SPAIN-INDIAN OMLETTE

Posted on September 22, 2011 by nituchugani

This omlette is My debut to the popular spanish omlette which we call TORTILLA DE PATATA… if you have been to spain you have definitely seen and tried this!! I have indianised it to make a difference!!
INGREDIENTS FOR 4-6
2 cups of boiled potatoes… leave them a tiny bit raw… and cut them into cubes
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1/4 cup of chopped coriander leaves
1 tablespoon of chopped ginger
green chillies to taste, choppped
1 teaspoon each of Nitu Didis coriander and cumin powder
a pinch of Nitu Didis turmeric powder
a pinch of Nitu Didis garam masala powder
salt to taste
4 large eggs
one splash of cream
olive oil to make the omlette
Heat a pan with a bit of olive oil and add the chopped onions and ginger and cook til softened. Add the chopped potatoes and all the spices and seasoning and mix well. Cool the mixture and then add the cream, Beat the eggs apart till fluffy and add to it the cooked potato mixture. Heat a good non stick pan with some olive oil and pour the potato mixture in it and cover it to let it set.  Once its done on the bottom flip it using a plate and cook on the other side. Yummy and can be eaten hot or cold!!! ENJOY!!

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CHICKEN WITH CARAMELISED ONIONS N MUSHROOMS

Posted on September 21, 2011 by nituchugani

The combination of vegetables with chicken makes this a complete meal. Here the chicken breast is just pan fried, removed and in the same pan the onions are caramelised with the other vegetables. Easy , practical and delicious… Totally ala “NITU DIDI”!!!!!
INGREDIENTS FOR 2
4 chicken fillets, kept whole or cut up (choice is yours…i halved mine)
2 cups of onions, sliced
2 cups of mushrooms, sliced
2 cups of mixed bell peppers (capsicums..i used green and red)
3 bay leaves “Nitu Didi” broken up
4 cloves of garlic  roughly chopped
salt to taste
chilli flakes
6 tablespoons of olive oil (or as needed)
METHOD:
heat a non stick frying pan and add the olive oil in it and then the chicken fillets…season with salt and pepper and brown them on both sides. Once browed keep it aside covered and in the same pan add the sliced onions with the bay leaf and the garlic.  Cook the onions slowly , covered till they turn brown and mushy…. once browned add the mushrooms and cook till soft, Add the capsicums last and stir till the capsicums are still crunchy. To serve you can either add it on top of the chicken fillets or mix the chicken fillets in the vegetable mixture. I served it with white rice..IT WAS YUMMY AND LIGHT!!

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SAUTEED CURRIED VEGETABLES

Posted on September 19, 2011 by nituchugani

Sometimes dont we wish our veggies had a different flavor??? Veggies are best eaten raw but there are some veggies that just need to be cooked so sauteeing is a good healthy and non fattening option. The higher the heat the quicker they cook (except for some root veggies like carrots etc) and the healthier they are. Sometimes we get tired of the same flavor so we can add herbs and lots of seasonings. I was given a spice to try out by a dealer and decided to do something INNOVATIVE  with it… so here you all are!! I hope you like this recipe… if you add noodles or rice to it you have a complete dish… you can also add meat or seafood…BUT..as i always say…  i will give the veg option for my followers who dont eat any type of meat.
INGREDIENTS FOR 4
1 cup of shredded cabbage
1 cup of mixed colored capsicums (red, green , yellow!!)
1 cup of mushrooms
1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste
2 tablespoons of oil
You can also add (which i didnt ) some brocolli florets, carrots and whichever vegetables you like
salt , a small splash of light soya sauce
a sprinkle of lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon of good curry powder (Nitu Didi has a range of madras, london fine or red thai… i used the red thai for this recipe)
METHOD:
heat a wok with the oil and then add the ginger garlic paste and sautee for half a minute then add the vegetables according to cooking time ( in my case i added them all at once…but veggies like carrots n brocolli take longer to cook) … add the seasonings and sautee till veges are crisp!! Serve as a side dish or with noodles or rice 🙂

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KOREAN STYLE CHICKEN

Posted on September 18, 2011 by nituchugani

Korean Chicken is usually barbequed to give it that lovely smoky flavor. Not all of us are fortunate enough to have acess to a barbecue..but for those of you who do its perfect ::) And for those who dont can follow my easy recipe and try to create the flavor in their very own kitchen. I used the whole chicken and then cut it up into fours. You can choose what suits you best. I also cut on the oven cooking time by pressure cooking the chicken 1st and then finishing it off in a very hot oven, this way the chicken remains verry moist inside. Ofourse not all of you have pressure cookers so you can roast it in the oven directly. So shall we get started??????
1 whole chicken…. about 2 kilos in weight, skin on but with slits all over so the marinade penetrates, and loosen the skin a bit with your fingers so the marinade gets in
For the marinade to be mixed together
1/4 cup good quality soya sauce
1/4 cup honey
4 tablespoons of sesame oil
4 tablespoons of chinese wine or half the amount of brandy (For those who dont want alcohol use a dash of gingerale)
1/2 teaspoon of white pepper
1 teaspoon of salt or less
4 tablespoons of very finely grated ginger
juice of 1 lime
Mix all of the above very well and pour it over the chicken. See that the marinade is all over the chicken by rubbing it with your fingers so it penetrates well. Refrigerate overnight.
Now here are the options: If you want to put it into the oven..put it into a baking tray and cover it with foil paper and cook till done and then remove the foil and let it brown on both sides. Putting the foil paper ensures the chicken doesnt lose moisture. If you want some sauce you can add some water half way while its cooking
WHAT DO I DO? i marinate the whole chicken in my pressure cooker and then cook it till its done. I then preheat my oven and remove the chicken from the cooker onto a baking tray and brown it in my oven. That way the chicken is verrry moist and then i spoon the sauce ontop of it while serving.

NITU DIDI TIP: to get that smoked bbq flavor..cut the chicken into pieces b4 serving and hold each piece over the flame for a few minutes !!

ENJOY AND DO GIVE ME COMMENTS!!

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TOFU BURGERS (EGGLESS)

Posted on September 17, 2011 by nituchugani

I made these tofu burgers and they tasted awesome!! The recipe was given to me on the phone by my dear friend Manju Harjani of Madrid. I just made a few changes and really the result was amazing! She used egg in her recipe but i wanted to make them totally EGGLESS…You know i have such a soft corner for my vegetarian followers!!! So do try these burgers out! You wont be sorry!!
FOR 10-12 BURGERS
1 pack (400 grams) of tofu, remove it from the container and wrap it in a kitchen towel overnight to remove all the moisture and then the next day grate it
1/2 packet of onion soup mix
4 tablespoons of oats
1 tablespoon of Nitu Didi coriander powder
1 tablespoon of Nitu Didi cumin powder
2 tablespoons of Nitu Didi Pinchito powder
1 teaspoon of oregano
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 cup of finely chopped coriander leaves
1 tablespoon of finely chopped mint leaves
a few green chillies chopped fine, if you want them spicy
2 tablespoons of potato mash powder
Oil for shallow frying
METHOD:
mix the mashed tofu with all the above ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate the mixture for a few hours for the flavors to blend. Shape into patties/burgers and shallow fry in a non stick frying pan till browned. Serve hot with sauce of your choice!!

NITU DIDI TIP: this makes an excellent starter for a party ..just shape them into balls or croquets and deep fry!

Here is an other way to serve them!!!

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

CHUTNEY CHICKEN

Posted on September 16, 2011 by nituchugani

Chutney is common in most indian kitchens. We always seem to have a jar of green, red or any kind of chutney in our fridge. I created this recipe out of a chutney i had made a week ago and wasnt used…i did not want it to go bad so i used it up for this chicken recipe and it was loved!!
This is a recipe you wont find in any indian restaurant!! So its perfect to show off your cooking skills!
FOR THE GREEN CHUTNEY makes a small jar…and it keeps for a week
1 cup chopped coriander leaves
4 flakes or more of garlic
2 tablespoons of chopped ginger
3-4 green chillies , to make it hot…. do not use if you dont want a spicy chicken
1 tablespoon of chopped mint
1/4 cup of lemon juice
salt to taste
grind the above into a paste and adjust seasoning. Here you have green coriander chutney which is served with many indian snacks or even used as sandwich spread
FOR THE CHICKEN
500 grams chicken legs and thighs, cut up and skin removed and pricked all over
1 onion chopped fine
1 cup of white yogurt
4 tablespoons of oil
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon of Nitu Didi turmeric powder
1 -2 cups of water depending on how thick you want the sauce
METHOD:
Marinate the chicken pieces in 1/4 cup of green chutney for about 3-4 hours. Heat the oil in a pan and sautee the onion till it starts changing color. Add the chicken and cook till the chicken emits all its natural juices and it gets dry. Add a pinch of salt and turmeric and the yoghurt. Cook till the yogurt evaporates. Add the water (depending on how much sauce you want it to have) and cook it till the chicken is done. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add a bit of lemon juice if you feel it needs some. Lovely with white rice or rotis/paratas/pita bread!!!!

NITU DIDI TIP: You can use this recipe for tofu, paneer, fish. lamb etc

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EGGLESS SAFFRON CUPCAKES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Posted on September 13, 2011 by nituchugani

1 yogurt used as a measurement (about 150 grams) beaten with a pinch of Nitu Didi Pure Spanish Saffron and 1/4 teaspoon of Nitu Didi cardamom powder
1 3/4th measurement of sugar
3 measurements of white flour
2/4 measurement of oil
1 measurement of whole milk
1 envelope (2.5 teaspoons) of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of soda bicarbonate

Mix it all together and put into muffin cases and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees till done.

FOR THE TOPPING

1 bar (200 grams) of white chocolate bar melted with 5 tablespoons of cream over a double boiler. When a bit cool pour on top of the muffins !!

Posted in A Piece of Cake???, Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Saffron | Tagged , | Leave a comment

POTATOES WITH DIFFERENT SAUCES

Posted on September 13, 2011 by nituchugani

 

In Madrid there are tapas bars that serve these potatoes with different sauces. Its called “PATATAS ALA MIL SALSAS”. The potatoes they serve are deep fried…and the sauces are many many! I decided to recreate the same magic in my kitchen but on a healthier scale!! So those of you who wanna have their PATATAS ALA MIL SALSAS healthier can do so now and if you want that crunch then by all means do fry yours. You can use the frozen variety or make your own home fries 🙂
FOR THE SAUCES:
I used mayonnaise as a base and then flavoured them up with my imagination…. i will give you all the ingredients of each sauce…the base is mayonnaise…..
CURRY SAUCE: mayonnaise mixed with a good curry powder and a pinch of sugar
SPICY SAUCE: mayonnaise mixed with tabasco, and some other sweet chilli sauce
COCKTAIL SAUCE: mayonnaise mixed with ketchup
HONEY SAUCE: mayonnaise mixed with honey and mustard
WASABI SAUCE: mayonnaise mixed with wasabi
TO ASSEMBLE:
Cut the potatoes into thick rounds and boil them in a lot of salted water till just about done. Cool them and place on a plate, Serve with all these sauces which are in tiny containers.
TO EAT: dip each potato piece with your fork into the sauce of your choice
THIS IS PERRFECT FOR LAZY FAMILY OR COZY COUPLE MEALS…. with a nice glass of wine …AND OLE!!!!!!!!!!!

TIP: the vegetarians can use mayonnaise…or greek yogurt as their base 🙂

the vegans can use any sauce that they use instead of mayonnaise 🙂

 

Posted in Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Sauces and Chutneys, Spanish Tapas, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

GREEN OLIVE FOCACCIA

Posted on September 12, 2011 by nituchugani

I never thought i could ever bake such fancy breads as the honeycomb cheese filled saffron syrup bread or this green olive focaccia!! It is easy to make….yummy and keeps well for 2 days that is if you dont manage to finish it. I got the recipe courtesy YBARRA spain which is a brand of olive oil and olives

but you can use any good extra virgin olive oil and olives either green or black…stuffed or seedless 🙂 By the way the recipe was with white flour, i used whole wheat and a mixture of butter and olive oil (vegans can use just olive oil)
INGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUGH
300-350 grams of white or whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons of butter (or just use 5 tablespoons of olive oil)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 cup of warm water
1 envelope (1 tablespoon of dry yeast)
olives of your choice
METHOD:
in a mixing bowl put the yeast, salt and sugar and add the warm water and let the yeast get frothy. Add the flour and the olive oil and butter and knead into a smooth dough. If you need to add more flour do so. Knead well for 5 minutes till smooth and elastic. Keep it in a container and cover it well and keep it in a warm place to rise ( i keep it in my balcony…lots of warm spanish sunshine there!) When it doubles in size shape it into an oblong without using a rolling pin. You will get a big shape so you can make two! What i did was make the honeycomb cheese filled bread with half of the dough and then this focaccia. I will put the link to the other recipe also. So now you have your oblong focaccia..put it in a  pre greased baking tray and  add the green olives on it pushing them a bit onto the dough and leave it to rise again (another 30 minutes) and then brush it with olive oil and bake till golden brown!!!
ITS YUMMY ON ITS OWN

HONEYCOMB CHEESE FILLED BREAD WITH SAFFRON SYRUP

i used the same dough…made small balls and rolled them out..filled them with a tiny piece of cheese and then placed each ball next to each other and bake till done . Meantime make the saffron syrup with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water and a good pinch of Nitu Didi Pure Spanish saffron boiled for 6-8 minutes till slightly thick, When the bread is done pour the syrup on the top..YOU CANT IMAGINE HOW AMAZING THIS TASTES 🙂

Posted in Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Saffron, Vegan | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

SAFFRON MOJITO (can be made without the alcohol also)

Posted on September 11, 2011 by nituchugani

This recipe comes from an ancient traditional liquer which is gin and saffron based from the province of “SINDH” where my ancestors came from. That recipe is complicated so i have modernized it to our “MOJITO”!!!
for this you will need saffron flavored sugar syrup…this syrup can be kept in the fridge for over a week in an air tight container.
to make 1 cup of syrup you need to boil 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water for about 6 minutes and for saffron flavoured syrup just add a pinch of Nitu Didi PURE SPANISH SAFFRON to the sugar water mixture .
INGREDIENTS:
30 ml of white rum (that is the standard 1 peg measurement of alcohol served in a bar) you can use more
60 ml of saffron sugar syrup
a few mint leaves
20 ml of lime juice
lots of crushed ice
METHOD:
In a fancy glass crush the mint leaves with the back of the spoon to emit their flavor. Add the rum, sugar syrup and the lime juice and taste. You can always make it sweeter, more sour or even more potent!!!
add the crushed ice and give it a stir!!!!!!!!!!
IF your a mojito fan you will LOVE this… for a party i suggest you make a mixture of the saffron sugar syrup and the rum and lemon juice in a big jar….then its jsut adding the rest together which will take  2 minutes!!!
CHEERS!!
NITU DIDI TIP: if you dont drink….just omit the rum
and you can also make this with vodka….

Posted in Cocktails, Saffron | Tagged , , | 6 Comments