My take on Kung Pao Chicken

I just realised its been a long time since I posted a recipe or a post. Our little guy is 5 years old now & our little girl is 1.5 who keep me on my toes every second. At this age I am proud to declare that in our household, we are foodies and as a health nut I am, I try my best to keep the diet clean and home made. This is our favorite Chinese meal made at home. Easy & fast to make & they do vanish quickly. and they do make the best leftovers.

Ingredients
1-1.5 lb boneless chicken (8-10 chicken breast tenderloins or 2 chicken breast pieces) - diced

1 medium onion, sliced

2-3 celery sticks, sliced 
1 red bell pepper, deveined & sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

1 inch cube of ginger, grated in a micrograter or finely minced

1/2 to 1 tsp chilli powder 1/2 to 1 tsp paprika powder

1/2 tsp pepper powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Soy sauce to taste
Salt to taste
cilantro & green onions - chopped (optional)
dry roasted peanuts, sesame seeds (optional)

Oil - Sesame or EVOO


Prep:
1. mix all purpose flour with 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp pepper powder, 1 tsp salt.
 - Heat a non stick skillet with 2-3 tbsp of oil .
 - Both Sesame oil or EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil) are tried and works well for this recipe. I prefer to use sesame oil. 
- coat chicken cubes in the all purpose flour mixture & drop the chicken pieces in the hot skillet with oil
- make sure the chicken pieces are not sticking to each other.
 - stir frequently to avoid clumping & promote even cooking 
- when the chicken pieces are fully cooked, set the chicken aside 

tip 1 - you can cook the chicken in batches
tip 2 - I use a ziploc for the all purpose flour & keep the leftover flour in the freezer, so that it is just a easy pull, coat n cook next time. 

2. Start an empty skillet, add 2 tbsp oil followed by onions, celery & grated ginger. 
 - when the celery is almost completely cooked, then add in the bell pepper & zucchini. 
 - followed by 1/4 tsp chilli powder or flakes, 1/4 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp pepper  & Salt (or salt & soy sauce)
- i prefer par cooking of the bell pepper & zucchini for the crunchiness. add in the cooked chicken pieces when you think your vegetables are done for your taste.
 
3. now for the finishing
 - in a separate small mixing bowl mix a tbsp of the all purpose flour mixture from step 1 with 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2-3 tbsp of water. 
 - add this solution to chicken n veges. 
- allow a minute or two for the all purpose flour mixture solution to cook & finish. 
- turn off the stove & follow it with garnishing like green onions, cilantro, peanuts & sesame seeds. 

If you notice, this recipe doesnt call for garlic. I have tried with garlic but i felt the taste is more authentic without garlic. I say if the culinary continental map were a venn diagram , it feels like India & middle east is the center intersecting part of ginger & garlic usage with European cuisines focusing on garlic & other Asian cuisines focusing on ginger. No harm in mixing & matching your spices. 

* This recipe shud yield 7-8 star spicy meal, you can add or reduce the spice level based on your taste & your spices. 

Chicken Curry

Ingredients
5-6 drumsticks (cleaned) or 1-1.5 lb boneless chicken.
2 medium sized ripe tomatoes 1 med onion ~ chopped finely 

2 carrots, peeled & sliced (a)
1/2 bell pepper, deveined & sliced (a)

3-4 garlic  +1 inch cube of ginger, grated in a micrograter or finely minced

1/2 to 1 tsp chilli powder 

1 to tsp coriander powder 

1 tsp Garam Masala (opt) (b)
1 tsp of Curry powder

1 can Coconut Milk
Salt to Taste

Curry Prep:
1. Add 2 tbsps of oil to a sauce pan (preferably a one w/ lid). When it is hot, fry the onions till they are translucent. 

2. Add the Ginger & garlic grated to the onions and cook till the raw smell is gone (b)
 

3. Add chicken, salt. mix to give coat & get the outside layer cooked. 

4. Add the veges, give a coat, add chopped tomatoes, followed by canned coconut milk, curry powder & other powders 

5. Cook it covered on med-low flame for about 10 to 15 minutes or till the chicken is cooked. (c)

6. After turning off the heat, garnish with chopped coriandar leaves. Serve with rice, poori, chapati or naan

(a) Onions & tomatoes are must and other veges are merely for color, I either use carrot + zuchinni/green beans or carrot + green bell pepper or use tricolor bell peppers

(b) - Bay leaf or Anistar or Cinnamon stick can be used at this stage. But the Garam Masala has all these 3, use what you have in hand.

(c) - taste the curry, if u think it is spicy, then add some cream OR half n half OR beaten yogurt OR coconut milk. Or if you can add coriander powder if you have any.  

If you think it is less spicy, then add some Chili Powder. On adding coriander or chilli powder, always allow a boil for the powder to cook. You can smell the rawness gone in few minutes. 

Toddler - Kids snack ideas

Almost every mom I know has been there, 'whats for snack today'?. Once a bunch of us were discussing about the healthy snack routine we follow & this is the list of snacks I came up for my four year old. He has been on this snack for the last ~2.5 yrs. Hope the list helps you

1. I cook corn kernels or corn on the cob. Frozen corn kernels is a hit.
I saute mustard, onions & add a bowlful of corn and pepper flakes n lemon juice. I also add some shredded carrot and peas for color. 



2. Fruit smoothie - banana & a berry of choice w/ yogurt or milk. the trick is I serve in a small wine glass, my 4 year old loves that it is something small size but like what dad drinks. 

3. Homemade quessadilla - normally on the days after I make chapati or naan, I wud make quessadilla.

4. Bread toast - with or without cheese. In the without cheese method, I would add butter or ghee to toast the bread

5. Garlic bread - bread toasted with oil and butter infused w/ chilli flakes, herb, garlic

6. String cheese

7. Mac n cheese or pizza left overs. You can freeze a portion of meals when you cook the items & just warm when needed.

8. Yogurt  - plain or with fruits. I make yogurt at home, I would cut and add fresh fruits right when I am serving.

9. Panner scrambles (panner scrambled in onion, tomato, green bell pepper)

10. Egg scrambles

11. Egg roll - omelet rolled in chapati (tortilla) w/ tomatoes and lettuce

12. Popsicles (home made) - evaporated or condensed milk run in the blender with berries and poured in molds

13. Whole Wheat pancakes - I make batch of flour mix with flax seeds, oatmeal & w.wheat in the food processor and save it in the fridge, so that I can just mix the liquid ingredients like eggs & milk when I need it. I give a quick grind of oats & flax seeds in the food processor before adding wheat flour
 

 
14. Garbonzo beans (any bean of choice can be used). I saute mustard, onions & add a bowlful of bean, pepper flakes, coconut flakes n lemon juice. (Lemon Juice optional). You can also change the recipe to bit butter & herbs. Herbs are a wonderful way of including antioxidants in regular diet. My 10 month old likes garbonzo beans too. I just make sure that I take off the husk & mash the bean by hand before feeding her.

15. Popcorn

16. Chicken patties/ nuggets. There are so many simple homemade chicken nugget recipes online. I mix veges and spices to the ground meat & cook them on stove top as needed. you can also freeze in the shape needed & use certain number when needed.

- I also make scones or cupcakes or cookies on normal basis atleast once a week. Almost all the times I substitute whole wheat for all purpose and never use frosting.
(strawberry, white chocolate scone)

- I do get fried items for the kids - mozarella sticks are made with lentil flour instead of the bread crumb  available outside.
- I also carry a banana and water bottle in the bag when we go out. I dont buy juice and banana in the hunger time is filling enough to control little one's wandering mind

Bisebalebath

This is an all vegetarian meal. It is one pot wonder comfort food with family & fills in all the vegetable servings you missed during a week. Served with yogurt & potato chips.DYK - you can hide as much as half a cauliflower in this recipe. with 3/4 cup of rice, it can still serve 4-5 people.

Ingredients 

2 tbsp cooking oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper and/or 1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped beans
1/2 cauliflower chopped

1/2 cup of cooked garbonzo beans or raw peanuts

4 garlic cloves
2-3 tomates

3/4 cup rice
1/2 cup toor Dal

3 cups  water

salt to taste

0.5 - 1 tsp chilli powder
1- 2 tsp coriander powder
0.5 - 1 tsp garam masala powder

Preparation

1. In a pot or pressure cooker add the oil, when hot add onions followed by vegetables. 

2. When translucent add the chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala followed by  water, tomato and allow to boil. 

3. If using a rice cooker, this is when you transfer the mix to the rice cooker. And add rice and dal to the boiling water. If you are using an American pressure cooker, wait for 8 minutes after the steam is build. If you are using an Indian pressure cooker, 4 whistles wud do it.

4. when done, add chopped coriander leaves to garnish.
The final consistency shud be like a oatmeal porridge. so if you want always add water at the end and allow a boil.

You can almost add all the vegetables here. I have added and the recipe works well with red radish, opo squash, egg plant, zuchinni, beets and potatoes.

Easy Chicken Briyani

This is a you-can-never-go-wrong easy chicken briyani. It is one pot wonder for me and best to entertain the company or for weekend special with family. Served with Raita or chicken curry.

The traditional recipe does not ask for bell peppers, but I add them to include vegetables in our daily meal. I also maintain colors to different briyanis based on the meat, chicken is orangish color. so I use saffron or bit of red food color.

I go with a thumb rule of 4 thai chillis for 1/2 cup rice. This gives a 7/10 spicy. so increase or decrease the chillis based on your palate. 

Ingredients 

1 tbsp kasuri methi (optional)

1 bay leaf

1.5 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1.5 tbsp yogurt

6-12 thai chilli

4-5 cloves, 1 anistar, 1 chip cinnamon, 2-3 cardamon (if you are missing 1 or 2 here, you are still fine)

2 shallots

1 tbsp butter 

2 tbsp cooking oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper and/or 1/2 green bell pepper (optional)

5-6 chicken thighs skinless (boned or boneless)

1 tomato

1.5 cup rice

3 cups  water

salt to taste

saffron (optional)

Nuts & raisins (optional)

Preparation

1. clean the chicken, drain, dice if boneless, add salt, ginger garlic paste & yogurt. Set aside

2. in a food processor chop the thai chilli, shallots & (4-5 cloves, 1 anistar, 1 chip cinnamon, 2-3 cardamon). keep aside

3. In a pot or pressure cooker add the butter & oil, kasuri methi, bay leaves, nuts, raisins followed by onions & bell pepper strips. Then add the processed thai chilli mixture . when the mixture is translucent add the chicken mixture. 

4. The mixture leaves out water from the yogurt & chicken. heat and wait for the water to evaporate & the oil to separate. Now add water, tomato, saffron allow to boil. 

5. If using a rice cooker, this is when you transfer the mix to the rice cooker. And add rice to the boiling water. If you are using an American pressure cooker, wait for 3 minutes after the steam is build. If you are using an Indian pressure cooker, 1 whistle is more than enough.

6. when done, add chopped coriander leaves to garnish & lemon juice to finish it.

Maple Oatmeal-Whole Wheat Muffins

I make atleast one muffin per week, this way we stay clear from the store bakeries & I am happy that I know what is in there & It does not have white flour but wheat & not the shortening but the cooking oil or butter I know from the brand I prefer. Never a fan of icing (calorie conscious) so lesser the calories here. Now to the recipe

Ingredients
1/2 cup apple sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup real maple syrup
1 egg

2 tbsp cooking oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

1 cup fine ground wheat
1 cup quick cooking oats - run couple of minutes in food processor
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:
1. Cream together apple sauce, brown sugar, maple syrup, egg, milk and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
3. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture just long enough to incorporate.
4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
5. in the oven at 375 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes

Marinades for Chicken & Fish - Tikka or Tandoori or Kabob

Marinade for Chicken - Tikka or Tandoori or Kabob

(for 6 drumsticks or thighs OR for 1 lb of chopped pieces for kabob )

Mix ingredients

1.5 tsp Tandoori spice mix

1 tsp chilli powder optional

pinch of food coloring

1.5 tbsp - ginger garlic paste

1.5 tbsp – yogurt

1 lemon juice

1tsp oil

salt to taste.

One can go liberal with yogurt & lemon juice.  This recipe works well for chicken

Marinade for Fish

(For 6 fillets)

Mix ingredients

1 tsp chilli powder

pinch of food coloring (optional)

1.5 tbsp - ginger garlic paste

1-2 lemon juice

1 tsp oil

salt to taste.

Lemon juice can be used liberally

1. Leftover marinades can always be used in curries.

2. Marinade overnight or 2-3 hrs earlier OR marinade well ahead for upto 3 days OR marinade, pack in Ziploc bags & save in freezer

3. Certain brand names to trust are Rajah, Shan and Bakers are really good. Do stay away from MDH Tandoori masala.