegetable or even a combination of vegetables but i think green beans are really low calorie!!!
INGREDIENTS:
250 grams of green beans ( i used the frozen ones) …if using fresh cut the ends off and remove any string if there is
1 tomato
1 tiny piece of ginger
FOR THE TEMPERING:
1/2 teaspoon each of Nitu Didi cumin seeds and turmeric powder
a little chopped ginger
a little chopped green chillies and coriander leaves
a few curry leaves(if you have)
a dash of red chilli powder if you want it spicy
a teaspoon of oil ( you dont have to add oil i will also give you the option without oil)
METHOD:
in a pressure cooker or ordinary caserole pan boil the beans with the tomato and the tiny piece of ginger with about 2-3 cups of water. I say 2-3 depending on how thin you like your soup….i like mine pretty thin.
Once that is done just puree the whole thing with a hand blender or put it into a normal blender when cooled.
TEMPERING:
Heat the oil in a pot and add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for half a minute then add the ginger and then the soup and the spices and the chopped chillies, coriander leaves and curry leaves. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add salt to taste, check seasoning and serve hot with a wedge of lemon.
FOR AN OIL FREE ALTERNATIVE:
just heat the pan and roast the cumin seeds for 15 seconds and then proceed in the same way!!!

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Low Cost, NO OIL RECIPES, Soups-hot and cold, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

QUICK GRAVY CHICKEN

Posted on January 9, 2012 by nituchugani

Sometimes we all are short for time and need to make something delicious to eat or we feel like eating something yummy!! Well i go through these bouts ever so often and am often short of time so i try to create delicious and quick food. This is one of those recipes that i visioned and it turned out exceptionally well. This also freezes very well so if you want to make a large batch and freeze them its absolutely perfect. I made it with oil but if you want to give it a “desi” restaurant touch all you need to do is cook it with half butter or ghee. I will write down the detailled recipe of how to make it step by step and save time!! I find that making rice and then getting the chicken together at the same time saves time!!!
1st put the rice to boil and now get to making this delicious chicken!!
INGREDIENTS FOR 2:
3 chicken legs and thighs, skin removed and cut into pieces(in the supermarkets they already sell trays of these)
1 large onion chopped fine
1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste or more if you like the taste
1-2 tablespoons of Nitu Didi tandoori spice powder
1/2 teaspoon of paprika powder
6 tablespoons of tomato paste
2-3 tablespoons of ketchup
salt to taste
chopped green chillies and coriander leaves
4 tablespoons of oil or butter or ghee
METHOD: while the rice is boiling heat a deep casserole and add the oil (if adding butter take care not to burn it). Add the chopped onion and salt and sautee till onion is transparent. Then add the ginger garlic paste and sautee for a minute and then add the chopped chicken and cover. Let the chicken cook in its own juices and you will see the chicken begin to brown . Add the spices and the tomato paste and mix well. If the chicken is tender it should be cooked by now…If not then add a cup of water and bring it to a boil and cook till chicken is done. Add the ketchup and the green chillies and coriander leaves. If you need more gravy just increase the amount of water. Serve hot with boiled rice (the rice would have been made by the time the chicken cooks)
ENJOY A QUICK AND DELICIOUS DESI GRAVY CHICKEN!!

Posted in Chicken, Gluten Free, Indian Restaurant Dishes | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS IN PEPPER SAUCE

Posted on January 8, 2012 by nituchugani

The combination of chicken and mushrooms is excellent. I find mushrooms the only vegetable that compliments chicken so perfectly. This is an easy quick stir fry recipe with the goodness of pepper and without any cornstarch or cream making it an healty option. If you dont like mushrooms or are alergic to them you can ofcourse omit them or substitute another vegetable. Remember mushrooms contain a lot of water in them so the sauce is rich and flavorful.
INGREDIENTS THAT SERVE 2:
300 grams of boneless chicken thighs, skin removed and cut into cubes
100 grams of button mushrooms, cleaned and chopped into quarters or halves
1 green chilli or a little green capsicum (bell pepper) cut into chunks
a little spring onion
oil for sauteeing
FOR THE MARINADE:
1 teaspoon of soya sauce
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of chinese rice wine or dry sherry or white wine or half the amount of brandy
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 teaspoon each of chopped ginger and garlic
1/2 teaspoon or more of ground black pepper
METHOD:
marinate the chicken in the marinade and leave it for about half an hour. Heat the oil in a wok and sautee the marinated chicken without the marinade on high heat till it caramelises (gets brown) and then add the mushrooms, pepper and the spring onion and let it sautee for a minute on high heat. Add the marinade and cook for a few seconds till it all comes to a boil. Check seasoning and correct. At the end i add some more black pepper to it because i like it very peppery!!! Serve immediately with white rice 🙂
EASY AND NUTRITIOUS AND WITHOUT ANY CORNSTARCH OR CREAM

Posted in Chicken, Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Low Cost, Made in China | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

EGGLESS COOKIES WITH ALMONDS N WHITE CHOCOLATE

Posted on January 6, 2012 by nituchugani

These cookies were made with brown sugar instead of white but i wasnt too happy with the result!! I want to remake them with white sugar but since all of you loved the pic (thank you sooo much for commenting and complimenting me) and wanted the recipe how can i not comply??????
They were delicious and i made a whole batch yesterday and just have 3 remaining for today which will disappear!!! Am making them again to send them to a friend and i shall post the other recipe tho im thinking of adding an egg to those!!! So we can have an array of recipes to suit everyone!!! Hows that????
INGREDIENTS:
125 grams of room temperature butter
150 grams of brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
30 grams of oats
140 grams of white flour
50 grams of powdered almonds
1/4 teaspoon each of baking powder and soda bicarbonate
30 grams of chopped white chocolate
METHOD:
beat the butter till light and fluffy and then add the brown sugar and beat till fluffy and then add the oats and white flour and all the ingredients and lastly the chopped chocolate. Using your hands mix it well into a ball and leave it for half an hour. Make small balls and flatten them slightly and put in a baking tray and bake at 170 degrees till slightly hardened (about 15 minutes) and then leave to cool . If your lucky they will be left to cool!! Mine were eaten up as soon as they came out of the oven!!!!!!

Posted in Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

CREAMY SEAFOOD SHELLS

Posted on January 4, 2012 by nituchugani

As i have promised you all i will be posting the recipes of my New Year Eve dinner one by one. My main course were these seafood shells which i learnt from my spanish neighbour who worked in a fancy restaurant. Its basically seafood in a creamy sauce and baked. You can make a lasagna with it…or stuff pasta shells or even bake a seafood pasta bake or just pour it over boiled and sauteed pasta of your choice. I just filled shells with it , topped it with a little grated cheese and put them in the oven to grill till golden. The cream and butter in this recipe makes it quite high in calories so better just eat small portions!!
You can use any kind of seafood or fish but i have noticed using white fish is the best. I did not use any wine in the sauce but you can use white wine. I shall give you all the options.
INGREDIENTS:
500 grams of white fish fillet boiled in a little water with a few peppercorns and a bay leaf (u can also add some white wine if you wish) , once its boiled reserve the stock (strain it) and cut the fish into cubes removing any bones and skin
300 grams of peeled prawns( you can use more)
1 onion chopped fine
4 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of white flour
250 ml of cream
1/4 cup of milk ( i used semi skimmed milk)
salt and pepper to taste
grated cheese as needed
METHOD:
Heat the butter and sautee the onions til they start to change color and then add the flour and sautee the flour for half a minute and then remove from heat and slowly stir in the fish stock and the milk and mix well to remove all lumps. Return to the fire and cook till its thickening a bit and then add the prawns and cook till prawns are cooked (do not over cook prawns) and then season with salt and pepper and add the fish and the cream. Mix well and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from the heat to avoid over cooking.
Fill into shells and top with grated cheese OR pour over boiled pasta of your choice.
Put the shells into a hot oven till well grilled and golden on top.
NITU DIDI TIP: this is an excellent pasta shell filling…or even can be used for a fancy seafood lasagna or a canneloni filling…..
TO MAKE THIS LESS FATTENING: omit the cream and use more milk

TO GARNISH: i just grilled some prawns and placed them on top of each shell

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PARTY SALAD WITH BLACKBERRY DRESSING

Posted on January 3, 2012 by nituchugani

This is a nice party salad which will surprise your guests…not for its content but for its lovely tangy fruity dressing with a difference! I made this for my New Years Eve dinner .  Now how did i learn this dressing??? Well…my sister Helena gave me a jar of this amazing home made blackberry jam and then Adela gave me a jar of some amazing grainy dijon mustard and i had both jars in the refrigerator and wanted to create something unique. So…i thought of a salad dressing!!! My son is my biggest critic and very into gourmet food and he loved it and thats why i am sharing the recipe today. You can add any kind of ingredients to this salad. I will tell you what i added but then you can always omit or add what you feel like.
INGREDIENTS:
1 bowl of iceberg lettuce, roughly chopped
a little cucumber, cut into rounds
black and green olives
tomato, cut into rounds
a few steamed mussels, removed from their shell ( good source of Zinc and vitamin  B12)
a few grains of pomogranet
Now you can also add some sweet corn, some cooked chicken or prawns, a bit of ham, some cheese, any other kind of lettuce etc. Just use your imagination
FOR THE BLACKBERRY DRESSING:
2-3 tablespoons of blackberry jam
1 tablespoon of good grainy dijon mustard (or just use what you have at home!!!)
salt to taste
a splash of balsamic vinegar
a splash of extra virgin olive oil
METHOD:
arrange the ingredients for your salad on a pretty platter. Mix the ingredients for the dressing and taste. You can always add or lessen some of the ingredients in it to suit your tastebuds!!! I just served the dressing apart so each one can add the quantity which they like.
NITU DIDI TIP: if you dont like jam you can substitute it for honey. You can also change the flavor of the jam and use orange/lemon marmalade or anyone you like or have at home!

Posted in Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Salads | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment