Fettuccine in Creamy Coconut Milk

Pasta is loved by everyone, and i believe it is one of those simplest one dish meals one can think of which is also everyone’s favorite for times when you have to serve the meal in less than 35 minutes. This is one such dish that i prepare using the usual ingredients and turns out to be a great hit with my loved ones.

This is my lovely Sisters recipe. She taught me this recipe and i prepare this along with any noodles that I have in my house. I also serve it along with Chicken Tikka, Salmon Tikka or Lamb Tikka. Children will especially devour upon it, and the elders too.  

 

Fettucine in Creamy Coconut Milk 

Coconut Milk here makes a creamy sauce giving it a rich golden colour. Its healthy and nutritious.

Fettucine in Creamy Coconut Milk  

Ingredients:

To Prepare Sauce

• Canola Oil – 4 tbsp 
• Yellow Onions – 2, thinly sliced
• Tomatoes – 1, large, finely diced
• Red Chilli Powder – 2 tbsp
• Salt – 2 tbsp
• Garam Masala – 1 tbsp
• Cornmeal – 2 tbsp
• Coconut Milk – 3 tbsp
• Light Cream – 1 tbsp
• Water – 2 cups approx
• Green Capsicum – 1, chopped
• Red Capsicum – 1, chopped
• Crimini Mushrooms – 100 gms, sliced

To Prepare Pasta 

• Fettuccine Noodles - 500 gms
• Water – 5.5 litres
• Salt – 1 tbsp

Method:

• In a heavy non-stick saucepan at medium high heat, pour in oil and as soon as it warms up, add the sliced onions and sauté them till they are light brown in colour. Add the chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, salt and garam masala. Mix and let it cook on medium heat till the tomatoes are mushy.
• Transfer the mixture to a blender container and add cornmeal to it. Blend till pasty.
• Pour this paste back in the same pan and let it cook till oil seperates.
• Add Coconut milk, cream and water to it. Let it cook for 3 minutes.Throw in the chopped red and green capsicums and mushrooms. Bring to a boil at medium high heat.
• Meanwhile in a large saucepan , pour water and add the remaining salt to it. Bring it to a boil and add the pasta and stir until water again returns to a boil. Cook uncovered for 9 minutes stirring occassionally or until al dente. Drain.
• Mix the drained pasta with the prepared Coconut milk sauce in the saupan and cook on low heat for 3 minutes.

Suggested Accompaniments: Serve it hot along with Boiled halved Eggs, and sliced Black Olives, Chicken Tikka or Lamb Tikka or Salmon Tikka, Chicken Croquettes, Pan Grilled Chicken Mustard, Grilled Sweet Chilli Chicken.

Luv,
Mona

Spiral Veg-Chicken Pasta

Pasta, and who would say they do not want to have it?! Anyone, Huh?!?

Well, I had prepared this recipe for dinner a day back and thought of sharing this recipe with you all.  Pasta and left overs go well with each other. Especially when we, homecooks, dont feel like being in the kitchen for longer times. I had many left over cut vegetables and some chicken in my refrigerator and made this dish for the dinner, simple and loved by everyone.

 

Spiral Veg-Chicken Pasta 

I often enjoy cooking a lot more sometimes listening to some lovely songs at high volumes. Do you also do this sometimes? I wonder if only i love cooking and doing house chores while listening to songs..? Music sometimes makes me feel energetic in those times when i feel low or tired, with my energy levels touching ‘zero’ !

These days i’m listening to the songs of these bollywood movies, ‘Om Shanti Om’, with a completely new look for SRK, and ‘Saawariya’. I however did not like all the songs of both the movies Some are below expectations. But some songs of both the movies are really good and lovely. I am looking forward to the movie ‘Saawariya’ with two debutants from a ‘filmi’ background. How many of you liked the trailors and songs of ‘Saawariya’? For those of you who havent seen the trailor of ‘Saawariya’, here, have a look at it, and enjoy

I did not post any recipe from some days, and also wasnt able to reply to the comments as the internet was giving me some problems. This is when i realized how much my life revolved around internet. I was not able to do many things because of no internet connection ! I was really surprised to see and analyze how many activities of my life depended on internet. Browsing the net, checking mails, reading blogs.. are some of the basic daily internet routines. I felt frustrated and my whole routine for the day went topsy turvy because of that ! Yeah! Believe me, and i guess most of my readers agree with me here.. Glad !.. and very happy that the internet connection is now back. And i only hope it never again goes. I thank all my readers for dropping by and apologise for not being there..

Anyways, in this recipe, there’s a strong flavour of coriander as i sprinkled some of it at the end on it, an Indian style pasta dish! I love to add cumin, and especially coriander powder in my recipes as i feel they enhance the flavours and most importantly aid in digestion. You can have this recipe at lunch, dinner or even at breakfast. You can even pack it in a lunch box and have this healthy and filling meal for lunch. Well, here goes the recipe..

Spiral Veg-Chicken Pasta

Serves : 3

Ingredients:

• Canola Oil – 2 tbsp
• Chicken breast pieces – 250 gms, cut into 1 or 1 1/2 cm cubes
• Yellow Onion – 1 cup, finely chopped
• Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp
• Baby Carrots – 3/4 cup, sliced thinly
• Green capsicum – 3/4 cup, chopped
• Red capsicum – 3/4 cup
• Cabbage – 3/4 cup
• Tomato Paste – 1 tbsp
• Water – 2 cups
• Maggi Cubed Chicken Stock -2 cubes
• Dry roasted Coriander seed powder – 1 1/2 tsp
• Cilantro – for garnish
• Spiral pasta – 250 gms

Method:

To Prepare the Pasta Sauce-

• In a pan on medium heat, pour oil and put the cut chicken pieces. Stir fry it for 5 minutes.
• Now add the chopped onion. Fry it till it is translucent in colour. Then add ginger garlic paste and stir it well for 2 minutes or so.
• Add all the cup vegetables and sprinkle a little bit of salt over it, maybe a big pinch, just to enhance the colour of the veggies. Stir fry the contents in the pan for about 5-7 minutes. Then add the tomato paste, water and the cubed chicken stock. Break the cube once it softens up and mix well.
• Cover the pan so the the chicken and vegetables soften up and absorb the flavours. The pasta sauce is ready.

To prepare the Pasta Dish-

• Prepare the Spiral pasta according to the instructions on the package.
• When you drain the pasta once it is done, reserve a cup of water and drain off all the remaining pasta water.
• In a bowl at medium heat, pour the earlier prepared pasta sauce, the reserved cup of pasta water, and the drained pasta.
• Mix well to coat the pasta with the sauce. Cover and simmer for about 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle with fresh coriander powder and garnish with fresh coriander/cilantro leaves and serve hot.

This recipe goes to Ruth hosting Presto Pasta Nights every friday, with the theme as to send her pasta recipes every week. I really liked her theme and the idea because, i cook pasta every weekend, and i look forward to try out different and new recipes of pasta dishes everytime. Her blog will surely help me Thanks Ruth !

Raisin and Red Apple Chicken Pasta Salad

This is one of my favourite salads I had got hold of many years ago. I thought of sharing this out with you guys. There are a lot of proteins in a contrast of textures in this recipe. The raisins are a sweet, chewy accent to crisp apples, and almonds add crunch to the whole grain pasta. A hearty, all in one salad perfect for a summer lunch or dinner. Enjoy the Salad

Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat pasta – (any of your choice) 2 1/2 cups
• Chicken breast – 2 cups, cooked and cubed
• Raisins – 1 cup
• Red Apple – 1, cored, cubed
• Green Onions – 2, sliced
• Mayonnaise – 1/3 cup
• Honey – 2 tbsp
• Dijon Mustard – 1 tbsp
• Almonds – silvered and toasted, 1/4 cup

Method:

• Cook pasta as directed on box, drain and rince with cold water.
• Combine cooked pasta, chicken, raisins, apple and onions in a large bowl.
• Combine mayonnaise, honey, and mustard in a small bowl.
• Add to pasta and toss to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate 1 hour or unto overnight to bleand flavours.
• Top with almonds just before serving.

 

Colourful Pasta

There’s one thing about pasta that I like a lot. It can be made in a hundred different ways changing the flavours with every ingredient you wish to add to it. While preparing pasta you can experiment a lot, with whatever you like, and it gets ready instantly for a delicious heartful meal.

This recipe which I make is loved by everyone in my home. You can substitute meat in this recipe with the same amount of chicken breast pieces, or omit both and make it a vegetarian pasta dish. Adding meat or chicken just gives a good flavour of itself to the dish and i did not use much. Its a colourful and healthy dish. Try it out.

Serves : 4

Colourful Pasta

Ingredients:

• Lamb/Veal meat – 110 gms, cubed into bite size pieces
• Fusilli Pasta – 400 gms
• Ripe Tomatoes – 2, large, chopped finely
• Canned Tomato paste – 1 cup
• Carrots – 2, washed peeled and sliced
• Red capsicum – 1, large
• Green beans/Binees – 1 cup, washed and chopped
• Canned Black beans – 1 cup, drained and gently washed
• Salt – to taste
• Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
• Garam masala – 2 tsp
• Yellow Onion – 1, small, sliced
• Canola Oil – 4 1/2 tbsp
• Parmesan Cheese – 1 cup, Grated (optional)
• Black Olives – 1 cup, sliced and deseeded (optional)

Method:

• Put a pressure cooker on heat and add half a tablespoon of oil to it. Add the washed and cubed lean meat pieces and stir until no longer red. Pour a little water and pressure cook till it becomes soft. You can even use some left over meat. Just shred it into bite size pieces. Remove the meat with all its juices to a bowl once done.
• Take a pan and add two teaspoon oil to it. Fry the cut carrots, capsicum, french beans individually for 3-4 minutes each and remove in an another bowl.
• In a sauce pan, add the remaining oil and put it on heat. Add the sliced onions to it and let them turn translucent. Add the finely chopped tomatoes and cover the lid for a few minutes till the tomatoes have become soft. Add the tomato paste and stir to mix. Add salt, chilli powder, garam masala and turmeric and stir again. Now add the meat pieces with all its juices to the tomato mixture and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Meanwhile cook Fusilli according to instructions and reserve half cup of the water in which the Fusilli was cooked. Drain and keep aside.
• Add the drained pasta with its reserved water, the drained black bean and the sautéed vegetables to the tomato mixture. Reduce the heat to medium low and let it cook uncovered for 5 more minutes.
• Serve immediately into individual plates sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese and sliced olives on top.

Luv,
Mona