Coconut Masala filling/topping for Puttu

 This masala of coconut and chicken is a match made in heaven for puttu. It works perfectly well as a filling for other recipes calling for a coconut filling like chapathi foldovers too. 

Here is what you’ll need:

2 chicken breast pieces

2 large onions

1 ½ cup fresh coconut shredded 

6-7 green chillies

10 curry leaves

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp oil

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

½ tsp garam masala

½ cup chopped coriander

½ cube stock (optional)

Salt

Method:

1. Sauté the onions, chilli and curry leaves on low flame till the onions reduce. Sprinkle salt.
2. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry on medium heat till the raw smell goes. Fry in the turmeric powder.
3. Add the rest of the masala powders  and then add in the chicken.
4. Let the chicken cook in its own juice. If the masala sticks to the bottom, add a couple of tbsp water.
5. Once the chicken is completely cooked, remove it from the masala and shred it finely.
6. Put back the shredded chicken in the masala and mix well.
7. Mix in the coconut and chopped coriander and cook on low simmer for 10 minutes till steamed.
8. Use the filling for your favorite recipe.

 Recipe by Zohra Sada

Creamy Red Sauce Pasta

Yummy Italian pasta with the Indian chilli spice. I don’t care what views you have on mixing Indian flavours with Italian, but this pasta was Uh-ma-zing! Like really. Skip the chicken if you want, add some chopped carrots and peas. Plus or minus. This bowl of pasta was just too good and it is super simple.

This recipe serves 4 people with 250 calories approximately. SKIP the cheese for low fat pasta giving approximately 193 calories per serving.

Here is what you’ll need:

2 cups pasta fusilli/penne

1 cup minced chicken (optional)

1 medium onion

1 large red tomato

2 tbsp tomato paste

5 cloves garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp mixed Italian herbs

1 tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp black pepper powder

1/8^th cube of stock

2 tbsp cheddar cream cheese (or any other type)

Salt to taste

 Method:

1. In a large pot, bring salted water to a rolling boil and cook the pasta till al dente or firm to the bite.
2. Drain the pasta and wash it with cold water to stop further cooking.
3. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and fry the finely grated garlic till brown.
4. Add the super finely chopped onion to the oil and sauté in medium flame.
5. Meanwhile, blanch the whole tomato in hot water, peel off the skin and puree it.
6. Add the chicken mince to onions along with salt and stock.
7. Add the pureed tomato and cook the chicken in the sauce.
8. Add the tomato paste and ketchup.
9. Sprinkle the oregano and mixed Italian herbs along with red chili powder and black pepper.
10. Once the tomato sauce is prepared, add the cooked pasta and mix well.
11. Mix in the cheese along with a couple of tbsp of water and stir till all the pasta is coated well.
12. Serve hot with olives.

Recipe by Zohra Sada

Butter Chicken

Butter chicken is one of those popular dishes that has evolved over time. It’s one Indian cuisine recognized all over the world.

This recipe is no quick cheat method for your butter chicken. Though it does contain few not so authentic ingredients like ketchup, it tastes amazing and spot on perfect.

The first step is to make the tandoori chicken and the second step is to prepare the thick silky sauce.

If you want to cut down your calories and still want a yummy butter chicken, cut off the cashewnuts and cream thickener. Only yoghurt will work too.

An authentic recipe calls for more tomatoes, but since the tomatoes I use were on the sour side, I used a tbsp of tomato paste and tomato ketchup which gives a subtle sweetness.

This recipe serves 4 people and each serving gives 580 calories approximately.

Here is what you’ll need:

2 chicken breasts

1 large onion

1 large tomato

3 red chillies

1 bay leaf (Tej Patta)

1 cinnamon stick (Dalchini)

3 cardamoms (Elaichi)

3 cloves (Lavang)

½ tsp cumin seeds (Jeera)

½ tsp coriander seeds (Dhaniya Seeds)

5 cloves garlic

1 inch ginger

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp ketchup

7-8 cashew nut (4-5)

2 tbsp fresh cream (optional)

2 tbsp yoghurt

1 tbsp kasuri methi

2 tbsp melted butter

For marination:

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

Salt as per taste

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp tandoori powder

Method:

1. Clean, wash the chicken and cut it into bite size pieces.
2. Marinate the chicken in salt, lemon juice, ginger garlic paste and tandoori masala. Rest it for 1 hour.
3. Once the chicken is marinated, grill it in the oven for 20 minutes or till cooked. Alternatively cook it on stove top till all the moisture evaporates.
4. In a kadai, heat the butter and fry the cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaves along with cumin, coriander seeds and cashew nuts till fragrant.
5. Finely chop the ginger and garlic and add it to the spices along with red chili.
6. Add the sliced onions to the butter and sauté the onions on low heat till softened.
7. Once the onions sweat and reduce, add the chopped tomato and cook further for 5 minutes.
8. Add the turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili powder and switch off the flame.
9. Once this mixture cools downs, puree it finely into a thick paste in a grinder. Add half a cup of water if required.
10. Put this mixture back into the kadai, and mix in the tomato paste and ketchup.
11. Whip in the yoghurt and fresh cream and stir well till the sauce thickens.
12. Add the cooked chicken tandoori pieces and mix.
13. Crush the kasuri methi between your palms and add to the butter chicken.
14. Serve hot with tandoori roti or naan.

Recipe by Zohra Sada

Mixed Vegetable and Chicken Filling

This chicken filling is an evergreen recipe and can be used for any recipe at anytime. For your sandwiches, puff pastry filling, fatayar, chicken buns, crepes fold over, this filling just works beautiful. Whenever I prepare, I prepare in bulk and freeze the rest. This recipe is more of Indian flavorings and spices.

Here is what you’ll need:

3-4 chicken breast

2 large onions

6-7 green chillies

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

½ capsicum finely diced

¼ cup green peas

¼ cup corn

1 carrot grated

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp chat powder

½ tsp cumin powder (Jeera powder)

¼ tsp garam masala

½ tsp red chilli powder (optional)

½ cup chopped coriander

2 tbsp oil

Salt according to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a wok, and fry the onions with salt on low heat for 5-10 minutes.
2. Add the green chillies and ginger garlic paste along with turmeric powder and cook for another couple of minutes.
3. Add in the cleaned chicken pieces and let the chicken cook in its own juices.
4. Add in all the coriander powder, chat powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder and garam masala.
5. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the onion masala.
6. Once cooled shred the chicken finely and add it back to the masala along with the capsicum, peas, corn and carrot.
7. Sprinkle black pepper and coriander and steam for 5 minutes.
8. Serve the filling for any recipe of your choice.

Recipe by Zohra Sada

Spring Roll Filling

Crisp and crackly, full of tender yet crisp veggies. This recipe of spring roll filling is more on the Chinese version. If you have a chicken breast handy, cook it separately in butter. Season with ginger and garlic paste along with a dash of red chilli and salt. Once cooked, shred finely and add to the done vegetables. Now this is an optional step. For totally vegetarian filling just go ahead with the recipe.

The trick for making good spring rolls is not getting the vegetables completely cooked and soggy. Moisture ruins the wrap and then storing and defrosting becomes a disaster. Keep the flame on high throughout and cook the veggies for few minutes only. And do not add the salt till the very end. Salt makes the veggies wilt and lose moisture and that’s a big NO NO.

This recipe will make 20 spring rolls.

Here is what you’ll need:

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 carrot grated

1 spring onion

¼ capsicum sliced

1 tbsp corn / olives/sprouted mung beans

1 tsp lemon juice

½ tsp black pepper

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp soy sauce

Salt as per taste

Method:

1. In a large wok, heat butter and add the cabbage and spring onions. Stir fry on high flame for a minute or two.
2. Add the grated carrot and capsicum. Toss the vegetables around for another couple of minutes.
3. Add the soy sauce, black pepper and salt and switch off the flame.
4. Mix in the spring onion leaves, corn/olives/sprouted mung.
5. Squeeze in the lemon juice.
6. At this point add the shredded chicken pieces if prepared. (Optional)
7. Your filling for the spring roll is ready.

For chicken:

1 chicken breast cubed

1 tsp ginger garlic

1 tbsp butter

½ tsp salt

½ tsp red chilli powder

Method:

1. Heat the butter in a pan. Add the ginger garlic along with the chicken.
2. Sprinkle the salt and red chilli.
3. Once the chicken gets completely cooked and soaks up all the moisture switch off the flame.
4. Once cooled, shred it into fine pieces and add it to your veggies.

Now now! Don’t judge my pictures and don’t ask me how to neatly roll up the spring rolls. Me clumsy. Me messy. Me no neat. L This recipe is for making yummy delicious filling for the spring rolls. So go ahead. 

Recipe by Zohra Sada

Hara Murgh/ Green Chicken Curry

In the world of food, change is something we look forward to. Add color and flavor to your chicken with fresh smelling herbs. Mint and coriander is usually a garnish to the dish. But when it acts as a base for your curry, it brings out a totally fresh flavor.

Adding cream to the recipe gives a creamy and silky sauce. Serving with parathas or chapathis will make it more of a rich exotic hara murgh makhani.  If serving with rice, skip the cream and the gravy will still taste good.

This recipe serves 3 people. One serving of this recipe provides approximately 327 calories.

Here is what you’ll need:

4-5 pieces chicken

½ cup mint leaves

½ cup coriander leaves

2 tbsp yoghurt

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1 onion

3 green chillies

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp cream (optional)

Method:

1. Clean, wash and pat the chicken pieces dry.
2. In a small grinder, grind together coriander, mint, 1 green chilli, yoghurt, lemon juice and salt.
3. Marinade the chicken pieces in this paste for 20 minutes.
4. In a kadai or pot, heat oil. Add the cumin seeds. When they splutter, add the freshly grated ginger and garlic.
5. Fry the ginger garlic till the raw aroma goes and add the onions and 2 green chillies.
6. Saute the onions on medium heat till they soften. Add the marinated chicken with all the marinade. Sprinkle in the cumin and coriander powder.
7. Cook on high heat for the first 5 minutes. Lower the heat and let the chicken cook for another 15 minutes.
8. When the chicken is completely done, add the cream and sprinkle black pepper.
9. Cook for another two minutes and switch off the flame.
10. Serve your hara murgh makhani with rice or chapathi.

Recipe by Zohra Sada

Macaroni in Coconut Sauce

All through my childhood I never had pasta any other way. Then when I grew up I got to know what Italian pasta really was. I still go back to this recipe, the way my mom used to make it. I think it’s prepared the same way in all of Bhatkal. So I can take my chance and call this as the Bhatkali Macaroni. Though, back there it’s called The Macaroni. 

Don’t get me wrong, authentic pastas are extremely delicious. But if you do have Indian taste buds, I want you try this recipe. It’s something totally different.

First things first. You need to get chicken korma prepared. Don’t turn around, if you are a vegetarian, prepare any type of curry. Honestly, if you have a bowl of any curry leftover, use that. If it doesn't have any meat, doesn't matter. It’ll be fine. I promise. 

Prepare the coconut milk. I do not have fresh coconut readily available so I made thick coconut milk by dissolving 8-10 tbsp of coconut milk powder in 3 cups water. Alternatively you can use desiccated coconut powder. Blend it in a blender with 2-3 red chillies and turmeric powder.

Boil the macaroni as per instructions. The pasta should be cooked al dente, as it will soak up more moisture later on. Once cooked, drain the macaroni and transfer into a pot.

Pour the coconut milk into the macaroni along with the chicken curry and mix all of it well. Add 1 ½ cups of water additionally. Add chopped coriander leaves. It’s optional to add ½ cube of maggie stock. Adjust salt accordingly. The macaroni should be literally sinking in the soup. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes and switch off the flame.

Open the lid only after 15 minutes. The macaroni will have soaked all the moisture and become soft.

Serve warm.

This recipe serves 4 people. One serving of this recipe (1/ 4 portion) gives 430 calories approximately.

Here is what you’ll need:

2 cups macaroni (any shape pasta)

3 cups thick coconut milk

2-3 red chillies

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ cube maggie stock (optional)

5-6 coriander leaves with stem

For the curry:

Meat (chicken/mutton/prawn) (optional)

1 onion

1 tomato small

2-3 green chillies

1 tsp tandoori powder

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp gram masala

1 tsp curry powder

1tbsp oil

Method:

For the curry:

1. In a pot, heat oil. Sweat one finely sliced onion. Add the green chillies.
2. Add the chopped tomato and sprinkle salt. Cook till the tomatoes go soft.
3. Sprinkle the spices and add the meat/veggies and cook till done.
4. Prepare the coconut milk by blending together 8 tbsp coconut milk in 3 cups water with red chillies and turmeric powder.
5. In a large pot, bring water to a rolling boil. Add generous amount of salt and add the macaroni.
6. Cook the macaroni as per instruction on the packet or till al dente.
7. Drain the macaroni and put it back into the pot.
8. Pour the coconut milk into the macaroni pot. Add the prepared curry. Add chopped coriander leaves and ½ cube maggie stock dissolved in water.
9. Mix all together. If the mixture looks dry, add 1 cup water.
10. Give it a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Switch off the flame. Leave the pot covered for 15 minutes till all the moisture soaks up.
11. Serve warm.

Note: The resulting texture of the macaroni will be soft and not firm to the bite like regular pastas.

Recipe by Zohra Sada

Tandoori Chicken Pizza

When Indian and Italian taste fuses it creates an explosion of cheesy happiness and yumminess.

Tandoori chicken is popular all over India and Pakistan. The rich spicy chicken marinated in yoghurt and tandoori masala can make your mouth water. See, I’m going off tangent and talking about tandoori chicken rather than pizza.

I don’t marinate the chicken in yoghurt for making pizza. Just chop the chicken into small pieces, mix it well with red chilli, ready tandoori powder, lemon and salt. Then cook it on the stove top or grill till well cooked. If you have left over tandoori chicken, then go ahead and add it.

If you have never made the dough for pizza, roll up your sleeves and get ready.  The taste of your hardwork is going to be much sweeter. (yummier)

This recipe makes 8 slices of Tandoori Pizza. One serving of this recipe provides approximately 297 Calories.

For the dough:

Here is what you’ll need:

2 cup all-purpose flour (Maida)

1 ½ tsp instant yeast

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

1 egg (optional)

3 tbsp oil

Pinch of baking powder

2 tbsp milk in warm water

1 tbsp butter (optional)

Method:

1.  In a large bowl, sift the flour.
2. Add the sugar, salt, baking powder, and instant yeast. Mix it well. 
3. Crack in an egg. Add 2 tbsp of oil.
4. Add lukewarm water- milk mix little by little till smooth dough is formed.
5. Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil and knead well for 5 minutes on the working surface.
6. Keep the kneaded dough in the bowl covered with a damp cloth.
7. Place the dough inside a switched off oven for 2 hours or till the dough rises and becomes double.
8. Roll the dough into a large circle. Roll out thin if you want thin crust pizza which will serve 8 slices or roll medium thick for serving 6 people.
9. Line the baking tray with aluminium foil and spread butter on it for crisp buttery base.
10. Place the rolled out dough on the baking tray and let the dough sit covered for 10- 15 minutes 

For the base tomato sauce:

During my initial years of cooking I would cook up the whole tomato sauce from scratch, which took up lot of time and ingredients. For lazy people like me, I then found an easy solution. Spice up the ready tomato puree!

Here is what you’ll need:

3 tbsp tomato puree

1 garlic clove grated

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp mixed Italian herbs (thyme, basil, oregano)

½ tsp vinegar/ lemon juice

1 tbsp Red chilli sauce

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients together.
2. Tada! Tomato sauce for your base is ready!

Tandoori Chicken:

Here is what you’ll need:

2 chicken breasts

1tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp tandoori powder

½ tsp lemon juice

1 tsp oil

Method:

1.      Coat the cleaned chicken piece with the the ingredients.
2.      Cook it on the stove top or grill it in the oven till well cooked and dry.

Other Toppings:

     Here is what you’ll need:

     1-2 cup mozzarella cheese

     ½  onion

     ½  capsicum

     2 tbsp black olives

     2 tbsp corn

     1 tbsp oregano

     The final step:

1.     Once the dough is rolled and rested on the baking tray, Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2.     Spread half of the mozzarella cheese on the base.
3.     Scatter the onions, capsicum, olives, corn, and the tandoori chicken.
4.     Cover the pizza completely with the rest of the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the oregano.
5.      Place it into the preheated oven for 7-10 minutes or till the base turns golden brown.
6.     Serve hot and yummy.

     Note:

•      If you've added the egg and rolled the pizza thin, it will cook considerably faster. Keep an eye on the base after 5 minutes.
•       If you have not added egg and rolled the pizza thick, it may take longer.

Recipe by Zohra Sada

Chicken Soup

Chicken soup is for the soul. You don’t have to be sick or the weather doesn’t have to be cold. A healthy light soup as starter is okay anytime. Or you can skip the dinner after the soup.

My struggle with making a perfect soup is a long story. After so many trial and errors I realized, taste is important. Of course taste is important, duh! What I mean is the good amount of vinegar, salt, green chilli and red chilli sauce flavor. Many of the recipes out there are too bland for my Indian taste buds. But, if you like your soup plain, no worries. Adjust the taste as per your liking.

Whenever sorting out the chicken, I keep the boney part of the chicken like the neck and ribcage aside for making the stock of the soup. This gives stronger flavor than chicken breasts. The chicken pieces are boiled in water for 15-20 minutes for the liquid to reduce and make stock.

The wonderful aroma of butter and spring onions is heartwarming.

I don’t use cornflour for this recipe. This is a thin soup. For slight thickening purpose I use a tbsp of powdered oats. For a better flavor, you can puree 1 tbsp of mushroom or 1 tbsp of fresh corn kernels and add to the stock. 

This recipe makes 2 bowls of soup. One serving provides approximately 271 Calories.

Here is what you’ll need:

2-3 pieces of chicken in bones

2 spring onions with leaves

1 tbsp powdered oats/ pureed mushroom/ pureed corn

1 inch ginger

1 tbsp butter

4-5 whole peppercorns

4 cups water

2 tsp vinegar

1 tsp green chilli sauce

1 tsp red chilli sauce

1 tsp light soy sauce

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (Optional)

½ tsp black pepper powder

Salt as per taste

1 egg

Method:

1. In a large pot, melt the butter. Sauté finely chopped ginger and spring onions. Add the peppercorns.
2. To this add the whole cleaned chicken pieces.
3. Add 4 cups of water.
4. Once the water boils, simmer for 15-20 minutes.
5. Remove the chicken, shred the meat and discard the bones.
6. Add the shredded meat to the stock.
7. Finely powder the oats and add to the soup.
8. Add the rest of the flavourings.
9. Adjust the seasonings and salt as per your taste.
10. Increase the flame, and to the boiling soup, add a beaten egg with the help of a spoon.
11. Garnish with spring onion leaves and serve hot.

Recipe by Zohra Sada

Kerala Dry Roast Chicken

I always keep searching online for adding variation to my growing list of chicken recipes. I stumbled on this particular recipe one day while randomly checking out my FB posts. I honestly don’t remember whose blog was that, but when I did prepare it for lunch that day, I remember my husband saying, “lock that recipe”. So, that’s what I did, and here it is for you.

This recipe is a two step process, first one is to marinate the chicken lightly and shallow fry it.

And then cook it in tomato sauce and let the chicken soak it up.

This recipe serves 2 people. One serving of this recipe (1/2 portion) will provide approximately 287.5 Calories.

Here is what you’ll need:

4-5 pieces of chicken-in-bone

2-3 green chillies

10 curry leaves

2 tbsp fried onions

2 tbsp coriander leaves

1 big tomato

Oil for frying

For marinade:

1 tsp ginger paste

1tsp garlic paste

½ tsp red chilli powder

½  tsp coriander powder

1 tsp vinegar

2 chillies chopped finely

Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with ginger, garlic, red chilli powder, coriander powder, vinegar, salt and chopped chillies.
2.  Let the marinated chicken rest for 30 min.
3. Deep fry or shallow fry the marinated chicken till 3/4^th done.
4. Blanch the tomato (Put the tomato in boiling water till its skin cracks and peels off).Peel the skin and puree it.
5. In a wok, heat 1 tsp oil (oil used for frying the chicken).
6. Add the slit green chillies, curry leaves, pureed tomato.
7. Add the fried chicken to it and let it simmer till the chicken soaks up the tomato sauce and dries out.
8. Add the fried onions and coriander leaves and mix well.
9. Serve hot.

Recipe by Zohra Sada