Green Chicken!!!

Ingredients :
Chicken - 1 lb
Spinach : 2 cups
Onions : 2
Green chillies : 4
Ginger - 1 tsp
Garlic - 4 nos.
Coriander pdr -2 tsp.
Garam Masala - 1 tsp.
Oil/Ghee and Salt to taste.
Curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Method :
Boil Spinach in little water,Grind and keep it aside.Heat oil in a pan and saute Ginger,garlic,green chillies and onion..Saute till brown..Add the chicken pieces,coriander pdr and salt..Mix it well..Cover it with a lid..Boil in low flame ..When the chicken is done,add the spinach and garam masala to it..Mix and boil it for 5-7 mns..
Enjoy the green chicken with Rice or Chappathi.

Say Cheese!!
Parvathy Arun :)

Recipe Courtesy :Manoramaonline cuisines..

Kappa ( Tapioca) Biriyani...Happy 2011!!!!!

Kappa biriyani is an ultimate and popular food in Kerala.It is a combination of kappa/tapioca and meat..( U can use any meat as u like)..Its an easy and tasty dish..Here it goes!!!

For kappa :
Kappa/Tapioca - 1 1/2 lb.
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
Salt as reqd.
For marinating :
Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp.
Chilli powder - 11/2 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Salt to taste.
For masala :
Shallots - 7 nos finely chopped.
Green chillies - 4 nos.
Curry leaves and salt as rqd.
Garam masala - 1 tsp.
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp.
Oil,mustard seeds and dried red chillies for seasoning..

How to make :
Marinate the meat pieces with all the ingredients given and keep it aside for 15 mns.Cook the meat till it is done.Boil Tapioca with turmeric powder and salt in a pressure cooker.Remove the excess water from kappa..Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and red chillies.Put the chopped shallots,green chillies and few curry leaves and saute well.Put the turmeric pdr,chilli powder,coriander pdr and masala and salt.saute well..Add the cooked meat pieces to it with the excess water if u have any.And cook well till the gravy thickens or absorbed.Finally add the cooked kappa to it and mix well until the masala mix with all over the kappa..Keep it in low flame for 5 mins.Adjust salt..Switch off the flame..Garnish with few curry leaves...Serve warm and enjoy as breakfast.lunch or dinner!!!

                                    Wishing You All A Very Happy and Prosperous New Year

Say Cheese!!
Parvathy Arun :-)

Black Forest Cake!!!!

During all festival time we all have lots of memories...rite??In my childhood, for me christmas is all about cakes,delicious food,stars and of course, the 10 days X'mas holidays :D In the christmas morning my mom used to make Appam ,chicken curry or pidi,chicken curry for breakfast...And the main attraction of the day is cutting cakes....Everytime we used to buy plum cakes and chocolate or cream icing cakes.And I never have patience to wait till morning for cake cutting..Without cakes christmas is incomplete for me...Missing all those beautiful days..And  I thot this time I will bake the cake in home...Black Forest cake is everyone's favourite I think..Here is my recipe for the Yummy black forest cake!!!

Ingredients :
All purpose flour/Maida -1/2 cup.
Coco powder - 1/2 cup.
Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup.
Eggs - 6 nos.
Butter - 100 gm.
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp.
For filling and decoration :
Whipping Cream - 2-3 cups.
Tinned Cherries - as required.
Sugar - 5 tbs if needed ( cuz the cherry syrup already has sugar ,so add sugar according to that )
Rum for flavour - 2 tbs ( U can use whiskey or brandy instead of rum)
Chocolate curls and rice for decoration.

How to make the cake :
1. Seive maida and butter twice together to mix well.
2.Heat butter and keep it aside to cool.
3.Beat the eggs in a bowl and add the powdered sugar to it and combine well.
4. Add 1 tsp vanilla essence to it and mix.
5. Add little little maida-coco powder mix to it and combine slowly.
6. Finally add the butter and mix well.
7.Grease one cake tin with butter and pour this batter to it.Preheat oven at 350F for 5 min.
8. Bake the cake for about 40-45 mins in 350F.
Filling and Decoration :
 Remove the cake from oven when it is done and let it cool.Separate Cherries from the syrup..And heat 1cup syrup..The syrup is already sweetend so add sugar according to that.Add sugar when the syrup starts to boil.Switch off the flame and let it cool lightly..Then add the Rum for flavour.
Then cut the cake horizontaly in two equal pieces..(U can make it 2 or 3 pieces if u want).Keep the upper portion of the cake upside down.Then make small holes in the two pieces with a fork..After that pour little little cherry syrup and spread all over.Let it go thru the holes.Do the same in the other piece also..Then first put the whipping cream in one piece and spread all over the cake surface..Place some separated cherries and place the second piece over this and lightly press it..And put the cream over this second portion and spread all over covering all the black colour ..Finally decorate it with chocolate curls , chocolate rice and cherries...Keep it in the lower tray of the refrigerator for 10-15 mins to set.
The Yummy black forest cake is ready..Cut in to pieces and enjoy!!!
                                         Wishing all A Merry Christmas
Say Cheese!!!
Parvathy Arun :-)
Recipe Courtesy :Lakshmi Nair,magic oven

Fried Fish Masala Rice...

Fish - 1 lb.(Cleaned and cut in to small or cube pieces).
Raw rice/Basmati - 2 cups.
For Masala :
Chopped Onions - 2 .
Ginger - 2 tsp.
Garlic - 2 tsp.
Green chillies - 3.
Lemon Juice - 2 tbs.
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1/2 - 1 tsp.
Garam Masala - 1 tsp.
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp ( optional ).
Few Coriander leaves and salt as reqd.
 For Marinating Fish :
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
Chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp.
Salt as reqd.
Lemon juice - 2 tsp.
Oil for shallow frying.

How to Make :

   Marinate fish pieces with salt,turmeric powder,chilli powder and lemon juice .Cook rice with enough water and salt..Drain the water when it is done and keep it aside..Heat little oil in a pan and fry fish pieces till brown.Remove fish from oil and keep it aside.Cut or crush the fish pieces into small with hands..Use this same fish fried oil to prepare the Masala..Put ginger,garlic and green chillies in the same oil and saute well..Then add chopped onion and saute well till it gets cooked..Put turmeric powder,chilli powder,coriander powder,pepper powder,coriander leaves and salt...Saute well.( If u want less spicy,u can adjust the chilli powder amnt).When it is done add the small fish pieces and mix well..Finally add the cooked rice and mix well with tha fish and the masala..Put salt if needed..Add 2 tbs lemon juice and mix well..Keep it in low flame for a minute..Switch off the flame..Enjoy with Raita, curd or pappad!!!!
Say Cheese!!!!
Parvathy :-)
Recipe Courtesy : Lekshmi Nair,Magic Oven

Butter Chicken!!!!!

Chicken - 1/2 lb.( cut in small pieces).
Onion - 1( Big).
Tomato - 2(small to make tomato puree).
Ginger- 2 tsp.
Garlic - 2 tsp.
Cashew nuts - 1/4 cup.
Milk - 1/4 cup.
Turmeric pdr - a pinch.
Chilli pdr - 1 tsp.
Coriander pdr - 1/2 tsp.
Garam masala- 1 tsp.
Butter - 2 tbs.
Salt as reqd and few coriander leaves.

How to make :
 Soak cashew nuts in milk for 30 mins.By that time we will make tomato puree..For that boil 1 cup water,put tomatos in the boiling water and heat it for 3 mins..Switch off the flame and pour cold water in it..After a min peel off the skin and throw it.Take the peeled tomato and blend or grind it well to make a fine puree..Keep it aside..

Heat 1 tbs butter in a pan.Put ginger,garlic,onion and fry it till onion get golden brown.Add the small chicken pieces and fry it for a while.Add tomato puree,mix it for 1 min.Then add chilli powder,coriander powder,turmeric powder and garam masala and saute well for a while.Grind the soaked cashew nuts in enough milk to make a paste.Add this cashew paste to the chicken and mix well. Cover the pan with a lid and cook till the gravy thickens or the chicken is done. Remove from the flame and put the remaining butter on the top.Garnish with few Coriander leaves..Yummy butter chicken is ready..Serve warm with Roti or Naan...

Say Cheese!!
Parvathy :-)
  

Naan............

Naan is one of the popular varieties of Indian breads and is available in all the Indian restaurants..I always like to have naan whenever we go out for lunch during our weekends coz we all love to eat the variety foods which we cannot make in our homes,rite??..But now I found its very easy to make in our homes.. Hope u all will try it ....Naan are traditionally cooked in Tandoor or Oven,but can be made easily using a Tawa...I made it using Tawa..It can be served with any chicken varieties or Gobi Manjurian..A typical Naan recipe involves mixing all purpose flour with Yeast and Yoghurt to make the naan soft..But in modern recipes now use Baking powder with the flour. I added egg also,but Veggies can avoid egg..Here is my recipe to make simple,soft and tasty Naan!!!

All purpose flour - 2 cups.
Water - 1 cup warm water.
Yeast - 1 tsp.
Baking powder - 1 tsp.
Yoghurt - 2 tbs.
Oil - 2 tsp.
Egg - 1 ( optional )
Sugar - 1 tsp.
Salt - 1 tsp or as rqd.
And little flour to dip while spreading.

Method :
Dissolve Yeast in warm water and keep it aside for 5-10 mins.Mix the all purpose flour with sugar,salt,yoghurt,baking powder,oil,egg and mix well...Add the water which we already dissolved the yeast and knead it well till it is smooth and stretchy .Keep this dough for atleast 4 hrs.And knead it in between..
  After 4 hrs make small balls with the dough,dip it in the flour and spread in oval shape to make Naan..Heat a Tawa and put the naan and cook it well like Chapathis.. ( if you are using an Oven,Preheat oven at 400 degree F..Place the Naan in greased oven tray and heat it for 2-3 mins.)..When it is done,spread Ghee over the Naan..Serve hot Naan with Chicken Varieties :-)
Say Cheese!!!!
Parvathy Arun

Blueberry Smoothie!!!

Frozen Blueberry - 1 cup
Plain Yoghurt - 3 tsp.
Sugar - 3 tsp.                                                 
Lemon juice - 1 tbs.
Orange juice-2 tsp
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp.
Ice cubes - 1/2 cup.


.

Method :
  Combine all ingredients together in a blender for 30 secs or until the ice crushed or drink becomes smooth and creamy..Serve immedietly!!!!

Say Cheese!!!

Parvathy