Sweet and Sour Stir Fried Broccoli and Chicken

Sweet and Sour Stir Fried Broccoli and Chicken

This recipe is an experiment in my kitchen... It's a good appetiser or a starter. It is cooked in an Asian style. Here the souring agents are Mango and Tomato, the sweetness comes from the honey. Try this recipe and I am sure you will like it... 

Ingredients 

10 to 12 medium size Broccoli florets

14 medium size boneless Chicken chunks 

1 small Garlic pod Clean and minced

6 whole Cherry Tomatoes 

1 Fresh Red Chilli sliced

3 tbsp Ripe Sour Mango chopped

1 tbsp Oyster Sauce

1/2 tbsp Fish sauce

1 tbsp Honey

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

1 tbsp Roasted Peanuts

2 tbsp Oil 

Method 

Take a wok, add oil and heat it. Add the garlic minced in the wok. Stir fry it till light brown on a medium heat, Add the chicken, continue to stir fry for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli florets. Stir fry for 5 minutes. Add the red chilli slices, mango pieces, cherry tomatoes, salt and pepper powder. Stir fry for 5 minutes more. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce and honey. Continue to cook till the broccoli and chicken are tender. In between sprinkle little water while stirring otherwise the sauce may get burnt and broccoli will not cook. Garnish with roasted peanuts and serve it hot.

Keema Aloo Aur Bhindi ki Sukhi Sabji (Potatoes and Okra with Keema)

Keema Aloo Aur Bhindi ki Sukhi Sabji

Potatoes and Okra with Keema

Ingredients

1 cup Chicken or Mutton Mince

250 grams Okra cut slit into half and cut into 2 pieces

3 medium sized Potatoes cut into thick strips

2 Onions chopped

1 Tomato chopped

2 Green chillies broken into pieces

1 tbsp Ginger Garlic and Chilli paste

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Cumin powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder

1/2 tsp Curry powder

Salt to taste

1/4 cup Oil to fry the Okras and Potatoes

1 tbsp Ghee

Few Coriander Leaves chopped for garnishing

Method

Take oil in a wok. Let it heat. Fry the potatoes till light brown in colour. Take it out and keep it aside. Add the okras and fry it till light brown in colour. Take it out and keep it aside. Add ghee in the same wok. Add the chillies and the paste. Sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the onions and sauté it till pink in colour. Add the chicken mince, stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato and the powder spices and salt. Stir and cook for more 2 minutes. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring it occasionally. Before serving garnish it with coriander leaves.

Dubke

Dubke

This dish is made in the Kumaon region of Himachal. It is a very simple to make using Yellow pigeon peas made into paste and made into pakoras using 1/2 the paste and the rest of the remaining paste is used to make the gravy. The type of lentils can vary. Green grams or Red lentils can be used.

Ingredients

1/2 cup Tur dal / Yellow Pigeon Peas washed and soaked for 2 hours 

1 Tomatoes chopped 

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds 

1 Red Chilli broken 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Ghee 

Oil to fry the pakoras 

2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing 

For the final Seasoning 

1 tsp Ghee 

1/4 Cumin seeds 

1/4 tsp Mustard seeds 

1 Red Dry Chilli broken

Method 

Add the dal, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds and salt in a grinder and make it into a paste. To make the pakoras, take 1/2 the dal paste.  Heat oil in a wok. Add the 1/2 tsp dal paste in oil and make small pakoras. Keep it aside.

To make the dubke, heat oil in a wok. Add the remaining cumin seeds, mustard seeds and red chilli. Let it crackle. Add the remaining dal paste. Stir fry it continuously for 2 minutes. Add 4 cups of water little at a time, stirring it continuously. Add salt, turmeric powder and tomato. Boil and then simmer the dal on low flame for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mean while soak the pakoras in water. After 20 minutes add the pakoras and simmer for few minutes. For the final seasoning take a pan, add the ghee. Let it heat. Add the chill,  cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add the seasoning from top.

Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Maqluba

Maqluba 

It is a traditional dish of Jordan and Palestine. The dish includes meat, rice, and fried vegetables placed in a pot, which is then flipped upside down when served, hence the name maqluba, which translates literally as "upside-down".When the casserole is inverted, the top is bright red colour from the tomatoes  and rest covered with other vegetables. It is usually served with either Yogurt or simple Arabic salad...

Net Source
 
Today I have made Veg Maqluba..and have adapted the recipe as per the availability of the ingredients in my kitchen...
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Basmati Rice washed and soaked for 30 minutes
2 big size Potatoes peeled and cut into thick rounds
2 Eggplants cut into thick round
1 Cauliflower cut into medium florets
3 Tomatoes cut into thick rounds
1 Onion chopped
2 Garlic Clove chopped
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 1/2 tbsp Baharat powder
1/2 tsp Pepper powder
1/2 tsp Allspice powder
Or
***1/2 tsp Cloves powder
     1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
     1/4 tsp Nutmeg powder***
2 Bay Leaves
Salt to taste
4 1/2 cups of Vegetable stock or water
2 tbsp Oil
Oil to fry the Vegetables
1 tbsp Butter, melted
1 tbsp Almond and Pistachio flakes
Few Raisins and dry Berries  for garnishing

Method
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pot, add bay leaves, onions and garlic, stir for 2 minutes.  Add salt, pepper, turmeric powder, cumin powder, allspices powder and baharat powder. Add 4 1/2 cups vegetable stock and let simmer for 10 minutes. Keep it aside.
Take another pan, heat the oil for frying. Add the  eggplant slices and fry it from both sides until golden brown. Take it out and on an absorbent paper, keep it aside. Fry the cauliflower florets and keep it aside. Fry the potatoes and keep it aside.
Take a heavy bottom pot. Grease it with butter. Arrange the tomato, eggplant, potatoes and cauliflower in layers. Pour 1/2 the stock, add the rice and then pour the remaining stock. Cover it and cook it on a low flame. Till the rice is cooked. Let it cool a bit, then carefully flip it up-side down on a serving platter. Garnish it with raisins, berries, almond and pistachio flakes. Serve hot with fresh yogurt or Arabic salad.

Baharat Spice powder
Ingredients
1 tbsp Coriander seeds
2 tbsp Cumin seeds
2 tbsp Pepper Corns
1 tbsp Cloves
2 to 3 sticks of Cinnamon
4 Cardomom
2 tbsp paprika / chill powder
1 small Nutmeg

Method
Blend all the above spices in a blender. Store it in a dry glass container.

   

Cheesy Herb Balls

Cheesy Herb Balls....

This dish can be served as an appetiser.  

 For the Cheese Herb Filling 

Ingredients 

2 cubes Cheddar Cheese grated 

2 Garlic Clove 

1 Green Chilli 

1/2 cup Mint leaves 

1/2  cup Coriander leaves

1/2 cup Spring Onions 

Juice of 1/2 Lime 

Salt to taste

Method 

Add all the above ingredients in a grinder and grind it. 

For the Cottage cheese and Potato Shells

Ingredients

5 medium sized Potatoes boiled 

2 cups Cottage cheese 

4 tbsp All Purpose Flour 

1/4 tsp Cumin powder 

Salt to taste

Method 

Mix and knead all the above ingredients together to form a dough.

To make it....

Ingredients 

Filling 

Dough

6 tbsp All Purpose Flour + 1/4 cup Water -  mix it 

1 cup Bread Crumbs 

Oil to fry

Method 

Divide the dough into equal portions like lemon. Take a portion and flatten it, add 1 tsp of the filling and close the edges of the dough properly and give it a round shape. Repeat the same process. Now dip each balls in the all purpose batter and coat the balls with the bread crumbs. Repeat the dipping and coating process once more. Let it refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Heat oil in a pan. Fry the bombs till golden brown in colour. Serve hot with tomato sauce...