Dhania Chicken Masala

Most of our sunday's menu cant be complete without any non vegetarian dish, our yesterday's lunch menu went for rajma & bellpepper pulao, dhania chicken masala served with potato raita..This dhania chicken masala goes for simple and easy cooking process as they doesnt need tomatoes, grated coconut masala etc...This hot and spicy chicken masala is prepared by marinating the chicken pieces with coriander powder, red chilly powder, turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste mixed together with thick curd for overnite...the best part of the chicken masala is the marination else the other cooking process are quite easy and really very simple...I learned this dhania chicken masala through my friend and this chicken masala is one of my family's favourite dish,needless to say that this masala dish suits awesome with any sort of rice dishes, rotis or simply with toasted bread for a lazy dinner..As turmeric powder plays an important role in this chicken masala.Coriander seeds contain an unusual array of phytonutrients. They are a very good source of dietary fiber and a good source of iron, magnesium and manganese.Coriander seeds have a health-supporting reputation that is high on the list of the healing spices. In parts of Europe, coriander has traditionally been referred to as an anti-diabetic plant. In many parts of India, it has traditionally been used for its anti-inflammatory properties. In United States, coriander has recently been studied for its cholesterol-lowering effects.Coriander seeds have loads of healthy nutrients that this dhania chicken masala suits prefectly to feed growing kids..

12-15nos Chicken pieces
1tsp Turmeric powder
1tsp Ginger garlic paste
1tbsp Red chilly powder
2tsp Coriander powder
1cup Thick curd/yogurt
Salt

For Masala:
2nos Onions(chopped finely)
1tsp Garam masala powder
2nos Red dry chillies
2nos Bay leaves
3tbsp Coriander leaves (chopped)
Oil
Salt (if needed)

Before a day, marinate the chicken pieces in a large bowl with red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, curd with enough salt and keep in fridge for overnite..

Heat enough oil in a kadai, add immediately the bay leaves and broken red dry chillies, fry until they turns brown..Add immediately the chopped onions, saute until they turns transculent..Now add the marinated chicken pieces without the curd-spice mixture and saute until the chicken pieces get half cooked..now add the garam masala powder, remaining marinated spice-curd mixture, toss gently the chicken pieces, check for salt..add salt if needed and cook everything in medium high flame with lid closed, stir in between...Once the oil get separates from the masala, add the chopped coriander leaves and put off the stove..

Serve hot with rotis, rice dishes or with any dishes as u desire!

Napa Cabbage Pakodas

Napa Cabbage is a type of chinese cabbage and widely used in Asian Cuisine..This cabbage is lighter in colour than other chinese cabbages such as bok choy which is also called as chinese cabbage, this napa cabbage is a main ingredient of kimchi, which is also eaten raw as salad, with soups or as simple stir fries with chickens, prawns or with many veggies..Napa cabbage is widely used in China, Japan and Korea and because of the immigrants from these nations, its also found in many cities around worldwide...I tried out pakodas with this napa cabbage as i bought recently in chinese store..Its too cold here and i was really craving for some pakodas for my evening snacks and i was quite happy of this napa cabbage as this cabbage tends to cook very easily and can be very soggy once they are fried..For my surprise this napa cabbage pakodas are really crispy and a prefect evening snacks for a cold evening..

2cups Napa cabbage (chopped finely)
1no Onion (big & chopped lengthwise)
4nos Green chillies (chopped)
2cups Besan
1cup Rice flour
1tbsp Ginger(finely minced)
1tsp Turmeric powder
10nos Curry leaves
Salt
1/4tsp Baking soda
Oil for deepfrying

Combine finely chopped napa cabbage, chopped onions, chopped green chillies, minced ginger, curry leaves, turmeric powder, salt, besan flour, rice flour, baking soda with enough water as thick batter which shouldnt fall apart..

Heat oil and drop gently a small portion of this batter to the hot oil and fry on both sides, until the pakodas turns golden brown..

Minty Oats Paratha

Our yesterday's dinner is this minty oats paratha which i prepared with some leftover mint leaves, oats flour, quick cooking oats combined along with wheat flour..Such an aromatic paratha, needless to say that this healthy parathas suits incredibly for a healthy breakfast or dinner, tastes divine if served with any non vegetarian spicy dishes or with simple channa masala else with any other vegetable curries or masalas....I cant stop adding quick cooking oats to my indian breads nowadays and one among those healthy bread is this minty oats parathas, even kids will like to have this aromatic parathas for their evening snacks with nutella spread or cheese spread as my lil ones had these parathas with cheese spread for evening snacks with a glass of orange juice..

1+1/2cups Wheat flour
1cup Oats flour (grind quick cooking oats as fine powder)
1/4cup Quick cooking oats
1/4tsp Cumin seeds
1/2cup Mint leaves (chopped finely)
Salt
1cup Yogurt
2tbsp All purpose flour (for dusting)
Oil of cooking

Make a soft dough with wheat flour, oats flour, cumin seed powder, quick cooking oats,chopped mint leaves,salt, yogurt and water and keep aside for half an hour..make 10-12medium sized balls from the dough, dust the dough balls with all purpose flour and roll as flat round disc with rolling pin..

Heat few drops of oil and place the flattened paratha, cook on both side until they turns golden brown..Serve hot either with any side dish..

Chinese Stir-fried Broccolis & Babycorns

Simple stir fried veggies suits fabulously as side dish with Chinese Vegetarian Fried Rice.. i prepared this delicious stir fried veggies sterday with chinese vegetarian fried rice..Needless to say that this stir fried veggies needs just less than 15minutes to prepare as it goes for less cooking process..Crunchy broccoli florets & babycorns together works out wonder together and this stir fried veggies is prepared simply with soya sauce, cornstarch, chilli sauce, rice vinegar cooked in sesame oil, i used dark soya sauce u can also go very well for light soya sauce & ajinamoto (MSG) which i didnt used in this recipe too...This tasty stir fried veggies goes excellent along with hot steaming white rice, for non vegetarian version u can also goes for chicken chunks or prawns..

20nos Broccoli florets
15nos Babycorns (chopped)
1no Onion( chopped finely)
1tbsp Ginger (minced)
1tbsp Garlic cloves (minced)
2tbsp Dark soya sauce
1tbsp Chilli sauce
1/2tsp Rice vinegar
1/2tsp Corn starch/Corn flour
2tsp Sesame Oil
1tsp Sesame seeds

Heat the sesame oil, add the minced ginger, minced garlic to the hot oil and saute for few minutes..add immediately the finely chopped onions, saute just for few minutes, now add the chopped babycorns, saute for 5minutes..add the dark soya sauce and chilli sauce , cook everything in high flame until the sauces blend well with babycorns..now add the broccoli florets to the cooking veggies, saute for 5minutes..meanwhile make a thin white sauce with cornflour & rice vinegar, add this sauce to the veggies..cook until the sauce get thickens...

Serve hot with fried rice, garnished with sesame seeds...