PEPPER CHICKEN

Posted on July 30, 2011 by nituchugani

This chicken took 5 minutes to actually cook with a little beforehand preparation time…so next time your stuck with chicken and cant think of a way to make it…THIS IS THE RECIPE FOR YOU!!!
Ive used chicken breast as it cooks quickly and if you know how to go about it properly it doesnt turn out hard and dry.
It has simple ingredients so you dont have to go rushing to the supermarket !!! Have a go at this recipe, you wont regret it!!
INGREDIENTS:
250 grams cubed chicken breast
2-3 cloves of garlic grated
1 teaspoon grated ginger (optional)
1 teaspoon of NITU DIDI lemon pepper
salt to taste
1 small onion cubed
6 tablespoons of olive oil
Parsley or coriander leaves
FOR THE GARNISH
tomatoes grated with garlic, salt and olive oil
METHOD:
Marinate the cubed chicken with the salt, lemon pepper, ginger and garlic plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil for about 30 minutes.
When you are ready to eat, heat the olive oil in a wok and stir fry the marinated chicken on high heat for about 2 minutes till it gets all seared and slightly browned. Add the cubed onion and the parsley and toss for half  a minute. Taste for seasoning…if you want it more peppery you can add some more black pepper or lemon pepper. Serve hot with the tomato sauce and baguette.
TIP: the tomato sauce can be made before hand and kept in the fridge
ENJOY!!

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RAS MALAI

Posted on July 29, 2011 by nituchugani

RAS MALAI is such a popular indian dessert served in all the indian restaurants. It is purely vegetarian and eggless and tho it seems a little complicated to make, practice makes perfect….

TO MAKE THE PANEER PLEASE REFER TO:

NOW FOR THE RAS MALAI

INGREDIENTS  for 16 plump ras malais

Paneer made out of 1 litre milk with just lemon juice(omit the yogurt in the making process)

1 cup of sugar

1.5 cups of water

1 litre of full fat fresh milk

a good pinch of NITU DIDI PURE SPANISH SAFFRON

finely chopped nuts of your choice

cardamom powder and a little rose essence

METHOD:

make paneer out of the milk and wash it verry well under a running tap to remove all traces of lemon. tie it in a cloth and squeeze out all the water.
meantime mix 1 cup of sugar and 1.5 cups of water and boil.
also take 1 litre of full fat fresh milk and put it to boil with PURE SPANISH SAFFRON till its abt quarter reduced add sugar to taste. remember when it cools down the sugar always tastes less.
knead the paneer verry well till smooth ( or run it thru a food processor) and shape into small tikkis. put them into the boiling water n sugar and boil for 10 mins, they will puff up in size. if they break means u have gone wrong somewhere. its probably not well kneaded.
after 10 mins take them out and put them into the boiling milk. add cardamom powder, and further boil for another 10 mins. cool and add rose water. decorate with nuts of ur choice…the pic has pistas 🙂
refrigerate and serve wll chilled!!!!!!

Pic courtesy Raashi Sunil Geeta Khiani

To buy Nitu Didi pure spanish saffron

Posted in Eggless Sweet Temptations, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Paneer | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

CHICKEN SPRING ROLLS

Posted on July 28, 2011 by nituchugani

STEP BY STEP CHICKEN SPRING ROLLS

Who doesnt love Spring Rolls??? There are soo many versions to this versatile starter. Vegetarian, seafood, chicken, pork etc etc… once you master the art of making them you can play around with the ingredients and each time your spring rolls will taste different. Makes an excellent party snack for kids and adults alike and you can freeze them too!! I served them with a spicy green chilli soy sauce which is basically green chillies, grated ginger, light soya sauce and sesame oil…DELICIOUS…..

STEP 1

STEP 1
for the filling
150 grams of chicken breast minced and marinated in :
a little grated ginger, light soya sauce, chinese rice wine (or brandy) salt, white pepper, sesame oil, (just a little of each)..for those who want to avoid the wine or brandy please do 🙂

1/2 cup of minced cabbage
2 chinese dried mushrooms, soaked in water for 2 hours, and chopped very fine
a handful of bean sprouts
a handful of chopped red capsicum
a handful of chives, chopped fine
a handful of spring onions
METHOD
in a hot wok, add the chicken mince (without oil) and sautee on high heat , breaking up the chicken into small small bits as you sautee it. When its not raw add all the vegetables except the bean sprouts. Add salt and a bit of soya sauce and sesame oil. Mix for a few seconds remove off the heat and add the bean sprouts and cool the mixture thorougly.Check and correct seasoning

STEP 2…The ingredients all ready..the filling, the spring roll wrappers and the beaten egg

STEP 3 put the filling on one side of the wrapper and dip a pastry brush into the beaten egg and apply on the edges of the wrapper

STEP 4 fold it like this

STEP 4
roll the wrapper tightly with the filling

All the rolls made perfectly

Deep fried spring rolls, cut into half and served with green chilli soya sauce which is light soya sauce, green chillies chopped fine, grated ginger and sesame oil

YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!

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PEAS PARATHAS

Posted on July 28, 2011 by nituchugani

These parathas have a nice sweetish taste because peas are sweet on their own and i added a pinch of sugar to enchance the flavor. I served them with a mint yogurt which i shall also share the recipe. Actually you can fill parathas with almost everything and each time they taste different. So today its PEAS PARATHAS for us!! They can be half cooked and frozen also. Take them for your picnics or a packed lunch and its soo complete with yogurt or a salad!!
INGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUGH
2 cups whole wheat flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of oil
warm water to knead
Make a dough from the above ingredients and keep aside covered.
FOR THE PEAS FILLING
2 cups of boiled and mashed peas ( you can just mash it with the fork)
1 small onion chopped fine
salt to taste
a pinch of sugar
a pinch of cumin powder
1 teaspoon of fennel seeds, crushed
lemon juice to taste
a little fresh chopped coriander leaves, mint leaves and green chillies to taste
METHOD:
Combine all the ingredients for the peas filling and mix well. Keep aside. Make balls out of the dough and roll one ball into a thin round. Roll another one too and spread the peas filling thinly on one round. Cover with another round of the dough and seal the edges well with your fingertips. Roll it lightly to even out the whole paratha and place it on a hot preheated iron gridle to cook . Cook on both sides, add a bit of butter and cook till browned well. Serve hot or cold with MINTY YOGURT SAUCE
FOR THE MINTY YOGURT SAUCE:
1 cup of yogurt , put into the blender and add to it
1-2 flakes of garlic
a little piece of chopped ginger
mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chillies to taste
salt and sugar
Blend all this together till smooth. Add sugar if you want a tinge of sweetness. Serve with any type of paratha.

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

DELICIA DE NITU

Posted on July 27, 2011 by nituchugani

DELICIA DE NITU TOTALLY MY CREATION FOR MY COOKING WORKSHOP IN MADRID for this you can use any left over cake, cupcakes…but which have vanilla flavour…if you use lemon or any other favour you wil spoil the end result this recipe makes a HUGE AMOUNT..you can halve the recipe


STEP 1

1 litre whole milk
300 ml cream
400 grams white chocolate..OR CONDENSED MILK
a little bit of sugar if you want. i dont add sugar i sweeten it with only white chocolate but u can use some condensed milk also… or only condensed milk if white chocolate isnt available
GOOD PINCH OF NITU DIDI PURE SPANISH SAFFRON
METHOD:
put the milk to boil with the saffron and when nearing boiling point lower the temperature and add the chopped white chocolate or the condensed milk.
mix till chocolate melts and add the cream.
mix all well.

This is what it looks like

STEP 2

Cakes to be broken and put into a mould so that the prepared white chocolate saffron cream can be poured on top of it

The soaked cake pieces with the saffron white chocolate cream on it..all soaking well. Refrigerate for a few hours till chilled and the cake will take shape

SERVING SUGGESTION:

TIP: you can also add some cardamom powder, or some cinnamon powder and some rose water to give it a verry middle eastern taste 🙂

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CURRY FLAVORED VEGETABLE FRIED RICE

Posted on July 26, 2011 by nituchugani

Ever tried flavoring your regular fried rice recipe with curry powder? Well try it… that is if you like the taste of curry powder. This option is available in most oriental restaurants throughtout Spain and thats why i made it at home. You can make your fried rice with many different ingredients and each time it will taste different. I love to experiment and add whatever i have in the fridge. Its awesome for leftover rice also, changes it completely and u have a new dish!!!! I made this vegetarian thinking of all the vegetarians on my page  but u can actually add whichever ingredients suit your fancy. So i will give you MY recipe and then all you can do is play around with different combinations.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of boiled and cooled white rice
1 small onion chopped fine
1/4 cup of shredded cabbage
1/4 cup of finely chopped courgette/zuchini
2 dried chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 2 hours, drained n chopped fine OR 1/4 cup fresh white mushrooms chopped
1/4 cup of green capsicum
1 teaspoon of finely shredded ginger
salt to taste
light soya sauce
1/2-1 teaspoon of NITU DIDIs LONDON FINE CURRY POWDER
2 tablespoons of oil
METHOD:
Heat the oil in a wok and sautee the ginger, onion, courgette, cabbage and mushrooms till just soft. Add the capsicum and sautee for 30 seconds more. Season with salt and soya sauce and add the curry powder. Mix well. Lastly add the rice and cook till its all well mixed and rice is heated through. Serve hot .

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Made in China, Rice is Nice | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

STUFFED LYCHEES WITH CHICKEN AND AVOCADO

Posted on July 25, 2011 by nituchugani

TOTALLY OIL FREE!!
I created this recipe specially for my son who loves the combination of sweet, salty and sour. I know many dont like it but for those of you who do this is a very interesting combination of flavors and textures. It can be made pure vegetarian and you can also play around with the stuffing, keeping in mind that one has to stuff the lychee so everything has to be chopped fine and blended well. I used avocados and chicken for my stuffing as both are a hot favorite with my son.
INGREDIENTS:
1 can of lychees drained, and keep aside 2 tablespoons of the lychee syrup
FOR THE STUFFING:
1/2 cup of cooked finely shredded chicken breast
1/2 cup of mashed avocado
2 tablespoons of nuts of your choice, chopped into tiny bits
1/4 cup of finely chopped cucumbers
1 teaspoon of good quality mustard
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
METHOD:
combine the chicken, avocado, cucumbers and mix well. Mix the lychee syrup with the sugar, mustard, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Lastly add the nuts. Mix well and then with your fingers fill each lychee with the stuffing. SERVE IMMEDIATELY…Makes an excellent starter for a meal
TIP:  to prevent the avocado from discoloring, add the dressing to it and it will retain its lovely green color

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LEMON CHICKEN

Posted on July 24, 2011 by nituchugani


LEMON CHICKEN is such a favorite amongst many in a Chinese Menu Card. Have you ever wondered how easy it is to make? The sauce is made separately and can be frozen of kept in the refrigerator for over a week. You dont have to limit yourself to chicken…you can use fish, tofu and even mixed vegetables for this sauce.
I will teach you how easy it is….and it does taste AUTHENTIC RESTAURANT WAY!!!
INGREDIENTS FOR LEMON CHICKEN:
500 grams chicken breast, into fillets
salt, pepper and a bit of light soya sauce to taste for the marinade
a little grated ginger
1 egg
white flour as needed
Sparkling water/soda water/bicarbonated water to make the batter
Oil for deep frying
FOR THE SAUCE:
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups of water
11/2 cups of sugar, or less….. depends on how sweet you like it
salt and white pepper to taste
yellow food coloring, a few drops
2 tablespoons cornstarch to thicken the sauce
spring onions cut fine for the garnish
METHOD:
marinate the chicken fillet in the salt, pepper and soya sauce and grated ginger
meantime prepare the sauce
mix the lemon juice with the water and the sugar and put it to boil till the sugar melts and it starts boiling. Lower temperature of the gas and let it simmer a bit
add the salt , pepper and the yellow food coloring. Mix the cornstarch in water and add it to the boiling lemon sauce to thicken to your choice.Taste and correct seasoning.
Keep aside till needed.
FOR THE CHICKEN:
heat the oil in a deep fryer. Mix the white flour with the egg and when the oil is hot make a batter with the sparkling water. Dip the pieces of chicken breast and deep fry till golden.
TO SERVE:
place the chicken fillets in a serving plate (i cut them up into slices so that the sauce penetrates into them) and then pour the hot sauce on top. Garnish with lemon slices and chopped spring onions.
EXCELENT WITH FRIED RICE OR NOODLES

Posted in Chicken, Made in China | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

OIL FREE VEG SAVOURY CAKE

Posted on July 22, 2011 by nituchugani

This is an OIL FREE savoury cake which will please everyone!! It is light and can be eaten cold, on its own or with any chutney of your choice. For all of you who dont want oil in your food..this cake is  just for you! It is steamed instead of baked and quite easy to make. I have flavoured it my way but you can always play around with the layers and flavours.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of fine semolina(sooji)
3 cups of sour yoghurt
1/2 cup of water
salt to taste
3 teaspoons of eno fruit salt
FOR THE GREEN FLAVOR
1/2 cup of green chutney made by grinding coriander leaves, green chillies (or capsicum) ginger garlic
FOR THE YELLOW FLAVOR
1 teaspoon of NITU DIDIS turneric powder
FOR THE RED FLAVOR
1/4 cup of thick tomato paste
METHOD:
mix the semolina(sooji) with the yoghurt, water and the salt to a fine paste. If it is too thick add a little bit of water. Keep it aside for about 2 hours. Divide the batter into 3 parts. Flavor each part acording to the recipe. Keep a steamer with water to heat. Take a metal bowl and line it with foil paper. Mix one part of the batter with 1 teaspoon eno fruit salt and put it in the metal bowl and cover it  and steam it. When its done (it should not be moist to the touch..means its ready) mix the other part of the batter with the eno fruit salt and pour it on top of the steamed layer and steam it again. Repeat for the 3rd batter . When the last batch of batter is done cool the cake. Run a sharp knife throughout the cake to loosen it. Turn it on a plate , cut and serve with chutney of your choice.
NITU DIDI TIP: You can flavor this the way you like, with pureed spinach, pureed carrots, pureed beetroot….. each time you  make this you can have a combination of different flavors and textures 🙂

Posted in A Piece of Cake???, Everything Vegetarian, NO OIL RECIPES, Veg Starters | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

CHINESE CHICKEN DUMPLINGS

Posted on July 21, 2011 by nituchugani

INGREDIENTS:
for the dough
250 grams of flour salt and warm water
knead a nice dough thats pliable. This dough needs to be kneaded for at least 5 minutes.
FILLING:
250 grams of minced chicken
ginger garlic paste
a pinch of salt and sugar
soya sauce, sesame oil and chinese rice wine or brandy
white pepper
spring onions,the white and green part or leeks finely chopped

Posted in Chicken, Floury Matter, Made in China | Tagged , , | Leave a comment