Travels for Taste

Tales of travel and food with a touch of spice

Smoky and Spicy Lamb Burgers

by 27 Comments

Come Summer and I am one happy bunny,more so because I really miss the omnipresent sunshine from back home in Mumbai city! But the one thing I love the most about the British Summer is the amazing BBQ’s we have ! Last years most fun barbie was at our friends place , we OD’ed  on grilled seafood and Pimms – hoping to have a repeat of that this year !

Some friends have a BBQ planned for later this month but I couldn’t wait so got myself some lamb mince and decided to use some fresh mushrooms and add my own twist to the burgers with a bright red smoked sweet red pepper! My trusty old griddle pan at hand , I turned my tiny urban open plan kitchen into a tiny BBQ party venue!

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Perfect time to use up some of the wonderful La Chinata smoked paprika powder.

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Ingredients:

  • 500 gm Lamb Mince
  • 1 bunch of spring onion
  • 1 big sweet red pepper
  • 250 gm button mushrooms
  • 150 gm cherry tomatoes
  • 3  tsp sweet paprika powder La Chinata
  • 1 tsp red chilli flakes
  • 2 tsp garlic paste
  •  4 tsp coriander powder
  • a large sprig of fresh rosemary
  • 1 1/2 tbsp chilli oil
  • Salt to taste

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Method:

  • Flame roast the sweet red pepper on a gas flame, if you’re doing a BBQ ,first rub some oil and garlic paste onto it.
  • After it has been roasted and cooled down a bit,peel off the skin and chop fine
  • Chop the mushrooms to tiny bite sized pieces
  • Finely chop the spring onions and cherry tomatoes
  • Wash the lamb mince under a running tap by placing it inside a sieve.
  •  Mix the chopped smoked sweet red pepper, mushrooms,spring onions ,cherry tomatoes,rosemary,chilli flakes,sweet smoked paprika powder from La Chinata and coriander powder,paprika and salt.

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  • Knead all the ingredients into the mixture.
  • Make mini burger patties by taking palm sized portions of this mixture and ty and pat them into roughly round shape.
  • On a griddle pan add some chilli oil and place a few burgers on it. Cook them for a few minutes on one side and them flip and repeat.
  • Serve the cooked lamb burgers inside wholegrain soft burger buns generously lined with butter , a thick slice of cheese, pickles,crunchy salad leaves and doused with ketchup. Or if you’d rather not then eat them plain – I did , served with some grilled button mushrooms and tender shoots of asparagus on which I slathered generous amounts of smoked paprika sweet chilli powder mixed with some oil and garlic paste – pure heaven!

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The sweet smoked paprika powder gives the lamb burgers a definite sweet hot flavour and the others spices combine well with the vegetables.Its also a great way to get fussy eaters to eat veggies hidden in layers of delicious meat and spices. I would have loved to add some boiled green peas too, they would add more bulk and taste too.

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*With thanks to La Chinata for sending samples  for review.No monetary compensation was provided for this post.All views expressed are my own.

 

Vangyache Bharit- वांग्याचे भरीत (Baingan ka Bharta) (Smoked Aubergine)

by 20 Comments

I have noticed that I have become a bit more inclined towards celebrating festivals after coming to London, maybe it is out of being homesick during festive times and also to ensure that I remember the traditions involved I guess. ‘Makar Sankrant’ is a Hindu festival celebrated by my community ”Maharashtrians” with great pomp and enthusiasm as it heralds the season of Harvest. Similar to this festival is Lohri which is celebrated by the Punjabis in the North of India, Pongal in the state of Tamil Nadu, Uttaryan in the state of Gujrat. One festival so many names and so varied ways of celebrating! It is not only in India that this festival is celebrated it’s also welcomed in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Laos amongst others!

My mother always used to make a smoked aubergine vegetable dish called Vangyache Bharit – written in Marathi as – वांग्याचे भरीत on Makar Sankrant so I decided to make it too for Sankrant this year which was on the 14th of Jan’14. We also exchange small ladoos made of sesame seeds and jaggery called ”Tilache Ladoo” and wish each other by saying तिळगुळ घ्या गोड गोड बोला -‘Tilgul ghya god bola. It means that we shall forget and forgive any past bitter exchange of words and start afresh with this sweet offering and only speak sweet words of love. Til stands for sesame and Gul stands for jaggery in Marathi, so TilGul means a sweet made using sesame and jaggery as the main ingredients

The recipe is modified in various regions of the state of Maharashtra and also the variety of vanga/eggplant/aubergine or brinjal as we know it in urban India, is different in various parts of the state and in various states of India, of course differing due to climate and soil. Aai ( meaning Mother in the Marathi language – my mother tongue) always looked for the light green vanga or eggplant with white stripes on its skin which she rightly said tastes way better than its darker purple-skinned cousin.

Aai’s recipe which I will share now is how we have always made this dish at home. There are several variations and styles depending on which part of Maharashtra you hail from and also various sub-cultures and availability of local ingredients and palates.I guess what makes this recipe so special is that it brings back happy memories of childhood, festivity, celebration and the unmistakable smoky and rich vanga (eggplant/aubergine) taste with the crunchy red onion and a slap of hot spicy green chilli mixed in between, all balanced so well with the various masalas that go into this bharit Ummm!

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Image Credit WebDunia

Vangyache Bharit- वांग्याचे भरीत (Baingan ka Bharta) (Smoked Aubergine)

Traditional Indian Smoked Aubergine dish
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 portions

Equipment

  • 1 Knife
  • 1 Chopping Board
  • 1 Tongs
  • 1 non-stick heavy bottom saucepan with lid

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Large vanga/baingan/eggplant/aubergine
  • 1 Large Red Onion
  • 3 Green Chillies
  • 6 cloves Garlic
  • 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
  • 1 tsp Cumin / Jeera
  • 2 tsp Garam Masala
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Hing / Asafoetida
  • 1.5 tsp Turmeric
  • 1.5 tsp Red chilli powder
  • 3 tbsp Oil
  • Fresh Coriander/Cilantro leaves to garnish

Instructions
 

  • Roast the eggplant on a gas hob over a naked flame, completely turning it on the side and moving it up and down so you don’t miss any bits. Refer to my recipe notes if you would prefer to do this in the oven or on a BBQ.
  • Allow this to cool and then charred skin will come off easily.
  • Roughly mash the aubergine using a fork.
  • Finely chop one large red onion.
  • Remove the skin from the garlic cloves, place garlic and green chillies into a mortar pestle and ground into a rough paste.
  • Heat the saucepan and add oil, when the oil is hot, add asafoetida. Then add the mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter, then add the cumin.
  • Now add the garlic and green chillies, chopped red onion and cook on low heat until the onions sweat.
  • Then add the red chilly powder, turmeric and garam masala and stir well, follow it up with the smoked aubergine.
  • Mix well and cook until done.
  • Garnish with finely chopped coriander/cilantro.
Keyword Bharit

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Recipe Notes

  • The beauty of this dish lies in the deep and rich smoky flavour of the eggplant, I would love to use charcoals and do this bit on an open rustic fire but well I make do with my hob. You could use the oven but it will take much longer but directly on the hob – though a bit messy, it’s quicker!
  • While roasting the aubergine on the hob ensure you monitor it closely and use tongs to turn it over. Cooking over a flame on a gas hob directly should be done very carefully. Use the overhead extractor fan so that the smoke does not set off your fire alarm.
  • For oven cooking, make some cuts in the aubergine using a sharp knife, rub lightly with some oil and wrap tightly with foil and place on a baking tray, and roast in a preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes at 180-degree celsius. Allow to cool completely before unwrapping and peeling off the skin.
  • My Aai does not add tomatoes to this dish and at times uses some Goda masala as well as it has dry grated coconut which can really alter the taste. Many people add chopped tomatoes.
  • Serve with hot rotis or steamed rice and dal.
  • We also enjoy this cold, cool completely, and serve it with a generous helping of set curd/ yoghurt.
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  • Mash with your hands in a smooth mass of soft cooked, smoked eggplant.
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Vangyache Bharit- ????????? ???? (Baingan ka Bharta) (Smoked Aubergine)

LEARN HOW TO COOK WESTERN COASTAL INDIAN CUISINE FROM THE C.K.P COMMUNITY WITH MY EASY-TO-FOLLOW RECIPES.

FIND BELOW A LIST OF INDIAN RECIPES ON MY BLOG, SOME TRADITIONAL, SOME FUSION, AND MANY REGIONAL FAVOURITES!

Healthy Baked White Fish with a mint and spice dressing

by 26 Comments

Ladies this one is to be bookmarked and is perfect for any day when you want to treat  your taste buds and yet not load on the calories.

Serves:2  Prep Time:5 Minutes Marination time :20 minutes In the Oven: 15 – 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

  • Fry Lite or olive oil 4 tsp
  • 2 thick white fish fillets – I use Haddock
  • 2 tbsp mint and coriander dressing
  • 2 heaped tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • 2 tsp red chilli  powder
  • 2 tsp turmeric powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 2 tsp cumin powder
  • Handful of finely chopped spring onion
  • Handful of chives finely chopped
  • Freshly cracked black pepper to garnish
  • sea salt for garnish
  • 1/2 lemon juice for garnish

Method:

  • Wash the fillets and place on a large dish to apply the marinade.
  • Sprinkle the red chilli powder, turmeric,coriander,cumin,salt and along with the ginger garlic paste and mint and coriander dressing mix well and totally coat the fish.
  • Marinate the fish for 20 minutes to allow the flavours to seep in and develop.
  • In a baking tray use just 4 sprays of fry lite and spread evenly across the tray, add the chopped spring onion and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
  • Place the marinated fish on this and sprinkle the finely chopped chives on the top.

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  • Pre heat the oven to 200°C and bake for 15- 20 minutes.
  • Garnish with a generous squeeze of lemon juice.
  • Serve with a side of salad leaves and cherry tomatoes and a soft crusty baguette.

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I know the photographs here look terrible but honestly by the time I got the fish ready on Sunday it was almost 3pm, had a lazy start to the day and by then the light was gone so even after cleaning up the image it is quite sorry looking and is no way doing justice to this awesome dish! I do hope that I can get better pictures next time!

I do hope you enjoy this recipe and share your thoughts if you make it! Cheers!

Just in the nick of time, I have entered this original recipe creation in the #Cookingwithherbs challenge by Karen Burns-Booth on her blog Lavender and Lovage. The theme for January 2014 is citrusy and herbs, this fish definitely has it all and a citrusy bang! I wonder why I haven’t entered this challenge in the past, most of the dishes use so many herbs especially lime, oh well, here’s to a fresh start!



Cooking with Herbs








Red Lentil Soup


 by  6 Comments 
I tried to write this blog post sometime after ma came home from the hospital but things were a bit topsy turvy but here it is now!


Sometime in November in India…..


”My ma’s bff’s have been pampering her a lot and have been a bunch of real sweethearts. One of her friends who we shall call Aunty A, came over last week and got her some heartwarming veg soup among some other goodies.


All the medications have killed ma’s taste buds and her appetite to an extent so this soup was a wonderful new bouquet of mild but delicious flavours for her. AM has agreed to share some of her other recipes as well including one which helped her the first prize in a cooking contest! Whoops! How I love all of ma’s buddies – all such passionate foodies 😉


Ok so here’s how you can create this Masoor dal or Red Lentil Soup


Ingredients:


    

  • 1 cup red lentil dal
    • 

  • 1/2 a red onion
    • 

  • 1 tomato
    • 

  • 1/2 a potato boil
    • 

  • Salt as per taste
    • 

  • Pepper to garnish
    • 

  • 1/2 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
    • 

  • Few whole cloves/lavang
    • 

  • 1 cinnamon stick/dalchini
    • 

  • Water as required
    • 

  • some unsalted butter to slather an accompanying slice of toasted brown bread
    • 



Method:


    

  • In a vessel add the lentils and roughly chopped onion, tomato, and potato(peeled and roughly chopped) and add enough water to soak them.
    • 

  • Boil the red lentil ,onion ,tomato, and potato in a cooker. Give it 3 whistles
    • 

  • After the steam releases from the cooker  and the lid comes off easily, allow the mixture to cool down completely.
    • 

  • Puree in mixer/food processor , add some more water to adjust to a soup lile consistency and garnish with salt n pepper.
    • 

  • In a saucepan add 1/2 a tsp of ghee /clarified butter ,on a medium heat ,add dalchini/ cinnamon stick and a few whole cloves/lavang.
    • 

  • Reduce the heat to a minimum and now the tadka is ready, carefully pour the puree from the food processor/mixer into the clarified butter and spice tadka as it may sputter.
    • 

  • Serve the soup hot with a lightly buttered slice of brown bread ideally with unsalted butter.”
    • 



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I am entering this delicious and healthy Red Lentil Soup recipe into one of my favourite foodie link up’s hosted by Jacqueline Meldrum of Tinned Toms and Lisa of Lisa’s Kitchen aka Food and Spice alternatively. It’s easy peasy just go to Lisa’s blog as she is the host for May 2015 and add in your recipe post to the linky, then link to both Lisa and Jaq’s blogs as I have done and add the No Croutons logo to your post, all done! Any Salad or soup will do but only one post per blogger, also watch out for the round-up done after the 28th of each month.


no+croutons+required


Red Lentil Soup


Tasty Fish Dish in £1 – ready in 10 minutes – Raising awareness about extreme poverty and hunger


 by  6 Comments 
Hearty home-made fish dinner on a tight budget? Yes, it is possible!


Recently, I read about living below a line challenge. The challenge is to feed your family by spending not more than £1 a day for 5 days. Why? To help put conservation around poverty into perspective. How the world views hunger, extreme poverty and issues related to poverty is an important conversation to have. For example, reading a hard-hitting fact like this one helped me understand how bad the issue of global hunger really is – ‘Hunger kills more than aids, malaria and tuberculosis combined’.


Please do visit The Hunger Project website to read about the challenge in detail. You can also donate, help fundraiser and do your bit to help end world hunger. World Hunger Day is on the 28th of May.


This recipe is basically to support some blogger friends who along with their families which includes their young children took up this tough challenge. But honestly, if someone told me I could make a fish main in £1 I would laugh aloud and make them a cup of tea to help them feel normal again. But trust me on this one you really can make a very delicious side dish and serve it with a spicy rice main for 2 adults for 2 main meals. Yes, it is possible to be thrifty and yet feed your family for less without compromising on taste.


When my friend S told me the easy-peasy recipe I just had to buy myself a pack from my new fav supermarket. This is probably the easiest recipe for a side dish ever.


Total prep time: Under 10 minutes Serves:2 adults as a side for 2 main meals


Ingredients:


    

  • Sprat Fish pack – contains about 20-25 fishes and costs around 90p to 95p
    • 

  • Turmeric powder 1 tsp
    • 

  • Red Chilli Powder -1.5tsp
    • 

  • 2 small hot green chillies sliced in a slant
    • 

  • Salt to taste
    • 

  • a pinch of Asafoetida
    • 

  • Oil – 2 tsp
    • 

  • 4 tsp Colmans Mustard
    • 

  • 1 tsp hot BBQ Mustard – don’t worry if you don’t have this just add half a teaspoon of paprika to 1 tsp of any mustard that you have lying around and mix half tsp of  BBQ sauce into this for a smoky flavour.
    • 



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Recipe:


    

  • Wash the fish well under tap water and handle gently as it’s a small delicate creature and needs some fawning over but hey not much fuss I tell ya! But its all worth it because even my hubby apprehension that this fish has loads of tiny bones were all gone as he clicked his fingers after the meal 🙂
    • 

  • Heat a saucepan and  add 1sp oil, add asafoetida and the turmeric powder and salt and then the washed Sprat fish
    • 

  • Gently sautee them for about 1 minute or until you see the skin start to come off, don’t overdo it as they need to cook with the mustard in the next step.
    • 



Sprat has been sauteed 


    

  • Remove the fish into a clean bowl and in the same sauce on a very low flame add another tsp oil, both the mustards pastes, chopped green chillies, red chilli powder and then the fish.
    • 

  • As it is a delicate fish it will cook quickly and as it does the big bone that runs lengthwise inside this tiny fish will be easy to remove and so you can get the head off to, I am not squeamish but my husband is and he refuses to eat the eyes but they are supposed to be packed with iron and fish itself is high on Omega 3 fatty acids, the good stuff your body needs. Mothers who breastfeed and consume fish are said to help give the baby better eyesight which is due to the high content Omega 3 fatty acids. Not only that as this recipe contains turmeric it has a heap of health benefits especially the fact that it helps people struggling to cope with psoriasis. If anyone has seen that episode of The Food Hospital on Channel 4 where a young mother and her son struggled with psoriasis, one of the big changes that they did to their diet was adding turmeric to even stuff like scrambled eggs.
    • 

  • A word here about the Le Range Mesurier BBQ Mustard, it’s one of the few things I purchased at the Cake & Bake Show 2013 apart from the sweet stuff. I also got a jar of zesty lime mayo from the same brand, they had a super offer of 4 jars at a great price!
    • 

  • I slant the green chillies slanted just because it looks posh 🙂
    • 

  • Ok, so I managed to remove most of the big middle bone with the heads and the fish cooks very easily in under 3 minutes.
    • 

  • Add a small helping of very finely chopped coriander for garnish.
    • 

  • Serve hot with steaming hot rice or khichadi, click here for a posh khichadi recipe from one of my older posts.
    • 

  • Do leave comments below and let me know what you thought of this recipe!
    • 



Sprat fish side is ready to serve!


I am entering this dish into a wonderful linky challenge called £1 or less recipe challenge started by Michelle Rice who blogs at Utterly Scrummy , with so much fresh and yummy fish made into a delicious dish and served with plain steamed rice its a thrifty budget dream dish full of flavour and ready without too much of labouring in the kitchen. Do link up and help spread the good cheer around in times of gloom when many families are struggling to make ends meet and feeding families with healthy food on a shoestring budget is a very real challenge for many.


one pound or less logo


Tasty Fish Dish in £1 – ready in 10 minutes !


Pomfret Fish Curry


 by  12 Comments 


Flavours of Konkan





When anyone asks me what I would like as my LAST meal,I always say I’d like some fried pomfret so naturally, when I go Indian grocery shopping I always check for this fish. Though I must admit, nothing beats the flavours one gets from fresh fish. But well, just have to make do with frozen fish as the one I love is a Pomfret local to waters of the Indian Ocean.





This is a relatively simple recipe and does not require much effort but the marination is key as it can really give depth of flavour which is what we need.





I had 3 of these beauties to cook and couldn’t resist getting them to pose for my camera all dressed with the dangerously delicious spices that I rubbed into the fillets.






Pomfret with all the spices that are used in the curry.




Okay, it’s relatively easy making fillets after this fish has thawed thoroughly as it has very few bones, I like to remove the bit in the front with the eyes and the tail and also remove the fins then make fillets the size fit for a curry or fry.





    



Pompfret Fish Curry







Heirloom recipe, a traditional CKP style fish curry




5 from 1 vote





	 Print Recipe
	
    





 






	

    	
 

		
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian

    

    

        
 

		
Servings 4

    





Ingredients
  
  • 3 medium-sized Silver Pomfret
  • 2 tbsp Coriander and green chillipaste
  • 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste
  • 1.5 tsp Red Chilli powder
  • 1 tsp Turmeric
  • 3 – 4  Cloves  Garlic withskin on
  • 2 tbsp Grated coconut
  • 1 small pinch Asafoetida/Hing 
  • 2 tbsp Refined oil
  • 1/4 Lime – juiced
  • Salt to taste


Instructions
 
  • Wash thoroughly and marinate with redchilli powder, turmeric,salt ,ginger- garlic paste,coriander-green chilli paste and set aside for at least 40 minutes.
  • After the marination is done,heat oilin a saucepan,add asafoetida just a tiny spritz and throw in the crushedgarlic cloves with their skins on. As soon as they start to brown add the marinatedfish n toss it around for about half a minute.
  • Add enough water to cover the fishand cook on a low flame.
  • As the water begins to boil add inthe finely grated fresh coconut and stir in well till the curry is nice andthick.
  • Simmer till the fish is cooked andsqueeze the lime into it.
  • Serve with steaming hot riceand allow yourself to enjoy this simple yet classic fish curry, an everydayfare in the houses along the coast of Konkan and a great treat in ours.







 


Keyword CKP recipe, fish curry, Pompfret








These beautiful flowers are on stalks of fresh spring onion!! Unexpected, I know right?!! My ma (in-law) very patiently chopped these stalks and created this cute little spring onion floral display and the whole idea of this photograph with books we are currently reading is hers.






Spring Onion Bouquet




Bengali Bhaja with spring onions and potatoes





I was so excited to see them and had to buy myself two bunches and look for a Bengali Bhaja or bhaji (Marathi) sabji/sabzee (Hindi). Found a lovely food blog called ‘Hamaree Rasoi’.






Peyajkoli Batata bhaja





Spring Onion and Potato Bhaji




Needless to say, the meal was supremely satisfying and we all slept with gentle snoring now and then …TMI- oh yes, totally 😉






Pomfret curry with steamed rice and pejaykoli bhaja
Grated Carrot salad


 by  4 Comments 
This simple salad is a favourite at my mum’s .You can impress your guests with this simple and quick recipe that would look like you have really slaved to get it right. Nothing better I say 😉


Serves:  2


Prep Time: 15 minutes including the grating


You will need:


    

  • 3 fresh medium-sized organic carrots
    • 

  • 1 tsp small size black mustard seeds
    • 

  • Salt to taste
    • 

  • ½ teaspoon oil
    • 

  • 1 Large heaped tbsp Chobani Blood Orange yogurt
    • 



Method:


    

  • Peel and grate the carrots after beheading them – Ha! I wanted to write that just to reinforce the morbid tone here that the word ‘’Blood Orange’’ .Wonder why such a delicious fruit has such a murderous sounding name 😉
    • 

  • Heat 1 tsp oil in a saucepan and pop in the mustard seeds and the finely chopped green chilli
    • 

  • When the mustard seeds begin to explode like miniature heat bombs, add the grated carrot and stir lightly.
    • 

  • Add salt to taste and take off the heat. We don’t want to overcook the carrot here and need to ensure it stays nice and crunchy!
    • 

  • Serve in small portions with a large blob of the yogurt on top ensuring you use a spoon that goes to the BOTTOM of the pot of yogurt as the fruity bit and heavenly fruity yogurt likes at the BOTTOM of these pots, like a secret hidden treasure, ummm!
    • 



I hope you enjoy making these FAT free yogurt recipes and feel good about lowering the overall calorie count of these dishes.


Grated Carrot Salad with Chobani Blood Orange Yogurt


Pomegranate Chicken Curry


 by  4 Comments 
For my next recipe using Chobani Yogurt, I made a spicy chicken curry  main dish, the curry can be made less spicy as per taste by reducing the quantity of red chilli powder and garam masala used.


I have used Chobani Pomegranate Yogurt as it lends a subtle but noticeable tangy twist on the palate.


Serves:  2


Prep Time: 35 minutes including the chopping and slaving bit


You will need:


    

  • 4 chicken breast fillets chopped into chunks which are curry pieces, yet not totally bite sized.
    • 

  • 2 large tablespoons Chobani Pomegranate yogurt
    • 

  • 1 large green chilli chopped into big pieces
    • 

  • 1 large red spicy red chilli chopped into big pieces
    • 

  • Salt to Taste
    • 

  • 1 tsp Turmeric powder
    • 

  • 2  heaped tsp red chilli powder
    • 

  • 1 tsp Garam Masala
    • 

  • A pinch of Pepper powder
    • 

  • 2 tbsp tamarind paste
    • 

  • 3 small red onions finely chopped
    • 

  • 1 heaped tsp fresh ginger garlic paste
    • 



Method:


    

  • Heat a sauce on a medium flame and add 2 large tablespoons of sunflower oil
    • 

  • Sautee the chopped onions and the ginger garlic paste till the onion changes colour
    • 

  • Then add the chicken pieces and reduce the flame , when the chicken changes colour reduce the flame to the bare minimum and stir in the Pomegranate favoured Chobani yogurt. Do this before the chicken begins to cook to run juices as at that stage the yogurt will not be able to lend it flavours to the cooked meat.
    • 

  • Then add in this order the red chilli powder, the chopped red and green chillies, the garam masala and the pepper powder, mix well and stir ,then add enough water for the chicken to cook and to allow for some thick gravy . Add just enough or else much will dilute the whole curry and make it will become one big mess- just in case it does, take a deep breath and add 2 small completely boiled or 1 medium-sized potato mashed well into the curry ,it will soak up the excess water but then one needs to adjust the salt and red chilli proportion as well.
    • 

  • Now add the salt and mix well. Adding salt before the rest of the ingredients somehow alters taste to a large extent. Cook the chicken on a low flame with lid on checking occasionally and stirring as well. Yes one needs to fawn over the pot like one would over a pesky but adorable toddler. Humm, well now this should cook fairly quickly, check by jabbing a piece of chicken with a blunt knife.
    • 

  • I choose to serve this Pomegranate Chicken with boiled basmati rice cooked with garden fresh green peas.
    • 

  • Serve with some red onion by the side and freshly chopped coriander (cilantro) for that fresh and tasty garnish.
    • 

  • Serving suggestion – serve with boiled basmati peas pilaf/pulav/poolav lightly flavoured with cinnamon and bay leaves – again made with just a tiny drop of oil to sautee the bay leaf and cumin seeds.So good ummm
    • 



Chobani Pomegranate


 


 


 


Pomegranate Chicken - Chobani




*Thanks to Chobani for sending me some flavoured yoghurt samples to review. As usual, all opinions are my own. No monetary compensation was provided for this post and I was not expected to write a positive review. 


Easy and healthy one-pot chicken noodles


 by  4 Comments 
It was one of those days when I wished the dinner made itself ,but hey you know what I am saying right?Like it’s ONLY Monday and am wishing it was the weekend again , ya, ya that kind of a horrible feeling- gaaahhh! Happens to the best of us , yes even me , ok ok I will get on with the recipe.I  had this vegetable stock packet in my kitchen cupboard that had to be used or else! And I had some tomatoes, bright red  chillies, half a red onion sliced , some unused tiny onions, a juicy lime and a spanking new bottle of Kafir Lime leaves .


Since I had spent the better part of the day, well on facebook 😉 I got my lazy,fat a** out of my house and walked to the supermarket.Some chocken thighs ,a mixed bag with chopped carrot and brocolli on reduced price , just what I was looking for!


Ok so here’s a list of all the ingredients I threw in and managed to make something that made hubby go from ”hummm ummm” to ”interesting” to ” u came up with this recipe like now?” the best compliment, ok am showing off and that sickening right?


Serves:2  , Cook time including serving time :25 miutes


Ingredients:


    

  1. 500ml vegetable stock
    2. 

  2. 100ml water
    3. 

  3. 1/2 of a medium sized red onion sliced lengthwise
    4. 

  4. 2 -3 shallots chopped lengthwise
    5. 

  5. 2 cloves of garlic with the skin on
    6. 

  6. 1 tiny pinch of cumin seeds
    7. 

  7. 2 Kaffir lime leaves – no more ,they are POTENT!
    8. 

  8. 2 bright red chillies slit lenghthwise
    9. 

  9. 1 small tomato chopped into tiny pieces
    10. 

  10. 3 pieces of chicken with the skin taken off
    11. 

  11. Red chilli powder as per taste
    12. 

  12. Salt as per taste
    13. 

  13. 1 portion of thin egg noodles  – 100 gm approx
    14. 

  14. 1 small palmfull of diced carrot  – 100 gm approx
    15. 

  15. 2 -3 bits of broccoli cut into smaller bite sized portions – 100 gm approx
    16. 

  16. 1/4th of piece of lime to squeeze onto the chicken
    17. 

  17. 2 tbsp sunflower oil
    18. 

  18. A smile on your face because you are going to make a new yum dish super quick and you n yours are gonna love-uh it!
    19. 



The Ingredients 


Preparation:


    

  • Wash the chicken pieces and remove the skin
    • 

  • Pan on hob and add one tbsp oil ,saute the thinly length-wise sliced red onion saving a few bits to go into the stock pot.
    • 

  • place the chicken pieces and lower the flame, turn the pieces in a few minutes after they start to fry, do not cook them fully as this pan fry bit is to ensure flavour on double impact and get the chicken to release it’s juices
    • 

  • at this stage add the tomato bits into the pan and flatten with a spatula after they have sizzled for a bit, this will make the sauted onion flavour marry with the tomato and lock in the chicken juices,squeeze the lime onto this
    • 

  • add about 2 tbsp of the vegetable stock to the chicken in the pan and simmer on  as low a flame as possible,keep checking to ensure it does not dry up!
    • 

  • Now add 1 tbsp in a saucepan and when it’s hot throw in the 2 big red chillies which have been split lengthwise,followed by the cumin,crushed garlic cloves with skin, some of the red onion chopped leftover from what went in the pan and the shallots chopped lengthwise.Keep the saucepan on a low flame to prevent burning of these ingredients.
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  • When the garlic is done and the pungent chilli and garlic gives off its trademark punch of aroma throw in the Kaffir lime leaves ,when the onion is totally pink n garlic crisp , throw in some of the vegetable stock and some water , add the noodles carrot and broccoli ,cover and bring to a boil, at this stage the carrot is almost cooked and the noodles too, scoop in the chicken and the thick onion-tomato gravy it was in, ensure you get every last bit of the thick sauce from the pan to not loose any of that wholesome goodness!
    • 



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  • Now throw in all the remaining vegetable stock and water and add salt and red chilli powder as per taste.
    • 

  • cook on a low flame with lid till done, the chicken should just fall of the bone easy and the carrot should be well cooked but not squidgy.
    • 

  • Serve hot with soft boiled potatoes in butter and herbs or a crisp baguette.
    • 



At 2 small spoons of oil and how it fills you, this one dish stock pot is filling, wholesome,relatively easy and a good for a weekday dinner when you are feeling  well BLAH 😉


please leave comments to let me know if this recipe rocked your boat or totally sucked !


Love,peace and good night bloggy world ,I love ya !


One stock pot chicken and noodle dinner 


Sun Dried Tomato and Chilli Spiced Bread


 by  5 Comments 
It’s amazingly sunny this week and my spirits are up so I decided to make some  spiced bread with sun dried tomatoes and chilli, it turned out so yum I want to gobble it all up! This bread is a very filling,wholesome bread and is great for mopping up a thick gravy or having perfectly scrambled eggs with asparagus sprigs a dollop of butter – ah – sounds heavenly, my breakfast tomorrow for sure!


The  oil from the sun dried tomatoes and the oil that goes in dough and really adds to the taste. It takes some kneading as I don’t own a bread maker (yet !) and didn’t really want to get into the hassle of trying the dough function on my food processor, still if you do possess one the bread bread dough tools, good for you!Recipe adaptation from here


Considering it was my first ever homemade bread, it turned out really nice, bursting with aroma and rich flavours and am now prepared to move on to well more bread making!


Ingredients:


    

  • 500 gm strong bread flour
    • 

  • 25 gm butter
    • 

  • Sun dried tomatoes and chillies about a large spoonfull
    • 

  • A sachet yeast
    • 

  • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 

  • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 

  • 280 ml water at room temperature
    • 

  • Plain white flour for kneading
    • 

  • Oil from the chillies and tomato
    • 

  • Oil to grease loaf tin
    • 

  • Cling Film
    • 



Method:


    

  • Sift the flour and add the yeast salt and sugar with a wooden spoon.
    • 

  • Ensure butter is soft and rub in the butter with your hands till the mix looks like breadcrumbs.
    • 

  • Add the finely  chopped sun dried tomatoes and chillies and some of the oil and mix well.
    • 

  • Now add the water slowly, folding it using a wooden or plastic spatula and then knead to make the dough.Keep kneading till a soft dough forms, fold in some oil and plain flour as and when needed.It will take about 15 minutes, yes I know but its worth it!
    • 

  • While kneading use the same process as you would while kneading chapati/roti aata , kneading out from center and then folding sides back into the center.
    • 

  • Cover in cling film and coat with some more oil. Leave to rise for about 2 hours in  a warm and dry place.
    • 

  • Now remove the cling film and knead the risen dough again at least for 8-10 minutes, you will notice that the dough will loose air and will almost go back to its original size.Its like mini air pockets getting tiny punches with your hands.
    • 

  • Repeat the cling film process and leave to rise for 30 minutes in a loaf tin in a warm place.
    • 

  • Preheat oven to 210 degrees , I have a fan oven,bake for 25 minutes,to ensure it’s well risen.
    • 

  • Cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then on the wire rack.
    • 

  • Serve sliced and enjoy with curries as a great alternative to regular wholemeal bread or as I plan to tomorrow with soft, perfectly done runny scrambled eggs, thinly sliced ham and asparagus sauteed in butter!
    • 



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