Seekh Kabab or Minced Chicken Kebab

Hailing from Lucknow in India beautifully executed Chicken Seekh Kababs( meat on skewers) were introduced by Mughals. Minced meat balls prepared with various herbs and spices are grilled or deep fried. The dish is served hot with sprinkled chat masala or lemon juice as required. The dish is mostly served as starter or with cocktails.

Minced Chicken or lamb.
Processed cheese
Ginger paste
Garlic paste
Green chillies as per taste
Finely chopped Onions
Garam masala
Chili powder
coriander powder
Cumin Powder
Lemon
egg whites (optional, for binding)
Salt to taste

• First take the minced Chicken and smash it again very nicely in a bowl.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the Onions first. Saute the Onions for few seconds, add the Ginger and Garlic, than salt also.
• Cook it for just few secs and remove it from the stove. Add the above mixture to minced chicken .Add grated cheese as well and mix it well.
• Add all the remaining spices and mix it.Add Egg whites. Please note that we have to add the Egg as per the amount of the minced mixture. It’s not necessary to add an entire Egg if the mixture is less. If we add more egg white then the mixture will become very mushy and difficult to stick it to the skewers
• Refrigerate the mixture for an hour.
• Skewer this mixture and cook in moderately over grill or on oven.
• Once its done take out the Kababs from the skewers and keep it on a plate. Garnish the Seekh kababs with cilantro and onion rings and serve hot with Mint Chutney or any chutney that you like.

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Golgappa or PaniPuri

Panipuri is a popular, tasty and mouth watery snack food in the Indian subcontinent.

according to WIKI:
The golgappa (also known as panipuri पानीपूरी, pānīpūrī (help·info), pani ke bataashe, Marathi: पाणीपुरी pāṇīpurī, Gujarati: પાણી પુરી, term used in Western India, phuchka (Bengali: ফুচকা, or gup chup (Oriya: ଗୁପଚୁପ୍)) is a popular street snack in India, and also in urban Bangladesh. It is a round, hollow puri, fried crisp and filled with a mixture of water, tamarind, chili, chaat masala, potato, onion and chickpeas. It is small enough to fit completely in one’s mouth. It is a popular street food dish in Mumbai.
The name gol gappa refers to the fact that crisp sphere (gol) is placed in the mouth and eaten (gappa) at one time, without biting. Pani comes from the Hindi word for water and puri (or poori) is the name of an Indian bread made by frying dough in oil.

Ingredients for Puri
1/4 cup All Purpose flour (Maida or Plain Flour)
3/4 cup fine Sooji (Semolina Flour)
1/2 cup water (as needed)

For Preparing the Puri (You can get this puri directly from Indian store and it is sold with the name PaniPuri)
Mix the flour and sooji. Add water as needed to make firm dough. Knead the dough until it is pliable. Cover the dough with a damp cloth for about ten minutes.
Damp two kitchen towels, spread one damp towel over a cookie sheet or plain surface, close to where you are going to fry the puris.
Divide the dough into about 50-60 small balls. Keep them under a damp cloth.
Start rolling each ball to about a 2-inch diameter circle. Place over a damp towel and cover with another damp towel. Do this for all 60 puris. TIP: Placing the puris between damp cloths helps the puris to puff evenly on all sides.
Heat the oil on medium high heat. Oil should be about 1 1/2 inch high in frying pan. To test the oil, put a little piece of dough in the oil. The oil is ready if the dough comes up right away and does not change color.
Start frying the puris, starting first with the puri you first rolled.
Put one puri in the oil and press lightly. When it puffs turn over and put another puri in the oil. Keep adding six to eight puris at a time. Fry the puris until they are golden-brown all around by turning a few times. You may adjust the heat as needed while frying.
Take the puris out and place over paper towel, so the excess oil is absorbed. TIP: When taking the puris out of the frying pan, make sure to tilt the skimmer so that the excess oil is drained before placing on the paper towel.
Fry all the puris. They should be crisp and puff like a ball.

Ingredients for Pani

4 cups water (I am giving the below measurement based on 4 cups of water)
1 cup mint leaves
2 to 4 green chilies as per taste
3 tablespoons tamarind paste
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon black salt
1 teaspoon salt as per taste
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
1/8 teaspoon asafetida
1 tablespoon roasted cumin seed powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Blend everything except the water together to make a fine paste. While blending, add water as needed to blend.
Taste the spiciness as per your taste. Add more lemon juice, sugar, and salt as needed to your desired taste. Remember you will be adding more water to dilute so paste should be spicier. Strain the paste using water as needed.
After straining mix the paste with remaining water or adjusting to the taste.
The water will taste best if refrigerated for 2-3 hours

While serving the pani puri – You can have a bowl of boiled cut potatoes or boiled chickpeas .Make a hole in the puri and fill potatoes or chickpeas and then add water and then eat this yummy Indian snack!!

Golgapped stuffed with Potatoes

Tortilla chips salad

Tortilla chips
Black pinto beans
1 avocado (cut into cubes)
2-3 tbsp of aloo bhujia (you can find in Indian store)
1/2 cup corn (boiled)
3-4 tbsp chopped capsicum/pepper
2 tbsp chopped tomatoes
salt – to taste
red chilli flakes as per your tasted
2 tsp chopped onions
lime juice
cilantro leaves
Roasted peanuts or walnuts

Mix tortilla chips, aloo bhujia , black pinto beans , avocado and corn in a bowl.

Add capsicum and tomatoes, mix again.

Add salt, chilli flakes , peanuts and mix well.

Squeeze some lime juice over it just before serving. Serve. If you like you can add mayonnaise to it.

Lemon Rice – Quick and simple Rice variation

This recipe is for all who love tangy and citrus flavor.Lemon Rice is an essential and popular South Indian dish.It can be had for breakfast,lunch or evening tiffin.

2cups boiled Rice
1/3rd cup Lemon Rice
6Tbsp Oil
1/2tsp Black Mustard seeds
1-2 tbsp chana daal
Few curry leaves
3-4 green chilies
Salt to taste
1/4th tsp. turmeric powder
1/4th cup peanuts

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, allow to splutter.

Add turmeric powder and peanut and chana daal. fry till brown

Now add green chilies, curry leaves, salt and fry for 2 minutes.

Take it off from the flame and add lemon juice and mix well.

Now add this to the boiled rice and mix well.Lemon rice is ready to be served.

Easy Recipes

Butter chicken or murgh makhani is an Indian dish popular all over the world and in the US it is must have dish for all the Indian restaurants.My father use to believe ,If a restaurant cannot whip up a good Butter Chicken that restaurant is not worth stepping into the second time around.

“The origins of butter chicken can be traced back to a man named Kundan Lal Gujral, who ran a restaurant called Moti Mahal Delux in Peshawar before the partition of British India. With the partition of British India, Moti Mahal moved to New Delhi. Butter Chicken is regarded to have been first introduced by Moti Mahal in New Delhi” (Wiki)”.

Here is my version of Butter Chicken . I hope you all enjoy it.You can find all the below ingredients at any indian grocery store

Chicken (you can use bone as well boneless pieces but it should…

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Tip of the day

Instead of using whole eggs, use double the number of egg whites for a heart healthy dish.

For eating vitamins : You won’t absorb all of the nutrients from a capsule that is cruising through your system. The good news is you don’t have to skip your morning mug. Just drink your coffee and eat breakfast first thing when you wake up and then wait 10 to 15 minutes to pop your vitamins with a glass of water.

Your body has to work harder to digest protein, so you’ll burn more calories just by eating Chicken,Fish and eggs.So Aim for 60 to 70 grams of lean protein a day — a 3-ounce chicken breast has 27 grams, a 5-ounce piece of tilapia provides 37 grams, and an egg delivers 7 grams.

Olive Oil, Walnuts, and Avocado- all these foods contain monounsaturated fats, which help your body metabolize fat, especially from your midsection.You should consume at least 10 grams — about 1 tablespoon of olive oil or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter — per day.

Meatless Friday – Vegetable Chowmein

Noodles
water for boiling the noodles
Salt as per your taste
Oil
Chopped celery
2 tsp garlic paste
1 finely sliced capsicum/Pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped cabbage
1/2 cup finely chopped french beans
1/2 cup thin sliced carrot
1 tsp chilli powder
1 large finely sliced onion
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp chilli sauce

Bring water and salt to boil. Add noodles and cook.Drain immediately and cool under running water till noodles are thoroughly cooled.
Add 1 tbsp of the oil into the noodles and mix it and leave in the colander.
Heat oil in a pan and saute garlic mixture and onions over high heat.Add carrot and french beans and saute it for few minutes.
Add the capsicum , cabbage and stir to mix well. Add the Soya sauce, salt, celery, vinegar and chilli sauce. Add boiled noodles carefully so they don’t break into the pan. Do all this over high heat.

You can add bean sprout and other chili sauce as per your taste.

KFC Chicken or Tandoori Chicken

Chicken drumsticks/breast
1 cup Curd
1 beaten Egg
5 tbsp Bread crumbs
1 tsp Chilli powder
1 tsp White pepper powder
1 tsp Onion dried and powdered
1 tsp Oregano/ Omam leaves dried and powdered
1 Green chilli chopped
1 tsp Garlic dried and powdered
1 tsp Ginger dried and powdered
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
basil leaves

Prick the chicken all over with a fork.Marinate chicken with beaten egg, curd, chili powder and salt .Keep this marinated for 6-7 hours.
Mix all green chillies, white pepper, oregano, garlic, ginger, basil.
Cover marinated chicken with above mixture and then with bread crumb.
Heat oil in a thick bottom kadai and deep fry the chicken in a slow fire till it is cooked.OR if you want you can grill or roast the chicken.
Serve with sprigs of cilantro and slices of cucumber, red onion, tomato, and lemon.

Paneer- quick and easy recipe

This recipe is an Indian cottage cheese in mild gravy..ts rich velvety texture, and the beautiful aroma of spices, mixed with the rich red color of the tomato sauce and the goodness of the Paneer cubes makes this a perfect recipe for parties and entertaining friends

Paneer cubes or cottage cheese
refined oil
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 finely chopped onion
2 tbsp ginger paste
1-2 finely chopped green chilies.
1 chopped tomato
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp kasoori methi
2 cubes of white butter
1/2 cup fresh cream
salt to taste
chopped coriander
shredded ginger
sliced tomato peel

Heat oil in a pan. Saute cumin seeds and chopped onion in the pan until brown.Add ginger paste and green chillies and saute for 1 minute.Add chopped tomatoes and stir well.Pour some tomato puree over it for color.Cook for sometime until cooked.
Add the cumin powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, and kasoori methi.
Add paneer and Cook over a low flame for 5-0 minutes. Remove from flame.
Pour the butter and cream over the top.Garnish with shredded ginger, chopped coriander and sliced tomato peel. Serve hot.

Your Paneer recipe is ready to serve. Paneer recipe makes an excellent combination with Paratha, Kulcha and Rumali Roti.

Rice Salad

Here is the recipe for Healthy people…

Pineapple chunks
apple chunks
4 cups cooked long white rice
1 grated carrot (optional)
1 1/2 cup spinach
1/2 pound sliced bacon cooked, drained and crumbled (Optional , if you want to make this salad vegetarian)
1/2 cup red sliced onion
2-3 sliced baby cucumbers
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbsp mustard
Salt and Pepper
Sugar

In a large bowl combine rice , pineapple chunks,apple chunks, spinach , bacon and onion.

In another small bowl whisk together olive oil , mustard, sugar, salt and pepper.You can add little bit of vinegar if you like

Pour the above dressing over the rice mixture , toss to evenly coat,

Rice salad in my opinion is best served at room temperature and there is no need to refrigerate.If you like you can add sliced squash, diced tomatoes,canned beans, olives and avocados. Also you can add sushi to the above salad and make California Sushi Rice Salad.