Cream of Chicken Soup

Creamy Chicken Soup cooked in microwave

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Ingredients:	Quantity
Chicken Stock*	2 Cups
Shredded Chicken pieces	A few
Usalted Butter	2 tbsp
Plain Flour	2 tbsp
Milk	1 Cup
Pepper powder	1 tsp
Salt	To Taste
Cream	3 tbsp

Preparation:
1) Microwave butter in a microproof dish for 30 seconds.
2) Add plain flour and microwave for 1 minute. Add milk and stir well and microwave for another 1 minute.
3) Add the chicken stock, shredded chicken, salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Microwave covered for 4 mins and remove the cover and microwave for another 2 mins.
4) Pour in the cream and sprinkle the remaining pepper and Serve hot.

Note:* For a homemade chicken stock, microwave covered 250 gms chicken with bones, 7 cups water, whole garam masala and salt, for 15 mins.

Potato Fry

Spicy Potato fried in Indian Spices

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Ingredients:	Quantity
Medium sized Potato	5 nos
Ginger-Garlic paste*	1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds	1 tsp
Curry Leaves	Few
Asafoetida	A Pinch
Salt	To taste
Oil	3-4 tbsp
Pepper powder	1 tsp
Spice Mix**:
Red Chilly Powder	1 tsp
Coriander Powder	1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder	1/4 tsp
Cumin Powder	1/4 tsp
Garam Masala	1/2 tsp
Curry Powder***	1/2 tsp

Preparation:
1) Cook potato with skin in pressure cooker or in a saucepan filled with enough water and add salt to it. Once cooked remove the skin and cut the potatoes into cubes.
2) In a pan add oil and let it get hot and then add the mustard seeds and once it splutter add the Asafoetida and curry leaves.
3) Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a min.
4) Add the spice mixture to the oil and fry for a few seconds, be careful not to burn the spice mix.
5) Add the potatoes and mix them without smashing them.
6) Let it fry for few mins and add the pepper powder and adjust salt as needed and fry for 2-3 more mins. A nice spicy potato fry is ready to be served with Roti, Rice and Lentils(Dal) or Korma.

Note:
* You can use ginger powder(1/2 tsp) and garlic powder(1/2 tsp) instead of the paste.
** Spice mix - adjust quantity according to your taste buds.
*** Curry powder can be replaced with Sambar powder or another 1/2 tsp Garam Masala.

Lamb Curry

Sweet & Spicy Lamb Curry cooked in red wine

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Ingredients:	Quantity
Lamb/Mutton	750 gms
Plain Flour	5 tbsp
Turmeric Powder	1/4 tsp
Corriander powder	1 tsp
Red chilly powder	1/2 tsp
Medium Sized Red Onion	3 nos
Tomatoes	2 nos
Ginger garlic paste	3 tsbp
Green Chilli	2 nos
Cumin Seeds	1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder	1 tsp
Tomato Paste	1 tbsp
Red Chilli Flakes	1 tsp
Red wine	1/4 cup
Brown Sugar	1 1/2 tbsp
Crushed black pepper	1/2 tsp
Salt	To taste
Oil	3-4 tbsp

Preparation:
1) Mix plain flour, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt. Add the lamb to it and toss it.
2) Add oil in a frying pan and fry the lamb until it turns brown and set aside.
3) Meanwhile add fry the onions in a saucepan and add the ginger & garlic paste and green chilli and saute until the onions are tender and caramelized.
4) Add the cumin seeds, tomato paste, garam masala and brown sugar for 3-4 mins.
5) Add the browned meat, salt, chilli flakes and red wine and mix.
6) Add the tomatoes and sprinkle the black pepper saute it for a minute and add enough water(Good enough to cover the meat and cook for 2 hours).
7) Cook on medium-low heat for about 2 hours or until the lamb is cooked well and the sauce becomes thick. Serve hot with steamed rice, pulao rice or roti.

Note: Indian meat(mutton) takes a lot longer to cook, you can leave upto 2 wistles before you start on the step 1 and remove the excess water from the meat.

Dum Murg Kali Mirch

Pepper chicken gravy cooked in microwave

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Ingredients:	Quantity
Chicken	600 gms
Medium Sized onion	3 nos
Green Chilli	1 no
Green Cardamom	2 nos
Whole Peppercorns	4-5 nos
Coarsly Crushed black pepper	1 1/2 tsp
Corriander powder	1 tsp
Milk	1/2 cup
Marinade:
Yogurt	3/4 Cup
Blanced and roasted Almond powdered	7-8 nos
Cashew powdered	3-4 nos
Red chilly powder	1 tsp
Garam Masala	1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder	1/4 tsp
Ginger garlic paste	2 tsbp
Salt	To taste
Oil	3-4 tbsp

Preparation:
1) Mix all the ingredients for marinade and add the cleaned chicken and leave it to marinate for 30 mins.
2) Add 1 tbsp oil and add the onions and microwave on high for 3-4 mins and grind the onion and green chilli to fine paste.
3) Add the ground onion, green cardamom, corriander powder and black peppercorns and microwave for 5 mins.
4) Add the chicken along with the marinade and microwave covered for 6 mins.
5) Add 1 cup water, milk and 1 tsp black pepper and microwave uncovered for 6 mins, remove and stir once and microwave for another 4 mins.
6) Leave it to rest for 5 mins and sprinkle the remaining pepper powder and serve hot with steamed rice, pulao rice or roti.

Note: In step 5 check if the chicken is cooked and add a couple of mins if not done. Do not over cook the chicken, since it will become dry.

Yennai kathrikai

Yennai kathrikai curry - oil bathed stuffed brinjal curry

My dad's favorite Yennai kathrikai masala, in the memory of patti... Though different from her recipe it tasted good. Made dad happy.

Ingredients:
Brinjal 7-8 nos
Onion medium sized finely chopped 3
Tomato finely chopped 1 no
ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
Green chillies 2 nos

For Stuffing:
Red chilly powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Curry powder 2 tsp
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
Fennel powder 1 tsp
Black pepper powder 1 tsp
Oil
Salt to taste

For Tempering:
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Curry leaves

Coriander for garnish


Preparation:
1) Wash and make two lengthwise cross deep incisions on the brinjal. (leave on the steams if it doesn't have thorns)
2) Mix the ingredients for stuffing with oil and make a paste of it and fill them in the brinjal.
3) In a wide fry pan add oil and fry the stuffed brinjal until they are tender.
4) Meanwhile in another pan fry the items for tempering and when they splutter add the green chillies, onion and ginger garlic paste. Then add the tomato.
5) Once they are done add the fried brinjal and mix it with the curry without breaking the brinjal.
6) Garnish and serve hot.

Note: All the powder items for stuffing can be replaced with dry items. Fry the dry items and grind them into a fresh dry powder and use them for stuffing.

Shrimp Scampi with Spaghetti

Loved the shrimp scampi at grand lux and def. wanted to try that. The try was good and Samyu loved it.

Ingredients:

Spaghetti
Shrimp 1 lb
Olive oil 3 tbsp
Butter 4 tbsp
Garlic finely minced 5
Shallots finely chopped 3
Black pepper powder 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Red chilly flakes a pinch
Lemon juice from 1 lemon
White wine 4 tbsp(cooking wine)

Dry Basil 1/2 tsp
Dry parsley 1 tsp
Dry coriander 1/2 tsp
Dry oregano 1/4 tsp
Dry thyme a pinch
Crush all the dry herbs into fine powder


Preparation:

1) Marinate the shrimp with salt and pepper for 10 mins. Cook it in a microwave for 4 mins sauté it in between. Remove the excess water and keep aside.
2) Cook the spaghetti in water until it is 3/4th cooked. Drain the water having 1 cup of water.
3) In a pan add 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil and add the minced garlic and chopped shallot and sauté well.
4) Add the chilly flakes and the crushed dry herbs then add the water that has been set aside from cooking shrimp.
5) Add the lemon juice and white wine and let it cook for a few mins.
6) Add the remaining butter and one tbsp olive oil and when butter melts add salt and pepper and add the shrimp and pasta and mix together.
7) Add the pasta cooked water set aside and let it cook until the spaghetti and shrimp are cooked.
8) Finish it with olive oil and parsley and serve hot.

Green Tomato Kootu

This is one of my favorite kootu, tried this long back and it didn't come up as I expected. Never tried this until now and it came out so well this time.

Ingredients:

Pressure cook:

Tomato 4 nos cut into medium sized pieces
Green chilly 1 no
Moong Dal 1/4 Cup
Toor Dal 1/2 cup
Bengal Gram Dal(Channa Dal) 4 tbsp
Salt
Asafoetida 1/4 tsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Kootu powder:

Dry red chillies 4 nos
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Coriander seeds 1 tsp
Black pepper 1 tsp
Bengal Gram dal 1 tbsp
Urad Dal 1 tsp
Ghee 1 tbsp

Tempering:

Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Corriander leaves
Oil 1 tbsp

Preparation:


1) Pressure cook all the ingrediants listed above for pressure cooking until 3 whistle.
2) Meanwhile fry all the ingrediants of kootu powder in the ghee and grind them into a fine powder
3) Once the pressure cooking is done add the kootu powder and let it boil until they are blended well.
4) Fry all the ingrediants of tempering and add it to the kootu and take of the heat.
It is ready to be served with just while rice or kara kulambu.

Flavored Rice

A simple flavored rice, really smells very good and good to eat with any nice gravy, curry or korma. It went along very well with the shrimp curry.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 4 cups
Ghee 2 tbsp
Cinnamon 3-4 sticks
Star anise 2-3
Clove 4-5
Bay leaf 2
Cardamom 2
Mint leaves from 2-3 strands
Coriander leaves 
Green chilly 4
Garam masala powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Lime juice few drops

Preparation:

1) Wash and sock the rice in water for 30 mins.
2) Drain water and fry the rice in 1 tbsp ghee for a few mins and set aside. 
3) Add 8 cups water to the pressure cooker or rice cooker and add all the items leaving rice and Garam masala. 
4) Once water starts boiling add the rice, Garam masala powder and lime juice and let it cook for three whistles on pressure cooker or until done in a rice cooker.

This rice is simple & flavored and can be served with any spicy curry dishes.

Lemon Rice

A very simple dish, yet tasty. Tried of cooking and want to eat some simple yet homemade food. This is one of the quickest south Indian dish that can be made. There can be variations to this, but all of us liked this recipe.


Ingredients:
Rice 1 cup (Cooked)
Lemon 2 nos
Turmeric 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Fried Cashews (Optional, can use peanuts)

Tempering:
Green chilly 3
Dry Red Chilly 2
Mustard 1 tsp
Black gram dal 2 tsp
Channa Dal 1 tsp
Ginger 2-3 small pieces
Curry leaves
Sesame Oil 2 tsp
Asafoetida 1/2 tsp

Chopped Coriander for garnishing

Preparation:
1) Spread the cooked rice while it is hot. Add 1 tsp sesame oil, Turmeric, salt and the lemon juice.
2) Meanwhile fry all the ingredients in the remaining oil and add to the rice.
3) Add the fried cashews and mix well. Garnish it with the chopped coriander

Good to be served with fried potatoes and mango pickle. Even plain potato chips would be good.

Simple Carrot Soup

A very simple dish, but due to it's creamy texture kids would definitely love it. Samyu a very fussy eater herself finishes it.

Ingredients:

Carrots 2 nos (if baby carrorts 10 to 15)
Unsalted butter 2 tbsp
Milk 1/4 cup
Heavy cream 2 tbsp
Pepper 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste


Preparation:

1) Cook and purée the carrots.
2) In a micro proof dish add milk and butter and microwave on high for 2 mins stirring in-between. (can add 1 tbsp maida to this mixture to make it more thick. Needs few extra mins for the raw smell of the maida to disappear).
3) Add the pureed carrots, salt & pepper and the cream and microwave on high for another 2 mins. Cool and serve.

We can puree fried onion, bean, peas together and add it to the soup and make it a complete vegetable soup.

Cup Cake

Ingredients:
Self raising flour 1 1/4 cups
Powdered Sugar 1 cup
Eggs 2 nos
Milk 1/2 cup
Butter 125gms (Room temperature)
Vanilla Essence few drops
Pink Food color - 2-3 drops (optional)
Pinch of salt

Preparation:
1) Preheat oven to 180 o C or 350 o F. Place the cupcake papers in a 12 cup capacity cupcake tin.
2) Beat the eggs and vanilla essence.
3) Beat in the butter and sugar and food color.
4) Mix the above two mixture and add the seived Flour and a pinch of salt.
5) Add the milk and beat until the mixture is smooth. There shouldn't be any lumps of flour.
6) Pour the mixture into the cupcake paper and place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for 15-18 mins or until done.

Spinach Rice

Ingredients:

Basmati rice 4 cups
Spinach 1lb
Big onion 1 nos
Ginger Garlic paste 2 tsp
Green Chillis 8 nos ground into a paste
Whole garam masala (4 cloves, 1″ cinnamom, 1 elachi, 1 star anise, 1 bay leaf)
Pudina leaves from 3-4 strands
Ghee 2 tbsp
Oil 1 tbsp
salt to taste
Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves chopped


Preparation:

1) Soak basmati rice in water for min 30 mins. Drain and fry the rice in 1 tbsp ghee for a few mins and set aside.
2) Add oil in the pan and fry the onion, ginger garlic paste, ground chillies and then add the spinach and fry until the raw smell is gone.
3) In a pressure cooker or rice cooker, add 8 cups water and add all the whole garam masala and let it boil for few mins and then add rice and the spinach and mix well.
4) Top it up with the remaining ghee and sprinkle the chopped corriander and garam masala powder and let it cook.
5) It can be served with raita. A cucumbar raitha tastes good with this.

Chocolate Brownie

Ingredients:

Plain chocolate 90 gms
Unsalted butter 150 g + extra for greasing
Plain Flour 125 gms (1 cup)
Cocoa powder 15 gms (1 tbsp)
Soft light Brown sugar 300 gms (1 1/4 cup)
Baking powder 1/2 tsp
Salt a pinch
Eggs 2
Vanilla extract 1 tsp
Chopped pecan/walnut 100 gms (optional)

Preparation:

1) Preheat oven to 180• C / 350• F. Grease a non-stick baking tin with butter
2) Break the chocolates into a bowl placed above another bowl of simmering water.
3) Once the chocolate starts melting add in the butter and stir occasionally. Once they are melted let it to cool.
The chocolate and butter can be melted in the microwave.
4) Sieve the flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt.
5) Beat the eggs and add the vanilla extract and the sugar and stir well.
6) Add the melted chocolate and butter mixture and stir.
7) Add the flour mixture and the nuts if it is used.
8) Pour the mixture into the baking pan and place it in the pre heated oven for 35-40 mins.

Vanilla Cake

Ingredients

Maida 1 1/2 cups
Powdered Sugar 1 1/2 cups
Butter 125 gms
Eggs 3 nos
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Vanilla Essence - few drops
Nuts or Tutty Fruity (Optional)



Preparation

1) Sift maida and baking powder
2) Beat the eggs and vanilla and keep aside
3) Beat butter and sugar well. Add the egg and vanilla mixture
4) Add the maida to the mixture little at a time and beat the mixture in clockwise direction. Ensure that no lumps are formed.
5) Add the nuts to the mixture.
6) Preheat the oven to 200 o C and grease the baking tin with butter
7) Pour the mix into the baking tin and bake for 35 minutes at 200 o C

Biscuit

Ingredients

Maida - 1 1/2 cups
Powdered Sugar - 3/4 cup
Ghee & Vanaspathi - 3/4 Cup (both of them in equal propotion) or ghee - 3/4 cup
Milk Powder - 1 Tbsp
Custard Powder - 1 Tbsp
Cooking Soda - 1 pinch
Vannila essence - 2-3 drops
Cashew and Badam Powder - 1 tbsp (Optional)



Preparation
1) Mix all the above ingrediants without any lumps in it.
2) Make them into small round balls and spread it in a oven proof plate (Aluminium plate)
3) Preheat the oven to 200 o C
4) Bake it in the pre-heated oven for 15 mins at 200 o C
5) Take it out and let it cool.

Mutton Fry

Tried a mutton fry kind of semi gravy and came out well and the taste was good.

Ingrediants:

Mutton 750 grams
Onions 2 big
Curd 1/4 cup
Pepper powder - 1 tbsp
cumin powder - 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Green chilly - 1 (Optional)
Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
coriander leaves
salt to taste
Oil/ghee

whole garam masala:
Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 3
cinnamon - 2

For masala:
Dry red chilly 6-7 nos
Garlic - 8
ginger - 2" stick
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 1/2 tbsp

Preparation:

1) Fry the whole garam masala in oil.
2) Crush 3 cloves garlic and a little ginger and add it to the whole garam masala fry for a few seconds and then add the chopped onions.
3) Once the onions are fried well, add the cleaned mutton and add the turmeric and salt. Pressure cook until the mutton is cooked 3/4th.
4) Meanwhile fry the dry red chilly in ghee and set side. Fry the remaining ginger and garlic and the corriander powder and blend it into a fine paste.
5) Fry curry leaves and green chilly in a wide bottomed pan and add the cooked mutton to it and add the curd.
6) Stir it for few minutes and then add the ground masala, pepper powder and cumin powder to it and let it cook well until the water evaporates.
7) Sprinkle lemon juice and corriander leaves once the mutton fry is almost done.

Mushroom Black Pepper Fry

Had seen this recpie on MC India programme.... Tried it with available ingrediants. It came out well.

Ingrediants
1 packet Mushroom
Soy Sauce
Roasted and crushed Black Pepper
1 big Onion finely chopped
Dry red chilly - 2-3 nos
Capsicum - 1
Garlic pods - 3-4 chopped
Vegetable Stock
Cornflour
sugar a pinch
salt to taste
Red chilli sauce

Wonton Sheets - to fry and decorate (I didnt use this)

Preparation
Fry the mushroom adding cornflour, soy sauce, salt and pepper powder and keep aside

For sauce
1) Fry the red chilly
2) Add the chopped onions and garlic and stir for few mins
3) Add the chopped capsicum and add the roaster and crushed black pepper.
4) Add the vegetable stock and cornflour slurry then add the red chilli sauce, salt and pinch of sugar to it and fry for few seconds and then add the fried mushroom
5) Finally fry the wonton sheets ad decorate the mushroom fry.

Rasam

This is a very quick rasam...i hardly takes 10 mins to prepare this rasam. I am not a great fan of rasam and Selvam likes to have it, so i have just tried to cook this for him. This is one of my own recipe.

Ingredients:
1 big Tomato,
crushed garlic 2-3,
Rasam powder(i use the readymade Shakti masala) - 1 tsp,
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp,
Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp,
Pepper powder/crushed black pepper - 1/2 tsp,
tamarind paste(i use a little of it),
Little cooked toor dhal or just the water used to cook the toor dhar(optional),
salt to taste,
oil,
corriander.

For Seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp,
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp,
Dry red chilly - 1,
curry leaves

Preparation:
1) First fry all the ingrediants for seasoning and then add the garlic and fry for a minute.
2) Add the tomato (cut into very fine piceses or crush them) to it and fry them and then add all the spices to it and let it cook for 2-3 minutes until the tomato softens.
3) Add the tamarind pulp to it and let it cook for another 5 mins.
4) Add the cooked dhal/thick dhal water to it and let it come to a boil and stop it.
5) Add some corriander leaves to it and server it with rice.

Golden Fried Baby Corn

Golden Fried Baby Corn would make a nice evening snack. I have tried it a few times and has come out well. Selvam liked the snack very much.

Ingredients:
One small packet of babycorns (approx 8-10),
oil for frying,
Vinegar - 1tsp.

For batter:

Maida 4 tbsp,
Cornflour 3 tbsp,
Chilli powder - 1 tsp,
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp,
Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tbsp,
a pinch of Baking powder,
a pinch of ajinomoto (Optional, i never use ajinomoto),
Salt to taste,
Water.

Preparation:
1) Mix all the ingrediants for batter of medium consistency.
2) Cut and clean the baby corn into 2/3 pieces each.
3) Marinate the babycorn in the vinegar, half portion of the ginger-garlic paste and little salt for about 10-15 mins.
4) Add the marinated baby corn into the batter and mix them well.
5) Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the baby corn few at a time.

This makes a nice saturday evening snack when served with hot and spicy tomato sauce. You can enjoy this with a cup of hot Tea.

Tomato Pappu

It is an easy recipe which can be made very quickly. It also tastes good. We can have this with rice or pulka. I learnt this from mu aunt who is an excellant cook.

Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal
2 big onion(if you prefer small onion and have got the patience to peel the skin for atleast 15 numbers you can go ahead)
6 big juicy tomatos(mostly use the country tomatos to get the tangy taste)
Haldi - 1 tsp
a pinch of Asafoetida/Hing
5 pods of garlic
3-5 green chillies(depends on your taste bud)
salt to taste
lime (Optional)

For Seasoning
Mustard - 1 tsp
bengal gram dal - 1 tsp,
curry leaves,
jeera - 1 tsp,
Corriander leaves,
oil/ghee to fry,

Preparation:
1) Fry the onions (Optional, generally people dont fry the onions, use them directly, but i like the onions to be fried well)
2) Add all the other ingredients after you fry the onions - garlic, chilly, turmeric, hing, tomato and mix them and add the toor dal to it.
3) Add required amount of water and pressure cook them.
4) Once done take them and smash them well with a smasher until the tomatoes are well blended and simmer it on low heat in the stove. Add salt to the dal.
5) Meanwhile fry all the ingredients for seasoning and add this to the dal mixture let it cook for 2 mins and switch it of. (If you like it more tangy, then you can add a pinch of lime juice to it).

Now the Dal is ready to eat.