Fish Manchurian

Earlier, authentic dishes like Luqmi-Kawab, Mirchi Ka Salan, Kacche Gosht ki Biryani and desserts/meetha like Double ka Meetha and Gajar ka Halwa were a sure sight at any Hyderabadi wedding on the dinner tables. With passing time and generations, this has changed. A modern take on several authentic dishes and innovative techniques to present them is todays mantra. Among them, ‘Apollo fish’ is a seafood manchurian type of dish that is getting very popular nowadays, which more and more Bawarchis are prefering to include in the menus, and quite liked my common.

Apollo fish (or) Fish Manchurian

The below recipe is my imitation of ‘Apollo Fish’. I do not know why is it called particularly as ‘Apollo’ fish, but I sure am among those ardent lovers of this Hyderabadi seafood dish. Your friends will definitely enjoy this very light and tangy platter of fish.

Apollo fish (or) Fish Manchurian

Ingredients:

• Gram flour/Besan - 4 tbsp
• All Purpose flour/Maida – 2 tbsp
• Corn Flour – 2 tbsp
• Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
• Roasted Coriander powder – 1/4 tsp
• Roasted Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp
• Red chilli powder – 1 1/2 tsp
• Salt – 1/2 tsp
• Water - 1 tsp
• Egg – 1, large
• Any firm boneless fish fillets (I prefer Bass/Salmon) – 500 gms, cubed into bite size pieces
• Canola Oil – 1 tbsp
• Ginger Garlic paste – 2 tsp
• Fresh Curry leaves – about 20
• Green, Yellow, Orange and Red bell peppers – 1/2 cup, cut into strips
• Soya Sauce – 3 tbsp
• Lemon juice – 3 tbsp
• Mint and Cilantro leaves - 2 tbsp each, finely chopped, for garnish

Method:

• In a bowl add the first 9 ingredients and mix them well to make a thick batter. Add the fish cubes and gently mix with a spoon so that each piece gets completely covered with the batter.
• Add a few drops of oil to a large non-stick frying pan at medium low heat and as soon as it gets warm, add the fish cubes in a single layer. Shallow fry them till they are golden brown on each side. Repeat until all the fish cibes are done. Remove in a platter and keep aside.
• In the same frying pan, add oil and throw in the ginger garlic paste. Stir fry it till it is golden brown. Add the curry leaves and peppers. Saute it for 2 minutes. Pour in the soya sauce and add the fried fish cubes. With a rubber spatula, gently mix them all. Cover the lid and let cook for 2-4 minutes.
• Add lemon juice. Garnish with cilantro and mint leaves and serve warm immediately.

Suggested Accompaniments: Enjoy the manchurian along with roti, rice or as a snack.

Cheers,
Mona

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

Gobi-Mirch Jalfrezi

Jalfrezi is a type of Indian curry in which marinated pieces of meat or vegetables are fried in oil or spices to produce a dry, thick sauce. It is cooked with green chillies, with the result that the jalfrezi can range in heat from a medium dish to a very hot one. Other main ingredients include Peppers, Onions and Tomatoes. – Wikipedia

It was a bright day today, got to see sun and sunshine peeking through the heavy dark clouds for a little longer time after quite an extended period. That made me very happy and cheerful. I wanted to cook something special today,  vegetarian meal.. and I quickly thought of this dish.

This is my lovely little sister’s recipe. Its a brisk recipe which gets prepared in a jiffy. I searched for the ingredients in my refrigerator and I had all those, so I prepared and had this Curry/Salan along with Zeera Rice/Baghara Chawal and Khatti Dal. It was a filling and we enjoyed it. 

Gobi-Mirch Jalfrezi - Cauliflower and Capsicum in a Tangy Sauce 

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower/Phul Gobi – 1, large, washed and cut into florets
• Red and Green Capsicums/Shimla Mirch – 1 each, de-seeded, cut into bite-size strips
• Canola Oil – 2 tbsp
• Yellow Onion/Pyaz – 2, large, sliced thin
• Soya Sauce – 4 tbsp
• Salt – to taste
• Red Chilli Powder – 1/3 tsp (optional)
• Garam Masala – 1 tbsp
• Tomato Paste – 2 heaped tbsp
• Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
• Nigella Seeds/Kalaunji – 1/2 tsp

Method:

• Heat oil in a non stick pan on medium heat, and throw in the Cumin seeds and Kalaunji. As soon as they start to splutter add the Onions and saute them till they are lightly browned.
• Add the Tomato paste, Garam masala, Salt and Red Chilli powder and mix well. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the Cauliflower florets and stir fry them in the sauce for 3-5 minutes.
• Later add the Capsicum strips, Soya sauce, and a little water and stir to mix. Cover the lid and let it cook for 5 minutes taking care the curry isnt becoming too dry or getting burnt. Keep giving it a gentle stir every now and then. Serve warm.

Suggested Accompaniments: We had it along with Zeera Rice/Baghara Chawal and Khatti Dal for a delicious meal.

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 !

Haleem

Haleem, is a stew or a porridge made by slow cooking the lentils, meat and broken wheat together. Its one of the most nutritous one-dish meals anyone can have. Its perfect for a cold weather, or a starving stomach.

Murgh/Chicken Haleem garnished with fried onion slices, halved lime and sliced green chillies  

It is mostly a Hyderabadi dish, usually had by Hyderabadi muslims at Iftaar or dinner in the holy month of Ramadhan. I remember back in India, stalls and shops, especially for the month of Ramadhan would be set up and people would gather in big crowds to have it then and there, or parcel it and take home for everyone at home. The crowds and the stalls which would especially be seen in the month of Ramadhan in Hyderabad was a sight to watch, remember and recollect always. Missing India and my Dear Parents now ! sob

This dish needs some pre-planning and is a little bit time consuming. But you will definitely love it once you try it. It is a balanced, delicious and famous Hyderabadi one dish meal.

I have been trying out many ways of preparing this delicious one dish meal and here is my modified simpler version of the dish. Do give it a try friends..

Haleem – Slow Cooked Lentils, Wheat and Meat/Vegetables Porridge

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:

For Nonvegetarian Version-

Lamb Meat, boneless or with bone - 300 gms, washed and cubed (or) Chicken meat, boneless or with bone – 300 gms washed and cubed (I suggest using meat with bone) (you could also use minced chicken or lamb/veal meat)

For Vegetarian Version-

Fresh/Frozen chopped mixed Vegetables -300gms (you can use chopped vegetables like Cauliflower/PhulGobi, Peas/Matar, Carrots/Gajar, Capsicums/Shimla Mirch, Green Beans/Phalli) 

Remaining Ingredients:

Broken Wheat/Bulgar Wheat/Dalia – 1 1/2 cups
Split Bengal Gram/Chana Dal – 2 tbsp
Split Yellow Lentils/Masoor dal – 2 tbsp
Split Yellow Lentils/Toor dal – 4 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Turmeric/Haldi – 1/2 tsp
Canola oil - 1 tbsp
Butter – 1 tbsp
Deep Fried Crisp Onions/Tali huwi pyaz – 1 cup
Ginger-Garlic paste - 4 tbsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Coriander seeds – 2 tsp, dry roasted and powdered
Cumin seeds – 2 tsp, dry roasted and powdered
Garam masala – 1 tsp

For Garnish:

Mint leaves/Pudina – a few
Cilantro/Kothmir – 4 tbsp
Green chillies/Hari Mirch - 4, finely chopped of slit
Fried Onion/Pyaz – 1 cup
Juicy Lemon/Lime – 4, halved
Butter – 2 tbsp (optional)

Method:

-Wash and soak the Bulgar wheat and the lentils seperately overnight or for atleast 3 hours, in generous amount of water.
-For a Non-vegetarian version, pressure cook the meat in surplus amount of water with a pinch of salt and turmeric till tender. Chicken Meat will cook faster than Lamb meat. Once the meat is tender, shred the meat and keep aside in a bowl, Throw away the bones and measure and reserve the stock. If using minced meat, cook it in a little oil, salt and red chilli powder until browned evenly. Keep aside.
-In a non-stick 7 quart Dutch oven at medium heat, pour oil and butter. As it gets warmed up throw in the fried onion. Add ginger-garlic paste, coriander and cumin seed powder, red chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Add the drained broken wheat and lentils and mix well. Pour in the reserved meat stock. If you are preparing a vegetarian version, you can add vegetable stock or just plain water. You need to add a total of 8 cups of liquid to the saucepan. Let it boil once then simmer and let it cook covered, until the lentils are tender and the wheat mushy, about 1 1/2 hours, stirring it once in a while taking care it doesnt stick to the bottom of the dish.
-Stir in the garam masala and add the frozen/fresh chopped vegetables, or for a non-vegetarian version, the reserved shredded meat or minced meat, and mix well. Let it cook covered till the vegetables are tender and oil comes to surface, about 5 -8 minutes. You can add a little water if needed. Remove the dutch oven from heat. Let it cool down slightly.
-Once cool, pour the entire thing into a food processor and process for a minute. Pour back into the dutch oven, add a little water, and let simmer covered for 5 more minutes.
-To serve pour the Haleem into individual plates with a laddle and garnish each plate with a few mint leaves, cilantro, green chillies, fried onion, halved lemon and a dollop of butter(optional) for a deliciously nutritious meal.

Luv,
Mona

Veggies and Me!

Today I am going to share with you all the recipe of ‘Vegetable Dum Biryani’, ‘Rice Cooked With Vegetables and Spices, from the Cookbook India’s Vegetarian Cooking, by Monisha Bharadwaj. I have modified this recipe according to my tastes here and there. Sounds Yummy, Isnt it !

Biryani’s are everyone’s favourite, may it be Vegetarian or Non-vegetarian – the Chicken Biryani or Mutton Biryani. I, somehow always had disliked Vegetarian Biryani. My Mom always had to run after me to make me have my Vegetable Biryani whenever she would make it Infact it was scary for me to have all the veggies, in one plate at a time ! They looked like as those veggies were challenging me to gulp them down Now when I look back, I myself wonder about the possible reason for my hatred towards them during my childhood, was it the taste ?! .. they look fab and colourful to me now when together in a plate, so looks might not have been a reason.. Cannot really make out the reason for that. I guess there’s really some direct relation between childhood and the repulsion towards Veggies Oops, am talking in chemistry language !! My Hubby though still hates veggies Men,’ Most’ men, and Veggies arent friends anytime of life

As I grew older, and came in the Nutriton field, I began to have food more based on the ‘nutrient’ value rather than my likes and dislikes. And likes automatically became what is healthy and what’s not ! I now love Veggies, and Vegetable biryani too, a lot. I prepare it on weekends mostly for lunch or dinner, and very occasionally on weekdays for dinner.

Vegetable Biryani is healthy, and delicious, especially this one. Yes, I, who once used to ‘hate’ it, am admitting it today. Like Mutton Biryani and Chicken Biryani, Vegetable Biyani is not a Mughalai dish, as far as I know. It is a modified version of the Pulao. A rich, aromatic version of pulao, resembling the Authentic and Aromatic Non-Veg Mughalai Biryani’s.

I usually cherish spending my time in the kitchen. And I reserve these kind of lengthy recipes for moments like these. Leisurely and carefully preparing meals in the kitchen helps me relieve and wind down. I enjoy my time cooking with love for everyone.

The spices, that I am using in the recipe can be bought from any Asian spice stores. I love to add milk and cream to my Biryani’s and make them rich in flavours. You can always alter the amounts of Salt in any of the recipes according to your tastes. I use the mixed frozen vegetables from the market, when I do not have fresh veggies in my house. I find it very useful at those times. You can however use chopped fresh veggies for the Biryani in the recipe.

Vegetable Dum Biryani -  Rice Cooked With Vegetables and Spices

Source: India’s Vegetarian Cooking

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• Spices for the Rice water:

1. Bay Leaves – 2
2. Fennel Seeds/Saunf – 1 tsp
3. Nutmeg Powder – 1 tsp
4. Cinnamon – 1 small stick
5. Cloves – 5
6. Black peppercorns – 8
7. Green cardamom – 3

• Milk – 4 tbsp
• Saffron strands – 1/2 tsp
• Rose Water – 4 tbsp (optional)
• Green cardamoms – 2
• Butter/Canola Oil – 6 tbsp
• Yellow Onion – 3, medium, thinly sliced
• Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
• Tomato paste – 2 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Garam Masala powder – 1/2 tsp
• Salt – 1 1/4 tsp
• Frozen Mixed Vegetables (Corn, Carrots, Potatoes, French Beans, Lima beans) – 270 gms
• Red capsicum – 1, chopped
• Basmati Rice – 300 gms
• Mint leaves – 1 tbsp
• Cilantro – 1 tbsp
• Slivered Almonds – 3 tbsp

 

Vegetable Dum Biryani / Tarkari Ka Chawal

Method:

• Preheat Oven to 425 °F /220 °C/Gas Mark 6
• Put the spices meant for the rice water in 600 ml of water. Bring to a boil and turn off heat. Cover the pan and allow the flavours to infuse. This will be our liq. 1.
• Meanwhile crush the two green cardamoms with milk and saffron and rose water and keep aside in a small bowl. This will be our liq. 2.
• In a pan on medium heat, pour 3 tbsp of butter/oil and stir fry the chopped red capsicum. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
• In the same pan and butter/oil fry the onions until brown. Remove half of them and reserve for garnish. Add Ginger garlic paste to the pan and stir fry it along with the remaining onions. Remove from heat and let it cool. Grind the fried Ginger-Garlic and Onion.
• Heat 1 1/2 tbsp butter/oil in a pan and pour the above grinded mixture along with turmeric powder, Garam masala and tomato puree. Season with salt and let it cook for 5-10 minutes.
• Add the frozen mixed vegetables to the tomato and onion mixture in the pan. Also add the stir fried red capsicum. Mix Well and simmer. Let it cook for 10 more minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.
• Strain the liq. 1 and keep aside. Throw away the spices.
• In a pan add 1 1/2 tbsp of butter/oil and fry the rice over high heat. (Note: Do not wash the rice before hand. Rinsing will wash away the significant amount of surface starch that contributes to the dish.)
• When the rice has become shiny, add half of the liq. 1 and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover for about 6-8 minutes or until the water has evaporated.
• Take an oven proof dish and start the layering process of the Biryani. The top and bottom layers are always the rice in a Biryani. Start by a layer of rice in the bottom of the dish, then add a layer of Vegetable mixture, then a layer of rice, and layer of vegetable mixture, and then the final rice layer. Pour evently the remaining liq.1 and the liq. 2 and the reserved fried onions on the rice layer. Also sprinkle the chopped coriander and mint leaves, and the slivered almonds on it. Seal the dish with tinfoil.
• Cook the biryani for 40 minutes in the oven reducing the heat to 375 °F/190 °C/Gas Mark 5 after 20 minutes. Open the dish/Remove the tinfoil from the dish, just before serving.

Suggested Accompaniments: Tamatar ki Chutney

This goes as my contribution to Sharmi for the event she is holding Jihva for Ingredients JFI and its Rice this month at her place.

 

Chicken with Lychees

I just finished watching Transformers for the second time, and I have to say, that movie is awesome !!! That movie has now become the favourite of mine for the moment. I guess almost everyone has seen it and its doing a very good job at the box office. For all those of you guys who have not seen this movie yet somehow, here’s a suggestion, go watch that movie, you will love it to no end.

Just half an hour before the movie was gonna end, i got up to marinate the chicken to prepare this recipe for the day. Its a kind of sweet and sour chicken curry. I used boneless chicken breast pieces here, you can use the thighs, or any boned chicken pieces if you do not happen to have boneless breast pieces at home. I had it with Parathas and Rice.

This post of mine is for the event – A fruit a month’ AFAM, which the lovely Sig, of Live to Eat, has hosted for this month with Lychee as the fruit of the month. Many people do not know what Lychee are. Lychee is a fruit, mostly grown in China, and known for its sweet tart flavour. This fruit has a rose coloured skin when young, but as it matures, it develops a hard and leathery rind, which is inedible. It comes off easily leaving behind the jelly like, pearly white flesh with a single inedible seed inside. They are available fresh or canned in most asian stores. Anyways, here’s my entry for the event :

Ingredients:

Marination Ingredients-

• Boneless Chicken Breast Pieces – 500 gms, cut into 2 cm cubes
• Salt – 2 tsp
• Black Pepper – 1 tsp
• Canola Oil – 1 tsp
• Sugar – 1/2 tsp

Gravy Ingredients-

• Gram Flour – 5 tbsp
• Canola Oil – 3 tbsp
• Red Capsicum – 1/2 of a large capsicum, chopped
• Green Capsicum – 1/2 of a large capsicum, chopped
• Ginger Garlic paste – 2tsp
• Yellow Onions – 1, finely chopped
• Canned Lychee in Syrup – 1 can, 565 gms
• Tomato paste – 3 tbsp
• Water – 2 tbsp
• Red Chilli flakes – 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder – 2 tsp

Chicken with Lychees

Method:

• Drain and reserve all the lychees and a cup of syrup individually in two bowls.
• Marinate the Chicken in the marination ingredients for preferably 30 minutes.
• Roll the chicken breast pieces in 4 tbsp gram flour and fry till golden brown. Make sure you do not fry them for too long as breast pieces toughen up too quickly.
• In a pan on medium heat, in a tbsp of oil, stir fry the red and green capsicum for about 7 minutes. Remove and keep aside.
• In the same pan add the remaining oil and fry the onions till light brown.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and fry it along.
• Add the reserved cup of lychee syrup to it and simmer covered for 5 minutes.
• Now add the tomato paste and the stir fried capsicum to it and mix well.
• Dilute the remaining one tbsp gram flour in a 2 tbsp water and pour this into the pan. Let it cook till the mixture begins to thicken up.
• Add the Chicken pieces and the drained lychees, chilli flakes and red chilli powder and give a good stir.
• Let it cook on simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
• Once ready, Serve it hot.

 

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