Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole

Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
2 cups of  Chicken pieces (Boiled or Roast or Fried )
3 cups Cooked Rice
1 Onion chopped
2  Tomatoes chopped
2 Green chillies chopped
2 Garlic cloves crushed
1 cup cubed vegetables (Green, Red and Yellow bell peppers, Fresh corn cut from the cob, peas, mushrooms, Zucchini) Any vegetable...
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Red chill flakes / powder
1/2 Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
1/2 cup grated Mozzarella
2 tbsp Olive oil

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. Take large frying pan, add oil, let it heat. Add the onion and fry the onion till  translucent. Add the vegetables and garlic, saute it. Add the tomato sauce,  chopped chillies, pepper, salt, chilli powder and cumin powder. Cook the vegetables till tender. Remove from the heat and set aside.Mix together the chicken, rice, cooked vegetables, Feta cheese and tomatoes. Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish then top with the mozzarella cheese and place in the oven. Allow to bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and all the ingredients are heated through.Remove from the oven and serve with tomato and onion salsa and  Green Peas Guacamole.

Green Peas Guacamole
Ingredients
1 cups Green Peas
3 Garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp Spring onions, minced
2 tbsp Cilantro leaves
1 Jalapeno chilli
2 tbsp Yogurt
2 tbsp Lime juice
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Black pepper powder
1/2 tsp Olive oil

Method
Take a blender. Blend the green peas. Add yogurt, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, spring onions, salt, pepper and olive oil to the blender. Blend the ingredients into a smooth paste.

Mexican Huevos Rancheros...

Mexican Huevos Rancheros...
Ingredients
4 Whole wheat  Tortillas
4 Eggs
Salt and pepper
1 cup Roasted Tomato and Green Chillli Salsa
1/2 cup shredded Mexican white cheese   OR Mozzarella (I have used Cheddar Cheese as I did have any other cheese)
1 cup Refried Bean
2 tbsp Olive oil
Method
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet. Fry each tortilla on both the sides.  Drain each tortilla and keep on paper towels. Remove excess oil from the skillet and leave few drops of oil. Break a egg into the skillet. Like sunny side up. Cook until egg white is set, season with salt and pepper to taste. Place 1 egg per tortilla. Top the egg with cheese, which will melt as eggs are served.Serve with hot refried beans and Roasted Tomato and Green Chilli Salsa.

Salsa de Molcajete (Roasted Tomato and Green Chilli Salsa)
Ingredients
2  big Tomatoes
2 Garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 Jalpano Pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped Onion
1/4 cup chopped Cilantro
1 tsp Lime juice
Salt to taste

Method
Take the tomatoes, garlic and Jalpano pepper and roast it. Cool and peel tomatoes and garlic. Combine the garlic and peppers in a mortar pound with a pestle to form a paste or chop it very fine. Add tomatoes, and coarsely crush using the pestle. Combine the tomato, onion, cilantro, lime and salt in a bowl.

Refried Beans
Ingredients
1 cup Pinto beans washed and soaked overnight.
1 big Onion chopped
1 tbsp Garlic mince
1/2 tsp  Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Chilli powder
1/4 tsp Pepper powder
Salt to taste
1/2 cup Milk OR Coconut milk or Soya Milk if Vegan
1 tbsp Oil / Butter

Method
Pressure cook the beans.  In a saucepan, saute the onions in the butter or oil, until they are soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Add in the cumin, salt, chilli powder, and black pepper. Sauté for few seconds. Add the beans and milk.Simmer and allow it to cook on low heat for 10-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture is dry, you may need to thin it with more milk or water. Once the beans have cooked, cool it and mash them with a potato masher, fork, or use a hand blender, leaving some chunks of beans...

Homemade Whole Wheat Tortilla
Ingredients
1 cup Whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp Baking powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp Olive oil
1/4 cup Warm water(more or less as needed)

Method
Combine flour, baking powder, salt. Mix it. Add olive oil and combine it well. Add in warm water little at a time until the dough is formed. On a floured surface, knead dough for about 10 minutes.Cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. Divide dough into equal portions. Roll each ball to form a circle. Cook each tortilla on a  skillet over medium-high heat until puffy.

Brown Rice, Dhasak, Masala Pomfret Fry, Salli Boti

I studied in a Parsi school and had many Parsi friends..I attended many Parsi weddings and Novjote ceremonies where variety of food was served in on a Banana leaf.... Lemonade or Dukes Raspberry drink was also severed along with the food.. So today going back to my childhood days and remembering my Parsi friends I cooked...
Brown Rice, Dhasak, Masala Pomfret Fry, Salli Boti and Nimboo Pani

Brown Rice
Ingredients
1 cup Basmati rice washed and soaked in water for 30 minutes
1 large onion sliced
4 Cloves
3 Cardamoms
1 small piece Cinnamon
4 Pepper corns
1 tbsp Sugar
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil

Method
Take oil in a pot. Heat it, add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and Peppercorn. Sauté it for 2 seconds. Add the onion and fry. While the onion is frying.. Caramelised the sugar, add 1/4 cup water in the sugar. Once the onions are brown in colour. Add the caramelised sugar water, 2 cup more water and salt. Let the water boil once. Add the rice and cooked till done.

Dhansak
Ingredients
1/4 cup yellow lentils
3 tbsp split Bengal Gram
3 tbsp split Green Gram
3 tbsp split Egyptian Lentils
1/2 cup Pumpkin-peeled and diced
1/2 cup Egg plant diced
1 Potato peeled and diced
1 cup fenugreek leaves washed and chopped
1  Onions grated
1 Tomato grated
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3 tbsp Dhansak masala
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Lemon juice

Method
Take a pressure cooker. Add all the soaked dals, vegetables, salt and turmeric powder. Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook it. After the pressure releases, blend the dal  with a blender. Take a wok. Add oil and heat it. Saute onions, garlic and ginger, till they turn light brown in colour. Add the tomatoes and dhansak masala and saute it till  2 minutes. Add the seasoning to the dal, then simmer the for  5 minutes. Shut the flame and add lemon juice. Serve hot.

P.S.  I have made it vegetarian. But 250 grams Mutton cubes  are to be add in the dal while pressure cooking the dal.. After the pressure releases. Take the mutton cubes out and keep it aside. Blend the dal and then add the mutton pieces back into the dal. Rest of the process is the same.   

Masala Pomfret Fry
Ingredients
4 medium size Pomfret fish
1 tsp Garlic paste
1 tbsp Lime juice
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
Salt to taste
1/2 cup Simolina
Oil for shallow frying

Method
Apply all the powder masala, salt, Garlic paste and lime juice on the pomfrets. Marinate and keep it for an hour. Sprinkle Simolina on the fish. Heat oil in a pan and fry the fish till golden brown in colour. Serve it hot with sliced onions and lime..

Salli Boti
Ingredients
500 grams  Chicken or Mutton cubes
6 Dry Apricotes
1 Onions finely chopped
1 Tomato finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger  paste
1 tsp Garlic  paste
1/2 tsp  Red chillies powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Vinegar
2 tbsp Oil
2 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves
Salli or  Potato chips, for garnishing

Method 
Take a bowl and marinate the meat with ginger, garlic and salt for 3 hours. Heat oil in a large pan and add the chopped onions. Fry to a light brown. Add the marinated meat into the pan, sprinkle the dry powder  spices and sugar,  sauté for 5-7 minutes. Add few tbsp of water to avoid burning. Add the tomatoes, apricots and 2 cups of water. Cover and cook tiĺl the meat is tender. Add vinegar and chopped coriander,  simmer for another 3-4 minutes. Add the Salli on top of the meat. Serve hot with rice.

Artisan Multi Grain Bread

Artisan Multi Grain Bread
For the Starter
Ingredients
1/2 cup Gram flour
1/2 cup of Warm Water
1 tsp of Instant Yeast
1/2 tsp Sugar

Method
Mix all the ingredients together and keep it for 8 hours..

For the Multi Grain Bread
Ingredients
2 cup Whole Wheat flour
1/2 cup All purpose flour
1/4 cup Gram flour
1/4 cup Oats
1/4 cup Brown Beaten Rice
1/4 cup Semolina
1 tbsp Flaxseed
1 tbsp Black Sesame seeds
1 tsp Instant Yeast
Salt to taste
Multi grain mix (2 pinch of Black sesame seeds and Flaxseed,  sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds)
** I did not have Sunflower and Pumpkin seeds

Method
Combine all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the gram flour water. Mix and knead the dough. If required add more water little at a time. Knead the dough for 10 minutes, it should be smooth and elastic.  Cover the bowl and let the dough rise  till it doubles in size, this will take 2 to 4 hours. Punch the dough and knead for few minutes. Dust the bread mould with some wheat flour, Shape the dough and place the dough in the bread mould. Sprinkle some wheat flour and oats on top. Sprinkle the multi grain mix.  Cover with a towel and let it rise. It will take 2 or more hours. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celcius.  After the second rise, slash the dough 3 times with a  sharp knife. Bake for 30 minutes.  Reduce the temperate to 180 degrees celcius and continue baking till done, for 15  minutes. Cool the bread completely before cutting.

3 Layered Savoury cup cakes

3 Layered Savoury cup cakes
Ingredients
2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup finely crumble Paneer
1/4 cup Coriander Mint chutney
1/4 cup Pav Bhaji or Choley
1/4  tsp Garlic paste
1/4  tsp Green Chilli paste
Salt to taste
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Soda bicarbonate
1/2 cup Butter milk (50:50 curd and water)
6 tbsp Olive oil

Method
Take the flour, add baking powder, soda bicarbonate,  paneer and salt. Mix the flour well.Divide the flour into 3 equal parts. Take one part of the flour, add coriander mint chutney, 2 tbsp oil and water little at a time till thick batter is formed. Keep it aside. Take other portion of the flour and repeat the process, add  Pav bhaji or Choley, oil and  water little at a time till thick batter is formed. Keep it aside. Take the remaining portion of the flour and add Garlic paste, chilli paste, oil and add butter milk little at a time,repeat the process. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees. Take a 12 cavities  cup cake mould. Spray the cavity with oil. Add 1 or 2 tbsp of the chutney  batter, then add the white batter and last add the pav bhaji or the Choley batter.  Bake for 40 minutes or till done. To check insert a toothpick. Once cool then de mould it. Serve it with tomato ketchup.