Quick Chicken Lasagne - Indian style

Serves: 4
Time: 1.30 Mins

You'll need:

Minced Chicken - 1/2 kg

Lasagne sheets - 150g (pre-cooked)

Grated cheese - 500g

White sauce - 500g

Butter - 50g

Onion - 2 to 3 large

Tomato - 5

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Curry powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Yogurt - 2 tbsp

Oil - 3 tbsp

It is cooked this way:

Pour some oil in a pan. Add onion and salt. Cook until the onion turns golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and tomatoes. When the raw flavour of tomato goes off, add chilli powder, coriander powder, curry powder, turmeric powder and yogurt. Mix them well. Then add the minced chicken and gently mix them. Close the pan with a lid. Cook for 20-30 mins. Stir them in between the process. 

Take a glass bowl. Apply butter inside the bowl completely. Place lasagne sheets to make it the bottom layer. Add a layer of cooked chicken on top of it. Cover the chicken with a thin layer of grated cheese. Repeat it twice. You should make three layers on the whole. Then on top of the layers, pour some white sauce. 

Pre heat the oven to 200c/ fan 180c/ gas 6. Finally place the bowl in the oven and bake it  for approximately 30 mins. 

Chicken Meatballs Curry - Indian style

Meatballs are also called as 'Kofta'. No one knows from where it originated. It is made from ground meat. It can be made of chicken/lamb/beef. They are usually rolled into small balls. Also, you can add minced onion, spices, eggs and also herbs. Vegetarians can also make using smashed potatoes with other vegetables of your choice instead of minced meat.

All you need is:

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seed - 1 tsp

Chicken masala powder - 1 tsp

Coriander leaves

To make balls:

Minced Chicken - 1/2 kg

Bread Crumbs - 1/2 cup

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - a little

Salt - to taste

To Grind:

Onion - 2 large

Tomato - 2

Coriander seeds - 4 tsp

Ginger - 1 inch

Garlic - 5 cloves

Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Poppy seeds - 1 tsp

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Pepper balls - 1/2 tsp

Red chillies - 2 or 3 (I used 3 to make it spicy)

Oil - 5 tbsp

Salt - to taste

This is how it is made:

Roughly cut the onions and tomatoes.

Pour oil in a hot pan . Add coriander  seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, poppy seeds, cloves, cinnamon, pepper balls, ginger, garlic and red chillies. Cook them for a couple of minutes.  Add onions and salt. Cook until it turns golden brown. Then add roughly chopped tomatoes until the raw smell goes off. Leave it aside to cool. Grind them all to make a paste. Just add 1/2 cup water if needed.

Mix the minced chicken, bread crumbs, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. When it is well mixed, just use little oil to make it stick together. Then make tiny balls. Apply oil in your hands which helps to make the balls round in shape.

Meanwhile, heat another large pan and add a lug of oil. Fry the chicken balls. Stir them around and cook for 8 - 10 mins. Make sure they are cooked well.

In a hot pan, pour little oil and mustard seeds. When it splutters, add the ground paste. Add chicken masala powder and water to your consistency level. Stir it well. Close the pan with a lid and let cook or 15 - 20 mins in medium flame. You will see the colour of the gravy changing to brown.

At that level, make holes around each meatball using a knife. This will make meatballs little juicy while you eat. Now add them into the gravy. Leave it cook in low flame for half an hour. 

When the gravy has reached the right consistency, you can turn off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves (I have used finely chopped coriander leaves to garnish).

Serve it with chapati, naan bread, rice or pulao.

Spicy Broccoli and Baby Corn Curry

All you need is:

Baby corn - 175g

Onion - 2

Red chillies - 2

Capsicum - 1

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Double cream - 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Oil - 4 tablespoon

Salt - to taste

For grinding:

Onion - 1

Tomato - 2

Cashew nuts - 5

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Mixed herbs (optional) - 1/2 tsp

This is how it is made:

Half cook the baby corn and broccoli in the boil water. Add salt and turmeric powder with it. Pour some oil in a hot pan. Add 2 onions and little salt. When the onion turns golden brown, add tomato and cook till the raw flavour of tomato goes off. Let it cool down. Then grind it to a fine paste with red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, cashew nuts and mixed herbs. 

Again in a hot pan, pour some oil, cumin seeds, red chillies, capsicum and the remaining onion. Fry till the onion turns golden brown. Then add the ground mixture and half a cup of double cream. Cook it for a while in low flame.  Now add the broccoli and baby corn with it. Cook till you get the right consistency.


Best served with Rice, Naan, Roti and Pulao.

Muttaikos/Cabbage Kootu

Kootu is made of any vegetable combined with lentils and grated coconut. It is always made in a semi solid consistency. It is best served with rice. To make the day's lunch more special, you can always serve it with appalam (papad/ papadum). All the members of my family enjoy kootu with appalam. Whenever my mom prepares this kootu, she makes it with valakkai poriyal, few appalam and rasam along with curd and pickle. I love kootu that she cooks. Today, I have used cabbage and chana dal to make this kootu.

All you need is:

Cabbage - 1 small

Onion - 2 large

Tomato - 1 big

Brinjal (optional) - 3 medium

Tamarind juice - 1/2 cup

Chana dal - 1/2 cup

Grated coconut - 2/3 cup

Kootu podi - 2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Castor oil - 5 drops

Salt - to taste

Water 

Also for tempering:

Oil - 3 tablespoons

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Chana dal - 1/2 tablespoons

Urad dal -1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - a pinch

Vengaya vadagam (optional) - a little
Curry leaves

Method:

Take some washed chana dal in a cooker. Pour 1 cup water, castor oil and turmeric powder. Allow 2 whistles and add chopped onion, tomato, brinjal, salt, chilli powder, kootu powder and turmeric and mix them well. Now add chopped cabbage, grated coconut, tamarind juice and some water to your consistency level. Again close he cooker and let 1 whistle this time. 

Pour some oil in a hot pan. Add some mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal, cumin seeds, vengaya vadagam and asafoetida. When the mustard splutters, pour the mixture from the cooker into the pan. Serve with chapati and rice.