SWEET AND SOUR CUCUMBER SALAD

Posted on July 9, 2011 by nituchugani

Cucumbers are a souce of Vitamin A & C and calcium and iron. This is a light oil free salad which is soo crunchy. The sweet and sour dressing makes it “oriental”. Its excellent to snack on or serve as a side dish for an “oriental menu”. Many “oriental ” restaurants serve this complimentary. This is our family favourite,you can add carrots, turnips and lots of vegetables to this. BUT..this is my salute to the SPANISH CUCUMBERS which were in the news recently. Yes we ate them!!!

INGREDIENTS: cucumbers, peeled or left with the peel on, i half peeled them

DRESSING: white vinegar, or lemon juice or rice vinegar salt and sugar to tase You can also use a bit of cooking oil or sesame oil…i did not because that makes the cucumbers soft… and they lose their crunchiness

METHOD: slice the cucumbers into rounds and mix the ingredients for the dressing. the sugar does take a bit of time to dissolve. So keep that in mind. Toss the cucmbers with the dressing and refrigerate for a  30 minutes to let the flavors infuse. ITS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Made in China, NO OIL RECIPES, Salads | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

OIL FREE WHOLE “SPICED CHICKEN”

Posted on July 8, 2011 by nituchugani

This is my 1st recipe for this category where i will show you how to cook OIL FREE AND DELICIOUS FOOD. If you are counting calories, or just dont like oily food or even have a high cholesterol count.. believe me OIL FREE RECIPES dont have to be boiled and boring.. You can make certain foods delicious without ANY OIL.. for an even more low calorie recipe i suggest you use just whole chicken breast instead of the whole chicken that i have done in this recipe
INGREDIENTS:
1 whole chicken , skin removed, about 2 kilos (4lb more or less) of weight
have the skin removed from the chicken and make cuts all over it so the marinade can penetrate into it. I told the meatman to halve  the chicken and i laid it on my pressure cooker to marinate it.
FOR THE MARINADE:
2 cups white yoghurt, can be non fat or even soya yoghurt according to your needs
4 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 whole pod of garlic
1 piece of ginger, like say 2 ”
green chillies to taste, and if you dont want it hot then some green capsicum
4 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves
1 small red onion
All this goes into the blender and is made into a smooth paste
Now for the spices:
2 tablespoons of NITU DIDI CORIANDER POWDER
1 tablespoon of NITU DIDI CUMIN POWDER
1 tablespoon of NITU DIDI GARAM MASALA POWDER (or more if you want it flavorful)
1 teaspoon of NITU DIDI TURMERIC POWDER
1 teaspoon of NITU DIDI PINCHO POWDER
salt to taste
Mix these spices into your yoghurt mixture and marinate the chicken overnight.
Next day pressure cook the whole chicken with all the marinade. Pressure cook it for about 10 minutes. This ensures the chicken will be done and will save on oven cooking time.
TIP: i marinate it in the pressure cooker itself so i save on washing up 🙂
FOR THE FINISHING TOUCH:
transfer the chicken into an oven proof dish with all the liquid and put it into a hot oven for about 10 minutes each side to grill and get crispy
ENJOY WITH A SALAD OR A LOAF OF YOUR FAVOURITE BREAD

THIS CHICKEN IS SOO DELICIOUS IT WILL SPICE UP ANY BORING DIET!!!

SERVING SUGGESTION:

Posted in Chicken, NO OIL RECIPES | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

STEP BY STEP HOME MADE CHINESE STYLE SEITAN

Posted on July 6, 2011 by nituchugani

Home made SEITAN with green peppers.. You can make this gluten with any style.. 1st one should learn how to make the BASIC GLUTEN and then you can marinate it anyway and any style to suit your tastebuds..Let me show you STEP BY STEP..if you follow my recipe and my steps ITS EASY… and ECONOMICAL!!

STEP 1

Take 1 kilo of white flour with 2 teaspoons of salt and make a dough with water.

STEP 2

The dough…. kneaded well

STEP 3

Cover it with plastic wrap and keep it for an hour

STEP 4

Put it in a strainer and wash it under a running tap till the water comes out CLEAR…it will take about 10 minutes for you to keep on washing and kneading it

STEP 5

Once the water runs clear, squeeze out all the water and wrap your SEITAN in plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for about 2 hours

STEP6
This is what it will look like after refrigeration

STEP 7

Cut it into small pieces and boil them in a pan of boiling water for at least 30 minutes. If you want you can even pressure cook them for about 5 minutes.  This is what it looks like after boiling

STEP 8

Marinate it the way you want…i marinated it chinese style with sweet soya sauce, salt, ginger garlic paste, sesame oil, light soya sauce and white pepper

STEP 9

Sautee the marinated seitan in a wok and then add green peppers and onions…

THIS IS YOUR AWESOME VEGETARIAN SEITAN MADE CHINESE STYLE

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Made in China, Step by Step | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

SPANISH GAZPACHO

Posted on July 6, 2011 by nituchugani

 

GAZPACHO
This is a Spanish cold soup very popular in summer. There are many ways and versions of this but i will show u the basic one. Its very easy, keeps a few days in the refrigerator and is low calorie and packed with vitamins. Every Spanish will have their own “VERSION” and special way of making it!!! So lets make it my way!!
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SOUP
1 kilo ripe red tomatoes
1 big cucumber
1 red capsicum
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 small red onion
1 cup of mineral water
salt, vinegar and olive oil to taste ( i add the olive oil later)
METHOD:
Blend together all the vegetables with the salt and the mineral water till very well blended.
Strain it well and then if you want it more watery you can add water. Some people add a slice of bread…i dont
TO SERVE:
this soup is served chilled to beat the summer heat. It is served with chopped onions, cucumbers, croutons, and even bits of boiled egg. The olive oil is sprinkle on the top…In the pic i have served it in a glass with a cucumber stick….

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Soups-hot and cold, Spanish Tapas | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

LIGHT OKRA AND POTATO IN LEMON PEPPER

Posted on July 5, 2011 by nituchugani

OKRA IS ALSO KNOWN AS LADYFINGER

This is a different way of making OKRA AND POTAOTES… I will also post the regular recipe which is a part of many indian kitchens.
The use of little oil and no spices makes this dish very appropriate for many types of diets.
The potatoes can be omitted totally and it tastes equally amazing. If you cant get the spice “lemon pepper” you can substitute it for lemon juice and black pepper
Okras are tender and need no liquid to cook..they cook in their own steam making this recipe of much nutritional value
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of fresh or frozen and thawed okra, cut
1 cup of potatoes, diced same size as okra
1 cup of chopped onions
1 tablespoon of grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon of NITU DIDI TURMERIC POWDER
1 teaspoon or more of NITU DIDI LEMON PEPPER POWDER
salt to taste
chilli flakes to taste if you want it to be spicy
chopped green chillies to taste
coriander leaves chopped
1 tablespoon of olive oil or cooking oil
METHOD:
in a non stick wok or frying  pan heat the oil and add the grated ginger and sizzle for a few moments. Then add the chopped onions and salt, cook covered for 1 minute and then add the diced potatoes. Cover and cook on low temperature stirring ocasionally. When the potatoes are half done (you can test them by poking a piece with a fork) add the okra. I say add the okra now coz okra needs less cooking time. Cook covered till okra is done but not mushy. sprinkle liberally with lemon pepper spice, turmeric and plently coriander leaves and chopped green chillies.
As you can see this is a light, low calorie and simple recipe. IT TASTES AWESOME

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Indian Restaurant Dishes | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

TEEN DAAL (TARKA DAAL) WITH PARATHA

Posted on July 4, 2011 by nituchugani

Tarka Daal and Parathas is a staple food of everday India. Lentils or Daals are eaten almost daily in the average indian household. Lentils are rich in proteins specially for the vegetarians. My spanish student ELENA BALLESTEROS made this daal from the recipe i gave her over the phone!! She then sent me a pic and i felt like sharing it with you all ! Its simple to make and can be eaten with plain boiled white rice or Parathas which is indian whole wheat bread.
FOR THE DAAL
She used 3 varieties of daal, channa dal, split green mung dal and whole red masoor dal
1/4 cup of each daal soaked for an hour and then pressure cooked in 1 cup water till done.
1 large onion chopped fine
2 pods of garlic,chopped fine
1 small pc. ginger,chopped fine
2 tomatoes, chopped fine
1 cup courgette finely chopped
green chillies and coriander to taste
Lemon juice to taste
salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon of NITU DIDI CUMIN SEEDS
1/2 teaspoon of NITU DIDI CORIANDER POWDER
1/2 teaspoon of NITU DIDI TURMERIC POWDER
1/2 teaspoon of NITU DIDI GARAM MASALA
3-4 tablespoons of butter or ghee
METHOD:
Boil the lentils in a pressure cooker or normal saucepan till done. Make sure it has some liquid rememebering if you use a pressure cooker the cooking time is faster and we need less of water.
Melt the butter or ghee in a wok and add the cumin seeds and let it sizzle. Then add the garlic and the ginger and let it cook for a few seconds taking care not to burn. Add the chopped onions and let it cook till it changes color then add the spices and the tomatoes and the courgette. Let it all cook till everything is soft and mushy. Add the lentils and mix it well. Check for seasoning. Add lemon juice to taste and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and green chillies.
SERVE WITH RICE OR PARATHAS
FOR THE PARATHAS
1 cup each of white flour and whole wheat flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of ghee, butter or oil
warm water to make the dough
METHOD:
mix the flours together with the seasoning and the oil. with warm water make a soft pliable dough. leave it covered for about an hour.make small balls of the dough. heat a non stick gridle or a frying pan well. roll out each ball of dough into a circle, apply a bit of oil or melted butter and then fold it into a triangle and roll it out once again. cook on the heated gridle till brown and crispy…

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Lentils | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

FISH PILLAF/PULLAO

Posted on July 3, 2011 by nituchugani

 

“Pillaf” or “Pullao” literally means rice cooked in a well seasoned broth (gravy). It can be made with meat, seafood, chicken or vegetables or even  a combination of both.
Today lets learn how to make an easy FISH PULLAO. For all my Spanish follwers this is my indian version of a PAELLA! Its easy, just needs one cooking utensil and not too many complicated ingredients and you have a nice ONE MEAL DISH fit for a Sunday lunch or a Saturday night party
INGREDIENTS:
300 grams of boneless fish (its better to use a firm fish, so that it doesnt smash during the cooking process)
300 grams of chopped onions
2 tablespoons of ginger garlic paste
2-3 chopped green chillies , optional
2 ripe red tomatoes, chopped skin off
salt to taste
some  chopped coriander leaves
3 tablespoons of ghee or oil
1 cup soaked basmati rice (30 minutes soaked)
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon “NITU DIDI CORIANDER POWDER”
1 teaspoon “NITU DIDI CUMIN POWDER”
1 tablespoon “NITU DIDI GARAM MASALA POWDER”
4 “NITU DIDI WHOLE CLOVES”
1 small stick “NITU DIDI CINNAMON”
METHOD:
heat oil in a non stick pan ( i used a round pan) and add the bay leaf, the cloves and cinnamon stick.. let it sizzle for a few seconds and then add the chopped onions. Sautee them till they get brown taking care not to burn. Once browned add the ginger garlic paste and the green chillies, sautee for a few seconds and then add a bit of water so it all cooks together. when the water evaporates add the salt and the fish pìeces and cover for the fish to steam in the sauce. Do not over cook the fish just let it steam for about 30 seconds. Remove fish onto a plate and then add the chopped tomatoes and the spices. Cook till everything is well mixed and when you see the oil separating then it means your gravy is ready. Add the drained soaked rice and about double the amount of water to rice. Check seasoning once the broth comes to a boil. Cook the rice covered till it is about 80% done and then add the fish pieces back into the pan and let it all cook together till the rice is done. Garnish with coriander leaves and lemon wedges.

Posted in Indian Restaurant Dishes, Rice is Nice, Something's Fishy | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

CHICKEN MADRAS

Posted on July 2, 2011 by nituchugani

CHICKEN MADRAS..Again a regular in any Indian Restaurant and a big favourite amongst the English. This is easy to make, quick and with white rice makes an excellent meal. I once again want to show you all how easy it is to cook restaurant like food in your very own kitchens.

INGREDIENTS:
250 grams boneless chicken breast, cubed
1 small onion, cubed
1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste
1 green capsicum cubed
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup of either coconut milk, or milk or stock (depends on your taste)
2 teaspoons of NITU DIDIs MADRAS CURRY POWDER
a pinch of salt to taste
red chilli flakes to taste
3 tablespoons of oil for cooking

METHOD:
marinate the chicken with a pinch of salt, the lemon juice, the ginger garlic paste for about an hour.
Heat the oil and then add the onion and let it get translucent and then add the marinated chicken and cook on high heat and then add the green capsicum.cook for a second and then add the curry powder and the coconut milk, milk or stock (as your preference) . let it all blend well and cook till chicken is done. serve hot with steamed white rice

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

AACHARI CHICKEN

Posted on July 1, 2011 by nituchugani

AACHARI CHICKEN

This chicken is on the menu of each and every indian restaurant. It can be made with lamb, mixed vegetables and paneer also. This is quite a spicy dish as the basic spice for this is spicy, so for all of you who love their indian food HOT… you will love this!! I prefer it to the normal classic “Vindaloo” the taste of this is different and very authentic.

ACHAARI CHICKEN
the key to this is the ready made ACHAARI SPICE
u can make it according to the packet
but its too spicy and not many can eat it, the spice itself is verry spicy.
i will tell u how i made it ok?
500grams of cubed boneless chicken breast
1 cup of sour yoghurt
juice of 1 lime ( to give it that achaari taste)
2 tablespoons of ginger garlic paste
1 big onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons of achaari spice or more if u wish
salt to taste ( the spice already has some salt)
1 cup of tomato paste or a bit less
2 tablespoons of oil from any pickle bottle
butter or ghee ( u can use oil but for the authentic taste use butter or ghee)
lots of chopped green chillies and green coriander leaves

METHOD
marinate the chicken in the yoghurt, ginger garlic paste and achaari spice
in a non stick wok or kadai (indian non stick skillet) heat the butter or ghee and then add the chopped onion and fry till it starts changing color…then add the marinade of the chicken (just the marinade) and cook till you see the oil separating.. then add the chicken, sautee on high heat ( else chicken becomes hard) and then when done add the tomato pasteand the oil from the pickle, check for seasoning. if u find it bland pls add some more achaari masala. sautee till the ghee separates, thats a few minutes. then add the green chillies and coriander and serve hot.

Posted in Chicken, Indian Restaurant Dishes | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

CHICKEN TIKKA PINWHEELS

Posted on June 30, 2011 by nituchugani

This is a creation of mine was due to some left over chicken tikka which i had and also the love my daughter has for crepes!!!

FOR THE CREPE or you can even use soft left over rotis, wraps or even parathas..just make sure they are fine so the rolling process is  easier..You dont have to cut them up like the pic- you can just serve them as a wrap/roll—i just wanted to be a little fancy

1 beaten egg

salt to taste

4 tablespoons of white flour

a pinch of baking powder

a little milk to make the batter

1 teaspoon of melted butter

mix all the ingredients for the crepes. they should be not too thick. leave the batter for an hour or so. heat a hot non stick pan and add a tiny drop of oil, spread it around the pan and put a ladle of batter, spread it to make a thin pancake and cook on both sides.

FILLING

left of chicken tikka, or any filling of your choice.. you can use any left over meat or vegetables or paneer

mayonnaise as needed (if you dont like mayo you can use any sauce of your choice) the use of this is to basically bind the filling

chopped coriander leaves

METHOD FOR FILLING:

put the chicken tikka into the food processor and pulse just a bit so that it breaks into tiny pieces. add the mayo (or sauce of your choice) and the chopped coriander leaves

TO ASSEMBLE:

take a pancake and spread a bit of the filling all over it..do not spread too much else while cutting it will ooze out. Roll it tightly like a swiss roll and wrap it firmly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 2 hours so it gets firm.

TO SERVE:

unwrap the roll carefully and cut into rounds with a sharp knife

SERVE AS A STARTER OR AS A MAIN MEAL—if you want to serve it in a party you can secure each pinwheel with a toothpick

Posted in Chicken, Crepes, Floury Matter | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment