Tandoori chicken chaat

 

'Tandoori chicken chaat' is the simplest of recipes one can find.. It is my own creation as a 'Best out of waste' recipe. Try this when you have some leftover Tandoori chicken. Tastes even better . It is a matter of minutes to put this absolutely lip-smacking recipe together.Best part is it can be served cold and so can be prepared before hand.. Always a 'Hit' at parties. Hope you all enjoy making it too.

Preparation time : 10 mins (Assuming you have tandoori chicken with you)

cooking time : 5 mins 

Serves : 4 

P.S Click on this link if you wish to prepare the Tandoori chicken yourself..

INGREDIENTS :

Tandoori chicken 500 gms

Thinly sliced onions 1 Big or 2 small

Thinly sliced tomatoes 1 Big or 2 small

Chopped coriander  1 Tbsp

Red chilly powder 1 tsp

Chaat masala 1/2 tsp

Mint and coriander chutney ..Click here Mint Chutney for its recipe 

Salt if required 

METHOD:

1. Separate the chicken from its bones and make fine shreds. Keep aside.

2. In a bowl mix the shredded chicken, onion, tomatoes, mint chutney, salt (if reqd), red chilly powder and chaat masala. Mix well.

3. Garnish with chopped coriander before serving.

4. Tastes best when served cold. 

Chicken Manchow Soup

 

'Chicken Manchow' soup is one of the most popular of 'Indo chinese'  recipes. A rich mix of plenty of vegetables and chicken mince makes it a very healthy, filling and actually can be had as a 'One dish meal" as well. Great as a comfort food and a remedy for coughs and colds.. A perfect winter delicacy.

Needs a little preparation before hand, but ready in a jiffy once you have the preparations ready. Here I present to you my way of making this simple yet wholesome soup. Hope you enjoy it.

P.S.:: Vegetarians can replace the chicken mince with crumbled Cottage cheese/Tofu or simply skip the chicken.

Preparation time : 30 mins

Cooking time       : 10 mins

Serves :  4

INGREDIENTS:

Finely shredded cabbage 100 gms

finely chopped carrots 100 gm

Finely chopped French beans 100 gms

Small bunch of spring onions finely chopped.

finely chopped green peppers

finely chopped ginger 1 Tbsp (Adjust to taste but I prefer lots of ginger in my soup)

Finely chopped garlic 1 Tbsp

Chicken mince around 100 gms

Salt to taste

Vinegar 1 tsp

Dark Soy sauce 1 to 2Tbsp

sugar 2 tsp

Black pepper powder 1/2 tsp

Red chilly sauce 1 tsp

finely chopped green chillies 2 nos

Vegetable/Chicken stock 500 ml

Corn flour 1 tbsp

water 

just a little Oil 

Fried noodles About a fistful for garnish. (These are a must for this soup) 

METHOD :

To make fried noodles:

Boil some noodles in salt water till just cooked (Al dente) remove and rinse them is cold water to remove the starch. Toss these fried noodles in a little corn flour so they do not stick to one another.. Deep fry these noodles in hot oil and keep aside for later use.

TO MAKE THE SOUP:

1. In a wok , take just a little oil about 1 tsp.

2.  Start adding all the finely chopped veggies one by one and keep stirring.

3. Add the spring onion and stir but keep aside some greens for garnishing.

4. Add the chicken mince and stir well to avoid burning of veggies..

5. Add the vegetable or chicken stock (You can add water if you do not have stock)

6. Add the Vinegar, Soy sauce, red chilly sauce, salt, sugar, black pepper powder and mix well.

7. Bring to boil. 

8. Just before serving add the corn flour paste to this soup to thicken it.

9. Garnish with fried noodles and spring onion greens

10. Serve piping hot. 

Watermelon Feta Cheese Salad.

Watermelons are one of the most refreshing things to have in summers. With it's high water content it is a Favourite amongst people who are Health and weight conscious. The simplicity of this salad has made it extremely popular. 'Feta' is a brined curd white cheese made in Greece from sheep's milk or from a mixture of sheep and goat's milk. Similar brined white cheeses are often made partly or wholly of cow's milk, and they are sometimes also called feta.Feta cheese being a little salty and with a crumbly texture, the salad is a nice mix of tastes and textures. Very Simple to assemble and ready in a Jiffy. If Feta cheese is not easily available then you can use Paneer (Cottage cheese) 

INGREDIENTS :

Watermelon 

Feta cheese 1 cup

Salt to taste

Crushed black pepper

Lemon juice 1 tsp

Mint leaves Few

METHOD :

1. Chop the watermelon into pieces of shape and size that you like.. I personally prefer scooping out balls with a melon scooper.

2. In a Bowl mix the lemon juice, salt , crushed pepper .

3. Pour this over the watermelon.

4. Crumble some Feta cheese over it .

5. Garnish with mint leaves (Slightly crush the leaves to release it's flavour) 

6. Your salad is ready to be served. Tastes best when it is chilled .

Russian Salad

A very colourful and flavourful mix of vegetables and fruits. Extremely easy to prepare and assemble it is very healthy , creamy and a burst of different tastes. Tastes best when served cold.

INGREDIENTS :

1/2 Cup Potatoes diced into small cubes

1/2 cup french beans finely chopped

1/2 Cup green peas

1/2 cup pineapple cube (Tinned or fresh)

1/2 cup Pomegranate kernels

1/2 cup carrots cubed

** Make all the cubes of the same size for uniformity

Plain Mayonnaise 2 Tbsp

Fresh cream 1 Tbsp

Honey 1 tsp

Black pepper powder 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Cherries or chopped Strawberries for garnishing

METHOD :

1. Blanch all the veggies in salt water till cooked. 

2. The veggies should be cooked but firm not very soft or mushy .

3. In a bowl, mix the blanched veggies, pineapple and pomegranate.

4. Mix the mayonnaise, cream, salt, honey and pepper to form a smooth and creamy paste.

5. Add this paste to the fruits and veggies and mix well.

6. Garnish with cherries or strawberries.

7. Refrigerate and serve cold. 

Lemon Coriander Soup (Chicken)

Chicken Lemon Coriander Soup is a very simple soup to prepare. Absolutely full of Nutrients and is also great as a comfort food . Infact you could replace the chicken with any meat or sea food of your choice or even veggies. Does not take too much of time to prepare and can be prepared with very few ingredients .

INGREDIENTS :

Boneless Chicken   200 gms

Water to Boil 500 ml

Lemon juice 1 lemon

Finely chopped coriander  1 Tbsp

Garlic 1 or 2 cloves

Green Chillies 1 or 2 

Salt to taste

Pepper powder 1/2 tsp

Cornflour 2 tsp

METHOD :

1. Boil the chicken in around 500 ml of water , till it is well cooked.

2. Strain this through a strainer and retain the stock.

3. Cut the boiled chicken into very very fine pieces or shreds as you prefer.

4. Make a paste using cornflour and water.

5. Make a paste of garlic, chillies and coriander adding very very little water.

6. Heat the chicken stock,

7. Add the chicken , lemon juice, coriander-garlic and chilli paste.

8. Now add black pepper powder and salt to taste.

9. Bring this to a boil.

10. When it boils, add the cornflour paste to thicken and switch off flame of gas.

11. Garnish with a lemon slice and coriander sprig . Serve Piping HOT.

Tomato soup

Pureed fresh ripe tomatoes , Simply seasoned with salt , sugar. Simplest of recipes which can be prepared easily. Its a great comfort food during winters or for unwell people. Great even for infants who are just being introduced to foods other than mother's milk .Can be served  piping HOT with dinner rolls or bread sticks. Some enjoy it even with plain steamed rice or 'jeera rice'. 

INGREDIENTS 

4 Med sized tomatoes  (For 4 persons)

Salt to taste 

Sugar to taste 

Jeera/cumin seeds        1/2 tsp

Hing powder/Asafoetida   1/2 tsp

METHOD :

1 Blanch the tomatoes in water till they are soft and cooked .

2. Once cooled, make a puree of these tomatoes using a blender or wet grinder and strain the puree.

3. Add water to get a soup like consistency which you desire.

4. Add the salt and sugar to taste.

5. Add the hing powder and Cumin seeds for subtle flavours (You can omit if you don't like these)

6. Bring to a boil till sugar dissolves.

7. Your soup is ready. 

8. You can even add a little Fresh cream to make 'Cream of tomato' soup.

9. Serve the soup  piping HOT with dinner rolls or bread sticks and some cubed butter. Some enjoy it even with plain steamed rice or 'jeera rice'. 

Tomato Saar

Fresh ripe tomatoes pureed , mixed with some coconut milk and tempered. Yet another very simple recipe which can be prepared easily. Its a great combination of textures and the sour spicy sweet combination of flavours makes it extremely delectable. Perfect for the winters . Goes very well with plain steamed rice, Pulav or Masale bhat .

INGREDIENTS 

4 Med sized tomatoes  (For 4 persons)

Coconut Milk    1/2 Bowl 

Salt to taste 

Sugar to taste 

Ghee or Clarified butter 2 Tbsp

Jeera/cumin seeds        1 tsp

Hing powder/Asafoetida   1/2 tsp

Dry red chillies (Whole with only the stem removed)     4 nos

If chillies are too long then break them in few pieces.

Finely chopped coriander for garnish .

METHOD :

1 Blanch the tomatoes in water till they are soft and cooked .

2. Once cooled, make a puree of these tomatoes using a blender or wet grinder and strain the puree.

3. Add water to get a soup like consistency

4. Add the coconut milk, salt to taste and sugar (Depending on the sourness of tomatoes)

5. Mix well till sugar dissolves .

6. in a pan heat the ghee, add the cumin seeds, Add the hing powder and then add the red chillies. Turn of gas.

7. Pour this 'Phodani or 'Tadka' over the tomato coconut milk mix and stir well.

8. Heat on low flame and bring it to a boil. (Keeping it on high flame can curdle the Coconut milk) 

9. Turn off gas , garnish with some finely chopped coriander leaves. 

10. Serve HOT with Plain steamed rice or Pulav or Masale Bhat as you like it. 

Salad in a jiffy ......

Salads are a great way to enjoy various fruits and vegetables. Healthy, light on the stomach and packed with nutrients . This one is another favourite at home and a sureshot way to ensure your kids have their daily intake of fruits and veggie servings in a ' YUMMY' way. This one is extremely easy to prepare and takes less time than you need to even read my recipe !!!.Hope you all enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS :

Cucumber, carrot, iceberg lettuce, boiled corn kernels, strawberries , Pomegranate kernels.

Take all these in any proportion as per your liking. 

METHOD:

1.Chop cucumber,carrot,iceberg lettuce.Add boiled corn chopped strawberries, pomegranate kernels. 

2. Add salt n black pepper powder to taste.

3. Salad is ready to enjoy. You can add unlimited veggies n fruits as per your liking .