Stuffed Chili Pepper Fritters / Pakora

 

           Tea time without any fried snack is worthless. One can't resist the temptation of deep fried  fritters. A bowl of hot and crispy pakoras are anytime welcome. So here are some easy to make small chili pepper fritters, that are stuffed with some basic ingredients and batter fried to perfection. 

          These crispy treats are just perfect with your evening cuppa. They are also ideal as appetizers and can be enjoyed with sauce or chutney / dip of your choice. I stuffed them with some ground peanuts, sesame seeds, roasted chana dal, tamarind paste and seasonings. They did turn out real yummy. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.     

• 10-12 small size fresh red / green chili peppers
• 3 tbsp. peanuts
• 2 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp. roasted chana dal (Bengal gram)
• 1 tsp. tamarind paste
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. pepper powder
• oil to deep fry 

Batter - 

• 1 cup besan (gram flour)
• salt to taste
• pinch of soda bicarb
• 1 tsp. kasuri methi (crushed)
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

         Wash the chilies and slit them lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, if any, with a small spoon. Smear them with salt and lemon juice and keep aside for 10-15 minutes. 

          Make a thick batter with besan, salt, soda bicarb, kasuri methi, turmeric powder and required quantity of water. Set aside.

          For the filling, roast the peanuts and sesame seeds till light brown. Cool and grind along with the roasted chana dal, tamarind paste, salt, pepper powder and little water into a thick paste.

          Fill this stuffing in the slit chilies. Heat oil in a pan. Dip the chilies in the batter and deep fry them to a golden color. 

          Let the flame be low in the entire process. Drain on a kitchen towel and serve hot with sauce or any chutney/ dip.

                     Wash the chilies & slit them lengthwise. Scoop out seeds, if any and smear

                     them with salt & lemon juice. Keep aside for 10-15 minutes. 

                      For the filling, roast the peanuts & sesame seeds till light brown. Cool 

                      & grind along with the roasted chana dal, tamarind paste, salt, pepper

                      powder & little water into a thick paste.

                                   Fill this stuffing in each of the slit chilies. 

                     Make a thick batter with besan, salt, soda bicarb, kasuri methi, turmeric 

                     powder and required quantity of water. Set aside.

                    Heat oil & Dip the chilies in the batter. Deep fry them to a golden colour. 

                                   Drain on a kitchen towel.

                                 Serve hot with sauce or any chutney/ dip.

Tahchin (Persian Saffron Rice Cake)

 

          Tahchin is an exotic and a classic Persian Rice Cake that can be pan cooked or baked. However, this is the former version. This elegant dish is prepared during special occasions, where it is usually the centerpiece. The bottom crust known as Tahdig is the most important part of this cuisine.

           It consists of basically rice, yoghurt, egg, saffron and chicken that is cooked in dum and gently inverted on a serving platter. It is then beautifully garnished with barberries, chopped pistachios and almonds. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this one-pot wonder. 

        

           Tahchin is traditionally made in a non-stick pan / pot and cooked on a low flame till you get a nice crisp crust at the bottom. It is all about layering saffron rice at the bottom, followed by shredded chicken and then another layer of rice. 

          The presentation is the focal point in this recipe. Barberries, a sour dried fruit available in all Middle Eastern outlets is an integral ingredient in this recipe. But in the absence of it, you can substitute with dried cranberries. It is light on the tummy and is simply out of the world with a nice aromatic saffron flavour.

• 1 cup Basmati rice, soaked with 2 tbsp. salt for an hour
• 1-2 chicken breast
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves, chopped (opt)
• salt to taste 
• 1/2 tsp. each turmeric powder, pepper powder & coriander powder
• 1/4 cup barberries
• 1 tsp. sugar 
• 1 cup yoghurt
• 1 egg
• 2 pinches of saffron soaked in 1/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp. rose water
• 6 tbsp. olive oil 
• 3-4 tbsp. butter 
• 1 tbsp. chopped pistachios 
• 1 tbsp. chopped almonds

          Boil the chicken in 2 cups water along with a pinch of salt, turmeric powder and pepper powder till tender. (Alternatively you can pressure cook for 2-3 whistles). Drain and shred them when cool.

          Cook the rice in sufficient water till done. Drain and keep aside. In a bowl, whisk together yoghurt, egg, half of the saffron water, 2 tbsp. oil and rose water. Add half of the rice to the yoghurt mix and mix well. Cover and set aside for 5-10 minutes.

          Heat 2 tbsp. oil and sauté the onion and garlic till light brown. Add the shredded chicken, salt to taste, turmeric powder, coriander powder and pepper powder. Mix everything well and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add half of the barberries. Give it a stir and keep aside. 

          Add half of the butter and stir fry the barberries along with the sugar and little water. Keep aside. 

          Heat remaining oil in a non-stick pan and layer the yogurt rice first and press it down. Now arrange the cooked chicken over it and finally layer the remaining rice. 

          Drizzle the remaining saffron water and butter. Cover with a foil and cook on a low flame for 20-25 minutes or till you get a nice crisp crust at the bottom.

          Switch off the flame and let it remain as it is for 5-10 minutes. Now place a plate over it and gently flip it over. 

          Garnish with barberries, chopped pistachios and almonds. Serve as it is, with salad or spiced yoghurt for a nice comfort meal.

                                  The Shredded Chicken.

                                 Heat 2 tbsp. oil & sauté the onion & garlic till light brown. 

                      Add shredded chicken, salt to taste, turmeric powder, coriander powder 

                      and pepper powder. Mix everything well & cook for 1-2 minutes. 

Add half of the barberries. Give it a stir and keep aside.        

Whisk the yoghurt, egg, half of the saffron water, 2 tbsp. oil & rose water. 

Add half of the rice to the yoghurt mix and stir well. 

Add half of the butter and stir fry the barberries along with

 the sugar and little of the saffron water. Keep aside. 

                             Heat remaining oil in a non-stick pan and layer the yogurt rice. 

                             Press it down.

Arrange the cooked chicken over it.

    Then layer the remaining rice. Drizzle remaining saffron water & butter.

                      Cover with a foil & cook on a low flame for 20-25 minutes or till you get

                      a nice crust at the bottom.

                                 Place a plate over it and gently flip it over. 

                                 Garnish with barberries, chopped pistachios and almonds.

                         Serve as it is, with salad or spiced yoghurt for a nice comfort meal.

Achari Mutton Curry

 

          Turn your normal mutton curry into an exotic restaurant style with a slight twist. Just add some lime pickle, either homemade or store bought, to enhance the flavour of the dish. It turns out just awesome with a slight hint of lemon. This is a great party recipe that is apt for special occasions. It is an ideal weekend lunch menu too, with your loved ones. You can enjoy with plain steamed rice, jeera rice, pulao, plain biryani, naan, tandoori roti or just plain chapatti. 

• 500 gms. mutton with bones, curry cut 
• 1 tbsp. lime pickle
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1" ginger
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 3-4 green chilies
• 1/2 cup yoghurt
• salt to taste 
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tbsp. coriander powder (dry roasted & ground)
• 1 tsp. cumin powder (dry roasted & ground)
• 1-2 medium size potatoes, whole or cut into half
• 3 tbsp. oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Blend together onion (roughly chopped), ginger, garlic, green chilies, yoghurt, lime pickle and all the dry spices into a paste. Marinate the mutton with it overnight. 

          Heat oil and fry the potatoes till light brown in colour. Drain and keep aside. In the same oil, sauté the sliced onion till light brown. Add the marinated mutton and cook, covered on a low flame till almost dry.

          Add 1 cup water and the fried potatoes. Pressure cook for 20-25 minutes on a low flame after the first whistle. When done, garnish with chopped coriander leaves. 

          Serve with plain steamed rice, jeera rice, pulao, plain biryani, naan, tandoori roti or just plain chapatti. 

Dak Gomtang (Korean Chicken Rice Soup)

 

          Dak Gomtang is a very light and an ultimate comfort food - Korean style. It is also a very healthy one-pot meal with the goodness of chicken, rice and few basic veggies. It is a fuss-free recipe that is incredibly simple, easy and quick to prepare. 

          This soothing soup is typically served in individual bowls with some rice and topped with shredded chicken and spring onion. Traditionally it is served with kimchi. You may relish on its own or with some chili-garlic sauce as an accompaniment. So this soul satisfying chicken soup is an ideal winter delicacy.

          This yummy Korean soup is traditionally prepared with a whole chicken. However I used few curry cut pieces along with some onion, ginger, garlic and spring onion for the stock. I also added a chicken stock cube for some extra flavour. But it is purely optional. 

          Dan Gomtang is traditionally done in an open pot. But, I used a short cut method by preparing this soup in a pressure cooker. It came out just perfect. So this is a perfect light meal for dinner. You can make use of noodles instead, for some variation.

• 1 cup cooked rice 
• 4-5 pieces of curry cut chicken with bones
• 1 onion, cut into four pieces
• 1 cup spring onion, roughly chopped
• 4-5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1" ginger sliced
• 1/2 tsp. whole peppercorns
• 1 chicken stock cube (opt)
• 3 cups water
• salt & pepper to taste 
• 1-2 tbsp. chopped spring onion (green part) to garnish 

          Pressure cook all the ingredients (except rice) for 3-4 whistles. Strain the stock and keep aside. 

          When the chicken is cool enough, then shred the meat off the bones and keep aside.  

          To serve - place some rice in the serving bowl. Then top it up with some shredded chicken pieces and chopped spring onion.

          Ladle some piping hot stock over it. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy with spicy red chili-garlic sauce. 

Egg Rice Frittata / Omelette

 

          This is a very easy and a fuss-free egg based recipe. If you have any leftover rice, pulao, biryani, etc. then you can easily prepare this one-dish wonder. I topped it up with some sliced sausages. It is almost similar to Japanese Omurice, but with a twist. It also resembles a pizza, minus the cheese. You may add so if preferred. Kids, especially will simply love this amazing creation. 

        

          You can go ahead and add any toppings of your choice, like boiled & shredded chicken, sautéed prawns, mushroom, any diced veggies, cheese, etc. It is ideal for breakfast and anytime you prefer something light. 

          So enjoy as it is or with tomato sauce / any chutney. I served mine with homemade yoghurt garlic sauce. Check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this fusion treat. 

• 3 eggs, well beaten 
• 1/3 cup cooked rice
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 1/4 tsp. salt or to taste 
• pinch of pepper powder
• 2-3 tbsp. oil 
• 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 green chili, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 chicken sausages, chopped
• chutney or tomato sauce to serve

          To the beaten egg, add cooked rice, chopped parsley, salt and pepper powder. Mix well and keep aside. 

          Heat oil in a pan and sauté the sausages lightly. Drain and keep aside. In the same oil stir fry garlic and green chilies. Then add the onion and stir fry till light brown. 

          Add the egg mix and top it up with the sausages. Cook on a low flame till it is set on one side. 

          Gently flip it over and cook the other side till done. Serve hot with tomato sauce or any homemade chutney. 

                                 To the beaten egg, add cooked rice,

                                  chopped parsley, 

                                  salt and pepper powder. Mix well and keep aside. 

                         Heat oil in a pan and sauté the sausages lightly. Drain and keep aside.

                                  In the same oil stir fry garlic and green chilies.

                                  Then add the onion and stir fry till light brown. 

                                   Add the egg mix.

                    Top it up with the sausages. Cook on a low flame till it is set on one side. 

                                 Gently flip it over and cook the other side till done.

                                 Yummy Egg Rice Omelette is ready to serve. 

                                 Serve hot with tomato sauce or any homemade chutney.