Spinach with ricotta, sweet corn and baby corn

(sorry, not the best possible picture!)

Palak Paneer can get very repetitive, while cooking special vegetarian stuff. So I tried making the same recipe with a twist.

In one of my first posts I had posted the Palak paneer recipe. Click here to follow the exact same instructions and instead of Paneer/cottage cheese, add Ricotta (1/2 cup), sweet corn (1 corn on cob shavings) and baby corn (6-8 chopped).

Ricotta has a smooth texture and it literally crumbles and blends into the spinach giving it a distinct taste. The only addition is- nutmeg powder. Sprinkle some while you sauté onions.

Serve with Rotis or Rice.

Buttermilk Chicken With Spiced Onions >> Knockout Stuff!

This one comes from Ruma ma originally, via Moon. Both, established cooks, and in the family :-). I totally love this recipe, simply because of its sheer simplicity. What a modest recipe!! No really, it has a kickass and a totally knockout taste and yet sooo simple to make.

Don’t believe me? The see for yourself!

 

You’ll need:

500 gms chicken- with bones are better.

1 1/2 cups of buttermilk (I used the Dairy farmer’s one and it was fantastic)

1-11/2 onions- thinly sliced

Oil – 4-5 tbsps (yu’ll need a wee bit more for this recipe)

1 tsp- red chilly powder

For seasoning- 1/4 spoon methi/fenugreek seeds, 1/2 spoon mustard seeds, 2 –3 pinches of asafetida/hing, 4-5 cloves) – the seasoning is Very important. Do not miss out on any of these. (I also added whole pepper corns and saunf/Aniseed. You may or may not add)

Sugar- 1/2 teaspoon (must)

Salt to taste

Method

Fry the sliced onions in 2 tbsp oil until brown.  Add the red chilly powder to this. Drain on a tissue, keep aside.

Add the rest of the oil to the pan and once hot, add the seasoning. Add chicken to the seasoning and fry well, until semi cooked. This should take about 6 –7 minutes. Now pour the buttermilk over the chicken, cover with lid and simmer for 6 minutes. Take off lid and let the buttermilk evaporate completely on medium flame. Once the buttermilk evaporates, add the spiced onions set aside to the chicken and mix well. Add salt and sugar. Serve hot with steamed rice and Dal! Aweeeeesome. I swear!

A BIG hug to Moon for this one.

The Ketchup Girl’s Malabar Prawns with a twist

I made this yesterday, and it was yumm. I exchanged this recipe with Sunny’s two kickass recipes (below). Since I had already typed it out, posting this was simple- cut and paste. Now u know, why more recipes don’t appear here- lazy baby, lazy.

ok, lets get started.

Warning- this is not authentic- coz its a Kerala recipe and i don’t like coconut oil. so i replaced it with ghee. but you are most welcome to use coconut oil.

• 1 tbsp ghee /coconut oil
  1 tsp mix of whole spices- elaichi, cinnamon, laung)
  1-2 onions, diced (finely)
  A good amount of garlic paste- about 2 tsps
  1 tsp ginger paste
  2 green chilies slit/chopped
  Tomato puree (1 large)
  2 tsp coriander powder (dhania powder)
  1/2 tsp haldi
  1 -2 tsp red chili powder depending on how spicy u like it
  1 cup coconut milk
  A little bit of coconut cream – a spoon or 2. (optional)
  Salt to taste
  500 gms medium sized fresh prawns
• Curry patta (Curry leaves)

(The prawns need to be washed and deveined. Then rub some lime juice to it and keep aside)

Heat the ghee in a kadhai and add the spices like cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Add onions and curry patta, let it brown.

Now add the garlic, ginger paste, green chilies. Add in the tomato puree and mix well. After 2 minutes, add in haldi, mirchi and dhania.

Wait for fat to separate.
Add the prawns to the mixture and stir for two minutes. (I recommend, u sauté the prawns earlier for just a minute in ghee and now add it to he paste. Now pour the coconut milk and boil on low heat for five minutes.

Stir in the coconut cream and serve hot the Prawn Malabar Curry with rice.
Coconut cream is optional. I don’t add it. If you like your gravy to be thick and creamy then add.