Chicken in Spicy Creamy Tomato Gravy

I saw this recipe here. And I loved it. I wanted to try it immediately. But it needed so much oil.. well, I thought, once in a while it is okay to cook such yummy dish.
But again, my weighing machine told me I was crossing the acceptable weight. My jeans was telling me i was losing shape....
So, I saved it in my favorites for some days.. but it kept haunting me... why not try once, one time does not matter...
And who says I am out of shape.... Round is also a shape :-)

What you need:

Chicken : 1 Kg, with bones
Onion : 1, big, chopped
Ginger Garlic paste : 3 Tbsp
Lemongrass : 4, chopped
Dry red chillies : 10, soaked in water for about 15 - 20 mins (adjust according to taste)
Tomato Soup : 1 cup
Coconut milk : 1 cup
Star Anise : 2
Cinnamon : 2 inch
Cloves : 5
Cardamom Pods : 5-6 , ground coarsely
Salt : to taste
Turmeric : 1/2 tsp
Oil : for deep frying + 1/4 cup

1. Marinate chicken with Salt and Turmeric. Set aside for an hour.
2. Heat oil for frying in a deep wok and fry the chicken pieces till golden, drain on paper and keep aside.
3. Put Onion, Lemongrass, Red chillies and Ginger Garlic paste in a food processor and make a coarse paste.
4. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a wide pan.
5. Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and star anise, until it emit a nice aroma.
6. Add the processed onion paste. Fry till the raw smell disappears and is fragrant and oil separates.
7. Add tomato soup, coconut milk and chicken pieces.
8. Add salt.
9. Lower the heat and cook till the sauce thickens.
10. Garnish with spring onion, and serve hot with rice or rotis.

Mom's Tips:
If you don't have tomato soup, you can use tomato puree. Use the homemade puree, I feel store bought very tangy.
If you don't want so much fat in your dish, you can skip frying the chicken pieces before hand, and add them directly in Step 7 and cook till done.

Hazelnut Banana Muffins

Food Photography - It has become an obsession to me these days...
I agree that i am not very good at it.. and I am still in the learning phase... and like the saying goes "Practice makes you Perfect", I am clicking everything that is edible :-)

I have started submitting pictures to foodgwaker and tastespotting... but every time they get rejected.
Well, I am not disappointed... it gives me a scope to improve and think what I have done wrong.
At last two days back one of my picture was accepted in foodgwaker.... I guess they are easy to please than the tastespotting guys :-)
Anyways, I made my first baby step :-)

I made these muffins along with the Orange muffins on my son's Birthday.. I guess you will enjoy them as much as my son did!!

What you need :

Bananas : 2, ripe
All Purpose Flour : 150 gm
Sugar : 150 gm
Butter : 150 gm, soft at room temperature
Eggs : 3
Lemon juice : 1 Tbsp
Hazelnut :50 gm, finely chopped
Baking Powder : 1 Tbsp
Baking Soda : 1/2 Tbsp
Salt : a pinch

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Centigrade.
2. Butter and Flour Muffin pan or line it with muffin cups.
3. Sieve together Flour, Baking powder, Baking soda and salt.
4. Peel the Bananas, and mash them with the back of a fork and mix in Lemon juice.
5. Beat Butter, Sugar and Eggs till pale and creamy.
6. Add Banana and Hazelnut pieces.
7. Add the flour mixture to the Butter and Egg mixture in batches, and fold gently till everything is mixed well, with a rubber spatula. Do not over mix the batter.
8. Fill each muffin cup till 3/4th full with batter, using a spoon.
9. Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
10. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 - 10 minutes before removing from pan.
    

Food Event :
Srivalli's Kids Delight Party. and
Rak's Sweets/Desserts with Fruits/Veggies started by Niveditha

Orange Muffins with Chocolate Chips

Time just flies when you have kids around. My son celebrated his third birthday few days back... I don't remember if I was so demanding and if my birthday was celebrated this way, with mom and dad planning from almost one month ahead about what to do, how to do, gifts and clothes for the big day.
Since we moved recently to a new town, we do have many friends in the neighborhood so his birthday was celebrated in the Kindergarten. I baked a chocolate cake, and some orange muffins and hazelnut muffins for the kids. I was on very happy and on cloud nine.. when the kids enjoyed them saying yumm... very tasty... will u make them again :-)

Coming to the recipe, this is from the local German cookbook I bought in the Flohmarket(Flea-market) few months back. I feel that if you look patiently then you can find many useful things in the Flohmarket. How many of you like to visit the Flohmarkets?

What you Need :
(Yields approx 12 muffins)

All purpose Flour : 280 gm
Sugar : 100 gm
Orange Peel : 80 gm, finely chopped
Baking Powder : 2 1/2 Tbsp
Baking Soda : 1/2 Tbsp
Salt : a pinch
Egg : 1, whole
Oil : 80 ml
Orange Juice : 100 ml
Buttermilk : 200 ml
Chocolate chips : 70 gm

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Centigrade.
2. Butter and Flour Muffin pan or line it with muffin cups.
3. Sieve together Flour, Baking powder, Baking soda and salt.
4. Add in Orange Peel and mix well.
5. In a separate bowl beat egg till light and fluffy.
6. Whisk in Sugar, Oil, Orange juice and Buttermilk .
7. Add the flour mixture to the Buttermilk mixture in batches, and fold gently till everything is mixed well, with a rubber spatula. Do not over mix the batter.
8. Fold in Chocolate chips .
9. Fill each muffin cup till 3/4th full with batter, using a spoon.
10. Place in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 - 25 minutes.
11. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 - 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Food Events :
Sending these to
Srivalli's Kids Delight Party. and
Rak's Sweets/Desserts with Fruits/Veggies started by Niveditha

Andhra Chicken Korma

The other day I was wondering... 'Am I blogging what I cook?' or 'Am I cooking for blogging?'
I guess this question arises, in almost every food blogger.
My hubs started complaining. I don't deny that he is the one behind my blog with constant encouragement, my best critic and adviser. But at times when lunch or dinner is ready, and I jump upstairs with my dishes and props, saying "Just a min hon, I will be just right back, I need to take a picture", he gets upset. He says you are cooking just because of blogging. Hmm... well... what can I say?
My last post was 6 days back, and every day I was thinking about something special to cook so that I can post again. Does every one have the question "What to post next?" hovering in your mind all time? or is it just me?

Coming to the recipe, when I went grocery shopping the other day to buy chicken, I had some other recipe in mind. But I could'nt get all the ingredients. So I made this simple Chicken Korma my grandma used to make when we were kids.

What you need:
Chicken : 1 Kg, cut into bite sized pieces
Onion : 1 big, finely chopped
Jeera: 1 tsp
Curry leaves : a few
Ginger garlic paste : 2 Tbsp
Green chillies : 3 or 4, slit lengthwise
Lime juice : 1 Tbsp
Red Chilli powder : 2 tsp
Turmeric : 1/2 tsp
Salt : to taste
Water / Chicken Stock : 1 cup

Masala powder:
Cloves: 8 to 10
Cinnamon: 2 inch piece
Coriander seeds: 3 Tbsp
Cardamom seeds: 1 tsp

Roast and grind to fine powder

Ground Paste:
Poppy seeds: 3 Tbsp, soaked in warm water for 1 hour
Coconut: 1/2 cup, grated

1. Heat oil in a wide thick bottomed pan.
2. Add Jeera and curry leaves.
3. Add onions and fry till the sides turn brown.
4. Add green chillies and ginger garlic paste. Fry for 3 to 4 mins.
5. Add turmeric and red chilli powder. Fry for 2 more mins.
6. Add poppy seeds and coconut paste. Fry till it emits nice aroma.
7. Add the prepared masala powder. Mix well.
8. Stir in salt.
9. Add the chicken pieces. Cook on high without lid, till chicken pieces turn white.
10. Add 1 cup of water or chicken stock. Cover and reduce heat to low.
11. Cook for around 15 to 20 mins, or till done.
12. Add lemon juice and adjust salt.
13. Serve hot with Steamed Rice or Dosa or Garelu/Vada.
    

Happy Vinayaka Chavithi : Chakkara Pongali

Wish you all Happy Vinayaka Chavithi !!

Back home in India, they used to put a big Ganesh Idol in the temple premises in our colony. I used to go there along with my friends after school to have prasadam :-) Most of the days, they used to give chakkar pongal as prasadam. It used to taste divine with light karpuram(camphor) flavor.

I have always make Pal pongal for all the festive occasions. Today I tried Chakkar Pongal, as mom is here to guide me :-)

What you need :

Rice : 1 cup
Moong Dal / Pesara pappu : 1/2 cup
Jaggery / Bellam : 1 cup (grated)
Sugar : 1 cup
Ghee / Clarified Butter : 1 cup + 2 Tbsp
Water : 3 cups (See Notes)
Pacha Karpooram (Edible Camphor) : less than a pinch (See Notes)
Cashews : to garnish (roasted in a tsp of ghee)

1. Heat 2 Tbsp of Ghee in a large deep pot or a pressure cooker.
   
2. Add Moong dal, and fry for a min, till emits nice aroma and turns to light brown color.
3. Add Rice, and water.
4. Cook till done, stirring in between to avoid burning.
5. Simultaneously, in a medium sized pan, melt sugar, jaggery in half cup water. Strain to remove any impurities.
   
6. Turn the heat of the Rice and dal mixture to low, and add the syrup. Mix well.
7. Add ghee and cashews.
   
8. Now add karpooram and mix well.
9. Serve hot or cold.
   

Mom's Tips :

1. Instead of 3 cups of water, you can use 2 cups water and 1 cup milk.
2. Quantity of Sugar and be increased or decreased according to taste.
3. Do not hesitate while adding ghee :-) The more you add, the tastier it will be :-)
4. If you do not have edible camphor, add powdered cardamom.
5. You can even add Raisins or pieces of dry coconut (roasted in ghee) to garnish.