Watermelon Juice | Fresh Watermelon Juice Recipe

I know summer is long gone in many parts of the world or at least in mine. But I do love to have chilled juices in this rainy weather at times. Are you too like me?? So while it lasts, I am making use of the watermelon available and making fresh juice and popsicles and enjoying. This is not a recipe as such, I know. But watermelon makes such good pics.. So I couldn't resist the urge to click.. I am way below average in clicking shots of drinks and beverages but I love to click them still.. And hence they make their way to the blog as well :)

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Serves : 2 glasses

I Used:

Watermelon (chilled)	-	1 cup (chopped)
Honey	-	1 tsp
Salt	-	A pinch
Lemon juice (optional)	-	1 tbsp

The Way:

1. Cut the watermelon. De-seed it. Then take out the red portion and chop it roughly

2. Add it to a blender jar and blend it smooth. Then add honey (if needed, if the melon is sweet enough you need not add honey. Also can use sugar instead) and a pinch of salt (enhances taste, if you do not like it then you can avoid salt) and lemon juice (if using, I did not use) and give a quick blend

3. Do not add water as the melon has a good amount of water content. If you are not using chilled watermelon, then refrigerate the juice for a while and serve chilled or you can use 2-3 ice cubes while serving. Do not keep the juice for long as it will not taste good. Recommend to serve immediately after making

Cheers,

Chitz

Instant Gooseberry Pickle | Instant Nellikai Pickle | Amla Pickle | Easy Nellikka Achar

Is Amla something that you would like to eat raw? I don't.. I like it when brined or made into a pickle or maybe a chutney or something.. I think it's coz of it's bitter taste and many would agree with me on that.. But it's a very healthy berry loaded with Vitamin C and antioxidants and many other minerals and vitamins. I don't have to elaborate that it's widely used in Ayurvedic medicines and treatments.. They are also low in calories and fat and cholesterol free. 

I have heard that it doesn't lose it's medicinal properties much even after cooked or pickled.. Not sure if it's true.. But believe me when I say that this recipe is one of the best and can make any gooseberry hate eat some ;) There is jaggery added to balance the bitterness and that gives a lift to this pickle :) We love this pickle and make it whenever I find some gooseberries :) So let's see how to make this lip-smacking pickle!

 

Preparation Time : 5 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Recipe source : Ma

Makes : A 300 gm bottle 

I Used:

Gooseberry/Nellikka	-	8 nos (1 cup after de-seeding)
Turmeric powder	-	½ tsp
Salt	-	As Needed
Gingelly Oil	-	¼ - ½ cup
Asafoetida	-	2 tsp
Red Chilly Powder	-	1 tbsp
Jaggery	-	½ cup
Lemon jucie/Vinegar	-	Juice of ½ a big lemon/ 3 tbsp vinegar
Mustard	-	2 tsp
Fenugreek	-	2 tsp
Mustard-Fenugreek powder	-	½ tbsp

The Way:

1. In a pan dry roast the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds for 4-5 minutes on low flame. Take care not to burn them. It starts giving a nice aroma and also the mustard will start spluttering. Then off the flame. Allow it to cool and powder them in a clean and dry mixer jar. You can grind this powder in bulk and use it for all of your pickles

2. Boil the gooseberries with salt and turmeric powder for 10-12 minutes or until cooked. Alternately you can pressure cook for 1 whistle

3. Once cooked, remove the seeds. The gooseberry will have natural cut marks on it. Gently use a knife to remove one wedge and then the remaining wedges can be removed gently using hands. Then remove the seeds and keep aside. If you want to make even smaller pieces, then go ahead and chop them

4. Now take a pan and heat the gingelly oil (nallennai). Now reduce the flame. Then add asaoetida, don't go stingy here :) Add it liberally

5. Then add red chilly powder and saute for a minute. Then add the boiled gooseberries

6. Now add the jaggery. I have used powdered organic jaggery. So added it directly. If using normal big roundels of jaggery, then scrape and take the required amount of jaggery in a pan. Add 2 tbsp water and heat it so that it dissolves completely. Allow it to cool and then filter off the impurities. Do not add more water as it can spoil the pickle. Now add the filtered jaggery syrup to the gooseberries

7. Give a nice mix and then bring it to a boil. Now switch off the flame and add the mustard-fenugreek powder and give a gentle nice stir

8. Then add lemon juice or vinegar. Not both, either one and mix gently

9. Store the pickle in a clean, dry, glass container. You should be able to see oil floating on the top of the container else chances of the pickle getting spoilt are very high. Leave in a clean place for a day or two for the flavours to soak in and then refrigerate it

Notes:

• If you do not like gooseberry bites in your pickle or want to mask it all together, after cooking the berries, mash them into a smooth paste 
• Add either lemon juice or vinegar. Don't add both. I would suggest to go for lemon juice
• Store in a clean and dry glass container for longer shelf life
• Refrigerate if possible after a day of making the pickle for longer life
• Always use a clean dry spoon to take the pickle from the bottle
• Allow a layer of oil on top of the container for longer life and it prevents from mold formation on top of the pickle

Cheers,
Chitz

Easy Capsicum Sabzi for Chapathi | Capsicum Stirfry | Kudamilagai Poriyal

I have been cooking and trying some really good recipes and bakes for a while now. But Dhruv and my Cuemath classes keeps me busy and away from the blog for a long while. I do regret that but when I think of the beautiful times and memories I'm making with Dhruv, I feel that's ok :) This time can never be retrieved and I do not want to regret that in my future. You do agree with me on that right :) 

So, you all know that I try on a lot of veggies and mostly sticky to 'easy to make' and 'tasty ones'! And in that regard, this is a very easy stir fry with capsicum and tastes absolutely awesome with phulkas or rotis. It is a bit sweet as sugar is added to retain the color of the capsicum. You can omit it if you do not like that taste. Easy to make and even one who doesn't eat capsicum is sure to like this simple sabzi :)

Recipe Source: Ma

Serves: 2 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

I Used:

Capsicum	-	1 no (medium - big sized)
Onion	-	1 no (medium sized)
Oil	-	2 tbsp
Mustard	-	½ tsp
Cumin Seeds	-	½ tsp
Red Chilly powder	-	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	-	¼ tsp
Sugar	-	½ tsp
Soya sauce (optional)	-	½ tsp (substitute with lemon juice if need)
Salt	-	As needed

The Way:

1. Rinse the capsicum in water and cut them into two. De-seed the capsicum and remove the white inner portion (optional). Then cut the capsicum into cubes. Also cut the onion into cubes

2. In a pan heat oil. Splutter mustard and cumin seeds. Take care not to burn the cumin seeds

3. Add the cubed onions and salt and saute for 3-4 minutes till they turn transparent

4. Now add the red chilly powder and turmeric powder and saute for 2-3 minutes till the raw smell of goes off

5. Now add the capsicum and saute. Leave it for a minute or two. 

6. Then add the sugar and give a nice stir. 

7. Close the pan and cook till the capsicum is done (another minute or so). It will not take long for the capsicum to cook. It is better to leave it crunchy as the flavor and taste is best then

8. Before switching off the flame, add the soya sauce (can substitute with lemon juice) and give a quick stir. The sabzi is ready to be devoured !

Cheers,
Chitz

Sauteed Mushrooms Recipe

The star ingredient of the day is mushroom :) I am becoming a die hard fan of this ingredient week after week. I make it a point to include mushrooms in my menu once every week. Usually I do not like to cook a specific dish for me alone. So if Deeps doesn't like a veggie I do not cook it ! I feel it's boring to cook and have the entire bowl for myself :D But mushrooms have become an exception nowadays. Deeps can't stand the sight of it whereas I am poles away in this regard ! Even though my liking for mushrooms have increased, I still do not like to pair it up with tomatoes for some silly reason. Maybe I have to try some gravy recipes where I can tweak and add tomato puree instead. Sometime in the future, maybe :)

Did you know that mushroom is the only vegetable that has Vitamin D in it, whereas it is found in plenty in non vegetarian sources like meat, liver and fishes. Now intake of Vitamin D is important as it aids in the absorption of the calcium into our body. This specific recipe is quite a regular in my kitchen as it takes less than 20 minutes to put it together and I can gobble up the entire bowl in one go. At times it cheers up my sometimes boring lunch platter as well. But, as this recipe does not use any garam masala or any other Indian flavourings, it may not appeal to many. It has a strong mushroom flavour, so I would say that this is a recipe for those ardent fans of mushrooms :) Do try it out for yourself and let me know how you liked it :) And my other recipes with mushrooms are Mushroom Dry Fry, Mushroom Do pyaza, Restaurant Style Mushroom Pepper Fry & Kadai Mushroom

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 12-15 minutes

Serves : 2 persons

I Used:

Button Mushroom	-	200 gm
Butter	-	1 tb2sp
Garlic Salt	-	To taste
Chilly Flakes	-	To taste
Italian Seasoning	-	To taste
Lemon jucie	-	1 tsp
Coriander leaves	-	To Garnish

The Way:

1. Clean the mushroom by removing the stalk & peeling off the skin as shown in the photo below. Clean all the mushrooms in the similar manner. 

2. Then rinse them in water twice or thrice and pat them dry immediately using a clean towel. Do not soak them in water for long, rinse them and remove them from water immediately else they will suck and retain water.

3. You can slice the mushrooms and cook as well. Slice or cut them as per your choice. You can use the stalks as well. Cut them into an inch piece in length and a quarter an inch in thickness.

4. Heat butter in a pan, When the butter melts, spread them across the pan and add the mushrooms in the pan. 

5. Add half of the required garlic salt and chilly flakes. Cook for 5 minutes in medium flame.

6. Now flip over the mushrooms and add the remaining garlic salt and chilly flakes. Cook for another 5 minutes. You can cover and cook as well. When you cover and cook, mushroom releases water. So in the end, you would have to open and cook on high flame to evaporate the water.

7. In the end, add lemon juice & italian seasoning and leave on flame for around a minute or two. Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Serve for breakfast along with fried eggs or as a side for fried rice or roti or curd rice. Or you can eat as is, as a main course, as I usually do :)

Notes:

• You can use half and half of butter and oil, if you would like to reduce the quantity of butter
• Chilly flakes can be replaced by pepper powder
• If you do not have garlic salt, use normal salt and garlic instead. If then saute 2-3 pods of chopped garlic in butter before adding the mushrooms
• As this recipe does not use any garam masala or any other Indian flavourings, it may not appeal to many. It has a strong mushroom flavour, so I would say that this is a recipe for those ardent fans of mushrooms :)

Cheers,

Chitz

Kiwi Smoothie

I am an ardent fan of exotic fruits. I love tasting and experimenting with new fruits & also veggies for that matter, but Deeps mostly prefer to stick to tested & approved tastes! What's your choice? Having said that, now you wouldn't mind me posting this recipe at a time when kiwis are not much in season, right? This post had been in my drafts for quite long & I feel it's high time for it to feature here.

Kiwis or Chinese gooseberries are native to some European nations & New Zealand. When ripe, they taste real sweet & can be devoured as such. Loaded with anti-oxidants, they make an excellent & quick option for making smoothies for your busy packed mornings.

I Took : 10 minutes

Serves : 1 tall glass

I Used:

Kiwi	-	2 nos
Milk	-	¼ cup
Honey	-	2 tbsp
Mint	-	2 sprigs
Lime juice	-	From 1 lime
Ice cubes	-	½ cup

The Way:

Dunk in all the ingredients in a blender & blend to a smooth consistency. Adjust sweetness to your taste & serve chilled

Cheers,

Chitz

Ambur Mutton Biryani | Ambur Biryani | Easy Mutton Biriyani

So without much delay, let me wish all you wonderful friends & readers 'A Happy & Prosperous New Year'. How did the new year go for you all? Hope it was a colorful and bright one :) I have yet another reason to celebrate this new year. My blog turned one this year. To be exact, day before yesterday. The blog did bring out a year of fun, learning & a new excitement for me. I do not want to bore you guys with long speeches of my enthusiasm. 

So what am I bringing you today? It is not a sweet or dessert. By now, you must be knowing that I celebrate the anniversaries & occasions with chicken & mutton rather than sweets & cakes :) This is yet another amazing biriyani recipe that has been a constant hit in our kitchen. Actually I am only the photographer for this recipe. Everytime, to be frank every Sunday, it has been Deeps who makes this at our home :) We always are on the lookout for different varieties of biriyani & the famous South Indian Ambur biriyani was on our list for a long time. Once we tried it it become quite a regular at our place. Even our guests are a huge fan of it :) So try it out, you guys will definitely fall for it !!

Ambur Biryani is one of the famous food recipes of South India which emerged during the Nawab of Arcot's regime. This was served for the army of Carnatic as it was difficult to prepare Rotis or Parathas to cater to the need of lakhs of jawans. Today, it is served in all Muslim weddings along with Chicken Kebabs & sweet dishes. Courtesy: Wikipedia

 

Recipe Source : Adapted from Here

Marination Time : 1 hour

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 40-45 minutes

I Used:

Basmati Rice - 2 ½ cups Water - 4 ½ cups (2 ½ * 1 ¾ cups) Mutton - ½ kg Onion - 3-4 nos - medium - sliced Tomato - 2 small nos - chopped Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp Mint leaves - ½ cup - chopped Corainder leaves - ½ cup - chopped Red Chilly powder - 1 tbsp Coriander powder - 1 tbsp Turmeric powder - ½ tsp Oil - ¼ cup Ghee - ¼ cup Salt - As Needed

To Marinate:

Red Chilly powder	-	1 tbsp
Coriander powder	-	1 tbsp
Turmeric powder	-	½ tsp
Garam Masala	-	1 tbsp
Yogurt	-	½ cup
Ginger-Garlic paste	-	½ tbsp
Lemon juice	-	2 tsp

Whole Spices:

Cinnamon	-	1 inch stick
Cloves	-	2
Cardamom	-	2
Bay leaves	-	2
Star Anise	-	2

To Grind:

Cashews	-	10
Fennel Seeds	-	½ tsp
Cumin Seeds	-	¼ tsp
Green Chilly	-	2
Garlic	-	3

The Way:

Preparation:

1. Marinate mutton with the ingredients listed under 'To Marinade' for about 45-60 minutes
2. After an hour pressure cook the marinated mutton with sufficient water until done and keep aside
3. Wash and soak the rice for about 10-15 minutes
4. Add 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan & fry the soaked basmati rice for 2 minutes
5. Grind the ingredients under 'To Grind' into smooth paste and keep it aside

Cooking:

1. Heat ghee and oil in a wide bottomed pan. Add the whole spices to it and fry them in a low heat until a nice aroma comes out
2. Now add the sliced onions and fry till it becomes translucent. Add ½ tbsp of ginger & garlic paste and saute for 2-3 minutes until the raw smell goes off
3. Then add red chili powder, coriander powder and add turmeric powder. Fry well and add the chopped tomatoes along with salt and fry them for 3-4 minutes
4. Finally add the mint leaves & coriander leaves and mix it all together. Add the pressure cooked mutton and mix well 
5. Now add the ground paste and saute it for another 5 minutes in low flame
6. Then add the fried basmati rice to the gravy and water and mix well. Sprinkle some coriander leaves.
7. Taste the mix for salt and hotness. Add if required to suit your taste buds
8. Cover the pan and cook in medium fire for 15 minutes
9. After 15 minutes check if the rice is done and water has evaporated completely. Else  reduce the flame further and cook for another 5-10 minutes
10. Once the rice is done, off the flame and leave the pan in the heat of the stove till you serve

Serve with onion-cucumber raita, mint-coconut chutney & mutton gravy of your choice.

Notes:

• Rice : Water ratio of 1:1 ¾ works perfectly well for me. I use India Gate basmati rice for making this biriyani

Cheers,

Chitz

Chicken Masaledar | Spicy Chicken Masala Recipe

Chicken cooked over slow fire in onion paste & Indian masala

 Looking for a simple & easy chicken recipe? Here is the one for you. No coconut, no tomato, no elaborate methods, just a curd marinated chicken slow cooked in pureed onion & the common India masalas. I made this to pair up with my Coconut Milk Rice. It tasted awesome, spicy enough for the rich rice & blended perfectly with it. This recipe is from my mom's old cookbook, the one which I talk about quite often ! Let's say that was her blog during her younger days. I enjoy cooking dishes from it coz they always turn out perfectly well for me & also it makes me nostalgic. Nostalgia part is because I used to pen down the recipes in the diary for her. See, I had a very good handwriting when I was young, so she let me write it down for her. There are almost 200 odd recipes in it & this time when I went on for vacation I xerox-ed the entire diary & took it with me ! So look out for more recipes from that diary here at my space. Let's now see how to make this tasty & spicy masala chicken..

Recipe Source: Ma's Ole Cookbook

I Took: 30 minutes + 1 hour for marination

Serves: 2-3 persons

I Used:

Chicken	-	250 gm
Onion	-	1 no - big sized - sliced
Green Chilly	-	2 no
Ginger-Garlic Paste	-	1 tbsp
Curd	-	¼ cup
Lemon Juice	-	1 tbsp
Red Chilly Powder	-	1 ½ tsp
Coriander Powder	-	2 tsp
Turmeric Powder	-	1 tsp
Garam Masala	-	1 tsp
Pepper Powder	-	½ tsp
Oil	-	2 tbsp
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Clean & cut the chicken into pieces. Marinate the pieces with curd, lemon juice, ½ tsp turmeric powder & salt for 1 hour
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the sliced onions & fry till it becomes golden brown. Remove from fire. Cool & grind it to a fine paste
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan or wok. Add the ginger-garlic paste & crushed green chillies & fry for a while. Take care not to burn
4. Add the ground onion paste & fry for 1 minute. Now add the red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala & pepper powder & fry well
5. When masala leaves the side of the pan, add the marinated chicken pieces & cook on slow fire till the chicken is tender 

Serve hot with chapathi/tandoori roti/jeera rice/coconut milk rice

Cheers,

Chitz