Black Forest Cake - 100th Post(The First Milestone)!!!

Hi guys!!!

Yayyyyyyy!!! I have made 100 posts and that is indeed a great feeling!!! I wanted to post this recipe today coz I am travelling to India after 1 long year and will not be on the internet for about a month. I will be back to blogging from the first week of August!!! I was putting off the Black Forest cake's recipe for a while coz I wanted it to be my 100th post :-)

My husband's birthday was in the first week of June and I had planned on 3 surprises for him. One was a surprise birthday lunch with all our friends, which he found out a day before his birthday from the groceries I had bought!!! Second was his gift. I had hidden it for a couple of days in our wardrobe and managed to keep him looking for it everywhere else, but he found it out exactly 5 minutes before midnite and spoilt that one too!!! The last surprise was the Black Forest cake I had baked. He believed when I told him that our friends were picking up the cake just before coming to lunch. And, this was the only surprise that I actually succeeded in maintaining :-)

Now coming to the cake. I had followed the recipe from Joy Of Baking. Black Forest cake has been one of my favorite birthday cakes for a while now. I was skeptical about actually trying a birthday cake at home but for my first attempt, the cake turned pretty great. I failed to take a separate pic of the whole cake. But I managed to click one slice which I will be posting below.

The Black forest cake generally has 2 or 3 layers of chocolate genoise (A very soft sponge cake) with whipped cream and cherry fillings. The cherry filling is usually prepared with soaking cherries in Kirsch. I just used the syrup that it came in and it still turned out amazing.

Now lets see the recipe.

To prepare the Cherries:
Canned cherries with syrup - 700ml jar
Sugar - 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp sugar

For the Chocolate Genoise:
Unsalted Butter - 3 tbsp
All-purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Unsweetened Cocoa powder - 1/3 cup
Eggs - 4
Sugar - 2/3 cup
Corn flour - 2 tbsp
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

For the Whipped Cream Frosting:
Heavy whipping cream / Double cream - 600 ml
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Sugar - 3 tbsp

Dark chocolate - 200 gms (70% cocoa)

Procedure:

Chocolate Genoise:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a round cake tin with parchment paper and butter the sides.
2. Beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed till soft peaks form. Add the vanilla extract and beat for another minute.
3. Mix all the dry ingredients separately. Transfer the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in 3 additions and mix thoroughly.
4. Transfer this to the prepared pan and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Transfer the cake to the cooling rack when done and cut into 2 or 3 layers.

This is the picture of the Genoise I baked.

Cherry filling:
1. Drain the syrup and place the cherries in a separate bowl along with 1 tbsp of sugar. Toss well so that the sugar coats the cherries well. You can skip this step if using glazed cherries.
2. Now take the syrup in a thick bottomed vessel along with the 1/4 cup sugar and keep stirring on low heat till the sugar dissolves.
3. Switch off heat and keep the syrup ready. Chop the cherries roughly, reserving about 10-12 whole cherries for the top layer.

Whipped cream frosting:
1. Take the double cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed till stiff peaks form.

Assembling the cake:
1. Brush the cake layers with the cherry syrup that you have prepared.
2. Place the lowest layer on the serving plate. Spread the entire top area with the whipped cream frosting.
3. Now spread the chopped cherries evenly above the cream frosting and place the next layer of the cake on top.
4. Spread the whipped cream entirely to cover the sides and top. (Repeat the previous step if you have more layers)
5. Shave the dark chocolate into fine strips using a chilled knife. Make sure not to touch the chocolate shavings as they melt in the body heat.
6. Now spread the chocolate shavings thoroughly to cover the top and sides of the cake. Place the whole cherries on the top layer.

The yummy Black Forest cake is ready to serve!!! This recipe makes about 12 servings.

Note:
1. This cake tastes best when chilled. You can prepare the cake the previous day and refrigerate it.
2. The cake stays fresh in the fridge for about a week.

Chocolate Banana Bread!!!

Hi guys!!!

I have tried Banana Bread quite a few times and it is a favorite to both me and my hubby. I wanted to try a variation of this simple bread and tried the Chocolate Banana bread recipe from Joy Of Baking. I love that website and have actually baked considerable number of recipes available there. This chocolate banana bread recipe in the site called for some nuts which I excluded. I added some white chocolate chips and on the whole the bread was great!!! The only problem being my impatience :-) I did not wait for the bread to cool down to make the slices. As a result I was left with oddly shaped slices (You will see what I am talking about in the pic below)

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour - 1 3/4 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
Unsweetened Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Eggs - 2
Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup
Bananas - 3
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Chocolate chips - 1/2 cup (optional)

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. In a large bowl mash the bananas and combine the lightly beaten eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract. Gently mix these ingredients together.
3. In a separate bowl mix all the dry ingredients together. Using a rubber spatula gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and combine everything well. Do not overmix, just slightly combine to incorporate all the ingredients together.
4. Finally toss the chocolate chips in and gently mix it in. Scrape down the mixture to the loaf pan and place it in the preheated oven.
5. Bake for about 55-65 minutes or till a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Mine took exactly 60 minutes.
6. Transfer it to a cooling rack after letting it stand in the pan for atleast 10 minutes. Let it cool completely and then slice (A lesson that I fail to learn after endless attempts!!!)

Serve with evening tea or as breakfast with milk and juice!!! This bread stays fresh for upto 3 days in room temperature.

Chicken Cutlets!!!

Hi guys!!!

Cutlets have been a major part of my school days snack. Our school canteen always had hot cutlets that would vanish in a few minutes after the canteen is opened for the break time. I have always loved cutlets and have tried making them at home too. For a while, my husband was asking me to prepare chicken cutlets but I was unable to do it. Mainly coz I use up the chicken for some kind of curry and preparing cutlets never occurs as a first option in my mind. But coz of his constant request I made them finally. The work is simple and it can be a great snack for tea time.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:
Makes about 8 medium cutlets

To Marinate:
Boneless chicken - 200 gms
Salt - as per taste
Ground pepper - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Potatoes - 3 medium
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 - 1 1/2 tsp
Ground pepper - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Breadcrumbs - 1 tbsp + for coating before deep-frying
Egg - 1 (for coating before deep-frying)
Maida - 1/4 cup (for coating before deep-frying)
Oil - 2 tbsp + for frying

Procedure:

1. Boil and mash the potatoes. Do not run the potatoes under cold water immediately after boiling coz this makes them too soggy.
2. Marinate the chicken with the ingredients listed for marination and set it aside for about 30 minutes.
3. Heat the 2 tbsp of oil and cook the chicken pieces on medium flame. Remove from heat when they are fully cooked and shred them into tiny pieces.
4. Combine the cooked chicken with mashed potatoes. Add the ginger garlic paste, garam masala, ground pepper and salt. Knead well.
5. Finally add 1 tbsp of the breadcrumbs and separate the mixture into small balls. Flatten them as patties and keep it ready.
6. Heat the oil on medium flame. Dip each cutlet in beaten egg, followed by maida and breadcrumbs and slowly transfer them into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown on both sides.
7. Repeat for all the cutlets.

Serve hot with ketchup!!!

Palak Rice!!!!

Hi guys!!!

Palak rice is a dish I used to have everytime I visited a restaurant in Mumbai. I tried to replicate the same at home and it did turn out well. This is a great way to make people eat their share of green leafy vegetables when they don't eat spinach or other greens in any other form. It is easy to prepare as well. I generally add chopped potatoes and green peas to the rice. But it can be prepared without veggies as well.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 2 cups
Potatoes - 2
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1
Palak / Spinach - 1 big bunch
Green chillies - 2 or 3
Garlic - 3 cloves
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Cook the rice under pressure for 10 mins and spread it on a wide plate to cool.
2. Wash and blanch the palak. Grind this with the green chillies and keep it aside.
3. Heat the oil in a wide vessel and add the cumin seeds. When they splutter add the chopped onion and garlic and cook till they turn soft.
4. Now add the diced potatoes and green peas and saute till they are almost cooked. When these veggies are nearly cooked add the ground palak mixture and add about 1/4 cup of water and salt. Cook this for about 10 mins till the raw smell of palak leaves.
5. This is when you add the cooked rice. Mix well till the mixture is completely absorbed by the rice and then turn off heat.

Serve hot with papad and raita!!!

Venetian Carrot Cake!!!

Hi guys!!!

The other day I was watching Nigella Lawson's episode on Food Network and could not help but wonder how glowing she is even past 50. I know there would be a bunch of people who might criticize on her shape. But everybody has got to admit that she does look energetic and young for her age. I love her recipes mainly coz they are easy to prepare and she goes with all shortcuts when preparing the food. Who doesn't love that?!!

Anyways, she prepared this amazing Venetian carrot cake in that episode. Until I watched that episode even I thought Carrot cake was American too!!! This Venetian cake is prepared with ground almonds as the base and has no butter at all. The end result is an amazingly soft and moist cake. This is different from dessert cakes in a way that it is not too sweet but is a great accompaniment for tea or coffee.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Ground almonds / Almond meal - 2 1/2 cups
Olive oil - 1/2 cup
Grated carrots - 2 cups
Golden sultanas - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Eggs - 3
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Ground nutmeg - 1/2 tsp
Pine nuts - 3 tbsp
Lemon - 1/2 (the zest and juice)

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a round cake pan with parchment paper and keep it ready.
2. Toast the pine nuts on low heat on a pan to get it golden coloured.
3. Beat the sugar and olive oil till it turns creamy and airy. Add the eggs one at a time and keep beating. Next add the vanilla extract and beat well.
4. Fold in the ground almonds, grated carrots, sultanas, lemon zest, ground nutmeg and finally the lemon juice.
5. Scrape the mixture to the prepared pan and smooth out the surface. Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on the surface and place it in the oven.
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes or till the toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Serve warm with tea or coffee!!! This cake when wrapped in plastic wrap can be stored for 3-4 days at room temperature.

Carrot Rice!!!

Hi guys!!!

Coming up with lunch box ideas on days I have overslept is a real challenge. First off, I wake up in a panic mode realizing I am so close to sending off my husband to office without a homemade lunch. Secondly, my brain works so rapidly the permutations and combinations of the vegetables lying in the fridge and the possible dishes that can be prepared in the short time. I am sure if I were to start a club for women who think about what to pack for the lunch box when brushing their teeth, I can make quite some new friends :-)

So coming to the recipe. The reason I had to say so much about late wake-up panic is that I cooked this dish on one such day. When my brain was doing the hard-math it suddenly struck me that I had some carrots in the fridge and I could use them. I generally browse for recipes and try to use the best aspects of the different recipes that I come across in my dishes. But as for this carrot rice I had no time absolutely to browse for recipes. So I just went with instincts and it turned out great!!!

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice / Regular rice - 2 cups
Carrots - 3 medium
Onion - 1 big
Green chillies - 2
Garlic - 3 cloves
Ginger - 1/2"
Cinnamom - 1" stick
Cloves - 5
Bay leaves - 2
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 - 11/2 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Grate the carrots and gently squeeze them between kitchen tissues to remove some moisture.
2. Cook the rice with 3 cups of water for 10 minutes under pressure and spread it on a large plate to let it cool.
3. Now heat the oil in a wide vessel and add all the whole spices and let them sizzle. Then add the chopped onion, green chillies, finely minced ginger and garlic to this. Cook till the onion turns soft.
4. Add the grated carrot to this and mix well. Let the carrot cook well. Add the garam masala and salt and stir thoroughly.
5. Finally add the cooked rice to this and mix to incorporate well and switch off heat.

Serve hot with papad and any dry subji of your choice!!!!

Masala Peanuts / Masala Kadalai - Microwave method!!!

Hi guys!!!

Coming up with tea-time snack ideas is a toughie.. I usually have my evening tea less than an hour before I go to the gym. Which means, I cannot have snacks that will fill me up. Most of the days, I just munch on a handful of nuts or have any fruit that is lying around. But weekends are the time when I like to make every meal special. Even the evening tea time snacks. Last weekend, I dozed off in the afternoon while watching TV and woke up when my biological alarm went off screaming for my evening tea. I had to make something quick to have along with tea so I decided to prepare masala peanuts for a snack.

Traditionally, this is prepared by deep frying the masala coated peanuts in oil. Just to avoid all that deep frying I resorted to the microwave method. This snack can be prepared in less than 10 minutes and every member of the household will love it!!

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Raw peanuts - 1 cup
Besan / Chickpea flour - 1/2 cup
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Corriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Asafoetida / Hing - a pinch
Oil - 1 tbsp
Water - as required

Procedure:

1. Mix the flour, masala powders, salt and oil. Mix well till the flour mixture turns crumbly. Now sprinkle water little at a time till it reaches a thick sticky consistency.
2. Now toss in the peanuts and mix thoroughly till the batter coats the peanuts evenly.
3. Spread the peanuts now in a microwave safe plate and cook in high power for 5 minutes (varies depending on the make of the oven). Try to toss and flip over the peanuts once in between to ensure even cooking.
4. Store in an air-tight container. The peanuts are soft when hot but turns crisp when cooled down.

Serve with tea or a mid-day snack!!!

Creamy Chicken Macaroni - With Green Beans & Peppers!!!

Hi guys!!!

I picked up an Italian cook book recently intending to try professional dishes more often. The recipes are simple and I am sure I am going to be trying out a lot of Italian recipes. The day I picked up the book I wanted to prepare some kind of pasta for dinner and when I was browsing through the book I realized that almost every recipe uses wine, vinegar and few other ingredients that I generally do not have in my kitchen. So I just adapted a basic chicken pasta recipe with quite a few modifications and came up with this creamy macaroni dish.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Macaroni - 1 cup (uncooked)
Chicken - 200 gms (boneless)
Onion - 1
Garlic - 3 cloves
Green Bell Pepper - 1
Green beans - 10-12
Butter - 3 tbsp
Italian seasoning - 1 tsp
Dried oregano - 1/2 tsp
Heavy cream - 1/2 cup
Grated cheese - 1/4 cup (Cheddar/Parmesan)
Salt - as per taste
Ground pepper - 1/2 tsp

Procedure:

1. Marinate the chicken with salt and pepper and leave it aside for about 15 minutes. Cook the macaroni as per pack instructions and keep it ready. (You can use any other type of pasta as well)
2. Heat the butter in a wide deep bottomed vessel and add the chopped onion, garlic, green beans and bell pepper. Keep mixing till they are almost cooked.
3. Now add the chicken pieces and saute till it turns white. The chicken lets out some moisture in which the beans has to be cooked by now.
4. Add the heavy cream, italian seasoning, oregano, salt and ground pepper now. Keep stirring to avoid sticking. When the mixture is hot add the grated cheese and mix till it melts.
5. Check the salt and spices and finally add the cooked macaroni. Mix thoroughly and switch off heat.

Serve hot with some tomato ketchup or just as is!!!

Blueberry Pancakes!!!

Hi guys!!!

Pancakes can be a very satisfying breakfast that can be whipped up in no time. I have not been much of a pancake person mainly 'coz I think it is too many calories. But once a week can not be a problem right??? I had a pack of blueberries that I bought with the intention of munching on as mid-day snack and was lying around in the fridge for a while now. So, I thought I'd try to use some of it by making pancakes.

When I was looking for recipes for pancakes, most of them called for buttermilk. Since I had no buttermilk at home I just used milk. I guess curd should also work. I have had pancakes before but this recipe resulted in soft, buttery and fluffy pancakes. Hands down the best pancakes I have ever had!!!

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:
Makes 6 medium sized pancakes

All-purpose flour - 3/4 cup
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Sugar - 2 tbsp (was a bit on the sweeter side, adjust accordingly)
Butter - 2 tbsp (melted) + to butter the pan to cook every pancake
Egg - 1
Milk - 1/4 cup
Blueberries - 1 cup

Procedure:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Melt the butter and keep it ready. Whisk the egg lightly and keep that handy too.
2. Add the egg to the dry mixture, followed by the butter. Mix well. Add the milk in portions and mix thoroughly. A few lumps are OK.
3. The batter should be like the idli batter. That is, it should not be runny.
4. Heat the pan on medium flame and butter it thoroughly. Scoop a ladle of the batter onto the pan. Do not spread it coz it will spread when u add the blueberries.
5. Add the blueberries on top and wait for bubbles to appear on the top side.
6. Flip over carefully when you see the bubbles. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes. Cook the other side for about a minute. It cooks faster on the other side.
7. Repeat the process till you finish the batter. Transfer to the plate and serve.

Serve with maple syrup or just with a dab of butter!!!

Crab Meat & Prawn Masala!!!

Hi guys!!!

This is a dish I prepared quite a while ago. I had bought a pack of crab meat to prepare Crab cakes and I could not finish the entire pack. I had put it in the fridge and forgot about it for a couple of days. When I took out the prawns to prepare my usual Prawn Masala and was not very happy with the idea of preparing the same dish again, it struck me that I had some crab meat left in the fridge. I decided to combine both the ingredients and come up with a good sea food mash-up curry. It was a success 'coz we both loved it so much :-)

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Crab meat - 200 gms
King prawns - 15
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1 big
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon - 1" stick
Cloves - 5 or 6
Cardamom - 2
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a kadai and add all the whole spices and let them sizzle. Now add the chopped onions, followed by ginger garlic paste and tomatoes.
2. Cook till they turn mushy and combine to form a paste and the oil starts to ooze.
3. Now add the prawns and keep mixing till it lets out all the moisture and is almost cooked.
4. Add all the masala powders except garam masala. Mix well and add salt and check the salt and spices. Now add the crab meat and mix thoruoughly.
5. When the masala has been absorbed by the meat and the curry has lost all raw smell, add the garam masala and mix well. This should take about 10 minutes. Switch off heat and serve.

Tastes great when served hot with steamed rice or rotis!!!

Aloo Methi Masala!!!

Hi guys!!!

Aloo methi masala is a dry subji that goes well with rotis. My husband generally does not like dry subjis but he absolutely loves this one. Why wouldn't he??!! Its made with potatoes!!! This is a very easy dish and can be prepared on days when time is less yet you do not wanna compromise on a tasty meal.

Generally this dish is prepared with fresh methi leaves. Due to the difficulty in finding fresh leaves, I had to resort to Kasoori methi. The dish was still good.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 3 large
Onion - 1
Garlic - 3 cloves
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Corriander powder - 1 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Kasoori methi - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Boil the potatoes and dice them into small cubes and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a kadai and add the cumin seeds and let them splutter. Then add the chopped onion and garlic and cook till it turns soft.
3. Now add all the masala powders, kasoori methi, salt and sprinkle some water and mix well.
4. Add the cubed potatoes and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle some water to enable even coating of the masala.
5. Cook for about 5 mins and switch off heat.

Serve hot with rotis!!!

Prawn Pulao!!!

Hi guys!!!

It was a while since I cooked a dish using prawns and it did not occur to me until my husband mentioned it when we were shopping our groceries. The next day I decided to prepare something with prawns for lunch. I long wanted to try prawn pulao and I thought I will give it a go. The recipe is very simple yet the pulao turns out to be a great lunch!!!

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 2 cups
King Prawns - 15 -20
Onion - 1
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
Bay leaves - 2
Cinnamon - 1/2" stick
Cloves - 5
Cardamom - 2
Corriander & Mint leaves - a buunch
Salt - as per taste
Oil / Ghee - 1 tbsp

To grind:
Ginger - 1/2"
Garlic - 3 cloves
Green chillies - 2
Whole black pepper - 1/2 tsp

Procedure:

1. Grind the ingredients under "to grind" into a coarse paste and keep it ready.
2. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and add all the whole spices and let it sizzle. Next add the onions and the ground paste.
3. Immediately add the cleaned prawns and keep mixing well on medium heat till the prawn is cooked.
4. Add the turmeric and fennel powders, salt and 3 cups of water. Finally add the rice and the corriander and mint leaves.
5. Cook this under pressure for 10 minutes and turn off heat.

Serve hot with raita!!!

Channa Masala / Chick Peas Curry!!!

Hi guys!!!

Channa Masala is one of the most popular Indian curries. And there are about a hundreds of recipes for this very dish available. I have myself tried quite a few recipes until I finally landed on this easy method. This can be a great combination for rotis, puris and for pulaos. I mostly prepare this for puris and occasionally for chapathis too. The recipe is really simple and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare (Ofcourse you have to have the pre-soaked channa ready!!)

Now lets take a look at the recipe.

Ingredients:

Channa / Chick peas - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Tomatoes - 1 or 2
Ginger - 1/2"
Garlic - 3 cloves
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Kasoori methi - a pinch
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Soak the chick peas overnight or atleast for 6 hours. Then pressure cook this for about 10 minutes under pressure and keep it ready.
2. Grind the onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic into a coarse paste.
3. Heat the oil in a kadai and add this ground paste and cook on medium heat. Keep stirring till the raw smell of the ginger leaves.
4. Now add the masala powders, kasoori methi and salt. Also add some water to get the required consistency of the curry.
5. Let this cook for about 5 minutes and then add the previously cooked chick peas to the curry.
6. Mix well and let this cook for about 10 minutes till the curry thickens and switch off heat.

Serve hot with rotis/puris!!!

Sweet Chilli Chicken Noodles!!!!

Hi guys!!!

Chinese cuisine is the second most experimented in my kitchen. Italian is the first coz both of us love Italian food. I tend to prepare noodles with some quick and easy Chinese sauce for dinner when I am in no mood to peel and chop endlessly. Inspite of the simple work involved, the chinese recipes always turn out good and satisfyingly tasty.

I have been trying out sweet chilli chinese dishes for a while now. You will find a similar Sweet Chilli Prawn dish in my blog. This recipe is also similar except that this one is a bit more watery and is used to cook the noodles along with the gravy prepared.

Lets see the recipe now.

Ingredients:

Noodles - 3 blocks medium egg noodles
Onion - 1
Bell pepper - 1
Garlic - 4 cloves
Soy sauce - 1 tsp
Sweet chilli sauce - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Chicken - 200 gms
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Water - 1/3 cup
Olive oil / Sesame oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Cook the noodles as per instructions and keep aside.
2. Heat the oil in a wide oak and add the chopped onion, bell pepper and garlic cloves. When they turn soft, add soy sauce, sugar, salt and sweet chilli sauce.
3. Now add the chicken pieces and keep mixing them well till the chicken is cooked.
4. Next add the water and check the salt level and toss in the cooked noodles and pepper powder and mix well. Cook till the water is absorbed well and turn off heat.

This dish does not require any sides but will sure taste great with any dry Chinese starters!!!

Homemade Mutton Soup!!!

Hi guys!!!

This mutton soup is actually a part of any chettinad dish you want to prepare with lamb meat. I am used to having this soup from my childhood days everytime my mom used to cook mutton at home. Whenever you wanna prepare a chettinad mutton dish, it is usual to cook the meat with some spices before cooking the actual dish. The stock that is left from this pressure cooking is this amazing soup. Just like any other chettinad soup this is very spicy too. You can use the bones if using in cooking in the soup coz they add extra flavor to the soup.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Lamb meat - 200 gms
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Green chillies - 1
Ginger - 1/2"
Garlic - 3 cloves
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste

Procedure:

1. Clean and dice the meat into bite size pieces.
2. Add all the ingredients together to a pressure cooker and add about 3 cups of water. Pressure cook on high heat upto a whistle and then simmer for about 15 minutes.
3. When the pressure is off, add some chopped corriander leaves. Stir well and serve.

Note:
You can leave the bones if using in the soup. If using the cooked meat for other dishes just leave behind a few chunks in the soup.