Tag: garlic

Pepper Cream Chicken

Pepper Cream Chicken

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I am not a big meat eater and I like curries that are mild and not very meaty tasting. This curry I developed according to my taste and it is creamy and smooth and quite mild. It has a great flavour thanks to the onions and cashew nuts.

Ingredients

Boneless chicken 500 g

Yoghurt 1 cup

Pepper 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Curry leaves a few sprigs

Cream 1 tbsp

Cashew nuts 10-15

Onions 2 large plus 1 small

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Green chillies 2, sliced plus 2

Ginger 1” piece plus a smaller piece

Garlic 5 cloves

Coconut oil 2 tbsps

Method

Marinate the chicken pieces in yoghurt with salt and pepper.

Add 1 tbsp of oil to a heavy-bottomed pan and fry two large onions, roughly chopped. When the onions turn translucent, add the smaller piece of ginger and cashew nuts.

Switch off the heat when the cashew nuts turn golden and wait for the mixture to cool. Grind to a fine paste.

Add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan and add the cumin seeds.

When the cumin seeds stop sputtering, add one small onion finely sliced.

Crush the ginger, garlic and two green chillies roughly.

Add it to the onions with curry leaves.

Add the marinated chicken and mix well.

Add a cup of water and mix well.

Add the ground paste and mix.

Reduce the heat and cover and cook till the chicken pieces are cooked. Add the cream and stir it in. Do not cook too long after addding the cream. This makes the gravy very smooth.

Serve hot, garnished with sliced green chillies. it can be had with rice or naan bread.

Broccoli Soup

Broccoli Soup

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This is a light but filling soup, just right for winter. The cream and the puréed broccoli stems makes this ideal for a one-dish meal.

Ingredients

Broccoli florets 3 cups, blanched

Broccoli stems 2 cups, peeled, steamed and puréed

Onion 1, chopped

Fresh cream 200 ml

Milk 1 cup

All-purpose flour 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

Pepper powder 2 tsps

Garlic 12 cloves, minced

Olive oil 2 tbsps

Butter 30 g

Water 2 cups

Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Add the olive oil and butter in that order to a heated pan. I use a wide and deep pan in which I can reheat the soup if needed. In this case, I used a pressure cooker as I was making this at a friend’s holiday home in the mountains and it tends to hold temperatures better.

Add the chopped onion and garlic and fry till they turn a light brown.

Add the broccoli florets and fry for a minute.

Add the flour and fry to a few seconds till the raw smell goes away. Add milk, stirring all the time. Add the puréed broccoli stems and water. Boil for four minutes.

Add the cream and let the bubbles appear. Keep stirring. Switch off the heat.

Serve hot, garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Tomato Garlic Rice

Tomato Garlic Rice

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This is an adaptation of my friend’s recipe that I first tasted when I was in my 20s. She served it with fried chicken. I sometimes serve it with potato wedges or baked chicken tenders.

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

Basmati rice 2 cups

Tomatoes 6 medium

Garlic 7 cloves, crushed

Coconut oil 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

Method

Soak the rice for 10 minutes. Drain.

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, skin them and purée in a blender.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and add the crushed garlic. Fry but don’t let the garlic burn.

Add the drained rice and fry for 2 minutes.

Add the tomato purée and mix well.

Add 2 cups of water and salt to taste.

Cover and cook on low heat till the water is totally absorbed and the rice is cooked.

Serve hot.

Broccoli and Mushroom Pasta

Broccoli and Mushroom Pasta

by Shailaja Nair ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This dish with garlicky cream sauce with peperoncino flakes and aged cheddar cheese is delicious and healthy. You can use any pasta though I have used macaroni. The broccoli and capsicum give it a lovely fresh green colour.

Ingredients

Macaroni pasta 2 cups, cooked al dente

Broccoli florets 1 cup

Capsicum 1 medium, sliced

Mushrooms 200 g, sliced

Garlic 10 cloves, minced

All-purpose flour 1 tbsp

Milk 1 cup

Fresh cream 1 cup

Salt to taste

Pepper powder 1 tsp

Peperoncino flakes 1 tbsp

Cheddar cheese 1 cup, grated

Olive oil 2 tbsps

Butter 30 g

Method

Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy bottomed frying pan.

Add the garlic and sauté for a few seconds. Take care not to burn the garlic.

Add the mushrooms and fry till all the moisture evaporates. When the mushrooms turn brown, add the broccoli and capsicum. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the flour and fry for a minute. Add the milk and stir till it thickens. Add the salt and pepper powder.

Add the cream and mix well.

Add the pasta and fold it into the sauce. See that the pasta is completely covered by the sauce.

Garnish with cheese, peperoncino flakes and coriander sprigs.