Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken tikka masala hindi: चिकन टिक्का मसाला) is a westernized indian dish based on baked chicken chunks and then cooked in a curry sauce. It is popular throughout the world, but mostly you can never find it in India.

They say that chicken tikka masala was first made in United Kingdom by the Bangladeshi Cooks
Another theory is that it originated in British India to adapt local dishes to the British palate.

A prototype may be Murgh Makhani -butter chicken, a dish from the punjab which i think is really delicious.

It seems now in Uk it is a National dish. More than Fish and Chips, can you imagine.
Well don't have to argue were the dish originated as one would never get the full truth.

But in my home all of us love this dish. Especially with Naan.

It took me years to have this dish made to perfection ( almost) to the taste i really want to have. When ever i make it for my family or for guest it is a big HIT

Make the chicken tikka. Recipe you will fine in my earlier posr here

Tikkas are done and few od the ingridients

Almost done

Yummy.............

For the Sauce.
4 to 5 tbsp oil/ghee
1 to 2 tsp cummin seeds
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
3 onions puree ( i mix the onions in a mixer)
1 to 2 tomato chopped
3 chillies slit
2 tbsp tandoori masal powder or paste
2 tbsp curry powder ( i thinik a another invention of the Brittish)
2 to 3 tbsp youghurt
1 tbsp tomato Ketchup
2 to 3 absp almond powder
2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp red food colour (optional)
a small bunch of corriander leaves chopped
200 to 250 ml fresh cream.

Method:
Heat the oil in a wok. Add the cumpmin and fry iot for a minute. Add the ginger garlic paste , onions and chilies and fry till they are light gold colour.

Now add the tandoori masala powder, curry powder and fry for a few minutes. Add the youghurt.
Add now the tomatoes and cook till the oil seperates.
Now add the ketchup, and the almond powder. Give it a mix. You can add a bit of water if you think the mix is a bit too dry.

Now add the chicken pieces and the garam masala and cook for a few minutes.
Add the cream cook for few more seconds and then add the corriander leaves.
Serve it with Naan,roti or rice.

Drumstick Curry

When i saw this recipe in Malabar Spice... (she have so much delicious looking dishes) i remembered when i was at home in kerala my mom always made this dish exactly like mallu girl makes.
The mangoes i bought were hard but when i opened up it was having the ornage colour, but still i made the dish saying i will have to wait long if i want to really have the same mangoes like we get back in India.

I made this first time last month and then it tasted it so good that i made it again now.


You can find the recipe here Mallu girl adds shrimps and jackfruit seeds. I didnt add them so without the shrimps it is a vegetarian dish.

Garlic, onions, drumsticks etc....

End Result....

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Yum yum....

This dish is super delicious and very easy to make.
And guess it is really a very very cheap dish ( except for the good olive oil).

We all say after eating this dish there is this really good after taste in your mouth.

In Rome the name of the Spahetti dish is pronouced as "Spagehtti ayo-e-oyo" or just "ayo-e-oyo".
Well i gather it is called with this name bacause of the chillies in it.
Last summer we went to Egypt for holiday.
And my daughter ordered this dish in a Restraunt in Luxor called Jamboree.

Ofcourse i had a taste from her dish as i also had never had this.
Must admitt i was so surprised how good it tasted with such a few ingridients.

So when we were back home i took my Italian cooking book and there it was this delicious dish under my nose................. I had this book for few years and I never tried the recipie thinking it is too simple !!!!!!!!!!!

Onion,garlic......

Frying which just take few minutes...

Sipmple and DELICIOUS

300 gm pasta10 to 12 tbsp good olive oil.
One onion finley chopped
4 garlic cloves crushed4 to 5 dry chillies sliced ( more if you like it spicy)
a hand full of parsley ( optional)
100 gm grated parmesan cheese.
Salt.
Chillie flakes to sprinkle over the dish.
Cook the pasta according to the packet.In the mean time heat the oil in a pan and add the onions, chillies and garlic.
Fry till they are soft.
Now drain the cooked pasta and add to the pan with the fried mix. Toss it very good and serve immiedietly .
Sprinkle the dish with the cheese and chillie flakes.
Enjoy.I told you it is a realy easy dish to make.
Tip: As the olive oil is a main ingridient, it is better to use a good quality of olive oil.

Simple Dal

Dal which is eaten in Indian home almost everyday...

Sunita from Sunita's World is hosting "Think Spice..Think.." event..

This month's spice is "Mustard seeds"

When i read about the event i said wow mustard that is easy ...we use almost every day mustard in Indian kitchen. But it took me almost 20days to post this :-)))

Talking abouy mustard, when i was at home, if we dropped mustard seeds in the floor she was very angry with us. Apparently she believes that if you drop mustard that there is going to be a argument in the house. Don't know if it is correct but i guees it is , because when my mom said it we will be grumbling about her believes and then there was sure to be a argument about it :-))))
Dal (also spelled dhal, dahl, or daal) (Devanagari दाल) is a preparation of pulses which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. It also refers to the thick, spicy stew prepared.

Dal is eaten in every Indian home atleast once a day.
In South India dal is used to make the dish called sambar. That post is for a another time

The word Dal derives from the Sanskrit term to split.

This is the ways my sister makes her dal mostly. I think she makes really delicious vegetarian food. This is her recipe which she gave to me years back when i wanted to make dal.

But I have to admit i have made this a lot of time but i always remark it doesn't taste so good as when she makes it.
I guess i don't have th Kaipunyam like her to make these dishes.
Can't complain my hubby and daughter says it taste good. It is just me who complains that it is not tasting as good as my big sisters dal.

I am sure most of you all know how to make dal. But i had to post it as there was mustrad seeds in it :-)))

Dal, Chillies, tomatoe etc...

Onions, dry chillies, cumin, MUSTARD

1 cup dal
3 tomatoes chopped.
3 chillies.
1/2 tsp turmeric.
1 tsp chillie powder.
a marbler size tamarind ( i add a bit if water to make it to a paste)

For Seasoning.
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds.
1 tsp cummin
1 onions chopped
2 dry red chillies
Few curry leaves.

Cook dal with 2 cups of water, tomatoes, chillies, turmeric and chillie powder till the dal is soft.
Now add the tamarind paste and cook for few more minutes.

Heat in a pan the oil for seasoning add the mustard seed and when it pops add the cummin seeds, then the onions and the rest of the ingridients. Fry all of them till the onions are soft and add this to the dal . Stir and serve with rice or roti.

Kori Sukka (Dry Coconut Chicken)

Mysore Palace

This is my entry for the which is hosted by Asha Who has a excelent blog Foodie's Hope
I have been searching the net for a recipe and most of the recipes i found were vegetarian dishes and my daughter doesn't like all veggies ( except in the soup) the few vegetables she likes are peas, carrot , drumstick etc.
So i thought I will make a chicken dish so I can please her also with the new dish.

I decided I will make Kori Sukka, the recipe i found here
You can find moore information about Karnataka Cooking

12 DRY CHILLIES were a bit too spicy for hubby and daughter dear. I had kept few paper towels next to their plate. Inbetween the dinner i could see and hear both of the wipping their nose and face :-))))))

Roasted spices and Fresh Coconut ect...

Coconut, Spice paste, Curry leaves etc...

Here is the Kori Sukka ready to eat....

Kori Sukka

8 medium sized pieces (about 800 grams) of chicken
2 tablespoon(s) coriander seeds
½ teaspoon(s) each of fennel seeds (saunf)and turmeric powder
1 teaspoon(s) each of black peppercorns, cumin and fenugreek seeds
1 tablespoon(s) poppy seeds
12 garlic flakes
12 whole dry red chillies roasted
1 tablespoon(s) tamarind paste
1 medium sized coconut grated
8 curry leaves
1 large onion(s) finely chopped
2 tablespoons oil
salt to taste
Heat a little clarified butter (ghee) / butter in a pan and roast the black peppercorns, turmeric powder, fennel, coriander and poppy seeds till aromatic. Allow to cool.
Dry grind along with roasted red chillies and tamarind paste. This is the first paste.

Coarsely grind the grated coconut, garlic and cumin seeds (for just a round or two) without adding any water at all, till a ball can be formed of the paste. This is the second paste.

Mix the chicken with the first paste. Cover and cook (without adding water) on low level in a heavy-bottomed pan for about 25 minute(s) or till the chicken is almost cooked.
Add the second paste and salt to taste. Cover and cook on low level for about 3 minutes or till the chicken is fully cooked.
Heat the clarified butter (ghee) / butter in a pan, drop in the curry leaves and fry for a few seconds. Add the finely chopped onions and fry till brown. pour this garnish over the chicken.

TIP:
The most important step in this dish is the dry grinding of the coconut. The paste needs to be very coarse and very dry....as dry as possible.

My Cook Book.

Nags from For the Cook in me is hosting this wonderfull event called show me your cook books.

From my whole collection of the cook book which I have bought in the last 17 years I decided I will show the book called Modern Kerala Dishes.

I don't think i can say this is my favorite book but this is the first book I bought in Indian Cooking. And I have used it a lot of time.

You should see the page were the Malbar Prawn curry is . it is full of yellow spot from the Turmeric :-))))

I bought this cook book years ago to be excat jully 1991 as you can see in the picture down. I have this habbit i learned from husband dear :-)) to write the date and place when i buy a new book.

The reason i bought this book was very simple , i didn't know to cook when i got married in 1990. The only thing i knew to make was omlete and fry papadoms.

When my mom used to say learn how to cook, my excuse was I will learn after my two eldest sisters get maried and go from home .

So while i was in holiday in my hometown in jully Isaw this book and I knew the writer from the vanitha magazine etc............so i thought why not buy this cooking book if I want to make Kerala food when I am back in Belgium.

Now you all must be thinking why I bought this book about kerala dishes than asking to my mom how to prepare these dishes which i grew up.

When i wanted to cook some kerala dishes i used to ring my mom and ask her the recipe and she will tell me ofcourse I will tell you the recipe. I will be holding with one hand the phone and with the other the pen to write.

My mom will say from the other side of the phone well Molle (child) for making parippu curry (dal curry) u need just say 200gm dal, a pinch of jeera, half a hand so and so ingridients and Quater hand this thing and i will be like Mom you know how much is that in grams and she will be saying that i don't know i just take things with my hand, i am never using any measurement!!!!!!!!!!

So i had to buy this book, to compare the measurement with my moms hand measurement.

The first time i made this recipe, it tasted like my moms chicken, i scribled it donw.

Banana Chocolate Cake

This banana cake combines the sweet flavor of ripe bananas with chocolate.

Most of you will agree banana and chocolate is like Marriage made in heaven :-)

Adding the cacoa powder gives you a really dark colour and also good chocolate taste.

Anyway most of us buys banana and it lays there overrippened. So instead of throwing the overripe bananas, one can make this cake which so easy to prepare.
I was really surprised how little time i spend in making this cake.

The cake was really moist.

I had to hurry up in adding a new post as Nags have been asking for a update :-)))))

All of you know Mandira is hosting JFI this month.
So this is my second entry for the event.

Maybe i should check with her if i can send her more than one ????

Banana, eggs,white chocalate etc...

Just before going to the oven

Doesn't it looks delicious.

70 gm toasted walnuts coarsely chopped
250 gm flour
30 gm Dutch processed cocoa powder
200 grams sugar
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
100gm white chocolate chips
2 large eggs lightly beaten
120 gm butter melted and cooled
3 ripe bananas or 450gm mashed well
1 teaspoon pure vannila extract

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and place oven rack to middle position.
Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a another bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla
.
Now fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined and batter is thick and chunky.
Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.
Pour it to the prepared tin.

Bake until cake has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
About 50 to 60 minutes.
Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the cake from the pan.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cups to Grams
1/8 cup = 15 grams............................. 1/4 cup = 30 grams
1/3 cup = 40 grams............................. 3/8 cup = 45 grams
1/2 cup = 60 grams .............................5/8 cup = 70 grams
2/3 cup = 75 grams ..............................3/4 cup = 85 grams
7/8 cup = 100 grams ............................1 cup= 110 grams

Kerala Banana Chips

It is an integral part of the traditional Kerala meal called sadya had during weddings and traditional festivals such as Onam.

In Kerala, unripe bananas are used to make salted chips. It is the first time I am making the banana chips. As most of you know it was Onam last week.

For the first time in 17 years I clelbrated Onam in my Home.Most of the years we were in Kerala, when it was Onam or Onam was few days after we came from India so i didn't celebrate on those years.

Few years back we had to take the plane on the morning of onam to be back here. So you can imagine how that was.

This year we stayed for summer here in Belgium so i started planning the sadhya, as we had asked a malayalee couple ( well she is malayalee he is from belgium) for the sadhya. So when i went for shoping in Brussels i saw these bananas in the super market and thought why not make it myself.

I have to admit when i was making the chips the whole house was smelling like the smell you get in the streets were they fry the chips. (Most of the malayalees will know that, there is always a guy frying these banana chips in small shops near the bus stands or just outside a railway station etc)

This my entry for JFI hosted by Mandira

Busy Frying

Raw Banana 2

Coconut oil for deep frying or anyother vegetable oil. If you want to have the smell of Kerala you must use coconut oil.
Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
Salt - to taste
Method :Peel banana and slice into thin round pieces or split bananas into 4 thin pieces and slice. Heat oil and fry the banana pieces. When it is 3/4 done, add turmeric powder and salt mixed in 1tsp water and fry well.

Spicy Chicken Wings

Yeah......... i know this is my second chicken wings recipe.
This one is for all my friends who loves really spicy wings. My hubby and daughter both love this recipe, ofcourse it is not for people who can't stand the heat.

Anyway it is a very easy recipe. You can serve it with a glass of beer or water for those who don't like beer :-)))

Marinating

1 kg chicken wings ( i always remove the skin)
100 gm Kabab powder ( i used SRR chicken kabab powder)

1 egg
20 gm ginger garlic paste

Oil for deep frying

Mix all the ingridients and marinate for one hour.
Heat the oil and deep fry and serve it hot.

Crunchy and Spicy