Teriyaki Chicken on Skewers

Chicken Teriyaki on Skewers.

Ingredients:

75ml teriyaki sauce 2 tbsp clear honey 1 tbsp soy sauce Colored peppers cut into cubes 4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks bunch spring onions, trimmed 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Method:

If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20 mins to prevent them from burning. Heat grill to high and line a baking tray with foil. Mix together the teriyaki sauce, honey and soy. Add the chicken pieces and mix to coat. Thread the chicken and peppers onto the skewers. Place on the lined baking tray and cook under the grill for about 15 mins until charred, turning and basting from time to time with any extra sauce. Check that the chicken is cooked through before serving. Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan until hot. Toss the spring onions in the vegetable oil and some seasoning, tip into the pan and cook for 3-4 mins until nicely charred and softened. Serve with the chicken skewers.

Puffed Puris

Puris.

INGREDIENTS

For dough

Wheat flour - 1 cup 

Melted ghee - 1/2 tsp 

Semolina (Sooji/rava) - 1/2 tsp 

Sugar – A pinch salt -

 as needed Water - as needed ( i used around 1/3 cup)

METHOD

In a wide bowl,take the flour.Add semolina, salt,a pinch of sugar,ghee and mix well to make a crumbly mixture. Add water little by little and make the dough. Dough should not be sticky,wet or too soft like chapati dough. It should be smooth and stiff but not hard.

I used around 1/3 cup plus 1- 2 tbsp of water.It may vary based on the flour u use. Keep this as reference. Initially u may feel the dough little bit hard.knead well in between your palms for few minutes.It will become smooth and soft.Do not allow the dough to sit for long time.Start rolling. Make small lemon sized balls. Dust the balls in flour and make small sized puri of palm size.Use less flour for dusting.The thickness should be medium,not too thin like chapati. If u make it thin, puris won’t puff up.Arrange the puris in a paper or a greased plate without overlapping each other.

Heat oil to deep fry. To check the right temperature of oil,put a small piece of dough.It will rise immediately at the same time it should not be browned. This is the perfect heating of oil. Immediately slide the puri and after a second,press it with a slotted ladle.It will puff up well.Flip it carefully and allow it to cook for few seconds till the bubbles cease.Remove and lower the flame till u drop the next puri . Drain in a tissue paper. Keep the flame high and repeat the same for remaining puris.

POINTS TO NOTE

Addition of ghee keeps the poori soft and gives a nice flavour.But do not add more than the mentioned quantity. Adding sooji/rava is to maintain crispness.The puffed poori won’t break till u break it with ur hands.Some people soak the rava in little water before adding.If u add more quantity of semolina, it would be good.But here it is not necessary as we are adding negligible quantity.U can also omit semolina and try.It is completely optional. Adding a pinch of sugar gives a nice golden color to the poori.But it is optional to use. Dough consistency is more important.If u make it too hard or sticky,poori will be too hard. If the dough is too soft , poori will become very soft. If u feel , u have added very less water and the dough is too tight,beat the dough well for few minutes. It will become soft.Then make pooris.It will come out well. Do not rest the dough.Make puris immediately else it will drink more oil. Always use less flour for dusting else the dusted flour will spoil the oil and will be settled as sediments.So dust only once.U can apply oil on the rolling board and make pooris. Thickness should be medium ie slightly thicker than chapati and it should be even.Else poori will puff only in some places where it is thick.Make sure there are no holes while u roll.Pooris won’t puff up if there is a hole. Right temperature of oil is more important.Never allow it to fume or smoke.Poori will turn dark brown in color.Check the oil as mentioned above and proceed. After u make 2 –3 puris, adjust the flame,check the oil temperature again & fry the pooris.If the oil is too hot,switch off the flame for few minutes to reduce the heat.Else add some more fresh oil to reduce the heat.By doing this way,u can make pooris of even color till the end.

Firni (Milk and Rice pudding)

Firni (Milk and Rice pudding)

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 2.5 heaped tbsp Full Cream Milk - 2 cups (1/2 litre / 500ml) Sugar - 1/8 cup + 1 tbsp Saffron - 5 strands Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp Chopped Mixed Nuts - for garnish(I used almonds and pistachios)

Method:

Rinse basmati rice and soak in water for an hr.Transfer to mixer and with little water grind it to a semi fine paste, slightly coarse.When you touch it with your fingers you should feel the coarse texture. Set aside. Take a heavy bottomed wide pan and boil milk.Take a tbsp of warm milk in a bowl and soak saffron , set aside.Boil milk for 3mins then add the rice paste. Whisk it well to avoid lumps.Let it cook for 10-12mins in simmer.Check whether rice is cooked to soft, else cook for 5more mins.Once rice is cooked add saffron milk mixture and sugar. Give a stir. Once sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is thick more like pudding consistency add cardamom powder and switch off.Spoon the mixture into serving bowls and garnish with saffron and chopped nuts of your choice. Refrigerate it atleast for an hr. Serve chilled ....yummm!!

Baked Sambousa

Baked Sambousa.

(Healthy version)

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 egg

1/4 cup olive oil

pinch of salt

1 cup water

Method:

Mix everthing together and knead well.

Fill with filling of your choice, then brush with egg and milk. Sprinkle with sesame and flax seeds.

Bake till golden  brown.

Baked samosa (with Plain Flour)

Dough:

1 and 3/4 cup flour 1/4 cup semolina(fine) 125 grm butter 1/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup chilled water

Mix all the ingredients well. You might not need all the water. Knead well and cover with plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. Then roll out thinly and fill with filling of ur choice. Bake for 30 mins or until golden brown.

Chicken Fritters

Chicken Fritters.

Ingredients:

Chicken ½ kg (boneless, cut into cubes) Gram flour 1 cup heaped Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp heaped Chili powder 1 tsp heaped Turmeric ¼ tsp Salt 1 tsp Red pepper 1 tsp (crushed) Coriander 1 tbsp (crushed) Soda by carb ½ tsp Coriander leaves 2 to 3 tbsp (chopped) Green chilies 2 (chopped) Spring onion 1 cup (finely chopped) Oil for deep frying

Method:

In bowl mix gram flour with all the seasoning and water to make a medium consistency batter. Dip chicken cubes to it. Heat oil and deep fry chicken pakora until golden and crisp.

Garlic and Herb Potatoes

Garlic and Herb Potatoes.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds baby (small) or fingerling potatoes 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons melted butter 2 heads garlic, top trimmed 1/2 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges 5-6 sprigs thymes

2 sprigs rosemary

Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F. Slightly prick the potatoes with a fork. Place the potatoes in a roasting pan and brush with the olive oil and melted butter. Add the garlic, parsley, lemon and thyme and rosemary in the pan, in between the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

Roast the potato for 1 hour, basting the oil mixture at 30 minute interval. Serve immediately after roasting.

**Note: Don’t discard the garlic, they are so delicious after the roasting. Eat the potato and follow with a clove of the garlic, heavenly!!

Cheese Samosa

Cheese Sambousa.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup crumbled French feta (less salt) 1/2 cup crumbled white cheese Handful of parsley chopped finely 5-6 sprigs of thyme 1 tbsp chopped dill leaves

Method:

Mix all ingredients together n fill up the samosas leaves/ dough . Fry or bake. Enjoy!!

Pan-Toasted Dates

Pan-Toasted Dates

Ingredients:

10 dates of your choice (i used sukary rutub dates) pitted and butterflied 

1 tbsp Clarified butter (ghee)

 For topping:

crushed nuts

thick cream (i used almarai breakfast cream)

sesame seeds

cinnamon powder

Method:

In a pan melt ghee on a medium heat. Toast the dates till brown slightly. Remove them in a plate. Sprinkle with cinnamon powder, top with thick cream and then sprinkle nuts and sesame seeds. Serve warm. Enjoy!!!